DANVERS – When St. John’s Prep quarterback Christopher Vargas faced Catholic Memorial last fall, he was not very happy with his performance.

With redemption on his mind, the sophomore quarterback went 18-of-24 for 217 yards and four touchdowns to lead St. John’s Prep (8-0) to a 42-28 victory over the Knights (6-2) during a huge football clash Saturday afternoon.

“This game was personal to me,” Vargas said. “It felt really good to play good against them. They are a great team and it’s a great morale boost to win this game.”

It was the 100th win for Eagles head coach Brian St. Pierre. It also came in comeback fashion as the Knights led 20-8 late into the second quarter. St. Pierre said the effort from the group showed its collective resiliency.

“Our guys don’t worry about the score,” St. Pierre said. “They believe in what they do and how hard they work. That was a culture win.”

Catholic Memorial started with possession and started with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a quarterback sneak from Harvard-commit Kise Flannery. The Eagles responded with a 12-play, 67-yard drive that concluded with a 25-yard touchdown connection between Vargas and Riley Selvais that evened the score at 8.

Catholic Memorial responded with a six-play, 80-yard drive that included a trick play, a 45-yard connection between Flannery and senior wide receiver Caleb Garrity. This put the Knights in the red zone and Christian Simmons finished the drive off with an 18-yard run. After a failed two-point conversion, it was 14-8.

St. John’s Prep would punt on its next drive and pinned the Knights at the 12. Flannery then orchestrated a six-play, 88-yard drive that was finished with a 44-yard passing touchdown to Garrity.

The Eagles were chasing two touchdowns and responded with a 10-play, 62-yard drive that finished with a seven-yard rush from Maxwell Parent. On the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles outhustled the Knights and recovered the kick at the Knights’ 17.

“When it went 20-8, it wasn’t looking great,” St. Pierre said. “We went right down the field and scored, and got that pop-up kick that changed the tide.”

Vargas would fire his second touchdown pass to Selvais three plays later to give the Eagles a 22-20 lead after a successful two-point conversion. The Knights would begin their next drive but Bo Minogue forced a fumble that Jordan Toribio recovered to give St. John’s Prep another offensive chance.

One play later, Vargas connected with Brody Gillingham for a 38-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 29-20 halftime edge.

Catholic Memorial’s Kise Flannery, left, fends off Connor Quigley of St. John’s Prep on Saturday. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

The Eagles started with possession in the second half and Vargas led a 12-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Sanderson. The drive notably took up 7:22 in game clock, which St. Pierre said is something his squad has practiced.

“We’ve been pretty potent all year, but to be able to slow it down and still move the ball against a group like that is huge,” St. Pierre said. “It’s a drill we work on incessantly.”

Flannery pushed the Knights down the field and ran in a four-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to eight, but St. John’s Prep finished with a 13-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a Parent two-yard rush and gave Catholic Memorial limited time to work with.

On the ensuing drive, Alex Turrisi intercepted Flannery’s first pass and iced the game.

Selvais finished with 13 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns while Parent finished with 15 carries for 50 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles line also didn’t allow a sack, which Vargas said he would reward the unit for.

Riley Selvais, left, of St. John’s Prep celebrates his TD with Davian Sullivan during a 42-28 win over Catholic Memorial. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

“Every time I don’t get touched in a game, I take them out for milkshakes,” Vargas said of his line. “We have a lot of fun together.”