Entering the weekend, three Item area football teams remained alive in their bids for a state championship.
All three came away victorious, with St. Mary’s earning a win Friday on the road and Swampscott and St. John’s Prep logging victories in front of their home fans Saturday.
No. 4 St. Mary’s made quick work of top-seed Nashoba Valley Tech in Westford Friday with a 39-14 win in the Division 7 North final.
First-year star Jalen Echevarria rushed for 191 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns. Connor Donohue tallied 139 yards on nine carries and scored three touchdowns. The Spartans will play in Friday night’s (7) Division 7 state semifinal against South champion Cohasset at Hormel Stadium in Medford.
Swampscott survived a late scare to defeat Amesbury, 34-26, in the Division 5 North final at Blocksidge Field. Zack Palmer, who returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown earlier in the game, sealed the win with an interception on No. 1 Swampscott’s 9-yard line to keep the No. 2 Indians away from the end zone on its final possession.
Big Blue quarterback Graham Inzana tossed four touchdown passes, three of them reeled in by Andrew Augustin and the other caught by Arturo Vasquez.
Swampscott advanced to Friday night’s (7) Division 5 state semifinal at Westwood High against South champion Scituate.
St. John’s Prep, the No. 2 seed in Division 1 North, blanked No. 4 Central Catholic, 21-0, at Glatz Field. Eagles junior quarterback Matt Crowley completed 10 of 13 passes, one for a touchdown, and threw for 173 yards. In the process, he set the program record for most passing yards in a season, formerly held by his coach, Brian St. Pierre.
Eagles running back Trent Tully rushed for two touchdowns, including a game-sealing 8-yarder in the fourth quarter.
St. John’s will play its next two games at pro sports venues. The Eagles will battle Thanksgiving rival Xaverian next Wednesday evening (5) at Fenway Park for the Catholic Conference crown. They will play for the Division 1 state championship Saturday, Dec. 1 at Gillette Stadium (time TBD).
If Swampscott and St. Mary’s win their games Friday night, they will join St. John’s at the Super Bowl.