Dorchester Bears Dominate Rematch with Madison Park Cardinals, 22-0

Written and Photographed by Nate Weitzer

The last time the Madison Park Cardinals faced the Dorchester Bears on a football field, Dorchester squeaked out a 16-14 victory in an instant classic at White Stadium. The unofficial City Championship pitted the winners of the North and South divisions against each other, two equally matched rivals who both ended up losing in their respective Super Bowl match ups (Cathedral defeated Madison Park in the 4a Super Bowl while Dorchester lost to Upper Cape in the Divison 5 Super Bowl).

However when the Cardinals hosted Dorchester on Friday, September 13th, there was nothing equal about the contest. The Bears dominated from the opening kickoff as they scored touchdowns on their first two drives and held the Cardinals to minus-11 yards in the entire first half. 

Madison Park seems to be a team in rebuilding mode. The Cardinals only returned three starters this year, and they have a total of nine upperclassmen on the 2013 roster. Conversely, Dorchester has 20 upperclassmen on the roster, including last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Leon Sealy. Head Coach Rich Moran implemented a game-plan that was designed to stop the run, and Sealy spearheaded the execution of that plan.

Leon Sealy (#9) disrupts a running play in the backfield for a loss of five yards

“We have a lot of seniors coming back,’’ Moran told the Boston Globe. “Last year, believe it or not, we were young so we played a lot of juniors, and they are all back [this year]. So when we went into camp, the kids were ready to go. They knew we could input a lot of information and things like that, so things just clicked right away.”

Johnny Mims walks in for a two-point conversion on the Bears' first drive

Junior running back Johnny Mims, a transfer from Cambridge Rindge & Latin, made a splash in his debut for the Bears. The newcomer ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on eight carries in the first half alone. He also tacked on a two-point conversion on the Bears first drive. Seniors Demetrius Leary and Trevaughn McCoy (7 rushes for 52 yards) ran for scores as well.

Travaughn McCoy (#22) runs left on a toss play in the second quarter

 At 22-0, the game was essentially over by halftime, and then in the second half, the skies opened up.

The beautiful view of Boston's skyline was obscured as Madison Park's field was enveloped in heavy rain, but the game went on. The Cardinals seemed to benefit from the adverse conditions, as they managed to earn two first downs for the first time all afternoon. Senior running back Orryan Brown ran for 26 yards in the second half, and Madison Park managed to keep the Bears out of the end zone by managing the game through field positioning.

After numerous turnovers, penalties, and some minor injuries the game, and the rain, desisted nearly simultaneously. Both teams clearly have a lot of things to work on early in the season, but the Bears seem to be the only squad of the two that is capable of repeating last year's results.

 

Patriots Barely Squeak by the Buffalo Bills: Some Takeaways

Written by: Joe Difazio

The Patriots barely made it past the Bills 23-21 thanks to a late 4th quarter field goal by Stephen Gostowski. Buffalo’s rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel - who was 18 for 27 with 2 touchdowns - looked fantastic in his NFL debut. The Patriots, despite winning, were much shakier in the season opener. Here are some things to think about before the Patriots take on the Jets Thursday night:

1. The Patriots miss Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski
While the Patriots certainly don’t miss the antics of Gronkowski or the criminal record of Hernandez, there is a lack of skill at the tight end position. Tight ends Michael Hoomanawanui and Zach Sudfeld were targeted only 3 times. Hoomanawanui finished with only 1 catch for 5 yards. Rookie Sudfeld also caused an interception by slipping on a route and only getting a hand on the ball, tipping it to Bills’ cornerback Justin Rogers. The Patriots also occasionally used an offensive lineman for blocking on the edge, perhaps signaling that the TEs can’t hold their own at the line.

2. The receivers were up and down
Danny Amendola hung tough despite aggravating a groin injury, logging an impressive 10 catches for 104 yards. We’ll want to keep an eye on that injury this week. Julian Edelman was also fantastic with 7 catches for 79 yards and 2 TDs. The rookies looked… not so good. Kenbrell Thompkins had 4 grabs but generally looked lost and Josh Boyce was a non-factor.

3. Who is going to step up at running back?
Shane Vereen ran for a career-high 101 yards and had 7 catches for 58 yards, but unfortunately he will miss a few weeks as he needs surgery to repair a broken bone in his wrist. Vereen shouldered the majority of carries because starter Stevan Ridley was riding the pine after a fumble in the 2nd quarter and a near fumble in the 1st. LeGarrette Blount didn’t make much of a splash averaging 2.1 yards on 7 attempts.

4. Not all bad, the beat goes on for New England
While there was a lot of ugly to look at, in Bill and Brady we trust. Tom Brady looked good in the season opener going 29 for 52 with 2 TDs and an interception. The defense wasn’t too shabby allowing only 14 point and 286 yards. And finally, the offensive line was phenomenal especially giving Brady lots of time down around the goal line.

New Statewide Playoff Format for High School Football

Article by: Robert Zeitz, Photo by: Nathaniel Weitzer
School has started again, and high school football resumes this weekend. East Boston will face Latin Academy Friday evening, and Brighton will be in action against Minuteman. Next week the rest of the City League as well as teams across Massachusetts will start their seasons.

The start of the season remains familiar, however the season will end very differently.

Last year the winners of City League North and City League South (Madison Park and Dorchester) each went to the playoffs. MP lost in triple OT in the Division 4A title game. Dorchester lost to Upper Cape in the D5 Super Bowl.

This year there's a new playoff format. More teams will qualify (160 total across the state), and there will be fewer State Championship games (only 6, compared to 19 last year). The playoff format is more like tournaments for other sports. And instead of regional state champions, the champions from different regions will meet in the final rounds of the playoff. All State Championship games will be played at Gillette Stadium.

Because of this larger playoff format, the regular season will end by October 27th. That's right, just 7 weeks from now.

Teams that don't qualify for the playoffs or get eliminated will still play games. There just won't be anything on the line.

This has me somewhat concerned as I think about City League football. Participation (or lack of it), especially in football, has been an issue for City League teams. With this new system, I can imagine City League teams losing players once the regular season is over. Teams once playing for playoff success will have to adjust to playing for wins to add to their total. With such a drop in motivation, how could there not also be a drop in participation?

I also worry that some kids will sign up to play, figuring that October 27th will be the end of their season. So instead of making the commitment to play out the full fall season, they'll only play slightly more than half of it.

Maybe the City League could do something to give teams something to play for after the regular season. Last year MP and Dorchester happened to play each other in what became an unofficial City Championship between North and South winners. Maybe the week after Thanksgiving the City League could stage a similar game. That would give an extra incentive for teams to play hard for their full schedule, and it would be a fun game to look forward to every season. And at least one City League team would end the season in celebration, every year.

There are City Champions in all the other sports. Maybe with this new scheduling system the City League can now have a football championship.

As far as the new state playoff format goes, time will tell. I do like the possibility of more City League teams being able to qualify for playoff football. And the expanded playoff format as a whole seems like a good idea. I'm still concerned about what has to be done in order to make it happen. And I'm worried that there will be a significant drop in players after Halloween.

We'll see.

Madison Park's Roosevelt Robinson Honored at Fenway Park Event

Photo Credit: Melissa Ostrow

Written by: Robert Zeitz
Last December, Roosevelt Robinson's Madison Park Cardinals nearly won a State Championship on the snowy turf of Gillette Stadium, barely losing to Cathedral in double overtime. This June, Coach Robinson was awarded a $1,000 grant for MP football at a fundraising breakfast in Fenway Park's State Street Pavilion. The event was hosted by the Boston chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), and featured a panel discussion with Red Sox Manager John Farrell, BC football Head Coach Steve Addazio, Notre Dame football Head Coach Brian Kelly, and Head Coach of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun Anne Donovan. The PCA works closely with the Boston Scholar Athletes program.

Photo Credit: Melissa Ostrow

Coach Robinson was named a Double-Goal Coach by the PCA, which describes a Double-Goal Coach as someone "Whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports."

And that's true of Roosevelt Robinson, who has coached the MP Cardinals to success on the field, guiding them to numerous MIAA playoff appearances, including last season's trip to the Division 4A Super Bowl. He was also named City League Coach of the Year (along with Dorchester's Rich Moran), and last year the Cardinals won their first playoff game in program history, 18-6 over Bristol-Plymouth.

Coach Robinson also uses sports to teach life lessons to his players, to guide them through what PCA founder Jim Thompson describes as the "Development experience," that sports can provide for kids. For example, a mistake on the field provides an opportunity for kids to recover and struggle and learn.

Coach Robinson has been teaching and coaching for 25 years, teaching cabinet making at the vocational Madison Park High School. He is also President of the Boston Raiders youth football organization which fields multiple football and cheerleading teams for kids ages 7 to 14.

What Robinson seemed the most proud of, as he spoke to those attending the PCA benefit at Fenway, was how successful his players have been off the field. He beamed as he mentioned the number of seniors he's coached who have all gone on to college, trade schools, or the military. And that's more important to coaches like Roosevelt Robinson than all the trophies, honors, and awards in the world.

Congratulations, Coach Robinson. And congratulations to Madison Park football.

Photo by Robert Zeitz, December 1, 2012

Full photo gallery of the event on our Facebook page

Baseball: West Roxbury Beats Boston International 6-2 in State Tournament

Photo gallery on our Facebook page

The only two City League teams remaining in State Tournaments faced each other Thursday afternoon at Bentley University in Waltham. West Roxbury upset #1 seeded Boston International 6-2 to advance to the Division 4 North Championship. That game will be played Sunday morning at 10:00 AM in Lowell, at Lelacheur Park, home of the Lowell Spinners.

The Raiders of West Roxbury grinded this game out. They worked counts, stole bases, turned double plays, and took advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Pitchers Alejandro Lopez and Christopher Moreta combined to keep B.I. limited to 6 hits. Lopez struck out 3 and didn't allow a runner past second base until the 6th inning. When Lopez ran out of gas, Moreta came in and finished the game, striking out a pair in the 7th.

Westie built their lead slowly but surely. In the 2nd inning Jan Pereyra reached on an error, was moved along by a Jean Done single, then knocked in by a single from junior Ruel Delarosa. In the bottom of the inning, a B.I. rally was stopped before it started when Done caught a liner in right-field and threw out Derlin Tejada at first for a double play.

The Raiders expanded their lead in the 4th. Done worked a leadoff walk, then stole second, and was knocked in by Cesar Garcia. Both Done and Garcia are freshman.

In the 5th Westie doubled their lead from 2-0 to 4-0 thanks to a 2-run double off the bat of Jan Pereyra. Then in the 6th catcher Brian Navarro hit an RBI single and eventually scored to put West Roxbury up 6-0. Navarro finished the day 3 for 4.

Boston International didn't get on the board until the 6th, when senior captain Nelfry Velez hit an RBI double. Derlin Tejada followed Velez and hit the ball hard, but right at Westie second baseman Steven Augusta, who caught the line drive then stepped on second to eliminate Velez and end B.I.'s chances for a big inning.

International added another run with 2 outs in the 7th. Angel Troncoso knocked in Frank Rosario with a triple, but it was too little too late.

Fortunately for Boston International, they have a talented young squad. They're only losing 2 seniors. Their roster is comprised mostly of sophomores and in the next few years B.I. could do some damage both in the City League and in State Tournaments.

West Roxbury advances to the D4 North Championship where they'll face Lowell Catholic. The game will be at a "neutral location," Lelacheur Park in Lowell, Sunday morning at 10.

English High School Baseball Wins Second Consecutive City League Championship

The English High School won their second consecutive City League Championship in baseball with a dramatic victory over Latin Academy. English came from behind in the bottom of the fifth inning, and went on to win by a score of 4-3.

Nelson Barreiro earned MVP honors for his work at the plate (3-4 Run, RBI), and his complete game effort as the starting pitcher for English. Barreiro struck out 11 batters over seven innings, allowed two earned runs, and retired the side to seal the win in the seventh.

Barreiro With English Athletic Director Barry Robinson

 English scored one run in the second and third innings, but Latin Academy struck a huge blow in the fifth when Junior first baseman, Mark Guerard, launched a three-run home run over the left field fence to put Latin up 3-2.

However English, and their boisterous fan base, were not deterred. Miguel Calderon tied the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning, and his teammates continued the rally. Stanley Vargas, English's Freshman third basemen, tagged the first pitch he saw from Latin Academy's Osvarhele Guerrero off the left field fence for a double. Then, to the delight of the English supporters who crowded behind the backstop, Barreiro put his stamp on the game by driving Vargas home with a triple.

English celebrated on the mound after the game. This marks the second straight year that they defeated Latin Academy in the City League Championship.



Written and photographed by Nathaniel Weitzer

Softball: Boston Latin Wolfpack 9, Latin Academy Dragons 1

Friday afternoon at Malcolm X Park in Roxbury, the Boston Latin Wolfpack started the game with a very loud bang: a long triple blasted into left-field by Mary DeMoura. It ignited a big 1st inning for the Wolfpack. DeMoura eventually scored on a wild-pitch, and her teammates worked three walks to set the table for a bases clearing, 3-run Meghan Burns triple. The Wolfpack sent all 9 of their lineup to the plate in the 1st, and were up 5-0 before Latin Academy had a chance to hit.

To her credit, Latin Academy pitcher Sydney McGrath was able to settle down and get out of the inning without further damage. She didn't allow a run for the next 3 innings, and that kept the Dragons within striking distance.

Wolfpack pitcher Caitlin Berry was able to shut down the BLA lineup for most of the game. In her 5 innings of work, Berry allowed 0 runs, only 4 hits, and struck out 2. Only one Dragon reached third base while she was on the mound. Kate Casey pitched the final 2 innings for BLS.

Boston Latin added to their lead in the 5th thanks to some small ball. With Hilary Rockett being held on first, Kim Miller laid down a textbook bunt single up the first base line.

Then Mary DeMoura switched from power hitter to bunter, and sacrificed to put two runners in scoring position and put pressure on the Dragons. The Wolfpack took advantage of that pressure and generated 3 runs in the frame, without really hitting the ball hard.

Latin Academy was able to get a run back in the 6th with some aggressive baserunning. Danielle Baldassari reached on a hard hit infield single. A diving stop by DeMoura at short, who seemed to do everything in this game, held Baldassari to a just single. Baldassari then stole second, advanced to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a wild pitch.

The game ended with Boston Latin claiming a 9-1 victory. Latin Academy played well, they just ran into a tough pitcher in Caitlin Berry, and too much damage was done in the 1st inning. This was also BLA's third game in five days. They played Monday and had a makeup game against Wellesley the day before.

Boston Latin improved to 13-4, and as of publication (May 17th), are in first place in their Dual County League division.

Latin Academy fell to 9-9 overall, but lead the South Division of the Boston City League.