A big rivalry showdown highlights Week 3 of Central Mass. football

Week 3 of Central Massachusetts high school football features 24 games on Friday night, with another on Saturday. Tommy Cassell's updated Top 10 poll highlights the top teams and provides picks for each weekend game. St. John's, currently undefeated (2-0), will face Shrewsbury High (1-1) at 6:30 p.m. at Hometeam Game of the Week.

St. John's has opened their season with two dominant wins over Leominster and Grafton. Their offense, led by running back Liam Deso and quarterback Brad Perry, has put up big numbers. Shrewsbury, though coming off a loss to Hudson, has rebounded by beating Framingham. Their balanced offense features running backs Samuel Waife, Eli Gray, and Parker Kauffman, with quarterback Paxton Kauffman contributing as well.

The teams have a history of fierce competition, with Shrewsbury looking to avenge their loss from the previous season. On another Friday night, West Boylston (2-0) will host Valley Tech (1-1) at 7 p.m. West Boylston, led by running back Jamison LaPointe and quarterback Cason Orciani, bounced back from a loss to Auburn with a 28-0 victory over Nantucket.

Valley Tech, coming off a 35-20 loss to Auburn, posted a 28-0 win over Nantucket. Sports reporter Tim Dumas will cover the West Boylston game on X. As the weekend unfolds, highlights and box scores of the remaining games will be provided on the Hometeam Scoreboard.