The hallowed clubhouse halls of Fenway Park were echoing as Caden Smith strolled to the field Wednesday night.
Undeterred by the unique surroundings, Smith proceeded to finish a perfect 6-for-6 in the passing game with 99 yards. He also scampered for 69 yards, finishing with two total touchdowns as the Raiders closed their campaign with a commanding 34-12 victory over crosstown rival Lawrence as part of the annual Fenway Thanksgiving gridiron series.
“(I had) chills,” Smith said afterward. “It felt almost surreal. It didn’t feel like it was real. I don’t know how to describe it, but it was a great feeling. Great feeling, coming out with all of these guys. I love these guys. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team.”
After Lawrence went three-and-out to open play, Central Catholic (7-4) was quick to capitalize as Smith marched his group down the field on their first possession. Jefferson Morales capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown rush, as the Raiders took a 6-0 lead.
“Everything was clicking,” said Smith. “The line knew what they had to do. The receiving room knew what they had to do. The running backs knew what they had to do. I executed, everyone executed. When we execute, no one can stop us.”
The Lancers (3-8) learned that the hard way. Once the second quarter began, Central Catholic took the game over, scoring 28 points in the frame alone. After extending their lead to 27-0 following a four-yard touchdown scamper by senior Armari Mills, the Raiders forced a turnover on downs with 38 seconds left in the half. Naturally, they made their opponents pay as Smith heaved a ball toward the end zone. Senior Jack Steen corralled the pass for a 19-yard touchdown reception, and Central Catholic was in cruise control with a 34-0 edge.
“It was great,” said Steen. “That was my first (touchdown) of the year, so it meant a lot for it to be here at Fenway. It was a great ball by (Smith), great look, and we made it happen.”
Steen was later named the Michael Sullivan Thanksgiving Day MVP, finishing with four catches for 63 yards in addition to his touchdown reception. The Raiders were also propelled by Mills, who finished with 44 yards receiving and six yards rushing to go with a score.
“This was awesome,” Steen said. “This was definitely great. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with great people.”
Lawrence (3-8) was led by Elijah Santell and Angel Diplin, each finishing with a rushing touchdown in the final quarter to account for the Lancers’ scoring.
“You can say whatever you want about the process and the way the season goes here in Massachusetts and all that,” said Central Catholic coach John Sexton. “After losing the last game to Needham, I was very happy that we had another chance to be with the kids, that we had another chance to compete and play. Obviously, to do it here is really cool. That was a plus, and I’m grateful.”
