From fathers, to brothers, to the chain gang: it's a family affair for Uxbridge football

UXBRIDGE — As the Uxbridge High football team broke its postgame huddle on Friday night, the Spartans shouted one final word in unison: Family.

Although the six-letter phrase is often tossed around programs like pigskins (or pumpkins this time of year), the Spartans’ rallying cry rings true. With six sets of brothers and four pairs of father-son combos on the sideline, Uxbridge football is a family affair this fall.

And following the Spartans’ 33-0 win over Auburn on Senior Night, family was the talk of the team.

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“Not only with the coaches is there a lot of family but just the whole team,” said senior captain Liam Rigney, whose father, Ted, is an assistant coach. “Even the people that aren’t related, it’s family. Everyone fighting for each other.”

“We’re all brothers, we’re all a family,” said senior captain Nathan Noyes, whose father, Bill, is an assistant coach. “We don’t look at each other as friends, I feel like we look at each other as family.”

“One team, one family,” said head coach Matt Blood, whose son, Aidan, is a senior captain.

With the win, Uxbridge heads into the postseason with an 8-0 record and is looking for its first undefeated season in over 30 years. The Spartans will find out their playoff opponent when the MIAA releases seedings on Sunday. Auburn drops to 5-3 with the loss.

“Most of us have been coaching longer than these guys have been alive and (undefeated seasons don’t) come often,” Matt Blood said. “When it does come, it is special. To see players excited and proud of this achievement — or any other accomplishment for that matter — is what we coach for.”

Spartans shut out Auburn in regular season finale

In a matchup of two teams that were previously unbeaten in the month of October, Uxbridge and Auburn traded possessions early on Friday before a 1-yard TD run from Uxbridge senior captain Kellen LaChapelle handed the Spartans a 6-0 lead with 26 seconds left in the first quarter.

Another LaChapelle rushing touchdown — this time on a nifty 63-yard run up the right sideline — gifted Uxbridge a 12-0 lead heading into the break before the crafty QB added his third rushing score (from 3 yards out) less than five minutes into the second half.

With the trio of TDs, LaChapelle now has 13 rushing scores on the season.

“He’s just sliding off defenders left and right,” Noyes said. “He’s an unbelievable quarterback.”

“He's the most humble guy ever, too,” said Uxbridge senior captain Matthew DiLibero. “He’s always giving credit to the (offensive line) but he doesn’t give himself enough credit.”

LaChapelle proceeded to share his end zone antics with his younger brother, Camden, who scored on a 2-yard TD run late in the third quarter prior to senior running back Braden “Moose” Cammuso capping off the scoring with a 7-yard TD run midway through the final quarter.

Through eight weeks, the Spartans have outscored opponents 346 to 75. Uxbridge currently holds the No. 1 position in the latest Division 7 MIAA power rankings with postseason brackets set to be released on Sunday.

“We’ve been working so hard for so long and it finally paid off and we’re ready to go on to the playoffs,” Rigney said.

Family affair for Uxbridge football

As the 14 seniors on the Uxbridge football team posed for pictures — in front of signs with their names printed on them and pumpkins with their jersey numbers etched on them — on Friday night, Kellen LaChapelle was all smiles.

Not only does the Spartans signal-caller get to share the football field with his sibling this fall, but also a handful of other brother tandems.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Our guys have been doing a great job and being able to share the field with so many people that I've grown up with, especially my brother, it’s been unreal. We’re all family.”

From the Bloods, Devlins, Espositos and Gilmores to the Kaferleins, LaChapelles, Noyeses, Rigneys, Simondses and Venezianos — the family tree runs deep for Uxbridge football.

Not to mention the quartet of dads of players who man the chains at home games for the Spartans.

“It’s nice having family all around,” said DiLibero, whose father is a member of the chain gang. “It’s not only family on the team, (but also) the whole team and the town, too. The community is awesome and it’s all part of the culture.”

And so far this fall, Uxbridge’s culture revolves around family. Everyone is trying to soak up the final moments they have together on the gridiron.

“Kids grow up so fast and you have only so much time and in our case our time is football, right?” Blood said. “You really have to take these moments and think about them and enjoy them because it’s a special time and you don’t get a lot of that.”

— Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Uxbridge football beats Auburn to remain unbeaten going into playoffs