CANTON – Foxboro head coach Jack Martinelli had to wait one more game in his 41st year at the helm, but the magnitude was worth the wait and well deserved.

The Warriors (6-1, 3-0) didn’t waste any time this week as Martinelli notched his 300th career win in a 35-0 rout over Canton (4-3, 1-2) in a key Hockomock League–Davenport Division matchup before a crowded, pro-Foxboro crowd.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t mindful of winning tonight but I was more mindful that the kids were mindful and I wanted that off their plate,” said Martinelli, who has been coaching for 55 years, with 41 and counting at the helm in Foxboro. “I was nervous about this. I knew Canton coming into it has been playing pretty darn good and they had a purpose to play, and they have some pretty tough kids.”

Playing for the thousands of kids honored to play for coach Martinelli, Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady had two blocked punt recoveries for touchdowns and Mike Marcucella (6-of-12 for 153 yards, 2 TDs) tossed long touchdowns of 29 and 82 yards in the first half alone as Foxboro was in control after exchanging punts with the Bulldogs to start the game.

Mazenkas-O’Grady did not hide his emotions for his head coach nor the enormity of the day for Foxboro.

“He means everything to me. He’s done so much for just me, kids on the team, he’s always there and so humble, unselfish. Words cannot describe what he means to me,” said Mazenkas-O’Grady. “I was out there trying to do everything for (Martinelli), this game meant a lot to me, especially for what he has done just for me.”

Marcucella connected with Ryan Foley on the 82-yarder on a double move down the left sideline by the sophomore halfback and Foley added to the 28-point second quarter for the Warriors with a 51-yard scamper through the heart of the Bulldogs’ defense with 2:52 left in the first half.

The defense and special teams of the Warriors were the stars with Mazenkas-O’Grady leading the way with the two blocked punt recoveries in the end zone as Trevor Palmer blocked the first one with Canton backed up inside the Foxboro 12.

Mazenkas-O’Grady did it all on his own on the second punt block as the senior defensive end circled back around the bouncing ball and scored from five yards out with 1:39 left and the comfortable five-touchdown lead at the break.

The Canton players congratulated Martinelli after the usual midfield handshake.

“The kids from Canton – they get it. Sometimes you have to play above your head to battle with (Foxboro), but we made our mistakes and didn’t capitalize on a few opportunities,” said Canton head coach Anthony Fallon, who played against Martinelli teams growing up in Canton. “We knew it was going to be a struggle on offense. We gave up one big play, and two big ones on special teams but other than that we fought hard. But that’s why he has 300 wins. Jack has built a great program over there.”

Martinelli is in seventh place all-time in career wins now and still seems spry enough with no end in sight despite starting the journey in Foxboro in 1982.

“All the number means is that I was allowed to do it long enough and the kids take care of the x’s and o’s and the wins and losses – it’s all them,” said Martinelli. “Brandon has been like that all season for me, though he’s been that way, to be honest, since his freshman year. He just makes plays and I know players run away from him, but he still makes plays on the other side of the field for us. He’s one special kid.”

Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli gets doused after his 300th win as Foxboro shut out Canton, 35-0. (Staff Photo/Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

WRENTHAM — With two unbeaten teams squaring off Friday night between Milford and King Philip, it felt like the playoffs were starting early.

And the way it has been lately, that’s just how the host Warriors like it.

In a back-and-forth affair, King Philip provided the finishing touches in the second half of a 23-14 win.

With the victory, KP improves to 7-0, and Milford drops to 6-1, and the former clinches at least a share of the Hockomock League Kelley-Rex title with a 3-0 mark.

“It was nice to see everyone, in all things, contributing,” KP coach Brian Lee said.

True to form for KP, the Warriors came through with maybe their biggest plays on defense. Brandon Nicastro made two interceptions, including a pick six, and Hayden Schmitz made another in the first quarter.

Offensively, the running game again proved critical for the Warriors. Andrew Laplante rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Sophomore Tallan King had 52 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Laplante, over the last few weeks, has separated himself as the top back in the rotation that also includes Aidan Astorino.

“You just need that dude,” Lee said. “(Laplante)’s not playing a lot of defense for us right now. . . . It was just nice to see, he’s kind of becoming the guy, the number one guy. And then everybody else can split those carries after that. Having someone that you know what you’re getting and that stability, is nice.”

Nicastro’s pick six was immense. Milford led 7-3 and had the ball deep in its own end. Scarlet Hawks quarterback Jack Buckley lofted a pass toward the near sideline. Nicastro intercepted it, gathered himself and raced down the sideline for a 40-yard score as KP took a 10-7 lead into the break.

“I saw the route. I’ve been watching a lot of film all week,” Nicastro said. “They went to the slant earlier, in the beginning of the game. I know they weren’t going to do it again, because I broke that one up. I was waiting for the slant and go. I saw the ball in the air, jumped up, and made the play.”

But Milford wasn’t done. Buckley (101 yards passing) hit Jason Stokes with a 36-yard scoring pass over the middle early in the third to give the Scarlet Hawks a 14-10 lead.

KP answered, as King ran it in from a yard out on the ensuing possession to give the Warriors a 16-14 advantage.

The Warriors blocked an Araujo (92 yards rushing on 17 carries) 46-yard field goal attempt at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Laplante then put it away when he took an option pitch to the right for a 6-yard touchdown to help complete the scoring.

KP scored first on a Woods 25-yard field goal to start the second quarter. Araujo plowed in from a yard out in the second quarter to take the lead before Nicastro’s heroics.

“We had a couple kids get dinged up pretty good tonight, starters,” Milford coach Dale Olson said. “Sophomores went in and played tremendous for us tonight. We’ll rebound just fine. That’s a solid Division 2 team. We’re going to move on and play in the Division 3 playoffs, but we’ve got to get ready to play Franklin, a very good Franklin team.”

King Philip’s Brandon Nicastro is lifted by teammate Daniel Silveria (5) after he intercepted a pass and scored a touchdown during a 23-14 win over Milford. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

LAWRENCE — Despite only holding the starting quarterback job for two weeks, Dominic Papa looks like a natural.

Papa totaled three second-half touchdowns while Sean Napolitano had 3.5 sacks as part of an Andover defense that forced a pair of turnovers as the Golden Warriors defeated Central Catholic, 22-20, on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

It is the second straight victory for Andover over Central Catholic and it awards them the inaugural ‘Captain’s Cup.’

“The defense was the MVP of this game. They put me in the best positions possible,” Papa said. “My line played amazing and allowed me the cushion to get the ball to our best players.”

Central Catholic (2-5) held a 6-0 lead at the half and a chance to double its lead early in the third quarter, but Papa led his team on a seven-play drive that culminated in his 11-yard scramble for a touchdown to put the visitors on top 7-6.

The Golden Warriors then recovered the ensuing squib kick, allowing Papa to once again engineer a scoring drive, this one capped off by an eight-yard touchdown rush for the junior quarterback to push the lead to 15-6 after a successful two-point try. An interception by James Flagg helped Andover maintain its lead into the fourth.

Central Catholic got back within a score on a 25-touchdown reception from Drew Alsup, but with 10:20 remaining Papa came through with the play of the game. He escaped the rush, then ducked under a Central defender before getting outside and heaving the ball down field to Andrew Walles, who dashed home for a 51-yard score and a 22-13 lead.

Papa’s three scores came after he threw an interception to start the second half.

“My line has been doing an amazing job all week and on that play I got outside,” Papa said. “I saw that (Andrew) was adjusting up field and I just threw it up there to let him make a play.”

Central Catholic got back within one possession on a Jaxon Pereira six-yard touchdown rush but the Golden Warriors picked up a clutch first down to drain the clock before Napolitano came through with the game-clinching sack as time expired.