Thanksgiving 2010 Games to Watch, Part 2

Below we bring you part 1 of our Games to Watch for Thanksgiving 2010.

• Bridgewater-Raynham at Brockton - Two of Massachusetts' most storied programs start an annual battle that's been a long time in the making.  
• Brockton (8-2) - While many expected this to be a playoffs tune-up for both teams, Brockton's loss to New Bedford has made this their seniors' high school football finale.  Because of that, I expect Brockton to be aggressive with the ball all day, spreading it around to their wide-outs after trying to get Trevon Offley going early on.  With nothing to lose, look for the Boxers to take plenty of shots down field in hopes of sending their seniors out with a bang.
• Bridgewater-Raynham (8-2) - The Trojans couldn't have asked for a better challenge to end the season.  Brockton will boast the best mix of skill players and team depth B-R has or will see, which should translate into them being primed and ready to make a run at a state title.  I suspect they'll use their patented power running game early on, then possibly take a few shots down field to give their receivers a feel for the speed of Brockton, something no team they have a chance of facing will come close to.  If everyone stays healthy, this could wind up being a very big reason B-R is able to run the table next week. 
• Catholic Memorial at BC High - Two young, fast teams square off in a battle I think is a preview of next years Catholic Conference title game.
• Catholic Memorial (5-4) - When you have skill players like the Knights, it's easy to see why every week their opponents seem to come up with something new in their game plans.  Adam Doyle is a steadily improving stud who has shown that he can make all the throws.  Camren Williams and Armani Reeves form arguably the best receiver combo in the state.  William Earl and Donovan Henry give the Knights the ability to grind out drives and eat away at the clock.  What has been overlooked this year has been CM's defensive play.  They've been inconsistent, but solid showings against Brockton and Lynn Classical proved they are capable of shutting opponents down.
• BC High (5-4) - BC High is another young team with loads of talent.  Their defense is what is most impressive.  Stud defensive lineman Obum Obukwelu is the attention grabber, but they have a number of young players who have given opposing offenses fits, holding opponents to single digits four times, including three shutouts.  On offense, running back Preston Cooper is arguably the best back in the state.  He has a solid build, is fast, aggressive, and has very good vision.  Quarterback Bartley Regan has come on strong of late, and a big game against Catholic Memorial will do wonders for his progression.   
• Central Catholic at Andover - This is a winner-take-all match-up, with the winner earning a date with #1 Everett.
• Central Catholic (7-3) - Central Catholic has been perfect in league play thus far, and a win here would send them to the postseason.  It'll take another great effort from their offensive line, as CC has had the most success when their running backs have had room to operate.  Trae Musumarra and Cam Walsh have given the Raiders a one-two punch that combines speed, quickness, and power.  Defensively they've been consistent, but have struggled against teams with dual-threat quarterbacks, getting beaten by Methuen's Cal Carroll and Dracut's Matt Silva, and almost allowing Billerica's Nick LeSpada to knock them off a few weekends ago.  They'll need to improve their tackling and limit big runs if they hope to contain Andover and Andrew Coke.  
• Andover (7-3) - No team was happier to get some extra time off than Andover, as their eight-overtime thriller two weekends ago ranks as one of the best games Massachusetts has ever seen.  The Golden Warriors have won three straight, with junior running back/quarterback Andrew Coke finding the end-zone an eye-opening 17 times during that stretch.  The concern for Andover is their ability to slow the CC rushing attack.  Central Catholic will almost certainly try and neutralize Coke's effectiveness by keeping him off the field.  If Andover is unable to prevent them from sustaining long, physical drives, they will most likely come up short.
• #10 Walpole at #7 Weymouth - In our only match-up of undefeated teams, it'll be the ability of the defenses to slow the running games that dictate this outcome.
• Walpole (10-0) - What some thought would be somewhat of a down year for Walpole has turned out to be anything but.  Walpole has steamrolled opponents, putting up a 248 point margin of victory.  Their offense is lead by running back Kenny Woods and quarterback Troy Salvatore, but their offensive line is what truly makes them click.  On defense they are a smart, aggressive bunch that has shut-out two opponents and yielded double digit points just five times.  Their keys to winning will be making sure they stay "home" and under control to avoid allowing bootleg and play-action plays to go for big yardage.
• Weymouth (10-0) - The only other Bay State team who has been as dominant as Walpole is Weymouth.  The Wildcats have shut-out two of their last three opponents, outscoring them 129-14 during that stretch.  The Wildcats defense is giving up an astonishing 8.8 points per game, good for ninth in Eastern Mass.  They're lead by a blue-collar bunch of linebackers who are some of the surest tacklers you'll find.  On offense, quarterback Mitch Temple is exceptional at executing the play-action fake and turning it into a big play.  If Weymouth can establish a run game early on, then get the Temple to Khary Bailey-Smith connection going, I look for them to take this one. 
• Westford at Acton-Boxborough - Two teams who had high hopes coming into this year square off for second place in the DCL.
• Westford Academy (6-4) - Injuries played a major part in Westford's loss to Waltham last week, as the Hawks were able to have their way with the Grey Ghosts in the trenches.  For them to bounce back against an even more physical A-B team, they'll need to find ways to get into running lanes and bring down the Colonials backs before they get to the second level.  On offense, I look for Patrick Dugan and Zach Ingalls to re-gain their 2009 magic, scoring early and often against an A-B defense that is fantastic, but hasn't seen a passing attack like Westford's.
• Acton-Boxborough (8-2) - A-B was painfully close to punching their ticket to the playoffs before stumbling against a young and feisty Lincoln-Sudbury squad.  They can salvage their season by beating a Westford team that has dropped three of their last five and gave up over 200 yards on the ground last week.  The Colonials will rely on the top statistical defense in the state to try and slow the Grey Ghosts' furious attack.  On offense, they'll unleash a number of weapons behind an offensive line that prides itself on its physical nature.