Riding the arm of Damon Taylor, BB&N pulls off repeat in Northeast 7v7 football championship

Boston Globe

01-08-2025

Taylor and Leominster's Osiris Lopez, committed to Coastal Carolina, dazzled all afternoon, picking apart any defense they faced. In the final, the cornerbacks dug in their heels, jumping routes and creating pass breakups.
But down the stretch, Taylor made the throws he had to.
Malignaggi, a BB&N and James Madison alum who is an assistant coach at WPI but stepped in to lead the 7v7 team, lauded Taylor's ability to read the defense and find underneath routes and mismatches.
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'I'm very proud of how he's grown, taking the coaching,' Malignaggi remarked. 'He's a very coachable guy. He understands the game well, understands it at a high level. Just talking to him about different reads where he sees a corner on the boundary, it's one-on-one, it's an easy-access throw, just throw the deep out, it's right there.'
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In the semifinal, a 26-20 win against Marblehead, Taylor did exactly that. Ellis Barnes raced outside the hashmarks and Taylor showed off his arm, launching a beautiful pass from 35-yards out.
'I'll go to war any day with that kid,' said Malignaggi. 'He battles, loves to compete, shows high-end effort. He loves the game. I'm proud of him.'
BB&N claimed its second straight Northeast 7v7 football championship trophy.
Cam Kerry
Taylor linked up with Sam Kelley, a close friend he grew up with in Natick, for two touchdowns in the championship. The two played youth football together and after Taylor followed Kelley to BB&N — after playing one season for Natick — the duo has continued to showcase their chemistry. Taylor smiled postgame recalling the sail route he found Kelley on from 8-yards out for the winning score, noting that it's 'money.'
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BB&N head coach Mike Willey watched from the goal line, impressed with his team's resilience. The Knights finished last season as ISL champions with an 8-1 record.
'Damon's been a great player for us for a long time,' said Willey. 'I think the thing that I've seen this year increase even more is his leadership and command of the offense. It's been really, really fun to watch this summer, playing for alumni — which is really cool — to really take even more ownership and leadership of the offense.'
The 7v7s serve as a quarterback's utopia, without pressure from defensive lineman and the game in their hands without the option to run the ball. It's a gunslingers paradise, an avenue to showcase their arm and decision-making.
Schematics and routes do play a role. On other plays, improvisation and chemistry take over. Regardless, it will pay dividends when the games count.
'It's really good to see your guys compete and really get to test your chemistry with each and every receiver you have,' said Taylor. 'I feel like it's really beneficial in every way in building us as a team to get ready for the season.'
Cam Kerry can be reached at