Fenwick, Tarr hope for an exciting conclusion against Austin Prep

Thanksgiving for Bishop Fenwick will be about many things. It will be about a Massachusetts institutional tradition; it will be about seniors playing their last game; it will be about winning.Heading into their Turkey Day tussle on Thursday, the Crusaders will be looking back over the course of the season with pride. Despite a year in which they took a step back, carrying a 6-4 record into their last game (Fenwick finished with a 9-2 record last season), Fenwick is still looking forward to their matchup against Austin Prep.”Thanksgiving is one of those days when a player can make up their entire season,” said Fenwick coach Dave Woods. “It’s the last game for most of these seniors, the last time they will get to play with their teammates, the time when everybody plays bigger than they do all season.”The thought of Fenwick running back Bobby Tarr playing even bigger than he has all season has Crusader fans salivating.Tarr comes into the game with 2,413 rushing yards, 29 touchdowns, and a total of 180 points. This is on the back of a season where as a junior he rushed for 2,513 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 210 points.”I looked at his season from last year and said, ‘There’s no way he’s going to put up those numbers again,'” said Woods. “But then he comes back this season and just about matches it. He still has one game to go.”The game against the Cougars sizes up to an even match, which should play out as a fantastic game on a brisk morning. Austin Prep comes into the game with a 5-5 record, but without its standout running back from a year ago, Nathan Sherr. While last season’s game was billed as a showdown between Sherr and Tarr, this year the game will be all about pride.Look for Fenwick to also feature its senior captains during the game. Expect T.J. Fossa, Brendon Barrett, and Cody Johnson all to have big impacts during the game.”All of our seniors have played well this season,” said Woods. “Any time you have a guy like (Bobby) Tarr put up numbers like he has, he has not done it on his own. These guys have played very well all season and helped to make our season.”On the other side of the field opposite of the Crusaders will stand Cougar captain Steve Boghos, who also quarterbacked the Austin Prep squad last season. However, of the greatest concern to Woods is the legend standing opposite him in the form of Austin Prep coach Bill Maradei.”A lot of teams would like the chance to play against coach Maradei on Thanksgiving,” said Woods. “We have the most respect for their (Austin Prep) program and he’s one of the best coaches in Massachusetts. We just know he’s going to come up with some defensive schemes and wrinkles for us. He’s just a great coach.”This is the second year in a row Fenwick has played Austin Prep on Thanksgiving. Prior to this season, both teams still faced each other during the season, but not on the day with the most tradition.”We have a bit of a rivalry going and it’s going to be Thanksgiving,” said Woods. “We’re expecting a big crowd on Thursday.”