MILFORD – One year ago, Springfield Central coach Bill Watson stood on the turf at Boston College High School and searched his mind for an answer.
The Golden Eagles had just lost to BC High in the Division I state playoffs, giving the program its second quarterfinal loss in a row.
After winning the title in 2021 and making the title game in 2022, Watson sensed regression.
“I’ve gotta put my finger on it, and I’ve gotta make whatever moves need to be made so that we can get to where we need to be,” Watson said following the 2024 semifinal. “We don’t work as hard as we work and do the things that we do to be eliminated in the quarterfinals two years in a row.
“When that happens, we’ve got to start fixing things. We can’t keep repeating the same thing every year.”
Coming into this season, the Golden Eagles made moves, bringing back former head coach Valdamar Brower as the team’s defensive coordinator and former defensive backs coach Julius Walker to lead the position group once again.
With the growth of young players like Jareth Staine, Isaiah Rogers, Kodi Massey, and more. And then the infusion of new coaches, Springfield Central made strides this season.
Following wins against Taunton and Lowell, the program made it past the quarterfinal round for the first time in three years, earning a semifinal showdown with Xaverian.
The Golden Eagles defeated the Hawks earlier this season, but Xaverian had Springfield Central’s number this time.
Springfield Central fell to the Hawks 38-22 on Saturday at Milford High School. Springfield Central led by a point at the start of the fourth quarter. But back-to-back unanswered touchdowns doomed the team in the final period.
The team ended its season with a record of 9-2, its only losses coming to the Hawks on Saturday, and St. John’s Prep, the other team advancing to the title game, in a one-point loss.
“I don’t think that we moved the ball enough offensively,” Watson said after the loss. “We put our defense in tough situations. … We just left our defense on the field too long. (Xaverian) played a good football game.”
Losing in the state tournament never feels good. Last year’s quarterfinal loss to BC High didn’t feel good for several reasons. One, because the game was competitive until the end. And another, because the team felt like it left some plays on the field.
But on Saturday, standing on Springfield Central’s sideline following the team’s loss to Xaverian, and as his players picked up their pads and headed for their bus back to Western Massachusetts, Watson felt something different.
Did he feel like, unlike last year, that the Golden Eagles were headed in the right direction?
“Definitely,” Watson said. “I thought the coaches’ buy-in was great. I thought the kids found a lot of great work in the offseason. They did a great job with the captains’ practices. The buy-in is phenomenal. They did all the things correctly, but you get to a part of the year where you are in the final four and everyone is doing the right things.
“You have to win these games. We didn’t win today, but it’s a different feeling from last year. We will be back out here and will continue fighting. We will pick that fight up next year and get to it. It feels different this year than it did last year.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
