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Eagles denied league title by unbeaten B.C. High

Saturday, November, 10 By Jean DePlacido
Correspondent

DANVERS | For the past four years, St. John's Prep has either won the Catholic Conference football championship outright or shared a piece of the title.

But there will be no fifth championship for the Eagles this year.

Unbeaten B.C. High left no doubt as to who the premier team in the conference is this fall by blanking the hosts at Cronin Stadium Saturday afternoon, 24-0.

It would take the unlikely combination of a Prep win on Thanksgiving coupled with a BC loss to Catholic Memorial for the Eagles to earn a piece of the league crown. Even if that were to happen, B.C. High would still advance to the playoffs to face Greater Boston League champion Everett in the Division 1 semifinals.

The battle of the Eagles went to the visitors from Dorchester, who produced three touchdown runs from three different players as well as a field goal. In addition, B.C. High's tenacious defense that proved to be the biggest difference in keeping the Prep off the scoreboard.

"We've been very pleased with our defense, which has kept getting better and better all year," said coach B.C. High Ron St. George whose 10-0 team has only allowed a grand total of 21 points its last seven games.

"We were worried about stopping (Prep tailback) Derek Coppola, but were able to contain him. St. John's went to the passing game earlier than we expected, but after the first few we shut that down, too."

The BC High defense denied the Prep on fourth-and-inches at the visitors' 38-yard line early in the game and took over. On the very next play, Tom Duffy broke loose for a 62-yard touchdown run.

On their next drive BC went 41 yards in nine plays, all on the ground. Kyle Ewanouski blasted up the middle from a yard out. Conor Flaherty's extra point gave the visitors a 14-0 advantage midway through the second quarter.

"Except for two big plays | one on a long counter and the other on an option | they didn't do much in the first half," said Prep coach Jim O'Leary, his team dropping to 5-5 on the season. "We had our opportunities to score, but didn't capitalize.

"Once we got behind, they could afford to gamble (defensively). They blitzed and took chances. They really teed off in the second half, knowing we had to throw. But we had to complete those passes, and can't have sacks or dropped balls."

St. John's failed to score in the closing minutes of the half after driving for a first-and-goal at the BC 10-yard line. An offsides call against them was followed by three incompletions by quarterback Scott Darby, who had connected on his first seven for 77 yards. Darby finished the game 8-for-16 for 87 yards.

The visitors then put the game out of reach with a ball control 80-yard touchdown drive over 13 plays, eating up the clock in the process. Mitch McClune barreled in from 2 yards out, and later Conor Flaherty kicked a 21-yard field goal to secure the victory | and the league title | for B.C. High.