On a beautiful day for football and turkey, Masconomet took care of business on senior day, beating Northeast Metro Tech 42–20 this morning.

After throwing a pick-six on the first set of downs, most offenses—especially the quarterback—would be deflated. Not this 2025 Chieftain offense. Not senior quarterback Drew Gustafson.

“We climb” has been the phrase second-year head coach Patrick Sheehan has used all season, and today, Masco climbed, and climbed, then kept climbing.

On the ensuing possession after the pick-six, Masco’s old reliable workhorse got them on the board. Senior captain Jack Fabiano broke one up the middle for a 50-yard score, just like he’s done all season long.

Fabiano capped off his season with his 10th 100-yard rushing game of the year out of 11 games (and in the other, he was just three yards short). He took 13 carries for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while breaking some records in the process.

“The offensive line made this year easy on me. Obviously, I put in the work, but having guys like Cam Bucchiere and Evan Velardo on the edge and the guards always pulling was just awesome,” said Fabiano. “We came out a little shaky in the first half today, but we got the job done. Milton was a winnable game, but beating Marblehead and bringing home an NEC championship was such a memorable moment.”

The final tally for Fabiano’s masterclass season is 251 carries for 2,038 yards and 39 touchdowns—and no, there are zero typos. After breaking Masconomet’s Scott Foden’s single-season rushing record on his 50-yard touchdown run, Fabiano needed just two yards with time dwindling in the fourth to reach 2,000. Then, on his first carry of the drive, he slipped up the sideline for 40 yards, marking the end of his monster run.

“I mean, these are incredible accomplishments, and it’s really the body of work where you break those records,” said Sheehan. “I’ve been knocking on wood and not saying it out loud for two years, but he’s never fumbled in a football game, and he carries the ball more than probably anybody in the state. The reliability, the trust factor, and his ability to consistently play at a championship-caliber level, snap after snap, is unbelievable.”

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Karen Magnifico

Weidman with an incredible grab

Senior captain and Chieftain star receiver Cal Weidman had himself quite the afternoon as well. He hauled in six catches for 107 yards and a hat trick of touchdowns (8, 57, 15). He also broke the Chieftain single-season receiving record and topped 1,000 yards on the year. The Bentley-bound receiver ran a beautiful route to set himself up for a 57-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

“Cal Weidman made himself into an incredible receiver this offseason. It’s not easy for Cal to put on weight and build muscle mass, but he committed to it,” said Sheehan. “He put on 15 pounds. He was able to withstand a long season because of the work he put in, and obviously, he has a tremendous gift.”

To the credit of the Knights, they battled unbelievably hard in the first half. Despite coming in as massive underdogs, it was a one-possession game heading into the break. Even after fumbling away two early possessions, Northeast hung tight. However, after halftime, it was a different story.

Gustafson came out of the half hungry, immediately throwing and then rushing for a touchdown. He finished with four passing touchdowns on the day.

This 2025 team is historic. Nine wins—no easy task. Northeast Conference Champions—no easy task. A playoff win and a fight in the second round—no easy task, said Sheehan. “Despite our tough starts, games, and adversity along the way, the team kept fighting because they were so damn committed to this program for two years. For the last 22 months, we couldn’t have asked for a better group to exemplify our standards.”

Most of Masco’s seniors were starters on the 2023 team, when the Chieftains went 2–8. From 2–8 as sophomores, to 8–3 as juniors, to 9–2 as seniors, the dedication is evident.

“This team was so special, definitely the best team I’ve ever played on. The way we could move the ball, the heart each player played with, and how tight-knit our senior class is made it amazing to play alongside my brothers,” said Weidman. “It is always nice to get a win on Turkey Day, and playing well just makes it even better.”

Four years can go by in the blink of an eye, and in a sport with a shelf life as quick as football, every play matters. Masco embodied that idea, and the 2025 Chieftain football team will be talked about for years to come.