OA Football Looking to Clinch Davenport Championship at Sharon

Every year, bragging rights are determined by who wins the Thanksgiving Day match-up between Oliver Ames and Sharon. While that will be no different when the two teams take the field for the 42nd time at 10 a.m. Thursday morning at Sharon, this year’s contest has pivitoal Davenport Division implications for both teams.

A win by OA (5-4 overall, 3-4 Hockomock League, 2-1 division) will give them their first Davenport title and first league title since 1969, while a victory by Sharon (4-5, 2-5, 2-1) coupled with a Stoughton loss to Canton would give them the Small Hock championship (a win by both Sharon and Stoughton would give the Black Knights the Davenport championship).

The winner of the Davenport will host Pembroke (9-0 overall), winners of the Patriot League’s Fisher Division, in the state playoffs on Tuesday night.

OA, which has won the last seven match-ups, leads thewith a 30-11 record. Sharon’s last victory came back in 2003 and the Eagles have only beaten their arch-rivals twice since 1990.

Despite trailing in the first half, the Tigers overcame an early deficit and defeated the Eagles

Thursday’s match-up will feature two prolific running games. OA senior Sam Langston leads his team in rushing, while Sharon junior Sean Asnes' 12 touchdowns is good for third in the Hock. Both Asnes and Langston reached the 1,000-yard milestone in victories two weeks ago over Foxborough and Stoughton, respectively.

Offensively, the Tigers, led by quarterback Jared Schneider and his team-leading 13 touchdowns (7 passing, 6 rushing), rank second in the Davenport averaging 20 points per game, while Sharon is third averaging 18.3 points per contest.

Defensively, OA – second in the Small Hock allowing 17.4 points per game – took advantage of opportunities in . Senior linebackers and Brian Rezendes lead the team in tackles, while Dean Soucie anchors the secondary.

Despite being second to last in points allowed, Sharon’s defense, led by junior Brad Schiff and his 88 tackles, held strong allowing just seven points against Foxborough.

Here are some other storylines to keep an eye on:

• First year Sharon coach Dave Morse has already made an impact by exceeding expectations after a one-win season a year ago. Despite some struggles early on, he has the Eagles playing well in the second half of the year and could steal headlines by making an immediate impact against his Oliver Ames. Look for Morse to mix things up and perhaps throw in in a few trick plays during Thursday’s contest.

• Although OA’s defense has been solid, they have had some struggles recently against the run. During a three-game losing streak, the Tigers could not stop Mansfield running back Greg Donahue in the second half, the “Power-I” from North Attleboro, and Canton’s ground game featuring Elias Camacho and Dexter Green.

• Nearly 90 percent of Sharon’s offense is focused on the ground game (288 rushing plays to just 42 passes), so look for the OA defense to bring eight or nine men in the box to help control the line of scrimmage.

Follow Patch’s Thanksgiving Day coverage from Sharon High School and the rest of the Hockomock League with our live blog Thursday morning.