It’s a new era of Pentucket football.
Well … kinda, sorta.
Since the start of the 2018 season, legendary coach Steve Hayden and his top “assistant,” Dan Leary, have technically been labeled as the co-coaches for the Panthers. But back in January of this year, Hayden announced he was stepping down and handing the reigns off to Leary full-time. It marked the end of a highly-successful 42-year run as head coach for Hayden, which saw him amass a 251-202-2 career record — with those 251 wins placing him 16th all-time in state history.
But as it turns out, it was more of a “stepping back,” instead.
Leary takes over as the lone head coach for Pentucket this year, which opens its season at home on Thursday night against Northeast Metro (6 p.m.). But the “football bug” — or more specifically, the “coaching bug” — hasn’t fully left Hayden yet, who is still on board as an assistant. He’s part of a veteran Panthers coaching staff that includes fellow returners Matt Lovett, Josh Wesolowski and Travis Bounsy, as well as newcomers Ben Healey and Brett Harrington.
And for his first run as now the lone head guy, Leary has plenty to work with.
A big story last year, certainly heading into the season, was the Pentucket only had four seniors on its roster. But that allowed for plenty of young stars and new faces to step into the spotlight, and the result was a record-breaking performance for one special athlete. The Panthers have churned some great quarterbacks over the past decade, from Peter Cleary to Chase Dwight to Caleb Meisner.
But for a single season, they’re all now looking up at Steven Harper.
As only a junior last fall, Harper broke nearly every single-season Pentucket passing record, completing 146-of-221 passes for a record 2,376 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also rushed 82 times for 379 more yards and 9 more TDs, showcasing track speed that saw him named an All-American last winter alongside his teammates on the Sprint Medley Relay.
Harper was named both a Daily News All-Star and the CAL Offensive Player of the Year, and returns this fall to lead Pentucket trying to break his own records. He’ll have his top receiver back in Nick Carrion, who was also named a Daily News All-Star after leading our area with 935 yards on 51 catches to go along with 178 rushing yards and 15 total TDs. Then also returning is the versatile weapon Jackson Miller, who piled up 577 rushing yards, 396 receiving yards and 5 total TDs a year ago.
Fellow senior captains Liam Hammond and Max Cloutier are back to lead what is now a veteran offensive line, and another name to keep in the back of your mind is Quinn Vuylsteke. Once a promising sophomore for the basketball team back during the 2023-24 season, Vuylsteke moved and spent his junior year at Methuen High, but is now back at Pentucket as a senior.
The Panthers have solid numbers, and certainly the high-end talent to contend with anybody in the Cape Ann League this year.
Here is a complete team preview:
Pentucket
Coach Dan Leary:
2024 record: 5-6, missed playoffs
Returners (36): Nick Carrion, Sr., WR/DB; Jackson Miller, Sr., RB/DB; Adam Persichetti, Sr., RB/LB; Steven Harper, Sr., QB/DB; Ryan Skahan, Sr., WR/DB; Greyson Vance, Sr., OL/LB; Jacob Follis, Sr., OL/LB; Max Cloutier, Sr., OL/LB; Tedy Cloutier, Sr., OL/LB; Liam Hammond, Sr., OL/DL; Connor Flynn, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Lyons, Jr., WR/LB; Cooper Zaneski, Jr., WR/LB; Asher Locher, Jr., WR/DB; James Fiske, Jr., RB/LB; Charles Rec, Jr., OL/LB; Jesse Wirwicz, Jr., OL/DL; Zach Zuroms, Jr., OL/DL; Oakley McGee, Jr., OL/DL; Colby Majka, Jr., OL/DL; Liam Foley, Soph., WR/DB; Andino Fioretti, Soph., WR/LB; Eli Mondor, Soph., QB/LB; Dillon Burrier, Soph., QB/DB; DyMario Otero, Soph., WR/DB; Jackson Breth, Soph., RB/DB; Noah MacKenzie, Soph., WR/DB; Aidan Ray, Soph., WR/DB; Declan King, Soph., WR/LB; Mason Foley, Soph., RB/LB; Ethan Blaisdell, Soph., OL/DL; Jacob LeBel, Soph., OL/DL; Leo Cicolini, Soph., OL/LB; Peter Gauthier, Soph., OL/DL; Matthew Gillis, Soph., OL/DL; Chase Dowling, Soph., WR/LB
Newcomers: Quinn Vuylsteke, Sr., WR/DB; Max Nyaga, Soph., WR/DB; Charles Kelleher, Soph., OL/DL; Gavin Terrio, Soph., OL/DL; Cameron Gagnon, Frosh., QB/DB; Anderson Miller, Frosh., RB/DB; Nathan Rollins, Frosh., QB/LB; Brian Loewen, Frosh., WR/DB; Braylon Leonard, Frosh., QB/DB; Liam Silva, Frosh., WR/DB; August McGee, Frosh., WR/DB; Cruz Jacques, Frosh., WR/DB; Scott Chicarello, Frosh., RB/DB; Pedro Pais, Frosh., OL/DL; Jacobbe Smith, Frosh., WR/DB; Kobe Robinson, Frosh., OL/DL; Nathaniel Conrad, Frosh., OL/DL; Ryder Montgomery, Frosh., OL/DL; Brendan Prescott, Frosh., OL/DL; Brody Graziano, Frosh., OL/LB; Franklin Rec, Frosh., OL/LB; Samuel Bouthiette, Frosh., OL/DL
Captains: Liam Hammond, Max Cloutier, Steven Harper, Jackson Miller, Nick Carrion
Roster size: 58
Returning leaders: Steven Harper: 146-221-2,376-27 passing, 82-379-9 rushing; Nick Carrion: 51-935-11 receiving, 29-178-4 rushing; Jackson Miller: 82-577-1 rushing, 38-396-4 receiving; Tedy Cloutier: 8-95-1 receiving
Returning honorees: Steven Harper: Daily News All-Star, All-CAL First Team, CAL Kinney Offensive Player of the Year; Nick Carrion: Daily News All-Star, All-CAL First Team
Assistants: Matt Lovett, Steve Hayden, Josh Wesolowski, Travis Bounsy, Ben Healey, Brett Harrington