As December 1st approaches, the Scituate community anticipates the SHS football team challenging Nipmuc High School. The Division 5 Super Bowl competition will take place at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, December 1st, at 1:30 p.m. Additional towns will also be playing their championships before and after Scituate plays. This opportunity—and the SHS team making it to this title—hasn’t happened since 1979.

The two teams have identical records, both at 10-1 heading into the Super Bowl game, which will make for an even matchup on the Gillette Stadium field.  

In preparation for the big game, Scituate’s four captains, head coach, and two cheerleading captains experienced the field first-hand with all the other captains playing this upcoming weekend. Tuesday, November 27, the captains were served breakfast with a view of the field before touring the field where they will play. Senior captain Daniel May described the experience as “kind of surreal,” as the team has worked all summer for this opportunity.

After the event, senior captain Aidan Sullivan said previewing the field “put things into perspective” for the captains. To Sullivan, it “kind of seems like a dream” to play at Gillette to end their season.

Heading into this Super Bowl Saturday, Sullivan felt that visiting Gillette prior to the game “took the nerves away,” as they plan to “go out there and play,” according to senior captain Josh Comeau.

Senior captain Josh McKeever is looking forward to the Super Bowl match, as there is “a lot on the line,” while May described Saturday’s opportunity as “super exciting.” The team’s practices have intensified, with more focus and less joking around. Since the Super Bowl experience is “what we’ve all wanted since the summer,” according to May, this game will bring the chance for the team to truly show their continuous effort.

The team experienced playing at Fenway last year, and now they will be following Fenway with the Gillette Super Bowl. Despite these game locations, May feels that his excitement is more so because the team has made it into the Division 5 Super Bowl. McKeever said he “feels like they deserved it.”

The team has a lot of support from their fellow sailors, as students of all grades are planning on attending the game. Sullivan believes the Super Bowl will be a “fun experience for everyone involved,” including students and the Scituate community. Most students who are able to drive are planning to drive, while the boys’ hockey team is taking a bus together. The team has a scrimmage right after the game, so they will travel there right from Gillette. There is also a fan bus available for high school students.

When asked their reasoning for attending the historical game, students had a variety of responses. Senior Kevin Farwell said it is for “school pride,” while he added he “definitely has friends on the team.” Senior Charlotte Falvey accredited her “sailor pride” as reasoning to go to the game. Farwell sees the fact that the game is the Super Bowl as the creation of more excitement, while senior Ian Loftus thinks it will be fun since the game is at Gillette. Falvey sees everything as exciting for the team and the fans as Scituate is “really breaking history right now.”

Anticipating a strong turnout from the community, the game should bring a rowdy crowd all the way from Scituate to Foxborough. All the captains alike hope to “end the season on a good note,” calling for everyone to attend Saturday’s historic game. The football players, cheerleaders, coaches, boosters, and fans have been there since the beginning of the season, and they will be there to support Scituate in their final ride to win the rings.