Andrew Bowman blocked an extra point attempt with nine minutes and the Everett High defense made it stand up for the winning margin in the Crimson Tide’s 14-13 victory over Boston College High School on Homecoming Day at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Bowman, a standout linebacker, had earlier recovered a fumble to set up what proved to be the game-winning 3-yard touchdown run by Jean Bourdeau.
Bowman truly put the “special” in special teams as he roared around the BC High end on the PAT and made the key block of the PAT.
Everett fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter before Manny Asprilla rushed 39 yards for a touchdown. Gilly DeSouza’s extra point tied the game at 7-7.
Bourdeau, who also had a key fumble recovery in the game, gave Everett the lead on his touchdown. DeSouza’s second PAT gave Everett a 14-7.
BC High closed the gap to 14-13 but Bowman’s big block of the PAT allowed Everett to maintain a lead it would never relinquish.
Linebacker Mike LaRochelle was once again immense for the Tide, especially so in the fourth period when he made a key tackle to stymie the Eagles’ comeback hopes.
TIDE NOTEBOOK
Everett improved its record to 3-1. The Tide are ranked sixth in the Boston Herald sweet 16 and seventh in the Boston Globe Top 20. BC High, the defending Division 1 champion, fell to 2-3 overall. The Eagles defeated Everett, 9-0, in last year’s Division 1 semifinals at Manning Field in Lynn before toppling Brockton in the Super Bowl.
Sophomore quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso did an effective running the Tide’s offense. Everett stayed on the ground for the most part, racking up 142 yards rushing, led by Manny Asprilla, who had eight carries for 76 yards. DiBiaso is continuing to gain valuable in-game experience as the rookie leader of the offense and he and a young Everett squad will get a chance to show their improving play in a showdown against No. 1 ranked Xaverian this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
In a rare occasion, Everett will take the field as an underdog against Xaverian. The 5-0 Hawks traveled to New Jersey and came home with an impressive 42-0 victory over Hudson Catholic in an inter-state game played on Saturday. The Hawks’ quarterback is Alex Phelan, son of former Boston College receiver Gerard Phelan, who caught Doug Flutie’s famous “Hail Mary” pass. Xaverian’s Joe Colton is fourth in Division 1 with 54 points in five games. He has three TD receptions.
Superintendent of Schools Frederick Foresteire said Everett is definitely the underdog against the top-ranked Xaverian contingent. “We’ve had great matchups with Xaverian over the years that have been decided by field goals, interceptions – so it will be a big game, that’s for sure.
“Everett’s going to have play their best to stay with Xaverian. But after seeing the way the boys have rebounded since the Dracut game, they’re really committed and they’re working hard. If the defense plays the way it did against BC High, we can be in the game,” said Foresteire.
The Northeastern Conference (NEC) principals voted against admitting Everett and the other four GBL schools, Malden, Medford, Somerville, and Cambridge, to the NEC for the 2010-11 year. The vote was 6-6, but the GBL needed a two-thirds majority (eight votes or more) to gain admission to the NEC, which is a 12-member league of North Shore schools. Masconomet Regional, a member of the Cape Ann League, also applied for admission to the NEC, but its bid was defeated by a 10-2 margin.
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