Tewksbury quarterback Will Harrison celebrates one of his two touchdown passes in a Division 4 semifinal win over Canton.
Tewksbury quarterback Will Harrison celebrates one of his two touchdown passes in a Division 4 semifinal win over Canton.Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe
Turnovers were the determining factor for Tewksbury as it completed the penultimate step to the perfect season.
In the first half alone, senior Jonny Sullivan intercepted Canton quarterback Brian MacGillivray three times, including a ridiculous one-handed snatch on the Redmen’s 10-yard line to set up an eight-play, 90-yard scoring drive en route to a 35-6 Division 4 semifinal victory at Manning Field in Lynn.
“We set pressure up front,” Sullivan said. “[MacGillivray] got kind of flustered in the pocket, so rolled out, giving us DBs opportunity to make plays. So we made those plays tonight.”
Holy, what an interception.
Jonny Sullivan grabs his second pick of the first half with his top hand at the Redmen 10-yard line as the Bulldogs threatened to score.
Now, Tewksbury is already on the Canton 42 with 1:53 left in the half.@GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/sMo5sP0rZs
— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) November 22, 2025
Senior Jake Burns fueled Tewksbury’s defensive dominance in the first half with a 34-yard, scoop-and-score — forced by Olu Emeka’s strip-sack on MacGillivray — to make it 21-0 in favor of the second-seeded Redmen (11-0), who advance to the Division 4 Super Bowl. It’s Tewksbury’s first trip to Gillette since 2018.
Third-seeded Canton (8-3) scored with 12 seconds left in the game via Dylan Lank’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Jake Marcell, avoiding the shutout.
“It’s a tremendous experience,” Tewksbury coach Brian Aylward said. “I’ve been fortunate with great kids, great families that want to do the work and work towards that goal, and this team is so deserving to do that.”
Quarterback Will Harrison passed for 130 yards and touchdowns of 10 and 15 yards, to senior Ben Christopher and Burns, respectively.
The Will Harrison-Ben Christopher connection is demolishing Canton’s secondary, as the two strike for a 10-yard TD through the air with 0:33 left in Q2.
Harrison then linked up with Christopher again on the 2-point attempt to make it 28-0 Tewksbury.@GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/JeJjHARHc3
— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) November 22, 2025
Christopher manufactured 54 receiving yards, 61 rushing yards and two total touchdowns — a 2-yard rushing score and a 10-yard touchdown reception — plus a 2-point conversion catch to give the Redmen a 28-0 halftime lead.
Emeka’s 1-yard score on the ground put Tewksbury ahead, 7-0, with 3:42 remaining in the first quarter, and the Redmen never took their foot off the pedal.
Tewksbury added to its lead with Harrison’s 15-yard dish to Burns to open the second half.
The Redmen were ousted in the semifinals the past two years, but redeemed themselves Friday at Manning Field.
“It’s going to take a lot [to get over the final hump],” Sullivan said. “I mean, we just got over the hump tonight. Now we have another game to go, so just have to execute offensively, defensively, shut down what they want, just like tonight.”
Tewksbury's Jake Burns had a 34-yard scoop-and-score off a fumble, one of several turnovers the Redmen forced.
Tewksbury's Jake Burns had a 34-yard scoop-and-score off a fumble, one of several turnovers the Redmen forced.Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe
Emeka Olu scored the game's first touchdown as Tewksbury began escaping from Canton's grasp.
Emeka Olu scored the game's first touchdown as Tewksbury began escaping from Canton's grasp.Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe
Tewksbury kept the pressure on Canton quarterback Brian McGillivary, who threw a trio of first-half interceptions.
Tewksbury kept the pressure on Canton quarterback Brian McGillivary, who threw a trio of first-half interceptions.Winslow Townson for The Boston G