Fireworks on tap in Div. 2 matchup
King Philip is appearing in its third straight Super Bowl and no one is a bigger fan of what they’ve accomplished than North Andover coach John Dubzinski.
He will take his undefeated Scarlet Knights team into the Division 2 Super Bowl (Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Gillette) looking to bring home the school’s first championship since 1994.
“King Philip is a very well-coached team and you can see that in the way they play,” Dubzinski said. “They’re extremely disciplined, they’re tough up front and they do not go away from what they like to do. In the Natick game, they put 9-10 men in the box and King Philip kept running the ball well and were successful,”
North Andover (11-0) is one of the most explosive teams in the state. Central Catholic is the only team who has held the Scarlet Knights under 35 points in a contest.
Jake McElroy is a dangerous quarterback, one capable of running and throwing with equal success. Freddy Gabin stepped in at running back when Darren Watson was injured and the offensive didn’t skip a beat. Gabe DeSouza and Jack Walsh are the top receiving targets, while Matt Samenuk keys an offensive line which consists of Billy Reed, Tim Iannarone, Tommy Cox and Jack Roche.
“They’re an unbelievable offensive team,” said King Philip coach Brian Lee. “Some times might have the good quarterback, the good running back, the good wide receiver that they rely on, but they have all three.”
As good as North Andover is on offense, they will have to be on point against a King Philip defense which prides its on challenges. In the three sectional victories, the Warriors (9-2) held a trio of good offensive teams (Braintree, Natick and Mansfield) to one touchdown.
Deric Casado and Aidan Bender lead a talented secondary which includes Luke D’Amico and Tyler Bartlett. Jack Webster is one of the premier linebackers in the state and he teams up with Ryan Halliday and Sam Callanan. Terrell Jacobs-Baston, Shawn Conniff and David Morganelli are the leaders up front.
Halliday has stepped in for graduated All-Scholastic Shane Frommer and the King Philip ground game is as good as ever. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and seems to get stronger as the season wears on.
Quarterback Robbie Jarest can make defenses pay if they fall asleep on the passing game with Morganelli as the top target. Sean Piller, Josh Fice, Patrick Walsh, Pat Zarba, Nolan Gunning and Jacobs-Baston might be unheralded, but they deserve a great deal of credit for the success of the running game.
“We’re going to have to be able to win the battle up front,” Dubzinski said. “We just can’t let them go on those long 6-7 minute drives, especially with the 10-minute quarters. We need to be able to force them into some three-andouts.”
North Andover has benefited from being able to using fresh legs on the defensive front as Thomas Vance, Raphael Usuomon, Mike Roche and Steve Ferullo play solely on defense. Keegan Hardacre, Ryan Slattery and Samenuk are the linebackers and Mark Federico, DeSouza, Watson and Walsh comprise a talented secondary.