'He’s just dangerous': Miguel Borges helps run Marlborough football through Nashoba

BOLTON — It’s all about the team.

One guy goes down, another steps up for the Marlborough High football team.

That’s the case with senior Miguel Borges.

A lifelong running back, Borges was forced into duties under center when starting quarterback Michael Benway went down with an injury two weeks ago.

More: Hometeam Central Mass. high school football standings, leaders

Instead of sulking because he’s not at his comfortable running back position, Borges didn’t need to think twice and has stepped up for his team in the biggest ways possible.

Thursday night’s game at Nashoba Regional was a perfect example, as Borges carried 12 times for 112 yards and scored three touchdowns at quarterback to propel Marlborough to a 34-6 Mid-Wach B victory over Nashoba.

“I’m not going to lie, going into it I was kind of shaky about it, but I always trust (Marlborough coach Sean) Mahoney’s gut,” said the 5-foot-11, 160-pound Borges. “He’s a great coach, and he’s proved that for multiple years. I listened to him, and it clearly paid out and proved it.”

Borges scored on rushes of 5, 24 and 22 yards.

“Miguel has sacrificed for the team, and he didn’t really end up sacrificing yards or touchdowns,” Mahoney said. “That’s about what he would do at running back. He’s just dangerous.”

Dangerous and with some newfound swagger, too.

“I’m confident now and ready to roll at quarterback next week,” Borges said. “I walked into the huddle one play, and I was like, ‘Damn, I love being the quarterback.’ ”

A rock-solid offense line for Marlborough (3-1, 1-0 Mid-Wach B) paved the way for the backs all night.

“They practice hard and fought hard,” Borges said. “They opened up holes that trucks could go through.”

Besides Borges, Akrif Semakula rushed for 88 yards and one TD, and Fernando Rodrigues added 71 yards and another score. Rodrigues also booted the extra points, going 4 for 5.

They both intercepted a pass to spark the tenacious defense, along with strong defensive line play from Jeremy Santiago.

Borges said that Rodrigues has never played running back until Thursday night.

“He came out and did a heck of a job,” Borges said.

It’s not surprising that the Panthers are team-first.

“This team is full of athletes and a bunch of dogs that want to play the sport that they love” Borges said. “Everyone can play a different position, and that’s what is good about this team.”

Semakula took a TD to the house from 47 yards, and Borges scored from 22 yards, boosting the lead to 27-0 after three quarters.

Nashoba (0-4, 0-1), which had scored only two touchdowns over its first three games, broke up the shutout, as QB Dylan Devine hooked up with Dylan Josephs over the middle for a 32-yard strike late in the fourth quarter.

Marlborough struck for the game’s first score late in the first quarter on Borges’ 5-yard touchdown run as the visitors took a 7-0 lead. The Panthers marched 71 yards on 10 plays, highlighted by Rodrigues’ 32-yard jaunt and Borges’ 9-yard run on fourth-and-7 to keep the drive alive.

“Early on, they did a good job of bottling (Borges) up, but then he escaped,” Mahoney said. “He makes a bunch of people miss, and he does what he does.”

The Panthers were suffocating on defense, limiting the Wolves to two first downs in the half. Nashoba’s final drive of the half produced the first downs via quarterback Devine to wideouts Josephs and Hunter Bernard.

Nashoba’s late drive ended in a Rodrigues interception.

The tough running of Borges produced the two-score advantage with 1:42 left in the half. The senior called his own number, bursting off the left end and going untouched for a 24-yard touchdown run.

—Contact Chad Garner at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tgsports.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Miguel Borges, now at QB, helps run Marlborough through Nashoba