Swampscott Football Team Eyes Super Bowl Repeat At Gillette

SWAMPSCOTT, MA —While two years can seem like a lifetime in high school athletics — especially given all that's gone on the past two years — there are several members of the senior-laden Swampscott High football team who remember what it was like to win a title on the Gillette Stadium turf.

On Wednesday night, those veterans and the rest of the second-seeded Big Blue will look to defend that 2019 crowning victory against Amherst-Pelham when they face top-seeded North Reading in the first Super Bowl played in two years.

The coronavirus crisis canceled the fall 2020 season, while the spring make-up season did not include a playoff.

Senior captain Dylan Dubiel told Patch at last week's captains' breakfast at Gillette that while the Big Blue had confidence in themselves, it was a long road back to Foxboro.

"We all expected it," he said. "But at the same time, we never expected to actually be here, standing here, with all this attention, all these expectations.

"But we made it here. We're excited for the Super Bowl."

Second-seeded Swampscott enters the game at 11-1 after having its hopes of an undefeated season snatched away with a last-second field goal in a 31-28 loss to Marblehead on Thanksgiving morning. Now playing for the third time in just 13 days, the key will be to turn the page quickly against top-seeded North Reading (11-1).

"They're a heck of a team," North Reading coach Ed Blum said. "I have seen some film on them, some games of theirs. It's a really well-coached team and really senior-heavy, although I know they have some juniors too.

"They are a determined group. They play with a little bit of an attitude. We know we have a test on our hands for sure. Credit to them on a heck of a season."

North Reading is playing in its first Super Bowl since 1979 and is coming off a holiday thriller of its own with a 28-25 victory against Lynnfield.

The Swampscott players said last week they were squarely focused on archrival Marblehead — which will play for the Division 3 state title Thursday afternoon against North Attleboro — and certainly showed that on Thanksgiving despite the final outcome.

Down a score with three minutes left in the game, senior quarterback Cam O'Brien hit senior receiver Cole Hamernick for 41 yards to put the Blue Blue in scoring range before senior running back Xaviah Bascon scored from 3 yards out for his second TD of the game to make it 28-26 with 45 seconds to play.

A conversion pass from O'Brien to Hamernick tied it, but Marblehead answered with the last-second drive and a 37-yard field goal from Eli Feingold.

Bascon also had a kick return for a TD, while O'Brien threw TD passes to Hamernick and Jason Codispoti.

North Reading enters the Super Bowl with six straight victories this season behind quarterback Alex Curucci's 27 touchdown passes.

For the first time this season, the two teams in Foxboro are playing for a state championship and not an Eastern Mass. title as in years past.

"We know we've got our hands full," Blum said. "But the good thing about this new statewide playoff system is I am hopeful the two best teams are playing for it in Division 5 for the Super Bowl."

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association reminds fans that tickets for 2021 are on sale via Ticketmaster. No tickets will be sold at the Gillette Stadium Ticket Office. All tickets will be digital and will be accessible via mobile device only. Fans can access and manage mobile tickets via the Gillette Stadium App which is available on the App Store (for iPhone users) and Google Play Store (for Android users).

The MIAA recommends that fans add mobile tickets to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay to beat busy network connections at the game or event. Additional information on mobile ticketing can be found here.

Tickets are $17 for adults and $14 for students/senior citizens. Children 5 years old and younger will receive free admission. The ticket price includes parking, admission to the games and a game day discount of $3 off adult admission at The Patriots Hall of Fame.

Wednesday's tickets are good for all three Wednesday games. Re-entry is not permitted.

All concessions at Gillette Stadium are now cashless. There will be machines available that convert cash to Visa gift cards for use at concession stands.

Gillette will also have its"Clear Bag Policy" in place for the Super Bowl.

Masks are not required for vaccinated fans inside Gillette Stadium. However, all unvaccinated fans should wear masks and those attending do so with the understanding they have not recently tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 14 days, been exposed to a positive case within 14 days and have not experienced virus symptoms for at least 48 hours.

All fans will sit on the east side of the stadium. The home team —North Reading — will be on the east sideline and its fans will be seated in sections 104-108. The visiting team — Swampscott —will be on the west sideline and its fans will be seated in sections 110-114.

As the final game of the night, the postgame awards ceremony will take place on the Gillette turf.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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