Mistakes and calls in question?

Some of the Bartlett fans on hand for the Thanksgiving game

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Greeting Sports Fans!

It was frustrating and disappointing to see some very questionable calls affect the outcome of the Bartlett-Southbridge game on Thanksgiving morning, but unfortunately for the Indians, that’s the way it goes.

Not to make any excuses and take anything away from the Pioneers, who played good enough to win, but the refereeing in that game was at times suspect. The refs ruled in the Pioneers' favor on two fumbles that may have changed the outcome of the game.  Both looked like pretty bad calls.

Still the Indians made their share of mistakes and were stalled twice in the red zone and that crushed them in the end and extended their Thanksgiving Day losing streak to five.

The Hill: The Shepherd Hill Rams took care of business on Thanksgiving but all the marbles will be on the line this week.

At press time, the Rams were scheduled to take on the Doherty Highlanders Tuesday (November 27) at Foley Stadium in a rematch of their sensational meeting a few weeks back in which the Highlanders won 30-28. The winner will play Saturday morning at Gillette stadium in Foxborough.

Oxford 42-8 Loss:  If you think Bartlett coaches, players, and fans were frustrated with what happened to them on Thanksgiving morning, well then think about how the Oxford people must have felt.

Most people knew before the game even started what the outcome could be and frankly not many people were surprised.  On paper and on the field, the Oxford Pirates football team was no match for Auburn. In fact, 95% of the teams in Central Mass are no match for Auburn. They are clearly the best team in the area. Still you have to give the Pirates credit; they went out there and played the game.

The View’s stars of the week:

1. Drew Ravenelle, Shepherd Hill Football: Drew led his team back from a 20-6 deficit, scoring two touchdowns along the way, while winning the Tony Vegnone award as the Offensive MVP.

2. Chris Dutting, Shepherd Hill Football:  Dutting played a fantastic defensive game for the Rams in their Thanksgiving Day victory.

3. Alex Givins-Perry, Bartlett Football: “AGP” has been doing it all year for the Indians and the Southbridge game was no exception as he put up the big numbers and scored twice.  The junior running back finished the season with 1359 rushing yards. Not too shabby, kid.

4. Neil Flanigan, Bartlett Football: Only a sophomore, Flanigan is already getting noticed by everyone. He had a big interception against Southbridge and played a superb game in a losing effort.

5. Matt Faucher, Oxford Football:  Sophomore quarterback Faucher scored the Pirates' only touchdown with a 45-yard run and also threw for a two-point conversion.

Thanksgiving Morning sightings: Former WWE wrestler and current Nichols Bison footballer Ken Doane and Bartlett High school graduate and current Southbridge High boys basketball coach Bob Fowler were just two of the many local sports personalities seen in the crowd at the Bartlett-Southbridge game.

Emily Dawidczyk, New England All-Star: Oxford High School soccer star Emily Dawidczyk, above, continues to pile up the awards as she was named to the Mass State and the New England coaches all-star teams.  Dawidczyk led Central Mass in scoring with 32 goals this year.

High School Hoop Coming Soon:  We are anxiously awaiting the start of the high school basketball season with very high expectations for some of our local teams. 

Two teams that could be hard to stop this season will be the Bartlett boy’s team and the Shepherd Hill girl’s team. On paper both of these squads look to be built for winning.  If you want to throw a third team in that mix it would be the Oxford boys, led by defensive wiz Donny Freeland.

Until next week, see you on the sidelines! Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any sports news and check out the new View From The Sidelines Facebook page with exclusive photos and news at https://www.facebook.com/ViewFromTheSidelines