FOXBOROUGH — Xaverian came into Saturday looking to do something no other team in MIAA Division I football history had done before, and it captured the ultimate feat.
Xaverian defeated St. John’s Prep 41-35 in the Division I MIAA Super Bowl, making it three state championships in a row for the Hawks, the first team to accomplish the feat.
Just nine days removed from playing each other on Thanksgiving day, the two teams met again. The Thanksgiving game ended in a 21-18 victory for the Hawks, yet this time around was a different situation.
Chris Vargas, ranked a four-star quarterback by 247 Sports, had missed the past three games after suffering a lower body injury against Framingham in the first round of the playoffs.
With weeks to prepare and get healthy, Vargas was able to get the starting nod for the Super Bowl, but the first play on offense for the Eagles was one to forget. Vargas stepped up in the pocket, but Jonathan Etienne picked him off to get Xaverian the ball back.
Three plays later, Xaverian quarterback Will Wood launched a ball to Christian McIntyre on a post route, McIntyre hauled it in, high-stepping to break away from an Eagle defender on his way to a 65-yard touchdown.
The Eagles responded with a big play of their own on the next drive, as Vargas found Riley Selvais in the flat, who beat the only defender in front of him for a 48-yard score, tying the game up at seven apiece with 5:35 to go in the first. Seemingly St. John’s Prep had momentum, but Xaverian took over the rest of the first half.
With under four minutes to go in the first quarter, Wood rolled out to his right and let it fly 40 air yards to McIntyre again. The route was the same, and so was the outcome: touchdown – this time a 62-yard score. McIntyre had five catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
St. John’s Prep had a high-snap on a punt, forcing John Budrow to scramble out of bounds for a turnover on downs that put the Eagles on the 26-yard line. Wood took advantage of the short field, finding Dave Chiavegato in the end zone for a 14-yard passing touchdown with 10:58 left in the second quarter.
“I have a lot more experience under my belt now,” Wood said. “I also have a lot more confidence, and I’m able to go out there, cut it loose and get it to my playmakers.”
Vargas tried completing a go ball to his receiver on a fourth-and-one later in the second, but the pass was broken up. The Hawks drove down the field, as Wood threw a perfect pass to Chiavegato for a 31-yard pass to get Xaverian down to the one, and Rocco Sestito finished the drive with a rushing touchdown.
Up 27-7, Xaverian had the chance to make it a four possession game going into half, but Wood fumbled on an option play at the one-yard line with seven seconds to go.
The middle eight minutes are usually what coaches say is the most important part of the game, but the middle 20 seconds was a big momentum swing. Coming out of the half, Selvais received the kickoff, finding a lane on the left sideline to the tune of an 80-yard kick return touchdown. The score put the Eagles down 27-14 10 seconds into the third quarter. Fornano’s message to the team was simple.
“It’s one play at a time,” Fornano said. “I think that’s the big thing this year, is we’ve never really been on the kids [in a negative] way, because it’s been proven over the years that it doesn’t work. That’s not a good thing to do. Nobody gets any positive results out of screaming at people.”
Later on in the third, Vargas was picked off again, this time by Ryan Dickhaut, who back pedaled his way to stay in bounds, returning the interception 37 yards. Wood capitalized on the very next play, executing a play-action crosser to Chiavegato, going up 20 points with 2:18 to go in the third. St. John’s Prep responded in just two minutes with Toribio ending the drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown.
Chiavegato got his third touchdown of the game on a 40-yard reception placed perfectly by Wood with 10:18 left in the fourth quarter.
“Both [McIntyre and Chiavegato] are exceptional receivers,” Fornano said. “What are you willing to do if you dare try and double cover both of them? We will gash you by running the football. Our running backs can hit and catch. I, myself being more of a defensive coach, I understand the dilemma that our offense puts you in.”
St. John’s Prep needed an answer, and got it; a delayed screen to Ethan Stefanovich cut Prep’s deficit to 41-28. The Eagles got a massive stop on the following drive, and quickly scored thanks to Vargas connecting with Stefanovich again, making it a 41-35 game.
With a little under five minutes to go, Xaverian got the ball back. The Hawks converted one first down, but needed a second to seal the game. On fourth and two at midfield, Wood got the snap in I-Form, faked the handoff as he rolled out to the right, diving to get the first down and ultimately ice the game.
“That play is called Nebraska,” Fornano said. “I want my quarterback trying to run people over all the time. He’s only a junior, super intellectual and a tough, tough competitor.”
Wood’s performance is one that will certainly be remembered, and a game that Fornano’s coaching staff will look back on for years to come. The junior threw for 345 yards on just 16 attempts. The 345 passing yards is good for the third most in MIAA Super Bowl/Championship single-game history, and his five touchdowns ties an MIAA all-time record as well.
“We’re able to run the ball well, so when they come up and press we have the two best receiver in the state, and we’re able to beat them in matchups and put the ball where it needs to be,” Wood said.
Chiavegato, a UMass football commit, was short and sweet with his thoughts about winning another state title:
“Theres no words. It’s the ultimate goal in high school football. We’re at the top of the world now.”
