DUXBURY — The first day of the Duxbury High football team's preseason began with a conditioning walk, not a run.
Seems the town was repainting the numbers in the parking spaces in the lot at the athletic complex on Friday, so the Dragons had to park their cars (or get dropped off) in one of the buildings across St. George Street and then hoof it over to Raymond P. Chandler Field.
Consider it the first of many roadblocks the Dragons will encounter as they take aim at a third straight Division 4 state championship.
More: Find all South Shore, Brockton-area high school football coverage right here
Duxbury has been pretty good at dodging obstacles lately. The program has played in four straight Super Bowls that were staged, losing in 2019 (to Springfield Central in Div. 3) and then again in 2021 (to Scituate in Div. 4) after the pandemic screwed up the 2020 season, which was pushed into the spring of 2021 with no playoffs. Duxbury blasted Grafton in the 2022 state final to complete a 12-0 season and then capped an 11-1 campaign last year by beating Scituate, 62-33, in the highest-scoring MIAA Super Bowl of all time .
The Dragons have suffered heavy graduation losses, losing star running back/linebacker Alex Barlow and their top three receivers. They also return just one starter on the offensive line. Still, they've been through this before.
Said senior two-way lineman James Scanlon, "We all know what it takes to build back our team."
"We lost a decent amount of starters," noted returning quarterback Trevor Jones, a senior, "but I believe in our team. I believe in what we've got."
More: VOTE: What are the best South Shore high school football games in 2024?
Jones is one of the few familiar faces on offense. He wasn't the starter in Week 1 last year but quickly grabbed the job and wound up throwing for 1,387 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 715 yards and 7 scores.
"I'm definitely a lot more confident," Jones (5-11, 195 pounds) said of Year 2 under center. "I'm 100 times better than I was last year (at this time). I put on 35 pounds, so I'm going to be harder to tackle. I'm really excited."
Duxbury plans to sprinkle in junior Brady Rhinesmith, who doesn't have Jones' wheels but does possess a big arm. Jones calls Rhinesmith "one of my best buddies" and assures us, "He can sling it."
"They're both going to be in the mix," said fourth-year head coach Matt Landolfi, who is 33-3 overall. "It's going to be game-plan dependent, what we think we can capitalize on, who we think will help us most in that game."
Replacing Barlow will be tough. He ran for 1,520 yards and 22 TDs last season and authored one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time, rushing 32 times for 275 yards and a record-tying 5 TDs. Landolfi called him a "once-in-a-decade type of player," and senior Joseph Barberia lauded Barlow (now at Bentley University) as an "absolute dog."
Barberia (5-11, 195) will be part of the three-man committee trying to replace Barlow's production on the ground. Fellow seniors Jack Rees, a returning starter at middle linebacker, and Brett Barr also factor in. Look for Rees to get the most carries — at 5-11, 200 pounds he might be best equipped to replicate Barlow's pulverizing style.
"It's a huge rebuilding year," Barberia said, "but it's going to be a fun one. We have a lot of opportunities to grow. I think we have a good chance to do it (win three straight state titles)."
The no-huddle
The receiving corps is brand new with Zach Falls (36 catches, 830 yards, 13 TDs), Sam Wien (15-400, 4 TDs) and Adam Barr (23-274, 4 TDs) all graduated. Junior Gavin Hammond will be in the slot with seniors Ted Mullin (6-2) and Jack Sovik on the outside. The offensive line is almost all new with only Scanlon (6-1, 245) back at left guard. Junior Dom Maser (6-6, 250) could be a future star at right tackle, and junior Tucker Henderson (6-foot, 240) steps in at center in place of senior John Rovegno, who's switching to H-back.
Rees will lead the defense from his middle linebacker spot, with Barberia (outside linebacker), Will Marani (defensive end), Sovik (safety) and Jones (cornerback) among the other standouts on that side of the ball.
2023 recap
As defending Div. 4 state champs, the Dragons stubbed their toe in the opener, losing at home to Hanover, 28-18. They weren't beaten again, winning 11 in a row. Duxbury claimed a 15th-straight Patriot League Keenan Division crown, won the Thanksgiving matchup with Marshfield and tore through the Div. 4 playoffs as the No. 1 seed, beating No. 16 Bedford (33-6), No. 8 Somerset Berkley (31-0), No. 4 Tewksbury (19-7) and No. 7 Scituate (62-33).
Three names to know
Senior QB/CB Trevor Jones: A true dual-threat quarterback, he had a big Super Bowl (7 of 11 passing for 158 yards and 2 TDs, plus 14 carries for 61 yards and a score). He's a returning starter at cornerback and will get spelled on offense at times by promising junior Brady Rhinesmith.
Senior OL/DL James Scanlon: The lone returning starter on the O-line, he's back at his left guard spot and will be charged with setting the tone in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Senior RB/MLB Jack Rees: The fulcrum of the Dragons' defense, he also headlines a three-man committee at running back.
They said it
Rees on replacing Barlow at running back: "It's definitely some big shoes to fill. But I'm looking forward to the challenge. I played H-back last year, which was kind of like his lead blocker. I want to get us rolling again."
Scanlon on last year's Week 1 loss to Hanover: "Everyone in the locker room was so mad, so we just locked in next week at practice and got to work and won every single game the rest of the year. It was like a wake-up call."
Rovegno on converting from center to H-back: "I leaned out (dropped weight) a little bit this winter and spring getting ready for lacrosse. I built some strength up and put on more muscle. (The experience of playing center is) everything I need (to succeed at H-back)."
Duxbury High 2024 football schedule
Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Abington, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 13 — vs. Mansfield, 7
Friday, Sept. 20 — at Hanover, 7
Friday, Sept. 27 — at Franklin, 7
OFF WEEK
Friday, Oct. 11 — at Plymouth North, 3:30
Friday, Oct. 18 — vs. Silver Lake, 7
Friday, Oct. 25 — at Whitman-Hanson, 7
Friday, Nov. 1 — vs. Hingham, 7
Thursday, Nov. 28 — at Marshfield, 10 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: This looks familiar: Despite new-look roster, Duxbury football seeks same old Div. 4 glory
Most Popular
Comments / 0