The 5 high school football games to watch for in Week 1 across the MetroWest
Maybe it’s a West-to-East thing.
The sun rises last in Hawaii and Alaska, but those two states were the first in the nation to kick off their football seasons. Massachusetts is the last, one day after neighboring Connecticut – the only states not to play on Labor Day weekend.
More: Where Mass. high school football teams left off last fall as we look toward 2022 season
Friday is when the lights finally shine as hundreds of schools open their regular seasons across the state.
Our local list of games to watch includes familiar foes as well as unfamiliar opponents.
Lincoln-Sudbury at North Andover (6:30 p.m. Joe Walsh Stadium)
These two might as well be in the same league since they seem to play each other every year.
They met for three consecutive Division 2 North finals between 2017-19 (L-S won twice) before facing off to open last year’s regular season, the Warriors winning 48-20.
More: Daily News reveals top questions for high school football teams heading into 2022 season
L-S went 9-1 a year ago but graduated 27 seniors while the Scarlet Knights finished 5-6.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how our young team responds to adversity,” said L-S coach Jim Girard in a text to the Daily News.
North Andover made the playoffs last season, but fell to Natick, 31-21, in the first round. NA ended its season with a 27-26 win over Andover at Fenway Park the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
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“NA will be a huge challenge,” Girard said. “They return a host of varsity starters, have excellent team speed and are a strong and physical team.”
Needham at Natick (6 p.m. Memorial Field)
The Redhawks look to start the season the same way they did a year ago. Natick blanked the Rockets, 24-0, on opening night at Needham’s Memorial Field.
Natick only lost to Milford (twice) last season, part of a 9-2 fall.
More: Natick High sophomore quarterback Will Chiasson dazzles in first start, win over Needham
The Redhawks will be captained by Lou Linton, Henry O'Connor, Drew Waldren, Jack McCarthy and Jack Hubbard.
"I'm looking forward to watching the seniors lead and put their own stamp on our program," said Natick coach Mark Mortarelli.
Needham won just two games in 2021, but finished strong. The Rockets dropped two November games by seven points or less and defeated Durfee in between.
More: How Doug Flutie and a 'messed up' play landed Needham football atop national top-play list
Franklin at Wachusett (7 p.m. Hal Lane Field)
Non-league season openers don’t get much better.
Franklin was the top seed in Division 1 a year ago and reached the semifinals in a season where the Panthers won their first nine games as part of a 10-1 season.
Wachusett finished 8-3, dropping its final two games.
The Panthers will go with Jase Lyons at quarterback, backed up by Justin Bianchetto. Luke Davis, Emmett Lackey, Nick Quintina, Ben Papa and Lyons are Franklin’s captains.
The Mountaineers return quarterback Tucker McDonald, who is committed to play at UConn, and receiver Matt Raeke, who piles up yards after the catch.
“Wachusett offers a myriad of challenges,” Franklin coach Eian Bain said. “Their skill players are very athletic, their lines are very big and physical. To top it off, their coach (Mike Dubzinski) is one of the most experienced and winningest coaches in the state. We will have our hands full.”
Framingham at Walpole (5:45 p.m. Turco Field)
The Flyers open with a difficult task once again, facing Walpole to start for the second year in a row. Framingham fell to the Timberwolves, 35-24, a year ago to begin a 3-8 season.
Walpole finished 7-4 in 2021 and is always tough at home, losing just twice at Turco last fall.
Bridgewater-Raynham at Milford (7 p.m.)
The Scarlet Hawks made the playoffs last year for time first time since 2014, posting a 9-3 record. Milford returns QB Evan Cornelius and played a difficult preseason schedule, facing Springfield Central, last year’s Division 1 champion, and Chelmsford.
B-R won just five games a year ago, but played a difficult schedule: Duxbury, Xaverian, Barnstable and St. John’s Prep each won six regular-season games.
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: 5 high school football games to watch for opening night
