FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Following a crucial Catholic Conference, 28-17, win over St. John's Prep and renewing the rivalry, Catholic Memorial's John Dibiaso has been named this week's New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week.
Coach Dibiaso, currently in his fifth season as head coach of the Scarlet Knights, led Catholic Memorial to their 22nd consecutive win, a state-best winning streak that dates back to December of 2019. Since taking over in 2018, Dibiaso has led the Knights to a 41-4 record with three of those losses coming at the hands of the Eagles including the 2018 ad 2019 Super Bowls. The match-up on Saturday renewed the rivalry and was expected to be close as the Knights entered the game ranked first in the Boston Globe's Top 20 while the Eagles were ranked fourth. The game moved Catholic Memorial one step closer to clinching a third straight league title.
Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, now the team's Executive Director of Community Affairs, met with the Catholic Memorial's football team and cheerleading squad Tuesday morning to present the football program with a $1,000 donation on behalf of the Patriots Foundation in honor of Coach Dibiaso. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the Patriots weekly television show, "Patriots All Access," which airs on Friday night at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.
"Coach Dibiaso's Knight showcased why they were selected as the No. 1 seed as they continued their impressive 22-game winning streak over a talented St. John's Prep team," said Tippett. "Catholic Memorial was truly tested and proved they have the depth and talent to compete for another league championship. We wish them continued success."
The Knights were trailing 17-14 with 7:39 left in the third quarter. It was the first time all season they trailed in the second half. But the deficit didn't last long as running back Datrell Jones scored on a 40-yard touchdown run and after a blocked PAT the score stood at 20-17. Catholic Memorial sealed the win with another touchdown, this time by running back Carson Harwood on a 51-yard run. He then rushed for the two-point conversion to make the score 28-17. The two standout senior backs combined for 278 rushing yards and all four touchdowns.
Catholic Memorial will look to extend their winning streak to 23 as they travel to take on league opponent, Malden Catholic (0-7, 0-2) on Friday.
This is the 27th year in which the Patriots have joined the National Football League in conducting the High School Coach of the Week program, which recognizes outstanding high school coaches and promotes youth football throughout New England. The 2022 season marks the 11th year that the Patriots have sent Tippett to present the award to the coach at their school.
At the conclusion of the fall, one of the weekly winners will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year and will receive an additional $2,000 contribution towards the school's football program.
Fans are encouraged to nominate any New England high school head coach who leads a team to an exceptional win, a record-breaking performance or reaches a personal career milestone by emailing nominatecoach@patriots.com. All nominations must be submitted following a team's Friday night or Saturday afternoon game to be considered for that week's Patriots High School Coach of the Week award.
The Patriots Foundation is the non-profit through which the Patriots support charitable and philanthropic organizations throughout New England. This support comes in the form of direct grants, in-kind donations and player appearances. The foundation assists a variety of charitable organizations and programs throughout New England by supporting their educational, family and health initiatives.
