St. John’s (S) Stuns Catholic Memorial in Football

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, October 24, 2026

St. John’s of Shrewsbury defeated No. 2 Catholic Memorial 34-7, marking their first victory against the Knights since 2017 and handing Catholic Memorial their first loss of the season. The Pioneers’ dominant defense forced five turnovers and big plays on offense, propelling them to a 6-1 record and shaking up the high school football rankings.

St. John’s of Shrewsbury delivered a decisive 34-7 victory over No. 2 Catholic Memorial on Friday night, marking their first win against the Knights since 2017 and handing Catholic Memorial their first loss of the season. The fourth-ranked Pioneers, now 6-1, dominated the game from the outset, capitalizing on five forced turnovers and maintaining control throughout the contest.

The Pioneers struck early with a touchdown by Jack Hanlon, followed by a critical interception that set up a 59-yard catch-and-run by Liam Deso from quarterback Brad Perry, extending the lead to two scores. After Catholic Memorial narrowed the gap with Aidan Moran’s six-yard touchdown run, Deso responded with a 68-yard rushing touchdown, effectively putting the game out of reach.

St. John’s head coach Gary Senecal, in his second season, emphasized team focus over rivalry in the lead-up to the game, stating the importance of concentrating on their own performance rather than their opponent. The Pioneers’ ability to capitalize on turnovers and execute big plays underscored their dominant performance.

In other Massachusetts high school football action Friday evening, Attleboro secured a 27-20 victory over Taunton in the Hockomock League behind three second-half touchdown passes from Cason Cambra, two of which were caught by Madden Murray. Bridgewater-Raynham defeated Dartmouth 35-12 in a Pioneer Athletic Conference game, highlighted by Breydan Lewis’s two rushing touchdowns and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Logan Bovill to Finn Kelley.

Additional league results included Cathedral's narrow 32-28 win over Bishop Fenwick in a Catholic Central Conference matchup, featuring sophomore Jayden Lewis-Hodge’s two rushing touchdowns. Cohasset edged Archbishop Williams 23-20 in overtime, aided by an interception returned for a touchdown by Anthony Simone. Danvers blanked Salem 41-0, while English High overcame Latin Academy 14-8.

Unbeaten South Coast Conference leader Fairhaven rolled past Seekonk 56-28, with junior Jackson Ponte throwing five touchdowns. King Philip defeated No. 18 Foxborough 35-14 in the Hockomock Davenport division as freshman Ethan O’Connell ran for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Other notable results included Lincoln-Sudbury's 28-14 comeback victory over Concord-Carlisle, Mansfield's 19-14 win over Canton to clinch a share of the Hockomock Davenport title, and Marshfield’s 44-21 Patriot League triumph over Hingham.

Medfield dominated Hopkinton 32-0 in the Tri-Valley League, while Nashoba Valley Tech cruised to a 40-12 nonleague victory over KIPP. Natick defeated Wellesley 37-14, aided by Levi Oliveira’s three first-half rushing touchdowns. North Attleborough topped Oliver Ames 42-18 behind Nick O’Brien’s 152 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Further results saw Peabody defeat Marblehead 38-15 with Dom Mercier contributing both rushing and passing touchdowns, and Silver Lake narrowly beat Plymouth North 6-0. Top-ranked St. John’s Prep continued their unbeaten streak with a 31-12 win over Malden Catholic, while Stoneham overwhelmed Wakefield 40-13.

Watertown won 31-14 at Burlington in the Middlesex League, and Weymouth defeated Needham 33-15, boosted by junior Tommy Byrne’s three rushing touchdowns and an interception. Finally, Xaverian shut out BC High 47-6, highlighted by senior Will Wood’s three rushing and two passing touchdowns.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.