Danny V’s Sweet 16

Football coaches rarely feel a level of comfort during the season, feeling they are one mishap away from anxiety.

King Philip coach Brian Lee allowed himself a moment of what he termed joy Saturday morning. Lee woke up following his team’s massive 19-7 win over Milford and told his wife Colleen he was feeling joyous.

“I just really felt good because I thought the kids played really well,” Lee said. “After we beat Xaverian, I didn’t think we played up to our ability. But after the way we played against an excellent Milford team, I started thinking we might be OK after all.”

Under Lee, King Philip has been the poster child for what every coach desires in his program: a successful team who plays the game the right way and does it without the five-star recruits dotting the roster. Nick Saban and Kirby Smart might not be knocking down the doors of the King Street school, but Lee arrives every day and that’s more than good enough.

Just ask Mansfield’s Hall of Fame coach Mike Redding what it’s like butting heads with Lee and his Warriors. The teams have split the last 10 meetings and the mutual respect between the two programs can be felt throughout the Hockomock League.

“Brian sticks to his guns. They do what they do and do it so well,” Redding said. “They’re very patient, play the field position game and usually win that battle and wear teams down. You have to play well and mistake free to beat them.

“His kids play hard for him because they know he cares. I’m guessing he learned a thing or two from his dad too.”

That dad happens to be the legendary John Lee. Lee coached at Walpole and amassed a mind boggling 212-33-7 record. The 85.5 winning percent remains the best among coaches with 200 wins.

“The thing that always jumped out about (dad) was his work ethic,” Lee said. “He was always at the school, always supporting the players and they knew it. He got the most out of all his players.”

Lee has had no choice this year as injuries have hit in key positions, forcing the Warriors to adopt the next-man-up mantra. Despite the losses, King Philip simply finds a different cast of heroes on a weekly basis. In the win over Milford, kicker Matthew Kelley booted a pair of field goal and caught a TD pass from Tom MacLeish.

“The boys work very hard, they’ve really bought in,” Lee said. “We ask a lot of the kids and they always do what’s asked. Whether it’s an early morning lift or extra film sessions, they’re always willing to put in the extra time.”

They take after the coach who took after his dad.

Sweet 16

1. Catholic Memorial (5-0): Knights pushed by St. John’s Prep but came up big down the stretch.

2. King Philip (6-0): Second top-10 win of the season for the Warriors, taking out previously undefeated Milford.

3. Xaverian (5-1): Hawks simply taking care of business as they prepare for Catholic Memorial in the upcoming weeks.

4. Andover (6-0): Golden Warriors overcame a slow start to run past Haverhill.

5. Central Catholic (4-2): Very impressive effort on both sides of the ball against Methuen.

6. St. John’s Prep (4-2): As we’ve said all along, this is not a team you’re going to want to see in the postseason.

7. Reading (6-0): Rockets took no prisoners against Arlington.

8. Mansfield (5-1): Running back Tommy Smith came to the rescue at the right time.

9. Milton (6-0): No truth to the rumor the school is thinking of charging Mike Fulton rent for all the time he spent in the endzone Friday night.

10. Duxbury (5-0): Big test this week for the Dragons as Hingham comes to town.

11. Milford (5-1): Scarlet Hawks couldn’t get anything going against King Philip.

12. Peabody (6-0): Solid win against an always-competitive Winthrop squad.

13. Everett (5-1): With all due respect to the rest of the GBL, the Crimson Tide might have to take a long hard look at playing an independent schedule.

14. Franklin (4-1): Panthers return to the gridiron after a bye to host Attleboro.

15. Billerica (6-0): Thanksgiving Day game against Chelmsford might be one of the best on the docket.

16. Brockton (5-1): Three straight 50-point plus games for the high-flying Boxers.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/nzoFwTH