We’re hoping the weather cooperates for Thursday morning. We just got a text message from Dick Albert that said, “Good weather, great games and I can totally crush Bruce Shwoegler.” Whatever that means. Even if Dickie’s forecast is wrong, ours is exactly right. We have the winners of all the games right here. Read our picks, fill out this form with yours, e-mail it to publishers@cmassinsider.com and win some prizes if you get the most correct.
On to the picks:
Nipmuc at Valley Tech: Nipmuc has proven that last year’s success wasn’t just a blip on the program building plan. The Warriors end the season on a high not with a win over the Beavs.
Gansett at Murdock: Narragansett is a team that was somewhat forgotten in 3 West, even after playing some tough football against the division’s best. Likewise for Murdock over in the East. Look for Gansett to come up with a big play through the air to squeak by the Devils.
Monty Tech at Nashoba Tech: The Bulldogs score a big win for the program.
Tyngsboro at Groton-Dunstable: The Crusaders’ impressive program debut continues with a throttling of Tyngsboro.
Littleton at Ayer: The Panthers are a proud bunch that will be back (we’ll tell you more on that in the December issue), but Littleton gets a win in a primer for the playoffs.
Maynard at Clinton: Clinton won’t be down for long. In fact, the Gaels are already on the upswing. Clinton set a lofty goal and that was to make it out of November unbeaten as a program (varsity and JV). So far, so good and the Gaels make that happen Thursday.
Hudson at Marlboro: The Panthers simply have too much depth for a Hawks team that has watched the injury bug destroy its season.
Lunenburg at St. Bernard’s: Whether or not you think the Bernardians pulled off the biggest upset of the season, you can’t argue that their win over Holy Name didn’t add even more to this game. In the end, the Blue Knight offense finds a crease or angle to beat the stout St. B’s D for a game-changing play.
West Boylston at Quabbin: The Lions had playoff aspirations this year. Unfortunately for Quabbin, it has become the Lions’ biggest game of the year and WB gets it done.
Auburn at Oxford: We could write something really dumb here like “Rockets take flight,” but there’s no need to look for anything fancy. Auburn is one of the area’s most physical teams and that’s why it’ll win Thursday.
Grafton at Millbury: It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving football without a few upsets. Prior to the season, we bet the corporate jet that Grafton wouldn’t go winless under Mike Ross. We still have the jet and we still think the Indians have another win in them.
David Prouty at Leicester: Leicester puts it all together at home and the team that gave some of the toughest teams on its schedule trouble shows up to stop the Panthers.
Uxbridge at Northbridge: Speaking of Thanksgiving upsets, was there any bigger than what went down in this rivalry a few years back? The Rams still remember, and don’t let it happen again in a close win over the Spartans.
Southbridge at Bartlett: The Pioneers offense will run up enough points to win while cell phones all over the bleachers will be running up minutes trying to see if the playoff hopes are still flickering.
South at North: The Polar Bears were a team worth checking out this year and played everyone tough. North puts a nice touch on a fine season with a big win.
Shepherd Hill at Tantasqua: You get the feeling that the playoff spot and the 10-0 record really won’t mean too much to the Warriors if they can’t beat the Hill. The Rams, however, hold the ball long enough to pull of a win.
Oakmont at Gardner: This one could be a shootout or could be a defensive struggle. How’s that for fence walking? Look for Gardner to slow down the Spartan athletes just enough to pick a win.
Holy Name at Wachusett: An interesting game for the armchair coach in all of us. To save something for the playoffs or not to save something. Our bet is these two teams will try to rip each other apart. It is, after all, Thanksgiving football. Holy Name gets the W.
Nashoba at North Middlesex: The Chieftains have proven to be more than a one-man team this year and the added dimensions are too much for the Pats.
St. Peter’s at St. John’s: Neutral fans picking the winner of this game with their hearts will give the edge to the Guardians for sure, but St. John’s has a little too much for an SPM team that will push Big Red to the limit on emotion alone.
Algonquin at Westboro: The T’Hawks have been piling up the points as of late and that trend will continue on Thursday in a win over the Rangers.
Doherty at Burncoat: The Highlanders won’t waste any time wondering “what if” and worrying about things now out of their control. They’ll have their hands full with Burncoat, but come out on top.
Shrewsbury at Milford: If Milford is indeed getting an early start on its farewell tour of CMass they will do it in style by way of a somewhat shocking upset over the Colonials.
Fitchburg at Leominster: Is there any way this one won’t live up to the hype? The Blue Devils have had their way with Fitchburg as of late, but the Red Raiders get it done in this year’s main event.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL WARMUP
Before we get going on a few items of interest, we ask you to join us in extending our prayers to the friends and family of Owen Kilcoyne, the legendary coach and friend to so many. He taught a lot of football players how to win, but we all know his impact is much greater than his effect on a game.
When it comes to local sports, we really don’t care about who wins and who loses, but, with all due respect to St. John’s and its fine program, we’d love to see the Guardians come up with some magic this Thursday morning.
Kilcoyne was still a wet-behind-the-ears 26-year-old when he was hired as the first head coach in the history of the Hudson Catholic High School football program. That was the fall of 1960.
The year before, 1959, was Kilcoyne’s only one as an assistant coach before moving out of the limelight at St. Peter-Marian prior to last season, His football coaching internship, as it were, occurred at Notre Dame High of Fitchburg.
During his time as a head coach Kilcoyne compiled some staggering statistics. He retired as a head coach with:
Exactly 250 victories and a career record of 250-164-8.
Three undefeated seasons – 1980, ‘93 and ‘95. Four if you count the Green Wave’s 1-0 varsity record in that inaugural 1960 season.
Six one-loss seasons – 1977, ‘78, ‘92, ‘94, ‘96 and 2002.
Six Super Bowl victories overall – 1980, ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95 and ‘96. The five consecutive Super Bowls he won from ‘92-‘96 are a state record.
The distinction of having never lost a Super Bowl.
Speaking of Thanksgiving football, picking one game to go to will be a tough task for fans hanging out in a neutral corner. There’s always a lot on the line on Turkey Day, but for some schools it will literally make or break their seasons.
In a couple of accidental conversations with local coaches, each one said if their game happened to be on Wednesday night and they had Thursday free, they’d go to see Fitchburg and Leominster duke it out. There probably won’t be any room, anyway. Be sure to join us this week to make your picks. You’ll win a prize for being the “most right,” also known as the “best guesser.” We’ll get to read e-mails from you about how dumb we are when we pick against your school. So, really, we don’t have to wait until next year’s football playoffs to experience “everybody wins.”
On to another subject. We tried to bring up a little controversy without discussing religion, politics, race or proclaiming that there was more than one guy who played the Undertaker in wrestling. We figured declaring Bromfield boys’ soccer the greatest dynasty in the history of Central Mass. sports would get some resistance. It got very little, although we did hear about some great baseball programs (Leominster, Milford), Gardner swimming, another Bromfield team – girls’ cross-country - and the NDA field hockey team. Still couldn’t compare and Bromfield distanced themselves even further by winning the state championship yet again.
That’s it for today. Start studying your game films and talking to sources about injuries and locker room tension to be prepared to win the Turkey day Pick ‘Em contest.
When it comes to local sports, we really don’t care about who wins and who loses, but, with all due respect to St. John’s and its fine program, we’d love to see the Guardians come up with some magic this Thursday morning.
Kilcoyne was still a wet-behind-the-ears 26-year-old when he was hired as the first head coach in the history of the Hudson Catholic High School football program. That was the fall of 1960.
The year before, 1959, was Kilcoyne’s only one as an assistant coach before moving out of the limelight at St. Peter-Marian prior to last season, His football coaching internship, as it were, occurred at Notre Dame High of Fitchburg.
During his time as a head coach Kilcoyne compiled some staggering statistics. He retired as a head coach with:
Exactly 250 victories and a career record of 250-164-8.
Three undefeated seasons – 1980, ‘93 and ‘95. Four if you count the Green Wave’s 1-0 varsity record in that inaugural 1960 season.
Six one-loss seasons – 1977, ‘78, ‘92, ‘94, ‘96 and 2002.
Six Super Bowl victories overall – 1980, ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95 and ‘96. The five consecutive Super Bowls he won from ‘92-‘96 are a state record.
The distinction of having never lost a Super Bowl.
Speaking of Thanksgiving football, picking one game to go to will be a tough task for fans hanging out in a neutral corner. There’s always a lot on the line on Turkey Day, but for some schools it will literally make or break their seasons.
In a couple of accidental conversations with local coaches, each one said if their game happened to be on Wednesday night and they had Thursday free, they’d go to see Fitchburg and Leominster duke it out. There probably won’t be any room, anyway. Be sure to join us this week to make your picks. You’ll win a prize for being the “most right,” also known as the “best guesser.” We’ll get to read e-mails from you about how dumb we are when we pick against your school. So, really, we don’t have to wait until next year’s football playoffs to experience “everybody wins.”
On to another subject. We tried to bring up a little controversy without discussing religion, politics, race or proclaiming that there was more than one guy who played the Undertaker in wrestling. We figured declaring Bromfield boys’ soccer the greatest dynasty in the history of Central Mass. sports would get some resistance. It got very little, although we did hear about some great baseball programs (Leominster, Milford), Gardner swimming, another Bromfield team – girls’ cross-country - and the NDA field hockey team. Still couldn’t compare and Bromfield distanced themselves even further by winning the state championship yet again.
That’s it for today. Start studying your game films and talking to sources about injuries and locker room tension to be prepared to win the Turkey day Pick ‘Em contest.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Trojan Dynasty
You probably haven't won more than half of the pickup basketball games you've played in. You definitely haven't won more than half of the fantasy cricket leagues you've been in. Using that logic, it's safe to assume that unless you're Red Auerbach's great-nephew, you've never seen a dynasty up close. But there's one closer than you think. In the tiny town of Harvard, home to the Bromfield boys' soccer team.
The term "dynasty" being used to describe a high school team usually makes me want to do this to the describer. It's just silly. It's high school, four years and see ya later. There are no drafts or free-agent signings or organizational philosophies. Just 15-18-year-old kids playing a sport.
At Bromfield, though, it's been consistent. Consistently dominant. Seventeen-out-of-29 CMass championships, multiple CMass titles in each decade from the '80s through Sunday afternoon.
Last year's state championship team was stacked with senior talent. This fall, other quality teams were getting that "championship feeling," perhaps thinking the Trojans were down a bit, or "rebuilding" (another word that should not be spoken in relation to high school sports).
Didn't happen.
The reasons for the Bromfield Dynasty are as numerous as the blue and white soccer banners that hang in their small gymnasium.
The first is talent, obviously, which is as much nature as it is the nurturing the players get from a very competitive youth program.
The most obvious is coaching. Bromfield coach Tom Hill has been in the game for a long time, coaching the same way in the same place. His style certainly wouldn't appeal to Dr. Phil. He sometimes even raises his voice to players when they aren't following directions or playing to their potential. That's a novel concept. Credit here should also go the decades of parents who have trusted Hill and not started a petition or gone running to the school board because a coach "was a meanie" to their kids. The same parents who pretend to subscribe to the sports is an extension of the classroom belief, apparently believe that their kids' future bosses will coddle them when they fail to be accountable for their actions.
The dynasty is even more impressive when you consider that Bromfield, on a yearly basis, houses about 200 boys in grades 9-12. (See for yourself here). And it isn't like the school's standout athletes all rush to the soccer team every fall. Keep in mind that Bromfield has a solid cross-country team and is part of the Littleton football team.
While banners, championship and scores of players moving on to play in college are the factual evidence, the anecdotal evidence is more impressive. Many teams talk about, but few are about it when it comes to "playing anyone, anywhere." The Trojans do, annually pitting themselves against D1 and D2 opponents to test their mettle before the postseason. Don't be surprised if it gets harder and harder for Bromfield to fill out a schedule in the future. They have proven to be the Beast of D3, and any school with a larger enrollment is in a no-win situation when Bromfield comes asking for a match. Beat a D3 school and "you were supposed to," lose and face the ire of chatroom analysts and coaches.
That's our take and, believes us, we tried and tried to think of another program that even comes close in any sport. Try for yourselves. We enjoy friendly arguments, but the list of teams that have won more than half of the possible CMass championships in the last three decades is fairly short.
The term "dynasty" being used to describe a high school team usually makes me want to do this to the describer. It's just silly. It's high school, four years and see ya later. There are no drafts or free-agent signings or organizational philosophies. Just 15-18-year-old kids playing a sport.
At Bromfield, though, it's been consistent. Consistently dominant. Seventeen-out-of-29 CMass championships, multiple CMass titles in each decade from the '80s through Sunday afternoon.
Last year's state championship team was stacked with senior talent. This fall, other quality teams were getting that "championship feeling," perhaps thinking the Trojans were down a bit, or "rebuilding" (another word that should not be spoken in relation to high school sports).
Didn't happen.
The reasons for the Bromfield Dynasty are as numerous as the blue and white soccer banners that hang in their small gymnasium.
The first is talent, obviously, which is as much nature as it is the nurturing the players get from a very competitive youth program.
The most obvious is coaching. Bromfield coach Tom Hill has been in the game for a long time, coaching the same way in the same place. His style certainly wouldn't appeal to Dr. Phil. He sometimes even raises his voice to players when they aren't following directions or playing to their potential. That's a novel concept. Credit here should also go the decades of parents who have trusted Hill and not started a petition or gone running to the school board because a coach "was a meanie" to their kids. The same parents who pretend to subscribe to the sports is an extension of the classroom belief, apparently believe that their kids' future bosses will coddle them when they fail to be accountable for their actions.
The dynasty is even more impressive when you consider that Bromfield, on a yearly basis, houses about 200 boys in grades 9-12. (See for yourself here). And it isn't like the school's standout athletes all rush to the soccer team every fall. Keep in mind that Bromfield has a solid cross-country team and is part of the Littleton football team.
While banners, championship and scores of players moving on to play in college are the factual evidence, the anecdotal evidence is more impressive. Many teams talk about, but few are about it when it comes to "playing anyone, anywhere." The Trojans do, annually pitting themselves against D1 and D2 opponents to test their mettle before the postseason. Don't be surprised if it gets harder and harder for Bromfield to fill out a schedule in the future. They have proven to be the Beast of D3, and any school with a larger enrollment is in a no-win situation when Bromfield comes asking for a match. Beat a D3 school and "you were supposed to," lose and face the ire of chatroom analysts and coaches.
That's our take and, believes us, we tried and tried to think of another program that even comes close in any sport. Try for yourselves. We enjoy friendly arguments, but the list of teams that have won more than half of the possible CMass championships in the last three decades is fairly short.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Our vote for No. 1
Well, for all the politicking, Power Point presentations and pie charts that go into the bizarre world of realignment, also known as the process by which who plays who in CMass football is sorted out, it seems pretty simple, really.
As Friday night proved, football really is no different than any other sport. You get a coach and some equipment and he or she chooses the best players from a particular school. It’s that simple.
No matter the size of the school, the kids are the same. Nobody is running a 4.2 40, nobody’s throwing up 500 pounds on the bench. On “any given Friday,” anything can happen.
Each local high school football team has some talented kids, whether the games are played in front 3,000 fans or friends and family.
As a matter of fact, while writing this masterpiece, we’re half-watching two CMass products go head to head in Big Boy college football, Emil Igwenagu of UMass, who played at Holy Name and Josh Droesch of UNH, who played at D3 West Boylston.
In a related note, the new playoff system is working to perfection. The idea was to give more kids the opportunity to play as many meaningful football games as possible. The playoffs start on Thanksgiving, as many spots in the postseason have yet to be occupied.
Finally, the most important election in history, at least since Nov. 4, takes place this weekend when we, along with nine colleagues, will decide who is the best team in CMass football via the T&G’s media poll.
There is no rule in the poll that states that any team deemed No. 1 must play in Division 1. That being said, this vote will go to a non-D1 squad as the top dog after losses by both Holy Name and St. John’s. The answer to your next question, if that question is, “What if they lined up and played head to head?” is “Nobody knows.” But, to say that a team like Auburn, Lunenburg or Tantasqua would have “no chance” against a school which happens to be private or located in a town with a larger population is preposterous.
Check back in this spot later this week when we reveal the greatest dynasty – yes, you can use that word to describe a high school program in this case – ever in CMass sports. It’s really not even close, so put on your debating pants and try to prove us wrong. Thanks for reading. Oh, and check around the site to win free things.
As Friday night proved, football really is no different than any other sport. You get a coach and some equipment and he or she chooses the best players from a particular school. It’s that simple.
No matter the size of the school, the kids are the same. Nobody is running a 4.2 40, nobody’s throwing up 500 pounds on the bench. On “any given Friday,” anything can happen.
Each local high school football team has some talented kids, whether the games are played in front 3,000 fans or friends and family.
As a matter of fact, while writing this masterpiece, we’re half-watching two CMass products go head to head in Big Boy college football, Emil Igwenagu of UMass, who played at Holy Name and Josh Droesch of UNH, who played at D3 West Boylston.
In a related note, the new playoff system is working to perfection. The idea was to give more kids the opportunity to play as many meaningful football games as possible. The playoffs start on Thanksgiving, as many spots in the postseason have yet to be occupied.
Finally, the most important election in history, at least since Nov. 4, takes place this weekend when we, along with nine colleagues, will decide who is the best team in CMass football via the T&G’s media poll.
There is no rule in the poll that states that any team deemed No. 1 must play in Division 1. That being said, this vote will go to a non-D1 squad as the top dog after losses by both Holy Name and St. John’s. The answer to your next question, if that question is, “What if they lined up and played head to head?” is “Nobody knows.” But, to say that a team like Auburn, Lunenburg or Tantasqua would have “no chance” against a school which happens to be private or located in a town with a larger population is preposterous.
Check back in this spot later this week when we reveal the greatest dynasty – yes, you can use that word to describe a high school program in this case – ever in CMass sports. It’s really not even close, so put on your debating pants and try to prove us wrong. Thanks for reading. Oh, and check around the site to win free things.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
We're back
Well, we're back. Never really went away, actually. In techinical terms, we had what is know as a huge "Oh sh*t moment" with our Web site.
That turned out to be a good thing, as you can see from the rebuilt version. Like Will Hunting, we spent $1.50 in late fees at the public library and figured it out.
We know you only care about sports, though. So let's get cracking. It's time for us and for you to talk some football. In the weeks that our picks weren't visible on line, we went 120-1. It's a shame nobody saw it.
Anyway, we'll get a few thoughts out on this initial post and update it frequently. First, we searched high and low and surveyed 20,000 local sports fans and have not come up with a more dominant sports program in the history of CMass sports than the Bromfield boys' soccer program. Seriously, try to challenge that. It's a dynasty.
We can give it some more thought and try to visit as many diners as we can and talk to old guys, but we doubt it will change our minds.
Couple other things...Believe it or not, we sometimes get e-mails telling us that the magazine sucks and and our writers suck. Well, ESPN the Magazine thought we had at least one decent writer, but what do they know? Check out the work of one-time CMass Insider freelancer Anna Katherine Clemmons, who went from writing about the dominant O'Keefe family and Quaboag basketball to writing about Jake Plummer's high socks and handball.
And just for laughs and because Baron Davis is TF's favorite NBA player, check this out. A true time-wasting classic.
That turned out to be a good thing, as you can see from the rebuilt version. Like Will Hunting, we spent $1.50 in late fees at the public library and figured it out.
We know you only care about sports, though. So let's get cracking. It's time for us and for you to talk some football. In the weeks that our picks weren't visible on line, we went 120-1. It's a shame nobody saw it.
Anyway, we'll get a few thoughts out on this initial post and update it frequently. First, we searched high and low and surveyed 20,000 local sports fans and have not come up with a more dominant sports program in the history of CMass sports than the Bromfield boys' soccer program. Seriously, try to challenge that. It's a dynasty.
We can give it some more thought and try to visit as many diners as we can and talk to old guys, but we doubt it will change our minds.
Couple other things...Believe it or not, we sometimes get e-mails telling us that the magazine sucks and and our writers suck. Well, ESPN the Magazine thought we had at least one decent writer, but what do they know? Check out the work of one-time CMass Insider freelancer Anna Katherine Clemmons, who went from writing about the dominant O'Keefe family and Quaboag basketball to writing about Jake Plummer's high socks and handball.
And just for laughs and because Baron Davis is TF's favorite NBA player, check this out. A true time-wasting classic.
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