Wake up, everyone, it’s Christmas morning.
The always long-awaited return of high school football in Massachusetts is finally over, and in a few hours, we’ll all be tossing on a sweater to go watch some Friday Night Lights. A new season brings with it new optimism for our five Daily News area teams, and if you’ve kept up with our preview articles, you’ll already know that there’s a lot to be excited about heading into the 2024 campaign.
And hey … football picks is back!
The weekly fall column where your’s truly tries to foolishly predict what’s going to happen on the local gridirons (although I did go 36-11 last year).
The column that has provided ample bulletin board material to our area athletes over the past three years.
Cheer if you feel moved to.
Click “next article” if your eyes haven’t rolled too far back into your head yet.
We’ve got four games on the docket this weekend, and Governor’s Academy will join the fray in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, Georgetown still doesn’t have the numbers to field a complete team, but signs are pointing to that changing sooner rather than later.
So lets get into Week 1.
Feel free to call me a homer if you want, but I’m predicting a strong opening day for all of our local teams. Between Amesbury, Newburyport, Pentucket and Triton, nobody is playing a program that finished with a winning record a year ago.
And as a final housekeeping note, the records attached to each team are from last year.
FRIDAY’S GAMES Essex Tech (2-9) at Amesbury (9-3), 6:30 p.m.
Like we mentioned in the preview, it’s going to come down to the offensive line for Amesbury.
Senior co-captain Nolan Vient will headline an inexperienced group of new faces, but that of course doesn’t mean the Redhawks are doomed. By this point, you trust that eighth-year coach Colin McQueen and his staff know what they’re doing, and that athletes like Logan Bowser, Brandon Donovan, Kalan Noseworthy and Johnny Mancini — along with tight end Ollie Peters — have put the work into the weight room during the offseason.
You don’t win two straight league titles, then make the Division 7 Super Bowl last year, by accident.
Junior Justin Dube will enter his second year as the starting QB and knows how to run the offense, and the Redhawks will have a workhorse back with fellow senior co-captain DJ DiCarlo. Essex Tech, meanwhile, returns a large chunk of its roster from a year ago, including QB Jacoby Casinelli Tarasuik, starting running back Jake Gilbert and top receiver Nick Brancaforte. Plus two other team captains, Jake D’Eon and Victor Ortiz, will give the Hawks continuity on the O-Line.
Perhaps Amesbury has taken a slight step back, while Essex Tech is on the rise.
I still don’t think it’ll be enough.
Prediction: Amesbury 32, Essex Tech 14.
Newburyport (9-2) at Masconomet (2-8), 6:30 p.m.
The Clippers will have to be ready for this one.
Despite the troubles down in Boxford last year, the Chieftians have turned over a new leaf with old friend Pat Sheehan — the former Triton coach — taking over and assembling an all-star staff. The group has completely shifted and has implemented the spread offense, which will be fueled by QB Drew Gustafson, back Jack Fabiano and receivers Cal Weidman, Ben Richardson and Liam Ginley.
But Newburyport has plenty of returning talent, too.
The electric dual-threat, Colin Fuller, has experience under center, and the weapons to throw to between Sam Craig, Eli Sirota, Silas Brennan and Everett Kenney. He’ll also be well-protected by Ted Caron, Will Roper and George Loomes leading the offensive line.
And, wow, keep an eye on this trench battle: The 6-3, 305-pound Caron at nose tackle, going against Masco’s 6-6, 350-pound Campbell Carey on the O-Line.
In the end, though, the Clippers will prove too much.
Prediction: Newburyport 35, Masconomet 21.
Hamilton-Wenham (2-10) at Triton (5-6), 6:30 p.m.
It appears the Generals will be improved.
Now in his third year with the program, former Pentucket standout Tim Freiermuth returns the bulk of his roster from last year, who at the moment are thankfully all healthy. Caden McCollom (QB), Jack Cooke (WR) and Caden Schrock (RB) are the names Triton will have to focus on defensively, and the Generals have some experience in the trenches between Martin Baum and Robbie Bozarjian.
But the Vikings should be able to take care of business here.
With all five starting offensive linemen back from last year in Nolan Merrill, Alex Sauris, Anthony Navaroli, Jovanni Rodriguez and Nick Serino, the Vikes should be able to impose their will. Returning Daily News All-Star back Jayden Torres hit 1,000 yards in just nine games last year, and — behind this line — should prove early on that he’s in for a monster season.
And give me Liam Friis for a 40-plus-yard field goal in this one.
Prediction: Triton 38, Hamilton-Wenham 16.
SATURDAY’S GAMES Pentucket (7-4) at Northeast Metro (5-6), 10:30 a.m.
This could be a great opening spot for Pentucket.
With only four seniors on the roster this fall, the Panthers are relying on a lot of new faces to take over major roles. Junior Max Cloutier will most likely be stepping back into the starting QB role, after injuries forced him into that tough spot two years ago as a freshman. Two of those seniors, Aidan Burrier and Hank Hadley, will do their best to protect him, and receivers Aaron Ketschke and Steven Harper already broke out last year.
Not much is published about this year’s Northeast team, but the Knights did struggle when playing anyone not in Division 8 last season.
Could be a nice way for some young Panthers to ease into their stripes.
(Do panthers have stripes?)
Prediction: Pentucket 21, Northeast 13