PEABODY — Wednesday night’s Thanksgiving rivalry matchup between the Bishop Fenwick and St. Mary’s football teams was anything but close.
With the Spartans nursing some injuries before their Division 7 state championship game next week, the Crusaders dominated in every aspect of the game in a 60-0 victory.
On a night filled with great plays on both sides of the ball, junior running back David Cifuentes accounted for 28 of Fenwick’s points.
Cifuentes carried the ball just six times but took advantage of every single one, rushing for 132 yards, four touchdowns and adding a pair of two-point conversion runs on the night.
But Cifuentes is quick to point to his teammates for giving him the opportunity to succeed this season.
“I think it’s just the team,” Cifuentes said. “The thing with us as a group is you don’t do it as an individual. It’s always all 11 players on the field and every kid going hard every play. Running or blocking it’s a whole team effort every play.”
Fenwick’s offensive line has been solid all season and has helped Cifuentes pace the running game.
“David had a great year,” Crusaders coach Dave Woods said. “He’s a talented kid and he works real hard for us. I think we talked about if Angel Martinez (sophomore) had played more this year he might have had similar numbers to David. That speaks to how the offensive line was great all year.
“They always open big holes for us,” Cifuentes added of his linemen. “We always have some space to run through. After that then it’s just the secondary that we have to go by and it becomes a foot race.”
With his speed, Cifuentes can often win that foot race and that was clear on his final score of the night. Cifuentes broke free for a 51-yard run to put the Crusaders up 58-0 before he added the two-point conversion on the game’s last play with running time.
“My coaches always tell me to run to open field so that’s what I try to do,” Cifuentes said. “It turns out to be a touchdown when it all comes together.”
Another aspect that has helped him find success is lining up next to senior quarterback Cory Bright.
“He takes the leadership role,” Cifuentes said. “All the decisions he makes, he thinks about them and it is always a smart play in the end.”
“Cory has done a great job of checking out of some plays when we need him to,” Woods added. “David works hard and he deserves everything he has gotten from it.”
With the season coming to a close for Cifuentes and the Crusaders, the running back will remember what 2018’s senior class has taught him going forward.
“They have taught me to never give up,” Cifuentes. “Also to always work hard for what you want to accomplish and to leave it out on the field.”
