FILE PHOTO
Calvin Johnson and the St. Mary’s Spartans have kept their normal practice routine this week as they prepare for Saturday’s Super Bowl game against East Bridgewater.
By HAROLD RIVERA
It’s not too often that a team gets the chance to run the table and finish a season undefeated. When it comes to high school football, perfect seasons are a rarity.
The St. Mary’s football team has an opportunity to accomplish that feat. When the Spartans (11-0) take the field on Saturday morning (9) at Gillette Stadium, an undefeated season and a Division 3A state championship will be at stake. Standing in St. Mary’s way are the East Bridgewater Vikings.
St. Mary’s head coach Matt Durgin said he has studied the Vikings through game films and came away impressed with what he saw.
“You can tell right away that they’re (East Bridgewater) well-coached,” Durgin said. “They’re fast and aggressive on defense. On offense they have weapons that can make big plays.”
The Spartans, making their first Super Bowl appearance since 2012, will counter East Bridgewater’s strengths by doing what they’ve been able to do all season long.
“We have to be able to contain and play the way we’ve played all year,” Durgin said. “We need to take care of the football on offense and play excellent defense.”
Injuries became a concern for St. Mary’s as the team reached the latter stages of its postseason run. Star running backs Calvin Johnson and Abraham Toe both nursed injuries but Durgin said they’ll be ready to play on Saturday, giving the St. Mary’s offense a boost.
“They’re two very good players,” Durgin said of Johnson and Toe. “They’re very gifted athletes. The key for them to be successful is going to be how we play on the offensive line.”
St. Mary’s will hope to carry a wave of momentum into the Super Bowl game. The Spartans took down rival Bishop Fenwick, one of their toughest opponents this season, 22-13, on Thanksgiving to claim the Catholic Central Large crown.
“I think since the playoffs started, we’ve been playing great football,” Durgin said. “On Thanksgiving, we played for a (CCL Large) championship. Bishop Fenwick played an outstanding game. It was a very physical game against them and I think that type of game will help to prepare us.”
With another tough opponent ahead in the Vikings, Durgin and the Spartans are sticking to their usual practice routine. Durgin said he hasn’t seen the need to make any changes as his team has become accustomed to its habits.
“We haven’t changed a thing,” Durgin said. “We’re staying on our schedule. We’ve become a creature of habit all year long. This is a bigger game, but we want to stay focused as a team and do the things we’ve done all year.”
St. Mary’s drew the earliest game of the six scheduled contests at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 9 a.m. The team’s plan is to hold a walkthrough practice on Friday evening at Walpole High School and stay at an area hotel overnight.
The keys for St. Mary’s, Durgin said, will be to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and to avoid turnovers by holding on to the football.
“One of the big keys will be who controls the line of scrimmage,” Durgin said. “Who takes care of the football will also have an impact.”
As for the mood among the players as Saturday’s kickoff nears, Durgin said the Spartans are approaching the championship game with the same business-like mentality that they’ve had all year.
“This is group is very quiet,” Durgin said. “They’re mature, they’re very business-like.”
He added, “We went down (to Gillette) for the breakfast yesterday and they were very excited. We brought down our seniors. They were very excited. I’m sure some of their football heroes are on the Patriots, so it means a lot to them (to play at Gillette).”
Durgin will deliver a final message to his players before they take the field in hope that they’ll seize the moment while doing what they’ve done all season long.
“The message is to continue what you’re doing,” Durgin said. “You have an opportunity to win a state championship and be remembered forever.”
He added, “Do what you’ve been doing, play as hard as you can, go 100 miles an hour and hopefully good things happen.”
Harold Rivera can be reached at [email protected].