Everett sends seniors out in style with Thanksgiving victory over St. John’s, 44-14

Crimson Tide uses both ground and air attacks as Clerveaux, Ellerbe and Mohamed lead way

  Everett High football has not stumbled on Thanksgiving Day in 20 years. Make that 21.

  Using a potent, two-way attack and continuing defensive blanket, the host Crimson Tide squad sent its – count ’em – 30 seniors out on a fantastic note, overpowering visiting St. John’s of Shrewsbury, 44-14. A big, early halftime lead vanished in the third quarter after a rally by the Pioneers, but Everett’s size and depth came to the rescue once again and snuffed out any upset chances.

  Everett finished the season an impressive 9-1, including its 25th Greater Boston League championship (6-0 GBL). St. John’s, new to the Catholic Conference this season, finished at 5-6 overall.

  “Thanksgiving is special and Thanksgiving football is special in Massachusetts,” said Everett Head Coach Rob DiLoreto, who helped the Tide to three wins over Chelsea on Thanksgiving Day in the 1980s and was head coach in his very first Turkey Day game. “Our seniors led us all year and they all played great today. We are very happy to send them out with a win on Thanksgiving.

  Coach DiLoreto gave credit to St. John’s, which came back from a slow first half and made it a close game as late as the middle of the third quarter. “We know that St. John’s of Shrewsbury is a top-notch program, and today was a big challenge for us and kept us focused up until today,” Coach DiLoreto said after the win.

  The highlights and highlight-makers were many for Everett on both sides of the ball, starting with its offensive playmakers:

  –Senior running “beast” JC Clerveaux finished his high school career with 138 yards rushing and two more touchdowns to finish as one of highest-scoring individual players in Everett High history: 19 TDs, 116 points and 1,195 yards rushing.

  – Junior Karmarri Ellerbe had a career day, hitting on 13 of 19 passes for 260 yards and 3 TDs.

  – Senior Cam Mohamed also had a career day, his best in an Everett uniform, with 9 receptions, 160 yards and 2 TDs.

  Everett’s starting defense, which allowed a puny 24 points in 12 games this season, led by Jayden Biggi, Donovan Gaskins, Jaylen Murphy and Marcus Scott, was immense once again, holding St. John’s to no points, two first downs and only 47 yards total offense in the first half.

  Everett started fast and strong in the first half, scoring three times for the 21-0 halftime lead. After the two teams both went three-and-out to start the game, Crimson QB Ellerbe found Cam Mohamed on a bubble screen, and the speedster only had to make one Pioneer miss for a 34-yard touchdown. It was 7-0, Everett after one quarter but that did not last long as Clerveaux took an inside handoff and raced to the end zone for a 42-yard TD just one minute into the second quarter. Everett 6-3 tight end Marcus Scott made a one-handed catch and reached the ball over the goal line for a 14-yard TD reception, and St. John’s was down by three scores at halftime. Everett led 21-0 at the halftime break (though it seemed like so much more to the visitors) and appeared destined for a lopsided victory before devouring a well-earned Thanksgiving Day meal.

  Not so fast, said the Pioneers. St. John’s, led by gigantic 6-5 quarterback Ryan Miller, rallied back with touchdowns on consecutive drives to start the third quarter and take a big chunk out of the Everett lead, making it 21-14, with plenty of ballgame left to go.

  “At that point in the game, when we’re down only by one score, and we have the momentum, that’s when you really have to put your foot on the gas pedal,” St. John’s Head Coach John Andreoli said.

  But this hardly could have sat well with the home team, and in their final game in a Tide uniform, the three main men of the Everett offensive took control behind their sturdy offensive line and made it all-Crimson the rest of the way. Adoni Santos banged through a 26-yard field goal from the SJS 9-yard line to extend the Everett lead to 24-10 on its next possession, a strong answer to the Pioneer pushback. With 3:38 left in the third quarter, Ellerbe handed off to “Go-To” Clerveaux, who busted out for a 38-yard touchdown run and, after a Santos PAT, an again commanding Everett lead, 31-14, at the close of the third. For only the fourth time this season, due to some blowout leads against GBL competition, the Tide starters were playing this one out on both sides of the ball. Mohamed broke a 39-yard touchdown reception off a quick screen from Ellerbe five minutes into the fourth quarter to make it 38-14. Senior Richie Malloy leaped over two would-be tacklers into the end zone with just under six minutes to play in the game for the 44-14 lead and the sealing score.