Crusaders ready for major test

One thing?s for sure when Bishop Fenwick meets Northbridge Saturday (8 p.m. at Gillette Stadium) in the state Division 5 Super Bowl: The Rams will be the best team coach David Woods? Crusaders have faced.?They have some pretty big linemen,” said Woods, referring to the right side of the Rams? line that includes heavily-recruited senior Tom Tabur (6-3, 285) and Connor Gatto (6-0, 290). “The thing with them is all their linemen are seniors … and all their skill players are sophomores.”Woods is especially impressed with quarterback Koby Schofer, a sophomore, who?s a third-generation signal-caller. His grandfather, Ken LaChapelle, was the team?s quarterback in the sixties, and his son ran the offense in the seventies.?I guess,” said Woods, “they grow quarterbacks in that family.?(Schofer) really makes them go,” said Woods. “He?s only a sophomore … I can only imagine what he?ll be like as a senior.”With Schofer?s talents as both a runner and a passer, Northbridge has the ability to keep defenses off-balance, Woods said.?They do a lot of veer option, and he can do the read option too,” he said.The Rams, 10-2, started the season losing two out of their first three games, and had to climb out of the sixth seed in Division 5 Central to win the right to play Hoosac Valley in the central/west state semifinal.?Nobody got here by fluke,” said Woods, regarding the new playoff system. “Everybody had to win four games. So everyone who?s here belongs here. You look at our division. So many schools could have gone … Cardinal Spellman, Austin Prep … Abington … so you really had to earn your way into this game.”If Woods were to compare the Rams to any of the teams Fenwick has played this year, it would be Pingree.?The same kind of team, basically,” he said. “Some very good players and some good, tough kids.”The Crusaders defeated Pingree on Thanksgiving.The cast of characters is familiar for Fenwick by this time. There?s quarterback/linebacker Nick Bona, who has been the clear leader of the Crusaders this fall. Running back Rufus Rushins of Lynn was out for two games during the November playoffs, but returned in time to run for more than 150 yards.When Rushins was out, senior Charlie Maistrellis stepped up, as did junior Rob Carillo.Maistrellis and Eric Razney are Woods? other valuable two-way players.Up front, there?s two-way lineman Tyler Kaufman, “who?s never in the stat sheet, but he disrupts more plays on the defensive line, and makes more blocks on offense … he really makes all our running backs look good,” Woods said.Also on the line are Charlie St. Pierre, Brandon DiBerardinis, David Hurley, Justice Andrade (also of Lynn) and Dustin McAuley.Rushins and Aiden Moulton were the starting defensive ends but have both suffered injuries (Moulton is out with a knee injury).?I?m really disappointed that he won?t get to play,” Woods said. “It breaks my heart not to see him out there.”However, Josh Niconchuck and Brian Fitzpatrick have performed ably.James Traversey (captain) helps Hurley and Bona at linebacker, while Maistrellis, Razney, Tommy Parsons and Matt Renzulli make up the backfield.