Vote: Who Had the Best Week 1 Performance in Massachusetts High School Football?

Five-TD games, clutch plays and standout defensive performances highlight 10 candidates from the opening week.

St. John’s Liam Deso had a big start to his 2026 season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Massachusetts high school football kicked off across the state with several notable performances in Week 1, including five-TD games, a game-winning score against a defending champion and a two-interception performance in one of the weekend's marquee matchups.

High School On SI has selected 10 of the top performances from the opening week. Read about each candidate below, then make your pick for the best Week 1 performance in Massachusetts high school football.

Voting concludes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sept. 20. The winner will be announced in next week's poll.

Liam Deso, St. John's Shrewsbury

Deso followed up a strong junior season by scoring two rushing touchdowns in St. John's Shrewsbury's season opener against Leominster.

Drew O'Keefe, Central Catholic

O'Keefe scored two TDs in Central Catholic's season-opening shutout of Boston College High, including a 33-yard run through the Eagles' defense.

Day'Vian Sullivan, St. John's Prep

Sullivan intercepted two passes, returning one for a TD, in St. John's Prep's 29-14 win over Springfield Central.

MoRodney Daigle, Northbridge

Daigle totaled 288 all-purpose yards and five TDs as Northbridge gave first-year head coach Anthony "TJ" Lucas a 46-14 win over Clinton in his debut.

Drew Cantrell, Walpole

Cantrell rushed 10 times for 44 yards and scored the game-winning TD as Walpole snapped King Philip's 13-game winning streak.

Dominik Mercier, Peabody

Mercier, a senior transfer, totaled 220 yards and four TDs in his Peabody debut. He had 220 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns. He was elite both on the ground and in the air, connecting with Mark Mendonca for two of those passing scores.

Will Harrison, Tewksbury

Harrison completed 9-of-13 passes for 152 yards and two TDs and rushed for two more scores in Tewksbury's 41-14 win over Foxboro.

Aiden Purdy, Westfield

Purdy threw five TD passes as Westfield opened the season with a win over Fitchburg in the first game at its new football stadium.

Will Wood, Xaverian

Wood accounted for four TDs in Xaverian's overtime win over Bishop Feehan, throwing three TD passes and adding another score on the ground. His game-winning TD pass to Conor Keane ended the game in overtime.

Tyler Stelljes, Scituate

Stelljes threw two TD passes and rushed for another score in his first varsity start, leading Scituate to a 21-0 win over Duxbury.