Xaverian Football Has a New Three-Phase Star

By SuiteSports Staff

WESTWOOD - Two seasons ago, Coby Tippett electrified fans and invigorated his teammates while leading the Xaverian Hawks to an undefeated season and Super Bowl.

Last year, the Hawks tried to use cornerback Mekhi Henderson as a similar all-purpose weapon, yet he wasn't quite the same type of transcendental talent as the son of the Patriots Hall of Famer.

In order to get back to the mountaintop and earn a crack at an Everett team that's now defeated them twice in a row by a combined score of 59-14, the Hawks may need to find a new three-phase star, and he might just have emerged on Friday night. 

Junior wide receiver and defensive back Cooper DeVeau caught 7 balls for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns, added a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery, and excelled in the return game while playing just about every snap in Xaverian's 32-7 win over Bridgewater-Raynham at the Hawk's Nest. 

After the game, DeVeau talked about trying to follow in the footsteps of those other great Hawks. 

“I just want to help out the team any way I can and do what the coaches ask of me,” said DeVeau. “I know Coby [Tippett] and Mekhi [Henderson] were a big part of the team the last few years and I really looked up to them.”

For long-time defensive coordinator and first-year Hawks head coach Al Fornaro, DeVeau has been the most valuable player for the team thus far. 

“He started for us in the secondary last year and in the offseason I told my assistants that we have to get him the ball,” said Fornaro. “He can do so many things well and I don’t want to see we’re over using him, but we have to find ways to get the kid off the field.”

In a game that seemed bogged down and destined to turn into a classic defensive slugfest, DeVeau kept the Hawks offense moving by catching short screen passes and making defenders miss.

He scored a 36-yard touchdown on such a play and when the Trojans defense tried to adjust, Xaverian quarterback Davin Sweeney faked a screen to DeVeau and hit teammate Patrick Barnes for a 47-yard score to put the game beyond reach. 

“We want to get the ball to [DeVeau], because he can make people miss,” said Sweeney. “The offensive line does a great job of getting us time and he does the rest.”