Cranberry Bowl will be a Reunion for Four Bridgewater Residents

By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- They were introduced to football at the same time as third-graders during the mid-1990s.

Jason Flannery, Casey Florence, Mike Dangoia and Chris Paze were together for several years in the Bridgewater Youth Football Association, then remained teammates for four seasons at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School.

After graduating from B-R in 2006, Flannery and Florence headed for nearby Bridgewater State College and Dangoia and Paze enrolled at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to continue their football careers.

On Saturday afternoon, the four Bridgewater residents will be reunited at Clean Harbors Stadium in Bourne to play one last football game together.

Flannery and Florence will be starting linebackers for BSC while Dangoia will be at defensive back and Paze on the defensive line for Mass. Maritime in the 31st annual Cranberry Bowl to conclude the regular season.

Unless BSC gets some help and wins the New England Football Conference Bogan Division championship on Saturday, this figures to be it for the football careers of Flannery, Florence, Dangoia and Paze.

Together when they were introduced to the sport some 14 years ago with the Bridgewater Badgers, the foursome will be together again, though not on the same side, when the curtain is drawn this weekend.

"Now, looking back, it's kind of ironic,'' said Paze, who has made 19 tackles with a sack for the Buccaneers this season. "We went through youth football, high school, and now our last game in college, we're all back together. It's kind of crazy.''

Said Flannery: "It's going to be real special. I probably wouldn't want to have it any other way. I'm playing with a great friend in Casey and against my friends in my last game.''

Flannery and Florence, who earned All-NEFC Bogan Division honors a year ago, and Dangoia and Paze have remained friends during their college days.

They often get together on weekends in Bridgewater and keep in touch during the week, discussing upcoming games and giving scouting reports on the next opponent BSC or Mass. Maritime had during the season.

"I definitely plan on talking to them this week,'' said Dangoia, who has a fumble recovery this season. "It's just casual. When you pick up the phone, you laugh. We kid each other. We'll say, ‘Watch out.' It's friendly joking.''

Said Flannery, whose twin brother, Ryan, is a senior at Mass. Maritime: "It's great. You're on the sidelines during the game and you can yell out to them. It's a lot of fun.''

Flannery and Florence have been key components of the BSC defense since arriving in '06. Teammates for 14 seasons since youth football, the partnership has clicked for the Bears.

Florence made the All-Bogan Division second team as a sophomore when he was the Bears' second-leading tackler with 56 and was named to the first team last season when had a BSC-leading 56 tackles. Florence has 56 this season with a sack and an interception.

Flannery made the second team as a junior when he had 52 tackles, including five for a loss, to go with an interception. He is BSC's second-leading tackler this season with 60, including nine for a loss.

"There's definitely a level of comfort there, just trusting each other and knowing you have help,'' said Florence of lining up with Flannery all these years. "It basically just happened that we both came here. He was looking at different schools than I was, and Bridgewater was the only mutual school we had.

"We knew we'd be even closer these four years after being friends for so long. We've lived together in an apartment and the dorms. It's been a real good experience.

"It's definitely going to be tough (playing the last game together). It probably won't sink in for a while. We've both helped each other through the good times and the bad times.''

Said Flannery: "It's been awesome. He's been my best friend, and to have him on the same team has been great. When we're out there, we know what's going to happen. If I go and fill a hole, he'll be there to make a play.''

Florence, Flannery, Dangoia and Paze were together on defense at B-R as juniors, playing for Coach Dan Buron when the Trojans lost to Brockton in the playoffs and as seniors when they were 10-1.

Since splitting up, Florence and Flannery have had the edge over Dangoia and Paze, winning the Cranberry Bowl the past three seasons.

"I can remember my freshman year I was returning kicks,'' said Dangoia. "Jason made a tackle on me. It hadn't hit me that I was playing against them until that happened.

"Since we're all on defense, we don't really play against each other. But we're on the sideline watching each other. It's just good to see them on the field.

"I'm not surprised how Jason and Casey have done. They were our captains in high school and they were the hardest workers, the first to get there and the last to leave.''

The foursome that played so many youth games together at Legion Field, then were teammates for four year at B-R are ready to write the final football chapter together.

"We're all friends,'' said Paze. "We started out real young together. We got to high school and knew each other inside and out, worked hard in the offseasons together.

"Playing against Bridgewater State is definitely the best way to go out. It seems the right way to end.''