Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

PAGE
CENTRAL MASS. HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE
WWW.TELEGRAM.COM/HOMETEAM
12
DIVISION 1B
‘The motivator’
By Jennifer Toland
W
With Grant
under center,
Westboro is
headed in the
right direction
ESTBORO — Andrew
Grant will never forget
last year’s playoff game
against Holy Name.
The Rangers were
making their first postseason
appearance since
2002 and were big-time
underdogs, having lost to
the Naps, 40-0, during the regular season,
but there they were at halftime, leading, 7-6,
and going wild in the Commerce Bank Field
locker room.
“It was awesome,” Grant recalled after
recent practice. “It was probably the best
feeling we had all year. We lost, but it was a
great experience.”
Holy Name rallied for an 18-7 victory.
The Rangers won seven games last year
and have high hopes for more success in
2010, especially with Grant as one of their
leaders.
The senior was a force
at linebacker last season,
registering a teamhigh
77 tackles and earning
a spot on the Division
1B all-star team,
and this year he is projected
as the Rangers’
starting quarterback.
“I can’t wait to lead
the huddle and try to get
some wins,” said the
6-foot-3 Grant, one of
four Westboro captains.
“I want to be the motivator,
trying to get everyone
where they need to
be.”
Eric Thomas beat out Grant for the QB
job last season, but Grant did sub in for a
few series at quarterback, including in the
Thanksgiving Day game against Algonquin,
and also played tight end and running back.
Anticipating the starting quarterback
duties this season, Grant worked with former
Westboro QB Tom Power during the
summer.
“He was a big help for me in getting
things headed in the right direction,” Grant
said.
Grant was mostly focusing on the quarterback
competition last preseason, so
Westboro coach Mark Ellis didn’t have him
play linebacker until the team’s last scrimmage.
“And he made an immediate impact,”
Ellis said. “As soon as he stepped in, everyone
felt comfortable with him. It jelled right
away, and that was nice for us.”
Ellis said Grant was the biggest factor in
the team’s defense last season.
“I like being aggressive out there,” Grant
said.
Ellis now actually faces a bit of a quandary.
He’d prefer to not have his quarterback
also playing linebacker.
“It’s a tough combination,” Ellis said.
“You hate to have your quarterback taking
CHRISTINE PETERSON
Senior Andrew Grant will move from linebacker to quarterback this season for Westboro.
so many hits. He’s an all-star linebacker, so
it’s tough for us, but he’s unique because
he’s got the physique and the mentality to
do it all. We have to think about what’s best
for the team.”
This summer, Grant and Westboro’s
other captains, Sam Nichols, Tony Silva
and Brian Orlando, worked out together at
Gold’s Gym and ran four to five times a
week. They’re a tight group of quality kids
and “brainiacs,” Ellis said of the honor-roll
quartet. “They all bring the whole package.”
Each brings his own style of leadership.
“Andrew, he’s the one to be more the
let-me-show-you-how-it’s-done type,” Ellis
said. “I’m not going to rah-rah you up, but
follow me, and you’ll be fine. I can see him
taking the team on his shoulders and saying,
‘I’m going to do this because we need
this done.’ He knows what we’re trying to
do on the field.”
Grant is also a star pitcher and center
fielder for the Rangers baseball team. He
played for the Northboro American Legion
team this summer. Grant would like to play
baseball in college and is looking at UMass,
Tufts, Holy Cross, Bryant and Fordham.
Right now, his focus is on the upcoming
football season.
“Last year we had great success, and we
surprised a lot of people by getting to the
playoffs,” Grant said. “We came together as
a group, and we’re trying to find that this
year, get that chemistry that took us into
the playoffs.”