WESTON – Catholic Memorial has been running roughshod throughout its 2024 football schedule.
In spite of a frightening start Friday night, the Knights were able to return to their usual brand of play, and are now headed back to Gillette Stadium.
Senior standout Mekhi Dodd scampered for a pair of touchdowns, as top-ranked Catholic Memorial earned another trip to the Div. 2 Super Bowl with a 49-7 romp of No. 5 Wellesley.
“We talked for about half an hour before the game about penalties and turnovers,” said Catholic Memorial coach John DiBiaso. “Lo and behold, we had three turnovers the first three possessions, and a boatload of penalties. I don’t know how to explain it, but we overcame it and once we got rolling, I thought we did a good job.”
It was a shaky opening for Catholic Memorial (10-1), as torrential downpours fell at Weston High School. After a series of mistakes, Wellesley (6-3) seized an early lead as Luka Prock connected with Matthew Yen for a 54-yard touchdown strike to make it a 7-0 lead for the Raiders with 3:48 left in the opening quarter.
As fans began to panic, DiBiaso gathered his troops along the sideline. It was time for a message that would resonate with the players.
“I can’t say it to the press,” DiBiaso said with a smirk. “It wasn’t a cheery conversation.”
Trailing with 4:30 to play in the second quarter, the Knights capitalized off a two-yard touchdown rush by Dodd, seizing their first lead of the night at 14-7.
They weren’t done quite yet. Junior quarterback Kise Flannery proceeded to hit Gavin Brown in-stride for a 47-yard touchdown pass later in the frame, before he connected with Isaiah Simmons for a 23-yard pass for a score in the waning moments of the half. Suddenly, Catholic Memorial was in cruise control with a 29-7 lead at intermission.
With his team up 36-7 early in the third, Lasean Sharp took a handoff in the shadow of his own goal line, and saw a gap developing in front of him.
“I just took my reads,” Sharp said. “My o-line said to follow them. I got behind number 66 JD Rayner, and I just used my legs.”
Then, there was nothing but open turf in front of the senior. Sharp jogged 97 yards coast-to-coast, rolling to pay dirt as Catholic Memorial watched its lead balloon to 42-7. The Knights would add one more score off a 45-yard touchdown rush by Reidar Davies with 3:30 to go in the third, and the clock began to run as they built a 49-7 advantage.
The victory sets up a rematch of the 2022 Div. 2 Super Bowl with King Philip, a school that is certainly hungry for the opportunity to face Catholic Memorial again.
“I’ll start thinking about that when I’m eating my turkey,” DiBiasio said with a chuckle.
The legendary coach continued.
“Very good opponent,” said DiBiaso. “They’re very well-coached. We’re both familiar with each other, but we have a Catholic Conference title on the line on Thanksgiving. So, we have to take it one step at a time.”