Football: Two CCL battles on tap

Two Catholic Central League/Large matchups in a conference that may be among the most balanced in the state highlight Friday?s local football menu.Archbishop Williams comes to Manning Field to face St. Mary?s (7) while Cardinal Spellman is at Bishop Fenwick?s Donaldson Field.This will be the first league game for the Bishops, who are 1-2 entering the game. They defeated Medford last week, 18-7, with senior running back Derek Khnaizir rushing for two touchdowns and 126 yards on 19 carries.St. Mary?s is coming off what had to be a satisfying 28-14 win at Austin Prep in which both running backs Connor Sakowich and Abraham Toe went over 100 yards rushing (Toe 150, and Sakowich 125), with each scoring two touchdowns.Spellman at FenwickAt Donaldson Field (7), like St. Mary?s, the Crusaders are working on a perfect season (3-0), with last week?s decisive (36-0) victory over Arlington Catholic being their first CCL/Large win.Rufus Rushins of Lynn maintained his stellar play, running for 196 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Renzulli threw for a fourth TD and passed for a fifth.The Cardinals are 1-1 thus far, having had a bye last week, and this will be their first league game.Their loss came against Division 5 power Abington (which fell to the Crusaders in last year?s Division 5 semifinal game; and defeated St. Mary?s in 2012 in the Super Bowl), while they defeated Nauset.The Crusaders are going for their 20th victory in a row.Lynn Tech at Essex TechAt Essex Tech in Middleton (7), this will be the Tigers? first encounter with the newly-merged North Shore Vocational and Essex Agricultural and Technical.The Hawks (formerly Bulldogs when it was simply North Shore) are 3-1, with the lone loss coming in Week 3 against Fenwick (36-20).Tech, after a tough opener against Pope John Paul II, has won its last two. The Tigers had a bye last weekend.Two weeks ago, against Greater Lowell, the Tigers were behind 6-0 after three quarters. But they exploded for 19 points in the final 11 minutes and won, 19-12.Raffy Lora threw for the clinching score — a 71-yarder to Jahvon Van. Lora had 97 yards passing and Van had 84 yards in catches.Lynnfield at Man-EssexAt Manchester (7), the Pioneers are off to a sizzling 3-0 start thanks to quarterback Dan Sullivan and running back Jake Rourke, who led the Pioneers to a 33-6 win over Amesbury last Friday.Sullivan threw one touchdown pass and had 237 passing yards while Rourke ran for two scores.It?s been a tough row to hoe for the Hornets, who have opened with three straight losses, including last week?s 14-13 heartbreaker to Georgetown.St. John?s at Malden Cath.At Brother Gilbert Stadium (7), the Eagles, who lost their first game of the season last week, 34-23, to nemesis Everett, open their Catholic Conference schedule Friday against a Lancer team that has gone 1-2 thus far. The Lancers lost last week, 40-21, to intra-city rival Malden.SATURDAYCape Cod Tech at SaugusAt Stackpole Field (2), the Sachems (2-2) will try to get back on the winning track against the 0-4 Crusaders, whose losses include a 26-14 defeat against Monomoy High School in Harwich.The Sachems fell last week to English, in the first game between the two schools in several years, but put up a good fight in the 41-33 defeat. Quarterback Justin Winn scored five touchdowns in the game as Saugus ran English ragged on the ground. Winn ended up going over 100 (145) and Dan Cacciola, held in check somewhat two weeks ago against Triton, rebounded with 176 yards.Saugus is playing an independent schedule this season and will resume a regular Northeastern Conference slate next season.