St. John’s Prep hands BC High first loss in 28-0 rout

DANVERS — Less than a week after suffering a blowout loss, St. John’s Prep finds itself riding into the state tournament on a high note.

Chris Vargas threw for a pair of touchdowns while the Eagles rushed for 223 yards as St John’s Prep knocked off previously unbeaten Catholic Conference rival BC High with a 28-0 victory on Friday night at Cronin Stadium.

A week ago, Prep (7-1) was stymied by Catholic Memorial in a 34-0 loss. This time around Prep controlled the line of scrimmage, preventing BC High (6-1) from gaining any momentum on the ground. The Prep defense held BC High star quarterback Carter Carroll to 138 yards.

“I thought controlling the lineup of scrimmage was the story of the game,” St. John’s Prep coach Brian St. Pierre said. “We pride ourselves on it and didn’t play to our standard last week.”

After BC High turned the ball over on downs inside the hosts’ 30-yard line, Deacon Robillard put Prep on top with a one-yard quarterback sneak.

Prep looked bound for a slim, 7-0 halftime lead but gained some key separation before the half. Running back Jordan Toribio took a pitch, bounced out left, and took off down the near sideline for a 46 yard touchdown to push the lead to 14-0.

The run was set up by a tremendous catch by Navy bound wide receiver Merrick Barlow, who won a tip drill on his back for a 40-yard catch.

“The response from our guys was everything the staff and I expected,” St. Pierre said. “I am very proud of them.”

Vargas took control in the second half. The freshman went over the top to Pierson Scala for a 43-yard touchdown and a 21-0 advantage.

BC High missed its second opportunity to get on the board late in the third quarter when it turned it over on downs at the Prep 18-yard line. The stop allowed Prep to close the deal. Out of play action, Vargas rolled right and hit Josh Haarmann for a five-yard score and an insurmountable 28-0 advantage.