Roxbury Latin Falls Short to Rivers in Finale, 35-21

John Spatola wrote this article on behalf of Roxbury Latin.

The football team concluded its 2010 season this past Saturday as it played host to an undefeated Rivers squad.

Rivers, 7-0, came into the weekend's contest in search of an Independent School League Championship and a New England Championship berth, but the knock on the Red Wings had been their weak strength of schedule - their first seven opponents combined for an 18-37-1 overall record.

Meanwhile, the RL squad was hungry to play the spoiler and had their own goal of getting back to .500 before season's end. The visiting team proved their worth, however, as its high-powered offense led the charge, capping off a perfect regular season and putting up 35 points, which incredibly lowered their season average to 41.8.

The Roxbury Latin offense wasted no time in checking the bulbs on the scoreboard - it came out excited and determined, marching down the field quickly and scoring a touchdown on the game's first possession. Rivers did not seem flustered, or even surprised - they gave up 21.4 points per game - but rather they put together their own efficient drive and suddenly the score was knotted 7-7.

It looked as though each offense would be able to score at will, but Rivers was able to force more turnovers and began winning the battles up front as the game wore on and RL's lack of depth became evident.

Rivers simply had more guns than RL, but that did not stop the Latin squad from fighting hard to the very end of their final game in what has become typical RL fashion. The team showed a lot of heart, but ultimately ended up losing 35-21, their only game of the year that was decided by more than one score. RL finishes the season with a 3-5 record, but the record does not illustrate the heartbreak that the Foxes endured over the past eight Saturdays.

In their eight games, they were outscored by their opponents by a mere 17 points (160-143) and aside from their most recent two-score loss, their four other losing efforts were decided by one point, two points, three points, and eight points (in a double overtime affair). The team was outdone by their opponents all too often by one play, but they continued to challenge the opposition, who in almost every case was bigger and more talented.

This year's offense was led by senior everything-back who was the focal point for the majority of RL's attacks. Despite being the main concern of each opponent's defense, Giandomenico was able to run for 304 yards and catch for another 463 yards, accounting for 11 of the team's 21 touchdowns - 3 of which came on Saturday, his final career game. The team captain was also second on the team with 53 tackles.

Fellow captain and tight end Josh Rivers was another big target that will be lost to graduation, amassing 406 yards through the air with five touchdowns in addition to his 31 tackles and team-best four sacks on the other side of the ball. Two-way standout Billy Dalton, the only other player with more than 25 yards receiving (253), led the team with three interceptions and brought versatility and stability to the receiver and cornerback positions that will be tough to replace.

This season was a major growing process for sophomore quarterback Mackay Lowrie, who noticeably improved with every game. He is athletic and has a great arm, and as he began to learn the offense and detect different defensive schemes, he blossomed into one of the league's premier passers, throwing for 1135 yards and 14 touchdowns. Despite losing his three biggest targets, Lowrie should be a star in his junior season under center.

RL also returns the majority of their offensive line for next season. The feisty group up front was often undersized and also grew tired deep into games because each of them was playing every snap on both sides of the ball. With a season together under their belt, they will likely be a force next fall. In addition to the majority of the D-Line, the defense returns middle linebacker Kevin Godin (team best 68 tackles) and outside linebacker Matt Doyle (47 tackles) who will be instrumental in stopping opponent's running attack next season.

Look for sophomore running back Kalif Mitchell to have a monster junior season after he ran for a team high 389 yards on limited carries and added two interceptions from the free safety position. Contributions from current sophomores Brandon Bowman (FB/LB), Sean Myers (WR/CB) and Griffin Carroll (WR/SS) will be critical in Roxbury Latin's success next season.

It was a season of heartbreaking losses for the Roxbury Latin football team, but the team supplied no shortage of exciting finishes and built a foundation for this young team to have success in the future. This year's senior class provided great leadership and a strong work ethic, displaying a commitment that will propel the underclassmen toward success for years to come.