With week seven of high school football in the books, Rich Garven takes a look at some of Central Mass’s best performances.
Marlborough Temple of Nealon was the top voter last week, garnering nearly 29% of the vote.
Ryan Boyce, Northbridge
Boyce did the game of the year as the Rams improved to 7-0 with an unlikely 18-13 win over Auburn. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior quarterback ran for a 29-yard draw, then moved on to Collin Falconer, who rushed into the end zone as time ran out. All told, Boyce ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and was 12 of 17 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
FOLLOWING: Offensive and defensive leaders of central mass football
Brendan Burke, Quaboag
The 5-foot-10, 212-pound second-year running back / linebacker was once again a two-way force as the The Cougars outlived David Prouty for a 34-22 win to bring their record to 7-0. Burke had 191 yards and two touchdowns in 30 carries, caught three passes for 65 yards and had six tackles.
Mitchell Donkor, Saint-Paul
Donkor was the spark that ignited the 4-2 Knights to a 15-10 win over Littleton after trailing 10 points at halftime in the first high school football game played at Polar Park. The 6-2, 180-pound second-year defensive end forced two fumbles early in the second half, both of which resulted in touchdowns.
Colin Fitzgerald, St. John’s
Fitzgerald was a bullet hawk as pioneers lost to the much esteemed Xaverian, 28-16, at the polar park. The 6-3, 200-pound senior defensive back had a pair of interceptions and made one of his four tackles on the third down in the shadow of the St. John’s goal line at the end of the fourth. quarterback to keep the game tight.
Josh Mateo, Valley Technician
It was one big game after another for Mateo as he helped the Beavers beat Bay Path, 56-14, to move to 4-2 with their fourth consecutive victory. The 5-10, 160-pound senior ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. He scored on 24, 10 and 13 yard runs averaging 19.5 yards per catch-all.
Anas Nyamekye, Worcester Tech
Nyamekye was robust at the point of attack as the The Eagles shut out Keefe Tech, 36-0, to take their record to 6-1. The 5-10, 190-pound second, who can play in multiple defense positions, recorded 10 tackles and his fourth sack of the season. Nyamekye is tied for fourth in Central Mass. with 67 tackles.
Anthony Oquendo, Fitchburg
Oquendo produced a month’s production in one night as the The Red Raiders beat Nashoba, 43-36, to go 5-2. The 5-foot-9, 194-pound senior racked up 385 yards and six touchdowns on 27 carries. He scored on runs of 58, 5, 87, 56, 19 and 2 yards, the last with 13 seconds left.
Matthew Raeke, Wachusett
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior catcher once again demonstrated his versatility as a Mountaineers dominated Leominster, 35-6, to take their record to 6-1. Raeke caught five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns, scoring on receptions from 51 and 19 yards, and rushed for 18 yards and one touchdown in three carries.
Paul Ramos, Algonquin
Ramos was a workaholic on offense as Algonquin edged Marlborough, 14-12, to go to 6-1. The second-year running back gained 118 yards on 25 carries, scoring on 4- and 5-yard carries in the first quarter as the hosts built up a lead they wouldn’t give up. It was his sixth straight game with a touchdown.
Jackson Rice, West Boylston
Rice was efficient and productive because the The Lions dominated Lunenburg, 21-14, to go to 6-1. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior quarterback had 5 passes in 5 for 84 yards, one touchdown and two extra first downs and rushed for 36 yards and two first downs in five carries. He also made two tackles in defense.
Calvin Tenney, Murdock
Despite being the top priority of the defense, Tenney went wild while helping the Blue Devils tie their record at 3-3 with a 27-6 win over Gardner. The 5-foot-11, 220-pound junior backer ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. He reached the end zone on carries 1, 8 and 23 yards.
(Player of the Week winners are compiled from match reports and stats requested by each school or from in-person match-day reports by a T&G sports editor.)
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Contact Rich Garven at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @RichGarvenTG.
