| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Prep | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| Bishop Fenwick | 0 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 28 |
Thursday, November, 22
By Matt Jenkins
Staff writer
PEABODY | Thanksgiving Day at Donaldson Field was supposed to be the Bobby Tarr Show. Bishop Fenwick's record-breaking back had to share the spotlight with junior Dan Kennedy, however.
Kennedy scored Fenwick's first touchdown in the second quarter on a 10-yard run and returned an interception 60 yards for another score as the Crusaders overpowered Austin Prep, 28-16.
Getting little opportunity to showcase his offensive skills as Tarr's backup, Kennedy got to share the ball-carrying duties in the second half when Fenwick switched to the Wing T. He finished with 50 yards on six carries and had two interceptions from his defensive back position, including a one-handed grab.
Tarr and Kennedy shared the prestigious Sal Tripoli Award for the game's Most Valuable Player.
It wasn't exactly a passing of the torch, but Kennedy's performance gave the crowd a brief look into the crystal ball.
"He probably gave everybody else a little glimpse, but we've been seeing him all year," Fenwick coach David Woods said. "Dan would be the starting tailback on any team around here. Unfortunately, he had the best running back in the state in front of him. He's a special kid and thank God we were able to go to the Wing T in the second half and get both of them on the field."
Kennedy's interceptions made Austin Prep coach Bill Maradei take notice.
"Did you see that one he made over here?," Maradei asked, gesturing toward his team's sideline. "I just told him that was the best interception I've ever seen. It was one hand."
Kennedy has actually been playing with only one hand lately. Even with a broken left wrist, Kennedy downplayed the one-handed snag in favor of the one he returned for a touchdown, which gave Fenwick (7-4) a three-score lead.
"I reached up for the ball and it just stuck to my hand," Kennedy said. "The return was a great feeling. I felt like at that point we had the game."
The rushing touchdown Kennedy scored in the second quarter also gave Fenwick some life.
Austin Prep had been doing an excellent job slowing down Tarr, and the Crusaders might have lost confidence if they headed into halftime without any points.
"If we didn't score before half we probably wouldn't have come out (of halftime) with the same fire," senior offensive lineman Dan White said. "He was getting some tough yards for us, and he did it defensively too."
Fenwick recovered two on-side kicks yesterday, one by design and the other by accident.
Junior kicker Kyle White drilled a line drive right off an Austin Prep player on the game's opening kickoff, then delivered the perfect rolling kick in the third quarter immediately after the Crusaders took a 14-8 lead. Dale Crispan recovered both kicks.
"The one on-side kick, Kyle read that himself," Woods said. "We haven't given him free reign, but we've told him if there is a big hole, then go get it. He saw it and took advantage. The other ones we were just trying to kick line drives and they hit kids."
Aside from the two recovered kicks, White also kicked two that hit players beyond Austin Prep's first line and remained free for a moment.
Over the last two years, White has kicked seven or eight on-side kicks with tremendous success.
White finds a hole, kicks the top of the ball at the perfect speed, and usually beats everyone to the loose ball.
"It's a special talent," Woods said. "You know what it is, he's quick. He kicks the ball and he can get down there quick. We've done it probably a half a dozen times and I think we've only not recovered it once. It's definitely a nice weapon."
Fenwick senior lineman Dan White tried to sum up what Fenwick football means to the players after the game.
"It's more than just a football team; it's like a community, or a brotherhood," White said. "I'm really going to miss playing with these guys. We really came together this year. The season didn't go quite the way we wanted it to, but I got to know some of the kids a little more and it makes it that much more enjoyable opening holes."
The Crusaders have 17 seniors on the roster.
The Crusaders did play without injured seniors Ben Terenzoni and Brendan Barrett. Terenzoni, a wide receiver/defensive back, tore his ACL in the Crusaders' loss to Hingham, while Barrett, a running back/defensive back/kicker, chipped the bone in the right shoulder that he had surgery on last offseason. He faces another surgery next month where bone will be taken from his hip and put into his shoulder.
Senior fullback/linebacker T.J. Fossa also missed the game after getting ejected from the win over Cardinal Spellman.
"T.J. is a great kid. He got emotional in the game and let his emotions get the best of him," Woods said. "Consequences for your actions, I guess. He's a great kid and it would have been nice to have him out here."
Austin Prep quarterback Steve Boghos tossed the 50th touchdown pass of his career when he connected with John Randolph on an 18-yard strike in the fourth quarter.
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