#2 Gloucester vs. Lincoln-Sudbury
When talking about the teams who will be vying for the Division 1A title this week, one word consistently comes to mind: physical. Gloucester, Lincoln-Sudbury, Weymouth, and Bridgewater-Raynham have all beaten their opponents with tough defense and overpowering rushing attacks.
This match-up may prove to be the most physical of the bunch. Both teams pride themselves on the ability to pound and wear down their opponent. The most telling stat? Of the combined 80 touchdowns the two teams have scored, a whopping 67 have come by way of the ground game.
Gloucester is paced by Jordan Shairs, who has scored in every game this year. He leads a Gloucester offense that has scored 40 plus points five times, including four of their last five. Shairs and fellow senior Gilbert Brown have the gaudy statistics, but it's their offensive line that is their driving force. Even when facing teams that were comparable in size and skill (Andover, Lynn Classical), they were able to consistently create lanes and pick up first downs. This is even more impressive when you take into consideration how one-dimensional the Gloucester offense is: 87% of their touchdowns have come on the ground.
Defensively, there may not be another team with as much overall talent. Chris Unis is a Division 1 type player who at times demands a double team. Andrew Mizzoni and Shairs anchor a linebacking unit that moves just as well laterally as they do forward and back. In the secondary, Michael Tomaino and Adam Philpot both have good size and quickness, and each shows the ability to make plays when the ball is in the air. The challenge will be contending with a Lincoln-Sudbury offensive line that is similar in size and every bit as athletic. If L-S can get their run game going early, look for the Fishermen to bring more pressure than usual in an attempt to neutralize the Warriors' offensive strength.
Lincoln-Sudbury was supposed to be a year away from the post season. Apparently the Warriors didn't get the memo, as they posted a perfect league record that included a physical victory over an Acton-Boxborough team that had been on a six game win streak.
There is nothing "sexy" about what the Warriors do on offense. They don't score a lot of points (16 per game), and have topped 20 points just three times. Never-the-less, they've been able to grind out clock killing drives that keep their opponents off the field.
Their defense will be the key to them knocking off Gloucester. If they are able to limit the Fishermen's effectiveness between the tackles, they should be able to keep them from breaking off their signature long touchdowns. In almost every one of Gloucester's wins, they have been able to bust Shairs or Brown for a long run. Making sure that is the case will be paramount for the Warriors, as they lack the offensive firepower of their opponents.
#5 Weymouth vs. #9 Bridgewater-Raynham
It may sound funny saying an 11-0 team is the underdog, but that is exactly what Weymouth will be when they take on the B-R. Weymouth has absolutely pummeled opponents this year, outscoring them 406-94. But history is not on their side, as the last time a Bay State Carey team won a playoff game was back in 2006.
In order for the Wildcats to change that, they'll have to keep up their defensive intensity. They've shut out four opponents this year and held three others to single digits, but only three of those teams finished with winning records. The pressure will be on their first two levels to limit the effectiveness of the B-R offensive line. If the Weymouth hogs can keep bodies off their linebackers, they should be able to neutralize the Trojans rushing attack and put the pressure on the passing game.
For Bridgewater-Raynham, this season has been a tale of two teams. They were inconsistent the first half of the season, getting pounded by Duxbury and looking over matched against Plymouth North.
Since the Plymouth North loss, they have won six straight, averaging 29.2 points per game on offense while giving up only 12.3 per game on defense. Their offense has been fueled by the improved play of quarterback Billy Zolga, and running back Nick Schlatz. The two have combined for 20 touchdowns during their current win streak.
Defensively, there are few teams who play with the same intensity as B-R. They have allowed double digits only six times, and if you don't take into account its week one letdown against Duxbury, they haven't allowed an opponent more than 22 points in a game. Their defensive line will dictate how successful they are against Weymouth. For all the points the Wildcats have scored this year, there have been times when their o-line has seemed porous, and if that happens to be the case Tuesday, look for the Trojans to return to Gillette.
No comments:
Post a Comment