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Thu, Dec 02, 2021 05:30 PM @ Central Catholic

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Springfield Central	8	14	0	0	22
Central Catholic	8	0	7	0	15

Springfield Central trips Central Catholic in Division 1 state final at Gillette

Thursday, December, 02 By Bill Burt
Staff writer

FOXBOROUGH – This time a calculator to keep score wasn’t necessary.

After scores of 67-52 in September and 52-42 in September of 2019, in their previous two games both won by Central Catholic, we got a real, honest-to-goodness football game in the Division 1 state championship at Gillette Stadium.

Springfield Central, which has three Division 1 college talents on offense, instead wore down Central with grit, ball control and some more grit in winning 22-15 on Thursday night.

In fact, after the Merrimack Valley Conference champs climbed back into the game thanks to numerous penalties – including two on long touchdowns – with its defense and the talent of quarterback Ayden Pereira, the Raiders couldn’t get Springfield Central off the field.

Pereira broke a 33-yard run late in the third quarter to the 5-yard line. A few plays later he turned a broken play into a beautiful, 6-yard, on-the-run touchdown pass to Ty Cannistraro to make it (with the extra point) 22-15.

With 11:05 remaining in the game, Springfield Central basically didn’t allow for any more Pereira heroics, converting two fourth downs and two third downs, killing 10 minutes off the clock while pinning Central back on its own 19 with a minute to go.

A 10-yard sack, two incompletions and long ball that was intercepted ended one of Central greatest seasons under head coach Chuck Adamopoulos.

“This is tough, really tough, because this was the goal and the kids and coaches put the work in to earn it,” said Adamopoulos. “I know it was a great season. We accomplished a lot, especially in the playoffs. But we wanted this. We were better than we played tonight.”

Central was on its heels from the opening kickoff. The eventual champs motored down the field with ease before needing to convert a 4th-and-7 with a touchdown run by the other star quarterback, junior William "Pop" Watson.

Central moved to the Springfield Central 19-yard line but gave the ball back on downs and Springfield Central went for it on 4th-and-1 from its own 29, getting stopped and giving it back to Central with great field position.

On the next play, Pereira threw a perfect 27-yard TD pass to Cannistraro, in stride, heading toward the right side of the end zone.

But the Golden Eagles dominated the second quarter with two touchdowns – a 3-yard run by Tariq Thomas (27 rushes, 167 yards) and a 20-yard TD pass from Watson to Ty Karryon Daniels.

“They put us on our heels,” said Adamopoulos, whose team finished 11-2. “That’s not our style. We couldn’t get over the hump. But credit to them. They are a tough, athletic team. We had a few plays out there we usually make. They made a few more than us."

Central never really threatened until again until Pereira made the long run and nifty touchdown pass.

“Trust me, Ayden Pereira scares the hell out of me,” said Springfield Central coach Valdamar Brower. “He killed us back in the opener. He’s a special player. We really needed that long drive at the end because keeping Pereira under wraps with some time on the clock would’ve been tough.”

Seniors Justice McGrail, Ryan Hebert (two-way lineman), and Kolten Williams were among those that had big games in defeat. McGrail not only caught a conversion pass from had two nice catches for 40 yards. Williams was on Boston College-bound receiver Joseph Griffin for most of the game, one on one. Griffin earned all of his 87 yards last night.

“I am very proud of this team, especially the seniors, who went out strong,” said Adamopoulos. “I saw (that some guys were emotional). That’s OK. They care about winning. We all do here.”

Springfield Central 22, Central Catholic 15

At Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

Springfield Central (10-2): 8 14 0 0 — 22

Central Catholic (11-2): 8 0 7 0 — 15

Scoring

1st quarter

SC – William Watson 7 run (Kymari Latney rush), 7:54

CCHS – Ty Cannistraro 27 pass from Ayden Pereira (Pereira pass to Justice McGrail), 3:01

2nd quarter

SC – Tariq Thomas 3 run (rush failed), 10:52

SC – Ty Karryon Daniels 20 pass from Watson (Pass to Josiah Griffin), 5:43

3rd quarter

CCHS – Cannistraro 6 pass from Pereira (Mikey Ryan kick), 1:44

Stats

Rushing: SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL (37 rushes, 199 yards) – Thomas 27-167, Watson 6-9, Daniels 3-20, Buckhannon 1-3; CENTRAL CATHOLIC (24 rushes, 84 yards) – Matthias Latham 8-35, Ayden Pereira 12-40, Ty Cannistraro 1-16, Nathel Achuo 1-3, Markys Bridgewater 1-(-1), Justice McGrail 1-(-9)

Passing: SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL – William Watson 13-for-24, 187 yards; CENTRAL CATHOLIC - Pereira 12-for-24, 143 yards, 1 int.

Receiving: SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL – Daniels 3-43, Griffin 6-87, Jackson 2-33, Guy 1-15, Thomas 1-9; CENTRAL CATHOLIC - Preston Zinter 4-39, Cannistraro 4-47, Latham 1-8, Leofsky 1-9, McGrail 2-40