The Saint Clement Anchormen prevailed over St. Joseph Prep in the big Thanksgiving Day matchup last week at Tufts Field. – Photo by Darren Deng

By James Cameron

The Anchormen, in an effort to prove they still have it after their playoff exit, defeated the Phoenixes 43-16 at Tufts Field on Thanksgiving.

It was the end of the second quarter, with SC looking to run away with it. The score was 35-8. The Anchormen committed a fumble, this being their third turnover of the day. Saint Joseph was able to get within 20 yards of a touchdown, looking to change the momentum in their favor. In the last play of the half, DB Junior Oyaronbi got an interception on the short pass. He nearly ran it across the entire field for a touchdown, but stepped out of bounds about 20 yards away. This would prevent the Phoenixes from getting any momentum for the rest of the game, solidifying the Anchormen as the victors.

Compared to the grit and intensity of the previous playoff games, this would turn out to be a more relaxed, fun affair. The Thanksgiving game didn’t contribute to either team’s ranking. Also, these two schools share a hockey team, meaning that some of the players knew each other well. It wasn’t uncompetitive, but led to a much lighter environment.

The first quarter began far less lopsided than the rest of the game would turn out to be. The initial score was made 3 and a half minutes through the first quarter, when a very successful drive on the Anchormen’s part led to RB Deron Hines getting a touchdown on a short run. A good kick by Kevin Mendes would give SC an early 7-0 lead over St. Joseph. The Phoenixes would not go down silently, responding later in the quarter. The Anchormen were unable to corral a kickoff, which St. Joseph picked up in the end zone after it was touched. This fumble recovery in the end zone immediately gave Saint Joseph a touchdown This, coupled with a successful 2 point conversion, had St. Joseph leading 8-7. The back and forth continued when QB Michael Sullivan made a 20 yard pass to WR Khaneil Bruce for a touchdown less than a minute later. The failed 2 point had the 1st quarter wrapped up with SC in the lead 13-8.

– Photo by Darren Deng.

The Anchormen continued to make mistakes in the second quarter, with Sullivan throwing an interception early. This could have led to another opportunity for Saint Joseph, if LB Marcus Carvalho didn’t recover a fumble on the first play of their drive. This lit a fire under Saint Clement’s belly it seemed, since after that point the quarter was theirs. It began on that drive where Sullivan would get a touchdown on a keeper, extending the lead to 19-8 Anchormen. On the kickoff, the Phoenixes would juggle the ball out of bounds in the end zone, giving SC a safety. This put them up to 21-8 and gave them another drive to keep the momentum going. Less than a minute into that drive, Sullivan would make his second touchdown pass of the day, this one to Oyaronbi. Another failed kick would bring the score to 27-8. This is only made more remarkable when you consider all of these scores happened within a period of a shade over a minute. Several possessions later, Sullivan would get another touchdown pass to Oyaronbi. The score at the end of the quarter would be 35-8 on Hines’ successful 2 point conversion.

The scoreboard wouldn’t move in the third quarter, with neither really able to build a head of steam. In the fourth, the Anchormen saw some relatively unfamiliar faces. WR Nick Codair would get a touchdown off a pass early in the quarter. This led to OL Chris Bailan getting the 2 point conversion to put the Anchormen up 43-8. Toward the end of the quarter, Saint Joseph would score with a 2 point conversion themselves, making the score 43-16. This seemed too little too late for them, as that would be the score for the rest of the contest.

This game was very significant for some of the Saint Clement players. Deron Hines would get his 1000th yard running late in the 1st. Also, Michael Sullivan would hit 2000 yards passing later in the 4th. Sullivan would receive the Thanksgiving trophy for his hard work. He had little to say upon receiving the accolade, other than saying “Happy Thanksgiving!” to the gathered crowd.

After the game, Head Coach Collin Walsh reflected on the season as a whole: “It’s been a great season, with winning the Division 6 North and the League titles. I’m so proud of the seniors for their hard work and effort during the season. I’m really looking forward to doing it all again next year and that starts in the weight room!”

Even if you only look at the statistics, this was a historic season for the Anchormen. They won their first Division 6 North title in almost 30 years, they ended the second longest winning streak in state history, and they were underdogs in the playoffs after defeating Cathedral, who was expected to win the entirety of Division 6 according to many. Also, many of the star players on this team have bright college futures as a result of their stellar play during the season.