Holliston 21, Cardinal Spellman 7: Panthers Claim Super Bowl Title

Many expected the Holliston football team's high-octane passing game to be on display when it faced undefeated Cardinal Spellman on Saturday, but it was the Panthers' running game and defense that stole the show.

Senior running back Kevin Curry rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries as the Tri-Valley League champion Panthers (12-1) defeated Spellman 21-7 in the Division 3A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. It was Holliston's first title since 1985 and erased an ugly 38-15 loss to Austin Prep in last year's Div. 3A championship game.

"It's an ," said Panthers head coach Todd Kiley. "This is what you dream about, this is what your goal is from the start of the season."

"It's indescribable, really," Curry said about the championship win. "I tried my best, but defensively, we just tried to shut down the run, and I think I helped with that. Offensively, I caught the ball, ran the ball and blocked."

The Panthers totaled 323 yards in the game, with 283 yards coming on the ground. Curry amassed 91 yards on six carries in the first half as Holliston had its way with a defense that had allowed only 7.2 points per game prior to Saturday.

"Kevin was our guy today, and he got it done," said senior quarterback Sean Mayo. "We just executed, and it worked out well for us."

Mayo completed 6-of-19 passes for 40 yards and rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in the win.

"It's unbelievable, I wouldn't want to go out any other way," said Mayo. "It means so much, and it was a great win today."

Aside from a busted coverage on a 25-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, the Panther defense was flawless. Spellman, the Catholic Central Large champion, managed only 56 total yards in the game and only six rushing yards, none in the first half. All told, Spellman was held to three first downs and was a dismal 0-for-9 on third down.

"Our defense played outstanding today, so we knew we were going to get the ball back the whole game," Mayo said.

Spellman senior quarterback Zac Cooney completed 6-of-9 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, while senior tight end Kevin Crane led the Cardinals in receiving, totaling three catches for 23 yards.

Cardinals senior running back Blaise Branch was held to just five yards on six carries. Branch, who rushed for 36 touchdowns entering Saturday, left the game after the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter with a head injury and didn't return.

Neither team scored in the first 14 minutes of the game. Mayo put the Panthers on the board first with 5:57 left in the second quarter on a two-yard touchdown run to the right on fourth and goal.

After consecutive three-and-outs on the next two drives, the Cardinals put together a seven-play, 45-yard drive that was capped off by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Cooney to junior wideout Joe Glynn with 23 seconds remaining in the first half.

Mayo completed a nine-yard pass to Bryan Castellanos but missed his final three pass attempts of the half, including a Hail Mary on fourth-and-1 at their own 48-yard line, leading to a 7-7 tie at halftime.

"I was never worried," said Kiley. "No disrespect, but I have 100 percent confidence in our kids. Our kids have been through so much adversity the past few years. These kids are not fazed by anything."

The third quarter featured more back-and-forth action until the final minutes of the quarter. Mayo led his troops 55 yards on nine plays before scoring a touchdown on a one-yard quarterback keeper as time expired in the quarter, giving Holliston a 14-7 advantage.

Holliston put the nail in the coffin with 3:11 to play in the game when Curry scored on a 10-yard rush, putting the Panthers up 21-7.

Spellman did its best to get back in the game, but its championship hopes came to an official end when the Panthers' Brody Ciarcello intercepted Cooney.

"I'm so proud of our kids," said Kiley. "Our kids play with fight, and we don't quit.

The win was especially sweet for the Panthers, given last year's blowout loss. Considered a Super Bowl favorite all year, Holliston turned it on over the last four games, , and on Tuesday,

"We know how hard it is because of last year," said Kiley. "You need breaks, bounces, luck and the whole town behind you, and we got it all."

"We walked into Gillette Stadium last year and we were star gazing," Mayo said. "This year it was all business."

Gethin Coolbaugh is a sports correspondent for Holliston Patch. He can be reached at 774-279-1995 or at gethin.coolbaugh@yahoo.com. Follow him @GethinCoolbaugh on Twitter.