Marblehead Youth Football Ends Season with Two Champion Teams

Marblehead Youth Football had by all accounts a tremendous year, dominating at almost all levels in the CAYFL.

The exclamation point was added this past Sunday in North Reading where Marblehead won two of the league's three championships. The sixth grade team took the C League Trophy with a remarkable come from behind overtime win 26-20 over home town North Reading while the eighth graders rolled over the Pioneers of Lynnfield 22-0 for the title in the A-Division

8^th Grade Cape Ann Youth Football A Division Champions

It was a busy week of football for the 8^th graders as they prepared for the CAYFL playoffs. Marblehead was one of four teams to qualify along with The Knights of North Andover, The Chieftains of Masconomet and the Pioneers of Lynnfield. Rain forced what was to be a home game Wednesday night to Bishop Fenwick Thursday night, where the locals faced Masco for the right to play Lynnfield for the league title.

Marblehead played Masco earlier in the season in a battle that Marblehead won 14-0, but the playoffs mark a new season where past success means little. After a short week of indoor practices, Marblehead headed to Bishop Fenwick on a mission to prove themselves worthy of their undefeated record.

Marblehead Runs Past Masco In Opening Round of Playoffs

Under the lights, on a chilly Thursday night at Fenwick, Marblehead Captains Brooks Tyrrell, Willie Millet, Romello Matthews, Derek Dumais and Spencer Craig walked out to mid-field in front of a partisan crowd for the coin toss. The Headers won the toss and deferred to the second half.

On their first possession, the locals made quick work of the 50 yards in front of them eating up the yardage in 7-yard chunks behind the hard nose running of Spencer Craig and Brooks Tyrrell, with Tyler Bial leading the way. A penalty and a good defensive play by Masco threatened to stall the drive inside the 5 yard line, but on fourth down quarterback Owen Rockett saw an opening over center when he stepped up to the line and he shrewdly called his own number and sliced his way into the end zone for the game's first score. The two point conversion failed and Marblehead was up 6-0 at the end of the first.

Masco was unable to generate any offense on their second offensive series and the eighth graders had the ball again with good field position. Once again they drove 50 yards downfield scoring on a 10 yard carry by Spencer Craig. Rockett hit Craig in the corner of the end zone on a sprint out pass for the two-point conversion and the locals were up 14-0.

After another forced three-and-out and a weak punt, the 8^th Graders began a drive from the Masco 35 yard line. The run continued to work, but untimely penalties stalled the drive and the black and white turned the ball over on downs. The score remained 14-0 at the half.

Marblehead had the ball to start the second, but the offense struggled to move the ball. The story of the third quarter was an exchange of punts as both teams failed to generate scoring opportunities.

Early in the fourth Marblehead was once again forced to punt and Masco brought the house. A Chieftain defender blocked the punt and got a fortuitous bounce off the turf as the ball came right back into his arms in full stride and he waltzed untouched 40 yards for the score. The 2 point conversion failed and the score was 14-6.

Thanks to an impressive defensive stand, Masco earned one more chance to tie the game, but great defensive plays by Millet, Dan Marino and Matteus Varela ended any hope Masco had of a scoring and the locals were headed to N. Reading to take on the Pioneers for the championship.

The Story Book Ending

The eighth graders and their coaching staff had two days to prepare for Lynnfield and the title game. Marblehead beat the Pioneers 34-0 in week five, but this was a team that had just beaten a tough North Andover team in the first round of the playoffs.  The eighth graders tried not to be overconfident, but the team and the coaching staff felt good about their chances.

Once again, Marblehead won the toss and elected to defer. Lynnfield gained only three yards on their first series and was forced to punt. This  would be the theme for the rest of the game, as Lynnfield had just two first downs the entire game and never threatened to score.

"The defense has been outstanding all year," said Head Coach Bruce Bial. They have posted eight shutouts in 11 games this season. In fact they have only allowed three touchdowns all year. Everyone has had a hand in it."

"Lynnfield had no chance on offense today. When they tried to go deep early in the game Hillman picked them off on a great play where he battled the Lynnfield receiver for the ball and it was a fitting ending that Spencer would also have an interception on Lynnfield's last play of the game."

Marblehead scored all their points in the first half. As they have done all year, the offense came out on the first series and marched up the field. Brooks Tyrrell scored on a short run and also converted the extra points on an off-tackle.

Spencer Craig scored on the next offense series for the locals and caught a halfback option pass from Tyrrell for the two-point conversion to make it 16-0. Tyrrell scored the final touchdown for Marblehead on a sweep around the left end that he cut all the way back to the right sideline, weaving his way through defenders on his way to the end zone. The conversion failed but at 22-0 Lynnfield was a defeated squad.

"I have really enjoyed coaching this offense," commented Offensive Coordinator Bob Simmons. "Their athletic ability and domination on the line….it's fun to watch, as a coaching staff we just try to call the plays that put them in position to succeed, but these kids are so good even if we call a bad play they still make it work."

"It's funny, after every game and practice every one of these kids comes and shakes each coach's hand thanking us, but if you asked anyone on the staff, we all feel that really the thanks are ours."

 A Season and Super Bowl to Remember

Congratulations to the sixth grade C-Team from Marblehead's Youth Football program.  They completed a perfect 11-0 season, culminating in a Super Bowl victory.  The C-Team's hallmark all season was its relentless defense and potent offense.  During the course of its 11-game unbeaten streak, the team outscored its opponents by an impressive 230 points. 

Super Bowl Summary

Marblehead took on North Reading in an outstanding test of two very talented and hungry football teams.  On the opening drive, North Reading's offense sent a strong message that they were here to be physical. They marched down the field with a powerful running game that chewed up most of the clock in the first quarter, ending in a North Reading touchdown and a successful two point conversion attempt.

Marblehead responded on its first possession, taking charge and marching down the field.  Midway through the second quarter, Sam Frontero scored on a seven yard run, bursting off left tackle behind excellent blocking from the offensive line.  The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score North Reading 8, Marblehead 6.

 With only a few minutes remaining in the half, Marblehead forced a punt and began a drive from its own 40 yard line.  Strong runs off the right and left side were the product of outstanding blocking by the offensive line and strong running and blocking by the backs. 

With 12 seconds remaining in the half, Marblehead faced a 4^th down and goal from the 13 yard line.  Marblehead ran a half-back option pass to the right.  Quarterback Ryan DeLuca tossed a pitch to Hayden Rockett, who ran to the right, faking a sweep.  As the clock was winding down, he pulled up and fired a strike to Sam Frontero in the corner of the end-zone for a touchdown catch.  After successfully converting the two- point conversion, Marblehead went into halftime leading 14-8. 

A scoreless third quarter put Marblehead minutes away from victory.

Trailing by six points, North Reading took their opening drive of the fourth quarter and marched right down the field and scored on a 20-yard run around the right end.  Marblehead stopped the conversion attempt and the game was tied at 14. 

On its next possession, North Reading scored the go-ahead touchdown.  Marblehead's defense hung tough and would not allow the Hornet's to convert the two-point attempt.  With 1:20 left in regulation, Marblehead was trailing an inspired, well coached and talented North Reading squad by a score of 20-14. 

On first-and-10 from its own 35 yard line, Marblehead made an aggressive decision to go with a play that has been unstoppable all season in practice but only used once in a real game situation. 

Executing the play to perfection, all eleven kids completed their individual assignments flawlessly.  Nine teammates blocked their hearts out, while quarterback Ryan DeLuca dropped back and launched a picture-perfect deep pass down the middle of the field, allowing Hayden Rockett to haul in the pass and outrun the North Reading defenders en route to a 65-yard touchdown play.  In the blink of an eye, the game was tied again and heading to overtime.

North Reading won the coin toss and elected to receive, but the Marblehead team picked the perfect time to deliver its finest defensive stand of the season.  Marblehead shut down the North Reading offense on four straight plays and kept them out of the end zone.  Once on offense, Marblehead was not going to be denied. 

The offensive line was outstanding, as were the running backs, and the Magicians needed only two plays to score.  Harry Craig carried the ball both times behind the powerful offensive line. On his second carry, he drove his way into the end zone sealing the Super Bowl victory 26-20.

JV-C Whips Finish Season 8-1 With Win Over Masco
The combined fifth and sixth grade JV-C Whips missed an undefeated season by a mere two-point conversion in their 8-6 loss at the hands of North Reading two weeks ago, but charged back to finish the season with a strong performance against Masco in the final matchup of the year to finish 8-1.

On the opening kick, Andy Clough booted the ball into Masco territory right where special teamer Jordy Mukania was speeding down the field. Mukania picked it up for his third kick-off recovery of the season to the excitement of the Marblehead fans.

The Whips were unable to convert and they turned the ball over on downs.

On their next possession, Clough tore across the gridiron for a 17-yard touchdown and first blood after a 6-yard run by Henry Mitrano. Mukania made a nice catch on a pop pass on the conversion to give Marblehead an 8-0 lead, which they never surrendered.

On the ensuing kickoff a Masco player had an explosive 60-yard return, placing them on the Whip's 11-yard line. Two plays later Masco was on the board, but failed on the two-point conversion try. Marblehead and Masco exchanged blows for the remainder of the first half, but neither team was able to score, despite sustained drives with long runs by Mukania, Larkin, Mitrano and Clough.

A squib kick by Masco to begin the second half gave the Whips the ball on their own 45-yard line. A strong rushing attack by Reid Rockwell, Mitrano and Clough kept the chains moving, netting the Whips four first downs and set up a 6-yard touchdown rush by the quarterback Seamus Keaney. The conversion was no good, but the Whips had taken control of the contest with a 14-6 lead.

The final quarter began with a bang as the Whips held Masco to a four-and-out, with tackles by Nick Corsini, Baum, Rockwell, Max Karass, and Brandon Consigli-Merrill.

Then the confusion set in. As the Whips headed to the line on first down, QB Keaney began yelling at Clough. Clough shouted back but right after, settled back into his stance.  As Keaney continued yelling towards the coaches on the sidelines, the center, Aidan Gillis shotgun snapped the ball to Mitrano in the backfield – a trick play that completely caught Masco – and the officials - off guard as they watched Mitrano sprint around the right end and into the end zone. Despite the play being legal, the unsuspecting referee threw a yellow flag, stopping the play. After much discussion, the officials called off the penalty, but made the Whips replay first down, negating the trick play TD.

After turning the ball over on downs, the Whips settled in for a final defensive stand leading 14-6. Masco attempted to drive down the field but on a season defining fourth-down, Mukania and Rockwell punched a Masco pass several feet in the air and as it fell to the ground, Ahern made a diving, highlight reel interception that effectively ended the contest.

The Whips coaching staff would like to thank all of the players and parents for a great season, marked by a lot of fun and great progress as individual players and as a football team.

Compiled by Henry Mitrano, player/  team reporter
 

JV-C Mariners Blank the Vikings

The JVC Mariners closed out their season on a high note, beating Winthrop 22-0 to improve their record to 7-2 for the season. It was a cold and grey day in Winthrop for the season finale as the Mariners were hoping to extend their win streak to five games.

The offense moved the ball very effectively on three straight drives in the first half, all resulting in Mariners touchdowns. 

QB Dewey Millet opened the scoring in the first quarter with a nice quarterback bootleg for 20 yards and a 6-0 Mariner lead. Backside blocking by Ben Klein and Stew Hutchinson sealed the corner for Millet to waltz into the end zone. 

On the next Mariner possession, QB DJ Migliore marched the Mariner offense down the field on a time consuming nine-play drive. Running backs Justin Boes, Derek Marino, John Uhrich, and Korey Cohan ripped off large gains as Migliore kept the Winthrop defense guessing. Boes' 20-yard reverse, followed by a Marino 30-yard run put the Mariners on the Winthrop 2.  On the next play, Mariner featured running back Eric Groom took a handoff and burrowed into the end-zone. Tackle Sam Thorne executed a dive to the right side for the two-point conversion extending the Mariner lead to 14-0.

On the third possession of the half, Coach Marino again reached deep into the playbook and called the flea flicker pass again - this time, the combination Millett-Marino-Cole Garaventi worked brilliantly and Garaventi was all alone in the end zone for the score. Millett's rollout pass to Tim Abernathy for the 2-point conversion closed the first half with the Mariners in front 22-0.

Patrick Sweetnam, Chandler Capshaw, Zach Titus and Griffin Kramer controlled the line of scrimmage to allow Mariner backs Joe Cronin, Dan Doherty, George Rowe, Van Sjoberg, and Joe Dever to rain free to roam and make tackle after tackle. Winthrop would never threaten to score in the second half as the Mariner defense stood tall.

Coach Marino gathered the team one last time to provide his final post game speech. With a tear in his eye, Marino had these final words of wisdom for his young warriors who worked hard all season long:

 "Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn't let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could.. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love and joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman, your perfect!"

JV-C Headers blank Newburyport

Quarterback Luke Anderson scored a pair of touchdowns and the defense posted its seventh shutout of the season to lead the JV-C Headers to a 16-0 win over Newburyport Sunday at chilly Hopkins Field.

The stingy Headers, who allowed just 14 points this season, finished a sensational campaign with a record of 8-1.

"We had a great year, and this group of players was especially fun to coach," Headers coach Dave Dumais said. "What was particularly gratifying about this game was that every player contributed in some way."

Anderson wasted no time putting the Headers on the board with a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The big play in the drive was a 37-yard run by Will Murtagh, who was brought down just shy of the goal line. Anderson ran for the two-point conversion to give Marblehead an 8-0 early lead.

The Headers' second score of the game was a sensational 40-yard run by Anderson, who found daylight on the left side of the field and broke a half-dozen tackles on his way to the end zone. Tucker Braun scored the two-point conversion on a nifty Statue of Liberty play to give the Headers a comfortable lead just before halftime.

The Headers threatened to score in a time-consuming drive in the third quarter but were ultimately turned back by a spirited Newburyport defense. The Clippers then had an impressive march of their own late in the fourth quarter, but the Headers' stout defense held thanks to some fine play at inside linebacker by Douglas Elston and Will Bosworth.

Will Thompson earned the Capt. Crunch award with two devastating hits at linebacker, while Murtagh garnered the Total Team Effort award with his fine play at running back and safety.

"Out-scoring their opponents by a combined 154-14 with seven shutouts,
the Marblehead JV-C Headers posted an 8-1 record in what was an
exciting and successful season.

The Coaching staff comprised of Head Coach Dave Dumais and assistants
Steve Anderson, Tom Murtagh, Gordon Vincent and Anthony Jackson would
like to thank all of the players and parents for their dedication
throughout the year. 

D-Team Whips Close Season on a High Note

Danvers won the toss and opened with an end around that was buried by third grade linebacker John Manzi.  On the next play Jack Curran stuffed them for a 4-yard loss. The Falcons were forced to put but mounted an impressive defensive stand of their own, shutting down the Marblehead offense for the first quarter.

The Whips opened the second quarter with the ball.  Chris Galley checked in at 3-back and softened up the Danvers defense, setting the stage of a Ryan Harris 19-yard scamper for the team's first points. The conversion attempt failed, and Marblehead was in front 6-0.

Danvers responded with a score of their own on the next drive, and took an 8-6 lead into the half. This was the first time the Whips trailed at halftime all season.

The Whips came out for the second half with the ball and looking for six.  It was power run after power run, as Miller, Galley and Harris put together an impressive drive capped by a Keaney 46-yard QB keeper.  The two-point conversion was good on a run up the middle, recapturing the lead for Marblehead 14-8.

Danvers responded with a solid drive of their own marching 45 yards with sweeps, reverses and well executed play calling.  On fourth and long they went with a reverse that froze the Whips defenders in their tracks until linebacker Connor Elliot chased the elusive runner down on the near sideline, stripping the ball for a Keaney recovery.  It was the pivotal play of the second half as the Whips converted with a powerful combination of clock-eating runs up the middle. 

Chris Galley punched in one more and the Whips led 20-8 with under two minutes to play in the game.

We dedicated the game to our third graders and they responded all day.

The D3 Whips finish the season with a record of 8-1 and the players who can't wait until football camp next year.  Marblehead looks forward to great things from this talented group of youth football players.

D-Team Navigators Persevere in First Season

It was called the expansion team, but didn't act like one.

When first-year Head Coach Michael Richman enlisted the help of Ty Janney, Dave Weist and Mike Cronin, he didn't know what to expect.  Mike Cronin then recruited his brother Dave who had coached the previous year to provide sage guidance to both the staff and its players.

After wading through the morass of picking the teams, notifying parents and players, issuing equipment and other necessary administrative tasks, it was finally time to teach a fun but complicated game to third and fourth graders who, for the most part, had never played a down before.  The first few weeks of practice were difficult due to hot weather, the start of school and other issues, but the coaches and players should be commended for their commitment and hard work.  The 2010 Navigators will be known by the phrase "never give up." While the final 3-4-2 record is certainly respectable and should be applauded, there was never a game in this season when the members of this team felt sorry for themselves.  

Every game was followed by a hard week of practice the Navigators showed improvement.  The offense under the direction of Tom Cronin came a long way as he utilized his deep backfield, and the defense was truly the staple of the Navigators.

Watching this team week in and week out, one could see that they were listening and learning about the game and team work.  The most underrated defensive stars were the ends that stayed home and contained the outside runs. Tim Cronin, Brendan D'Orio showed strong play here, as did Brendan Rowe who made more and more plays as the season progressed.  The linebacking crew was a force.  Paul Duffy and Tom Cronin in the middle with Alec D'Orio and Heff protecting the outside led to some exciting hits.  The depth of the team proved to be huge with Erick Gonzalez showing intense pursuit and Daniel Smith filling in admirably.  The defensive backs Emmet Janney, Tyler Boes and Matthew Richman demonstrated skill at safety and made numerous plays throughout the year, even braking up some passes.

It was clear that the Navigators learned a lot, worked hard and never gave up! Congratulations and thank you to all who were a part of the Navigators first season.

 D Level Mariners End a Great Season

The third and fourth grade Marblehead Mariners ended their season 6-2-1 after beating Masco 8-6 in their last game of the season.  After the game, Coach Kent Wheeler said "It has truly been a great season for the Mariners.  Our veteran players lead the team and proved to be great role models for our rookies, who learned fast and became huge playmakers for us this year." They all learned a lot, had fun and played well.

The Mariners got off to a quick 2-0 start with a 14-0 win against Masco and a 12-0 win against a much larger Danvers team.  The next three weeks were tough weeks for the Mariners as they tied once and lost twice by six points or less.  The tie and one of the losses came to the Marblehead Whips, a sure sign of the strength of the Marblehead Youth Football program. 

The Mariners regrouped and ended their season with four consecutive wins against Lawrence (22-0), Danvers 3 (20-14), Danvers 2 (18-8) and Masco (8-6).

 "I'm proud of all these guys," said Coach Wheeler.  "They worked hard in practice and gave all they had on every play. Each game was truly a team effort with all 19 of our players contributing and someone new stepping up to make a big play every week. We had nine or 10 different kids who could carry the ball and we had linemen who could play equally well on offense or defense. They really played well all season and showed great sportsmanship. They represented their team and their town very well.  Most importantly this is a great group of kids who had a lot of fun playing football all year. I'm looking forward to seeing these guys play football for many years."

Courtesy Marblehead Youth Football