We’re only a day out from the “big game,” and plenty of fuel has already been added to Amesbury’s fire.
Just a few days into this week, and a trend has already started to form.
From the Boston Globe to other more local outlets down on the south shore … nobody thinks that the Redhawks can stop Cohasset’s offense.
And, who knows, maybe they’ll ultimately be proven correct.
It’s no secret that when No. 2 Amesbury (12-0) jogs onto the Gillette Stadium turf for the Division 7 Super Bowl on Thursday night at 5 p.m., it’ll be facing its toughest challenge of the season with No. 1 Cohasset on the other sideline. The Skippers (10-2) have bulldozed their way to a state championship tilt with an offense averaging 35.9 points per game, and their only two losses on the year have come against teams — Norwell and Randolph — who are also competing in Super Bowls over the next few days.
But, man, you really can’t sleep on this Amesbury defense.
“I think a lot of our success this year defensively has had to do with our speed and our experience,” said Amesbury coach Colin McQueen. “We’ve done a tremendous job of rallying to the football, and we just have guys who play with great tenacity.
“We’ll be ready to go.”
It’s no secret what Amesbury’s identity is offensively: Triple-option, ground-and-pound, control time of possession.
It’s a tried-and-true formula that has seen the program post a combined 51-11 record over the last six seasons, and will now appear in its second Super Bowl over the last three years. The Redhawks are putting up 35.2 points per game themselves this fall, averaging 247.8 rushing yards per game at a 6.6-per-carry clip. Heck, the fact that “Bury Ball” merchandise isn’t littered all over the team’s fan section every Friday night at Landry Memorial Stadium is a bigger upset than UMBC over Virginia.
But, much like the team itself, Amesbury’s defense has flown under the radar.
It’s an experienced unit that’s quietly put together a dominant year.
As far as overall team stats, Amesbury is allowing opponents to score just 10.6 points per game while only gaining an average of 159.6 yards per game. The Redhawks have shutout wins over Hamilton-Wenham and a Manchester Essex team that was ranked No. 5 in the same Division 7 tournament, and have only allowed two opponents — Pentucket and North Reading — to score more than 14 points.
It starts up front, where senior captains Ethan Kirby and Ollie Peters both get after the passer, and set the edge to funnel everything back into the middle of the field. Kirby is a returning Daily News All-Star from a season ago who has 42 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and a forced fumble this year, while Peters has 26 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Junior Braden Delisle leads the team with 56 tackles, and fellow linemen Stacey Peck Jr. (38 tckls, 4 TFLs, sack), Gino DiLorenzo (24 tckls, 4 sacks) and Christian Iandolo (18 tckls, 2 TFLs) have all contributed.
Then moving back a level, the linebacker duo of Evan Murphy (43 tckls, 15 TFLs, 8 sacks) and Connor Scialdone (37 tckls, 4 TFLs, 2 FFs) love to get downhill and hit. Finally in the secondary, it’s a complete senior unit made up of Justin Dube (38 tckls, 2 INTs, 7 PBUs), Ben Wood (35 tckls, INT, 6 PBUs), Parker DeLong (25 tckls, 4 INTs) and Joe Celia (42 tckls, 2 INTs).
“The front-7 and how they’ve played this year has been tremendous,” said McQueen. “We’ve got great edge defenders in Ollie and Ethan who really keep things contained, and then that’s been paired with great experience in the secondary. It’s a combination of guys trusting each other, and understanding and believing in the scheme that we run.”
As a team, Amesbury has 22 sacks this year and has forced 16 turnovers.
And the entire time, the Redhawks have always had the penchant for the big play.
Against Clinton in the Final Four, it was Murphy coming up with a huge sack that forced a punt, and a botched snap ultimately led to the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left. Against Uxbridge in the quarterfinals, Wood ended the two-time defending champs’ opening drive with an interception. Then even against archrival Newburyport on Thanksgiving, a tie game at halftime completely changed when Kirby forced a fumble early in the third.
“We’ve done a great job forcing turnovers all year,” said McQueen. “And when our defensive secondary has been tested, we’ve done a great job of playing sound coverage and intercepting passes. Dube has a pick-6, and we’ve also done a nice job with forcing and grabbing fumbles. You win football games by turning people over, and that’s a battle we’ve tried to win every week.”
But, again, this defense will face it’s toughest test on Thursday night.
Cohasset — exactly like Amesbury — has a three-year starting QB in senior Michael Wildfire, who vividly remembers losing to the Redhawks in the 2023 semifinals. Fellow seniors Max Monahan and Nathan Flaherty are his top targets, and the Skippers operate it all behind a veteran offensive line.
At the head off the ship, though, is senior running back Gus Greene, who has over 1,500 yards this season and broke the school record when he scored his 27th touchdown of the year in the team’s semifinal win over Northbridge. Cohasset has dominated its three playoff opponents by a combined score of 112-38, and led Northbridge 28-0 at one point during that Final Four victory.
It’s going to be a tough task, but this Amesbury defense will be ready.
… It’s what they’ve proven all year long.
“We obviously saw Wildfire as a sophomore two years ago, so that’s a rematch between him and Dube,” said McQueen. “They have talented receivers who can go up and high-point the ball, then Greene is a great, physical runner who has a tremendous stiff arm. He will absolutely wear you down.
“But we have a lot of confidence in our group.”