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

DUXBURY -- So, what's the ideal defensive game plan against Duxbury High senior quarterback Matt Festa?

"Honestly, I don't even now how to answer that," classmate Brendan Bonner said with a smile. "He's so fundamentally good -- the way he throws the ball, the way he looks defensive backs off."

The Green Dragons' 2021 season ended in heartbreak with a last-minute loss to Scituate in the Division 4 state final, but Festa was magnificent in his first full campaign as a starter. He threw for more than 2,400 yards, ran for 461 and accounted for 49 touchdowns (33 passing, 16 rushing). He also completed a healthy 62 percent of his throws.

At 6-3, 205 pounds he has the size, as well as the ambition, to play at the Div. I level in college.

So, yeah, writing Festa's name in ink in the starting lineup is a pretty strong building block for second-year head coach Matt Landolfi.

"Having him back is like having another coach out there, right?" Landolfi said. "He knows the offense already so he's really helpful on the practice field. Just really good to get a good jumpstart like that."

More: Circle these 17 high school football games on your calendar

The Green Dragons (10-2 a year ago) haven't logged a lot of preseason practices yet, but, like most teams, all that work in 7-on-7 summer passing leagues means the passing game already is functioning at a high level.

"It's starting to become automatic out there," receiver Chris Walsh said. "We've been playing together since we were young and we have great chemistry. I've very excited. (Festa) reads the field so well; he knows exactly what the defense is doing. He can audible on the fly. And obviously his arm (is impressive) -- he can chuck it."

More: After scandal, Duxbury starting over with new football coach Matt Landolfi

Festa was on track to be a four-year starter, but he got hurt in a preseason scrimmage as a freshman in 2019 and ceded the job to converted receiver Will Prouty. His sophomore year consisted of only three games during the rescheduled Fall 2 season in the spring of 2021, leaving last fall as his breakout season.

Is there any room for improvement?

"I think everyone can always take their game to another level," Festa said. "In general we can get better as a team, and so if we get better as a team then everyone's going to perform better individually."

Landolfi said any improvement in his QB's game figures to be "incremental" at this point. His dedication to his craft isn't in question.

"He's a competitor," the coach said. "He will do anything to win -- he'll try to run somebody over if he needs to in order to get his teammates going. His mind works really well. He understands the game really well, he does all the (offensive) line calls for us."

A few years ago, Festa was on track to play Div. I college baseball, having committed to the University of Maryland. That was before he stepped into the QB spotlight. Now he's dropped baseball entirely and is focused on finding the right college football fit.

"I'm looking around," he said of his search. "I personally think I'm a Division I player; I've had people tell me I'm a Division I player. I think I can play at that level."

His ability to play at a high level in high school is not an issue, although his final year will feature a new-look offensive roster. Graduation claimed standout receivers Brady Madigan (16 TDs in 2021) and Bowman Rhinesmith, plus three starters on the offensive line with the departures of star guard Delby Lemieux (now at Dartmouth) and tackles Peter Stanwood and Tindell Frick.

"Three huge losses," Landolfi said of the O-line departures. "But I'm very happy with where we are on the offensive line. We have some young kids last year who played a lot. I feel like we're pretty athletic up front this year."

Center Charlie Smith returns and he'll be flanked by guards Nick Ayres (a baseball standout who's committed to Maine) and Jack Johnson. The tackle spots are still up for grabs, but Festa doesn't sound concerned.

"That happens every year," he said of the changes. "We just reload."

At receiver, Wash (700 yards, 8 TDs last season) will lead a group that also includes Colin Quinlan, Zach Falls and Adam Barr. There will be new faces at running back, too -- Alex Barlow, Finn Carley, Parker Villarin (lacrosse star who's committed to Air Force Academy) and Andrew Hunt -- replacing last year's tandem of James Anderson and Campbell Pang.

Linebacker might be the strength of the defense with Barlow and Carley flanking Thomas Sheehan and Dylan DeAngelis. Bonner (2 INTs, including a pick-6 last year) will team with Walsh at safety. Bonner is expected to call the defensive signals; appropriately, Walsh calls his partner "the genius on defense."

Duxbury opens at home on Thursday, Sept. 8 against Hanover at 7 p.m. That's an intriguing Patriot League crossover game pitting Landolfi against his brother, Hanover coach Chris Landolfi.

"It's going to be fun," Matt Landolfi said. "I know I don't want to lose. I know he doesn't want to lose. I may have to move somewhere (else) if I do lose. We'll see."

Week 2 brings a rematch against Scituate. The teams split their two meetings last season with the Dragons escaping, 27-26, in the regular season and the Sailors winning, 14-13, in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Keegan Sullivan's 2-point conversion run with 27 seconds remaining.

"We've got to take each game one at a time," Walsh said, "but we definitely have that one circled on our calendar."

"I probably won't forget that, ever," Festa said of the loss. "I think about it all the time. I probably never won't think about it. Definitely not a fun feeling, but we're looking to get back there and hopefully do some damage. It's just understood (that it's motivation). Everyone who was there on that bus ride home knows what it feels like and no one really wants to ever feel that again."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Previewing the Duxbury High football's team upcoming season