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Predicting the winners of every Week 2 South Shore high school football game

chris mcdaniel, the patriot ledger
·7 min read
Abington’s AJ Nash stiff arms Cohasset’s Tppher Comerford during a rush in the third quarter of their game against Cohasset at Frolio Field on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Abington would go on to win 20-7.

Week 1 in my high school predictions column is all about staying afloat.

It's the week with the least information to make picks as most teams are playing unfamiliar foes and first-time varsity players are filling big roles.

With that said, I'll take going 17-9 in Week 1. Week 2 is more of the same. This week is filled with non-league games and 10 games Thursday.

This week features some critical matchups, although it's still early in the season. There are some teams looking to rebound from tough 2022 campaigns, and a 2-0 start is a great way to do that.

All games times come from Arbiter Live as of Monday afternoon.

Thursday

Abington (1-0) at Apponequet (0-1), 6 p.m.

The Green Wave scored a solid win over Cohasset last week while the Lakers got shellacked by Middleboro, 46-12. Abington will try to match Middleboro's impressive opener. The pick: Abington 26, Apponequet 13

Martha’s Vineyard (1-0) at Cardinal Spellman (1-0), 6

Both teams looked impressive in Week 1. The Cardinals defeated Sandwich, 21-7, while the Vineyarders took down Sutton, 40-20. The pick: Spellman 27, MV 15

Middleboro (1-0) at Holliston (0-1), 6:30

Circle this one on the schedule. Both of these teams hope to be contenders in Div. 4. Holliston lost to eventual state champion Duxbury in the semifinals, while the Dragons beat the Sachems in the first round. The pick: Middleboro 22, Holliston 20

Oliver Ames (0-1) at Archbishop Williams (0-1), 7

Both teams are trying to get back on track after lopsided losses in Week 1. The pick: Archies 21, OA 19

Franklin (1-0) at Brockton (0-1), 7

The Boxers are trying to shake off a tough loss to Barnstable in the opener. The pick: Franklin 35, Brockton 26

Duxbury (0-1) at Mansfield (0-1), 7

Don't judge these teams by the records; you'll surely be hearing from both late into November. The Dragons lost to a really good Hanover team (No. 1 in our rankings), while Mansfield fell to powerhouse Catholic Memorial. The pick: Duxbury 24, Mansfield 20

Newton North (1-0) at Weymouth (1-0), 7

There's a lot on the line for both teams in this one. A 2-0 start puts either team in great position to make the playoffs. Last season, Weymouth was the No. 16 seed in Div. 1 while the Tigers missed the cut. The pick: Weymouth 17, Newton North 12

Concord-Carlisle (1-0) at Quincy (1-0), 7

Similar to the Newton North vs. Weymouth contest, getting off to a 2-0 start is a giant step toward the playoffs for both squads. The Presidents played well in Vernon Crawford's debut as coach, defeating Archies, 34-13. The pick: Quincy 28, C-C 24

More: What did we learn from Week 1? South Shore high school football rankings

Framingham (1-0) at Milton (1-0), 7

You'd be hard-pressed to find anybody that looked better than Milton in Week 1. The Wildcats rolled Scituate, 42-14. Look for Milton to shine again this week. The pick: Milton 34, Framingham 20

Canton (1-0) at Norwood (1-0), 7

The Bulldogs opened the season with a 28-0 win over Dighton-Rehoboth while Norwood is coming off a 14-7 win over Stoughton. This is a good measuring-stick game for Canton. The pick: Canton 19, Norwood 16

Reading (0-1) at BC High (1-0), 7:30

The Eagles beat La Salle (R.I.) last week, but Reading is a tougher matchup. The Rockets went undefeated in the regular season last year before falling to Bishop Feehan in the quarterfinals. Reading opened the season with a loss to Melrose. The pick: BC High 29, Reading 25

Friday

Montachusett Tech (0-1) at Blue Hills (0-1), 5

The Warriors' ground game already looks to be in midseason form as Caiden Montas and Aidan Landers both rushed for over 100 yards last week. The pick: Blue Hills 21, Monty Tech 14

Xaverian (1-0) at Bridgewater-Raynham (0-1), 6

Another week, another tough matchup for the Trojans. The pick: Xaverian 33, B-R 22

Sandwich (0-1) at Plymouth North (1-0), 6

Plymouth North is aiming to take down another team from the Cape after beating Falmouth, 22-0, in Week 1. The pick: Plymouth North 23, Sandwich 15

More: Southeastern's Tully on winning Preseason Player of the Year: 'I was thankful and happy'

Millis (0-1) at Randolph (0-1), 6

The Blue Devils will look to get back on track after losing to Norton. The pick: Randolph 31, Millis 22

Holbrook/Avon (1-0) at Hull (0-1), 6

The Bulldogs exploded for 44 points in Week 1. This a big one for the Pirates. Falling to 0-2 while still having a tough league schedule ahead would be a blow to the Div. 8 champs' playoff hopes. The pick: Hull 23, Holbrook/Avon 19

Somerset Berkley (0-1) at Stoughton (0-1), 6

The Black Knights fell just short in Christopher Evans' head-coaching debut. Look for him to get win No. 1 this week. The pick: Stoughton 21, SBR 14

West Bridgewater (1-0) at Norwell (1-0), 6:30

This is one of the marquee games of the week. These offenses combined for 84 points last week, but I expect the defenses to be more prevalent in this one. James Harris (WB) and Colin McCarthy (Norwell) are two of the area's better QBs. The pick: Norwell 21, WB 18

South Shore Tech (1-0) at Bourne (1-0), 6:30

The Vikings started strong with a victory over Hull. The pick: South Shore Tech 30, Bourne 22

Joseph Case (1-0) at Southeastern (0-1), 7

Look for the Hawks to get back on track this week. The pick: Southeastern 22, Case 12

Manchester Essex (1-0) at Rockland (1-0), 7

This is a matchup between two teams that hope to compete in Div. 7. The pick: Rockland 21, ME 14

Whitman-Hanson (1-0) at Scituate (0-1), 7

The Panthers rallied from down 19 to defeat Pembroke last week with a late touchdown. Add another win for W-H and you couldn't script a better start to the season. I don't expect Scituate to drop to 0-2 without a fight, though. The pick: W-H 23, Scituate 21

Revere (0-1) at Plymouth South (1-0), 7

The Panthers' ground-and-pound looked to be in midseason form in last week's win over Silver Lake. Look for more of the same this week. The pick: Plymouth South 34, Revere 18

Austin Prep (0-0) at Pembroke (0-1), 7

This is a tough one to call. Pembroke is coming off a tough loss to W-H, while AP went 0-10 in its first season in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. The pick: Pembroke 24, AP 17

Hanover (1-0) at Hingham (0-1), 7

The Hawks scored the best win of Week 1 by defeating Duxbury, 28-18. Hingham's comeback bid against Braintree fell short, 20-16. The pick: Hanover 37, Hingham 21

Tri-County (1-0) at Carver (1-0), 7

The Crusaders showed the offseason hype was deserved during a 40-6 win over Nantucket in Week 1. Look for more of the same this week. The pick: Carver 28, Tri-County 13

Silver Lake (0-1) at Cohasset (0-1), 7

This is one of the toughest games of the week to call as Silver Lake is a Div. 3 program going against Div. 7 Cohasset. The pick: Silver Lake 23, Cohasset 16

Nauset (0-1) at East Bridgewater (0-1), 7

The Vikings showed a lot of promise in a 44-41 loss to West Bridgewater. Look for EB to get back on track this week. The pick: EB 27, Nauset 12

Braintree (1-0) at North Quincy (1-0), 7

Here's another one to circle this week. The Wamps scored a bit of an upset against Hingham last week, while North Quincy's passing attack was on fire against Oliver Ames. The pick: Braintree 26, North Quincy 21

Marshfield (0-1) at Methuen (0-1) , 7

The Rams showed their potential in a competitive effort against Div. 1 champion St. John's Prep. This should be one of the best games of the week. The pick: Marshfield 33, Methuen 29

Last week: 17-9 (65.4%)

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: South Shore Week 2 predictions