C-C, also qualifying for post-season play for the first time since its 1978 Super Bowl title, will play Masconomet Regional of Topsfield in the MIAA Division 2A semifinals Tuesday, with the site and time to be determined today.

This also marked C-C's first league Football championship since 1981 -- and it came under first-year head coach Mike Robichaud whose dad, Al, was the lead man for both the '78 and '81 Patriots' squads.

C-C senior tailback Jaron Hargrove was electrifying as usual, with touchdown runs of 74, 25 and 19 yards, the latter featuring a flying leap over a defender at the 5-yard line.

The defense -- led by senior middle linebacker Andy Mangin -- delivered.

C-C (8-3, 5-0 DCL Small) shut down Bedford tailback Leon Barnes, who had amassed 17 touchdowns and more than 800 yards rushing in the preceding five games. Yesterday, Barnes carried 10 times in the first half for a net of zero. Five of his rushes were for negative yards, as the defensive line was impenetrable and linebackers Preston Jessee, Ryan Ruiz and Mangin repeatedly reached the Buccaneer backfield.

Still, the score was only 12-0 at the break, and when Bedford shut the home team down on a three-and-out to open the third quarter, one could sense a momentum shift.

But the defense would not permit it. On first down from his 32, Bedford quarterback Kevin Cangiano (12-for-29, 139 yards) barely escaped a sack as he dumped a pass to safety valve Barnes. The play lost 7 yards, and three plays later the Bucs were punting.

C-C punted on its second possession and the Bucs (7-3, 4-1 DCL Small), who entered riding a 7-game win streak, declined to attempt a fair catch. So the series started at the Bedford 3, and Cangiano, on third-and-10, threw from deep in the end zone to the right sideline. The ball was picked by Jibrail Coy, the junior cornerback.

Concord-Carlisle's first play was a sweep to the right, featuring Hargrove. who continues to lead the area individual scoring race with 150 total points. He turned the corner and raced untouched into the end zone.

Later, Cangiano's bomb from his 8-yard line was intercepted at the 40 by Max Barrett, who ran it all the way in. Ben Lesser added the point to make it 25-0.

The Bedford score capped an 80-yard drive off the sub-varsity defense. Tim McDonald, sidelined most of the season with injuries after a stellar junior year, rushed it in from the 4, and Tim Pike booted his 36th point.

On their second series, beginning at the 7, the Pats ran Hargrove three times: 13 yards wide, 6 more inside, and then a 74-yard sprint to the end zone.

Later, the Pats took over and, after a 20-yard third-down completion from Peter George to Jabrail Coy, Hargrove took over again. He raced for 9 sweeping right and followed that with a 25-yard scamper through a seam inside for the TD.

The Patriots now lead the series 22-13-1.