True story: I was throwing a football around at a cookout this past weekend, and I got to thinking about… work.
Forgive me, I’m always looking for a good story. But my conclusion was that we made it.
Football season is, just about, upon us. Whether you’ve been playing the new college football video game (can anyone tell me how it is?) or prepping your fantasy football drafts, it’s right around the corner.
Now, look. Some are counting down the days until Sunday-afternoon tailgates in Foxborough. Others, they might be waiting for when Boston College hosts Michigan State toward the end of September, or when UMass hosts Missouri a few weeks later.
Me? I’ve got all I need in Lynn.
Between Classical, English, Tech, KIPP, and St. Mary’s, that makes for a few dozen games to get excited for.
Here are a few that pump me up the most.
Just ask Tech coach James Runner or Saugus’ Steve Cummings – last season’s matchup between the Tigers and Sachems was a “Get your cameras ready!” kind of game.
Yes, I’m quoting Apollo Creed before he knocked down Balboa in Round 2 of the rematch.
Saugus squeaked it out, 27-18. I still remember the pick-six from Braden Faiella right before halftime to tie the game for the Sachems (it was a momentum killer for the other side.).
But Tech quarterback Jadiel Ortega – an incoming freshman who’s primed for a big fall, by the way – had a lot of success in that game. He threw for two touchdowns, including an 89-yarder.
And with a few key Sachems headed to college (Tommy DeSimone, Faiella, Cam Preston, Isaiah Rodriguez, to name a few), this might be Tech’s chance to steal one on enemy turf (Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m.).
This next one sounds like a basic pick, but Classical-English on Thanksgiving Day (see you all there) is interesting for a few reasons.
As if his first Thanksgiving game as a coach won’t be fun enough for English’s Tyllor McDonald, he’ll be across from his cousin, Brian Vaughan of Classical.
McDonald has been Vaughan’s assistant for multiple years.
“It was awesome. Probably half of my life playing football, he’s been involved,” McDonald said about Vaughan when he first got the English job.
Also, Classical’s aerial connection (Brian Vaughan Jr. and John Nasky) was strong in its 8-6 win last season, so the Rams will have to find new ways to attack come November.
On to KIPP. Nothing excites me more than a road matchup against Salem on October 18 (6:30 p.m.).
From the matchup to the environment, it’s a chance for the Panthers to prove themselves against a local, well-coached, popular program in Salem – right before Halloween, to boot.
The last time we saw the Witches, they fell to Fairhaven by four points in the Super Bowl. As for KIPP, it still remembers its Super Bowl defeat from 2022.
The moral of the story: Both sides have things to prove that night.
Last but not least, when it comes to St. Mary’s, I wanted to pick the Fenwick game, but there’s something about Opening Night against Swampscott (Sept. 6).
St. Mary’s will have to deal with a Blocksidge Field crowd, first-game jitters, and a loaded Big Blue offense featuring quarterback Jack Spear, Will Bush on the ground, and a few lethal upperclassmen receivers.
That said, Spartans like Tyler Guy and Maxwell Parent have played in tough environments before. With all of the starpower involved here, this one definitely goes down to the wire.
See you all soon.
