FOXBOROUGH — St. John’s Prep’s 21-14 win over Catholic Memorial in the Massachusetts Division Super Bowl Saturday was historic.
At least it was for the Eagles.
St. John’s stayed just far enough of CM at a chilly Gillette Stadium to stave off any serious threat of a Knights’ comeback — though CM certainly tried, recovering a fumble inside of two minutes to go, and scoring their final touchdown with 1:05 to go.
But CM’s attempt at an onside kick bounced too far, and The Prep recovered, and spent the final minute in victory formation.
Lynn’s James Guy Jr. had a lot to do with the victory, scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 90 yards — most of them in the first half, when St. John’s, 11-1, jumped out to a 14-0 lead.
But while the Eagles have certainly won their share of championships over the years, they have never gone back-go-back — at least on the field.
“We made history for our school,” said coach Brian St. Pierre afterward. “No other St. John’s team has ever won back-to-back titles — on the field.”
The Eagles have done so, however, but in the days when they won those championships there was no high school Super Bowl, and they had to rely on a state rating system to determine how they stacked up against other teams. And in both 1966 and 1967, when St. Pierre’s father, Dr. David St. Pierre, was at the school, that rating system gave St. John’s the nod.
Brian St. Pierre wasn’t sure why the spotlight fell on Catholic Memorial for most of the season.
“We were the defending champions,” he said, “but all you heard were people talking about Catholic Memorial.”
Though in the same league (Catholic Conference), St. John’s and Catholic Memorial has been more of a hockey rivalry in recent years as The Prep’s football rival has been Xaverian. However, CM coach John DiBiaso is no stranger to Prep football, and the rivalry between the schools certainly got turned up a notch or two when he became the Knights’ coach two years ago. DiBiaso formerly coached at Everett, a school that has defeated St. John’s in more than one high-profile game — mostly notably in 2002 when a last-second fumble cost the Eagles a championship.
“They don’t like us, and we don’t like them,” said St. Pierre after the game. “They’re our rivals now.”
