St. John’s Prep rebounds to beat Xaverian

DANVERS – No matter what’s at stake, the St. John’s Prep and Xaverian football teams usually put on a great show for Thanksgiving. While Thursday’s game at Cronin Stadium lacked the usual post-season implications, it more than made up for that in drama.Derek Coppola scored on a pitchout from Scott Darby with 1:08 left as the Eagles (6-5; 3-1 Catholic Conference) came back for a 21-17 win over their rivals from Westwood. The Hawks (5-6; 1-3) had taken the lead just 70 seconds earlier on a three-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Varrichione to Matt Guay.”This feels great; what a way to close out the season,” said Copploa, who gained 209 yards on 29 carries with two touchdowns. “Finishing with a winning record and winning our last game is a great way to end my career.”Brendon Felder of Lynn scored the Prep’s other touchdown, while Xaverian got the rest of its points on a one-yard run by Paul Freeman and a 23-yard field goal from Paul Asack.The Prep took over at its own 36 with 2:21 left in the game and went back five yards on an illegal procedure penalty. Coppola took a pitchout to the left, broke across the line of scrimmage and then went right to Xaverian’s 29 for a 40-yard gain. After a nine-yard gain, Coppola was stopped at the line of scrimmage setting up third down and one. Darby went on an option to the right, picked up the first down and as he was about to get blasted, dished the ball off to Coppola, who raced the final 15 yards for the winning touchdown.”(Darby) was just so calm and collected,” St. John’s Prep coach Jim O’Leary said. “I don’t think I’ve seen him manage a game better in his life. After they scored, I told him that all he had to do was go out there, lead us down the field and become a legend.”Xaverian got the ball back at its own 26 and Varrichione found Tomas Kearney for a 14-yard gain. But, after a spike, Aaron Routses and Santo Dettore combined to sack Varrichione for a 14-yard loss. Xaverian’s final two passes were incomplete and the Prep got the ball back with just 18.3 seconds left. Darby took a knee to run out the clock.”It was a great game,” Xaverian coach Charlie Stevenson said. “It always hurts to lose, but they have great players who came up with some big plays for them.”Coppola turned in the game’s first big play, a 56-yard touchdown run after the Prep had recovered a fumbled pitchout at its own 44. Andrew McTeague’s point after kick made the score 7-0, with 6:45 left in the first quarter.The Eagles’ next possession was a mammoth 18-play drive that took 9:33 off the clock but didn’t result in points. St. John’s made it as far as Xaverian’s 13-yard line before a holding penalty and two sacks ended the march.The Hawks, who hadn’t picked up a first down by that point, suddenly started to gain chunks of yards. Varrichione connected on three straight passes, the longest of which was a 34-yard completion to Asack. Freeman ran for 13 yards to put the ball at the Eagles’ six, and two plays later the big fullback plowed in for a touchdown. Asack’s extra point kick tied the score a 7-7, with 1:48 left in the first half.”We started passing the ball,” said Stevenson, of his team’s sudden offensive prowess. “They weren’t giving us much on the ground.”Xaverian forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at its own 48, but the drive was stopped when Peter Neal intercepted Varrichione at the Prep 25 right before the end of the half.Xaverian’s first drive of the second half started in good field position at the Prep 46, and Varrichione quickly found Robert Crossen for a 28-yard gain. A personal foul on the Eagles gave the Hawks a first-and-goal at the Prep three-yard line, but the Eagles’ defense stiffened and held Xaverian to a field goal that made the score 10-7 with 4:43 left in the third quarter.The teams traded punts, with the Prep taking over in at its own 19 with 10:06 left in the game. The Eagles, who had trouble moving the ball up to that point in the second half, suddenly found some room for Coppola,