Duxbury High’s Matt Festa bets on himself in search of a Div. I football scholarship

DUXBURY — It takes some people years to learn to bet on themselves and follow the path less traveled. Duxbury High senior quarterback Matt Festa already understands that.

Festa has an undefeated record so far (3-0) guiding the top-ranked football team in the South Shore. He also has generated interest from colleges, but has no Division I football scholarship offer … yet.

More: Brockton, Middleboro join the party: South Shore top 10 high school football rankings

“The recruiting process has definitely been a tricky little thing,” Festa said. “So far, I haven’t gotten any offers yet, but I’ve been talking to schools at the Division I level. So far, I’m looking for a place to play.”

The Duxbury native started playing football in sixth grade but didn't consider himself a future college QB until high school. It was baseball that gave him high-level looks at a young age.

“I was kind of born with a bigger name in baseball locally,” said Festa. “I had a lot of exposure at a young age and I picked up the sport pretty well because I had great coaching at home and my dad has a lot of connections in the baseball world.”

More: After near-miss in Super Bowl, star QB Matt Festa has Duxbury football dreaming big again

Festa began talking to college baseball coaches in the eighth grade. Before he was old enough to drive he had received several offers and committed to Maryland as a sophomore. Right before high school, the road appeared clear and certain for Festa and filled with diamonds.

But after generating 49 total touchdowns (33 passing, 16 rushing) his junior year and leading Duxbury to the Div. 4 state championship game (the Dragons lost to Scituate in the final minute), Festa began to reconsider his choice of sports.

More: Festa's junior season highlights

“Schools started reaching out and I realized that it would be a possibility for me to play Division I (football),” said Festa. “Football is my favorite sport. And I decided it wouldn’t be fair to myself if I at least didn’t give it a shot.”

Festa’s dad, Chris Festa, played minor league baseball. The duo are like “two peas in a pod," the father said, and Chris appreciates Matt’s ambition to follow his passion.

“He’s a mature kid and tough kid mentally,” Chris Festa said. “He’s mentally tough and that’s what I think separates him. He was a good baseball player, had some promise. He just fell in love with football.”

Matt appeared to be following in his father's baseball cleats, but the route changed and Chris just encouraged his son.

More: Linemen get some love: Vote for the High School Football Offensive Player of the Week

“He chose Maryland, we went to it for a visit and the place was outstanding,” said Chris Festa. “It was a great opportunity, but he just had the bug for football and I wasn’t going to get in the way of that.

“I think for him, playing quarterback in that (Duxbury) system” benefits him, Chris Festa added. “For the coaches he’s played for and the players he played with, it doesn’t get much more fun than that. So it just dawned on him that he enjoys football more.”

Chris and Matt both shared that they’re similar in many ways. Both also admitted to liking football more than baseball, despite both having success on the diamond. It’s also the activities outside of playing sports that makes their connection special.

Whether it’s watching movies or sports or just hanging out on the couch, the two are inseparable.

More: Picks, kicks and bit hits: Vote for the H.S. Football Defensive/ST Player of the Week

“I would consider my dad my best friend,” said Matt when asked about their relationship. “We have a really, really, really close relationship. We basically spend every second together when we’re not busy.”

“We enjoy playing golf together, my family skis together, and we watch the Patriots and college football together,” said Chris Festa. “My wife and I do spend similar time with all of our children, but Matt and I do seem to sync up with our personalities and our interests the most.”

Now it’s time for Festa and the undefeated Green Dragons to produce. Nearly halfway through the regular season, they've already gotten some belated revenge on Scituate, beating the Sailors, 44-22, in Week 2. Festa put up 376 yards and five total touchdowns in that one and has nine TD passes through three games.

“Honestly, I’m just focused on winning right now,” Matt Festa said of this year's mission. “Last year, we ended with a sour taste in our mouths at the Super Bowl. The main focus is to learn each week.”

What did Duxbury learn from last year's near-miss in the state final?

“I learned that we can’t take anything for granted," he said of Duxbury's 14-13 loss to Scituate at Gillette Stadium. "No matter who our opponent is, anyone can come to play and put up a really great fight.”

Festa's Dragons head into Friday's game at Plymouth North as the top seed in the latest MIAA power rankings for Div. 4. Duxbury also is holding steady at No. 1 in the latest Patriot Ledger/Enterprise Top 10 Ranking for the South Shore.

Baseball was fun, but Festa doesn't regret changing course.

“I just really, really love playing for our town because we have a good football history,” he said. “I just have a blast playing with the kids I grew up with and I don’t want to give that up for anything.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Matt Festa turned down baseball scholarship to chase Div. I football