The 2010 football season kicks off this weekend and although the Pioneers begin with a non-league tilt against Manchester-Essex, there will be league games played in Week One. I thought now would be a good time to preview the CAL Small and take a look at the teams that will be trying to disrupt Lynnfield's title defense.
First let's take a look at the final standings for 2009.
Pioneer coach Neal Weidman feels the race for the 2010 crown is wide open.
"I think anywhere between five and seven teams can win the CAL Small and whoever stays the healthiest has the best chance," Weidman said. "Everyone might be struggling with depth with the exception of Amesbury.
Based on what each team is returning this year, the Pioneers' main competition would appear to be the same as last season: Amesbury and Newburyport. The key to Lynnfield's 2010 season will probably come down to the back to back Friday night games the Pioneers have to play on the road against the Indians (October 22) and the Clippers (October 29). Depending on how Lynnfield fares in those games, the title could come down to Thanksgiving Day when Newburyport and Amesbury play their traditional holiday game.
Boston Herald Division 3A Top Ten
Dan Ventura of the Herald published his list of the preseason top ten teams in the division and they are as follows:
1. Holliston
2. Cardinal Spellman
3. St. Mary's
4. Rockland
5. Austin Prep
6. Lynnfield
7. Cohasset
8. Mashpee
9.Abington
10. Medway
Boston.com's Division 3A Preseason Poll
1. Holliston
2. Rockland
3. Westwood
4. Cohasset
5. Abington
6. Austin Prep
7. Mashpee
8. Medway
9. Lynnfield
10. St. Mary's
Pick up a copy of this week's Villager for my comprehensive preview of the Pioneers.
Now, here is a capsule look at each of the other CAL Small teams:
Amesbury:
The Indians graduated 13 seniors including workhorse running back Jesse Burrell. But among the 70 player turnout are 15 seniors, the second most in the league including captains quarterback Tyler Lay, running back Matt Enaire and center Greg Lingley. They also return booming kicker Nicholas Croce. This will be Lay's second season as Amesbury's signal caller and he said in an interview with the Newburyport News that "he feels more comfortable and confident" this year in the Indians' Wing T offense.
The Indians have developed a winning tradition, having won the league in both 2007 and 2008 and this team is starting to talk about returning to the top of the CAL Small heap. Lay referenced those championship teams, especially the '08 team that won the Division 3A Super Bowl, in the interview saying "We want it just as bad and we have been working just as hard as that team was. We could be just as good if we put the skills together."
Amesbury kicks off the season this Friday traveling to Byfield to face Triton in former Pioneer assistant Pat Sheehan's head coaching debut. The Indians then play three more non league games before beginning their CAL Small schedule against Georgetown on October 9. Six of their final seven games will be league games for them.
Newburyport:
The Clippers appear to have the talent to challenge the Pioneers again this season. Newburyport graduated 12 seniors including all-everything Kyle Leblanc, but they have some potent weapons back. They return 16 seniors, most in the league, so they have plenty of experience to summon in their quest for the crown.
One key weapon that lost most of his junior season, but who is back looking to make up for it this year is the Clippers' record breaking wide receiver Andrew Sokol. Sokol, who set a Newburyport single season record for receiving yards with 702 in 2008, sustained a knee injury in the second game of the year against North Reading. He missed the rest of the season.
He told Dan Guttenplan of the Newburyport News that he was completely healthy and ready to go for his senior year. He gives the Clippers a quicksilver receiver who is tough to catch once he gets the ball.
The Clippers juggled a pair of quarterbacks last season, and both are back. Matt Mottola and Ryan O'Connor took turns at the reins last year and whichever one was not the signal caller became a dangerous back.
Newburyport opens their league schedule this Saturday when they travel to play the Hamilton Wenham Generals.
Hamilton-Wenham:
The Generals were a young team last year but still lost 11 seniors. They return 13 including quarterback Dylan Keith who saw a good deal of action last year with the injury to starter Andy Duval. They also return running backs Elliot Burr and Eric Buckley and big receiver Jim Love who caught 5 passes for 64 yards in the Pioneers' title clinching win last season.
In what appears to be a trend in the CAL Small, the Generals also return a solid field goal kicker in Tucker White.
One name with Lynnfield connections is the Generals' senior running back Zack Nekoroski, the son of former Pioneer standout Andy Nekoroski. Andy played for the Pioneers from 1979-81 and is the eighth leading scorer in the history of Lynnfield High Football. He tallied 126 points in three years including a big senior season when he scored 64 points for the 6-4 Pioneers.
The Generals will have their hands full Saturday when they host Newburyport to open their CAL Small season.
Ipswich:
Believe it or not, the Tigers could show some bite this season. They graduated 17 seniors but returned 12 included some solid skill position talent. Quarterback Brendan Gallagher, who led the Tiger Delaware Wing T in some scary moments against the Pioneers last year, returns along with shifty running backs Jeff Carpenter, John Eldredge, Ken Wing and Jake LeBlanc.
They snapped their three season losing streak with a 14-13 win over H-W last Thanksgiving, and are ready to move forward. They open their CAL Small season against the Hornets this Friday night under the lights in North Reading.
Georgetown:
The Royals struggled through a one win season last year playing without their all everything quarterback Joe Esposito. Brother Chris Esposito labored valiantly to keep the Georgetown ship afloat last year, but now he too is gone along with nine other seniors. Also graduating was running back/quarterback Tyran Harrigan.
They do return 12 seniors including solid running back Derek DePasquale and some good size in the line. They open with a non league game at St.Mary's this week before facing the Pioneers on September 17 in the CAL Small opener for both squads.
North Reading:
The Hornets are going to be featuring a major youth movement this season. They graduated 11 seniors and have only 4 seniors on the roster this year. With only 12 juniors, NR has less than 20 upperclassmen so the burden will fall on the 20 member sophomore class to step up quickly.
Triton scrimmaged the Hornets early in the preseason and Pat Sheehan confirmed that they struggled and had sophomores starting at many positions.
Young running backs Carl Lipani and Mike O'Brien along with receiver Jamie Mantho (4 catches against the Pioneers) did show some promise during garbage time last Thanksgiving, but it could be a long year for the Hornets. They host Ipswich this Friday night in their league opener.
"Amesbury will probably say that since we are the defending champs we should be favored," Weidman summed up. "But they won it for two years before we won it so they will be back. Newburyport will be good as well. Hamilton-Wenham will be better and Ipswich thinks they will be better as well. North Reading had a big turnout. I think there's a ton of parity."
That's it for now.
Check back Thursday for a preview of the season opener against Manchester-Essex.
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