BRIDGEWATER With heroic performances from two of its standouts Saturday night, King Philip continued to build upon its football legacy. Keigan Canto-Osorio (131 yards rushing, touchdown) eclipsed 1, 000 yards on the ground this season, while Tallan King (72 yards rushing) scampered for two touchdowns and sealed the game with an interception as the top-seeded Warriors advanced to the Div. 3 Super Bowl with a memorable 21-13 victory over No. 12 Malden Catholic. “It’s obviously a great feeling,” King said. “It just shows the greatness here at KP, and the brotherhood.” The win marks the fifth straight trip to Gillette for King Philip (11-0), and its first since moving to Div. 3 this year. Using its patented ground attack to start, the Warriors drew first blood with 9: 10 to play in the opening quarter. King took a handoff, then plowed right through the teeth of the Lancers’ defense. The senior running back somehow broke away from the pack, then scampered loose for a 44-yard touchdown rush as King Philip jumped in front, 6-0. Looking to continue its Cinderella run, Malden Catholic (5-6) responded on its ensuing drive. Dominik Mercier marched his team up the field, then fired a six-yard touchdown strike to Trayvon Turner with 7: 04 remaining in the first. Lorenzo Froio added an extra point, and the Lancers suddenly led, 7-6. Facing 4th-and-goal on the initial play of the second quarter, the Warriors faked a fullback handoff and pitched the ball to Canto-Osorio. The senior found paydirt with a one-yard touchdown rush. On his only pass attempt of the first half, Zachary Gebhard hit Kyle Danson for a two-point conversion, as King Philip made it a 14-7 contest. On the next Malden Catholic drive, Mercier connected with Jeremiah Figaro for a 49-yard pass, setting the Lancers up in the red zone. The quarterback later scrambled in for a three-yard touchdown rush, making it a 14-13 game. The score would hold until the midpoint of the fourth quarter, as the schools engaged in a defensive chess match. The levee finally collapsed for Malden Catholic with 8: 55 left. A punt attempt by the Lancers was deflected, setting King Philip up with great field position. The Warriors capitalized, as King finished a short drive with a three-yard touchdown rush to give his team a 21-13 edge. With about two minutes to play, the Warriors attempted a 36-yard field goal, looking to seal the deal. Crowley’s try was blocked, however, and Malden Catholic still had life with the ball at its own 20. The Lancers drove to midfield, desperately looking for the game-tying score. However, as Mercier fired a screen pass, he was picked off by King, who capped off an unforgettable night for the Warriors. “I knew it was going to be a screen because they hit us earlier in the game with it. I dropped back, and I knew I was going to get the ball there,” King said. The win sets up a Hockomock League matchup in the Div. 3 Super Bowl. King Philip will face rival North Attleboro for the crown. Earlier in the season, King Philip coach Brian Lee and his staff took some of the players on a traditional excursion a few miles away from the school. It was a motivational tool. “There’s a lot of pressure,” said Lee. “There’s a lot of expectations, which has a negative side to it. There’s more than just winning. For us, we set our goal. We go out for a hike with our seniors, I think around 6 o’clock. We go up Noon Hill, and we look at Gillette. Some coaches say you’re not supposed to talk about winning. But we looked at Gillette, and we said: ‘We’re going back. It’s going to be your work ethic. It’s your team now, and your time to go. You’re the ones up.’ ”.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/22/king-philip-holds-off-malden-catholic-to-reach-div-3-championship/
