Blue Hills football survives test from Bristol-Plymouth in Thanksgiving Eve showdown

TAUNTON— This season, Bristol-Plymouth and Blue Hills football found themselves on opposite ends of the Mayflower Large standings and fortunes as a whole.

The Warriors (8-4, 4-0), led by an experienced and talented core of upperclassmen, won the league with an undefeated record while putting up big numbers on offense. The Craftsmen (3-8, 0-4), on the other hand, consisted largely of a young core, especially on the lines, that went winless in league play and only put up double-digit totals on offense in their three wins.

Yet when the longtime MAC foes faced off Wednesday night at Taunton High's Aleixo "Tiger" Stadium, none of that seemed to matter as B-P held Blue Hills close for much of the matchup before ultimately falling 22-6 to wrap up their 2023 campaign.

"It was a typical Blue Hills vs. Bristol-Plymouth game (and) I’m proud of my kids," Craftsmen coach John Parris said. "Nobody gave us a chance and we went toe-to-toe with these guys and I can accept that."

"I was very impressed with the toughness of B-P (but) not surprised," Warriors coach Ed Madden said. "I was also proud of the resilience and toughness of the Blue Hills players, especially our linemen and (senior) fullback Matt Begin."

Begin led Blue Hills' backfield trio with 19 carries for 127 yards, while senior running back Caiden Montas led the way on the score sheet with 15 carries for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"(Begin) was just a work horse almost guaranteeing us three to four yards per carry," Madden said. "(Montas) is outstanding. He’s mentally tough. He’s positive and enthusiastic all of the time."

Senior running back Aidan Landers, who joined Begin and Montas in the 1,000 rushing yards club Thursday, had 18 carries for 55 yards and a fumble while also recording an interception on defense.

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"They’re (all) captains and I couldn’t be more proud of them," Madden said.

After forcing a B-P three-and out, the Warriors capitalized on their long opening drive as Landers took it into the end zone from 9 yards out with 3:26 left in the first quarter to make it 6-0.

The Craftsmen responded on their next drive as senior quarterback Ryan Donovan, who primarily took snaps at running back Wednesday, snuck it in from the goal line. A missed PAT by senior kicker Riley Sheehan saw the two sides stay even at 6-6 with 7:45 left to play.

Blue Hills struck back on its next drive, resulting in an 8-yard touchdown run by Montas, who also took in the 2-point conversion to make it 14-6 with 1:21 left in the half. After a scoreless third quarter, the Warriors struck one final time in the fourth, again through Montas.

The B-P defense showed some muscle forcing a turnover on downs while also recovering a fumble and recording an interception courtesy of Donovan, who finished the evening with 16 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown on offense.

"He’s a tough kid who loves the game and gives you everything he’s got," Parris said. "He’s a super athletic kid and I just wish earlier in the season I could’ve surrounded him with some older players."

Still, Parris said he was impressed with the effort of his younger players in holding a team that scored a combined 100 points in their last two games to just 22.

"I think we raised a lot of eyebrows tonight," Parris said. "The (Mayflower) League next year better be ready."

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While the Craftsmen's season has come to a close, Blue Hills still has one more challenge and chance for a trophy awaiting them next Wednesday as they take on fellow Mayflower Large foe Tri-County (7-4, 3-1) next Wednesday in the MVADA Large title game.

"We’re getting ready for a very tough game next week and hopefully we can keep the mistakes down, have a good week of practice, heal up and rest up," Madden said. "These kids played their butts off today and we’ve got one more."

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: B-P keeps Blue Hills close, but ultimately falls on Thanksgiving Eve