FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Toughness is built in to the West Boylston High School football program, and the Lions needed every bit of it Friday afternoon in the Division 8 state championship game against top-seeded Randolph. After building a big first half lead, the Lions had to dig deep to hold on to a 22-16 win in a game where the run game accounted for every yard.
The win gave West Boylston back-to-back Division 8 state championships and its third straight state title.
"I was 14 when I won my first one, I'm 17 now and it's felt like a dream, it's a dream come true," senior Stephen Simpson said.
Dominick Renzoni found the end zone twice leading the Lions with 97 yards on the ground. Renzoni's first score, a 36 yard sweep, gave West Boylston a 7-3 first quarter lead.
Stephen Simpson added 86 yards rushing and a score in the second quarter to give the second-seeded Lions a 15-3 lead. Renzoni's second touchdown came after he recovered a fumble. The junior followed Tommy Wyatt and Simpson's blocks into the end zone and West Boylston led 22-3 at halftime.
Randolph wrestled back some of the momentum in the third and fourth quarters thanks to Mekhi White's two scores and 143 yards on the ground. The Lions won the battle in the trenches late though and were able to convert some key first downs, including a Simpson rush to seal the contest late in the fourth quarter.
"They came back, our kids are tough, we didn't give up defensively we played, offensively we made the plays at the end. I couldn't be happier for these kids," West Boylston head coach Mike Ross said after the game.
Highlights and postgame reaction in the video above.