FOOTBALL CAMP SERIES: SAUGUS
Prep football: Centurions’ Devin Thompson ready to fill a variety of roles with his multi-faceted game
Last season, Devin Thompson led Saugus in receptions and interceptions. Don’t be shocked if he does it again this year.
The multidimensional Thompson filled up the stat sheet in 2017, leading the team with 29 receptions for 346 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball 18 times for 57 yards last season, but expect that number to go up this year.
“I’m kind of a utility athlete,” Thompson said. “Wherever they put me, I’ll play that position and do my best. This year I’m working a little bit out of the slot, a little bit of running back and my main position is safety, but I’ll play anywhere.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Thompson’s four interceptions was tied for second most in the Foothill League last season. He was also the leading tackler at his position with 41 takedowns.
Saugus football head coach Jason Bornn said he’s going to utilize Thompson all over the field.
“Devin is one of several players that we’ll be playing on both sides of the ball,” Bornn said. “Helping us out in a variety of different situations and different position groups.”
While Thompson is extremely familiar with the Centurions’ balanced offence, he will be catching passes and receiving handoffs from a new signal-caller.
Senior quarterback Cole Gallagher takes over for Nathan Eldridge, but don’t expect a drop-off between the new quarterback and his receiver. The two players worked together as freshmen.
“Freshman year I played running back
with him, I was side-by-side with him throughout the whole year,” Thompson said. “He’s really worked on his game. I think he’s going to be great.”
Gallagher echoed Thompson’s sentiment, saying how impressed he is with Thompson’s development as an allaround player.
“It’s amazing, the way he’s grown from freshman year now,” Gallagher said. “He’s become such a weapon on both sides of the ball.”
In addition to being a statistical leader for Saugus, Thompson has been tasked with leading the team on the field and in the locker room as well. He, along with several of his teammates, was named team captain, an honor he doesn’t take lightly.
“It feels great,” Thompson said. “I looked up to all my leaders through my high school career, so it’s great to be a leader myself and have a big influence on the young kids coming up and pass the torch to them.”
Starting center Nathan Tripp, who was also named as a team captain, knows how important it is for he and the rest of the captains to lead by example.
“Being named by my coach to be one of the leaders, it fills me with great pride,” Tripp said. “Me and the other Centurions, we have to set the path, set the tone of what the season is going to be like.”
As for how far he thinks his team can go this season, Thompson is confident in his squad.
“We have to play our brand of football,” he said. “We have a great team this year and we have a chance if we just play our brand of football.”
dlovi@signalscv.com