A legacy-defining moment.
A chance at history.
The opportunity to accomplish something seldom seen in these parts.
…
Folks, the chance for me to finish this year’s “Football Picks” series with an unheard of 40 wins is on the table.
And I have to imagine that’s the talk of the town right now.
My previous best was 36 two years ago during the 2023 season, but after a perfect showing picking our two Thanksgiving Day games, that mark has been well cleared. Even more impressive when you consider that for the past couple of years, our number of local squads has dropped from six down to five with Georgetown no longer having the bodies to field a team.
But against all odds, history is just one correct pick away with only one game left.
… Oh yeah, and I guess that one remaining game is pretty big, too.
For the second time in three years, Amesbury is making the trip down to Gillette Stadium to battle for the Division 7 Super Bowl. The undefeated and No. 2 Redhawks (12-0) will play top-seeded Cohasset (10-2) for that ultimate glory tonight, with kickoff set for 5 p.m.
Perfection at stake.
A State Championship on the line.
The opportunity to go down as one of the greatest teams in the history of the Newburyport Daily News area.
It all goes down tonight.
So who will win?
THURSDAY’S GAME No. 2 Amesbury (12-0) vs. No. 1 Cohasset (10-2), 5 p.m. at Gillette Stadium
Many of my peers from across the state who have already put a score to this game seem to largely favor Cohasset. And those predictions, from well-informed minds, of course may ultimately be proven correct.
But this game has a pretty even “Tale of the Tape.”
Finall MIAA Power Rating
Cohasset: 11.8067. Amesbury: 11.7784.
Offensive PPG.
Cohasset: 35.9. Amesbury: 35.2.
Defensive PPG. Allowed
Amesbury: 10.6. Cohasset: 16.2.
Total Playoff Scores
Cohasset: 112-38 (+74). Amesbury: 97-35 (+62).
So, yeah, there’s really not that big of a difference.
For Cohasset, though, its perceived advantage certainly comes thanks to its strength of schedule. The Skippers had a final “Opponent Rating” of 3.3067 this year, which was the highest — by far — out of any other team in Division 7 (Amesbury: 0.9034). They lost their season opener to a top-seeded Norwell team that will battle for the Division 6 Super Bowl this weekend, and their other setback was by a point against an undefeated Randolph team (11-0) that is in the Division 8 Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, Amesbury’s best wins are over Pentucket (lost in D6 quarters), North Reading (lost in D5 Final Four) and then Clinton in the semifinals.
And Cohasset — which won Super Bowls in 2014 and 2021 — certainly remembers losing to Amesbury in the semifinals two years ago all too vividly (48-28). Senior back Gus Greene is the headliner for the Skippers, as he enters this game with a chance to reach 2,000 rushing yards after already breaking the school record for touchdowns in a season (27). Third-year starting quarterback Michael Wildfire has close to 1,500 passing yards and 600 rushing yards, as well as a pair of veteran receivers to throw to in Nolan Flaherty and Max Monahan. Then names like Dan Baker, JT McDonald, Ian Kondrat, Toby Carpenter and Jeff Lombardi have provided experience and production on both lines.
Make no mistake: The Skippers are here for a reason.
But so is Amesbury.
At this point of the season, “Team of Destiny” could be used to describe both of these squads, when in the end it’s only going to apply to one of them. For these Amesbury juniors and seniors, though, the dejected feeling of walking off the Gillette Stadium turf two years ago having lost a Super Bowl still lingers. Which, that experience in and of itself — game day travel, schedule, having played in that stadium already — has to count for something.
And the Redhawks are just going to do what they do.
Offensively, that means a steady running diet of Joe Puleo (110-857-6), Joe Celia (109-733-12) and Connor Scialdone (110-659-9) behind a veteran offensive line of Braden Delisle, Stacy Peck Jr., Gino DiLorenzo, Dylan Palen and Christian Iandolo. Then for three years now, all senior QB Justin Dube has done is come up clutch time after time for the Redhawks under center.
And moving over defensively, the Redhawks have recorded 22 sacks while forcing 16 turnovers this year. Ollie Peters and Ethan Kirby are two elite pass-rushers, linebackers Evan Murphy and Scialdone love to get downhill and hit, and the Redhawks have an all-senior secondary between Dube, Ben Wood, Celia and Parker DeLong.
You know, they say don’t make bets based off of narratives.
But thankfully, it’s probably illegal to have any real money on this game.
It’s going to be a great 48 minutes of football (and maybe more) between two even teams to kick off Super Bowl season at Gillette Stadium. And after coming up short of the ultimate goal two years ago, Amesbury gets its redemption and brings an undefeated State Championship trophy back home, making history in a thriller.
Prediction: Amesbury 22, Cohasset 21.
LAST WEEK: 2-0.
OVERALL SEASON RECORD: 39-8.