Q&A with Everett coach Justin Flores

October 5, 2023

One of the biggest wins of last weekend came when Everett beat BC High, 35-34. The win improved the Crimson Tide to 3-1 on the season, with the only loss to Xaverian in the opener. Leading the way for Everett is first-year coach Justin Flores. We wanted to speak to Flores about his experience as the Tide coach, and who some of his best players are. We spoke over the……

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New England high school preview — Week 5

October 4, 2023

Certainly, some games that are not just big this week, but Game of the Year material in a lot of different respects. As has been the case a lot this season, rain is in the forecast for Saturday. That won’t dampen the spirits too much, though, as there should be some really great games that day. On to the preview . . . Catholic Memorial at Xaverian — This will……

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Five underrated high school results from Week 4

October 2, 2023

Every week, we highlight some games that caught our attention in a way that it would not normally. These feature teams that are not in our rankings or weekly previews, but are nonetheless noteworthy. Without further ado, here are those games. Dartmouth 36, Apponequet 20 — Dartmouth is an interesting program. When the Indians are good, they tend to be very legit, and you may see that start to transpire……

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Q&A with Westfield coach Rob Parent

October 1, 2023

One of the biggest results of the weekend came out in Western Mass., as Westfield earned a 28-14 win over Minnechaug. The Bombers look like they could be a real factor in the D3 state playoffs. Coach Rob Parent always fields a tough team, and this fall leads an experienced one that is good on both sides of the ball. We spoke to him Sunday over the phone, and he……

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Week 2 Chaos Poll

October 1, 2023

Surprisingly, not as much chaos this week, as largely the favorites took care of business. Some big matchups on tap for next week should cause a shuffle. On to the poll . . . Week 2 Chaos Poll Catholic Memorial (2-1) St. John’s Prep (4-0) Springfield Central (3-1) Xaverian (3-1) King Philip (4-0) Deerfield (3-0) — Huge test against Cheshire Academy up next. Milford (4-0) Williston Northampton (2-1) — Travels……

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Week 4 MIAA Top 25

October 1, 2023

Not a ton of movement this week, as the favorites won a lot of their matchups. Still, there was some change toward the bottom of the rankings. The biggest shift came in Methuen’s 51-18 win over Andover. On to the rankings . . . Week 4 MIAA Top 25 1. Catholic Memorial (2-1) — Returns from bye with trip to X. 2. St. John’s Prep (4-0) — Made quick work of La Salle……

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Arkansas State 52, UMass 28 — Red Wolves blow out host Minutemen

September 30, 2023

By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent AMHERST — The first ever game in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Arkansas State Red Wolves (3-2) ended in a 52-28 rout of the UMass Minutemen (1-5) at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. From start to finish, the Red Wolves had control of the game, leading by double digits at the end of every single quarter. Arkansas State true freshman quarterback Jaylen Raynor (20-for-25, 383 yards,……

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Utah State 34, UConn 33 — Blocked PAT ends Huskies’ hopes

September 30, 2023

Tony Catalina NEFJ Correspondent HARTFORD — On a cloudy and chilly early kickoff in Connecticut, UConn hosted the Utah State Aggies, and the Huskies keep finding new ways to lose football games. A game that was truly the tale of two halves with the Huskies having a great first half, turned into a disastrous and heartbreaking second half. In a back-and-forth affair that saw the Huskies’ defense give their offense……

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Bishop Feehan 31, Archbishop Williams 6 — Shamrocks air it out

September 30, 2023

ATTLEBORO — Sometimes, a coach can get set in his ways, and try to fit a square peg in a round hole. This does not describe Bishop Feehan coach Bryan Pinabell. When he was presented with two very different sets of personnel the last two seasons, he let that dictate the offensive philosophies. And as he is set now, Pinabell has a dangerous passing game led by sophomore quarterback Owen……

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Milton 31, Weymouth 7 — Miller helps keep Milton perfect

September 29, 2023

MILTON — Following his team’s 31-7 win over Weymouth Friday night, Milton coach Steve Dembowski addressed his players. Maybe it was the rain, but the celebration, if you can call it that, was muted. Milton had the feel of a team that expected to win, and was eager to move on. But as it stands, Milton’s 4-0 record is worth getting excited over, as Weymouth entered the evening with a……

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