Division 4 state championship game preview: Scituate, Duxbury a clash of talented rivals

For the third time since the MIAA introduced its new statewide format, two Patriot League heavyweights will clash for the Div. 4 Super Bowl title Thursday at Gillette Stadium.

The Scituate Sailors (12-0) waged war with the Duxbury Dragons (10-1) twice prior at 1 Patriot Place, with the programs splitting titles.

Scituate won a classic in 2021, when Keegan Sullivan sprinted for the game-clinching two-point rush in the waning seconds in a 14-13 thriller. In 2023, Duxbury earned revenge, as Alex Barlow ran for five touchdowns in a 62-33 romp.

“I think for us, Duxbury is probably at the top of the list,” said Scituate coach Herb Devine. “I know for years, they’ve played Marshfield and Hingham. But I think for us, Duxbury is a top-notch program. It’s a program that you want to be like. I mean, they’ve done it for years. They’ve done it for 15, 20, 25 years where they work hard in the offseason. They’re well coached, their kids want to play for their hometown. It’s what you want your program to look like. It’s definitely a rivalry. It just has been.”

Scituate is hoping to complete its first-ever perfect campaign. The Sailors have been propelled by an explosive offense that can strike at just about any moment.

In his first season under center, junior quarterback Jonny Donovan has completed 101-of-149 passes for 1,894 yards and 27 touchdowns. Senior Lawson Foley remains one of the state’s top wideouts, with 39 receptions for 930 yards and 16 touchdowns. Senior Willy Robinson has been a workhorse with 1,176 yards rushing to go with 15 touchdowns and four TD receptions.

Last year, Duxbury was a run-heavy team led by Barlow (now at Bentley). Things haven’t changed for the Dragons as they continue to rely on the ground game. Jack Rees leads the charge with 1,389 yards rushing and a team-high 21 touchdowns. However, they added a strong element on the passing front with dual-threat Trevor Jones’ improvement. The senior has thrown for 725 yards, but also scampered for an additional 615 yards and 17 total touchdowns.

“Just looking at Scituate, they’re a high-powered offense that’s scored almost 40 points per game yet they only give up six a game,” Duxbury coach Matt Landolfi said. “They have a lot of speed. Defensively, we have to be on our game. We have to be able to tackle, we need to execute the game plan. We can’t have mental mistakes, so our kids really need to be focused and try to stop them.

“Offensively, we’ve been more of a ground and pound team all year long. I don’t think we’re going to change much of what we’re doing there. We’ll try to implement some things here and there from an offensive perspective. But their defense is great, they’re fundamentally sound, and we have our work cut out for us.”

Division 4 state championship

Duxbury vs. Scituate

Thursday, 3 p.m. at Gillette Stadium

Duxbury Dragons (10-2)

Head coach: Matt Landolfi

Duxbury 38, Abington 20

Duxbury 21, Mansfield 0

Duxbury 14, Hanover 7

Franklin 21, Duxbury 19

Duxbury 47, Plymouth North 16

Duxbury 35, Silver Lake 15

Duxbury 26, Whitman-Hanson 7

Duxbury 31, Hingham 14

Duxbury 25, Holliston 0

Duxbury 30, Canton 27

Duxbury 28, Tewksbury 21

Marshfield 51, Duxbury 14

Scituate Sailors (12-0)

Head coach: Herb Devine

Scituate 21, Foxboro 14

Scituate 41, Whitman-Hanson 7

Scituate 41, Norwell 6

Scituate 42, Pembroke 0

Scituate 52, Hanover 0

Scituate 48, Plymouth South 0

Scituate 56, North Quincy 20

Scituate 43, Quincy 7

Scituate 41, Melrose 7

Scituate 28, Wayland 0

Scituate 14, Grafton 3

Scituate 37, Hingham 7

State championship history

Duxbury is playing in its 12th state championship game and has a 7-4 record. The Dragons have won back-to-back championships, including last year’s 62-33 win over Scituate when Alex Barlow ran for 275 yards and five touchdowns.

Scituate is 3-3 in its six appearances in title affairs. The Sailors won their last title in 2021 when they beat Duxbury 14-13 in dramatic fashion. After scoring to trim the deficit to one with 27 seconds left, Scituate went for two and were rewarded when Keegan Sullivan ran into the end zone for the victory.

Danny V’s outlook

These Patriot League rivals are no strangers to one another on this stage. Have a feeling that there are several Scituate players who looked at the 62 points and used it as motivation in the offseason. The guess here is Scituate wraps up an undefeated season with a hard-fought win over Duxbury.

Pick: Scituate