FOXBOROUGH – Speaking Wednesday morning before practice, Mike Vrabel was asked about something he used to do before each game as Titans head coach. Vrabel would identify three or four key elements to winning that week and express it to his players. Seems simple, right? It is, but when you boil it down, football can be a simple game sometimes. With such a young roster and so many unknowns heading…
There’s no question that UNH and Holy Cross have been the FCS standard in New England for two decades and the last decade respectively. Whether it’s been Coach McDonnell, Coach Santos, Coach Chesney or Coach Curran, the Wildcats and Crusaders have been models of consistency when it comes to competing for championships with a certain attitude and toughness that you’ll only find in the Northeast. UNH has been in the……
Image courtesy of the New England Patriots FOXBOROUGH – On Monday morning before the first game week practice of 2025, Patriots players voted for captains. After the initial stretch period, Mike Vrabel called the team up for the usual pre-practice breakdown/talk, but this one was a little different. Vrabel told the team the six players that had been voted as leaders for the year, with each guy getting a quick…
FOXBOROUGH – It’s a big week for Mike Vrabel and his staff, but it’s an even bigger week for the young Patriots roster. If you’re lucky enough to be sitting inside Gillette Stadium for the opener on Sunday, you’re going to see a lot of newcomers that could and should have a big impact on the team, some rookies, some second or third-year guys. The most important thing for those…
Image courtesy of Xaverian Football By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Staff Football season in New England has finally arrived. It’s time to put away the beach gear and get ready for Friday night lights. Below, we’ll take a look at the top 20 games in Massachusetts, plus some other intriguing matchups from around New England. A reminder, Connecticut is the only state not getting started this weekend… Massachusetts Xaverian at Bishop…
Week one was a bit of a roller coaster from a New England perspective. A lot of programs looked really good, while others stumbled out of the gate. You can read up on the games involving BC, UConn, UMass, Rhode Island and New Haven on the site, but here’s a recap from the rest of the action: UNH 27, NC CENTRAL 10 The Wildcats got an impressive road win to…
By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Staff Outlook: Xaverian has won back-to-back Division 1 state championships. Will Wood returns as an All-State level quarterback. Dominic Funke is a game-wrecking talent on the defensive line. The Hawks should once again find success with the ground game, as they return four starters on the offensive line. Bryce Todd should emerge as one of the top running backs in the division. Xaverian’s top rival, St….
By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Staff Outlook: Catholic Memorial once again enters the season as the heavy favorites in Division 2. The Knights have won three of the last four state titles in the division. Harvard-bound quarterback Kise Flannery is back to lead the offense. The Knights must replace All-Everything Mekhi Dodd in the backfield. Marcelino Antunes returns as the anchor of the offensive line. Mac Fitzgerald, Liam Conlon and Jackson…
By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Staff Outlook: The latest MIAA alignment cycle has pushed yearly Division 2 playoff teams down to Division 3, including King Philip, Barnstable and Marshfield. King Philip has one of the better running back duos in the state in Tallan King and Keigan Canto-Osorio. The Warriors have played in seven of the last eight Division 2 state championship games and should be considered the favorite entering the…
By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff AMHERST – The Joe Harasymiak Era in Amherst got off to a disappointing start on Saturday afternoon as the Temple Owls ook down the UMass Minutemen 42-10 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. With 11,565 fans in attendance on a beautiful late summer day, the Minutemen laid an egg and let the Owls spoil one of their best crowds in years. Temple redshirt senior quarterback Evan Simon…