'We understand our potential': Weymouth football aims high after standout '23 season

WEYMOUTH -- So what does the Weymouth High football team do for an encore in 2024?

Senior tight end/safety Mike Farrow has a thought. "We're looking to put up a banner this year," he said. "We've just got to get it done."

The Wildcats accomplished a whole lot last fall, posting the program's first winning record (7-4) since 2012 and notching Weymouth's first-ever playoff victory (a 20-0 upset victory over No. 5 Lincoln-Sudbury in the opening round of the Div. 1 tournament).

Year 1 of coach Michael Donovan's tenure was a smashing success by any measure. Now Year 2 dawns with raised expectations.

"We know what we can do now," Farrow said. "We understand our potential. We have even better players this year, I'd say. We're working harder. We're just striving for greatness."

"We're just ready to reload and rip it again," added senior quarterback/linebacker Thomas Kelly. "Coach Dunny has us all locked in. We're process-driven and looking to get better every single day."

Donovan, a successful college assistant coach , said his first season in charge of a high school program was a "bit of challenge," but he credited his staff with helping him smooth out the rough edges. That staff includes his former coach at Stoughton High, Greg Burke, who returns as Weymouth's defensive coordinator. Donovan again will handle the play-calling on offense.

That offense will feature a new quarterback as Tyler Nordstrom (19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 1,552 passing yards) has graduated. Kelly, who is competing with junior Kevin Mackin for the job, said he learned a lot about leadership from Nordstrom, noting that he wants to emulate Nordstrom's ability to "take control of the locker room every day."

The arrow appears to be pointing up for the Wildcats, who kick off the season on Friday, Sept. 6 by hosting Bay State Conference rival Braintree.

"The attendance this summer for training and lifting was awesome. It was off the charts," Donovan said of his players' buy-in. "It seems that there is a good buzz (about the program). I can tell that these kids are excited when they're out here (at practice)."

The no-huddle

Senior Cam Aieta (100 carries for 596 yards, 7 TDs) takes over for graduated Anthony Smith (135-761, 2 TDs) as the primary running back. Aieta was third on the team in catches (26), receiving yards (255) and receiving TDs (3) last year. The receiving corps is all new with the likes of Farrow, fellow seniors T.J. Saadat and Ryan Munoz, and juniors Tyler Munchbach and Tim Mills. Returning starters Naheem Ridore and Alex Smith will lead the O-line, while Matt Oates, a starting lineman last season, flexes out to tight end. Defensively, Ridore, senior Anthony Marques and junior Rafael DeAlcantara will anchor the line with Kelly (middle linebacker) and Aieta (safety) running the show at the other two levels.

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2023 recap

The Wildcats lost to No. 4 Andover, 26-14, in the Div. 1 quarterfinals and then concluded the season with a loss to Walpole on Thanksgiving. Weymouth had a knack for winning close games, beating Westwood by 7 points, Newton North by 5 and Wellesley by 1. The Newton North game came down to a fourth-and-goal stop with just over a minute left.

Three names to know

Senior OL/DL Naheem Ridore: The 6-2, 230-pounder was an All-Bay State Conference selection last year at guard and figures to bump out to tackle this season. He's also a standout wrestler and helped lead Weymouth rugby to a third straight state crown last spring.

Senior QB/MLB Thomas Kelly: Assuming he holds off promising junior Kevin Mackin for the starting job, Kelly will be a true dual threat, which will be a switch from last season when Nordstrom rushed for only 32 yards all season.

Senior RB/S Cam Aieta: Even though Anthony Smith was the No. 1 running back a year ago, Aieta had almost 900 yards of total offense and led the team with 10 TDs.

They said it

Coach Michael Donovan on Cam Aieta taking over as the No. 1 running back: "I would envision him being able to handle more (of the load than he did last year). ... He's a really tough kid. Having the speed helps, but it's that ability to run through (tackles) and use that burst and finish plays (that makes him special)."

QB Thomas Kelly on the program's improved visibility in the school: "Everyone's looking forward to football games now that we're a winning team and building a winning culture."

Two-way lineman Naheem Ridore on what he likes about Donovan's coaching style: "He teaches us about (the value of) hard work, how to put the work in every single day. No walking around. Every minute matters. That's what I've learned from him. He gets us to pay attention to detail."

Weymouth High 2024 football schedule

Friday, Sept. 6 -- vs. Braintree, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 13 -- vs. Westwood, 7

Friday, Sept. 20 -- at Newton North, 6

Friday, Sept. 27 -- at New Bedford, 6:30

Friday, Oct. 4 -- vs. Milton, 7

OFF WEEK

Friday, Oct. 18 -- vs. Framingham, 7

Friday, Oct. 25 -- at Needham, 6:30

Thursday, Oct. 31 -- at Wellesley, 6

Thursday, Nov. 28 -- at Walpole, 10 a.m.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'We understand our potential': Weymouth football aims high after standout '23 season