No secrets at Amesbury
Nearby Whittier knows rival well
Each year, Amesbury (10-1) and Whittier (9-2) open the season with a scrimmage against each other. Tuesday in the Division 3A semifinals at Lowell's Cawley Stadium, the two will meet again, with one punching a ticket to the Super Bowl Dec. 6.
"[The film] is probably not going to do us much good," said Amesbury coach Thom Connors of the scrimmage tape.
Which may be fine for Amesbury, which thrives under simplicity.
"If anything, the play list got a little shorter as the season went on. We spent more time on getting better at what we do rather than trying to add more," Connors said.
The Indians are led by the three-headed monster of running backs Jesse Burrell and Kevin Johnston and quarterback Jared Flanagan - who all have nine or more rushing scores this year.
In addition to offensive and defensive contributions, the three players lent their hands to the special teams unit of the Cape Ann Small champs.
"We've had a lot of success with our special teams. You can do that when you have talented kids," Connors said.
His opposition agrees. "They're probably one of the best teams in the state with the way they're putting up numbers like that [29.4 points per game] offensively. Those running backs really haven't been stopped all year," Whittier coach Kevin Bradley said. "They cause nightmares."
The Commonwealth Large champion Wildcats will prescribe a heavy dose of their signature physical play and give the ball to workhorse Bryan Trickett, whose 21 touchdowns are best in Division 3A among playoff-bound players.
"From head to toe, Bryan has been [banged up]. Our MVP is probably going to be our athletic trainer," Bradley said. "[The team] sees leaders like Bryan Trickett [working hard], it's not just on Fridays and Saturdays. You got to practice during the week just as hard as you're going to play in the game."
Amesbury and Whittier, located in Haverhill, are only 6 miles apart and combine for co-op programs in wrestling and hockey.
"It's kind of nice. We'll have a playoff game that's also a neighborhood game. It adds to the flavor a little bit," Connors said.
"That makes it a lot of fun," Bradley said. "The players know the players and the coaches know the coaches."
South Boston (10-1) and Martha's Vineyard (10-1) don't have that luxury.
The Vineyarders locked up the Mayflower Large championship and a playoff berth with a Nov. 7 win over Blue Hills, giving coach Don Herman's crew time to prepare for the postseason. Martha's Vineyard's final game came Nov. 22 against Nantucket, a 43-22 Island Cup win, which gave the coaching staff an opportunity to watch South Boston take down East Boston on Thanksgiving.
"That was the first time we've seen them this year," Herman said. "They have some very athletic kids. They have good speed and talented athletes. They've got to be bigger than we are. They appear very hungry. If you have any one of those, you might be dangerous, but, when you put them all together, it can be deadly."
South Boston's offensive weapons include Derick Willis, whom coach Sean Guthrie called the "heart of the team." Willis slashes through defensive lines and can complete passes when needed. Akeem George gets a good share of carries and junior back Daquan Hill is Guthrie's home run hitter, known for breaking big gains.
The Vineyarders lean on their own dynamic quarterback, Mike McCarthy, who has 17 rushing touchdowns.
Southie hasn't been to the playoffs since 1998, Martha's Vineyard since 2003, but Herman says his staff has been through eight playoff series before.
"Our coaching staff is very experienced at this," he said. "We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We have a good idea of what we have to do to get our kids ready."
The ultimate goal for his kids? "Have some fun," he said. "This is a reward system for all their hard work." 