Paul Vozzella
NEFJ Staff
SCITUATE – For the third year in a row, No. 1 Shawsheen Valley Tech topped No. 4 Old Rochester Regional in the playoffs, this time with a dominant 28-7 victory in the MIAA Division 5 state semifinals.
Shawsheen (11-0) advances to the D5 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium against Foxborough.
The Rams established a presence early on, scoring on the first drive of the game when quarterback Sidney Tildsley had his first touchdown of the night. Tildsley, along with running back Jake Banda and Zack Timmons combined for 60 rush yards on the drive.
The Bulldogs were not as effective on offense to say the least. Old Rochester had four offensive drives in the first half – three three-and-outs and a five-play drive, ending in an interception by defensive back Dyllon Pratt.
“Our defense has been our mainstay all year,” said Shawsheen head coach Al Costabile. “My defensive coordinator, Brian Tildsley, with the help of Coach Banda, got them prepared and our defense rises to challenges… They might bend a little but they don’t bend much.”
The Rams converted defense into offense with another commanding drive, capped off with Tildsley’s second rushing touchdown of the first quarter. The QB was pleased with the offense through their first two drives.
“We definitely established the run game… We trusted our line and we ran 160 yards in the first quarter and you can’t do anything better than that,” he said.
It’s easy to agree with Tildsley, but that didn’t slow the Rams’ onslaught.
The top seed proved why its had so much success this year by starting the second half with more of the same performance – a forced three-and-out. The Rams retained possession and strung together a lengthy 11-play drive including a 16-yard grab by Pratt, but a rare mistake was made by Tildsley. A deep shot across the middle was intercepted by the lurking defensive back Henry Berry.
Even the turnover couldn’t spark the Bulldogs, turning the ball over on downs before gaining a first down.
“We’re really a pressure defense and if they can’t score, they can’t win, ” said Tildsley.
After a little hiatus, Tildsley found himself right back in the endzone. His third rushing touchdown of the game gave his team a 21-0 lead with 8:10 remaining.
“Sid’s just a talented young man that can do it with his arm and his legs as you saw,” Costabile said.
Tildsley wasn’t alone in the scoring effort, however. Banda joined in with a 25-yard run to the end zone. He finished with 112 yards on 12 carries.
“Jake’s a horse,” said Costabile. “He has tremendous balance… He might not be an Olympic sprinter, but he doesn’t get caught on the field. He’s got field speed…Our team did a great job of blocking – and that’s everybody, not just the offensive line… [Brayton] Carbone, 140 pounds… giving up 70 to 80 pounds and making great blocks. I mean it’s just a total team effort.”
Leconte scored with 2:01 left in the game, but all Shawsheen had to do was run the clock out before the celebration began.
“There’s an aura and to be able to go back there with these coaches and these players, I can’t wait,” Costabile said emphatically.
