The football team, participating in its first scrimmage this Saturday, 10 a.m. at Westwood High School, will be led by three new captains this year, who according to coach Mike Robichaud, are looking solid.
Tight end/defensive end Henry Bumpus, guard/middle linebacker Thomas Kleyn, and center/defensive tackle Andrew VanderWilden are the Patriot tri-captains for the 2011 fall.
“I feel great about the new leadership,” Robichaud said. “I think those three guys had been watching good leaders and had been led by good leaders for the last two years.”
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John Bumpus and Andrew Mangin were co-captains in 2009 and Jibrail Coy, Peter George and Ryan Ruiz were tri-captains in 2010.
“[They] set a great example,” Robichaud said of the former captains, “so [Bumpus, Kleyn and VanderWilden] have been beneficiaries of playing with and being led by them, guys that really got it.”
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Entering the season, Robichaud said he has noticed the tri-captains are very different. They’re not the same as Coy, George and Ruiz and they’re not the same as each other. A common theme among the three is that they’re not talkers.
“Sometimes you’ll have captains in a great way that really like to say stuff and they choose all the right words and they kind of hit the mark and that’s great,” he said. “These are three guys that lead a lot by example of their work ethic. They’re very supportive guys [and] what they say, they really mean. So they don’t say a lot, they don’t talk a lot, but the things that they do say come from the heart and come from a lot of experience and I think the kids really respect that.”
The leadership that Bumpus, Kleyn and VanderWilden have shown in offseason practices has impressed Robichaud. The captains are stretching themselves to get a little more overt — not necessarily come all the way out of their shells — but to try things that aren’t native to them in terms of reaching out more and being more vocal, particularly for the younger players that need that.
“So far the signs have been great,” he continued. “They’re credible players and they’re great kids. All three of them are phenomenal students, all three of them are college football prospects. I’d say they play the game at a high level, but they’re some of the best students in the school as well, so we got a rare mix in our captains — just really good athletes who are really good citizens and very good students.”
Bumpus, Kleyn and VanderWilden will be the players that their teammates look to on the home field come Sept. 9 for the team’s first regular season game against the 2010 Division 3 Super Bowl champions, Beverly High School, who beat Somerset High School 28-20 after falling 0-5 on the start of their season.
CONCORD-CARLISLE FOOTBALL
Coach: Mike Robichaud (third season)
League: Dual County League Small Division
Last Year: 10-3 (Lost 35-13 to Duxbury in the Super Bowl)
Returning Players: Much of the team is returning. There are 18 seniors on the team, with three new to the roster this season.
Key to Success: “We have to focus. We’re not there yet.”
Game to Watch: All the DCL Small games are big, coach said. Westford Academy and Acton-Boxborough are top contests. After taking on A-B, Robichaud said the team really learns who they are and where they stand.
Coach’s Take: “We’ve grown over the last few practices. We have some bruises, but we’re looking good.”
