DANVERS — Now, the fun really starts.
After a 42-7 drubbing of Leominster Friday night, St. John’s Prep’s football team ponders a rematch with Catholic Conference rival Boston College High School – this time at Glatz Field.
The Prep went down to Dorchester and laid the wood to BC High, 34-6, last Friday night and almost immediately, both teams began zeroing in on a potential rematch in the Division I tournament.
Well, it’s here. And the one person who is probably least affected by the game is Prep coach Brian St. Pierre.
“It’s the next game on the schedule,” said St. Pierre. “I know they said a few things after we beat them last week, but the games are never about our opponent as much as they’re about us.”
The Eagles jumped out to a 36-0 lead by halftime Friday night with his high-powered offense slicing through the Blue Devil defense like a finely-tuned buzzsaw. There was little No. 16 Leominster (4-5) could do to stop the Eagles.
No. 1 St. John’s (9-0) got its offensive contributions mainly from running back Cam LaGrassa (179 yards and three touchdowns in only two quarters).
About the only impediment for St. John’s was Leominster quarterback Osiris Gomez, an elusive sophomore who spent the night running for his life trying to escape the Prep defense, but managed to rush for 84 yards while doing so. He also completed 16 passes for 130 yards.
“He was really good,” St. Pierre said. “We had a tough time stopping him. But overall, I thought our defense played well.”
In rapid succession, LaGrassa ran for a 64-yard score on The Prep’s first play from scrimmage, and then followed that up with a 5-yard run by Jimmy Nardone to lead 14-0 after one quarter.
LaGrassa ran for 64 yards again in the second quarter and plunged in from the three before Jeff Quigley closed out the first-half scoring with an 8-yard run to make it 36-0.
St. Pierre chose to rest his starters in the second half as the teams traded scores: a 4-yard touchdown run by Aramis Reyes for Leominster and a 9-yard run by Jack Shrayer.
