Turkey was extra tasty for Osiris Lopez this Thanksgiving.
Last Thursday, the Leominster High senior quarterback set a new state record for career touchdown passes. Lopez tossed six TDs in the first half of the Blue Devils’ 59-6 win over Fitchburg.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Coastal Carolina University commit connected with teammate Aiden Keyes for an 11-yard pass in the second quarter to break the mark (122 passing TDs) previously set by Duxbury’s Bobby Maimaron from 2013-16.
“It didn’t feel real to me,” Lopez told the T&G Monday. “I couldn’t believe that I accomplished that.”
Lopez wrapped up his high school career with 123 passing touchdowns and 8,675 passing yards. He also accumulated 3,006 rushing yards and 24 rushing TDs during his tenure as a Blue Devil.
'He loves the hate': Leominster football follows lead of quarterback Osiris Lopez
Leominster quarterback Osiris Lopez celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter against Fitchburg at Fenway Park Wednesday, November 22, 2023.So, how’d that turkey taste QB1?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Different,” Lopez said. “It was weird to have played my last ever (high school) game.”
Top performers from Turkey Day
Like Lopez, many high school seniors concluded their high school football careers on Thanksgiving.
Northbridge High senior Joel LaChapelle collected three touchdowns in his team’s 48-13 victory over Uxbridge. The win was the last for longtime Northbridge coach Ken LaChapelle, Joel’s grandfather, who is stepping down following his 557th and final game on the Rams sideline.
“It meant everything to me, especially for his last season,” Joel LaChapelle told the T&G postgame. “Sorry if I get emotional, but I’ve been with him all my life, and I’m very proud of him. ... I’m glad we got it done.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementClinton High senior Cam Gomez, who has autism, scored on a 10-yard run play coined the “Cam Sweep” in the final seconds of the Gaels’ 52-21 win over Nashoba on Turkey Day.
It was a special way to end his five seasons with the Clinton gridiron gang.
“These five years of football were so much more than all the therapies, everything else together. He moves better now. He speaks better now. He walks with his chest out. You know? It’s been emotional,” said Gomez’ mom, Tammy. “It’s bittersweet. I can’t even explain what this has done for him. Obviously, (football) helped all my sons be better men and everything, but Cameron is like a whole new person. He’s a different person when he’s here.”
Other top Thanksgiving performances included three rushing touchdowns (and a 2-point conversion) from Auburn junior Bradyn Belanger in the Rockets’ 31-29 win over Grafton. Zeeland Youngblood added 269 rushing yards and four TDs for the Gators.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementShrewsbury High senior Drew Vincequere provided the game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter during the Colonials’ 21-14 victory over host Wachusett in Holden. Vincequere finished his Thanksgiving with two TDs.
Shrewsbury quarterback Drew Vincequere prepares to throw a pass in a practice last fall. He scored twice in the Colonials' Thanksgiving win last week.And over in Fiskdale, Tantasqua junior Sean Allen scored on a 3-yard TD run as time expired to lift the Warriors to a 39-36 win over Shepherd Hill. Allen finished with 231 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns and was also named defensive MVP.
“It was the greatest feeling of all time,” Allen told the T&G Monday. “(There’s) no better way to honor the hard work the seniors put in for our team.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA day before Thanksgiving, St. John’s sophomore QB Brad Perry completed 15 of 26 passes for 276 and four TDs in a 31-14 win over Malden Catholic while St. Bernard’s senior RB Jeremiah Williams amassed 173 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s 42-7 victory over St. Paul.
Brothers Jason (49 yards) and Lucius (6 yards) Abban both scored on touchdown runs in North’s 17-14 victory over South last Wednesday around the same time twin brothers Matt (4 completions for 52 passing yards) and Nick (14 tackles on defense) Agnese led Lunenburg to a 34-14 win over Oakmont.
Gridiron guru?
Last week, I highlighted how a full assortment of games around the holiday afforded me the last chance to select winners for this high school football season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd what a week of picks it was for me. A holiday miracle, some would say.
Out of 28 total games, I correctly predicted 25 of them. Here are my final stats from the season:
Last week: 25-3
Season: 244-77
T&G Game of the Week
The stage is set.
On Saturday (10 a.m.), No. 3 West Boylston (9-3) will face No. 4 Randolph (11-0) in the Division 8 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.
The T&G Game of the Week (well, the only game of the week featuring a local team) is a rematch of last year’s D8 Super Bowl.
West Boylston defeated Randolph, 22-18, on a frigid Friday last fall to collect its third straight state title at the home of the New England Patriots. The Lions were the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls since the statewide tournament format was introduced in 2021, having repeated as D8 champs last year after taking top honors in Division 7 in 2022.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It feels great,” West Boylston’s Dominick Renzoni told the T&G last year. “I mean, three times in a row, you never really hear of those. The past two years we had great teams and I didn’t think we were going to make it this far. But we did, and I’m proud of everybody.”
West Boylston's Dominick Renzoni, center, powers upfield through the Bourne defense during a game on Nov. 14, 2025.The same sentiments are shared by the Lions in this go-around.
But with Renzoni leading the charge, the senior running back is tops in Central Mass. in rushing yards (2,187) and touchdowns (36), West Boylston hopes to see similar Super Bowl results this week.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTop 10 ranking
With one final game left, this is the last time I’ll rank the top football teams from the area this fall.
All season long, I tried to weigh which teams were playing the best — no matter how big or small their school size was or what division they played in — at the time instead of focusing on who would beat who in a head-to-head matchup.
So, without further ado, here’s our final top 10 ranking.
Leominster
Northbridge
West Boylston
Hudson
Clinton
Auburn
Doherty
St. John’s
Uxbridge
Wachusett
—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Central Mass. high school football Week 12 results, recaps and thoughts
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