North Andover to lean on leadership
John Dubzinski and the North Andover football staff didn’t necessarily want to start sophomores on the offensive and defensive line two years ago, but tight end Jake Saalfrank and offensive lineman Jake O’Neil forced their hand.
Playing on the scout team ahead of a Week 2 matchup with Beverly in 2021, Saalfrank, now 6 feet, 4 inches and 215 pounds, and O’Neil, now 6-3, 205, dominated North Andover’s first-team offense. Since then, they’ve been fixtures in the starting lineup along with fellow senior captain Zach Wolinski, driving the eighth-seeded Scarlet Knights to a 5-2 record and a home playoff game against No. 9 seed Winchester (7-1) in the Division 2 playoffs Friday at 6 p.m.
“Having three-year starters, on the short end it’s tough, but if you’re patient and keep developing them you see the fruits of their labor by their senior year,” said Dubzsinski. “They all have great football IQs and the experience they bring is huge.”
Wolinski should lead the offense once again. The senior has topped 115 yards rushing in six of seven games this fall by running behind Saalfrank, O’Neil, and others.
Offensive guard Mike Comerford (5-9, 230) and slot back Mike McNaught (5-9, 160) are the other two captains on an experienced team that is motivated after missing the playoffs last season.
“I love blocking for [Wolinski],” Saalfrank said. “And I love being part of an offense where we can beat you multiple ways. Not making the playoffs last year was a heartbreaker. We’ve been grinding ever since then, and we had a good regular season, but we’re not satisfied yet. We ‘re going to keep grinding and hopefully make a deep run.”
Last winter, Wolinski averaged a team-high 17.6 points per game while leading the North Andover basketball team on a surprising run to the D1 state semifinals. He plans to play college basketball, but the senior is on pace for a second consecutive 1,000yard season with 12 total touchdowns heading into his final football action.
“Last basketball season, that run we had was special,” Wolinski said. “I still look back and think those were some of the best weeks of my life. What I’ve been doing, along with the other captains and coaches, is emphasizing that we deserve to be one of the 16 teams in the [D2 football bracket]. We’re fortunate to have a meaningful game in November and to give back to the community that’s supported us, with another home game.”
North Andover played a tough schedule in the Merrimack Valley Conference, with competitive losses to Methuen and Billerica, and close wins over Chelmsford and Lawrence. Last Friday, it all clicked when the Scarlet Knights rolled to a 43-20 win over Tewksbury to solidify their status heading into the playoffs.
Wolinski credits the teams’ offseason workouts with Pact Performance for increasing their stamina and preparing them for battles that go down to the wire in the fourth quarter.
Dubzinski credits Wolinski and his other captains for keeping players accountable and leading by example.
“The kids respect him. They know how hard he works,” said Dubzinski. “He’s one of those people . . . You don’t want to miss a block for him. With kids like that, you don’t want to miss a lift. You know how hard they work and you don’t want to let a teammate down. His exploits and his mentality, that holds a lot of water in the locker room.”