I recently had a chance to catch up with Xaverian running back Vincent Busa on his commitment to Rhode Island. Busa announced his decision on Sunday. I had a chance to talk to Busa about why he committed to URI. NEFJ: Why did you decide that URI was the right school for you? VB: “I chose URI because of how important the football program is at there university. Also being…
As we continue our series with coach Q&As with state champions, we got a chance to talk with Xaverian’s Al Fornaro. The Hawks went 9-4 with a D1 state title this fall, the program’s second in as many years. We wanted to get Fornaro’s take on his team, and why the Hawks were so successful in the postseason. Here is an edited version of that conversation. Adam Kurkjian: Last year…
It may have been a long time coming, but Xaverian will host a Catholic Conference Showcase on Thursday, May 23. Events like this have been discussed over the years, but Xaverian coach Al Fornaro helped make it happen. In the ever-competitive world of college football recruiting, it helps to get in-person evaluations. All six Catholic Conference schools — BC High, Catholic Memorial, Malden Catholic, St. John’s of Shrewsbury, St. John’s…
It has been an eventful year at Xaverian. The Westwood Catholic Conference and state power is coming off a D1 title, its first since 2015. Leading the way for the Hawks this past season was quarterback Henry Hasselbeck, who will continue his career at UCLA. Xaverian lost a lot of talent from that squad, but the Hawks should reload and again be one of the top teams in the region….
The transfer portal has unequivocally changed college football. But what many local coaches are talking about now, is how the portal, which facilitates the transfer of college players to new schools, is now impacting the recruitment of high school players. And, right now, the effects are negative, and hurting that high school player’s prospects, whether it is at the FBS, FCS, Division 2, or Division 3 level. Just quickly, to…
It was quite a year for the Xaverian Hawks. Injuries hit this team hard, but it kept winning at a high level. The finishing run included wins over Springfield Central, Needham, and St. John’s Prep (twice in six days). So, yes, this D1 state title? The Hawks earned every bit of it. We spoke to Xaverian coach Al Fornaro to get his thoughts on the season, and how it came…
FOXBORO- Henry Hasselbeck had a performance for the ages on Wednesday night in Xaverian’s 31-25 win over St. John’s Prep in the Division One Super Bowl. The senior signal caller rushed for 122 yards and threw for 100 yards and three touchdown passes in a signature performance that cemented his legacy at Xaverian. Hasselbeck’s path to Xaverian was unconventional. He started at Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee and then transferred to…
WESTWOOD – As his players continued to find every Gatorade jug and loose water bottle to dump on him, first-year Everett head coach Rob DiLoreto reveled in the moment. DiLoreto watched as the Crimson Tide let a 10-point fourth quarter lead slip away, but then he also saw his squad muster up the will to pick themselves up and find a way to earn a pulse-pounding 21-19 overtime win on…
Xaverian graduated several key contributors from last season’s 4-1 team, most notably quarterback Michael Berluti. However that won’t change program expectations. They are sky high as usual. In order to meet those expectations, the Hawks will need to fill several spots on the roster. They will be inexperienced at some positions going into this season, most notably quarterback. Replacing Berluti under center will be priority number one. Coach Al Fornaro…