By Dante Iafrate
NEFJ Correspondent
SPRINGFIELD — For a quarter, it looked like Springfield Central and Lowell were feeling each other out, trading short drives and defensive stops in their MIAA Division 1 quarterfinal matchup on Friday night.
But, once the Golden Eagles settled in, they showed why they’ve been one of the state’s most dangerous teams all season and for the last decade.
Central pulled away behind a strong running game and a defense that tightened up after a slow start, cruising to a 49-14 win.
The win moves Central to 9-1 and sets up a big state semifinal matchup next week against Xaverian with a trip to the Super Bowl at Gillette on the line. The two-time defending champion Hawks beat Andover 49-17 earlier in the evening.
Lowell dropped to 8-2.
“We have an amazing group of guys,” said Central senior running back Chris Sanchez. “We built chemistry all summer. I don’t think we have played our best football yet.”
Lowell actually struck first, and it came surprisingly.
After a scoreless first quarter filled with punts and penalties, the Red Raiders jumped ahead on a pick-six by Joshua Amankwaah early in the second quarter to lead 7-0.
That lead lasted only a matter of seconds.
Sophomore Anthony Whaley took the ensuing kickoff to the house, tying the game at 7-7 and flipping the whole feel of the night.
“That kick return was huge,” said Sanchez. “I was running down and blocking, and then I looked to my right and saw him break open. We needed that.”
From that point on, Central took control. Sanchez – who only recently started getting heavier carries – broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to give the Golden Eagles a 14-7 lead. It was a simple burst through the middle followed by a sprint to the sideline, but it showed his patience and the line’s dominance.
“At first it was inside,” Sanchez explained. “My line did a great job blocking. I just pressed the line and bounced out when it opened up. It was beautiful.”
Later in the second quarter, quarterback Jareth Staine punched in a rushing touchdown to put Central ahead 21-7 heading into halftime. By then, Central’s defense had also found its groove. After giving up some early third-down conversions, the Golden Eagles grabbed two interceptions by Whaley and Jayden Wheeler and stopped a late Lowell drive inside the 20.
“Our defense brought a lot of intensity tonight,” head coach Bill Watson said. “That physicality is something we preach, but it is also something these guys take pride in. They have been running to the ball all year.”
Central opened the second half the same way it closed the first.
A pair of completions to Frankie Torres set the tone, and Staine capped the drive with a 25-yard touchdown strike to Connor Foley. Lowell answered with a kick return touchdown of its own by Ryan Conley, but Central didn’t flinch.
Rogers scored from a yard out to put Central up 35-14 late in the third. In the fourth quarter, Staine made one of the game’s most impressive plays when he fumbled a snap, picked it up, rolled left, and fired a five-yard touchdown pass to Kodi Massey. Rogers later added a 10-yard touchdown run to close out the scoring.
Watson said the backfield combination of Sanchez and Rogers has turned into one of the team’s biggest weapons.
“It is a two-headed monster,” Watson said. “Sanchez gave us great energy, and once Isaiah got comfortable after being injured, he picked it up, too. That is what competition does.”
Now, it’s all eyes on a rematch with Xaverian with a trip to Gillette in their sights. Earlier this year, SC traveled to Westwood and came away with a wild 28-20 win.
If history repeats itself, the Golden Eagles will be flying to Foxborough.
