Sousa, Jets land North title

EAST BOSTON 29, MADISON PARK 0

By Amara Grautski, Globe Correspondent | November 14, 2009

After the game clock struck zero, John Sousa gathered his team to deliver a message: This was a memory to cherish the rest of their lives.

But the East Boston coach had plenty of reasons to treasure the moment, as well.

In Sousa’s 15th and final season as coach, the Jets shut out host Madison Park, 29-0, to clinch the Boston North title and a postseason berth.

“It’s a great feeling for me,’’ Sousa said. “It’s my last coaching season. I’d like to be the North League champs, but it’s better because these kids worked hard since August.’’

East Boston (8-1, 4-0) had one of its toughest schedules in team history, but its only loss was to Austin Prep in the first game. Since then, the Jets have defeated solid teams like Amesbury, Blue Hills, and Brighton.

“We played all the big boys, and the kids got better and better every week,’’ Sousa said. “They worked hard. They [came] to practice. They’re a good bunch of kids.’’

Although the Jets started out slowly, their hard work culminated in a well-rounded effort against the Cardinals.

Senior Stanley Greene ran 4 tough yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, with senior captain Brandon Amodeo rushing for the 2-point conversion to give the Jets an 8-0 lead heading into halftime.

But Sousa knew his team’s first-half performance wouldn’t cut it if East Boston wanted to walk away with the title.

“In the second half, Coach had a talk with us,’’ Greene said. “He said that if we wanted to win the city championship, [we’d] have to come out in the second half fired up and ready to go.’’

The Jets ate about eight minutes off the clock on their opening drive in the third quarter, ending in another 4-yard TD run for Greene. This time, the senior running back took the conversion in himself, bolstering East Boston’s lead to 16-0.

Madison Park (6-2, 4-1) gained momentum at the end of the third, when Antone Minot bolted 50 yards down the right sideline to the East Boston 1. But the Cardinals couldn’t punch it in and a fumble was recovered by Eastie senior Fabio Isaza.

In the fourth quarter, Amodeo tacked on another 6 points with a 35-yard rush, and senior safety Stephan Lockwood drove the final nail in the coffin with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Coming off a 5-5 finish last season, Sousa told his Jets the victory was proof that hard work pays off. But he had one final message to deliver: They’re not finished yet, not when a spot in the Division 4 Super Bowl is still up for grabs.

“This is a culmination of a great, long, hard season,’’ he said. “I’m very happy for the boys. I’m very proud of them.’’