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LAWRENCE | Timmy Morrison's reputation and resume on this side of the Merrimack Valley couldn't be any more spectacular.

The Billerica High senior quarterback piled up 209 yards of offense with three TD passes to topple Central Catholic, 21-7, before a Homecoming Night crowd of 2,000 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Last week, he was the "other Mike" returning from injury to the Central Catholic football lineup.

Most of the time, his pals just call him "Crazy Schloss." By any name, two-way tackle Mike Schlosser, back and healthy, was a welcomed sight for Chuck Adamopoulos and the Raider coaching staff.

Running back Mike Leavitt is back, the Raiders are coming off a one-point win over Dracut, and a big game against Merrimack Valley Conference power Billerica is on tap. These are heady times for Central Catholic coach Chuck Adamopoulos.

LAWRENCE | Central Catholic and Dracut played an instant classic under the lights of Veterans Stadium, but one key penalty early in the game cost the Middies an extra point, which was the difference in the Raiders' 21-20 win.

It resembles a "bracket buster" weekend on the local scene with a handful of huge games on tap.

The injuries keep coming at Central Catholic, where Chuck Adamopoulos has played patchwork with the lineup through a 1-2 start.

FOXBORO, Mass. | A high snap that resulted in the ball going out of the back of the end zone resulted in a third-quarter safety and sent Foxboro on its way to a 19-0 win over Central Catholic.

The Raiders (1-2) could not get their offensive moving and watched their defense give up a pair of third-quarter touchdowns that put the game out of reach.

If the physically-depleted Central Catholic football team had any margin for error offensively, a stingy, ball-hawking group from St. John's Prep stole it away.

The Eagles posted shutout No. 2 in as many games, holding the Raiders to a meager 133 yards of offense in a 12-0 whitewash before about 1,000 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

How far can emotion carry a team in a big game? Central Catholic, which hosts St. John's Prep tomorrow at 7 p.m., is hoping it can despite the odds carry it all the way to victory.

On paper, St. John's Prep (1-0) appears too strong for the Raiders, what with quarterback Scott Darby and running back Derek Coppola of North Reading leading the offense. Central (1-0) should have been able to counter with explosive Mike Leavitt running behind big tackle Mike Schlosser, but both aren't scheduled to suit up because of injuries. Impressive sophomore linebacker Zach Lattrell has also been ruled out.

The news, as expected, was not good for Central's Zach Lattrell, who underwent surgery at Children's Hospital for his broken leg, suffered in the Lawrence game. The promising 6-foot, 190-pounder, who overcame surgery last year on his other knee, hopes to recover for the baseball season.

Cowards wilt under adversity. Central Catholic's Smith twins, Mike and Matt, can't get enough of it. The Raider senior backfield mates, separated at birth by about two minutes, were right at the heart of a courageous effort Saturday night in the club's season-opening win over Lawrence.