One week of pre-season practice is in the books for the Massachusetts Maritime football team, as the Buccaneers continue preparations for their 2009 season opener on Thursday, September 3rd when New York Maritime pays a visit to Clean Harbors Stadium for the Third Annual Chowder Bowl that kicks off at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
Head Coach Jeremy Cameron heads into his fifth campaign in Buzzards Bay with 40 letterwinners returning and over 50 newcomers dotting the roster, and he will look to four upperclassmen to provide leadership for this year?s squad, as seniors Jim Erlwein (Livingston Manor, N.Y./Sullivan West), Howard Hayes (Westport, Conn./Staples) and Joseph St. Pierre (Beverly, Mass./North Shore Tech), along with junior Maxwell Whitney (Middletown, R.I./Middletown), have been named as Massachusetts Maritime?s captains for the 2009 season.
Erlwein earned all-New England Football Conference Bogan Division accolades in 2008 after registering 83 total tackles (including a team-high 60 solo) that included one sack, a pass break-up and a forced fumble, while Hayes returns after missing all but three contests last fall due to injury, as he recorded eight total tackles in that span. St. Pierre showed versatility out of the Buccaneer backfield as both a rusher and receiver, while Whitney has been a starter on the offensive line during his career.
Massachusetts Maritime will play a total of six home games this season, including four of its first five in the friendly confines of Clean Harbors Stadium. In addition to the Chowder Bowl clash with New York Maritime, the Buccaneers will welcome MIT, Worcester State and Coast Guard to the Cape as well as the traditional rivalry games with Maine Maritime (Admiral?s Cup on October 17th) and Bridgewater State (Cranberry Bowl on November 7th).