'We brought it to them, and we brought home the game': Shrewsbury again overcomes St. John's in another in-town thriller

SHREWSBURY — For the second straight season, the Battle of the ’Bury wasn’t decided until the closing minutes.

And again, Shrewsbury High rallied late to defeat St. John’s, this time erasing a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes to claim a stunning, 13-10 win Friday night in the 63rd meeting of these in-town football rivals before a packed house at Pioneer Field.

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“We came back in the second half, and that looked more like Shrewsbury public football,” senior captain Cooper Ackerman said. “We came out there, and we brought it to them, and we brought home the game.

“I’m so proud of my team. We worked hard all week for this. The crowd was crazy tonight. Everyone was talking about it all day, and I’m just so happy we came out here and got the win.”

The Colonials, who scored with 97 seconds to play last year to notch an 18-15 win and stop a seven-game losing streak in the series, had last won back-to-back games against the Pioneers in 2012 and ’13. It was their first win at St. John’s in 11 years.

They’re 2-1 on the season and trail, 45-15-3, in the series.

“Obviously, a good program on the other side there in St. John’s,” 10th-year coach John Aloisi said. “This game means a lot to our kids, it means a lot to our town, and we’re just really thrilled.”

Defense dominated

The Pioneers totaled 266 yards and 14 first downs on 56 plays. Shrewsbury junior cornerback Ethan LePoer had two interceptions — and a third waved off by a penalty — while junior safety Ryan Keddy broke up two passes, and Ackerman was everywhere.

“I feel like we were reading the quarterback really well,” LePoer said. “We were changing it up on defense; we were switching up man, zone, running everything we have.”

The Pioneers scored on their second possession, elusive and shifty junior quarterback Dylan DiPietro (5 rushes, 57 yards; 11 of 30 passing for 144) zigging and zagging his way for a 16-yard touchdown run with 1:02 left in the first quarter before senior Zayn Moselhy converted the extra point to make it 7-0.

But their final four possessions — discounting the game-ending last one that consisted of two plays — ended with a punt at the Shrewsbury 35, an incompletion at the Shrewsbury 5, a 25-yard field goal by Moselhy after it was first-and-goal at the 9, and an interception in Shrewsbury’s end.

“We kept giving them confidence, not finishing plays in the red zone, mental mistakes,” first-year coach John Vassar said after the Pioneers, ranked first in the T&G Super 7 large school poll, dropped to 2-1.

“They were able to make adjustments up front, out scheme us up front with a lot of misdirection. And at the end of the day, they just toughed it out.”

The Colonials, who did little to help themselves with seven penalties and were saddled with poor field position for most of the night, finished with 165 yards and 11 first downs on 38 plays and didn’t have a giveaway. Senior John Pasenello and Ron Burton each had a sack for St. John’s.

The offense came together late, though, senior running back Josiah Spiegel slicing his way into the end zone from 4 yards to cap a seven-play, 58-yard drive and cut the deficit to 10-6 with 5:26 to play.

The Colonials then halted a drive, during which the Pioneers advanced from their 7 to the Shrewsbury 34, when LePoer returned an interception to the St. John’s 35 with 3:52 to play.

Suffice to say, it was pandemonium on the Shrewsbury sideline.

“I mean that felt unreal,” LePoer said. “The game wasn’t over yet, and maybe we celebrated a little too much before we won, but it was an absolute unreal feeling.”

Senior captain Felix Pittorino and Spiegel quickly picked up first downs with second-down runs of 7 and 10 yards, respectively, to set up first-and-goal at the St. John’s 9 with 1:44 to play.

The Pioneers called time out, and sophomore quarterback Drew Vincequere used the break to campaign for, well, his own number and his line.

“Coach wanted to run belly and that stuff — and that would have worked, too — but I told him, ‘Let me get behind my line for four plays, and we’ll get it in the end zone,’ ” Vincequere said.

It only took three plays, Vincequere gaining 4, 3 and 2 yards on sneaks to reach the end zone with 14 seconds to play. Junior Andrew Stumm added the extra point, and junior Diego Jacobo pinned the Pioneers deep in their own end on the ensuing kickoff.

Two plays later, the Colonials were euphoric and the Pioneers despondent.

“I’m so proud of the kids for just continuing to fight,” Aloisi said. “Our defense played great all night. Got put in some difficult spots and had a lot of stops. They just kept battling.

“And our offense got clicking in the second half. But, overall, we just kept playing. That’s one of the things we always tell the kids — every coach tells the kids that — and they just responded by playing so well until the end.”

—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Shrewsbury again overcomes St. John's in another in-town football thriller