Winthrop High’s rushing game has been a source of big plays all season, and the Vikings remained on that path in a commanding 39-22 victory over North Reading last Thursday night at Miller Field.
As a team, Coach Jon Cadigan’s Vikings racked up 433 yards on the ground against the Hornets. Individually, junior running back and All-Scholastic candidate Nick Cappuccio was immense with 178 yards on 12 carries (for a potent, nearly 15-yard average), along with three touchdowns. Senior running back George Galuris also had a five-star effort with 160 yards and two touchdown on 11 carries.
The ever-dependable Robert Rich rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, while the fourth member of the Vikings’ mega-backs, Demetri Koutsouflakis, had two carries for 21 yards.
North Reading was coming off back-to-back Division 5 Super Bowl appearances (defeating Shawsheen in 2022, losing to Swampscott in 2021) and came to Miller Field with a winning record after just missing out on the playoffs by one spot (No. 17 ranking in Division 6).
“North Reading has been a very good team, and looking at them over the last few years, they’ve pretty much beaten everybody, but the teams they’ve struggled against have been teams that could consistently run the football or run-heavy type of teams,” said Winthrop head coach Jon Cadigan. “But I thought our offensive line was tremendous. This was probably the best game that they’ve had in two years or so, and I thought our running backs blocked unbelievably as well, and that’s a key to what we do.”
All A’s for the Offensive Line
Offensive lines rarely get the headlines, but Coach Cadigan was quick to praise the players up front opening the holes in the NR defense and maintaining their blocks.
“The same starting five we’ve had perry much all year – Vasili Tsiotos at center, Alessio Marcoccio and Matt Reardon at guard, Ryan Harris and Donovan Cassidy at tackle – and Dan Thomai and Evan Rockefeller (see related story), both played a bunch at tight end and were tremendous as well,” said Cadigan.
Winthrop’s Unlucky Draw in the MIAA Playoffs
The MIAA Division 6 playoffs are affirming what we’ve known since the preseason: the Vikings had one of the toughest schedules in the area and were a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Two of the teams that Winthrop defeated this season, Salem and Stoneham, have made the Final Four.
“One of those two teams is going to be in the Super Bowl, and we beat both of them,” said Cadigan.
Fairhaven, the No. 8 seed who ousted No. 9 seed Winthrop, upset No. 1 seed Norwell (28-14) in the quarterfinals and now plays Hudson in the Final Four.
“Last Friday was a difficult day, knowing that you had a very good shot to get there in the end,” related Cadigan.
It’s on to Thanksgiving
Winthrop (6-4) has begun preparations for its annual Thanksgiving game against Revere (4-6), who has won four of its last five games and believes it can upset the favored Vikings in front of an expected huge crowd at Della Russo Stadium in Revere.
Meanwhile, several of the Winthrop football players will likely be on hand Saturday (1 p.m.) at Miller Field when Winthrop hosts Revere in the annual Flag Football (Powder Puff) game between the respective schools’ senior classes.