MANSFIELD — No. 2 Bishop Feehan had a good suggestion that adversity would hit sooner or later in Friday’s Division 2 state semifinal towards third-seeded Bridgewater-Raynham.
And when it did, the Shamrocks didn’t flinch.
Bishop Feehan overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to say a dramatic 31-27 victory over the Trojans at Mansfield Excessive’s Alumni Subject to advance to the Tremendous Bowl at Gillette Stadium for the primary time since 2012, the place the Shamrocks (9-1) will face top-seeded Catholic Memorial.
“I mentioned to the children earlier than the sport, ‘We’re going to hit adversity and we’re going to spit proper in its face,’ ” Feehan head coach Bryan Pinabell mentioned. “That’s precisely what we did. Our youngsters weren’t going to be denied. They simply hold combating, it ain’t fairly. We’re not getting model factors however we simply hold combating.”
Feehan struggled to comprise B-R’s dynamic quarterback-wide receiver combo in Jack Lambert (26-for-41, 255 yards, 4 TDs) and Dylan Reed (14 catches, 90 yards) as the 2 linked on their third landing when Lambert hit Reed from 8 yards out for a 27-14 lead simply 3:11 into the third quarter.
However Feehan, which confronted quite a few deficits this season, remained unfazed. Feehan put collectively a 12-play, 82-yard scoring drive to chop into the deficit with 3:34 left within the third quarter as Xavier Baker, who had three key receptions on the collection, capped the possession off with a 4-yard landing run.
The Shamrocks then utilized a brief discipline on their subsequent drive to take the lead. After three straight robust runs from Andrew Orphanos, senior quarterback Owen Mordas (9-for-17, 136 yards, 2 TDs) rolled to his proper and tossed up a cross for Max Pennellatore, who got here down with the 22-yard landing reception whereas being blanketed by a B-R defender. Gavin Mooney’s further level gave Feehan a 28-27 lead with 8:10 left.
“I belief Max. We work that stuff in follow each week,” Mordas mentioned. “We simply have that connection. We’ve been having it the previous 4 years, and it paid off.”
Feehan’s protection rose to the event as nicely within the fourth quarter by forcing B-R into two turnovers on downs — the primary of which led to Pennellatore’s decisive rating — after which got here up with an enormous defensive stand within the closing seconds to halt the Trojans and ship the Shamrocks right into a celebration.
“I feel our children realized their backs are towards the wall,” Pinabell mentioned. “It was do or die. We made performs. That’s what you bought to do in massive soccer video games.”
