No stopping Chase Frisoli (311 yards rushing), North Attleboro

MARLBORO — Chase Frisoli may not be in basketball shape, but all the senior quarterback needed to send North Attleboro to the Division 3 Super Bowl was a touch of adrenaline.

Rushing for 311 yards on 27 carries, the shifty yet explosive field general amassed four rushing touchdowns to propel the No. 4 Red Rocketeers past top-seeded Reading, 42-20, to advance to Gillette Stadium against No. 3 Mansfield.

“My adrenaline is still pumping,” said Frisoli. “I feel great right now, a couple of bruises. I’m not quite in basketball shape yet, so all that running kind of had me gassed. But I’m good, I’m feeling great.”

Frisoli, who said 27 carries is his high school record, is eager to return to Foxboro to tend to unfinished business. Frisoli was a freshman when North Attleboro fell to Marblehead in the big game in 2021.

“We’ve been working for three years to get back there and make it right,” he said. “I can’t wait.”

Mansfield is a familiar foe for Frisoli and North Attleboro. The Red Rocketeers bested their Super Bowl opponent, 14-10, in their penultimate game of the regular season.

“I had a feeling this could have been the case when you see the schedule during the year,” said North Attleboro head coach Mike Strachan. “They’re a great football team and it’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a battle.”

Frisoli’s efforts pushed North Attleboro to a dominant upset Friday night at Assabet Valley. The underdogs could taste the upset at halftime, putting up 28 points on a Reading team which had allowed no more than 28 points throughout the entirety of its 10-0 season ahead of Friday’s Final Four matchup.

Executing touchdown jaunts of 26 and eight from Frisoli sandwiched between a Reading turnover had the underdogs ahead, 14-0, just five seconds into the second frame.

“You put the ball in Chase’s hands, he’s just an athlete,” said Strachan. “He makes plays and he’s smart. Tonight he did an unbelievable job for us.”

The Rockets, however, answered with a 57-yard touchdown heave to a wide-open Brady Comenos. Reading signal-caller Jack Murphy finished with 206 passing yards on 9-for-18 throwing.

After the Red Rocketeers increased their lead to 21-6 on a two-yard run from Francis Strachan, Reid Clemente sacked Murphy as Cody Hill recovered the fumble to catalyze a 20-yard touchdown connection from Frisoli to Brady Paradis to take a 28-6 cushion to the break.

Murphy ran for a 29-yard touchdown before throwing a 36-yard score to Dominic Pate to put pressure on North Attleboro, but the pair of touchdowns came between another scoring run from Frisoli. The back-and-forth action still had the Rocketeers in front, 35-20.

Frisoli put the finishing touches on his masterclass with 7:31 to play in the game, breaking free for a 31-yard sprint to the end zone to send North Attleboro to Gillette Stadium with the convincing win.