St. John’s demolishes Chelmsford; Central Catholic next

DANVERS – A suffocating defensive performance coupled with a monster day from feature back Cody Harwood led the St. John’s Prep football team to a 28-0 quarterfinal victory over Chelmsford in the MIAA Div. 1 North playoffs on Saturday afternoon at a rain-soaked Cronin Stadium.”We had a really great week of practice and I had a really good feeling coming in that our defense was primed,” said Prep coach Brian St. Pierre of the unit which allowed just 35 total yards from scrimmage.A steady downpour wasn’t enough to deter Harwood, who finished with 195 yards rushing and three touchdowns in as many quarters, easing the burden on the shoulders of quarterback Oliver Eberth, who was 5-12 passing for 76 yards.”I was very pleased with our focus,” said St. Pierre. “Any time you play in conditions like this it can be a mixed bag but we proved today that we can play in any type of game and any type weather.After a turnover and punt ended The Prep’s first two drives, Eberth broke the ice at the 2:09 mark of the opening period, connecting with Owen Rockett, who exploited a mismatch to haul in a 35-yard TD pass down the left sideline.On its next offensive sequence, which carried over into the second quarter, The Prep turned to Harwood, who picked up 28 yards on four carries before finding the end zone from a yard out at 9:57.The 5-7, 175-pound senior went right back to work following the Lions’ fifth punt in as many possessions, breaking several tackles before ripping off a 92-yard scoring run down the right sideline with 6:44 remaining.A 59-yard sprint to paydirt on the second play of the third period capped the scoring while effectively putting an end to Harwood’s day.”(Cody) has been a great player all year for us and we’ve come to expect this from him,” said St. Pierre. “I thought the offensive line was unbelievable, they really carried the day.”With the win, the No.2 Eagles (7-1) advance to the semifinals for a rematch with No. 7 Central Catholic (7-1), which will look to avenge its only loss of the season, a 27-12 decision in late September.”We’ve got plenty of time to think about that so we’re going to enjoy this one for awhile but we know the challenge ahead of us.”