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9 MetroWest football games to watch in Week 1

kyle grabowski, the metrowest daily news
·4 min read

Buckle up.

The 2023 high school football season starts with a dynamite slate. Seven area games feature teams that both made the playoffs last year.

Four matchups are all MetroWest/Milford Daily News affairs: Tri-County at Millis, Wayland at Hopkinton, Dover-Sherborn at Ashland and Bellingham at Blackstone/Millville (Hopedale co-op).

Players to Watch: Keep an eye on these athletes this fall

While every team starts at 0-0 with a clean slate, here are nine games that carry additional intrigue and flavor (organized by start time and alphabetically, records are from last season):

Thursday, September 7

Wachusett (8-3) at Franklin (7-3), 7 p.m. - What an opener. Two Division 1 playoff squads from last season open against each other for the third consecutive year. Franklin won the first two and is fresh off a quarterfinal appearance as the top overall seed. The Panthers graduated four all-league players. Wachusett tight end Grayson Baker is an Army commit and one of the state's best players.

Friday, September 8

East Longmeadow (8-2) at Framingham (1-10), 6 p.m. - The Spartans will travel 79.6 miles largely along the Mass Pike to open the season. They were the No. 9 seed in last season's Division 4 state tournament. The Flyers have lost seven games in a row but bring back four Bay State Conference All-Stars.

Framingham head football coach David Wright instructs his team on the first day of practice on Aug. 18, 2023.
Framingham head football coach David Wright instructs his team on the first day of practice on Aug. 18, 2023.

Milford (10-2) at Bridgewater-Raynham (5-6), 6 p.m. - The Scarlet Hawks will make the trip to the South Shore after drubbing the Trojans 42-0 at home last season. Milford is coming off a Division 2 state semifinal trip while Bridgewater-Raynham was the D2 No. 13 seed. While kickers rarely make headlines for good reasons, Milford's Nick Araujo is one of the best in the state and regularly bombs 50-plus yard field goals while moonlighting as a linebacker and running back.

Natick (6-5) at Needham (5-6), 6:30 p.m. - Just 8.3 miles separate the Bay State Conference rivals. They're facing off tor the seventh year in a row. Natick has won the previous six. Needham running back Tate Hoffmeister will be a load to bring down after amassing 773 all-purpose yards last season.

More: What we learned from visiting 14 high school football practices on opening day

Uxbridge (8-3) at Maynard/AMSA (7-4), 7 p.m. - Two state quarterfinalists are clashing. The Pirates were one of the top eight teams in Division 7, while Maynard/AMSA reached the same stage in Division 5. Uxbridge senior back Kellen LaChapelle accumulated 1,082 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground last year.

Foxborough (6-6) at Holliston (10-2), 7 p.m. - Both teams won Division 4 state tournament games a year ago, as the Panthers reached the state semifinals and the Warriors got to the quarterfinals. Linebacker Lincoln Moore and defensive lineman Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady will make Foxboro's defense fierce. Holliston returns Tri-Valley All-Star receiver Devin Harding and line anchor David Villa.

Hudson (9-2) at Clinton (6-5), 7 p.m. - The multi-decade grudge match continues. The Hawks and Gaels have met every season for at least the past two decades. Hudson won the past two games by a combined nine points, while Clinton hasn't prevailed in the series since 2019. Don't take your eyes of Hudson quarterback Jake Attaway, the all-everything junior usually has something special up his sleeve.

Hudson High School sophomore quarterback Jake Attaway on the run at Marlborough's Kelleher Field, Nov. 24, 2022.
Hudson High School sophomore quarterback Jake Attaway on the run at Marlborough's Kelleher Field, Nov. 24, 2022.

Methuen (9-3) at Lincoln-Sudbury (7-4), 7 p.m. - The Warriors are riding a five-game winning streak after missing out on the postseason but closing strong. That will immediately put to the test when the Division 1 state semifinalist Rangers visit. Brothers Shane (running back) and Drew (quarterback) Eason provide a lethal offensive duo for Methuen. Lincoln-Sudbury returns with a strong senior class led by Division 1 baseball commits Cooper Tarantino (quarterback) and Jake Haarde (wide receiver/defensive back).

"We're going right into it," Tarantino said.

More: 8 questions heading into the start of high school football practice

Saturday, September 9

Saint Bernard's (11-2) at Blackstone Valley Tech (6-4), 1 p.m. - Saint Bernard's reached Gillette Stadium for the Division 7 state championship game last season. That began with a 30-0 win over Blackstone Valley in the opener. The Beavers rebounded and reached the Division 6 quarterfinals behind Adam Fransen's switch to running back.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: MetroWest football games to watch Week 1