PEABODY — When asked to describe Bishop Fenwick’s next postseason opponent, coach Dave Woods called Abington “maybe the best team in the division.”
And in his 28th season, Woods remembers some previous matchups.
“We played them in 2013 and 2014 — both in the state semifinal game,” he said. “In 2013, we won and went on to win the Super Bowl. In 2014, they beat us to end our 29-game winning streak.”
Well, Friday comes with another clash. The No. 7 Crusaders visit No. 2 Abington in the Division 6 state tournament with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Frolio Middle School.
The Round of 8 showdown is expected to be physical, according to Woods.
“He (coach Ed Reilly) does a phenomenal job and they run a great, great program. The kids are always so tough and well-coached, so I think there’s a lot of respect,” Woods said. “They’re definitely a very physical team up front. They’re extremely aggressive on both sides of the ball.”
Abington can operate a spread offense, but is typically Wing-T.
“Some of the catches they’ve made, that we see on film . . . it’s really something,” Woods said. “They want to establish the run and they do that in pretty much every game.”
Abington (8-1) defeated No. 15 Triton 42-20 in the Round of 16.
On the opposite sideline will be Fenwick (5-4), led by quarterback Andrew Kiricoples (1,842 yards passing), running back Dylan Patturelli (934 yards rushing), and receiver Jamie Dube (507 yards receiving).
Talk about versatility. Six Crusaders have compiled more than 200 yards receiving.
“There are a lot of seniors who have played two, three, sometimes four years,” Woods said, “and Andrew is just a special kid who makes things happen. He’s not always perfect with his technique and all that, but he makes things happen. He puts balls in places where you don’t know how he got it there.”
The Crusaders took down No. 10 Medway 27-14 last week. Woods credited the defense for a strong performance, while admitting it was hard to put the opposition away.
“But I told the kids after the game: When you get into the playoffs, nothing’s easy. You’re not going to just roll teams, so that was a really good, hard-fought win.”
This season, Fenwick has scored 305 points (33.9 AVG) and allowed 192 (21.3 AVG). Also contributing offensively have been Tyler Connolly (247 yards rushing, 327 yards receiving), Jesse Timson (348 yards receiving), and kicker Ian Guarino (23 extra points).
