Right at home

WOBURN -- Homeless for a fourth straight season, the Woburn football team is a bunch of unassuming vagabonds.

Construction at the high school has left Woburn without a football stadium since the 2003 season. And while it has produced a sparkling new high school, equipped with pristine new locker rooms, the Tanners still make a half-mile trek to the nearby Shamrock Elementary School for daily practices.

Drive up Montvale Ave. at the right time and you might encounter a mini traffic jam as the program's 100-plus enrollment crosses the street with their cleats clacking on the asphalt below. They march up Eastern Avenue to the elementary school's makeshift gridiron, complete with a sagging metal upright.

"Those kids have been without a home field for four years," said Woburn coach Rocky Nelson. "We make the trek over here every single day and none of them ever complain. The only one who complains is me We tell them what time to be ready and here they are. When we have double sessions in the summer, they make the walk four times. They just don't know any better."

So imagine the reaction of the team when informed this summer that the school's new stadium could potentially be ready to host Woburn's Thanksgiving Day battle with rival Winchester. The Tanners will otherwise play 10 out-of-town games with three "home" games being held in Burlington.

"To be able to walk outside the school and play a real home game, that would be amazing," said senior quarterback Danny McLaughlin, one of five captains on this year's squad along with Mark Dwyer, Ryan Ferrone, Matt Ramos, and Matt Welch.

"If we get to play a home game on Thanksgiving Day, that would be the most amazing moment."

McLaughlin's voice trails ever so slightly after the comment, almost as if he realizes there might be just one other moment that would trump a Turkey Day homecoming.

See, the walk to Shamrock isn't the only thing that's become second nature to the Tanners. So hasn't winning. The seniors on this group experienced the program's first Super Bowl victory in 26 years during the 2005 season (winning the final 12 games of that year) and last year's squad (9-2 overall) came within inches of making another postseason appearance.

Instead it was rival Burlington that emerged during an alleged "home game" on the Red Devils' home sod in Week 10 of last year. A last-second field goal attempt by Woburn fell just short and Burlington's Dan Walsh converted a 1-yard sneak on fourth down in an extra session to lift Burlington to a 29-21 triumph.

For nine months, the Tanners have lived with a case of the "what ifs," but like each day's walk, they don't pay it much mind.

In fact, both the walk and the loss have spawned positives. The veterans on the squad use the daily trek as a time to bond (something they believe pushed that 2005 team to be so successful), while the Burlington defeat provides any motivation the seniors might have needed to push themselves this season.

Just ask Dwyer.

"The loss certainly motivated us in the offseason," said the 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end. "I've been thinking about that a lot. We worked so hard, so we're not going to let ourselves fall short again this time."

Nelson finds positive in the loss as well. He recognizes that Burlington was a veteran squad last season and the Red Devils twice overcame deficits (they trailed 14-0 at the half and 21-14 in the fourth quarter) before finding a way to win.

"We lost twice in overtime last season," said Nelson, pointing out the other loss was a 22-20 defeat to then-red-hot Wakefield. "I think our guys recognize they could have been back (in the postseason) as juniors. We were' quite ready. Burlington found a way to win and that's what we have to do this year. We need to find a way to win those close games. We're going to encounter some adversity and we need to get past it."

The walk to Shamrock each day proves this team knows a thing or two about making lemonade out of life's lemons. Looking at this year's roster puts anything but a pucker on Nelson's face. The 22d-year head coach brings back seven starters on offense, including his quarterback (McLaughlin), fullback (Welch), running back (Ferrone), tight end (Dwyer) and linemen (Ramos and Dan Chiumiento). Martin is an all-puropse guy who will bounce from the backfield to flanker to wherever else Nelson needs him on the field.

Overall, 10 of the 11 projected starters on offense this season are seniors. If there's two things you can't teach at the high school level it's size and experience, and the Tanners are overflowing with both.

Defensively, Welch and McLaughlin lead a fierce linebacking corps, while senior nose guard Steve Ruby adds experience up front to a line that includes Dwyer and Chiumineto. Martin is the only returning starter in the secondary, which will really miss Ryan Sylvonic, but Nelson is hopeful the team can develop some depth in its underclassmen. He also knocks on wood when discussing that Woburn is the healthiest it has been in years entering the regular season.

"If we have a weakness right now it's probably our depth," said Nelson. "A lot of our guys are going two ways to start the season, but we'd like to get some depth there because our skill guys exert a lot of energy on offense."

Once the fresh-faced sophomore on the Super Bowl squad, McLaughlin knows he has to be a leader to the underclassmen and encourage them to elevate their game. This is his season and his team. Going out on top is quite important to him.

"I was the youngest kid on the field that sophomore year and I was just listening to what the older guys told me," said McLaughlin, whose pleased that his father, Mike, will take over the reigns as offensive coordinator this season. Growing up in a football family (his uncle, Joe, played for the New York Giants; brother, Mike Jr., is a linebacker at Boston College; and dad played in the USFL for three seasons), now the dinner conversation can be considered game-planning.

"As a sophomore, I just wanted to help those guys win the Middlesex League and a Super Bowl title. Now it's my turn to be a leader and us captains have to show these guys the ropes so they can help us achieve our goals."

Goal No. 1 for Woburn is putting the Middlesex League title back on its trophy shelf. The Tanners meet Acton-Boxboro and Billerica in its nonleague matchups to start the season and Nelson believes it's a great tune-up for league play.

Nelson loves senior teams, but this one owns a special spot in his heart for what they've overcome and what they've accomplished.

"Football is special to this group and these guys are special to me," said Nelson. "These kids get it. And you can't say that every year. I think we're a very good football team and I'm excited to see what these guys can do this season. They've put in the hard work."

Chris Forsberg can be reached at cforsberg@boston.com