Poised to flip last year's 0-7 start, Silver Lake football out to 'shock a lot of people'

KINGSTON — Sometimes one step back is required to take two steps forward.

Or, in this case, the hope around the Silver Lake Regional High football team 's training camp is that seven consecutive steps back at this time last year will slingshot the Lakers into an improved 2024 season .

Just don't spread the rumor.

“I don’t think anyone’s expecting much out of us," said senior linebacker Aiden McIver. "I think people will be surprised by the end of the year.”

“That’s where we like to be," senior running back Wesley Griffin agreed. "No one knows about us. That’s perfect.”

Silver Lake started last season on the wrong side of its first seven games, all but one came by a double-digit margin. Then a string of three straight victories down the stretch (against Plymouth North, Medway, and Brookline) produced a late-season upswing until the Lakers' 27-21 loss to Pembroke on Thanksgiving.

“We had to find our identity, the culture we wanted," said head coach Mark Killinger, who enters his third season. "I felt all season last year, the kids never gave up. Sometimes when you start 0-7, it’s easy for the wheels to start spinning. Credit to last year’s seniors and the rising seniors now. They bought in, and got better and better.”

When the team regrouped this preseason, there was a different feeling compared to years past: eight starters returned to the defense, all of the linemen came back healthy after an injury-riddled run in 2023 and familiar receivers eased the entrance of new junior quarterback Sean Barry.

On the topic of injuries, starting running back Wesley Griffin, who enters his senior year, missed time due to an injury suffered in Week 4 vs. Whitman-Hanson (28-25 loss). That paired with a flurry of setbacks along the offensive and defensive trenches to the point that 6-foot-4 lineman Will Hinkley, a senior captain, described the experience as "you never knew who was going to be playing next to you.”

Junior Cole Miller was the mainstay at right tackle, as he started all 11 games. This year, he'll be united with Hinkley, junior guards Owen MacInnis and Patrick Bateman, and junior tackle Ryan Burke.

More: VOTE: Who is the South Shore high school football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year?

More: Find all South Shore, Brockton-area high school football coverage right here

“I definitely think we’re building something," Griffin said. "We had injuries last year. It was a young team. So, coming into (this year), our practices never looked this good. I’m excited for what’s next.”

On defense, the Lakers retained McIver and senior Jack Ryan as primary voices at linebacker, along with defensive end Matt Palma (who started all 11 games in 2023), as well as junior Nathan Mota, senior Dane Peach and junior Talan Rondeau in the secondary.

“As (last) season went on, that big sophomore class gained experience," McIver said. "And even for a lot of us who were juniors, it was our first time playing varsity football. It was a growth season for us. This year we’re coming out with more experience, ready to go. ... We’re older. We’re bigger. We’re ready to play."

"We came out on the first day (of practice), it was just a review," Ryan said. "We knew what to do. I think we’re going to shock a lot of people.”

On offense, the first-year starting signal caller Barry inherits a minimum of four skill-position players with varsity experience. Junior running back Nolan Dickenson impressed in Griffin's absence last fall, and the two will share backfield touches this time around.

Meanwhile, junior Andrew Krevosky and senior Chuck Ohlson are two names to know as targets in the passing game.

“We play in, I think, one of the better leagues in the entire state (Patriot League Keenan Division). These kids are eager," Killinger said. "They saw the work they put in last year, finishing strong and that success. I think we’re going carry that over into this season. We’ll be in a lot of ball games, and we’ll see what happens from there.”

Four names to know

Wesley Griffin, senior RB: Griffin, coming off an injury-riddled junior season, is the veteran in the Lakers' running back room. He will share snaps with junior Nolan Dickenson, who impressed during stretches last fall.

Will Hinkley, senior OL/DL: The 6-foot-4 senior will anchor the Lakers' interior offensive line.

Jack Ryan and Aiden McIver, senior LBs: These two senior captains will captain the Lakers' defense.

They said it

Killinger on last year's 3-1 end to the season: "We got better and better. I felt, even leading up to Thanksgiving, we had a good lead and lost in the second half. Ultimately, we've carried that momentum in the offseason. We've seen a lot of progress and production there. We're excited to get going now."

Killinger on last year's injury bug: "Injuries are part of this game. One of the things we want to instill in our program is the 'next man up' mentality. Having a split squad gives more kids opportunities to get that playing time. The sophomore got a lot of experience at the varsity level and we're hoping to translate it to their junior and senior seasons."

Silver Lake football 2024 schedule

Friday, Sept. 6 -- vs. Plymouth South, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 13 -- vs. Cohasset, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 19 -- vs. Abington, 6 p.m.

BYE WEEK

Thursday, Oct. 3 -- at Whitman-Hanson, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11 -- vs. Marshfield, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 18 -- at Duxbury, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 25 -- vs. Hingham, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 1 -- vs. Plymouth North, 7 p.m.

Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 28, -- at Pembroke, 10 a.m.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Poised to flip last year's 0-7 start, Silver Lake football out to 'shock a lot of people'