WESTWOOD — When it comes to Thanksgiving Day rivalries, it’s safe to assume Xaverian and St. John’s Prep will deliver in their annual showdown.
Touted quarterback Will Wood finished 10-for-19 passing for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as the Hawks (10-2) staved off a miraculous comeback bid by the Eagles to claim the Catholic Conference title with a memorable 21-18 victory.
“We look forward to this game,” Wood said. “We wanted to win this game. It’s for the Catholic Conference championship. It means a lot to have everybody step up when guys aren’t playing their best. The defense came out and just did what they do.”
The game was a preview of the upcoming Div. 1 Super Bowl bout scheduled for Dec. 6. Despite frigid temperatures, 1,000 fans made their way to the Hawk Bowl in Westwood for the 33rd meeting between the schools. Xaverian gave its home fans what they had hoped for on the game’s opening possession, as Wood found sophomore wideout Sargent Chizmadia wide open for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 7:25 left in the first quarter.
Xaverian extended its lead early in the second quarter as Wood fired a deep shot down the sideline. As he has done a few times this season, Christian McIntyre corralled the pass, then broke free from a would-be tackler for an 80-yard touchdown reception to make it a 14-0 contest.
In the waning moments of the first half, St. John’s Prep (11-1) struck. Maxwell Parent capped a great drive with a one-yard touchdown rush, as the Eagles trimmed their deficit to 14-6 at the break.
The score held until the early stages of the fourth quarter. After Wood connected with McIntyre for a 46-yard completion to set his team up in the red zone, Bryce Todd capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown rush as Xaverian constructed a 21-6 advantage with 10:54 left.
However, St. John’s Prep suddenly came to life. Filling in at quarterback for the injured Chris Vargas, John Budrow connected with sophomore Riley Selvais for a 34-yard touchdown reception, cutting the Eagles’ deficit to 21-12 with 4:03 remaining.
Moments later, St. John’s Prep forced a fumble and recovered at the Xaverian 30 with about three minutes to play. Jordan Toribio found the end zone shortly thereafter with an eight-yard touchdown rush, and the lead wilted to 21-18 with 2:22 to go.
Looking to milk out the clock, Xaverian turned to its ground game. Then stunningly, the ball squirted free again. The Eagles recovered at the Hawks’ 48, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
St. John’s Prep marched to Xaverian’s five-yard line with six seconds to play, and Brian St. Pierre utilized a timeout for the Eagles. With the game on the line, the Eagles tried some trickery with a halfback pass by Parent. The attempt was broken up in the back of the end zone by UMass commit Dave Chiavegato, and the Hawks stormed the field in celebration.
It was the 21st victory for Xaverian in its Thanksgiving rivalry with St. John’s Prep, and the school’s first Catholic Conference title in seven years. McIntyre finished with four receptions for 171 yards receiving to go with his touchdown for the Hawks.
“This is a huge game,” said Xaverian coach Al Fornaro. “This is a game they’re going to remember forever. If you talk to anybody. If you talk to the Patriots, if you’re not from this area, and most of them are not, this is just unique in football. This is not the time or a panel discussion about getting rid of (Thanksgiving football). It’s not going away.”
Fornaro continued, looking ahead to next weekend’s rematch at Gillette.
“I want (my players) to be successful,” said Fornaro. “I want them to be successful in life. To be a successful football team, we have to finish the job. That’s next Saturday.”
