LYNN — Right before you devour your turkey and apple pie on Thursday, ask the closest person you know who played high school football: What happened during your last Thanksgiving football game?
They may not remember a state tournament opponent or what their team’s record was, but details from late November will arrive like the vanilla ice cream with that apple pie.
Add to the fact that neither St. Mary’s or Bishop Fenwick will be running out of the Gillette Stadium tunnel in early December – and the 60-0 Fenwick win from 2018, the last time they squared off on the holiday – and you’ve got yourself a Turkey Day dandy.
Or, a Turkey Day disappointment for the Fenwick faithful.
Wednesday night at Manning Field – where only cool and crisp could describe the conditions – the Spartans ran all over the Crusaders in a 46-32 final.
Dimitri Koutsouflakis was the holiday hero. He rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns, leaving his mark on a new Thanksgiving rivalry after transferring from Winthrop High.
“That’s it?” said St. Mary’s coach Sean Driscoll when told about Koutsouflakis’ yardage. “It’s a good sendoff. He’s a good man and he found a home. I’m happy for him.”
Truth be told, Fenwick had its chance to make things interesting in the second half. St. Mary’s – ahead by just 10 points – converted a fourth-and-6 after Tyler Guy caught a 41-yard ball to the 2-yard line. Rowan Merryman finished the job up the middle for a touchdown, and St. Mary’s had its insurance after the 2-point attempt (38-20).
“I’ll tell you what: That was fourth-and-6 and that could’ve cut it to one score if they went down and scored,” Driscoll said. “We liked our matchup out there and we were finally able to execute it.”
From there, St. Mary’s quarterback Yaniel Belliard rushed for another score (46-26). That was, in many ways, all she wrote on a deflated Fenwick side.
“It’s a rivalry game and it’s great to have it back on Thanksgiving. We were very excited about that,” Driscoll said. “It’s a good rivalry and it brings you back. We’re excited about the win and excited about our effort.”
It was a run-and-gun first half, with Koutsouflakis using every bit of his 5-foot-10, 205-pound frame to push back the Crusaders. By the 2:16 mark of the first quarter, he had already scored 4- and 29-yard touchdowns with St. Mary’s leading, 14-0.
Merryman rushed for an 8-yard touchdown – standing up – to make it 22-6 after a two-point conversion, also punched in by Merryman.
After its sluggish start, Fenwick was brought to life in the first half, courtesy of quarterback and Saugus native Brayden Clifford (4 total TDs). He rushed for both of the Crusaders’ touchdowns in the first half, one a 32-yard bolt down the right sideline with 4:10 remaining.
“I would’ve liked to have seen a couple more plays on defense,” Driscoll said. “But we survived that. As you can see, it was a back-and-forth type of game.”
But while Clifford had two, Koutsouflakis had three. His 12-yard burst through the middle put the Spartans ahead, 30-14, by halftime.
“We were able to get the second scores,” Driscoll said. “The two-score leads were big for us.”
St. Mary’s defensive backs Will Potter, Guy, and Devell Pamplin all broke up deep passes thrown by Clifford. Anthony DiCicco went home with a tackle-for-a-loss.
St. Mary’s finished its season 9-2, while Fenwick checked out at 7-4. The Spartans scored more than 300 points this fall and averaged more than 30 points per game.
“We played hard, got after it, and that’s all I ask my guys to do,” Driscoll said. “Some of these guys will go on to have good college careers and some guys might do something else, but you’re playing your last game at home against your rivals. A big win.”
