The Chelsea High football team will seek to conclude its 2013 campaign on a positive note and achieve a winning season when they travel to Dilboy Field in Somerville on Thanksgiving Day for a 10:00 a.m. encounter with Matignon.
The Red Devils are 5-5 coming into the contest, while Matignon, which plays in the Small Division of the Catholic Central Conference, is 2-8. The schools met last year on Turkey Day for the first time, a 22-8 Chelsea victory.
The teams have played three common opponents this season with the Red Devils holding the edge based on comparative scores. Both Chelsea and Matignon lost decisively to St. Clement’s, the Catholic Central Small champ (which also went on to capture the Division 6 North Sectional title). Chelsea fell to St. Clem’s in the first round of the MIAA playoffs, 41-0, while Matignon came out on the short end of a 48-0 decision.
Both schools defeated St. Joseph’s, also of the Catholic Central, Chelsea by a score of 40-8 and Matignon by a closer 32-28 margin. However, in contests with Charlestown, Chelsea prevailed by a decisive 32-0 tally, while Matignon lost, 20-0.
CHS head coach Mike Stellato’s squad will be led into the battle by captains Mark Anthony Williams, Francisco Mercedes, and Kalvin Duran. The contest will mark the final appearance in a Red & Black uniform for seniors Anthony Cuellar and Josue Sanchez.
Chelsea will have some momentum coming into the encounter, having earned a nice 22-14 win over West Roxbury in week 10 that brought the Devils’ record to the .500 mark and giving them a shot at a winning season. Conversely, Matignon, which started its season 2-2 and has dropped its last six contests, no doubt will see the Chelsea game as a way to redeem its season and end it on a winning note.
In the stats department, Chelsea has averaged 14.9 points per game and allowed 20.2, while Matignon has put up an average of 12.2 points per game on the scoreboard and yielded an average of 30.8 points per game.
“Our team is looking forward to finishing off the season strong,” said Stellato, who anticipates hard-fought affair. “The boys have been preparing very hard for this game. I have seen Matignon and they’re a team that plays hard from start to finish, which I feel is a reflection of their coaching staff.”
CHELSEA (5-5) IN 2013
Chelsea 40, St. Joseph’s Prep 8
Northeast Regional 40, Chelsea 0
North Shore Tech 40, Chelsea 15
Chelsea 12, Minuteman Regional 0
Chelsea 19, Mystic Valley 0
Chelsea 32, Charlestown 0
Lynn Tech 13, Chelsea 6
St. Clement’s 41, Chelsea 0
North Shore Tech 42, Chelsea 3
Chelsea 22, West Roxbury 14
MATIGNON (2-8) I 2013
Pope John Paul II 45, Matignon 32
Cathedral 58, Matignon 0
Matignon 32, St. Joseph’s Prep 28
Matignon 30, Blackstone-Millville 14
Marian 25, Matignon 6
St. Clement’s 48, Matignon 0
Lowell Catholic 28, Matignon 0
Charlestown 20, Matignon 0
Burke 22, Matignon 14
New Mission 20, Matignon 8