Taking care of business.
It’s not only a famous song from 1973 anymore.
On Friday in Wakefield, the Shawsheen Tech football team won its seventh straight game, clinched its first Commonwealth Athletic Conference championship since 2019 and further improved its playoff seeding with a 42-14 thumping of Northeast Metro Tech.
The Rams scored early and often against the Knights, and fast.
After running just 12 plays, Shawsheen led 21-0.
It was 14-0 after only four snaps.
The fourth scoring drive lasted just four plays as the Rams took a 28-0 lead into halftime.
Shawsheen quarterback Sid Tildsley was the story of the game for the visitors, avenging a pair of losses to Northeast last season. On Friday, Tildsley threw six touchdown passes and totaled more than 350 yards in the air.
Taking care of business indeed.
“Oh man,” shrugged Shawsheen head coach Al Costabile with a laugh. “And he’s going to get better. Think about that, he’s going to get better. Sid the Kid. He’s a gamer.”
Shawsheen needs to beat visiting Whittier Tech on Thursday night in Billerica to complete an undefeated regular season. Game time on Thursday is 6 p.m.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” said Costabile after the win. “The teams that block and tackle the best usually win the games and we certainly blocked and tackled better.”
Shawsheen’s second play from scrimmage was a 30-yard touchdown pass from Tildsley to junior Zachary Rogers of Wilmington.
Northeast’s next drive went to the Ram 20-yard line before the Knights turned the ball over on downs and Shawsheen added to its lead just two plays later when Tildsley once again connected with Rogers, this time for a 76-yard scoring play with 1:27 left in the first quarter.
“Rogers had a coming-out party,” Costabile said of Rogers, who finished with five catches for 145 yards. “He deserved it and needed it and it’s great for him. He’s a horse and he sure ran like it. He’s going to be a great player.”
“He’s a big dude,” Tildsley said. “On a couple of my throws, people just made me look good, and my linemen are a big help because obviously you need time out there. Without them, you’ve got nothing.”
Early in the second quarter, the Rams struck again, this time with an eight-play drive that ended with back-to-back completions to senior co-captain Mavrick Bourdeau of Billerica, the first for 21 yards to the 7-yard line and the next one into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.
Rogers and junior Ryan Copson of Wilmington also had a first-down grabs during the possession while Tildsley added an 8-yard run for a new set of downs.
With 2:34 left in the half, a three-play, 68-yard drive ended with a 54-yard scoring toss to Bourdeau, who made a great catch on the run on a terrific toss down the right sideline by Tildsley. Bourdeau was finally tackled well after the play ended as Rogers sent him tumbling in the end zone with a celebratory bump.
Shawsheen added two more touchdowns in the second half, the first an 11-yard pass to junior Caleb Caceres of Billerica just 2:31 into the third quarter. Junior Ryan Copson of Wilmington helped set up the touchdown with a 36-yard reception that saw Copson completely stretched out to make the grab at the 22-yard line.
With 1:58 left in the third, Caceres caught another touchdown pass from Tildsley, this one for 57 yards as Caceres made a catch on a short screen pass and then burst into the open field for the score.
Sophomore Jack Finn of Billerica finished a 6-for-6 evening on extra points for Shawsheen, making it 42-6.
“This was a revenge game for everyone on this team,” Tildsley said. “Everybody knew to just take care of business.”
Northeast didn’t quit, scoring twice in the second half on an 11-yard run by senior Joan Mendoza in the third quarter and a 3-yard run by senior quarterback C.J. Moriconi midway through the fourth. Moriconi added a 2-point conversion rush to complete the scoring.
“We haven’t beaten these guys since my freshman year,” senior captain Kevin Ackerley of Wilmington said. “This was a pay-back game. It feels good.”
As impressive as the Ram offense was, the defense was just as good.
Junior Austin Malandain had two stops in Northeast’s first possession, forcing a punt.
Malandain, sophomore Cullen Walsh of Wilmington and junior Damian Ortiz all had excellent plays to force a second Knight punt. Walsh was busy throughout the first half with several more tackles for losses.
Before halftime, junior Thomas Cormier of Billerica had a big tackle on a kickoff return and Ackerley had an interception as time expired in the second quarter.
In the second half, Bourdeau pounced on several Northeast onside kick attempts and, in the fourth quarter, sophomore Brayton Carbone of Billerica, sophomore Zach Timmons of Wilmington, freshman James Tildsley of Billerica and senior Collin Kelley of Billerica saw some significant time on offense.
