DANVERS — It may have been a two-score game at halftime, but the No. 3 St. John’s Prep left no doubts about the outcome of Friday night’s Division 1 quarterfinal game against No. 6 Wachusett, as the Eagles rolled to a 57-20 victory over the Mountaineers at Cronin Memorial Stadium.
Running back Carson Browne, who has filled in incredibly well for the Eagles in the absence of star running back James Guy, rushed for more than 100 yards to go along with three touchdowns. Quarterback Jack Perry continued his stellar senior season by throwing for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown as well. Receivers Stephon Patrick and Jackson Delaney each gathered more than 100 receiving yards in the win, with Patrick catching two touchdowns and Delaney catching one.
The Eagles didn’t waste any time getting on the board in this one, as Perry found Delaney for a 56-yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the game to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Wachusett responded right away with a touchdown when quarterback Tucker McDonald hit Adam Bates for a 21-yard touchdown, but the Mountaineers’ extra point was blocked and St. John’s Prep kept its lead at 7-6.
But Perry and the Eagles continued their aerial attack, and the senior quarterback eventually found Patrick for a 37-yard touchdown to make it a 14-6 game. After Max Rizza added a 20-yard field goal on the next drive, the Prep led 17-6 after one quarter.
In the opening minute of the second quarter, Wachusett responded once again — this time on a one-yard touchdown run by McDonald to make it 17-13.
But the Prep answered right back, going on a drive that took nearly five minutes off the game clock. When Browne capped things off with a three-yard touchdown run, the Eagles held a 24-13 lead with 5:38 left in the half.
The final five minutes of the half was a blur, as each team found the end zone one more time — St. John’s Prep on another touchdown connection between Perry and Patrick and Wachusett on McDonald’s second touchdown run of the night — to make it a 30-20 Prep lead at halftime.
But the second half was all Prep. After forcing a Wachusett three-and-out on the opening drive of the second half, the Eagles got a 58-yard touchdown run from Browne to make it 37-20. Perry later rushed for a one-yard touchdown after completing yet another big pass to Delaney, then Browne rushed another one in to make it a 51-20 game. The reserves came in from there, and backup quarterback Victor Harrington rounded out the scoring for the Eagles with a five-yard touchdown run late in the game.
St. John’s Prep (8-2) moves on to the Division 1 semifinal, where it will take on No. 2 Central Catholic next Friday (TBD) at a neutral site.
