Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette
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WWW.TELEGRAM.COM/HOMETEAM CENTRAL MASS. HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE PAGE<br />
19<br />
TOM RETTIG<br />
South coach Hampton Clarkson goes over a play during a recent practice.<br />
South Colonels<br />
Home field: Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium.<br />
Turf field, 305 Chandler St., <strong>Worcester</strong>.<br />
Brain trust: Coach: Hampton Clarkson (second<br />
season, 0-11 career). Assistants: Jim Grandone,<br />
Dave Wood, Jeff Bowdell, Pat Williams, Mike McAuliffe.<br />
Returning starters: 12 (7 offense, 5 defense).<br />
Captains: Sr. QB Joe Brigham, Sr. C/DL Evan Earls,<br />
Sr. RB/DB Mike Wright.<br />
Top players: Sr. RB/DB Hugh Daye, Sr. RB/LB<br />
Dennis Okyere, Sr. TE/DE Kevin Boakye, Sr. WR/DB<br />
David Green, Jr. OL/DL Peter Barbosa, Sr. K Josh<br />
Fontaine.<br />
Out with the old: The Colonels graduated just one of<br />
three Division 1C all-stars in DT Simm Tozer.<br />
In with the new: Sr. OL/DL Joe Lindenmayer, Jr.<br />
WR/LB Rick Goodrich, Jr. WR/DB Joe Plouffe, So.<br />
RB/DB Frank Ansah, So. RB/DB Mohammed Ali, So.<br />
T/DE Ramon Dos Santos, So. G/LB Dillon Aggei, Fr.<br />
T/DT Dathiel Blake, Fr. G/NG Miguel Martinez.<br />
When the Colonels have the ball: Option offense. …<br />
Scored 88 points last year. … Returning Division 1C<br />
all-star Brigham leads the team at quarterback. …<br />
Daye and Wright give the Colonels one of the fastest<br />
backfields around and should join with Okyere for a<br />
powerful unit. … Boakye returns at tight end. …<br />
Fontaine is also back to handle kicking chores.<br />
When their opponents have the ball: 5-2 defense. …<br />
Allowed 381 points last year. … The Colonels have a<br />
strong defensive front returning, led by Daye, Barbosa<br />
and Boakye. … Earls leads the unit at linebacker,<br />
but returning starter Okyere will also help.<br />
In the trenches: Earls is a three-year starter at center<br />
and was a Division 1C all-star last year. … Aggei is<br />
also back at guard after starting as a freshman.<br />
One to watch: Brigham is perhaps the best quarterback<br />
in Central Mass. you’ve never heard of, and he<br />
plans on changing that this year. “He is a great leader<br />
on and off the field,” Clarkson said of his Goddard<br />
Scholar with a 3.8 GPA. Brigham spent the offseason<br />
gaining 10 points of muscle and attending football<br />
camp at Boston College and Tony Reno’s speed<br />
camp. “Joe is a great leader and teammate as he<br />
never misses a workout and seems to never miss in<br />
the classroom as well,” Clarkson said.<br />
2009: 0-11 (0-5 Division 1C)<br />
By Jim Wilson<br />
The quote: “I believe that this season will be a<br />
turnaround from last year for South High football,”<br />
Clarkson said. “We have had our first offseason with<br />
our new expectations and opportunities, which went<br />
well. We are determined to go back to the run game<br />
this year. We will still use Joe Brigham’s big arm, but<br />
we want to establish the run all year long.”<br />
Schedule:<br />
Sept. 11..........................at <strong>Worcester</strong> Tech, 1<br />
Sept. 16....................................Holy Name, 7<br />
Sept. 25.........................................Bartlett, 1<br />
Oct. 1.........................................at Grafton, 7<br />
Oct. 8....................................at Watertown, 7<br />
Oct. 16..........................................Doherty, 7<br />
Oct. 23 ..................................St. Bernard’s, 4<br />
Oct. 29.......................................Algonquin, 7<br />
Nov. 6 ............................at St. Peter-Marian, 1<br />
Nov. 15....................................at Burncoat, 6<br />
Nov. 24............................................North, 7<br />
Key game: Sept. 11 at <strong>Worcester</strong> Tech. The Colonels<br />
didn’t win a game last year, so you can be sure<br />
South can’t wait for its first chance to get back in the<br />
victory column. The fact it’s against a city rival<br />
makes it that much better for the Colonels.<br />
2009 results:<br />
<strong>Worcester</strong> Tech 31.............................South 0<br />
Holy Name 42 ...................................South 7<br />
Bartlett 35 .......................................South 14<br />
Grafton 34.......................................South 14<br />
Watertown 20 ..................................South 12<br />
Doherty 34........................................South 0<br />
St. Bernard’s 33.................................South 0<br />
Algonquin 35.....................................South 9<br />
St. Peter-Marian 36.............................South 9<br />
Burncoat 39 ......................................South 3<br />
North 42.........................................South 20<br />
Jim’s take: Clarkson is doing many things right at<br />
South, and he should start seeing some results in his<br />
second season at the helm. The Colonels are a long<br />
way from the glory days from a few years ago, but<br />
South should see a few more wins this year, thanks<br />
to players like Earls, Brigham and Daye.<br />
5<br />
Follow the Colonels’ every game this fall<br />
at www.telegram.com/hometeam.<br />
DIVISION 1C<br />
St. Peter-Marian<br />
Guardians<br />
Home field: St. Peter-Marian Field. Grass field, 781<br />
Grove St., <strong>Worcester</strong>.<br />
Brain trust: Coach: Tom Henrickson (second season,<br />
7-4 career). Assistants: Jamie Johnston, Bill<br />
Stapleton, Joe Genese, Sean Leary, Todd Albert,<br />
John Dietel, Mark Coggeshall.<br />
Returning starters: 10 (4 offense, 6 defense).<br />
Captains: Sr. QB/DB Lamar Edmonds, Sr. WR/DB<br />
Gavin O’Neal, Sr. OL/LB Mike Reynolds.<br />
Top players: Jr. RB/LB Tré Watson, Jr. DE Steve<br />
Flynn, Jr. NG Jordan Knowles.<br />
Out with the old: The Guardians graduated four of<br />
their six Division 1C all-stars in RB Daquain Yarrell, OL<br />
Dan Zenevitch, TE Kyle Brenner and DT Mike McGee.<br />
In with the new: Jr. C Eddie Tortora, So. RB Angel<br />
Webster, Jr. RB Tim Brutto, Sr. WR Jay Mundy, Jr. LB<br />
Tom Sedares.<br />
When the Guardians have the ball: I-pro offense. …<br />
Scored 184 points in 2009. … Edmonds (8 TD<br />
passes, 543 rushing yards) returns at quarterback. …<br />
O’Neal (5 TDs) will be a top target again.<br />
When their opponents have the ball: 5-2 and 4-4<br />
defensive formations. … Allowed 155 points, fewest<br />
in Division 1C. … Knowles has emerged as a dominating<br />
nose guard, making 12 1 ⁄2 sacks as a sophomore<br />
and earning a spot on the D1C all-star team. …<br />
Edmonds had nine picks last year and was named to<br />
the Division 1C all-star team. … Reynolds (35 tackles)<br />
and Watson will lead the linebackers. … Flynn is back<br />
at defensive end.<br />
In the trenches: Pappas, who has started since his<br />
freshman season, leads the group at<br />
guard. … Gilbert returns at tackle.<br />
One to watch: Edmonds has the ability<br />
to make something happen on every<br />
play. He also has been invaluable to a<br />
young rebuilding Guardians squad,<br />
helping out off the field tutoring the<br />
players in the classroom.<br />
Behind enemy lines: “They’ve done a<br />
good job turning that program around<br />
in a short time,” a rival coach said.<br />
“They had a lot of great sophomores<br />
playing key roles last year, and it will<br />
be interesting to see how they do. I<br />
know they’re all upset about not making<br />
the playoffs last year, so they’re<br />
going to be tough.”<br />
The quote: “We’re looking forward to<br />
our league play, which should be very<br />
competitive with Holy Name, who is<br />
always strong, Doherty is always ready<br />
to play, and the other city schools get<br />
up for the bragging rights in the city,”<br />
Henrickson said. “Our out-of-league<br />
play is with the big dogs like Wachusett,<br />
St. Johns and Fitchburg, which<br />
will have us ready for our league.”<br />
Schedule:<br />
Sept. 11................at Algonquin, 7<br />
Sept. 17 ..............at Wachusett, 7<br />
Sept. 25....................Fitchburg, 1<br />
Oct. 2..................Shepherd Hill, 1<br />
Oct. 8..........at North Middlesex, 7<br />
Oct. 16................at Holy Name, 1<br />
Oct. 22 ...................at Doherty, 7<br />
Oct. 30......................Burncoat, 1<br />
Nov. 6 ...........................South, 1<br />
Nov. 13.......................at North, 1<br />
x-Nov. 25 .......at St. John’s, 10:30<br />
x-at Fitton Field<br />
2009: 7-4 (4-1 Division 1C)<br />
By Jim Wilson<br />
Key game: Oct. 16 at Holy Name. St. Peter-Marian is<br />
looking for a little payback after getting dealt a loss<br />
last year by the Naps — one which eventually<br />
knocked the Guardians out of the postseason race.<br />
St. Peter-Marian is looking to show Holy Name just<br />
how much it learned from last year in a game that<br />
could end up deciding the Division 1C title.<br />
2009 results:<br />
St. Peter-Marian 13........................Algonquin 7<br />
Wachusett 30 ......................St. Peter-Marian 0<br />
Fitchburg 15 ........................St. Peter-Marian 6<br />
St. Peter-Marian 28...................Shepherd Hill 6<br />
St. Peter-Marian 13...............North Middlesex 0<br />
Holy Name 22 ....................St. Peter-Marian 12<br />
St. Peter-Marian 14...........................Doherty 0<br />
St. Peter-Marian 20.......................Burncoat 18<br />
St. Peter-Marian 36.............................South 9<br />
St. Peter-Marian 28 .............................North 6<br />
St. John’s 42......................St. Peter-Marian 14<br />
Jim’s take: The Guardians turned it around quickly<br />
last year, thanks to a standout sophomore class<br />
including Brenner, Knowles and Watson. Those players,<br />
plus three solid senior captains, should have St.<br />
Peter-Marian fighting for the league title again this<br />
year. The Guardians won all the games they should<br />
have last year, now this season they need to show<br />
they can win those close games and earn a postseason<br />
spot.<br />
5<br />
Follow the Guardians’ every game this fall<br />
at www.telegram.com/hometeam.<br />
ED COLLIER<br />
St. Peter-Marian junior Tré Watson returns an interception<br />
during a game against Doherty last October.