For Bishop Fenwick linebacker, a 4-3 scheme and a 4.2 GPA

The Crusaders have gone 32-3 in the last three seasons and are riding a 27-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the state.

Hurley is responsible for calling out the plays and ensuring that his teammates are in the right positions. The senior captain also starts at offensive tackle and rarely misses a snap on either side of the ball.

“David is a natural leader out there,” Woods said. “He is our eyes and ears on the field and is a huge part of our success the last few seasons.”

His production on the field is matched by his academic performance. He is in the top 10 percent of his class and has a 4.2 GPA.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 225-pound Hurley, who has 114 tackles this season and more than 400 in his career, has attracted attention from several colleges, including Holy Cross, Columbia, and Bucknell.

Hurley was a vital piece of the Crusaders’ Division 5 state title and 13-0 record last season as he piled up 140 tackles and multiple interceptions.

The Crusaders boast one of the best defenses in the state again this year, allowing 8.1 points per game, and are one win away from returning to Gillette Stadium for a shot at their second straight Division 5 Super Bowl.

Bishop Fenwick squares off against Abington Saturday at noon. The game is in Brockton.

Gary Clark has been a star athlete ever since he arrived at Everett.

The senior is a three-year starting forward on the basketball team and is a two-time Greater Boston League All-Star.

But this year, Clark has become a must-see talent on the football field, too.

Everett coach John DiBiaso got Clark (6-3, 217 pounds) to try out for the football team before this season, hoping his athleticism would make him a fit at wide receiver.

Clark needed some time to get used to the position, but week after week, he kept improving. His rapport with sophomore quarterback Jordan McAfee continued to improve, and their connection was evident in the 31-24 win over St. John’s Prep in the Division 1 North final last Friday.

Clark caught four passes for 52 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown that had him leaping over a defender in the back of the end zone.

But perhaps his biggest catch came on Everett’s winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

With just over two minutes to play and the Crimson facing a third-and-19 from their own 34, McAfee found Clark along the right sideline for a 20-yard gain. A few plays later, Nick Orekoya rumbled into the end zone for the winning touchdown with 16 seconds to play.

“Thank God I’m the basketball coach,” DiBiaso joked. “We had to talk him into playing, and I don’t think he regrets a moment of it now. He never played football before. Great basketball player.

“When you run a spread offense, basketball guys can play, you can find spots for them. Things worked out.”

Cam Williamson has learned to be a disruption. Not to his Saugus teammates, but to opposing offenses. It’s been an evolution this season for the sophomore as his role has expanded.

“He has been asked more and more of as the season has progressed,” Saugus coach Mike Broderick said. “He plays with a high motor and is getting better and better.”

His progression has come with some guidance. Saugus’s senior-heavy defense has provided Williamson with a slew of experience to draw on, including that of cocaptain and defensive end Nick Vokey.

“Vokey is a vocal leader and he helped Cam a lot when they both played defensive end,” Broderick said.

The defensive tackle’s climb this season peaked last week against Hamilton-Wenham, when he filled out his stat sheet with seven tackles, one sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery in his third start.

“He is long, and he can move,” said Broderick, whose team earned a 33-7 win. “You saw it on the screen when he picked it off with his hands, tucked the ball away, and started running,”

Williamson’s pick was a leaping one that came in the second quarter when Hamilton-Wenham tried a middle screen. The 6-foot-3-inch defensive tackle read it right away, showing his athleticism to make the grab.

“Our guys celebrated more on that pickoff than we did all year,” Broderick said. “We are really excited [about Williamson]. He is a sophomore, he is big and athletic. It bodes well for our future.”

Somerset Berkley running back Mark Tonucci entered the game against Dartmouth with 23 touchdowns. Chip Wood and Kyle Crombie were also dangerous weapons out of the backfield.

But the Indians kept Tonucci & Co. in check, piecing together a 14-0 upset win in the Division 3 Southeast final. Dartmouth (8-2) will now face Walpole in the state semifinal Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Brockton.

“They were able to get a couple nice runs on us, but nothing bigger,” Dartmouth coach Richard White said. “We bent but didn’t break.”

The Raiders entered the game averaging 34.1 points and allowing just 7.9. Dartmouth not only pulled an upset, it also shut out one of the more explosive offenses in the state.

White put his more physical defensive players opposite Tonucci and his speed guys opposite Wood. His defensive line applied pressure and made the Raiders uncomfortable.

“We forced them to throw the ball, which is something that they don’t typically do,” White said. “That was really the key for us.”

White said his defensive players worked hard at taking on double teams. That’s where Dartmouth won the game, he said — along the defensive line.

Senior Marley Dembitzki recorded two interceptions. The first one floated in the air after Dartmouth applied pressure. Dembitzki wrestled the second one away from a Raider and fell to the ground.

Somerset Berkley was the team with the heralded defense, but Dartmouth has now allowed just 12 points in three playoff games this season.

“We’ve got great team chemistry,” White said. “People are buying in right now.”

Manchester-Essex senior Craig Carter is not only a three-sport athlete, but a three-sport captain.

Carter plays quarterback and strong safety in the fall, guard in the winter, and shortstop in the spring.

“Craig works so hard watching film and is a huge help to our younger players,” said coach Michael Athanas. “He helps the linemen with their blocking schemes, the receivers with their routes, and is basically a coach on the field.”

Carter has aspirations of playing at the next level, and his top choice is Mass. Maritime, where he hopes to study marine biology in addition to playing football.

Manchester-Essex graduated an extraordinary amount of talent after its run to the Division 5 North semifinals last season.

The Hornets’ three captains — Carter, Brett Williams (OL/DL), and Ted Economo (OL/DL) — are the only seniors on the roster this season. The lack of experience led to a tough season for Manchester-Essex (2-8), but the three senior captains pushed through.

“All three of the guys have been all we can ask for as coaches in our captains,” said Athanas. “It obviously hasn’t been their ideal senior season, especially after our success last year, but I haven’t heard one complaint.

“It has to be tough for them, but they haven’t shown it one bit. They are at practice every day working hard and teaching our younger guys.”

The Hornets will host rival Georgetown (2-7) on Thanksgiving.

“The great thing about Thanksgiving games is that the records of both teams are wiped clean and we can both start from scratch,” said Athanas. “It is a great rivalry and should be a great game. We are all excited.”

Ryan Leger, Eric Russo, Brandan Blom, Trevor Hass, and Rachel G. Bowers contributed to this report.