SCITUATE -- If, over the course of the last eight months, any member of the Scituate High football team needed a little get-over-the-hump motivation in, say, the weight room on a random weekday afternoon, all they had to do was think back to Dec. 1 and the scoreboard at Gillette Stadium.
It read: Duxbury 62, Scituate 33.
That was the final score of the MIAA Division 4 Super Bowl , and, as you would suspect, it has been seared into the Sailors' collective consciousness ever since.
"Let's be honest, we got punched in the mouth pretty good by Duxbury," coach Herb Devine said. "That feeling's not going to go away."
The Sailors don't want it to go away. Already blessed with a ton of returning talent -- nine to 10 starters are back on each side of the ball -- Scituate is putting the sting of that last game of 2023 to good use.
"Oh, I can tell you, that night was gruesome," said senior receiver Lawson Foley, a returning Patriot Ledger/Enterprise All-Scholastic who had 867 receiving yards and 11 TDs a year ago. "We have a senior group chat in Telegram and we pinned the score – 62-33. We use it as motivation. In the weight room when someone needs to push some heavy weight, we always say that score right in their ear. (Or we say) 'Second place.' Anything that (ticks) us off. We're all (ticked) off this season."
The Sailors finished 9-4 last year, shaking off a 2-3 start to win seven straight before the Super Bowl loss. Scituate was drubbed, 42-24, by Milton (the eventual Div. 3 state champ) in the opener, and Devine admits, "Milton exposed us Week 1; we weren't ready for them."
More: Find all South Shore, Brockton-area high school football coverage right here
With so much talent returning off the 2023 team, the Sailors appear to have a much better handle on who they are heading into 2024. In theory, that should lead to a faster start, although a Week 1 matchup at home against defending Div. 5 state champ Foxboro won't be easy.
"We have a bunch of guys back and that makes it easier as far as (learning) the playbook," said senior receiver/cornerback Joey Burke. "We're jumping right into practice. Defensively we have a lot of guys clicking, knowing the playbook. Same on offense."
Said Devine: "I don't think any team is going to overwhelm us this year."
The no-huddle
The biggest change on offense is at quarterback, where junior dual-threat Jonny Donovan (6-2, 190 pounds) replaces graduated star Jackson Belsan (27 TDs, 2,400 passing yards last season). Said Devine: "He's got a good arm, a great release." Running back Alex Burrill (957 rushing yards, 10 TDs last season) is also gone; senior Willy Robinson (an inspirational figure in the lacrosse team's state runner-up finish in the spring) and sophomore Grayson Foley will get most of the carries. The offensive line graduated guard Colton Downing, but the other four starters (tackles Charlie Murphy and Chris Caparella, center Shea Tinkham and right guard Sean Coyne) are back, along with senior Wyllys Ames (6-3, 210), who returns to reclaim his left guard spot after missing last season due to injury.
Defensively, Ames and Ronan Manning will be the inside linebackers with Murphy (defensive end), Foley (defensive back/outside linebacker) and Bronson Bossey (strong safety) filling key roles. Robinson and Burke will be the cornerbacks, and Coyne, Tinkham and Caparella also will see time on the D-line.
More: 'We understand our potential': Weymouth football aims high after standout '23 season
2023 recap
The Sailors started slowly, losing to Milton in Week 1 and Foxboro in Week 3, although Devine said the Foxboro loss (24-14 on the road) was a turning point of sorts. "I saw the character of our team come out" that night, he said. "We played them pretty tight. They won the game but we woke up and found out that we could be a pretty good team."
Three names to know
Junior QB Jonny Donovan: Last year's backup takes over for graduated star Jackson Belsan and will provide a running threat that Scituate hasn't had at the position in recent years.
Senior RG/DL Sean Coyne: Listed last season at 5-11, 200 pounds, Devine says he's the "strongest kid on the team," who bench-presses 350 pounds. He's part of a talented, veteran O-line.
Senior TE/WR Roman Glowac: This 6-5 target had a key punt block in last year's state semifinal win over Grafton . "Great hands," Devine said. "Put him on the field and he makes things happen."
They said it
WR/CB Joey Burke on fellow senior Wyllys Ames: "In the locker room, on the field, off the field, he's a role model for everybody. When he's on the field he brings the juice, he brings the energy every day (in the weight room). Everything he brings (to the table) makes everyone else better."
WR/DB/OLB Lawson Foley on the O-line continuity: "We have basically the same line with the same chemistry. And they've gotten bigger this year. They've been upping the numbers in the weight room. I can't wait to see them play the first week and I can't wait to see how they develop throughout the year."
Coach Herb Devine on the 6-3 Foley's threat at receiver: "In our offense, different matchups create different issues (for defenses). I think Lawson's going to be a matchup issue for a lot of teams. He's very dynamic."
Scituate High 2024 football schedule
Friday, Sept. 6 -- vs. Foxboro, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 13 -- at Whitman-Hanson, 7
Thursday, Sept. 19 -- at Norwell, 7
OFF WEEK
Friday, Oct. 4 -- at Pembroke, 7
Friday, Oct. 11 -- at Hanover, 7
Friday, Oct. 18 -- vs. Plymouth South, 7
Thursday, Oct. 24 -- vs. North Quincy, 7
Friday, Nov. 1 -- at Quincy, 7
Thursday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Hingham, 10 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'That night was gruesome': Scituate football fueled by blowout loss in Div. 4 Super Bowl
Most Popular
Comments / 0