By Ken Hamwey

Staff Sports Writer

Wherever there’s a competitive environment — sports and politics are good examples — losing teams or a defeated political candidate are often plagued by a nemesis. Even Superman lost his battles when confronted by Kryptonite. 

 

A fictional mineral that had the property of depriving Superman of his powers, Kryptonite seemed like it plagued Democrats in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan rolled to victory in two presidential elections (he carried 49 states in an electoral college blowout in 1984 by demolishing Walter Mondale).

During the decade of the 1960s, the Los Angeles Lakers had two Hall of Fame stars — Jerry West and Elgin Baylor — but they lost in five attempts to win an NBA championship because Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics played like they had stock in Kryptonite.

Kryptonite can even affect localities like Norfolk, Wrentham and Plainville and wreak havoc with their football team. King Philip’s gridiron Warriors definitely have a Kryptonite problem and its origin is West Roxbury and its name is Catholic Memorial. 

The top-seeded Knights defeated second-ranked King Philip, 39-21, in the Division 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium last month, making it three state-championship triumphs for Catholic Memorial in three meetings with the Warriors. CM previously toppled KP in the 2021 and 2022 Super Bowls.

“Yes,” said KP coach Brian Lee responding to the Kryptonite reference. “But, there’s a slight difference. They’re an all-star team loaded with talent everywhere. They’re bigger, faster and stronger than us and they are our nemesis. The gap, however, between No. 1 and No. 2 is huge. We need to find a way to get over the hurdle.’’

The Warriors, who’ve won three Super Bowl titles, aren’t chopped liver. In all of their three losses to the Knights, KP has been within striking distance at halftime but wears down in the second half.

“We know what CM is capable of,’’ Lee noted. “They take you out of your rhythm. We were tied at eight after the first quarter and that seemed like a whole game. There were two quick TDs and two fumbles. We felt if we could hold them to 28 points and our players got close to that number, we’d be in the game. It was a crazy start with both teams scoring in the first minute.’’

On the opening play from scrimmage, CM running back Lasean Sharp ran for a 65-yard touchdown in the first 10 seconds. Mekhi Dodd, who will play for Boston College in the fall, darted up the middle for two, giving the Knights an 8-0 lead.

KP’s response time was immediate. Running back Drew Laplante (17 carries for 157 yards) scampered to the outside and went 64 yards for a touchdown. Zach Gebhard’s pass to Keigan Canto-Osario clicked for a two-point conversion, tying the game after a minute. The first quarter ended tied at eight.

Catholic Memorial bounced back quickly, getting a pair of touchdowns that gave the Knights a 20-8 advantage at intermission.

After quarterback Kise Flannery scored on a three-yard keeper, the Knights gambled on a fourth-and-four at the Warriors 37-yard line with only 40 seconds remaining in the half. Flannery connected on a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dodd. That was one of three touchdowns for Dodd, who finished with 169 yards of total offense. 

Dodd scored from three yards out for his second touchdown halfway through the third stanza to make it 26-8 and added his second rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter on a nine-yard run with 11:10 to play, putting CM in the driver’s seat. Dodd’s day was no surprise — 19 carries for 129 yards and 2 TDs; and two catches for 40 yards and one TD.

Sharp wrapped up CM’s offensive barrage by scoring his second touchdown from 10 yards out with 3:10 remaining. Sharp finished with eight carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

KP, refusing to lose its grit and desire, got its final two TDs on a Gebhard pass to Hayden Schmitz for a 42-yard score that narrowed the gap to 26-14 with a minute to go in the third quarter. Running back Tallan King notched the Warriors final TD on a six-yard run in the final minute.

Dodd and Sharp scored 32 of CM’s 39 points and Lee was quick to laud their talents. “They’re two of the best backs I’ve seen,’’ he said. “If an opponent misses a tackle, they’ll go for 60 yards. There’s no room for error.’’

CM’s coach, John DiBiaso, agreed with Lee on the Knights’ rushing tandem. “Our running backs played tough,’’ he said. “The conditions were not the best for passing. It’s a great win for us and King Philip is a fantastic program.”

Lee knows that if these rivals meet again, changes must be made. “We can’t lift any more weights and we can’t add any more practices,’’ he said. “So, we’ve got to find a way to compete better. Myself and our coaching staff don’t have a solution, but we need to figure it out.’’

Disappointment was personified in the Warriors post-game locker-room but Lee sent a message that should be beneficial when his players face difficult situations in the years to come. 

“I told them I was proud of their never-give-up attitude and proud of the way they fought,’’ he offered. “They strived for a goal and invested so much. I stressed that there should be no regrets about the work they put in. Their work will serve them well in the future.’’

Lee’s message to KP fans was a hint that he’ll need time, lots of time, for the hurt to fade. “I’m sorry,’’ he said. “The boys deserved better. I’m disappointed but I’m also embarrassed because I wanted our players and the fans to experience joy. Our players respect our tradition. They wanted to beat CM for the KP players who lost to them in the first two games.’’

Lee knows that in the days ahead he can enjoy other activities and events but he’s also acutely aware that this setback is painful and the pain will linger. “A loss stays with you longer than a victory,’’ he emphasized. “For me, it never goes away. A loss just gives me motivation to work harder.’’

SIDELINE SLANTS: A Super Bowl victory over CM would have been a nice birthday present for Lee who turned 53 on Dec. 6, a day after the Warriors lost … Entering the Super Bowl, KP had scored 435 points for an average of 36.3 per game and yielded 110 points for a per-game average of 9.1 … CM’s per-game scoring average was 41.7 and its defense surrendered 12.3 points a game … Both teams finished with 12-1 records … KP was Kelly-Rex Division champs of the Hockomock League and the Knights captured the Catholic Conference crown … CM’s DiBiaso, who previously coached at Weston and Everett, has 42 years under his belt and has a career record of 373-83-1 … Lee has a 152-30 record in his 20 years at KP … The Warriors are 3-4 in bowl games — their triumphs were against Reading, Lincoln-Sudbury and Marshfield and their losses were to North Andover and three times to Catholic Memorial.