Milton Players Help Blue HIlls Regional Win First Super Bowl

Two Milton residents and high school students at Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton helped the Warriors (12-1) win their first MIAA Division 4A Super Bowl.

Running back Isaiah Teixiera (Milton) and line backer John Gibbons (Milton), both seniors at Blue Hills, were instrumental in the hard fought 16-14 win against Cathedral High School of Boston (12-1). The game was played at Bentley University in Waltham on December 3. 

Sometimes a Super Bowl doesn't live up to all the hype and the playoff games are more exciting than a championship game. The Blue Hills Warriors and the Cathedral Panthers both had exciting playoff games with wins coming in the last minutes of each of their contests. 

 The fans who made the early morning drive to Bentley University were not disappointed as the game gave them all the excitement high school football provides.

The Warriors wasted little time at the start scoring the first two touchdowns. A 45-yard pass to Isaiah Teixiera from quarterback John Curran and a-2 point conversion run by Vincent Burton started things off for the Warriors. Then a 1-yard touchdown run by Burton and another Burton 2-point conversion put the Warriors up 16-0.  

The Panthers would score on a 44-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Owens to Carlos Burmadez before the half, but failed on a 2-point conversion. At halftime the Warriors were still up 16-6.

In the second half it became a defensive battle between both teams. Gibbons, a team captain, led the defensive battle for the Warriors as Teixiera and his running mate, Vincent Burton, led the offense.

The Panthers would score in the third quarter, but the Warriors' defense broke up a 2-point conversion keeping the lead for Blue Hills 16-12. 
The fourth quarter would start with the Warriors holding onto a 16-12 lead and their leading ground gainer, Vincent Burton (152 yards on 37 carries), was eating up the clock. 

Panther QB Matt Owens would pass his way close to the Warriors' territory and then run in for a 56 yard TD. The touchdown would be called back due to a penalty.  Owens attempted another toss (9 of 19 yards passing, 149 yards) that was intercepted by Keith Gomes of the Warriors. 

The Warriors, now deep in their own territory, failed to move the ball and would take a 2-point safety after the punter missed the center's hike in the end zone. 

With the score 16-14 the Panthers would have one more try to get the ball into the end zone, but Gibbons on a Panther's 4th down, defended against Carlos Bermudez (5 catches, 85 yards ) who missed a pass from Owens.

With less than a minute in the game the Warriors would run the clock out securing their first Super Bowl win 16-14. 

"This was a defensive battle all the way," said Gibbons. "We have one of the best defenses in the league and we proved it today." 

"This was my last football game for the Warriors and I am happy that I was part of the win. I can't believe it," said Teixiera.