SCITUATE – Winning makes you greedy. You experience success and immediately want more.
Scituate High football won big last season with a thrilling last minute win over Duxbury High to capture the Division 4 state championship for the second time in four years. Entering his 15th season as Mariners head coach, Herb Devine believes the returning players from that championship team have something to prove this season.
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“We’re looking to replace some amazing football leaders and players from last year,” Devine admitted. “It’s hard to leave the likes of Keegan Sullivan, Jack Thompson, James Cannon, Shea Morley and Henry Gates behind, but the players we’ve brought back have fed off of last year’s senior group leadership and now have a better understanding of the kind of work they do.” it takes to get to the final game of the playoffs and walk off the field with a win.”
That work began in the weight room shortly after he won the title and continues to this day as the Sailors prepare for the Sept. 9 season opener at Milton High. Strength and conditioning coach Quinn Sullivan had plenty of company in the weight room this offseason as players put in the hard work it takes to defend a state championship.
“The weight room was busy all summer,” Devine said. “We’ve got another good group coming up this season with kids that have a lot of athletic ability, and it looks like we’re going to have a lot of depth at a lot of our positions. We will have to see how he steps up and separates himself from the pack.”
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A big reason Scituate was able to score 359 points while allowing just 151 during last season’s 10-2 run to the state title was that there were great human beings at the line of scrimmage. Early indications are that it could very well be the case once again this season.
“We have senior captain Danny Thompson coming back at left tackle and Shane Johnston senior is back from private school and will start at left guard. Senior Henry Benoit returns to center. Those are three big bodies that we can run the ball behind,” Devine said. “I really like what I have coming back along with the defensive line with Thompson, Johnson, senior captain Jamieson Hodlin and senior Joey Cannon all lined up to get some playing time” on that side of the football.
Senior captain Colin Morley, senior Jesse Rees and senior Reid Fulton provide support at the linebacker level.
Junior Jackson Belson and sophomore Joey Burke are vying for the starting quarterback job, and it looks like Belson will get the call. “Our offensive style puts a lot on the quarterback’s shoulders with pre-snap reads and looking at what the defense is trying to do. Jackson makes a good call with what he wants to do with football,” Devine said.
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The corridor is packed with talented soccer players. Morley, Hodlin and junior Alex Burrill are options to carry the ball. The receiving group is also very broad, with seven or eight players who can make plays, including senior captain Will Chatterton, as well as a talented newcomer in sophomore Lawson Foley.
Sailors should know immediately how things are developing with games against Milton High (September 9) and then Duxbury High (September 16) to open the season. “We have two powerful soccer programs right out of the box. Both are great teams that are going to challenge us,” Devine said. “After those two games, we’ll have a week off where we can let the kids catch our breath for a bit and give ourselves a moment to watch the movie and assess where we are to see what we need to improve on.”
Plus:Scituate High battles for the Plymouth South Patriot League Fisher Division football crown
The league schedule kicks off on September 30 in Pembroke as the Sailors begin what could be a rocky road to a consecutive second division title.
“There’s good competition throughout the league,” Devine said. “Plymouth South has been very successful over the years and is well coached, Hanover has very good football players, Pembroke is an improved team and both Quincy teams are tough to beat.”
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