BRIDGEWATER – After escaping Reading High with a last-minute 20-12 win in the EMass Division 2 semifinal on Tuesday, yesterday brought a light workout for Walpole as it began preparations for the Super Bowl on Saturday at Gillette Stadium (1:30 p.m.). It also meant being able to witness their opposition first-hand, as most of the team was at Bridgewater-Raynham last night to see Mansfield top Bishop Feehan 22-6 in the other semifinal.
With the other semifinal being pushed back a day, Rebels coach Danny Villa expressed concern following his team’s win that his squad’s title game may get bumped back a day to Sunday at a venue other than Gillette Stadium. Those worries were erased this afternoon when the MIAA released a statement saying they were backing off their planned appeal of Tuesday’s injunction won by Mansfield at Taunton Superior Court granting them the right to appeal the forfeiture of two games, allowing them to represent the Hockomock League in the postseason.
“That was a nice thing for them to do, because that was a concern of ours that we were going to have to move the game from Saturday to Sunday,” said Villa. “That whole Gillette experience is part of this whole Super Bowl tournament.
“We live so close to that stadium, our kids go to games, they watch the NFL teams play on it. To be able to say, ‘Hey, I played on the same field as some of these professionals play.’ I think it’s a great thing for them.”
On the opposing sideline from Villa will be a group of Green Hornets that are simply happy to have had the chance to play on after being in limbo since Monday’s announcement that they would forfeit wins over Sharon and Oliver Ames for using an ineligible player.
“It will be tough, but we have no complaints,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding of having to play on just two days rest. “We’d play tomorrow if they wanted us to play tomorrow. We’re thrilled to be a part of this tournament and we’ll play anywhere, anytime but we’ll be ready for 1:30 on Saturday.
“We go pretty hard in practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we’ll be ready to go and give Walpole our best shot.”
Even though the home of the Patriots will have far more empty seats than a normal game day, the chance to play at the home of the three-time Super Bowl champions is not lost on the Rebels.
“It’s great. Gillette Stadium – home of the Patriots, it’s every kid’s dream to play there,” said tight end/defensive end Chris Cameron, who accounted for the final touchdown Tuesday night with a 24-yard interception return with 26.2 seconds left.
The win was especially gratifying for quarterback Sonny Mastromatteo, who calmly directed his team in the two-minute offense and moved the ball quickly down the field and delivered the go-ahead touchdown on a 34-yard pass to Leo Ajemian with 57.6 seconds remaining.
Entering the final drive, Mastromatteo had been relegated to being merely a bystander for much of the contest by Reading’s ball control offense, which had him on the field for just 3:10 of a 21:48 span stretching from Ryan Izzo’s touchdown midway through the second quarter to when Stanley Andre had given the Rockets a 12-7 lead with 3:29 remaining in the contest. He had just three passing attempts, completing just one for 0 yards.
“We were down and we just said to ourselves just relax. The two-minute (offense), you have to rush it, but have the confidence every play. In the hurry-up offense you don’t have time to remember what went wrong on the last play. You just keep going and that’s what helps us.”
A year ago in the Super Bowl as just a sophomore, Mastromatteo was intercepted in the end zone by Nick Linehan on a pass intended for Mark Carrie to seal the game.
“It means everything, we want this bad,” said Mastromatteo of the game being at Gillette. “Last year, worst feeling of my life, just coming out of the Super Bowl losing on a controversial call like that. I was just dreaming this year we’d get another chance to do that. We want to win, we want to get that ring and we deserve that ring.”
After having yesterday at practice unsure of their final opponent, the Rebels spent much of their time getting over the bumps and bruises from a physical win, running, lifting and conditioning in anticipation of last night’s other semifinal.
Working on trying to slow down the Mansfield Wing-T offense with running backs Shawn Doherty, Greg DiPietrantonio and Kevon Rogers and neutralize linebacker Matt Schafer begins this afternoon at Turco Field.
