Hometeam 2010 Football Preview - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

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CENTRAL MASS. HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE
WWW.TELEGRAM.COM/HOMETEAM
28
By Jay Gearan
DIVISION 3A
‘He’s got it all’
Intelligence, strength, experience make Oakmont’s Luke Bakanowsky the perfect QB
ASHBURNHAM —
Luke Bakanowsky
was 8 years old, playing
Pop Warner
football for the first
time.
“They put us all
on a line, and
whoever threw
the farthest was
the quarterback,” Bakanowsky
recalled. “My throw didn’t go
too far, but it was the farthest.”
He’s 17 now, a 6-foot-2,
195-pound senior at Oakmont
Regional, and he can throw far
— 55 spiral yards downfield,
plus the short, quick releases
and over the middle, tough-tocover
stuff.
In the 2009 season, while
leading the Spartans to a 12-1
record and a Division 3A Super
Bowl victory, Bakanowsky
broke the school record for
career touchdown passes with
23.
Even with last year’s success
in the books, Bakanowsky
wants to improve, especially in
leadership skills. “Last year I
wasn’t as vocal as I’m going to
be this year,” he said. “I’m
going to step up.”
Even on defense last season,
Bakanowsky stepped it up,
especially in the Thanksgiving
Day victory over Gardner, making
a key interception late in
the game. He also had a clutch
fumble recovery in the Super
Bowl win over Littleton.
After a summer of attending
quarterback camps, including
those at Boston College, UMass
and Ohio State, Bakanowsky is
ready for another season, beginning
with a rematch against
Littleton on Friday night.
“Luke is the pre-eminent
quarterback in Central Mass., as
far as I can see,” Oakmont
coach Dave LaRoche said. “He’s
got it all — intelligence,
strength and experience. He’s
very football savvy and a leader
on and off the field.
“Luke has the ability to throw
or run the ball,” the coach added.
“And what’s really going to
help him this year is that he has
a big, very athletic line in front
of him.”
RICK CINCLAIR
Quarterback Luke Bakanowsky led the Spartans to a 12-1 record and a Division 3A Super Bowl victory last season.
Bakanowsky continues the
superb string of recent Oakmont
quarterbacks, including Kyle
Anderson and Jesse Hunt,
whose TD record he broke. “I
used to watch Kyle and Jesse
play,” Bakanowsky said. “They
were great.”
Bakanowsky won MVP honors
on Thanksgiving and in the
Super Bowl.
The quarterback is looking
forward to the rematch with
Littleton at Hurd Field. “That’s
who we beat in the Super Bowl
last year, so we obviously have
a big target on our backs,” he
said.
Because he has proven himself,
Bakanowsky obviously will
get a chance to throw a lot this
season.
“Luke’s very versatile, and he
throws accurate, high-percentage
passes,” LaRoche said. “Our
philosophy here is to get the ball
to our athletes and let them pick
up the yardage.”
LaRoche added with certainty,
“Luke will also see some
defense, from time to time and
place to place.”
Interestingly, when asked
why he picked the No. 5 for his
game uniform, Bakanowsky
said that it had nothing to do
with football.
“As a kid, I was really following
baseball, and I loved Nomar
Garciaparra,” he said. “That’s
why I wanted his number.”
Football, though, is the No. 1
sport on Bakanowsky’s mind
these days. That explains his
latest, favorite song on his
iPhone: “The Boys of Fall” by
Kenny Chesney.
Its opening lines are:
When I feel that chill, smell
that fresh cut grass/I’m back in
my helmet, cleats and shoulder
pads/Standing in the huddle
listening to the call/Fans going
crazy for the boys of fall.