Change of venue does not damper rivalry matchup

By Chris Villani

The 14th installment of the Thanksgiving rivalry between Blackstone Valley Tech and Nipmuc saw a new venue and date for the game. With inclement weather in the forecast for Thanksgiving morning, the two teams tangled on Thanksgiving Eve on the turf field at Milford High.

But playing in a different location did nothing to lessen the enthusiasm for the fans supporting the two Upton schools, and they turned in a wild performance that ended with Valley Tech coming from behind to win 35-31.

“It was an excellent game,” said BVT Head Coach Anthony Landini. “We had a really big crowd, and it was great for the fans because it was back and forth the whole game.”

Valley Tech scored with 30 seconds left in the game, down by three, to secure the win. Senior Jeremiah Thomas scored three touchdowns for the Beavers. Senior quarterback Alex Burgos scored from one yard out to account for the game winner.

The Burgos touchdown answered a touchdown by Nipmuc junior QB Josh Giancola, whose touchdown had given the Warriors the edge in the seesaw battle.

“Offensively, it was a big day all around,” Landini said. “It was a highly intense offensive back and one of those where it felt like whoever had the ball last was going to win.”

Giancola added three touchdown passes to Logan DeMarzo. Nipmuc led for much of the game, but Valley Tech senior captain Alex Vosburgh gave his team its first lead of the night.

BVT finishes the season 6-5 with the victory, while Nipmuc drops to 4-7. The Beavers improved to 10-4 in the holiday series. With the two schools separated by just a couple of football fields, they usually warm up on their respective fields and then the road team simply walks across Pleasant Street for the kickoff. The teams had to take a bus this time around, but the game was no less special.

“You could play the game in the parking lot, I don’t think it matters where we play, it’s just a matter of getting on the field and playing,” Landini said. “It’s a culmination of what you learned. You play as a team, you see some of the young kids coming back make some big plays, and it’s really a steppingstone for both teams going into next season.”