FOXBOROUGH — Catholic Memorial has owned Division II for the last half decade.
And that isn’t changing this year.
Catholic Memorial defeated Bishop Feehan, 41-13, in the Division II football state championship at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.
The title is the Knights’ fourth in five years and their second in a row. Catholic Memorial defeated King Philip in last year’s championship.
“It’s like Christmas,” Catholic Memorial coach John DiBiaso said. “It never gets old.”
Catholic Memorial had stops and starts on its first drive, picking up back to back false start penalties, but the Knights’ offense eventually got their footing.
Powered by a reception from Christian Simmons, Catholic Memorial got into Shamrock territory and cashed in with a 31-yard run up the middle from Harvard-bound Knights quarterback Kise Flannery, making it 7-0 with 3:29 to go in the first quarter.
“The way we played, I wish we were a little cleaner with things, but hey, they are only kids,” DiBiaso said about the penalties. “That’s what happens sometimes. I’m very proud of them.”
Bishop Feehan got a chance early in the second quarter to get on the board and took it. After a forced Catholic Memorial fumble from Dylan Crossman and recovery from Ole Miss commit Kane Mankins gave the Shamrocks the ball on Catholic Memorial’s end of the field.
Later on the new drive, Andrew Orphanos pulled in a pass near the sideline, stretched for the pylon and scored, a seven-yard reception, to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:06 to go in the second quarter.
Flannery took control of the offense on Catholic Memorial’s next drive, moving the chains with a pass on an out route to Isaiah Simmons. Later in the drive, Christian Simmons took a carry up the middle on a power run, followed his blockers and scored a five-yard touchdown to make it 14-7, Knights, with 8:08 to go in the first half.
The Knights’ defense gave them a gift on the Shamrocks’s next drive with a Bishop Feehan fumble, giving Catholic Memorial possession in Shamrock territory. On the second play of the new drive, Flannery spun around a defender and sprinted down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown, putting Catholic Memorial ahead by double digits with 7:34 left in the first half.
Bishop Feehan had one of its best drives of the first half on its next possessions. The Shamrocks were powered by a defensive holding call and a personal foul penalty, getting into the red zone, but a bobbled exchange in the backfield led to a fumble that was fallen on by the Knights’ Kennedy Hurte-Jones.
“We had two turnovers in the first half,” Bishop Feehan coach Bryan Pinabell said. “That really hurt us. That changed the ball game. Instead of going in 14 all before the half, its’ 21-7. Giving that offense (Catholic Memorial’s) possessions, they’re going to score. That was probably the point in the game where the tide turned the other way.”
The Knights tried to get another score before the half, but ran out of time.
They used very little time to get their next score to start the second half.
Following a penalty on the Shamrocks for a late hit out of bounds, the Knights had good field position and took advantage of it with a 16-yard touchdown run from Christian Simmons to make it 28-7 early in the second half.
Bishop Feehan had a short punt at the end of its next drive and, again, the Knights took advantage of the opportunity.
Catholic Memorial pushed its way down field and capped off another short drive with a power run out of the double wing formation to make it 35-7.
Christian Simmons got another score with 1:46 to go in the third quarter, again on a power run up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown, making it 41-7.
The Shamrocks got on the board in the game’s final moments with a deep touchdown throw from Owen Mordas.
The Knights only lost two games this fall, both to Catholic Conference rivals Xaverian and St. John’s Prep.
The losses were difficult in the moment, but ultimately powered the Knights on their playoff run.
“Those games were fuel for us for the rest of the year,” Flannery said. “We wanted to finish on the right note. We wanted to be able to do that.”
