Blackstone Valley Tech, Nipmuc football teams finish off fall season at Fenway Park

BOSTON — As John Furno walked off of the football field on Wednesday night, fans in the crowd cheered his last name and reached out for high fives.

Before boarding the team bus back to Upton, the Blackstone Valley Tech senior captain made a quick detour to pose for a “selfie” photo with fellow captains Trey Howe and Josh Mateo.

The trio of Beavers soaked up their final moments as football teammates after they beat cross-street rival Nipmuc, 47-19, on Thanksgiving Eve at Fenway Park.

“Good way to cap off our senior year with my boys,” Furno said. “(I’ve) been through it with them at the start and at the end. No one I’d rather be with.”

Play for Tony Peña

On Jan. 14, 2020, former BVT football player Tony Peña died from brain cancer.

Furno and this current group of BVT seniors were very close with Peña. Furno has Peña’s picture and old jersey No. 54 with “RIP TONY PEÑA” etched on his black cleats while others wear wristbands with the words “Play for Peña” and “Rise Above” on them.

More: From Pleasant Street to Jersey Street: Blackstone Valley Tech football rolls by Nipmuc at Fenway Park

Before BVT breaks any huddle, the Beavers have a cheer that celebrates Peña, too.

It goes: “One, two, three, family, four, five, six, Tony.”

“That’s who we do it for,” said Mateo, who finished with 162 rushing yards and three TDs. “That’s why we say family on three and Tony on six. Every single day and every single game.”

“We always remember him,” Furno said. “We always keep him with us. Everything we do is for Tony.”

More: Blackstone Valley Tech football plays for Pena, wins playoff game

On Wednesday, Peña’s parents performed the honorary coin toss. After BVT called tails, Peña’s mother, Lena Laferriere, flipped the coin in the air and — wouldn’t you know — it landed on tails.

“I just know he’s watching over us,” BVT senior captain Trout Marnell said.

“For them to have the courage and will to come out here and do the coin toss was really special,” BVT interim head coach Anthony Landini said.

“There are really no words to express it but I just feel overwhelmed with the love,” said Laferriere through a sign language interpreter. Laferriere is deaf. “My heart is so warm and I miss him, obviously, but I feel at home with these guys here.”

BVT, Nipmuc knock it out of the park

After losing to Rockland in the Division 6 state semifinals on Saturday, Blackstone Valley Tech (7-3) didn’t look fatigued in its Thanksgiving rivalry game with Nipmuc (3-8) four days later.

The Beavers built a 28-0 lead on three Mateo touchdowns and a Howe TD. The latter came just before halftime on a nifty hook-and-ladder play from QB Alex Burgos to wide receiver Evan Laughlin, who tossed the ball backward to Howe before he scampered into the end zone — untouched — for a 26-yard score.

“The play was perfectly executed throughout,” said Howe, who finished with three TDs and 170 rushing yards. “(From) the throw and Evan the pitch. From there, it was home base.”

Even though Nipmuc trailed by four scores going into the break, the Warriors came out of the Red Sox clubhouse in the second half and put up a fight. Senior quarterback Oscar Clark tossed two touchdown passes and rushed for a score in the second half.

Making a few key tackles on defense was classmate AJ Perry, who made his first ever trip to Fenway Park on Wednesday.

“First time being on a baseball field, ever,” Perry said. “It was the greatest experience that I’ve ever had in my life. I won’t forget it, I really won’t.”

“His journey for football is ending for him, but what a way to go out,” said Perry’s mother, Sharon Carlino.

Carlino and Perry’s younger sister (Ariana Perry), grandfather (Bob Carlino) and aunt (Tammy O’Toole) made the trip to Boston from Upton to watch the Nipmuc senior play his final football game.

“He’s my warrior. He’s my No. 1,” Perry’s mother said.

Following the final whistle, BVT and Nipmuc players formed a handshake line and exchanged pleasantries. BVT Athletic Director Mike Denise proceeded to make a brief speech near the Red Sox dugout.

“The battle of Pleasant Street stays with us,” said Denise before handing a big trophy over to the BVT captains.

Then smaller trophies were dished out to the Francis J. Fitzpatrick Offensive Player of the Game (Mateo) and the Arthur E. Morin Defensive Player of the Game (Furno).

Handing out the hardware was Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, son of Francis J. Fitzpatrick, and Melissa Bullock, daughter of Arthur E. Morin. The trophies serve as special recognition for veterans.

“It shows the students that life is bigger than this. You give back to your community and you give back to your country,” said Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, who’s been the superintendent at BVT for 28 years. “It’s an honor.”

For the BVT and Nipmuc football programs, it was an honor to play at Fenway Park on Thanksgiving Eve. More than 1,500 tickets were sold to watch footballs — not baseballs — fly all over the most beloved ballpark in the country.

“I have to admit, I’m a Yankee fan. But that being said, I can certainly appreciate where we are and the meaning of it,” Nipmuc Athletic Director Chris Schmidt said. “You take it all in and to have our team out here is fantastic and I hope the kids, regardless of the outcome, can look back when they’re older and say ‘I got to play football at Fenway Park,’ which not many kids could say.”

“Look around, take it all in,” said BVT football coach Jim Archibald, who coached on Wednesday but missed the rest of the season due to a medical issue. “The history, the venue, the excitement, the rivalry, everything. You can’t put it into words. This is amazing and we’re very fortunate to be here.”

Said Marnell, “I loved every second of it.”

Tommy Cassell is a senior multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tcassell@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Blackstone Valley Tech vs. Nipmuc football Thanksgiving Fenway Park