"Sizing" up the Red Devils

So far this season, the Pioneers have faced spread teams like Bishop Fenwick, speed teams like Cathedral and scrappy teams like Danvers.

Now for something completely different. A size team.

The Pioneers travel to Chelsea Friday night and they will face a team unlike any other they have faced yet this year - a big team that plays old fashioned smash mouth football.

"I know they are an aggressive team and a big team," said Pioneer head coach Neal Weidman. "They are always aggressive and they are well coached."

The Devils head coach is Lynnfield resident Mike Stellato who took over the Chelsea program in 2007 and have improved them every season. Last year he guided them to an 8-2 finish with only a tough 14-12 loss to Northeast, eventual Division 4A Super Bowl Champ, keeping Chelsea out of the playoffs. Prior to coming to Chelsea, Stellato helped to rebuild the St Mary's of Lynn program and then spent a year at Danvers.

"I know they graduated some guys, but I know they are going to be physical," Weidman said. "They'll be pretty big too," he repeated.

A quick look at the Red Devils' roster shows why Weidman is stressing the size of Chelsea's team. Lots of 240 and 250 pounders which will give the Pioneers a different look. And the type of offense Chelsea runs is suited to that size.

"They run a multiple I, but it's more of a power I," Weidman said. Just what you'd expect from a team with that type of front wall.

And their formation is not the only thing that is multiple. So are Chelsea's scoring weapons. After losses to Pope John 12-6 and Brighton 14-12 to open the season, the Devil offense has exploded for 114 points in the last three games. Chelsea routed Greater Lowell 42-0 and outlasted Mystic Valley 40-30. Last week, the Red Devils fell to Shawsheen in a seesaw battle that saw them fall behind 19-6, then rally to take a 32-26 lead before giving up two Shawsheen TD's and a safety to fall 42-32.

Quarterback Jordan Virella orchestrates the Chelsea offense. He has thrown six TD passes and has run for two more. In addition to Virella, four other backs have scored rushing touchdowns for the Devils - Troy Crossely (4), Chris Accosta (3), Juan Martinez (2) and Joseph Saez (1). Virella's main target is receiver Sammy Mojica who has caught three TD passes. Crossley, Martinez and J. J. Rivera have also hauled in scoring receptions.

The Devils also have big play capability as six of their scores have been longer than 50 yards.

The Chelsea defense returned most of its starters from last year. Defensive tackle Kevin DeJesus, Brayan Blanco, Whitney Santil and Virella are key players for the Devil defense. Dejesus and Virella have both returned fumbles for touchdowns so far this year.

The Pioneers will be looking to go 6-0 on the season and they will be playing on FieldTurf for the third time this year and for the fifth time in their past eight games going back to last season.


The game in Chelsea is a homecoming for me. As a Chelsea High graduate, I will be returning to the scene of the height of my football playing career as the invaluable third string center on the 1967 Chelsea Central ninth grade team. We went 5-1 that year and many of my teammates went on to play for the varsity team that snapped a 27 game losing streak our senior year and was unbeaten through the first four games of the season.

That was unheard of in those days when Chelsea played in the Greater Boston League and regularly got beaten up by the likes of Malden, Medford and Somerville. Our big Thanksgiving Day game was against Everett. In the nearly 100 years of the "rivalry" the Devils won 12 times.

Life got a lot better for the Red Devils when they moved into the Commonwealth Conference and began playing teams more their size. And it looks like Chelsea will be a contender in their league again this season. They face a tall task stepping up two divisions to take on the red hot Pioneers, but as Weidman said, you can expect a physical battle.

This is the second time the Pioneers will be traveling to Chelsea to play the Devils. In 1999, Dan Veinot scored two touchdowns as Lynnfield beat Chelsea 12-6.

Game time in Chelsea is 7 pm. Here is a link to Mapquest Directions to Chelsea Memorial Stadium.