The Crimson Slide

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Sophomore Jaden Clerveaux (above) had his share of the load for the Crimson Tide this season. They finish the year against Masconomet Regional Thanksgiving Day. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso)

By Lorenzo Recupero

The hangover from the overtime playoff-ousting loss to Central Catholic last week must still be on the minds of the players and coaches that felt they were robbed of yet another playoff-advancing win for the second consecutive year.

As a result, for the first time since 2015, when they finished the year 6-6 overall, the Crimson Tide (7- 3) are in the midst of a two-game slide after dropping Friday’s playoff consolation game to Andover, 20-16.

The 16 points scored in the loss to Andover is the second lowest point total the team has put out all 2019.

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Postseason staying Power

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Everett QB Duke Doherty (6) rushes the ball against Xaverian Brother’s high School on Friday September 13, 2019. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso)

By Lorenzo Recupero

Over the last couple decades, Everett and the MIAA division 1 playoffs have become synonymous.

This season, nothing’s changed, as the Crimson Tide (6-1) enter the playoffs Friday against Acton- Boxborough (5-2) at Veterans Memorial Stadium (7PM kickoff).

High expectations always swirl around the team around this time and for good reason.

This year is no different. And it shouldn’t be.

The Tide are on a commanding roll, entering the playoffs in flat out juggernaut mode.

They’ve averaged just over 33 points per game and allowed just about 17 points per game defensively over the course of the year. In their last game of the regular season, the Tide posted a season-high 51 points against Somerville.

That decisive win is just the latest example of an ascending trend for the team. In its last three game stretch, they’ve averaged 43 points per game while giving up just 13 points in total.

Those numbers alone make for a very encouraging entrance to the playoffs.

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Breaking the Mold at Mystic Valley

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Anastasia Bessler (#55) makes a tackle for Mystic Valley.

Bessler Named CAC’s First-Ever Female All-Star

By Lorenzo Recupero

Football may be a predominantly male sport, but don’t tell that to one Mystic Valley senior, Anastasia Bessler, who has excelled in the sport regardless of her gender.

A Boston Herald report a year ago accounted for less than 60 female football players in all the high school programs across the state, Anastasia being one of the headliners amongst them. Recently, she was named the Catholic Athletic Conference’s first ever female all-star performer.

As a CAC all-star, Anastasia will be eligible to play in the Shriners All- Star Football Classic played by all the top seniors from eastern and southern Massachusetts each summer for the last 40 years.

“She’s in the trenches with the boys,” said Michael Bessler, Anastasia’s father, a lifelong Everett resident. “A lot of people don’t even know she’s a girl until she takes her helmet off,” said Bessler proudly of his daughter who was already Mystic Valleys first female football player and team captain.

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Pope John Drops High-Powered Finale at Gillette Stadium

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Head Coach Paul Sobolewski is surrounded by his players after Pope John captured the Eastern Mass. Championship.

By Lorenzo Recupero

Behind the tutelage of first year head coach Paul Sobolewski, the 2018 Pope John football team made a name for itself, even with the, 45-36, loss against St. Bernard’s in the MIAA Division 8 Super Bowl last weekend at Gillette Stadium.

The thriller of a game will go down as the second most high-scoring affair in MIAA championship game history, with 81 points dropped combined between the two electrifying teams.

And In the eyes of the man at the helm, the biggest loss in recent program history may actually be setting up the next biggest win.

“[The Super Bowl] loss was more beneficial to the team than the 12 wins,” said Sobolewski, a reasoning that he says stems from a majority of the team being underclassmen, including its leading scorer, sophomore John Smith Howell. “As a program, we will learn a lot more from this,” he said while noting that his players have not left his office since their last game, unable to halt the focus on football ahead of them.

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Razor’s Edge

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The 2018 state super bowl bound Pope John Tigers.

Pope John Makes Final Preparations for Saturday’s Title Game at Gillette Stadium

By Lorenzo Recupero

Pope John High School football players and coaches will be competing in the biggest game of their lives this weekend at Gillette Stadium, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be doing anything any differently. Preparations will go as planned for the Tigers and that means not changing a thing at all.

“[We’ve] practiced all week like it’s any other game. We want to make it like preparing for any other game and not make it bigger than what it is,” said Pope John coach Paul Sobolewski of the team’s preparation for the Division 8 State Championship game against St. Bernard’s at Gillette Stadium Saturday at 9AM.

Sobolewski, who referenced a particularly successful coach around these parts, Bill Belichick, while explaining his decision to do things the same as they have all year even though the stakes are heightened.

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