The Div. 7 Super Bowl will feature a team on a major run and another looking to honor a fallen teammate.
Top-seeded Uxbridge (12-0) are heading to the championship game for a second consecutive season and are riding a 25-game winning streak. No. 3 Mashpee (9-3) will play in their first state final since 2017 and will look to win the program’s fifth title. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gillette Stadium.
The Falcons season got off to a tragic start when rising senior Nolan Barr passed away in a car accident over the summer. Head coach Matt Triveri said that this tragedy stuck with his team and the program has dedicated the season to Barr’s memory.
“It was a horrific summer for us,” Triveri said. “His brother played football with us. His other brother played soccer with us. The family are great people. Our kids were very tight with Nolan, his jersey comes with us to every game. I think it means a lot.”
The Falcons started the season with a loss to Dennis-Yarmouth but would rattle off six straight wins and enter the tournament at 6-2. This winning streak continued even when starting quarterback Dominic Matteodo went down for a few weeks with an injury, something Triveri said showed his team’s resiliency.
“Once Dominic came back, we loosened things up a little bit, let him throw a little bit more,” Triveri said. “We gave him some RPO package play, stuff that he’s done pretty well with. We spread the field more and been a little more explosive.”
Uxbridge head coach Matt Blood said his team focuses on toughness and being a hard team to game plan against.
“I credit the players for being resilient and being able to roll with the punches,” Blood said. “High school football is about creating problems for defenses. We try to create those problems but also take what the defense has given us.”
A key to the team’s success is running back Camden LaChapelle, who has amassed more than 2,000 rushing yards on the season.
“He’s a pretty polished back and complete, to say the least,” Blood said. “He’s quick, he’s shifty, he’s low to the ground and can survive tackles and hits. He’s a very gritty, powerful runner and an ultra-great competitor.”
Mashpee vs. Uxbridge
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium
Head coach: Matt Triveri
Dennis-Yarmouth 34, Mashpee 8
Mashpee 40, Nantucket 7
Mashpee 36, Rockland 13
Mashpee 26, Randolph 21
Mashpee 48, Martha’s Vineyard 21
Mashpee 39, Hull 21
Mashpee 28, Cohasset 6
Carver 29, Mashpee 28
Mashpee 49, St. Bernard’s 29
Mashpee 30, Amesbury 20
Mashpee 28, Clinton 22
Sandwich 48, Mashpee 0
Head coach: Matt Blood
Uxbridge 35, Maynard 32
Uxbridge 34, Blackstone Valley 6
Uxbridge 39, Oxford 0
Uxbridge 21, South 6
Uxbridge 55, Leicester 12
Uxbridge 39, Tantasqua 14
Uxbridge 48, Millbury 20
Uxbridge 52, Auburn 43
Uxbridge 48, St. Paul Diocesan 7
Uxbridge 42, Gardner 0
Uxbridge 28, Northbridge 7
Uxbridge 35, Northbridge 14
Uxbridge is a perfect 3-0 in bowl appearances. The Spartans capped off an undefeated season in 2023 by defeating Amesbury 42-16 as Kellen LaChapelle ran for 148 yards and five touchdowns, while Camden LaChapelle added 154 yards and a score. Mashpee also 3-0 in this game, the last win coming in 2017 when Devaun Ford ran for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 22-16 win over Blackstone Valley.
Not surprised that Mashpee got here as it had plenty of experienced players returning from the 2023 team. Uxbridge, however, is a team on a mission to successfully defend its state title and finish undefeated for a second straight season.
Pick: Uxbridge