According to MIAA EMass tournament director Jim O’Connor, Mansfield has been forced to forfeit its game with Bishop Feehan due to an ineligible player. The second game between Norton and Abington will be played as scheduled at B-Raynham with a 7:45 start.

Reached North Attleboro coach Kurt Kummer, whose team would be the Hockomock League champions. Interesting and classy comments from Kummer.

“We’d play tomorrow, but the principal and AD said the state wouldn’t let us, so I do what they tell me. Of course, the kids would love to play, but this is a bizarre situation, one I have never heard of.
“I have a lot of emotions about this. I think it is a shame for Mansfield and all those kids who worked so hard. They beat us on the field and it is a shame they’re not going on a technicality. From what I’ve heard and I don’t know much more, the player is question was not a contributing player.”

He could have taken a scholarship to Manhattan or Stony Brook for basketball, but Lawrence Academy standout Darryl Cato-Bishop of Boston has decided on the gridiron for now. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior has accepted a scholarship to play football at NC State in the fall of 2009. The talented tight end/defensive end led LA to the ISL championship games before losing to BB&N.
“He’s been spoken with (basketball coaches) Sidney Lowe and Monte Towe and they are going to save a walkon spot on the roster for him,” said BABC coach Leo Papile, who is a close friend of the family. “They have a good relationship with the football people and they’ve said it is OK.”

By Joe Reardon

Add Drew Beck to the names of Oliver Ames harriers who came away from Saturday’s FootLocker Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships with a medal.

Beck was all smiles after his sterling 17-minute, 17.2-second, second-place finish in the freshman boys’ race on Van Cortlandt Park’s challenging 3.1-mile layout

Beck stayed close to the front, passing the first mile in 5:10 before moving into second heading onto the cow paths. The freshman talent, who got his first look at Cemetery Hill and The Back Hills that morning, admitted the inclines were a struggle. “I felt good but the hills were really bad,” said Beck. “We went over them this morning so I knew where they’d be.

“I wanted top three. I was hoping to win, but I was happy to do well.”

There was a short time after his disappointing 26th-place finish in the Div. 1 state championship race where Philip Galebach of Medford was thinking of closing it down and passing on the FootLocker race.

Galebach talked it over with his coaches and decided to give it a go. He ran an inspired race, taking seventh in 15:49 and earning a berth at the national finals on Dec. 13 at San Diego’s Balboa Park.

Galebach was third at the mile in 4:50 after a fast start and 10:25 through the uphill second mile. Several runners went by him, but nearly as many as he thought. He finished strong, one second in back of Mike Moverman’s sixth-place, 15:48.

“I felt good,” said Galebach. “I was pretty winded on the hills but I recharged on the downhills. In The Backhills I thought I wouldn’t qualify, I thought top 30.”

As for the finals, Galebach is looking for a strong, solid effort. “I’m just trying to stay healthy and do as well as I can,” he said.

Moverman ran a stellar race and truly realized just how significant at top-10 finish was. “I’m very lucky,” said the Div. 2 state champion. “Not that many people qualify for FootLocker. I tried to move on the downhills. The last 200 meters I saw people coming and thought, ‘Man, I don’t want them to catch me.’”

Kirsten Kasper of North Andover had a rough time winning the Div .1 state championships for the third time, but recovered quickly and set her sites on FootLocker.

The cool, overcast conditions suited Kasper as she went through the mile in the top 10 and methodically started to move up. “I was feeling really good,” she said. “I felt good the whole way. My goal was to get there (finals). I just want to go out and run.”

Emily Jones of the Bromfield School in Harvard captured the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCC) Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., today. Trailing with less than a mile to go, Jones surged ahead to claim the lead to finish in 17:31. Jones is a three-time FLCC National Finalist.
Also qualifying for the Nationals in San Diego on December 13 was Kirsten Kasper of North Andover, who finished seven with a time of 18:10.

In the boys race, a pair of local runners also will be moving on to San Diego. Michael Moverman of Oliver Ames finished sixth with a time of 15:48, one second ahead of Philip Galebach of Medford.

The 16th annual Paul Duchane Girls Basketball pre season jamboree, featuring several teams from the North Shore, is scheduled for Saturday, December 6, 2008 at the Lynn Classical High School gymnasium at 235 O’Callaghan Way.

The schedule is as follows:

4:00 Danvers vs. Wilmington
4:40 Beverly vs. North Andover
5:20 Marblehead vs. Lynn Tech
6:00 Lynn English vs. Bishop Fenwick
6:40 Peabody vs. Reading
7:20 Swampscott vs. Masconomet
8:00 Saugus vs. Lynn Classical

The teams will play two 8-minute periods.

Admission will be $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for students and senior citizens. No passes will be accepted since this is a scholarship event

DIVISION 1
Everett vs B.C. High, 7:45 at Lynn
Dartmouth vs Brockton, 7:45 at Brockton

DIVISION 1A
Acton-Boxborough vs Dracut, 7:45 at Lowell
Marshfield vs Framingham 5:15 at Brockton

DIVISION 2
Walpole vs Reading, 7:45 at Reading
Mansfield vs Bishop Feehan, 5:15 at Bridgewater-Raynham

DIVISION 2A
Gloucester vs Masconomet, 5:15 at Lynn
Duxbury vs Apponoquet, 7:15 at Durfee

DIVISION 3
Swampscott vs Arlington Catholic, 7:15 at Arlington
Norton vs Abington, 7:45 at Bridgewater-Raynham

DIVISION 3A
Amesbury vs Whittier, 5:15 at Lowell
Martha’s Vineyard vs. South Boston, 4:45 at Taunton

DIVISION 4
Manchester Essex vs O’Bryant, 5:15 at Reading
Pope John vs Tri County, 7:15 at Taunton

PAUL REVERE BOWL
Bedford vs. Hanover, (Wed., 7 at Quincy)

STATE VOCATIONAL BOWLS
(Thursday at Quincy)
Bristol-Plymouth vs. Bay Path, 4
South Shore vs. North Shore, 7

A few Thanksgiving Day tidbits as we await the times for the semifinal matchups. This much we do know: Brockton is hosting Dartmouth, Reading is hosting Walpole and Arlington Catholic is hosting Swampscott. We’ve also been told that the games at Durfee and Arlington High are single games with a 7:15 p.m. start, while the other venues will host doubleheaders starting at 5:15 and 7:45.

Note: The Herald will begin its postseason coverage tomorrow with a look at the Sweet 16 and the Stars of the week. On Sunday, we will preview the Division 1, Division 1A and Division 4 playoff games. Monday will be Division 2 and Division 2A and Tuesday will be Division 3 and 3A.

THE WARRIOR WITHIN: Having seen his junior season end with a concussion, Apponequet running back Jack Gaynor wasn’t going to let an MCL sprain keep from playing on Thanksgiving Day. Gaynor was up to challenge, rushing for 49 yards and two scores as the Lakers capped off their 11-0 regular season record in school history.

LONG OVERDUE: Attleboro finally broke through against North Attleboro, defeating the Red Rocketeers for the first time since 1994, 12-10. Matt Campbell, as usual, was the key for the Bombardiers, rushing for 125 yards, while catching three passes for 50 yards and two scores.

GROUND CENTRAL: Masconomet did the bulk of its damage on the ground against North Andover, rushing for 265 yards on 36 carries in a 31-7 victory.

MAN OF TROY: Junior running back Troy Peterson rushed for 140 yards on 27 carries as Newton North defeated Brookline in double overtime, 15-7.

PERFECT VISION: It wasn’t an artistic success, but O’Bryant capped off the first perfect 10-0 season in school history with a 14-0 victory. The offensive catalysts, quarterback Joshua Carrington and running back Omari Alfred, stepped up to the challenge as they’ve done all season long.

HANG TEN: Quincy continued its recent mastery of North Quincy, defeating the Red Raiders for the 10th consecutive year, 27-17. Tim Lewis proved to be thorn in NQ’s side as he rushed for three touchdowns in the second half.

OA ALL THE WAY: For the longest time, it appeared as though Sharon was going to end its 32-game losing streak. The Eagles jumped out to a 19-0 lead over Oliver Ames and appeared poised to end the drought. But Oliver Ames rallied with 20 unanswered points, the final touchdown coming on a game-winning TD pass from Mitchell Johnson to Kyle Steadman in the final minute give OA a stunning 20-19 win.

JEAN, JEAN THE RUNNING MACHINE: Needham senior running back Jean Baptiste saves his best for Wellesley. A year after beating Wellesley in overtime with a touchdown, Baptiste was at it again, rushing for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-7 victory.

POINTED COMMENTARY: If the MIAA Football Committee decides to revisit the so-called Burkhead Plan, they will have one loud voice in their corner. Mashpee coach Matt Triveri was less than pleased with his team staying home with a 10-1 record and proceeded to vent in a Cape Cod Times story following his team‘s 35-0 victory over Cape Cod/Harwich yesterday, comparing his situation to Dennis-Yarmouth, who stayed at home following a 10-1 season in 2007.
“I understand what D-Y went through now,” said Triveri. “I think we’re one of the best four teams in Division 3, hands down. I think it’s a travesty that Arlington Catholic (a 46-6 loser to Abington during the season) gets in and we’re sitting on the sidelines at 10-1. We’re not the only one in that situation and I think that’s wrong.”

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: We love tradition as much as anyone, but can someone rationally explain why the Boston Latin-Boston English game is still being played. This time, it was a winless Latin who stormed to an easy 36-0 victory over Boston English, winning for the 11th straight season. The Bulldogs have won just two times since 1966 (1981 and 1997) and the gap is widening by the year.
The problem is most of the people who want to keep this going aren’t aware of the facts. This isn’t 1966 where crowds of 25,000 would annually flock Harvard Stadium to see this once great rivalry. Heck, it isn’t just the alumni, we hear someone actually suggested on the radio waves that there would be 25,000 at this year’s game.
For the record, they were off by 24,350.

LAST BLAST: On behalf of the entire staff at the Herald, we wish to thank the numerous coaches and team representatives for their help in adding to our coverage. Unfortunately, there were a small handful who choose not to promote their kids or programs and we can respect that, though I’ll never understand it for the life of me.
Once again, thanks and good luck to all the teams appearing in the postseason.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Cardinal Spellman 37, Archbishop Williams 14
Lawrence 39, Greater Lawrence 0
Lynn Tech 16, St. Mary’s 6

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

(EASTERN MASS)

Abington 29, Whitman-Hanson 14
Acton-Boxboro 21, Westford Academy 7
Amesbury 22, Newburyport 7
Andover 26, Central Catholic 17
Apponequet 35, Old Rochester 14
Arlington Catholic 19, Arlington 15
Attleboro 12, North Attleboro 10
Austin Prep 20, Bishop Fenwick 12
Bedford 33, Concord-Carlisle 7
Belmont 44, Watertown 6
Bishop Feehan 11, Sandwich 8
Bishop Stang 37, Bishop Connolly 8
BC High 17, Catholic Memorial 7
Boston Latin 36, Boston English 0
Braintree 21, Milton 13
Bridgewater-Raynham 43, Randolph 0
Bristol-Plymouth 27, Blue Hills 6
Brockton 35, Waltham 28
Burke 30, Hyde Park 0
Carver 29, Middleboro 7
Cathedral 20, Marian 7
Chelmsford 22, Billerica 16
Cohasset 37, Hull 15
Coyle-Cassidy 24, Taunton 21
Dartmouth 35, Fairhaven 20
Dennis-Yarmouth 29, Nauset 7
Diman 33, GNB Voke 12
Duxbury 28, Marshfield 0
East Bridgewater 35, Rockland 28
Everett 35, Cambridge 12
Falmouth 26, Barnstable 21
Framinghan 28, Natick 9
Gloucester 37, Danvers 10
Groton-Dunstable 41, Tyngsboro 20
Hamilton-Wenham 27, Ipswich 6
Hanover 14, Norwell 6
Hingham 10, Scituate 6
King Philip 22, Franklin 12
Lexington 24, Burlington 14
Lincoln-Sudbury 30, Newton South 6
Lowell 28, Haverhill 7
Lynn English 48, Lynn Classical 14
Lynnfield 21, North Reading 0
Malden 33, Medford 22
Malden Catholic 14, Peabody 12
Manchester Essex 40, Georgetown 21
Mansfield 28, Foxboro 0
Masconomet 31, North Andover 7
Mashpee 35, Cape Cod/Harwich 0
Medfield 28, Dover-Sherborn 12
Medway 42, Millis 20
Methuen 37, Dracut 33
Minuteman 28, Mystic Valley 0
Needham 26, Wellesley 7
New Bedford 37, Durfee 6
Newton North 15, Brookline 7 (2 ot)
Norton 54, Bellingham 0
Norwood 47, Dedham 14
O’Bryant 14, Latin Academy 0
Oliver Ames 20, Sharon 19
Pentucket 14, Triton 7
Plymouth North 30, Plymouth South 6
Pope John 30, Lowell Catholic 20
Quincy 27, North Quincy 17
Reading 28, Stoneham 0
St. Clement 28, Trinity Catholic 12
Salem 34, Beverly 30
Saugus 35, Chelsea 6
Seekonk 13, Dighton-Rehoboth 3
Shawsheen 20, Greater Lowell 0
Silver Lake 28, Pembroke 7
Somerset 47, Case 0
Somerville 18, Matignon 0
South Boston 34, East Boston 6
South Shore 34, Southeastern 7
Stoughton 28, Canton 2
Swampscott 21, Marblehead 13
Tewksbury 26, Wilmington 7
Wakefield 34, Melrose 27
Walpole 20, Weymouth 6
Wareham 26, Bourne 14
Wayland 21, Weston 12
West Bridgewater 18, Holbrook/Avon 12
Westwood 42, Holliston 18
Whittier 33, Hudson Catholic 0
Winchester 34, Woburn 10
Winthrop 20, Revere 6
Xaverian 24, St. John’s Prep 17

(CENTRAL MASS)

Auburn 42, Oxford 12
Doherty 42, Burncoat 6
Fitchburg 20, Leominster 17
Leicester 15, David Prouty 0
Littleton 34, Ayer 13
Mahar 35, Athol 7
Marlboro 34, Hudson 0
Maynard 18, Clinton 13
Millbury 14, Grafton 6
Narragansett 14, Murdock 13
Nashoba 42, North Middlesex 12
Nipmuc 8, Valley Tech 0
Northbridge 22, Uxbridge 0
Oakmont 26, Gardner 25
St. Bernard’s 19, Lunenburg 14
St. John’s (S) 28, St. Peter-Marian 6
Shrewsbury 16, Milford 13
Southbridge 33, Bartlett 0
Tantasqua 32, Shepherd Hill 27
Wachusett 20, Holy Name 0
West Boylston 36, Quabbin 19
Westboro 27, Algonquin 6

TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

DIVISION 1

BC High vs. Everett
Dartmouth at Brockton

DIVISION 1A

Framingham vs. Marshfield
Acton-Boxboro vs. Dracut

DIVISION 2

Walpole vs. Reading
Mansfield vs. Bishop Feehan

DIVISION 2A

Duxbury vs. Apponequet
Gloucester vs. Masconomet

DIVISION 3

Norton vs. Abington
Swampscott vs. Arlington Catholic

DIVISION 3A

Whittier vs. Amesbury
Martha’s Vineyard vs. South Boston

DIVISION 4

O’Bryant vs. Manchester Essex
Pope John vs. Tri-County

DCL/PATRIOT LEAGUE BOWL GAME

Wednesday night

Bedford vs. Hanover, 7
Note: They will flip for site this morning. If Hanover wins, the game will be in Quincy. If Bedford wins, the game will be in Arlington.

STATE VOCATIONAL BOWLS

Thursday at Quincy’s Veterans Memorial Stadium

4 - Bristol-Plymouth vs. Bay Path
7 - South Shore vs. North Shore

Here is a press release from the Kraft family.

In 2007, Gillette Stadium hosted 11 Patriots games, 19 Revolution games and several sold-out concerts. But for thousands of high school football fans, the most exciting event in Foxborough took place on a cold Saturday in December.
The 2007 EMass High School Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium featured six games, several nail biters, one overtime classic and a lifetime of memories for the student athletes involved. The games will return to Gillette Stadium on Dec. 6, 2008, when 12 teams represent their communities in the 2008 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) EMass Super Bowls.
Under an agreement between the MIAA and the Kraft family, Gillette Stadium will again host six of the seven EMass Super Bowl games. Division IV, III, II, IIA, I and IA will play at Gillette Stadium, with the Division IIIA game held at Bentley College (under the agreement, the seventh division rotates annually). The Kraft family will cover costs for the event.
“High school Super Bowls are special. We hope the experience of playing on the same field as the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium will make the day even more memorable for everyone involved,” said Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group. “For many of the participants, these Super Bowls will be one of the most memorable moments of their athletic careers and will be talked about for generations to come. High school football has a long and storied tradition in New England. We are proud to build on that tradition by hosting the Super Bowls here and are making efforts to preserve the history of high school football at The Hall at Patriot Place.”
Kraft Sports Productions, which produces Patriots preseason games and New England Revolution games for television, will produce the broadcast of the games on Comcast SportsNet (Division IV, III and II games) and WSBK-TV38 (Division IIA, I and IA games). Gary Tanguay and Scott Zolak will call the games on both stations. Coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. on Comcast SportsNet and 3:30 p.m. on WSBK-TV38.
Like their NFL counterparts, the high school teams will receive NFL-style introductions on Gillette Stadium’s 48 x 27-foot video screens and public address system. The video screens will also show instant replays throughout the day and the postgame awards ceremonies for each winning team.
General admission tickets for the event are $13 for adults and $10 for students, children and seniors. They will be available at the walk-up windows of the Gillette Stadium ticket offices beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Dec. 6. Parking is free for the event (parking map attached) and parking lots will open at 8 a.m. Concessions will be available throughout the day.

Herald All-Scholastic softball pitcher Kiki Saveriano recenrly signed her National Letter of Intent to UConn. Saveriano led Lexington to the D1 state title, capping off a brilliant season by tossing a no-hit, 16-strikeout effort in a 1-0 win over Gardner.

Gary Warren has been named the new head softball coach at Bishop Feehan. A 1984 graduate of Attleboro High, Warren has been an assistant softball coach for the Shamrocks since 2000.