LAWRENCE — Gutsy doesn’t even begin to describe St. John’s Prep running back James Guy Jr.’s performance in the Eagles’ 14-0 win over Central Catholic last Saturday.
With a trip to Gillette Stadium at stake, Guy Jr. carried his team to its second consecutive Division 1 North sectional crown.
Simply put, St. John’s normally-potent passing game wasn’t potent. The Eagles completed just two passes and were forced to turn to their running attack. Guy Jr. was up to the task.
Pat Nistl and Matt Crowley added a pair of touchdown runs but Guy Jr. was the workhorse, carrying the ball 34 times for 135 yards. That stat line is even more impressive knowing that Guy Jr. was playing through a leg injury, showing incredible resilience as a sophomore.
“James had a bad wheel,” Eagles coach Brian St. Pierre said. “I thought he showed incredible toughness and competitiveness. He came off, he was hurting in the first half. And that’s a sophomore. He’s mature beyond his years, showing some serious toughness. That’s wanting to get to a Super Bowl and wanting to get a North title. I’m really proud of him.”
Guy Jr.’s preparation may have been hampered with some rehab during the week but he worked to get himself up to speed.
“I was preparing for this game all week,” Guy Jr., a Lynn native, said. “Just doing rehab and trying to get back on the field. Last day of practice I came out and practiced hard, I was ready for this game.
“(Saturday) I just came into the game, not focusing on the injury. I just wanted to focus on this game and try to do everything I can for the team.”
But Guy Jr. wasn’t at it alone. St. John’s offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish. St. Pierre and his staff work their linemen all year long and the fruits of their labor were highlighted during the win.
“We just put the onus on the offensive line,” St. Pierre said. “They work hard in the offseason. We work them hard in the weight room and all that work came to fruition (Saturday). We put it on them. We said that we were just going to run behind those guys.
“Especially Cooper Smith on the right side. Him and Peter Wiehe at right tackle, they just kept moving the pile. Nicholas Masterson at fullback was blowing holes open for James and Pat. Our running backs did a great job of following forward.”
Guy Jr. said he enjoys running behind his offensive linemen.
“Those guys are awesome,” Guy Jr. said. “All of them put it all on the field. They give it 100 percent every single play. We get solid offensive line play all-around, every single game.”
It’s safe to say that the Prep didn’t go into Saturday’s game planning to run the ball over 30 times. But the Eagles recognized that they needed the change things on the fly and Guy. Jr didn’t allow them to miss a beat.
“I’m ready for everything,” Guy Jr. said. “Whenever they give me the ball I do what I have to do for the team. I just want to go out there and play my game. If I do that and my team goes out there and plays their game, we’re set.”
St. John’s is back on the field Thanksgiving Day (10:15) when it hosts rival Xaverian at Fred Glatz Field. From there, the Eagles will shift their focus to South champion Catholic Memorial in the Division 1 state championship at Gillette Stadium on December 7 (TBA).
Catholic Memorial (10-0) handed St. John’s (9-1) its lone loss of the season, a 34-32 defeat on Oct. 12.
