The Masconomet Chieftains and Malden Catholic (MC) Lancers put their offseason work to the test in a gritty scrimmage on Lancer turf.
This was each team’s first live look of the season, and the Chieftain program is excited to see what head coach Patrick Sheehan has in store for year two.
While referees were present, the scrimmage wasn’t in the format of a traditional football game, serving instead as an opportunity to try out offensive and defensive systems while getting players real game reps against an actual opponent.
After 10 plays on offense, the teams would switch sides. There were no first downs, as the offense simply tried to drive the ball down the field as much as possible within their allotted plays.
All the hard work poured into the summer in preparation for this fall was especially evident for Masco when each team had their starters out for the first 20 plays. Both teams’ defensive lines caused chaos in the backfield. Junior defensive end Mike Kenny wreaked havoc off the edge with three sacks through the first two series. On the other side of the line, All-NEC Colby College commit Evan Velardo disrupted MC’s offense. The interior attack of senior captain Nino Stefanelli and senior lineman Alex Russo was lethal early on.
“The offseason put us in a great spot to hit the ground running on day one. Now the plan is to focus on getting better every single day and keep climbing toward our goals, like winning a conference championship and making a deep run in November,” said Stefanelli.
Masco went 8-3 last season, but this year the Chieftains look to win a Northeast Conference (NEC) title and make a playoff push come late November.
“Coming off a great season, we knew we had to attack the offseason, whether it was on the field or in the weight room. We have a hungry group that’s chasing something this school has never achieved before. We’re working hard every day to get there, knowing that it all has to be earned and won’t be given,” Stefanelli added.
Masco’s starting offense looked sharp, especially in their up-tempo attack. Senior quarterback Drew Gustafson, who impressed in 7-on-7 action this summer, carried that momentum into the scrimmage against the Lancers. He was poised in the pocket and delivered accurate throws to the sideline and over the middle.
“I was really impressed with the defense — they did a great job stopping MC’s run game. I was also impressed with our third offensive drive, our tempo, and our ability to move the ball down the field quickly,” said Gustafson.
Gustafson, a Bentley baseball commit, is entering his third season taking quarterback reps for the Chieftains.
“Our goals this season are a conference championship and hopefully a strong playoff run,” Gustafson said.
The weapons that the Chieftain offense possesses are going to put fear in opposing defenses. With NEC Offensive Player of the Year, senior captain Jack Fabiano, in the backfield and All-NEC senior receiver Cal Weidman on the outside, it’ll be hard to keep them from the end zone. The pair combined for 30 touchdowns last season. Senior receivers Liam Ginley and Ryan Richardson, along with senior running back Alex Cantalupo, will also play vital roles in the offense.
Even with the Chieftains loaded with seniors, younger players got their chance to make big plays. Sophomore quarterback Trip Weidman showed poise, reading the defense well and delivering strikes to junior receivers Kieran Kilmer and Ben Richardson. Junior running back Jack Engel ran hard, and sophomore Connor Marshall showed flashes of his top-end speed. Sophomores Zach Milligan, Junior Scenna, and Ryan Maczynski all made plays in the backfield.
Masco senior linebackers Achi Koutoulas and Connor Mitchell add a layer of hard-hitting defense behind Masco’s big defensive front. Koutoulas delivered a big hit that forced a fumble, while Mitchell nearly reached the end zone on an interception off a tipped pass.
“We’ve had a good preseason so far and the kids bring great energy to practice. We’ve done a lot of installs, so their minds were taxed over the last six days, and to be able to perform well today is a testament to their experience,” said Sheehan. “A lot of guys played a lot of downs last year and still played well with the amount of new stuff that went in.”
With 20 of the Chieftains’ 22 current starters being seniors, this is the year they’re aiming to win a state title.
“We are going to spend a lot of time on this film. We’ll break it down, correct the mistakes, and show everybody what it should look like. There were a lot of snaps with individual players at all positions doing exactly what we needed them to do,” Sheehan added.
After a successful first scrimmage, the Chieftains now turn their attention to their matchup today against Bedford and their Week 1 game against Newburyport.