Explosive Bulldogs pose major test for Big Blue
If you were going to check out just one game this week your best bet might be to trek over to Blocksidge Field in Swampscott Saturday afternoon (2:30) where the undefeated Big Blue will entertain one of the most explosive offenses in the league in the 2-1 Lynn English Bulldogs.
“They are very athletic, like they always are, and they run the football very well,” said Swampscott coach Steve Dembowski of the Bulldogs. “They can make big plays in the passing game. They could easily be 3-0 and they are probably going to be the best offense that we have seen.”
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As usual, the Bulldogs boast yet another dynamic quarterback in Jermaine Kelley who can kill defenses both with his feet as well as his arm. Last week against the Panthers he threw for 180 yards and two scores and rushed for 119 yards and a pair of TDs. With speed to burn all over the field and the penchant to spread things out, Dembowski says tackling in the open field will be a key concern Saturday.
“We are going to have to match their speed and line up so we have good angles on the ball. Tackling in space will be a big key for us because they like to run a lot of screens,” the coach added. “We’re going to have to play good defense.”
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While the Bulldogs come in off a discouraging loss that saw a 21-0 first half lead evaporate against Beverly (sound familiar Pat’s fans?), Swampscott is sizzling after registering perhaps its best all-round game in a . Especially pleasing to Dembowski in that one was the play of his defense.
“I thought the defensive performance was pretty impressive. We haven’t had a shutout in a while and they have a lot of speed,” said Dembowski of his unit, which held the Patriots to under 100 yards of total offense.
Aiding the Big Blue defense against Revere was the return of linebacker Zach Kalapinski from injury.
Lynn English at Swampscott, Saturday 2:30
The Pick: Swampscott, 38-35. A very big win for the Big Blue.
Hornets looking for a little payback against Cougars
The Cougars of Austin Prep will embark on their shortest bus trip of the year Friday night when they travel to North Reading. Expect an angry swarm of Hornets waiting to greet them. Coach Jeff Wall’s North Reading club is not only coming off yet another frustrating OT loss to Amesbury, but the coach also notes that he has not forgotten about last year’s loss to the Cougars.
“Last year we jumped up early and lost a 12-point halftime lead,” Wall related of the Hornets’ 30-26 loss to the Cougars, which saw AP score 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. “That made for a long off season.”
After losing to Norton in its opener at home, 28-18, AP rebounded to beat Saugus last week, 22-14, for its first win of the year behind a pair of touchdowns from Steve Rickley and Jay Deschene. On defense, the Hornets will have to deal with AP’s massive 280-pound nose tackler Mark Maradei.
“Austin Prep has struggled up to this point in the season but shows signs of being a good team. They run an offense which is difficult to stop and their defense is aggressive,” said Wall. “Friday night should be a good test for our team."
Hornets fans can take a measure of confidence into Friday’s showdown in that for its lone win and that they have one of the more prolific – and durable -- offensive threats around in junior tailback Carl Lipani, who carried the rock a withering 40 times for 177 yards and a score last Friday in the 21-19 OT loss to the Indians.
Austin Prep at North Reading, Friday 7
The Pick: AP, 21-20. Another coin toss-type of game for sure, but I’ll take AP by the nose of the football.
Tanners Looking to Finally Reel in Fishermen Friday Night
The Peabody Tanners as a consensus favorite when they head up Route 128 Friday night to Gloucester’s Newell Stadium?
Strange, but true – just don’t tell that to Peabody coach Scott Wlasuk or the Tanners’ play-making linebacker, Nick Ingham. Both Tanners spent their bye week last Friday watching the Fishermen drop to an unfathomable 0-3 on the season in a 28-0 loss to Weymouth.
“I have the utmost respect for them and they are just a class team,” said Ingham who had a hard time finding the words to describe what a win over the Fishermen would mean in his senior year. “It would be absolutely amazing, I really can't describe it.”
Before falling to Weymouth, the Fishermen were sunk in their opener, 41-0, by English and then fell the next week, 33-16, to Andover. What Wlasuk has been undoubtedly pounding into his team’s memory banks, however, is that the aggregate record of those three teams is 7-2. If that does not work, the coach can always point back to the stark image of what happened the last time a fairly promising Tanner squad made the sojourn down to Gloucester.
It was just last year after all and the end result was a 42-0 thrashing in a game that might not have been that close.
While the retooled Peabody offense has gotten most of the headlines recently, the Tanner defense has come up with huge fourth quarter stops deep in its own territory in each of the first two games to help lead the Tanners to their first 2-0 start since the Ed Nizwantowski era and Peabody will need to continue that defensive prowess Friday night. Wlasuk says new assistant coach Rob McIntosh has been a key component in the turnaround.
“I’ve got to give Rob a lot of credit,” said the coach. “He has come up with some great defensive schemes. He just has a great knowledge of the game and the kids have really bought into it.”
Peabody at Gloucester, Friday 7 p.m.
The Pick: Peabody, 21-16. Tanners finally land the big one in Gloucester.
Witches hoping to cast their spell on Revere
Coming off its impressive 18-7 win over Archbishop Williams at home, Scott Connolly’s Salem High club will look to even its mark Friday night at Bertram Field when the Witches (1-2) play host to Revere (2-1).
Suffice it to say, Connolly would love to get another defensive performance like the one his team submitted last week. Salem held a large and physical Williams squad to just 52 yards of total offense and, get this: not a single first down, in the win. Williams’ lone score came on a kickoff return.
“They must have been 260 pounds across the board and had a good fullback and tailback,” Connolly noted. Our defensive line and linebackers, all eight of them, just did a real nice job.”
Revere was rolling along until it in the form of a Swampscott defense that held the Pats scoreless and to just under 100 yards of total offense. Before that, Revere had blanked Medford in its opener, 21-0, and then topped a perennially tough Whittier Tech team, 28-22, at home. New quarterback Joe Ritchie likes to air it out and has a good receiver in Kyle Gotham.
“They are athletic and they have a real good quarterback who makes good decisions,” said Connolly. “They have a very good tailback who I remember from last year when he was their wingback. Defensively, they fly around to the ball and they are physical.”
Salem QB Christian Dunston (116 yards passing, 74 yards rushing) continues to shine and found a new big play target in Ben Kapnis (2 catches, 104 yards, TD) in the win over Williams.
Revere at Salem, Friday 7 p.m.
The Pick: Salem, 21-14. Witches’ swarming defense the difference in this one.
Balance a key for undefeated Generals
Diversity on offense is critical in football and a pretty talented Newburyport football team learned that the hard way last week in an .
While the word is definitely out on H-W's proficient and dominating ground attack behind rugged tailback Elliot Burr and his skilled line, what had to be very pleasing to coach Andrew Morency and Generals' fans in last week’s win was the passing game.
Quarterback Trevor Lyons not only rushed for 50 yards, but connected on 11-of-15 attempts for 112 yards passing and a 20-yard scoring strike to Pete Duvall for the game’s final score. Matt Puturwas the Generals’ leading receiver with seven catches for 51 yards.
“That’s something that we have talked about. Inevitably teams are going to try to make us beat them in other ways,” said Morency. “It’s something that Trevor has worked hard on as well as the receivers and the line. It was great to see that happen and we had a couple of big plays on a couple of drives. That’s the sign of a good team.”
Burr kept his strong senior campaign going with 73 more yards on the ground while the swarming Generals' defense stifled the Clippers’ big-play attack. Morency also added that the defense got a big lift with the return of Luke Wendt from injury at defensive tackle.
The 2-1 Indians of Amesbury, who invade General Land Saturday afternoon (2:30), are also not lacking for playmakers.
“They definitely have skill guys who are formidable,” said Morency of the Indians who eked out a wild, 21-19 OT win over North Reading last week. “They have some good offensive team speed and while they are a little young on the line I think they are one of those teams that are only going to get better. We plan on having our hands full.”
Amesbury at Hamilton-Wenham, Saturday 2:30
The Pick: H-W, 28-14. Only game I feel fairly comfortable about this week -- Generals roll.
Falcons look to keep Saugus winless
Last week, the Danvers football team ran into a previously winless Pentucket squad that finally put it all together as the Sachems shut out the Falcons, 19-0, at home. This Friday, the Falcons will be looking to keep another Sachems squad on the skids as the Falcons entertain winless Saugus.
Saugus comes in at 0-3 after losing 22-14 at Austin Prep last week. Before that the in their opener. Last week’s loss, however, might have been a wakeup call for coach Mike Broderick’s club, which held AP to just 50 yards of total offense in the final half after falling behind 16-0 early. Elusive tailback A.J. Guthro and quarterback Justin Barasso are the ones to watch in Saugus’ multiple option set.
It has likely been a pretty intense week of practice over at Dr. Deering Stadium this week as Falcons’ coach Sean Rogers was not exactly pleased with his team’s practice week heading into last week’s encounter with Pentucket. The coach thought that those bad habits spilled out on to the field last Friday and contributed to the loss.
Of chief concern for Rogers Friday will be getting his three-pronged running attack of Nick and Alex Valles, along with Jake Palazola back on track. The talented trio was held to a total of just 46 yards on the ground last week by Pentucket.
Saugus at Danvers, Friday 7
The Pick: Danvers, 22-21. Should be a real competitive game, but look for a rebound performance from Falcons.
Related Topics: North Reading Football
