Ever since Elmer Magana took the reigns as the Marblehead boys soccer coach, he’s put an emphasis on the mentality that “you have to play the best to be the best.”
Now in his fourth year at the helm, that sentiment has never rang more true.
Magana knows all too well that the MIAA power rankings are weighted heavily on strength of schedule, so he’s made it a point to line up competitive clashes with out-of-conference foes in an effort to not only help with those rankings, but better prepare his squad for the looming playoffs.
The Magicians wasted no time, starting the year with some true tests by scrimmaging against Burlington, Lynnfield, Wakefield, North Andover and Rockport before their regular season slate even commenced. They then opened up with Tewksbury, suffering a competitive 3-1 loss, and have gone to battle with fellow non-conference opponents Andover, Concord-Carlisle and Waltham in recent weeks.
“We wanted to beef up the schedule because we believe we have the horses to play some of the top schools,” said Magana, his team currently sporting a 3-5-2 record with a No. 24 seed in the Division 2 rankings. “In the past when you get to the second round of the playoffs you have to play all these good schools … like two years ago we played No. 4 Plymouth North and almost beat them.
“So this is our chance to have playoff-like games and see what we’re made of. I’ve told the guys that we definitely control our own fate, and playing some of these ranked opponents has definitely helped us.”
While they haven’t always come out on the winning side, Marblehead’s strategy does seem to paying dividends. They’re opponent rating (1.6314) in the rankings is higher than 19 of the 23 teams ahead of them. And in last week’s 8-0 setback to Division 1 power Concord-Carlisle (currently the top seed in the state), the Magicians were right in it at halftime, trailing just 1-0 before C-C erupted offensively in the final 40 minutes.
“The score was 8-0 but it doesn’t reflect the effort we put in in the first half,” said Magana. “Our keeper Rory (Zampese) made a ton of saves as they were relentlessly attacking us, and he even blocked a PK. Myself and the players do not regret playing C-C; it was a once in a lifetime experience to play against the No. 1 team in the state and we took a lot of positives from playing the 5-time state champs.
“It helped put things in perspective, too, knowing that if we can hang with them for at least a half we should be able to hang with our competitors in the NEC,” added Magana.
Their most recent out-of-conference bout went a bit better. Led by goals from James Achterhof and defender Colin White, the Magicians took down Division 1 Waltham, 2-0.
When they’re clicking well, Marblehead has proven it can compete with anyone in the NEC and on many occasions, other state powers, too. The squad has displayed great balance, with Kyle Hart (3), Jack Burke (3), Miles Fontela-Tuttle (2) and James Haplern (2) all contributing multiple goals on the season. Their unselfish attack is a necessary quality, as Magana admits he doesn’t quite have that single superstar goal-scoring talent — and that’s OK.
“It’s what I told my kids yesterday: a trait of a good team is if you’re not having a good day your teammate will pick up the slack,” said Magana. “We are strikers by committee; we have a lot of different scorers because we don’t have one star striker, star attacker.”
Another boon for Marblehead has been their ability to adjust on the fly and cater their game plan towards their opponents’ strengths. If something’s not working early in a game, they’ve been able to shift gears and take a different approach without sacrificing consistency.
“We don’t mind switching formations on the spot. We’re not married to the formations we start with,” said Magana. “Depending on how other teams attack or how the game is going we change formations and one our biggest strengths has been our ability to adapt.”
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We’ve nearly reached the midway point of the high school boys soccer season, and like Marblehead, the rest our local teams are beginning to get a real sense of where they stack up against the rest of the competition in the state.
On Tuesday, the MIAA released their latest tournament power rankings, so let’s take a quick look at some of the other worthy contenders from the North Shore.
Division 1
St. John’s Prep (7-1-2)
Following a 4-0 win over Catholic Memorial on Tuesday, the Eagles stand at 3-1-1 in Catholic Conference play. They were slated at No. 5 in the D1 rankings prior to that aforementioned win, trailing only Acton-Boxborough (4-0-3), Winchester (7-0), Needham (7-1-1) and current top seed Concord Carlisle (6-0). Head coach Dave Crowell’s group already beat No. 2 Needham, too, their second win against the powerhouse program in as many games after they earned a 2-0 victory in last year’s D1 state championship.
What’s impressed me most about St. John’s play of late is their balance across the field. After relying on a few elite goal scorers last season, the Eagles have had five players net at least three goals in 2023. Sophomore Garrison Murphy, who swiftly earned playoff minutes in his varsity debut campaign last fall, currently leads the charge with seven markers. Murphy is an incredibly skilled forward with a high IQ for the game, and opponents have quickly learned of his ability. Senior Jake Vana, a key player on last year’s title squad, possesses a powerful boot and is tremendous at winning balls in the midfield; he’s piled up six goals thus far.
Shamus Flaherty (4), Mark Ghiu (3) and Graham Kramer (3) are the other Eagles with multiple goals, all having shown the ability to take intelligent shots in key moments. Defensively, keeper Mark Droggotis has done an excellent job filling the void lost to reigning conference player of the year Yianni Andrikopoulos, having secured six shutouts in just 10 games. St. John’s Prep is undoubtedly right in the title contender mix once again.
Beverly (3-1-2)
The Panthers have been the very definition of competitive, having secured some impressive wins (North Andover, Swampscott) while remaining within striking distance in each of their two losses. They currently sit at No. 17 in the rankings.
Wilson de Leon continues to prove himself as one of the more elite attackers in the area, using his sheer strength and speed to beat defenders down the field with regularity. I’ve also been impressed with the play from Italian exchange student Gustavo Majoli (3 goals), who netted a key marker in a recent draw at Peabody and consistently plays with fire and determination. He’s a guy I could easily see piling up more goals and assists as the season rolls on.
Peabody (3-2-2)
The Tanners are another team right in the mix, currently holding the No. 20 spot in the rankings. Despite a short bench due to various injuries and illnesses, longtime head coach Stan McKeen‘s group has shown plenty of grit. Each of their two losses came by just one goal against strong teams (2-1 setbacks to both Marblehead and Gloucester), with their two draws also coming in competitive clashes with fellow NEC powers Masco (0-0) and Beverly (2-2).
AJ Forte continues to be an absolute workhorse in the middle of the field, rarely taking a breather on the sidelines while keeping his Energizer Bunny-like motor running for 80 minutes on a game to game basis. He’s compiled three goals and four assists, and has shown great trust in his teammates, including leading scorer Abu Kaba (6 goals). At times, Peabody’s biggest issue has been finding the back of the net, but a recent 5-0 decision against Danvers could very well spark the offense moving forward.
On the other end, Jaiden Fils-Aime has unquestionably been one of the premier defenders in the NEC this fall.
Division 2
Masconomet (8-0-1)
A consistent force year in and year out in Division 2, this season has proven no different for the Chieftains. Ara Scarpaci has piled up the goals thus far, leading his team with nine strikes, but he certainly hasn’t done it all alone. Five other players have scored at least twice while Jack Wexler has established himself as an elite distributor on the attack with six assists thus far. As of Tuesday, Masco stood at No. 4 in the rankings (although the MIAA was missing a few games towards their record).
What I love about the way Masco plays is they utilize the entire field, make smart, patient decisions and boast an unselfish nature, with many different players contributing in one area or the other. Having that mindset of “it doesn’t matter who scores” allows the Chieftains to play freely, and they’re never truly out of a game. Keeper Marco Russo (5 shutouts) has had a great season in net as well, making key stops in front of a stout back line (Aidan Colleran, Andrew Vonner, Matt Sheehan).
Division 4
Hamilton-Wenham (5-1-1)
With the exception of a 4-0 shutout loss to CAL power Lynnfield, the Generals have churned out some excellent play — and they’ve been particularly dominant of late. In their past four games alone, H-W (currently seeded ninth) is outscoring their opponents by a significant 17-0 margin, including a recent 6-0 drubbing of Manchester Essex. Sophomore standout Nick Stein (8 goals, 3 assists) continues to lead the offense, but he’s gotten plenty of help elsewhere and the defense has been nothing short of stalwart. Andre Groberio (2 goals, assist) and Galen Clark-Goldfield (goal, 4 assists) are two others that have really played well in the midfield.
Hamilton-Wenham has a big Senior Day tilt with Rockport next Thursday that will go a long way in terms of the CAL standings.
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Covenant Christian Academy in Peabody is in pursuit of their third MBIL Division 1 title in as many years. The Cougars currently sit at 4-2 in league play after winning the league championship and ultimately losing to Hyde School (ME) in the NEPSAC semis last season.
Junior and team captain Bennett Plosker leads the charge thus far with 13 goals in eight games while freshman Ethan Valasquez-Perdomo has pumped in six goals in seven games. Defensively, junior Caz Ostrowski has been stout, recording four clean sheets in six starts.
“I’m really proud of the boys and the direction we are heading in as a program,” said head coach Sam Rourke. “We have created a winning culture here at CCA and the future is very bright.
Corner Kicks is a high school boys soccer column that appears in The Salem News each week during the fall season. Contact Nick Giannino at NGiannino@Salemnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGiannino_SN.