By Josh Perry || HockomockSports.com Managing Editor

FOXBORO, Mass. – Almost exactly a year ago, Foxboro (8-4) piled up the offensive stats to win its first state championship title in 17 years. The Warriors scored 42 points and got 141 yards on the ground from star back Ben Angelini to beat Hanover and lift the trophy.

Friday evening’s Div. 5 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium was the complete opposite. Foxboro was stuck in neutral against top seed Shawsheen Tech (12-0), amassing only 58 yards of total offense (just 21 yards on the ground) and ran only a single play in the opposition half of the field. The Shawsheen Tech offense hardly lit up the scoreboard, with only 142 total yards and six first downs, but the Rams scored two fourth quarter touchdowns and pulled out a 14-0 victory.

It was a bit of revenge for the Rams, who were beaten 42-12 in a fiery Final Four encounter last season.

“They packed the box with nine kids and we didn’t execute to spring him, hence the score,” Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli said about the inability to get Angelini (18 carries, 39 yards) and the ground game going. “We couldn’t move the ball and I think it came down to that.”

The game could have been very different for the Warriors. On the second play of the game, Mike Marcucella (6-of-21, 37 yards) went deep to Cam Deleskey, who was able to spin back to his outside shoulder and haul in the pass then made a great move to elude a pair of tacklers for what looked like an 85-yard touchdown. But, a penalty flag in the backfield negated the big play.

Martinelli said, “The first one being taken away changed some momentum, not as an excuse. We just didn’t move the ball good enough to put them behind the sticks. Pretty damn good defensive game both ways, just couldn’t break one.”

Despite the offense’s struggles, the Foxboro defense came out determined to keep the Warriors in the game. On Shawsheen Tech’s first drive, Gabe Beaule stopped the first play for no gain and Deleskey made a nice play to break up the third-down pass and force a punt. The next possession was also a three-and-out after Jon Sacchetti broke up a pass and Matt O’Keefe’s pressure forced another incompletion.

Foxboro’s third drive started near midfield but ended with Will Holloway picking off a Marcucella pass on the sideline. The Rams couldn’t take advantage of the turnover, as Beaule made another tackle for loss and an incompletion on third and long forced a punt, although Jack Finn was able to pin the Warriors inside their own 10.

Shawsheen Tech QB Sidney Tildsley (21 carries, 65 yards and 4-of-11 passing for 46 yards) returned a punt 26 yards down to the Foxboro 16. It looked like the Rams were finally going to be able to get the breakthrough, but Beaule stopped Tildsley for a short gain on third down and James Dee-Gaffney sacked Tildsley for a loss of 12 on fourth.

Momentum was short-lived, as Marcucella was sacked on first down and the Warriors went three-and-out again.

“It was [a big stop] and we didn’t take advantage,” Martinelli said. “The momentum never swung either way for most of the game. Give their kids credit, they swung the momentum hence the end result.”

With five minutes left in the second, Foxboro started to put together a drive, as Angelini gained 13 out to the 42 (his longest run of the night) and, after an offsides penalty, Foxboro had third and one at the Rams 49. The Warriors lost two yards on the next play back across the 50 and they were forced to punt.

Early in the third quarter, Sacchetti gave Foxboro more life when he picked off a Tildsley pass on the sideline. The Warriors took over at their own 46, but they lost four yards over the next three plays and couldn’t capitalize on the great field position.

Andrew Higgins did drop another punt inside the Shawsheen Tech 20 forcing the Rams to start from their own 17. Despite starting deep in its own territory, Shawsheen Tech managed to put together the best (only) drive of the game, marching 83 yards on 16 plays.

Jack Banda converted a third and short to move the chains and Tildsley hit Dyllon Pratt for 10 yards to convert another third down into Foxboro’s half of the field. The big play was a 33-yard pass to Zack Timmons as he leaked out of the backfield, getting all the way to the Warriors 10. Trevor Palmer stuffed Tildsley for a loss on the next play and Ryan Foley made a touchdown-saving tackle on second down, but Tildsley punched it in from a yard out to make it 7-0 with 7:15 to play.

Foxboro wanted a quick response and got a boost when Nolan Gordon was interfered with, gifting a first down near midfield. Tildsley made plays in all three phases, intercepting a Marcucella pass to end the possession. The ball was punted right back to Foxboro but another interception, this time by Banda, was returned inside the Warriors five.

Tildsley capped off his night and effectively sealed the title with a two-yard plunge that made it 14-0 with just 2:37 left on the clock.

“They all played tough,” Martinelli said about his team’s effort, particularly on defense. “I’m proud of them for that.”