Enthuasism, Experience Abound As Football Continues Preparations For Cameron's Seventh Season
Posted: Aug 31, 2011

Enthuasism, Experience Abound As Football Continues Preparations For Cameron's Seventh Season

After enjoying its most successful season in a decade last fall, the Massachusetts Maritime football team is abounding with great excitement and enthusiasm heading into the 2011 campaign, the seventh under Head Coach Jeremy Cameron.  The Buccaneers welcome back 41 letterwinners and 15 starters from last year’s squad that posted a 5-5 overall mark, including a 4-3 slate in New England Football Conference Bogan Division play with triumphs over rivals Coast Guard and Bridgewater State.

Experience at key skill positions on both sides of the ball will be a plus for Cameron heading into the new season, as Massachusetts Maritime averaged nearly 22 points per game in 2010 while ranking as one of the top offensive units in the conference.  Defensively, the Buccaneers held opponents to 17 or fewer points on six occasions a year ago and will look for that veteran presence once again in 2011.

And speaking of veteran presence, leadership has always been a staple of the Massachusetts Maritime program over the past 39 varsity seasons of play, and the coming campaign is no exception, as Cameron will look to a quintet of key contributors to set solid examples.  Seniors Mike Bois (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet), Walter Butler (Bourne, Mass./Bishop Stang), Lenny Simmons (New Bedford, Mass./Bishop Stang) and Matt White (Westwood, Mass./Westwood), along with junior Barry Reopell (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth), will serve as captains for the Buccaneers in 2011, and Cameron describes this group as “individuals who collectively have helped our program make great strides in success on the field and achievement off of it.  They are committed to maintaining the positive direction of this program and have demonstrated outstanding leadership.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2011 edition of Buccaneer Football:

OFFENSE.  A balanced attack helped power Massachusetts Maritime offensively last fall, as the Buccaneers averaged 316 yards of total offense per game in 2010, including 186 on the ground and 130 through the air.  White, who earned all-NEFC Bogan Division honors as well as Lee Harrington Most Valuable Player accolades in last season’s Cranberry Bowl victory over Bridgewater State, is the top returning rusher for Cameron after amassing 762 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Reopell chipped in with 321 rushing yards and a pair of scores during his sophomore campaign.  Sophomore Jimmy Bianchi (Millbury, Mass./Blackstone Valley) also returns to the backfield after gaining 22 yards in a pair of appearances for Massachusetts Maritime, which scored 20 of its 31 touchdowns on the ground last fall.

Sophomore Mike Stanton (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) emerged as the starting quarterback for Cameron, as he completed 91-of-177 passes for 1,165 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie for a passer rating of 129.4.  Senior Cory Antunes (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) has been a solid backup for Massachusetts Maritime, as he completed six passes for 46 yards in six contests in 2010 and will battle once again for the starting position.

Junior Jonathan Emond (Green Harbor, Mass./Marshfield), who earned NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman and all-conference accolades as a sophomore, returns after hauling in a team-high 27 receptions for 492 yards and six touchdowns for the Buccaneers, who also received a combined 44 receptions, 374 yards and two scores from White, Reopell and sophomore Keith Caruso (Hingham, Mass./Hingham).  Senior Darryn Elder-Gotta (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) returns to the program after a year hiatus to provide a solid target for Massachusetts Maritime, which also welcomes back sophomores Chris Robery (Plainville, Mass./King Philip) and Ted Mello (Acushnet, Mass./Old Colony) to the wide out corps as well as a pair of tight ends in senior Armand Pimental (Fairhaven, Mass./Fairhaven) and sophomore David Wilson (Weare, N.H./John Stark Regional).

The Bucs’ offensive line lost a pair of all-conference performers in Samuel Jackson and Colin Giles to graduation, but Simmons and fellow senior Chris Dintino (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) return to provide size, experience and stability up front.  Juniors Bryan Norberg (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) and Christopher Flynn (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional), along with sophomores John Bochman (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), Sean Marshall (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) and Ian Bradley (Burlington, Conn./St. Paul Catholic), provide additional experience for Cameron’s crew on the offensive line.

DEFENSE.  Five of Massachusetts Maritime’s top six tacklers from last season return to the 2011 roster, led by Bois, who earned all-NEFC accolades at the linebacker spot with 81 total stops (56 solo) to go with three forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks despite missing the final two games of the year.  Butler, who also missed two games due to injury, followed with 58 total tackles (43 solos), three sacks and a pair of blocked kicks for the Buccaneers, while junior Nick Mazurkiewicz (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) was also formidable in a talented group of linebackers with 56 total tackles (40 solo) and a pair of fumble recoveries.  Sophomore Sheldon Roper (Sharpsbury, Ga./Northgate) added 23 total tackles (20 solo) as a rookie for Cameron, while senior Devin Lynch (Milton, Mass./Milton), junior George Soha (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) and sophomores Michael Belmore (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth), Max Devoe (Quincy, Mass./Quincy) and Andrew Peterson (Fennville, Mich./Catholic Central) will also be vying for spots in the linebacker rotation.

Senior James Hutchinson (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) anchors the Buccaneer defensive line, as he recorded 38 total tackles (22 solo) and recovered four fumbles a year ago, while junior Sean Carver (Summerfield, Fla./The Villages) enjoyed a breakout campaign with 36 total tackles (19 solo) as well as team-highs in sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (15).  Senior Joshua Roberts (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) and junior Kevin Griffin (Worcester, Mass./St. John’s) lend additional experience for Massachusetts Maritime after combining for 16 total tackles (12 solo) in 2010, while Cameron will also look for sophomores Donnie Sheridan (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), Josh Bevilacqua (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), Jesse Green (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) and Jonathan Aponte (Mattapan, Mass./Newton South) to contribute on the defensive line this season.

Sophomore Stefan Gustafson (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), who earned the nod as the 2010 NEFC Bogan Division Defensive Rookie of the Year, leads a solid defensive secondary for the Buccaneers, as he recorded a team-best four interceptions and a pair of break-ups to go with 34 total tackles (27 solo).  Senior Charles Sykes (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) added three interceptions of his own a year ago while ranking fifth on the squad with 46 total tackles (35 solo), while junior Evan Sheridan (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) chipped in with 42 total tackles (26 solo) and a pick.  Junior Eddy Ramos (Sunny Isles, Fla./Michael Krop) lends additional experience after appearing in all 10 contests and recording 18 total tackles for Massachusetts Maritime, while sophomores Michael Sylvia (Lincoln, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury), Chris Pisani (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) and Frederick Santory (Land O’Lakes, Fla./Sunlake) will also compete for a spot in the defensive backfield for Cameron, who also graduated all-NEFC standout Andy Hirko from the secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS.  Sophomore Brandon Rodrigues (Brockton, Mass./Brockton), who achieved a perfect 4.00 grade point average in each of his first two semesters at the Academy, handled the placekicking duties for the Buccaneers in 2010, as he converted a pair of field goals and seven extra points as a rookie.  Senior Jake Bickley (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional), who missed all of last season due to injury after earning all-conference honors in 2009, is back after setting school records for consecutive extra point conversions over the course of two seasons and handling both the kicking and punting duties, and the two will compete for the respective starting positions.

SCHEDULE.  Home will certainly be a sweet place for Massachusetts Maritime in the early portion of the 2011 season, as the Buccaneers will open their slate with four of five contests in the friendly confines of Clean Harbors Stadium, including the season-opener on Saturday, September 10th against Western New England that kicks off at Noon EDT.  Cameron’s crew will also host MIT, Framingham State, Worcester State and defending Bogan Division champion Maine Maritime (the latter in the annual Admiral’s Cup clash on October 22nd) while heading off for league road clashes at Coast Guard, Fitchburg State and Westfield State as well as the 33rd Annual Cranberry Bowl to close out the regular season on Saturday, November 5th at Bridgewater State.