Coaches: Cohasset -- Pete Afanasiw (20th season, 145-68); Amesbury -- Colin McQueen (9th season, 66-29).
The heavies up front: Cohasset -- Dan Baker (6 feet, 6 inches, 230 pounds); Amesbury -- Stacy Peck (6-1, 220).
Stat check: Cohasset senior quarterback Michael Wildfire, a three-year starter, has capped his high school career with 1,558 passing yards and 20 touchdowns (with just six interceptions); he has added 618 yards rushing with nine TDs to complement senior Gus Greene (1,928 yards and 27 scores on 218 carries). Seniors Max Monahan (37 catches, 529 yards, 6 TDs) and Nolan Flaherty (40 catches, 515 yards, 10 TDs) are Wildfire's favorite targets in the passing game. Defensively, senior defensive tackle Dan Baker (111 tackles, 14 TFL, 4 sacks) is a force in the middle in front of Flaherty (103 tackles, 6 TFL) at linebacker. Junior defensive end Nick Askjaer is a threat off the edge, registering 63 tackles, including 12 for a loss, in addition to 10 sacks. Amesbury features a loaded backfield of senior Joe Celia (111 carries, 731 yards, 17 total TDs) and juniors Joe Puleo (109 carries, 863 yards, 13 total TDs) and Connor Scialdone (108 carries, 685 yards, 13 total TDs). Like Wildfire, Amesbury senior quarterback Justin Dube, a starter since his sophomore year, can make plays with both his arm (694 yards) and his legs (341 yards rushing), with 20 total TDs. Junior linebacker Evan Murphy (43 tackles, 15 TFL, 8 sacks) anchors the Redhawks defense alongside junior middle linebacker Braden Delisle (56 tackles, 7 TFL). Senior Parker Delong leads the secondary with four interceptions.
The captains: Cohasset -- RB Gus Greene (Sr.), OL/DL JT MacDonald (Sr.), WR/DB Noah Rafferty (Sr.); Amesbury -- QB Justin Dube (Sr.), TE/LB Ethan Kirby (Sr.), TE/DE Ollie Peters (Sr.), OL/DL Dylan Palen (Sr.)
A showdown between the top two teams in Division 7 in a rematch of Amesbury's 48-28 semifinal victory back in 2023. Amesbury is 12-0, and Cohasset has won six straight since falling to Division 8 state finalist Randolph, 28-27, on Oct. 10. Amesbury has allowed 20 points or more just twice this season, proving it can slow opposing offenses down while scoring in a hurry. The Redhawks favor the ground game, with senior Joe Celia and juniors Joe Puleo and Connor Scialdone all capable of scrapping for a couple of yards or breaking away from defenses with their speed. Senior QB Justin Dube is surehanded and battle tested, and he's more than comfortable delivering clutch passes or using his legs to move the chains in a pinch. Cohasset boasts one of the Bay State's most formidable rushing attacks with senior Gus Greene running behind a massive offensive line that comprised of seniors JT MacDonald (6-foot-2, 235), Toby Carpenter (5-11, 215), Ian Kondrat (6-1, 205), Dan Baker (6-6, 230), and junior Jeff Lombardi (5-9, 190). Senior QB Michael Wildfire is a true dual-threat who keeps defenses honest with his legs. When Wildfire does drop back to pass, expect senior wideouts Max Monahan and Noah Flaherty to be his first options. Amesbury has proven it can overcome adversity to eke out victories during its unbeaten run back to Gillette, but Cohasset has hung tough throughout a gauntlet of a schedule, with its only two losses coming to Norwell and Randolph -- both of which are appearing in Super Bowls this week. Although the Redhawks' rushing attack has demonstrated a knack for scoring quickly, their run-first approach could prove to be a challenge against the Skippers' size up front, especially if Cohasset can garner an early lead. Cohasset 34, Amesbury 22