LAWRENCE — As non-league football rivalries go, St. John’s Prep-Central Catholic is among the best in the state.
There’s a mutual respect between the two schools that runs so deep that last year, when one of Central’s sub-varsity teams visited St. John’s on the same day of the Columbia gas explosion, the school’s cafeteria staff opened the dining hall and served the Raiders’ players dinner so they would have a meal in them before they returned to whatever mess they’d encounter at home.
On the field, that respect translates into a “take-no-prisoners” attitude on the part of the players. That was certainly true Saturday at Lawrence Memorial Stadium when the Eagles dominated the Raiders in the second half and hit them with a 28-14 win that establishes The Prep as one of the teams to beat in Division 1.
“Everyone’s been talking about Catholic Memorial, Central Catholic and Springfield Central,” said Eagles coach Brian St. Pierre. “I don’t know where that puts us, but I don’t care. We just keep pushing forward.”
Offensively, the Eagles got superb games out of senior quarterback Matt Crowley (9-for-15, 152 passing yards, TD, INT; 5 carries, 27 rushing yards, TD) and sophomore running back James Guy Jr. (17-112, 2 touchdowns).
“I thought James played better this week than he did last (when he scored four touchdowns and gained 105 yards in only a half),” St. Pierre said. “James ran like a man (Saturday).
“But Matt was awesome,” St. Pierre said. “His stats may not show it, but he had a huge game. He’s a big kid, and he’s physical. He ran a guy over on one play and knocked his helmet off. He’s a tough kid, and a great leader. There isn’t much you can throw at him that he hasn’t seen in three years. I’m glad we have him.”
The Prep, 3-0, got off to a flying start, and that may have actually hurt the Eagles toward the end of the half. Crowley hit Matt Duchemin with a 68-yard scoring pass almost right out of the gate. And when Guy ran one in from two yards out, it was 14-0.
“We started fast,” St. Pierre said. “We went no-huddle and jumped on them early.
“The defense was playing well, but we were on the field a little too long,” he said. “They picked up a couple of first downs, and we got gassed.”
Central, which had a 35-22 play advantage in the first half, finally wore the Eagles out. Quarterback Ayden Pereira threw the first of his two touchdown passes, a 32-yarder to JJ Mercuri to make the score 14-7 by halftime, and then threw a 58-yard bomb to Mark Ciccarelli in the third quarter to tie the score.
“But we told the kids at halftime that we had to switch gears and control the ball, instead of quick strikes,” St. Pierre said. “To our offense’s credit, they did that.”
What followed were drives of 10 plays (twice) and nine (to end the game).
Guy was back for his second score, a 13-play run, to wrap up one drive, and Crowley’s five-yard run on the next series completed the scoring.
Crowley scored on one of five quarterback sneaks St. Pierre called Saturday.
“We practice it a lot,” said St. Pierre, who stood out as a quarterback at St. John’s and Boston College before his career in the NFL. “There’s always a bubble. You just have to keep your legs moving until you find it.”
The last of those QB sneaks was one of the game’s most pivotal. Backed up to their nine-yard line by virtue of a punt, the Eagles kept the ball for five minutes to end the game. Crowley picked up a key first down on a third-and-one after what seemed to be an interminable delay that include two measurements and several clock adjustments.
For all his offense, St. Pierre was happy with his defense too, singling out Duchemin, Tripp Clarke, Nick Baldini, Matt Mitchell and Pat Nistl.
The Eagles are home Friday against Somerville (7).