WEST ROXBURY and WESTWOOD — The fact that Catholic Memorial and Xaverian are less than six miles apart made the scrimmage doubleheader possible.

That, and the fact that the times were staggered, with the one at CM at 11 am, and the one at Xaverian 1 p.m.

For Catholic Memorial, the visitor was Fitchburg. Xaverian welcomed Merrimack Valley Conference foes Andover and Tewksbury.

The one at Xaverian was a little unique, as it was a mostly passing scrimmage. The teams were allowed three running plays out of every 10 per possession.

Overall, it was good work, and nice to see these teams in person.

— Catholic Memorial looked the part. The Knights are huge up front with BC commit Marcelino Antunes and James Madison commit JD Rayner at the two offensive tackle spots. Offensive standouts included running back Mekhi Dodd, who moved well coming off last year’s knee injury. Wide receivers Caleb Garrity and Isaiah Simmons also flashed. Keep an eye on freshman Ramar Thomas, who got the first team reps at quarterback. He is a good athlete who can really throw it. Linebacker David Timson, also coming off an injury last season, leads the defense. The depth at CM stuck out, partly built last season from so many players stepping in for injured Knights.

“Hopefully, moving ahead this season, we won’t be in the same predicament we were last year,” DiBiaso said. “We had guys injured. We were playing kids with very little experience. By the end of the year, we had two or three freshmen starting on defense. I’m not making excuses. You’ve got to deal with that. Hopefully, we’re in a better situation, depth-wise, this year.”

— Fitchburg is in a tough position. This team does not have a good situation numbers-wise. You wonder if this squad can complete the season if injuries really hit. There could not have been much more than 20 players suited up. It is too bad, because Fitchburg is a great football town, and has had some good teams in the last five or six years. But the program needs more participation. Of those that played at CM, FB/LB Isaiah Solomon and G/DT Masango Amete Ngabe played well. Hopefully brighter days are ahead for this program.

— For Xaverian, what really stood out about the Hawks was their defense. They flow to the ball as one unit, and really arrive with a pop. Obviously, the defensive line with Micah Amedee (Boston College) and Dom Funke is a dominant group. They were in the backfield all afternoon. But linebackers Ethan Jean and Luke Bell are also names to know. Defensive backs Dave Chiavegato, Vincent Busa, and Christian McIntyre make for a good group, as well. Offensively, Will Wood is the next man up at quarterback, and Busa had some impressive runs at running back. You had to like what you saw from the Hawks Saturday.

“I’ll tell you, there’s a term: paralysis to analysis,” Xaverian coach Al Fornaro said. “A lot of guys played for us last year, so they know what they’re doing. They can just let it go. They can just get there, instead of having to worry about (thinking), they can just go. If they can play like that during the season, that’s a good thing.”

— Andover has some experience back and should have a good year in the MVC. Dom Papa is the returner at quarterback, and he can hurt you with his legs at times, too. Connor Acheson is a running back and safety who coach EJ Perry likes, and defensive back James Flagg made some nice plays as well. For Andover, a lot will depend on how quickly the offensive line comes together.

— Tewksbury looked strong, and this is a team to watch in D4. Quarterback Vinny Ciancio is a tall, athletic passer who can distribute the ball to his weapons. RB/LB Manny Mengate had a real nice run against Andover where he gained about 20-25 yards. WR Mason Viets is a senior who can beat players down the field and make big plays. Tewksbury also looked pretty big and athletic in spots along the line. This is a team that can make some noise in a competitive D4.