Team of the Week – KIPP Academy football

You know what I’ve been thinking? KIPP Academy wins (x50).

In just its eighth season, the football program eclipsed the 50-win mark with a 22-14 victory against Salem Friday night – on the road, to boot.

Jim Rabbitt, who coached in the Agganis All-Star Game this past summer and has helmed KIPP since inception, said it was “probably one of the best regular season wins we’ve had for our program.

“Salem is a dynamic offense and a well-coached team,” he said. “Matt Bouchard has those guys prepped and ready.”

Leading the charge were Elai Machado (19-for-26, 185 yards passing, 3 TD, 61 yards rushing) and Jose Echavarria (10 receptions, 91 yards, 2 TD).

“He’s really mature for a quarterback,” Rabbitt said of Machado. “We knew at the beginning of the year that there would be some growing pains as a first-year starter against a really tough schedule. … He picked his spots and he hits it. He’s really coming into his own as a dual-threat quarterback.”

Let’s remember Salem went to the MIAA Division 6 Super Bowl just 11 months ago, too.

Talk about a rebuild – or, just a build. KIPP has already captured three Commonwealth Athletic Conference titles (2019, 2020, 2023) and reached the Division 8 Super Bowl in 2022.

Next up for the Panthers (4-2, No. 5 in Division 8 power rankings as of Friday morning) is a home game against Nashoba on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. at Manning Field.

KIPP, good week.

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