One more win and they’re state champs. Needham High School’s unbeaten football team takes on perennial powerhouse Xaverian Brothers High School at Gillette Stadium late Thursday afternoon for the MIAA Division 1 title.
It’s a rematch of last year’s semifinal, when Xaverian’s Hawks spoiled the Rockets’ Super Bowl dreams with a 20-17 victory. Xaverian went on to beat top-seeded St. John’s Prep for its third MIAA championship in 10 years.
The fourth-seeded Rockets (12-0) got to Thursday’s final by upsetting No. 1 seed St. John’s Prep 22-14. In its only previous trip to a Division 1 final, Needham lost to Boston College High School 21-7 in 2011.
Third-seeded Xaverian takes an 8-4 record into the championship game after beating No. 2 seed BC High 31-14 in the semis.
“They’re really stacked all across the board, and they’ve been through this before,” Needham coach Doug Kopcso said of Xaverian during a break in Tuesday’s practice. “It’s an exciting challenge” for his team, he said.
Kopcso said Xaverian has lost some of its top players since last year, but has replenished with significant additions including talented defensive end Dominic Funke, who just happens to live in Needham. Funke transferred to Xaverian from St. Sebastian’s.
Two-way standout Aidan Williams has grabbed many headlines for the Rockets. On offense, he has rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 23 touchdowns. Playing linebacker on defense, Williams (6-2, 215) added two more TDs. He’ll attend Lehigh University next fall.
Opening holes for the running backs and protecting senior quarterback Griffin Carr is a big offensive line featuring senior tackle Charlie Simeone (6-4, 295), who’s headed to Holy Cross. And the Rockets’ stingy defense has allowed just 7.5 points per game. Massive defensive end Will McDonald (6-7, 240), bound for Army next year, anchors a fearsome front line. “Another great, great person, a great leader for us,” Kopcso said.
“We love our defense,” the coach said. “It’s been an impressive group, a very tight-knit group. They love each other, they trust each other, and that’s allowed us to be very aggressive.”
Kopcso, a 1999 NHS graduate and a linebacker on the football team, believes his team won’t be fazed by the pressure to bring Needham its first MIAA title.
“The nice thing about this team is, no moment’s too big for them,” he said. “Every time we’ve had a big game, that’s really when we play the best.
“Everyone here pulls their own weight,” Kopcso emphasized. “There’s no one who’s just here to get a varsity jacket. They understand that every single one of them is vital.”
In his seventh year as head coach, Kopcso spoke highly of his coaching staff, but gave the bulk of the credit for this magical season to the athletes. “Good teams are maybe led by the coaches,” he said, “but great teams are led by the players.”
The Rockets are not only deep, but experienced, with 28 seniors in uniform. And for the seniors especially, there is some melancholy, with their high school careers in their waning hours, Kopcso said.
“It’s bittersweet, just because of how special this group is,” he said. “You don’t want practice to end. But at the same time, we’re so fired up about this.”
Thursday’s game at Gillette Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased online on Ticketmaster. The game will be carried live on TV38.
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