Image courtesy of the New England Patriots The New England Patriots have officially ushered in a new era, naming six captains for the 2025 season as voted by their teammates. The group, a mix of veteran experience and youthful energy, reflects the new identity being forged under head coach Mike Vrabel. Earning the honor for the first time is second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who will lead the offense alongside veteran…
Vrabel hopes young players can remain poised during first game week
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…
Previewing the top high school games across New England – Week 1
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…
Sunday college round up – Week 1
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…
MIAA Division 1 preview
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….
MIAA Division 2 preview
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…
MIAA Division 3 preview
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…
Harasymiak Era gets off to disappointing start for UMass
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…
BC takes care of business with dominant win over Fordham
CHESTNUT HILL – As far as openers go, this was about as perfect as you can get if you’re a BC fan. There was a brief stretch early in the first half where fans got a bit restless, but other than that, it was smooth sailing in Chestnut Hill as the Eagles rolled to a 66-10 win. The buzz was around campus early with tailgates firing right around 10:15 a.m….
Big three of Fagnano, Bell and Edwards lead UConn past CCSU in opener
By Andy Close NEFJ Correspondent EAST HARTFORD — UConn’s version of triplets was on full display in their season opener against in-state FCS foe Central Connecticut State on Saturday. Skyler Bell and Cam Edwards both had electrifying touchdowns in the first half, and Joe Fagnano accounted for four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in a 59-13 win at Rentschler Field. “Like any coach would say, there’s a lot we……