Prep-Xaverian match has title implications

The first – and most challenging – thing that must happen in order for the St. John’s Prep football team to win a share of the Catholic Conference title and qualify for the post-season is the Eagles must defeat Xaverian on Thursday (10:15 a.m.) at Cronin Stadium.St. John’s then needs some help from Catholic Memorial, which is playing Boston College High. If St. John’s (4-5; 2-1) win and B.C. High (5-4; 2-1) loses, then St. John’s earns the playoff spot. If both teams win, then there is a almost impossibly complicated series of events that involves as many as seven different teams in far-flung locales from Springfield to Cape Cod to Lawrence winning and losing, since the Catholic Conference uses as a tiebreaker the old points-based ratings system that involves opponents’ strength.For the record, the Prep needs Peabody and either Central Catholic or St. John’s of Shrewsbury to win, and Springfield Catholic, Acton-Boxborough, Cambridge and Falmouth to lose.All the permutations and math equations haven’t really entered into the picture during practice for the Prep, since they must be focused on beating an extraordinarily talented Xaverian (10-0; 3-0) team that is generally considered the best in at least eastern Massachusetts.”The only thing we can control is how we play on Thanksgiving Day,” St. John’s Prep coach Jim O’Leary said. “We’re playing the number one team in the state, our rival, at home, in the last game of the season. Putting all of (the post-season aspirations) aside, I’m sure the players want to go out with a good effort.”The Hawks are led by quarterback Alex Phelan, who is a two-way threat with his arm (12 touchdown passes) and his legs (six rushing TDs). Like Peyton Manning, Phelan’s favorite receiver is the one who is open. Six different players have caught touchdown passes this year, including running back Joe Colton, who also has 13 rushing TDs. Colton shares the load in the backfield with Chris Tamasi.Xaverian also has one of the best kickers in the state, Jules Murphy, whom O’Leary says is capable of long-distance field goals.”They’re just a solid all-around team,” he said. “It’s starts with their defense, goes to their special teams and then their offense. They’re as complete a team as there is.”The Hawks allow an average of 12.1 points per game and score and average of 30.1 ppg, but there have been some scares along the way. Five of Xaverian’s wins, including four of the last five, have been decided by eight points or less. In their last game, the Hawks survived a scare from Catholic Memorial and held on for a 30-28 win.On the other side of the ledger, the Eagles haven’t lost a game by more than 10 points all season, and three of their defeats have been by a combined six points. The Prep dropped a 36-34 heartbreaker to B.C. High in its last effort, after rallying from a 30-7 deficit in the second quarter.”We’ve been in every game,” O’Leary said. “We’ve had some tough losses, but we’ve had an opportunity to win every game we’ve played.”The Eagles are led offensively by running back George Sessoms, of Peabody, who gained 199 yards and scored three touchdowns in the B.C. High game, after finding the end zone five times in a 42-12 romp over Malden Catholic a week earlier. Sessoms has 14 touchdowns for the year. Quarterback Chris Coady has been brilliant at times, with eight passing TDs and six rushing TDs. Tyler Coppola gives St. John’s offense speed on the edges.”It’s a heavyweight fight,” O’Leary said. “We’ve only been playing the Xaverian game on Thanksgiving Day since 1991, but it’s become one of the nest rivalries and most anticipated games in the state. We get a lot of students and alumni from both schools at the games, and we get college coaches to come and scout. It’s a great atmosphere.”And throw into the mix the usual stakes of a post-season berth and the Catholic Conference championship, and you’ve got the makings for what could be a memorable day at Cronin Stadium.