Division 1
Danny Abraham, BC High — The senior running back enjoys seeing Andover Golden Warrior defenders lined up across from him. Abraham nearly matched last year’s 385-yard, four touchdown season-opening performance, running for 262 yards and four scores of 68, 92, 69, and 1-yard in a 35-7 win.
Ben Quint, Lexington — Though quarterback Sal Frelick collected the headlines, Quint’s impact in Lexington’s 42-28 victory over Brockton was equally impressive. The senior running back ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, adding a third through the air on a 19-yard reception in the second quarter.
Bret Edwards, Central Catholic — The senior quarterback excelled in multiple facets, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for a third in the Raiders 41-7 rout of Dartmouth.
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Division 2
Braden O’Connell, Lincoln-Sudbury — In his first career start, junior QB Braden O’Connell rushed for 130 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns to lead the Warriors over Dighton-Rehoboth, 24-7.
Gabe DeSouza, North Andover — The junior wideout caught seven passes for 125 yards and a touchdown as the Scarlet Knights defeated Woburn, 31-21.
Matt Panacopoulos, Reading — Replacing Corey DiLoreto under center wasn’t an easy task for the Rockets, but Panacopoulos proved he was up to the task. The senior ran for three touchdowns and passed for another in the team’s 48-14 win over Wakefield.
Division 3
Keith Ridley, Lynn Classical — The junior quarterback tallied 250 yards on 14-of-22 passing, tossing three touchdowns and rushing for another in the Rams’ 39-0 rout of Medford.
Alijah Woods, Arlington — The senior running back was dominant in his team’s last minute, 37-34 win over Cambridge, tallying 13 carries for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Woods also caught a 44-yard touchdown.
Evan Gibb, QB, Stoughton — The senior quarterback amassed 386 total yards and contributed on all four of his team’s touchdowns — three through the air and a fourth on the ground — to seal a 28-14 win over Franklin.
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Division 4
Derek Marino, Marblehead — The senior wide receiver made an acrobatic catch for the go-ahead touchdown in a narrow 16-9 victory over Triton. The 6-foot-2 Marino also came up with several big returns on kickoffs and punts to set up the Magicians for success and played well at strong safety to help hold Triton’s offense in check.
Brian Burns, Pembroke — The senior captain moved all over the formation for the Titans, and on opening night created matchup problems for Westwood. The halfback caught touchdowns of 35 and 28 yards, one of which came over Wolverines star Jake Antonucci, as Pembroke started the season off with a 33-14 win on the road. Said Pembroke coach Brian King, “[Burns] sets the tone for us on defense. He’s all over the field on offense and to me he was the player of the game.”
Tony Petrilli, Gloucester — Defense paced Gloucester in a 29-8 road win over Revere to open the season and Petrilli set the tone with elite play in the trenches. With the senior leading the interior line, the Fishermen were able to hold the Patriots to just four first downs all night.
Division 5
Andrew Blanchard, Scituate — The senior running back surpassed 200 yards rushing, finding the end zone twice in a 34-7 win over Milford.
Jacob McCarthy, Dennis-Yarmouth — The senior QB helped pace the Dolphins in a 49-14 rout of Barnstable. McCarthy threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns on 16-of-22 passing, adding two more scores on 66 yards of rushing.
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Mason Giunta, Medfield — The senior running back had a stellar day in all three facets of the Warriors 34-14 win over Dedham. Giunta ran for 138 yards and a touchdown, returned a kick for a score, and recorded eight tackles, three for a loss.
Division 6
Rob Maguire, Cardinal Spellman — The senior quarterback scored on a 65-yard jaunt midway through the fourth quarter, handing the Cardinals the decisive score in a 23-20 victory over defending Super Bowl champion Hanover. Maguire’s effort helped hand the Indians their first loss since 2015.
Harry Smith, Old Rochester — The senior running back played a key role in the Bulldogs 41-40 victory over Wareham. Smith torched the defense for 324 yards and five touchdowns, breaking the Old Rochester record (30) for total touchdowns in a career.
Robbie Sarmanian, Manchester-Essex — The senior tailback was handed the ball 18 times and seemed to do something special with it each time. Sarmanian racked up 213 yards and five touchdowns, three of which eclipsed 45 yards. With a pair of scores in both the opening and closing quarters, in a 46-34 victory over Northeast Voc-Tech
Division 7
Zach Cummings, St. Mary’s — A Saugus resident and a member of the St. Mary’s team that reached the Division 3A finals last season, Cummings was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last winter and has been undergoing treatment since. He was an honorary captain representing the Spartans in a 54-21 win over Saugus. Surrounded by his teammates, he told them their support keeps him going. They awarded him with the game ball after the game.
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Tyler Longo, Lowell Catholic — The senior was a factor in both touchdowns for the Crusaders in a 13-6 win over Greater Lowell. Longo caught a 34-yard pass from senior Austin Wentzel and added a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Brandon Ortega, East Boston – The senior captain accounted for all 14 points for the Jets — including a go-ahead 54-yard run in the fourth quarter in a 14-6 win over New Mission.
Division 8
Khalil Blair, Cathedral — Blair did it all for the Panthers in their 28-12 win over Latin Academy. The senior rushed for a 51-yard touchdown, threw a 36-yard score, and returned a kickoff for another touchdown in the win.
Steffan Gravely, Lynn Tech — The running back rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns on just ten touches in Friday’s 34-0 win over Chelsea. Gravely also reeled in two receptions for 73 yards in the win.
Issac Nascimento, Wareham – The quarterback rushed for a pair of touchdowns and tossed another in a wild 41-40 loss to Old Rochester. With the three scores Nascimento set a new Wareham all-time scoring record.
Correspondents Brandan Blom, Karl Capen, Cole McNanna, Owen Pence, Lenny Rowe, Dan Shulman, and Nate Weitzer also contributed to this story.