By Andrew Guindon
NEFJ Staff

SPRINGFIELD – Friday night, the Springfield Central offense was too much for Natick to handle as the Golden Eagles defeated the Redhawks in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 playoffs, 34-14.

No. 7 Springfield Central improved to 8-1, while No. 10 Natick fell to 7-2.

“I feel good, mostly because I get to spend another week with these guys, and we get to go through our routine, practice, and just be close to each other,” said Central head coach Bill Watson. “Anytime you get to prolong the season, you feel good about it.”

The Golden Eagles opened the first quarter with a touchdown on their opening drive. Wide receiver Cameron Walters was left wide open in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown pass from quarterback Jareth Staine.

A couple plays prior, Central broke into Natick territory after senior receiver Dwayne Early Jr. got past the safeties and went 55-yards on the reception. Senior linebacker/runningback Jack Cassey converted the two-point attempt off of a direct snap.

The Redhawks responded on the following drive, with 0:48 to go in the first quarter, when the offensive line created a wide open lane for runningback Sam Hubbard to run through for the score. The extra-point attempt was true to cut into Central’s lead, making it 8-7.

Early in the second quarter, Staine connected with tight end Frankie Torres in the end zone on a crosser off of a play-action pass. Natick was successful in stuffing the two-point attempt to limit Central to a 14-7 lead.

Coach Watson ran into Torres’ father recently, and Watson noted that Torres’ father showed him that exact play from a game two weeks ago when the tight end was open for a score but not targeted.

“I’m sure his father’s up in the bleachers somewhere still celebrating,” said Watson, wearing a huge smile on his face. “It was good for Frankie. He’s worked hard, and he’s become a nice weapon for us.”

The Redhawks were looking to respond; however, Cassey was a force to be reckoned with, making a great open field tackle to force a Natick punt. Almost immediately after taking over on offense, Staine connected deep down the left sideline to Walters for a near 40-yard completion.

Staine took advantage of the offensive positioning and competed a pass to Early Jr. for a score on a slant-corner concept. The extra-point attempt was successful, bringing the Central lead to 21-7 with 4:21 left in the first half.

Natick made a strong attempt to answer back, but failed following a Shaundez Buckhannon interception to close out the first half.

“I thought the defense played well,” said Watson. “Natick has a really good run game; they’re physical, they have some good offensive linemen… I thought we made some adjustments; we got some big stops at times, and I thought it was a good performance by the defense.”

With the momentum residing in Central’s favor, Natick devised a plan to waste the clock and limit the Golden Eagles’ opportunities in the third quarter, which it did successfully.

The Redhawks were able to cut into Central’s lead [21-14] during a long, sustained drive that nearly lasted the entirety of the third quarter. Hubbard was able to break into the end zone. The senior running back and team captain created numerous opportunities for the Redhawk offense throughout the drive.

Heading into the fourth quarter, sophomore running back Isaiah Rodgers continuously chipped his way into Redhawk territory on the ground.

Rebuilding the momentum they lost, Staine connected with Walters on a 35-yard deep post for the senior wide receiver’s third touchdown reception of the night. The extra point attempt extended Central’s lead to 28-14.

From then on, it was all Central. The Natick offense could not sustain a drive with Cassey and Buckhannon leading the opposing side. Central’s final drive was highlighted by senior Ja’Cyion Cox, who scored the final touchdown of the game.

Springfield Central will now face No. 2 BC High in the Elite 8 next week.

“[BC High] is having a great season, and they got some football players out there,” Watson added. “I’m sure when I watch the film, we’re going to see a lot of problems that we’ll have to deal with… we’re looking forward to the challenge.”