‘Tis the season to spread the cheer. The Prunier brothers of Oxford added another championship trophy to their good name as they won the 2012 Oxford Jack Benny Softball League. Prunier Plumbing of Oxford was represented by the four Prunier brothers: Norman, Ken, Bill, and Ron. Great story for a solid sports family in the area. They had a blast playing and when you win at this stage of the game, it only makes the experience that much better. I don’t know of any brothers still playing competitive sports over 50 together, and add the fact of four brothers makes it even more amazing. Congratulations and keep drinking Ensure.

Another hoorah for Paul Lamontagne, Steve Zablocki, and Larry Kraczik for beating yours truly in "Beat Pete" on Thanksgiving Day.

Didn’t know that Lamontagne was an Uxbridge Spartan back in the day. I did know he was one of the better high school and American Legion baseball umpires in the state. Lamontagne had every big Central Mass. game back in the 70s and 80s and he was always a familiar face come tournament time. He rang me up in a legion game at Grafton in 1971 and I never argued. He was a great balls and strike umpire. Never drifted on his zone from the first inning to the ninth. Yes, all high school and legion games were nine inning affairs back then.

Zablocki is a former assistant football coach at Bartlett for then head coach Chris Nasis and is a big booster of the Tony Paranto’s Indian hoop program. Zablocki had the wisdom to pick all ten winners on turkey day and beat me on his Southbridge over Bartlett pick.

This Friday night, local boys’ hoop schedule has Monty Tech at Bay Path, Shepherd Hill at Millbury, Oxford at David Prouty, and Bartlett at Northbridge. Bartlett has a brutal December schedule with their first three games coming against Hopedale, Tantasqua, and Northbridge, all on the road and all three are going places in late February. Then the Indians host David Prouty, travel to Oxford, and host Shepherd Hill as they close December 2012. That’s a lot of runnin’ and gunnin’ in December.

Word has it that the Oxford Pirates are going to have a good winter on the hardwood and Shepherd Hill is in a slight rebuild after losing some key parts from last year’s tournament team.

Meghan Fornaro has graduated from Shepherd Hill and she scored 495 points for the Lady Rams last season. Shepherd Hill veteran coach Jim Hackenson has to replace Fornaro’s points and leadership. The Lady Rams went 16-6 and got beat by Holy Name in the District E District one semi finals at Clark University last year. Hackenson has been in this position before over his illustrious career that spans over four decades. Look for Hackenson’s team to get to the tournament in Division one again in February.

The Shepherd Hill and Bay Path football teams played their playoff games last night depending on the amount of snow that was predicted for late yesterday.We are all hoping for victories from both teams despite their travel arrangements.

The MIAA did not secure Nichols College or Auburn High School as playoff sites for South County teams. Turf fields are a must for the playoffs and the only South County fields with turf are Auburn and Nichols College. The MIAA chose Grafton High School and Foley Stadium in Worcester as the closest sites for South County teams and neither Shepherd Hill or Bay Path got a ticket to Grafton as a destination. Instead, Lunenburg and Foley Stadium are on the South County GPS.

In Division six, number two seed Bay Path (10-1) was the home team in Lunenburg last night against number 3 seed Littleton. Kickoff was 5:15 pm. In Division two, number 3 seed Shepherd Hill (9-2) traveled to Foley Stadium in Worcester to play number two seed Doherty (9-2). Foley Stadium is Doherty’s home field. Kickoff was 7:45 pm. Doherty does not practice at Foley Stadium.

The Shepherd Hill situation is not as eye opening as the Bay Path scenerio. Auburn would have been the perfect venue for both games. The MIAA would have benefited at the gate for these two games. The crowds would have flocked to Auburn as the perfect neutral site. Bay Path should have had closer accommodations and a shorter bus ride for securing the number two seed and winning the Colonial Athletic League. By the way, Bay Path is the defending Super Bowl Champ of 2011. Littleton and Lunenburg are both in the North County and it is a 20 minute drive for the Littleton football team to get to Lunenburg. Bay Path has a 75-80 minute drive to Lunenburg. Getting there is not the problem. The return trip to Charlton is brutal in this type of weather after playing a football game. It is not a good feeling sitting on a bus after sweating in cold weather and the next few days are even worse for anyone who was on the bus ride home.

Does the MIAA consider the weather elements? Or being a defending Super Bowl champ? The kids from Bay Path deserved the option of a hot shower after the game.

The Shepherd Hill at Foley Stadium is half the drive and the Rams are the lower seed in this game. The Rams can avenge an earlier loss to Doherty. Both teams entered the playoff at 9-2.

While on the playoff subject for high school football, if you have a complaint about the format now, just wait until next year. I can’t wait until the bus from Mansfield or Wakefield pulls into Dudley and the referees from Springfield show up next year on week eight for a playoff game. It’s an athletic director’s nightmare. Then on week nine, if Shepherd Hill wins, the local Rams now travel to Beverly for a 7 p.m. kickoff. You can bet that the Shepherd Hill fans won’t be happy with that trip. By the way, that’s a Division 4 game.

Congratulations to Steve Zablocki of Dudley, Larry Krajcik of Southbridge, and Paul Lamontagne of Dudley, for beating yours truly in "Beat Pete’s" Thanksgiving Day contest. Zablocki and Lamontagne were perfect as they picked all ten winning teams. Krajcik picked 9 winners, the same as Peter Coyle, but Krajcik’s tiebreaker of 56 points in the Patriots game was better than Coyle’s 53 points. Other notable contestants who picked 9 winners, but fell short on the tiebreaker were Wally Bradley, Gregory Bellavance, and Tony Paranto all of Webster, and Richard Lavallee of Dudley. Zablocki who won outright and made the pick of the day in going with Southbridge deserves credit for that pick and also the Clinton pick which a lot of contestants picked Maynard to beat Clinton. Zablocki, Krajcik, and Lamontagne have earned the area’s respect as top handicappers.

The 2012 schoolboy football season was a great one. The players and the coaching staffs deserve a standing "O" for their dedication and inspiration that they showed throughout the season. Let’s credit all the fall athletes for their committment to their respective sports. May all of them reach their goals. Young athletes with heart and desire are the best example for all of us. Now it is on to a new season.Good Luck to all the winter athletes during tryout week.

Last week: 9-1, 2012 Season: 52-11.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and a special Turkey Day wish to legendary Nichols College football coach Mike Vendetti. Vendetti is a favorite at this address and "nobody did it better" at Nikki U.

Thanks for the great response on the "Beat Pete" Thanksgiving Football contest. It’s a testament to the high school fans in this area. We are only a day away from counting our winners and it looks like the last game of the day between your New England Patriots and the New York Jets could be the tiebreaker. Johnny Hejwosz thinks he’s got the winning picks and is a longtime contestant in the turkey day contest that goes back to 1985.

I was surprised at the amount of fans who were hesitant and leaned towards Tantasqua in the Shepherd Hill at Tantasqua game. Word out of the Reservation in Sturbridge has the Tantasqua offense throwing the football more in practice over the last few days. Tantasqua scouted Shepherd Hill against Doherty and they think they can pass on the visiting Rams. Remember that Doherty just about beat Tantasqua earlier in the season.

Also, a lot of cold feet for Webster fans all of a sudden in the Bartlett-Southbridge game. Someone from Southbridge leaked out that the Spectown defense is going to have eleven men in the box and the Pioneers are begging Bartlett to throw the football. Southbridge has also put a lot of time into their special teams and is looking to score off their punt return unit.

I don’t care if Mingo Marino shows up to coach Southbridge tomorrow, the hometown Indians are going to eat turkey and so is Shepherd Hill. The only chance Tantasqua has is if Warrior Hall of Famer Al Dhembe puts on his old Tantasqua uniform and runs out of the fullback position on offense and plays middle linebacker on defense.

By the way, congratulations to Coach Dhembe and his Bay Path football team for going 10-1 this season and 7-0 in the Colonial Athletic League. Bay Path will defend its 2011 Division 6 Super Bowl title after Thanksgiving. Remember to get up to Coaches Corner in Dudley today for "Tradition Night." Old school Thanksgiving Day films will be shown from the past Bartlett-Southbridge and the Shepherd Hill-Tantasqua rivalries. Coaches Corner will be the place to be to share a lot of memories.

On my agenda for next Thanksgiving morning is the "Bob Daigle Green Pride Tradition Run" in honor of Bob Daigle who dedicated his life to Bartlett High School as a student athlete, teacher, coach, mentor, and administrator. Daigle inspired so many of us along the way and Thanksgiving Day was his favorite holiday. The 5k run will start at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning 2013 in Webster.Please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the Patriot newspaper if you would like to help in some capacity for the "Bob Daigle Green Pride Tradition Run." Details will be updated during the year as we move forward to another Thanksgiving.

The feature Thanksgiving Day game on WGFP AM 940 radio is the Southbridge at Bartlett game. Please join Matt Morway and Pete Geanis for a special Thanksgiving Day pregame show at 9:45 a.m. to be followed by the kickoff at 10:15 from the Webster Memorial Athletic field on Ray Street in Webster.

Bartlett over Southbridge in Webster
10:15 am 92nd Meeting

The Indians will win this by doing what they do best: run the football and don’t let that eleven men in the box upset the game plan. Givins-Perry, Belnavis, and Patterson will lead the green army on the ground tomorrow morning in Webster. "Happy times are here again," Bob Daigle once said after the Indians finally beat Southbridge in 1980 after Southbridge dominated the 70s. The Indians break out and beat Southbridge for the first time in 4 games and yes, happy times are hear again.

Shepherd Hill over Tantasqua
10:15 am in Sturbridge 39th Meeting

The Rams tune up for their playoff game against Doherty next Tuesday. Rams quarterback Drew Ravenelle has 22 career victories over three years as the signal caller going into tomorrow’s clash with Tantasqua. Has any other Shepherd Hill quarterback in Ram history had 22 overall wins, 3 career wins over Bartlett, and 3 career possible wins on Thanksgiving Day? Let me throw out a few select names that were under center at Shepherd Hill: Ed Jarosz, Rusty Oleszewski, Mark Vendetti, and Brian Ravenelle, Drew’s father who led Shepherd Hill to their first Super Bowl in 1987.

Auburn over Oxford at Oxford
10 am 42nd Meeting

The Pirates continue their building process and this phase of their project is a tough one. Auburn is in the top 5 teams in the state this year. Keep your eyes on this game next year as it will be the example to the MIAA for their playoff system. A year from now, Auburn will be heading to Gillette stadium and the Thanksgiving Day games will lose their appeal to tradition. Does it really matter for a program like Auburn to chase a Division 5 title? Auburn deserves better than Division 5 in the state.

Back to the Oxford program. I only hope all you current Pirates know where the weight room is located. Dedicate yourselves to that room. It’s an important part of the building process.

Last week:1-0.
Overall 2012:43-10

Okay, here I go. These are my picks. Can you beat ‘em?

1. Southbridge @ Bartlett

2. Shepherd Hill @ Tantasqua

3. Auburn @ Oxford

4. Prouty @ Leicester

5. Uxbridge @ Northbridge

6. Millbury @ Grafton

7. Maynard @ Clinton

8. Holy Name @ Wachusett

9. Fitchburg @ Leominster

10. Patriots @ Jets

Total points for the Patriots/Jets game

"53"

There is something about the week before Thanksgiving Day that is very special in high school athletics. With the exception of football, all the other sports and their athletes just finished the District E playoffs. Whether it was soccer, field hockey, girls’ volleyball, boys’ golf, or cross country, congratulations go out to all the local athletes who dedicated themselves to their respective sports and school colors. The school year has flown by and the first quarter report cards that were given out last week is a true indication that Thanksgiving is upon us and the winter season sports tryouts begin on Monday, November 26th.

Back to the local football scene. Bay Path (9-1) and Shepherd Hill (8-2) have played up to their pre-season billing and both programs will return to the playoffs as advertised the Tuesday after Thanksgiving Day. Bay Path will play Worcester Tech on Mugget Hill this Saturday at 11 a.m in the Oxford Insurance Agency Game of the Week on WGFP AM 940. You can listen to all the action and join Matt Morway and Pete Geanis for the pre game show at 10:45 a.m. The Bay Path-WT game is long on tradition as the best game in these parts on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Shepherd Hill will travel to the reservation in Sturbridge on Thanksgiving morning to battle their rival Tantasqua. Upset is the thought in Sturbridge already as I have heard from quite a few Warrior fans who are saying "mild upset" at the very least. They believe the home team will win this year.

The Bartlett Indians (5-5) are right where they should be and all things considered, the entire program has done a great job. The only "if" the Indians get this year is Nipmuc. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, maybe and all that stuff that goes with what if might have happened against Nipmuc.Anyway, the Nipmuc game did not prevent Bartlett from going undefeated. The Indians are having a great season and they can belt Southbridge on Thanksgiving Day and realize that Southbridge is the biggest game to the Webster faithful. Beating Southbridge is a real life changer for this current group of Indians because the community needs a shot in the arm. Once Bartlett beats Southbridge, the players will know what it means to Webster. Oxford will host the best team in Central Mass on Thanksgiving in the name of Auburn. The Pirates will finish their initial rebuilding phase and look to improve in the off season.

Don’t forget "Tradition Night" at Coaches Corner in Dudley on Thanksgiving Eve. Old school Thanksgiving Day films from the Bartlett-Southbridge and the Shepherd Hill -Tantasqua series will be shown on the big screen at Coaches Corner. If you have an old school film, please let me know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also fill out the Beat Pete Thanksgiving Day contest sheet, printed here, at Coaches Corner, the Patriot Newspaper, and the Oxford Insurance Agency. ‘Tis the season for a lot of fun with the holiday games. Coaches Corner will also be the home of the past Sabatanelli award winners from the past Bartlett-Southbridge games and the Anthony "Tony" Vegnone MVP award winners from past Shepherd Hill-Tantasqua games.

The Oxford Insurance Agency Player of the week last week was Bartlett running back Alex Givins-Perry for his efforts against South High in Bartlett’s win in Worcester as he rushed for 216 yards on 12 carries and scored 3 touchdowns.

The Oxford Insurance Agency Lineman of the week was Bartlett’s Jacob Mailloux who was outstanding against Worcester South last Saturday.

The Oxford Insurance Agency Game of the Week

Bay Path (9-1) over Worcester Tech (3-7) Saturday on Mugget Hill 11 a.m.

Always my favorite game before Thanksgiving. Bay Path once again leads the local area in victories for the regular season and will end at 10-1 before the playoffs begin.WT (3-7) is having a down year and senior day on Mugget Hill should be a positive way to end the regular season. It looks like Bay Path will face Balckstone Valley Tech on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to defend their Division six Super Bowl. Good Luck to the Minutemen.

Last week: 3-1 Overall 2012 season : 45-10

If you didn’t vote yesterday, please don’t complain for the next four years. It is what it is. Let’s go back to the 2013 state Super Bowl format that was discussed here last week. There will be six divisional state Super Bowls in 2013. However, there will not be a true state champion. Central Mass will have no representation in Divisions 1 or 3. It’s crystal clear that Division 1 is the best division in any sport. That is why it is called Division 1. Granted, this doesn’t mean the best team comes out of Division 1 all the time. A team like Auburn in Division 3 could have been the best team in the state two years ago. Central Mass will not have a Division 1 state Super Bowl representative in 2013. Neither will Western Mass.Therefore, the Division 1 Super Bowl winner in 2013 will be called the Division 1 Eastern Mass champ because it will be a playoff of only Eastern Mass Division 1 teams.

OK, enough of the MIAA. Let’s get into the moment and talk November football in our area. As mentioned a few weeks ago, Shepherd Hill and Bay Path have secured their spot in the playoffs in Division 2 and 6 respectively. The hometown Bartlett Indians have to win their remaining two games and hope other teams lose in Division 5 to keep the Indians alive in the power rankings. Another reminder to the Lake Parkway eleven. Just beat Southbridge. Playoff thoughts should be banned from the green and white program until they beat the Spectowners.

Speaking of Southbridge, there was a "little giant" sighting on Halloween night. The little giant, aka Ron Donais, was seen trick or treating on Ray Street by the PAV and then again in Dudley at Coaches Corner.n Is it true Neddie dressed up as Mingo Marino and won the local Halloween costume contest? OK, enough of the Halloween stuff.

Tip of the hat to former Shepherd Hill football standout Nick Bolio for finishing his Assumption homefield grid career with a great game against Pace as he rushed for over 100 yards and scored a touchdown.

Shepherd Hill football coach Chris Lindstrom can take a bow for his recognized good sportsmanship against Oxford on Friday night. Matt Morway of AM 940 WGFP said, "Lindstrom kept his finger on the control button all game and deserves credit for his display of good sportsmanship." Ditto for the entire Oxford football program for continuing to prepare week in and week out during their rebuilding phase.

They should do a documentary on how the Bay Path football program prepares for a game or even better, a season. They did it again up there on Mugget Hill. They knocked off another unbeaten team last Saturday in the name of Blackstone Valley Tech.

The Oxford Insurance Agency Player of the Week goes to Shepherd Hill running back Brian Picard for his performance against Oxford in a 30-7 victory for the visiting Rams.

The Oxford Insurance Agency Lineman of the Week went to Oxford’s Liam Pickett for his outstanding defensive game against Shepherd Hill on Friday night. Congratulations to both players.

The Oxford Insurance Agency Game of the Week will have Bartlett traveling to Worcester South’s home field at Foley Stadium on Chandler Street on Saturday for a 3 p.m. kickoff. Please join Matt Morway and Pete Geanis for all the action. Pre game is at 2:45 p.m. on AM 940 WGFP.

Shepherd Hill (8-1) over Doherty (8-1) at Foley Stadium Friday 7p.m. on WGFP AM 940 pregame 6:45 p.m.

These two teams will play again in the playoff game in Division 2 no matter who wins or loses on Friday night. Doherty is fast, big, strong, and tough. Shepherd Hill has to snap their chin straps as tight as they can and show up in the city ready to play. Doherty knows how to shut down the double wing as they beat Holy Name earlier this year. Shepherd Hill has been resilient in their weeks after the Auburn revenge #41 game. Should be a black and blue game in Worcester on Friday night.

Bartlett (4-5) over South (3-6) at Foley Stadium

Bartlett can go undefeated in November and let Lady Destiny control the power rankings in Division 5. "When was the last time Bartlett beat Southbridge?" an oldtimer from Webster asked me last week. "I don’t know," I answered. I then tried to guess and I was clueless. It’s got to be at least four years going back to the Chris Nasis coaching era or even more. I hope someone on this current Indian team can straighten me out on this question so I can get back to the old timer. It seemed real important that he gets the answer about this Southbridge streak. He said, "it was all about eating turkey." Are the Indians in a seventies trend for this rivalry?

Bay Path (8-1) over Assabet (6-3) on Mugget Hill Saturday noon

I never put my Bay Path pom-poms down. They are my favorite. How about the 13-12 victory over unbeaten Blackstone Valley Tech last Saturday by the purple and gold of Mugget Hill? Talk about big, big wins. Coach Al Dhembe and his entire staff and program keep on showing all of us why they are the most consistent football program in the state over the last 20 years. Block, tackle, work ethic, and tradition. Be careful this week all you Minutemen because Assabet is good enough and could catch you reading your press clippings from the Blackstone victory. An Assabet letdown this late in the season would be awful.

Leicester(7-2) over Oxford (1-8) at Leicester Friday 7p.m.

Let’s face it. The Pirates’ 2012 season is a voyage in the Perfect Storm and Hurricane Sandy. Oxford is a rebuiding project and they put their dukes up and fight every week, but 2012 is a major learning experience. Facing adversity every week develops character and these Pirates are winning within themselves despite their record. A tip of the hat goes out to these Pirates. We have all been there at some point. They need a lot of love considering their circumstance.

Last Week: 6-0 Overall 42-9

This Friday night’s schoolboy football game between Shepherd Hill (7-1) at Oxford (1-7) will be played on the heels of the recent announcement from the MIAA regarding the state football playoff format for 2013. I have been advocating all season that Oxford should not be playing teams like Shepherd Hill or Northbridge, especially in back to back weeks. But the MIAA schedule makers are insistent on killing football programs that are trying to rebuild themselves. The MIAA continues to reward the large football programs statewide, but the new 2013 playoff format eliminates Central Mass from getting the top division one prize. Keep in mind that Central Mass will not have a Division one or a Division 3 Super Bowl representative in 2013. As I knew all along, Central Mass settled for second place and fourth place. Imagine Central Mass having no representation in the Division one 2013 Super Bowl. What does this mean? It means that all our schools in the South County will have to settle for the Division 4, 5, and 6 Super Bowls.

And here is the part that really strikes a nerve. The format is that the first seven games of the football season will declare whether or not your school qualifies for the playoffs in weeks 8, 9, and 10. If your school does not qualify for the playoffs in the first seven weeks, then your school is thrown into a losers’ pool and your school will play other losers in weeks 8, 9, and 10. I hope your team doesn’t have any key injuries in the first few weeks of the 2013 season because it will end any hopes of getting out of September with a playoff chance.The regular season in 2013 consists of September and October only. The 2013 schoolboy football season is now a sprint not a marathon. As harsh as this sounds, your football team is either a playoff team on Halloween or a loser team with a month to go in the season. That is just great for the all the loser schools who look for good crowds to sell tickets at the gate to balance their athletic budget. On top of all the above mentioned, all Thanksgiving Day games will remain the same.

Now for a real life scenario. Let’s take Oxford and look ahead to 2013. The Pirates are in year two of their rebuiding project and in their first seven games, they go 3-4 and miss the playoffs. Their Thanksgiving rival Auburn goes 7-0 and wins all of their playoff games and are going to play at Gillette Stadium for the Division 4 Super Bowl in December. What does this do to the Thanksgiving Day game from Auburn’s perspective? Play the J.V.s against Oxford rather than risking an injury? How about the Auburn-Oxford fans? How about Oxford’s loser schedule for weeks 8, 9, and 10? I sympathize with the Oxfords of Central Mass and shame on the division one Central Mass representatives for settling for second place or Division 2 and then accepting the demolition to Division 4, 5, and 6 for the rest of the Central Mass programs. It’s all about the Eastern Mass egos and the MIAA’s checkbook. The worst scenario is going to come in weeks 8, 9, and 10. Get your GPS out because we have no clue where Eastern Mass is going to send us in 2013 in November. This is not good for the kids.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE PLAYER OF THE GAME LAST WEEK WAS SHEPHERD HILL QUARTERBACK DREW RAVENELLE as he led the Rams over Division Fitchburg by throwing two touchdown passes for 41 and 42 yards.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE LINEMAN OF THE GAME WAS SHEPHERD HILL’S CHRIS DUTTING as he continues to be the best defensive linebacker in the South County. Dutting was unstoppable against Fitchburg as he returned a fumble for 85 yards and a touchdown.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE AGENCY GAME OF THE WEEK has Division 2 Shepherd Hill traveling down the street to play Division 4 Oxford. Please joine Matt Morway and Pete Geanis on AM 940 WGFP for all the play by play and commentary.

SHEPHERD HILL (7-1) over OXFORD (1-7)

AT OXFORD FRIDAY 7 PM GAME OF THE WEEK ON AM 940 WGFP.PRE GAME BEGINS AT 6:45PM.

This is a relationship game for both programs.Both coaching staff’s have a lot of class and because of that the player’s of both teams will play a spirited contest.Hey,anything can happen.That’s why they play the games. I expect both teams to play hard and show this community that the spirit of competition is healthy and I know both schools will get some positive things out of this game. It’s the south county version of David and Goliath.

BARTLETT (3-5) over DAVID PROUTY (4-4)

AT WEBSTER FRIDAY 7 PM

The Indians have had some key injuries over the last two weeks and should be healthy for Friday night.The hometowner’s are a long shot for the playoffs,but the only game that makes for a happy off season is beating Southbridge on Thanksgiving Day. Can Ron Donais please start the rendition of the "little giant" and for these young Indians who do not know about tradition? Bartlett should be playing the "little giant" all November in their locker room.

BAY PATH (7-1) over BLACKSTONE VALLEY (8-0)

ON MUGGET HILL IN CHARLTON SATURDAY 2 PM

A shout out to Bay Path for getting into November at 7-1 and positioning themselves to defend their Colonial Athletic League title. Blackstone wants to prove that they are the number one team in the CAL. The championship for the CAL goes through Mugget Hill and Saturday’s game will be a black and blue affair. The team that block’s and tackle’s the hardest will win.

OTHER GAMES OF INTEREST THIS WEEKEND:

MILLBURY over SOUTHBRIDGE

AUBURN over NORTHBRIDGE

GRAFTON over TANTASQUA

LAST WEEK:3-1 OVERALL 36-9

This is how our local schoolboy football teams are looking after seven games and two months into the regular season. Bartlett (3-4), Shepherd Hill (6-1), Oxford (1-6), and Bay Path (6-1), all have four games left on their regular season schedule and it is safe to say that Shepherd Hill and Bay Path can order playoff tickets.

Congratulations to both of you for being 6-1 heading into Halloween weekend and both of you should be 7-1 on November 1st as your opponents this week should be solid wins for your programs.

The Rams of Dudley really deserve credit for their resilience after the Auburn loss two weeks ago. That check up from the neck up did wonders and that is what good teams do. It’s all mental when you have the horses and young ponies and Shepherd Hill has that blend of football player.That Division 2 playoff mix you are in with Nashoba, Doherty, and a team to be named later is anyone’s to have right now because Nashoba has shown that they are human after dodging the bullet against Clinton and winning 7-0 against the much smaller Gaels.

Bay Path is preparing for their biggest test of the year when they play all the face cards in the Colonial Athletic League in November. Undefeated Blackstone is the only "Ace" they have to contend with while Assabet looks like a "one eyed Jack" to me. Worcester Tech lost its value in the deck as the 2012 season went on and poses no threat to Bay Path. Finishing the season at 9-2 is excellent, but remember that Bay Path’s number one goal is to win the Colonial Athletic League and November 3rd is marked as the CAL championship at Bay Path against Blackstone.

Now for the hometown 3-4 Bartlett Indians. Great win against a good Millbury team last Friday night in the rain. Repeat after me: Southbridge is more important than making the playoffs. Those post game locker room comments about playoffs are good, but please read what it means to be a Bartlett football player. Southbridge is the team you have to beat in order to hold your head high. Anyway, beating Southbridge might be your playoff ticket.

Finally, the Oxford Pirates have had no relief on their schedule and shame on the MIAA for putting teams like Oxford in this situation. There are enough teams like Oxford who need each other and should be playing: Quaboag, South, North, Burncoat, Worcester Tech, Keefe Tech, Monty Tech etc. The MIAA should have a separate recovery system in place for football programs that need help in rebuilding their programs. There is way too much emphasis on the playoff system. 24 teams are going to the playoffs in Central Mass this year and there are a dozen football programs dying because of top heavy glitz the MIAA promotes.

BARTLETT (3-4) over LEICESTER (5-2)

AT LEICESTER FRIDAY 7PM

Do I hear Lady Destiny calling for the Bartlett Indians? Controlling what you can control is Destiny and if the hometown green and white can win seven games in 2012, they will go to the playoffs, but more impotantly, one of those seven wins will have to be against Southbridge on the holiday that we want to eat turkey on. It’s been a while since Webster has eaten turkey. This week is a travel date with Leicester. They gave the Indians a black eye last year in the playoffs. Leicester is a tough team and Bartlett will have to be at their best to beat them. I bet the Indians would like that Nipmuc game back. If Bartlett runs the table their next four games against Leicester, David Prouty, South, and Southbridge, then all their goals will be satisfied and Webster will eat turkey on Thanksgiving. This is a huge week for Bartlett to get to 4-4.

SHEPHERD HILL (6-1) over FITCHBURG (1-6)

AT DUDLEY SATURDAY 7 PM

The Rams can pay Fitchburg back for last year’s referee’s home job in Fitchburg. I remember that the brotherhood of zebras didn’t give Shepherd Hill a chance. As always the Rams did it with class and took the high road without complaining. Now Fitchburg is 1-6 and that’s the way life usually works out. Shepherd Hill will play the worst Fitchburg football team in over 50 years this week in Dudley. I can’t remember a Fitchburg team being so bad. The Rams played an incredible game against unbeaten Northbridge last week and deserve to take a bow. They beat the high powered Whitinsville team convincingly 42-27. Northbridge had no answers for Shepherd Hill. The Rams have Fitchburg, Oxford, Doherty, and Tantasqua left on their schedule. Looks like a 9-1 team to me.

BAY PATH (6-1) over NASHOBA VALLEY TECH (2-5) AT NVT WESTFORD FRIDAY 7 PM

The Mugget Hill gang will travel for the last time this regular season and then it’s three home games in November. The unbeaten Blackstone Valley Tech team has been circled on everyone’s calendar for a noon time special on November 3rd. Bay Path has been going about their business quietly in the last seven weeks other than Coach Al Dhembe hitting that milestone of 213 wins for second place on the all time Central Mass list for most wins at one school. Make that 214 after last week’s win against Keefe Tech.

NORTHBRIDGE (6-1)over OXFORD (1-6)

AT OXFORD FRIDAY 7 PM

The Pirates are my sentimental favorite team this year. I have been there as a coach and know when the schedule is stacked against your program and the excuses are an easy way to go about your business. But there are the intangibles of life that can be learned by going through a hardship. Building character, dedication, and sacrifice are big when things are not going your way. Kids are resilient and they can learn a great lesson and persevere when they are going through a tough season.

LAST WEEK: 5-0 2012 SEASON: 33-8

OK, I do have a lot of egg on my face. Auburn deserves all the credit in these parts for shutting up and putting up a 35-6 statement on Shepherd Hill before a large crowd on Drury Square last Friday night. "It was a drubbing on Drury Square" proclaimed AM 940 veteran play by play analyst Matt Morway of WGFP. "Nobody expected a 35-6 score," added Morway. Nobody except the tight lipped all business Auburn football team and their coaches. The Rockets deserve respect and have handled their football affairs consistently by saying nothing over the last year. End of story. Silence has been their mantra and they blocked and tackled with the loudest of roars while avenging last year’s upset loss to Shepherd Hill and everything that went with it. Auburn did not like being out-muscled last year and pushed Shepherd Hill all over the field every series of the game. Their program is about as healthy as a program can be, and yes, they did shake hands after the game. No more drama about the streak and post game behavior in Dudley in 2011. Auburn proved their point on the scoreboard as they won their 13th straight game over two years. Can somebody please pass me a facecloth to wipe the egg off my face?

How about the Hometown Indians of Bartlett putting up 59 points against Uxbridge in Webster and beating the Spartans 59-28. It’s got to be a Bartlett record of scoring nine rushing touchdowns. Maybe a state record. I can’t recall a Bartlett team or any football team, for that matter, scoring 59 points by running for nine touchdowns by four different running backs. The amazing stat is nine rushing touchdowns. The Bartlett offensive line deserves a record setting shoutout. The nine running TDs by Bartlett needs to be researched state-wide over the next week. I bet this is a once in a lifetime stat.

The Indians (2-3) travel to neighboring Dudley to play Shepherd Hill (4-1) on Friday night in what could be a very interesting contest after the nine touchdown game. Looks like the Bartlett offense is for real and they could catch Shepherd Hill on their heels after the Rams gave up 35 points last week. Shepherd Hill needs a check-up from the neck up this week in practice, while Bartlett has to continue being fearless and not think at all. Bartlett will be the talk in the local establishments this week because of their offensive resurgence, and their headliner, and their feature back in Alexander Givins-Perry who has been the best running back in the south county so far this season and one of the best in central Mass.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE AGENCY PLAYER AND LINEMAN OF THE WEEK GOES TO THE ENTIRE AUBURN FOOTBALL PROGRAM.THE ROCKETS DESERVE TO BE BACK ON TOP OF THE PERCH THEY RECLAIMED LAST FRIDAY NIGHT BY SOLIDLY DEFEATING SHEPHERD HILL. AUBURN DID IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, BY BLOCKING AND TACKLING WITH A PURPOSE. CONGRATULATIONS.

THE OXFORD INSUARANCE AGENCY GAME OF THE WEEK HAS BARTLETT OF WEBSTER CROSSING INTO NEIGHBORING DUDLEY FOR THEIR ANNUAL SHOWDOWN. PLEASE JOIN MATT MORWAY AND PETE GEANIS FOR THE LIVE COVERAGE ON AM 940 WGFP FRIDAY NIGHT. PREGAME COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6:45 PM WITH THE KICKOFF AT 7 PM.

SHEPHERD HILL(4-1) over BARTLETT (2-3) AT DUDLEY FRIDAY 7 PM

The Rams are wounded and their pride has been taken away as they didn’t get off the bus in Auburn last week. On the other hand, Bartlett is feeling real good about themselves and they should after scoring 59 points against Uxbridge. This game is a recipe for disaster unless the hometown Indians can play defense. The levels that these two rivals play week in and week out are completely different. The positive thing for Bartlett is they are getting better every week while Shepherd Hill has been in neutral since tying St. John’s and walloping Shrewsbury in their pre season scrimmages.

BAY PATH (4-1) over QUABOAG (0-5) AT QUABOAG FRIDAY 7 PM

Just another week at the office for Coach Al Dhembe and his program. Dhembe is approaching another coaching milestone as he is ready to pass the victory mark for most wins at one school in central Mass. Dhembe is ready to pass Vic Rimkus of Hudson who is retired and has 212 wins. Dhembe will secure the second place slot of 213 wins and he will follow Northbridge’s Ken LaChapelle who has 301. Kudos to Dhembe for a truly remarkable feat. Back to this week’s game for BP. The Minutemen’s second teams get a lot of playing time this week.

OXFORD (0-5) over NASHOBA VALLEY TECH (2-3) AT NVT,WESTFORD, MA FRIDAY 7 PM

The Pirates have a legitimate shot this week as they travel to Westford to play Nashoba Valley Tech. This game is another brainstorm by the MIAA’s scheduling comittee.What do you think the over/under will be at the gate? Add the bus trip costs for Oxford and nobody wins on the financial side. Maybe, just maybe, the trip will be worth it if Oxford can get their first win of the season.

LAST WEEK PICKS: 3-1 2012 SEASON: 21-8

Yes, we are 48 hours away from the famous "41" game that we have all been waiting for. On October 7, 2011, the Shepherd Hill football team stopped the all time Massachusetts schoolboy football record of "41" consecutive wins beating Auburn in Dudley by a 32-22 score. Forty eight hours from now on Friday, at Drury Square in Auburn, the sequel to "41" will kickoff with much anticipation.

By the way, both Shepherd Hill and Auburn are undefeated this season and both stand proud at 4-0. For the past 51 and a half weeks I have heard "wait till Auburn gets them in 2012".... "Payback isn’t fun" .... and on and on. My answer was and is: "Really???" I like these Rams against Auburn all day, every day. I am not a homer because I don’t like the Rams all the time against some opponents, but I do like them this week. Why? Very simple! Shepherd Hill owns the all time series in wins dating back to the early 70s. It’s been a lopsided series in favor of Shepherd Hill. Matt Morway tells me it’s more lopsided than the Oxford-Auburn Thanksgiving Day series. Another reason is because Shepherd Hill always plays Auburn tough no matter what. Shepherd Hill just has Auburn’s number.That’s right, as in "41." This is what "41" means. It means the longest winning streak ever in the state and will be hard pressed to break. It means it took Auburn over 5 seasons to get to "41." It means that Auburn was always mentioned in every lead schoolboy football story throughout the state as long as "41" was alive. It means that "41" was never talked about by the Auburn coaches and players. It means that Auburn shook hands gladly "41" straight times in the post game good sportsmanship act. "41" meant that Auburn was never considered a Division 3 football school. The streak kept Auburn in the same sentence as Everett and Brockton. Everyone thought that Auburn was the best of the best in the state when "41" was alive and well. "41" ended up to be the elephant on Drury Square. The Auburn football program did not want to talk about or recognize "41," therefore they all walked around "41." Shepherd Hill actually did Auburn a favor by stopping "41" because "41" had a mind of its own. It wanted to be "42" and that would have really put the gag order on the Auburn coaches. I haven’t figured out why the silence over "41." There had to be some good times to get to "41." But "41" was a silent act where everyone associated with "41" could never talk about it. I have never had a "41" in my entire life, but if I was lucky enough to have a "41," I would have treated it with more respect. Imagine all the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears that go into making "41." That’s a lot of sacrificing and a lot of hours of dedicated teamwork.

I would have admired "41" and credit my players, coaches, administration, community, etc. "41" deserved, at the very least, a handshake. Shepherd Hill deserved a handshake because we may never see "41" again. I feel bad for "41." The owners of "41" from Auburn never ever talked about "41" and all of a sudden "41" was gone without saying goodbye. There were no calling hours at the Robert J. Miller Funeral Home for "41." No post game handshake. Nothing for "41." Wow!!! How about a moment of silence before the game at Drury Square on Friday for "41." I guess the grass is greener on the other side of "41" as Auburn is now "12." That’s "12" straight wins since they left "41" in Dudley a year ago without a ride home to Auburn.

Shepherd Hill adopted "41" and these Rams are thinking of kidnapping "12" this Friday night on Drury Sqaure because "41" needs a brother.

Am I over the top on this one?

Maybe. I think it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids from both schools. The winner of this one deserves everything that goes with it. RESPECT.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE AGENCY PLAYER OF THE GAME LAST WEEK WAS BRIAN PICARD OF SHEPHERD HILL FOR HIS RUSHING EFFORTS AGAINST A TOUGH GARDNER DEFENSE.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE AGENCY LINEMAN OF THE WEEK SHEPHERD HILL’S CHRIS DUTTING. THIS IS LINEBACKER DUTTING’S SECOND HONOR AS LINEMAN OF THE WEEK.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE AGENCY GAME OF THE WEEK HAS SHEPHERD HILL AT AUBURN ON FRIDAY AT 7 PM. PLEASE JOIN MATT MORWAY AND PETE GEANIS FOR ALL THE ACTION BETWEEN THESE TWO UNDEFEATED TEAMS ON AM 940 WGFP.THE PRE GAME SHOW BEGINS AT 6:45 PM.

SHEPHERD HILL (4-0) over AUBURN (4-0) AT AUBURN, FRIDAY 7 P.M.

Can the Rams do it again to the most consistent football program around? I have a feeling Shepherd Hill is going to air it out more than usual against the Rockets. Another upset in the making.

BARTLETT (1-3) over UXBRIDGE (2-2) AT MEMORIAL FIELD IN WEBSTER, FRIDAY 7 P.M.

OK, the hometown Indians were overmatched last week at the reservation. Here’s the deal. Givens-Perry, Patterson, Philips, and Spooner are going to lead Bartlett to a mild upset at home. A good week of practice and hard work is what these Indians need. We don’t need any turnovers this week.

TANTASQUA (2-2) over OXFORD (0-4) AT THE RESERVATION IN STURBRIDGE, FRIDAY 7 P.M.

Oxford’s Matt Faucher can take a bow as he has been Mr. Pirate for the month of September. Oxford has had a tough go of it, but Faucher has scored 6 touchdowns, kicked 2 pat’s, and rushed for 2 conversions for a total of 42 points.

BAY PATH (3-1) over MONTY TECH (2-2) AT MUGGET HILL IN CHARLTON, FRIDAY 4 P.M.

They are playing this game on Friday after school at 4 p.m. at Bay Path..The triple E is still with us..The Bulldogs of MT have a couple of players worth mentioning on the offensive side of the ball. Adam Forgues and Tarsiah Murphy know their way to the Big House. Bay Path is in for a closer game than I thought. MT can rock fight pretty good. I like the Minutemen’s offensive big play makers in St. Laurent, Baez, Thibeault, and Barnes. This is a good test for Bay Path at a very interesting time of day.

LAST WEEKPICKS: 4-2 THIS SEASON 18-7

Congrats to the Bartlett (1-1) and Shepherd Hill (2-0) football teams on their victories this past weekend. The hometown Indians crushed host Quaboag in a rare 5 p.m. kickoff Friday at Quaboag by a convincing 45-6 score. I had to do a doubletake when I saw the score and have to admit that I did not expect 45 points from these young Injuns. Kudos to Bartlett’s OC Rob Sargent for unleashing all the weapons against Quaboag. Four Indians scored touchdown’s. Nothing wrong with giving the kids the confidence they needed. The Indian defense nailed it also and DC Mike Tolman has to be a happy guy after getting slapped in the opener by Mr. Lachapelle of Whitinsville. The Indians were led by Alex Givens-Perry, James Patterson, Billy Phillips, Akeem Belnavis, and quarterback Rick Spooner.Belnavis scored two touchdowns while Perry, Patterson, and Philips, each had one. Spooner threw a five yard pass to Belnavis. The Indians are scheduled to host winless Nipmuc on Friday at 5 p.m. because of the triple E threat. Bartlett can beat Nipmuc because of their new found enthusiasm and offensive weapons. Nipmuc is not Quaboag and the Indians need another good week of practice as they go for win number two of this young season.

How about Shepherd Hill’s big win over St. Peter’s in Worcester on Saturday afternoon? Despite the brotherhood of officials, Shepherd Hill won and deserved this road victory. The refs did their very best to give the game to the home team, but the Rams withstood the whistle blowers and came up big in the fourth quarter. The biggest play of the game came on St. Peter’s fourth quarter two point conversion attempt with the score 12-6 and Shepherd Hill trailing. Quarterback turned cornerback Drew Ravenelle deflected the conversion pass with his left hand on a great timing play and then turned around and led his team to the tying touchdown on a 36 yard TD run and then scored the winning points on a rushing attempt as Shepherd Hill got out of Worcester with a well deserved 14-12 victory.Matt Vertucci also scored for undefeated Shepherd Hill.

The Rams entertain undefeated Grafton (2-0) this Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Dudley. Look for Shepherd Hill to go 3-0.Grafton, like Shepherd Hill runs the double wing offense and this game could be over in 90 minutes.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE AGENCY PLAYER OF THE WEEK WAS SHEPHERD HILL QUARTERBACK DREW RAVENELLE FOR HIS FOURTH QUARTER HEROICS AGAINST ST. PETER’S. RAVENELLE SCORED 8 POINTS LATE IN THE GAME AND DEFLECTED A PASS PLAYING DEFENSE FOR THE RAMS WHO BEAT ST. PETER’S FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN FOOTBALL.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK WENT TO SHEPHERD HILL LINEBACKER CHRIS DUTTING WHO HAD A TRMENDOUS GAME OUT OF THE 4-3 DEFENSE THAT HELD ST.PETER’S TO 12 POINTS.

BECAUSE OF THE EEE THREAT FOOTBALL GAMES HAVE CHANGED FOR THIS WEEKEND.

THE OXFORD INSURANCE GAME OF THE WEEK

NIPMUC AT BARTLETT FRIDAY 5 P.M. AT MEMORIAL FIELD,WEBSTER. PLEASE JOIN MATT MORWAY AND PETE GEANIS FOR ALL THE ACTION BEGINNING AT 4:45 WITH THE PRE GAME SHOW ON AM 940 WGFP/

BARTLETT over NIPMUC

As they say, get them while you can. Bartlett has some bumps in the road ahead of them and Nipmuc is a winable game. After Nipmuc it’s Tantasqua, Uxbridge, Shepherd Hill, Millbury, and Leicester. That’s a brutal 5 game stretch. The Indians have to continue their forward progress after an excellent week at Quaboag. I like the home team in Webster this week.

SHEPHERD HILL over GRAFTON

AT SHEPHERD HILL SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

The Rams have two catch games in a row - Grafton and then Gardner - before they get to shake hands with Auburn again. I’d be very disappointed if Shepherd Hill gets beat by Grafton or Gardner. Grafton returns 17 starters from last year and they run the same offense as Shepherd Hill.

OXFORD over DAVID PROUTY

AT OXFORD SATURDAY AFTERNOON

The Pirates are getting close and this could be their week.Last week’s double overtime loss to South was a heartbreaker. South is a well coached team this year and, by the way, South is undefeated. Prouty lost to Northbridge last week 49-0. What goes around comes around for that group in Spencer. They were putting up big numbers a few years back.

BAY PATH over SOUTH

AT COMMERCE FIELD,WORCESTER 3 P.M.

The Minutemen lost a tough one last week to West Boylston. WB has had Bay Path’s number for the last two years.South is 2-0 and that group in Worcester will be sky high for this game on Saturday. Give a city kid momentum and watch out. Bay Path needs their best effort this week.South has speed and can get to the gear that can eventually burn you. I like BP and they should contain the speed and win.

OTHER SOUTH COUNTY GAMES:

AUBURN over ST.PETER’S...

SOUTHBRIDGE over NORTH...

NORTHBRIDGE over TANTASQUA

LAST WEEK’S PREDICTIONS: 4-3 THIS SEASON 8-3