Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

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21
STEVE LANAVA
Senior running back Jeremy Lavallee carries the ball during a game against
Northbridge last October.
Auburn Rockets
2009: 13-0 (6-0 Division 2A); Division 2 Super Bowl Champions
Home field: Memorial Field. Turf field, at high
school, 99 Auburn St., Auburn.
Brain trust: Coach: Jeff Cormier (12th season,
90-39 career). Assistants: Dana Giampa, Marc
Grady, Pat Dufour, Sean Sullivan, Scot Mills, Mike
Fazio, Jason Bergman, Ben June.
Returning starters: 6 (3 offense, 3 defense).
Captains: Sr. OT/DT Tom Sarkisian, Sr. WR/DB
Steve Wallace, Sr. FB/DL Marcus Pettigrew, Sr. OL
Evan Sweet.
Top players: Jr. QB Marcus Backlin, Sr. RB Atta
Oweso, Sr. RB Jeremy Lavallee, Jr. RB Dan Flink, Sr.
WR/DB Bobby Matthews, Sr. DB Nick Sullivan.
Out with the old: The Rockets graduated five
Division 2A all-stars, including RB Bryan Desimone,
RB Brendan VanBeekom, Defensive MVP Doug
Flink, LB Anthony Mandella, LB Macy Washington.
In with the new: So. RB Tyler Desjardins, So. RB
Bobby Sivret, Jr. RB Connor McIntyre, Sr. LB Jack
Sheerin, Sr. LB Jon Valois, Sr. DB Sam Trigiano, Sr.
LB Pat McGuirk.
When the Rockets have the ball: Multiple I. … Scored
428 points last year, most in Division 2A. … Backlin
will slide into the QB spot. … The Rockets have
numerous players seeking to be the top running
back, as Oweso, Lavallee, Flink, Desjardins, Sivret
and McIntyre are all in the mix. … Wallace will be the
top target in the air. … Pettigrew will line up at
fullback.
When their opponents have the ball: 3-3 and multiple
four-man fronts with defense. … Allowed 76 points
last year, fewest in Central Mass. … Matthews,
Sullivan and Trigiano could shore up the backfield. …
Sheerin, Valois and McGuirk could fit in at linebacker.
In the trenches: Sarkisian and Sweet return to lead
the Rockets’ line.
One to watch: The Rockets are looking to replace
more than 1,500 rushing yards from the departures
of VanBeekom and Desimone, so much of the
offense is going to rest on Wallace until help is
found. Wallace led the team in receptions last year
and should pick up where he left off in 2010.
What you should know: Auburn allowed just one team
— Shepherd Hill — to find the end zone more than
once last year.
Behind enemy lines: “I don’t care how many people
that team lost, they’re going to be the favorites every
By Jim Wilson
DIVISION 2A
year,” a rival coach said. “They are one of the true
programs in Central Mass.”
The quote: “The schedule is challenging with most
teams returning quite a number of experienced
players,” Cormier said. “We will be forced to have a
great preseason in order to be competitive.”
Schedule:
Sept. 9....................................Shrewsbury, 7
Sept. 18.........................................Grafton, 7
Sept. 24....................................at Millbury, 7
Oct. 1........................................at Hudson, 7
Oct. 8......................................Northbridge, 7
Oct. 15 .........................................Quabbin, 7
Oct. 22 ......................................at Bartlett, 7
Oct. 29..................................Shepherd Hill, 7
Nov. 5.......................................Tantasqua, 7
Nov. 13......................................at Nipmuc, 1
Nov. 25.....................................at Oxford, 10
Key game: Oct. 8 vs. Northbridge. The game
features two of the best teams in Division 2, which
should make it a great game. The fact the winner
might lock up the Division 2 title makes it a game
everyone should attend.
2009 results:
Auburn 17 ................................Shrewsbury 0
Auburn 40 ......................................Grafton 7
Auburn 34 .....................................Millbury 7
Auburn 27......................................Hudson 7
Auburn 16.................................Northbridge 7
Auburn 35 .....................................Quabbin 6
Auburn 42 ......................................Bartlett 0
Auburn 42............................Shepherd Hill 29
Auburn 41 ..................................Tantasqua 0
Auburn 37......................................Nipmuc 7
Auburn 34 .......................................Oxford 0
Auburn 28 .....................................Millbury 6
Auburn 35................................Southbridge 0
Jim’s take: While the Rockets might not put
together another 13-0 season, Auburn will be tough
to beat. The Rockets are riding a Central Mass-high
win streak of 24 games and may have a shot at the
Central Mass. unofficial record of 25, shared by five
teams. No matter how many all-stars Auburn graduates,
this coaching staff has turned the program into
one that will be in the hunt until the end.
5
Follow the Rockets’ every game this fall
at www.telegram.com/hometeam.
Bartlett Indians
2009: 7-5 (4-2 Division 2A); Division 2 Playoffs
Home field: Memorial Athletic Field. Grass field, 52
Lake Parkway, Webster.
Brain trust: Dane Laboissonniere (first season).
Assistants: Mark Mason, Tim Messier, Rob Sargent,
Andre Thomas, Mike Tolman.
Returning starters: 6 (3 offense, 3 defense).
Top players: Jr. RB Rocco DiStefano, Jr. OL/DL
Arthur Hackenson, Jr. RB/LB Conor McCarthy, Jr.
TE/DE D.J. Kirby-Thomas, Sr. OL/DL Chris Hill, Sr.
OL/DL Mark Gosselin, Sr. RB/CB Jon Martin, Jr.
RB/DB Kenny Mardirosian, Jr. OL/DL Justin DeFreitas.
Out with the old: The Indians said goodbye to three of
their four Division 2A all-stars, as WR Justin Sandara,
LB Ned Dumas and DL Kevin Wnukowski graduated.
In with the new: So. RB/LB Chris Vosburg, Fr. QB/DB
Ricky Spooner, So. WR/DB Kelly Chisholm, So. QB/S
Javon Winston, So. OL/DL Mina Zaky, So. OL/DL
Justin Demma, So. RB/DB Victor Doyon, So. TE/DL
Conlin Postma, Fr. OL/DL Mike Green, Eighth-grader
RB/DB Harry Le, Sr. OL/DL Nate Perez-Chaves.
When the Indians have the ball: Multiple offensive sets.
… Scored 246 points, third in Division 2A. ... DiStefano
will carry the load on offense for the third
straight season. … Graduations left plenty of open
spots in the skill positions, with Martin and McCarthy
in the mix at running back. … The quarterback spot
has been up in the air, with Winston, Brooks and
Spooner competing for the job.
When their opponents have the ball: 4-3 defensive set.
… Allowed 237 points, fourth-lowest in Division 2A. …
The Indians will need players like Mardirosian and
Kirby-Thomas to step it up at linebacker to fill some
holes.
In the trenches: Hackenson will lead the group at
tackle. … Hill will play center or guard. … DeFreitas
will see time at guard, while Gosselin will bookend at
tackle with Hackenson.
One to watch: DiStefano has emerged over the past
two seasons as a stalwart in the Bartlett backfield.
DiStefano runs a 4.5 40 and is a true game-breaker
for the Indians. “He’s an extremely hard worker and
an exemplary individual,” Laboissonniere said. “He’ll
do anything for this team. He’s our differencemaker.”
Behind enemy lines: “They were a tougher team than
we thought they would be last year,” one rival coach
said. “(DiStefano) is tough to bring down. It will be
By Jim Wilson
interesting to see how (Laboissonniere) brings them
to the next level.”
The quote: “The team is dedicated and is working
extremely hard to learn our offensive and defensive
schemes,” Laboissonniere said. “We’re fortunate to
have an abundance of hard-working student-athletes
who are unselfish, willing to sacrifice and dedicate
themselves to achieving team goals by being responsible
and always furnishing a 100 percent effort for
their teammates.”
Schedule:
Sept. 10 .................................David Prouty, 7
Sept. 17 ........................................Millbury, 7
Sept. 25 .......................................at South, 1
Oct. 1........................................at Quabbin, 7
Oct. 8 ................................at Shepherd Hill, 7
Oct. 16.....................................at Leicester, 7
Oct. 22 ..........................................Auburn, 7
Oct. 29 ..................................at Tantasqua, 7
Nov. 5 ...........................................Nipmuc, 7
Nov. 12 ................................at Northbridge, 7
Nov. 25 .............................Southbridge, 10:15
Key game: Nov. 25 vs. Southbridge. Last year these
two teams met twice in a pair of classic games. This
rivalry was taken to a new level with a Thanksgiving
clash that was just as heated during the trophy
presentations as it was during the game. Don’t
expect this year to be any different.
2009 results:
David Prouty 43...............................Bartlett 7
Bartlett 39....................................Millbury 20
Bartlett 35 .......................................South 14
Bartlett 35.........................................South 6
Bartlett 25 ............................Shepherd Hill 20
Bartlett 12.....................................Leicester 0
Auburn 42.......................................Bartlett 0
Bartlett 32.................................Tantasqua 14
Bartlett 28.....................................Nipmuc 14
Northbridge 36 ...............................Bartlett 14
Southbridge 22...............................Bartlett 16
Southbridge 6 ..................................Bartlett 3
Jim’s take: The Indians will have their work cut out
for them in a tough league with favorites Auburn and
Northbridge, but having a dynamic back like DiStefano
will help keep them in the playoff mix.
5
Follow the Indians’ every game this fall
at www.telegram.com/hometeam.
MARK C. IDE
Junior running back Rocco DiStefano carries the ball during a game against South
last September.