Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

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CENTRAL MASS. HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE
WWW.TELEGRAM.COM/HOMETEAM
22
DIVISION 2A
Nipmuc
Warriors
2009: 3-8 (1-5 Division 2A)
By Jim Wilson
Home field: Miscoe Hill Elementary Field. Grass field, 148 North
Ave., Mendon.
Brain trust: Coach: Phil Shiloski (fourth season, 16-15 career).
Assistants: Scott Glassman, Ed Buckley, Tom Tancrede, Chuck
Moore, Mike Bradley.
Returning starters: 12 (7 offense, 5 defense).
Captains: Sr. LB Nick Bertuzzi, Sr. C Joe Bergstrom, Sr. RB Nick
Muscente.
Top players: Sr. WR Chris Reifarth, So. WR Derek Moore, Jr.
CB/WR Dillon Braile, So. RB/LB James Shwederman, Jr. OL/DL
Mike Sewel.
Out with the old: The Warriors graduated two of their three
Division 2A all-stars, WR Erich Slagal and DL Kevin Roche.
In with the new: Jr. QB Mike Smith, So. WR Dan Diaz.
When the Warriors have the ball: Spread offense. … Scored 227
points. … Reifarth, a returning Division 2A all-star, and Derec
Moore lead a talented group of receivers. … Shwederman should
handle the carries.
When their opponents have the ball: 4-4 defensive alignment. …
Allowed 262 points. … Shwederman and Bertuzzi return at
linebacker. … Junior Darren Moore and Sewel shore up the
defensive line. … Braile and Wood are in the defensive backfield.
In the trenches: Darren Moore leads the unit at guard. …
Bergstrom and Sewel also return.
One to watch: Derek Moore is primed for a breakout season at
WR, as Shiloski is pleased with his hands and speed. Moore
started as a freshman last year and Shiloski plans on using the
6-foot-3, 185-pound standout to give the offense a big boost.
What you should know: Five of Nipmuc’s eight losses last year
came by a touchdown or less.
The quote: “We hope to compete every week,” Shiloski said. “I
think Auburn and Northbridge are still the top two in our league,
with the rest of us battling it out for the other playoff spots.”
Schedule:
Sept. 11.........................................................Grafton, 1
Sept. 17.............................................at David Prouty, 7
Sept. 25......................................................Uxbridge, 1
Oct. 1..................................................at Northbridge, 7
Oct. 9 ..........................................................Quabbin, 1
Oct. 15..............................................at Shepherd Hill, 7
Oct. 23 .....................................................Tantasqua, 1
Oct. 29................................................at Keefe Tech, 6
Nov. 5.......................................................at Bartlett, 7
Nov. 13 .........................................................Auburn, 1
Nov. 25.................................................Valley Tech, 10
Key game: Sept. 11 vs. Grafton. The Warriors defeated the
Indians in a close one in last year’s season opener, and Nipmuc
is out to show it wasn’t a fluke. Look for players like Derek
Moore and Reifarth to shine against a tough Grafton defense.
2009 results:
Nipmuc 28 ...................................................Grafton 26
David Prouty 34............................................Nipmuc 18
Uxbridge 22.................................................Nipmuc 20
Northbridge 28 .............................................Nipmuc 21
Quabbin 19...................................................Nipmuc 14
Shepherd Hill 20 ...........................................Nipmuc 14
Nipmuc 36 ...............................................Tantasqua 14
Nipmuc 35 ...............................................Keefe Tech 7
Bartlett 28 ...................................................Nipmuc 14
Auburn 37 .....................................................Nipmuc 7
Valley Tech 27.............................................Nipmuc 20
Jim’s take: The Warriors need to show they can win those
close games this year, as they were much better than the three
wins they put on the board in 2009. The fact Nipmuc could have
finished 9-2 rather than 3-8 last year has haunted the Warriors
all offseason in the weight room, so expect a different outlook in
2010.
5
Follow the Warriors’ every game this fall
at www.telegram.com/hometeam.
Northbridge assistant coach Al Richards talks to the Rams’ offensive linemen during a recent practice.
Home field: Lasell Field. Grass field, 171
Linwood Ave., Whitinsville.
Brain trust: Coach: Ken LaChapelle (35th
season, 278-85-6 career). Assistants: Matt
Gauthier (defensive coordinator), Jeff LaChapelle,
Steve Falconer; John Demagian, Al
Richards, Dave Mills, Mitch Krouner.
Returning starters: 7 (4 offense, 3 defense).
Captains: Sr. DE Matt Rice, Sr. QB Thomas
Murphy, Sr. FB/LB Greg O’Donnell.
Top players: Sr. WR/DB Evan Mackintosh, Sr.
G/DT Joe Orphin, Sr. G Zack Henneman, Sr. LT
Logan Bernard, Sr. C John O’Brien, RT Nate
Calfa, Sr. RB Colby Brochu.
Out with the old: The Rams graduated five of
their six Division 2A all-stars — TE Casey
Hippert, WR Ben Richards, DL John Perro, LB
Sean Clarke and DB Matt Consigli.
In with the new: Sr. WR/DB Corey Pryor, Sr.
WR-DB Sean Kinahan, Jr. TE/DE Harrison
Murphy, So. RB/SS Jake Ryan, So. CB Matt
Phelan, So. SE/LB Danny Clasby.
When the Rams have the ball: Spread offense. …
Scored 368 points, second-most in Division 2A.
… Look for returning all-star Murphy (nearly
2,000 passing yards) to excel again in his
senior year after emerging as one of the top QBs
in a storied Northbridge history. … Mackintosh
should be his top target.
When their opponents have the ball: 4-3 defensive
look. … Allowed 139 points last year, second-
Northbridge Rams
2009: 10-3 (5-1 Division 2A); Division 2A Super Bowl runners-up
By Jim Wilson
fewest in Division 2A. … O’Donnell should pick
up the slack left by the departure of Hippert. …
Orphin will solidify the defensive line.
In the trenches: LaChapelle is a big fan of his
hulking offensive line, with Orphin and Henneman
at guard, Bernard and Calfa at tackle and
O’Brien at center. “It’s one of the bigger lines
we’ve had,” LaChapelle said. “It’s one of those
areas we can do really well in.”
One to watch: The success of the Rams will
depend on Murphy — “We have to feel pretty
good about our offense when we have that
threat coming back,” LaChapelle said — but
watch out for Brochu, who could surprise a few
people at running back this season. “He’s one of
those players that we’re anxious to see how he’s
going to respond, but there’s a lot of potential,”
LaChapelle said.
The quote: “We have some potential, but we’re
inexperienced,” LaChapelle said. “We have
seven juniors, so we’re counting on our 15
seniors. If we can win two or three games early,
it would boost us tremendously.”
Schedule:
Sept. 9 ....................................Millbury, 7
Sept. 17 .............................at Leicester, 7
Sept. 24...............................Lunenburg, 7
Oct. 1.......................................Nipmuc, 7
Oct. 8...................................at Auburn, 7
Oct. 15.................................Tantasqua, 7
Oct. 22...................................Burncoat, 7
TOM RETTIG
Oct. 29................................at Quabbin, 7
Nov. 5 .........................at Shepherd Hill, 7
Nov. 12 ....................................Bartlett, 7
Nov. 25 ............................Uxbridge, 10:15
Key game: Oct. 8 at Auburn. It’s pretty simple.
This game pits the two best teams in Division
2A against one another. The winner of this game
most likely will wind up with the league title.
2009 results:
Northbridge 34 ..........................Millbury 0
Northbridge 35.........................Leicester 7
Northbridge 28 ......................Lunenburg 0
Northbridge 28 .........................Nipmuc 21
Auburn 16 ...........................Northbridge 7
Northbridge 42.......................Tantasqua 3
Burncoat 26 .......................Northbridge 19
Northbridge 34..........................Quabbin 0
Northbridge 35 ..................Shepherd Hill 7
Northbridge 36..........................Bartlett 14
Northbridge 33 .......................Uxbridge 27
Northbridge 30.........................Uxbridge 7
David Prouty 11....................Northbridge 7
Jim’s take: The Rams should have no problem
filling the holes left by graduation, and they’ll be
fighting with Auburn for the league title. Murphy
should be among the top slingers in Central
Mass., and Brochu could find time to shine
behind a strong offensive line.
5
Follow the Rams’ every game this fall
at www.telegram.com/hometeam.