By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
It was not the start the Whalers were looking for to open the season at Dover-Sherborn Saturday. With limited options due to low numbers and playing with an inexperienced front line, the varsity football team fell 38-12.
Nantucket struggled to move the ball offensively throughout the game, picking up only five first downs, two in the first half. Dover-Sherborn, meanwhile, moved with ease and scored five touchdowns on five possessions in the first half.
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Photo by Jim Powers
Whalers receiver Troy Sullivan makes the catch as Dover-Sherborn’s Ben Moruzzi defends. The senior receiver converted the catch into the first of his two touchdowns. |
Trailing 35-6 just before the break, the frustration and conflict on the field among the Whalers was evident.
“It is all attitude with high school kids. Skill helps, but attitude is the main thing and we lost ours,” head coach Vito Capizzo said. “In the second half they seemed to focus a little better. They could have completely folded, but they didn’t, so it showed me a little character there.”
The Division 3A Raiders, who play in the Tri-Valley League, had four scrimmages under their belts, while the Whalers’ only scheduled scrimmage against Nauset and Cape Tech two weeks ago was canceled due to inclement weather.
“Our kids hate to lose. So do I. However, that is part of life. You have to learn to win and you have to learn to lose. Sometimes things are not always going to go your way,” Capizzo said.
The Whalers will look to get on track when they travel to Cape Cod Tech this Saturday. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
The Nantucket squad was dealt an additional blow when starting center Curren Huyser was injured late in the week, forcing the coaching staff to shuffle the already thin line-up last minute. Eddie Moreau filled in at center, while Rasheed Smith was moved from fullback to tackle and Mack McGrath moved over to the guard slot. James Rhodes and Tim Marsh rotated in the other guard slot.
“When you only have 18 kids, it is kind of tough. We tried to put all the good athletes out there. I was happy with the way the younger kids performed under the circumstances,” Capizzo said. “When you have inexperience on the line like we do, it is difficult to run the ball or even throw the ball.”
Jamie Viera carried the ball six times for 20 yards, while Hunter Day ran the ball 10 times for eight yards, accounting for all of the Whalers’ rushing yards in the game.
Quarterback Chris Welch was constantly pressured by the Raiders’ defensive line, but was sacked only twice. When he connected with his receivers, the Whalers picked up some big yardage.
“I thought Chris Welch under the circumstances did a fair job. He was under pressure all day. He has been throwing the ball better this year,” Capizzo said.
The senior captain completed five of 13 passes for 140 yards. He threw touchdowns of 52 and 47 yards to Troy Sullivan, and gave up one interception in the second half. Sullivan was the leading receiver with two catches for 99 yards, while Matthew Marrett also hauled in two catches for 38 yards.
Dover-Sherborn, which lost its senior quarterback to a broken leg during the preseason, started senior captain Andrew Perlmutter behind center and the former wide receiver did not disappoint. Perlmutter ran the ball 10 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns while completing all five passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
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Photo by Jim Powers
Whaler football action at Dover-Sherborn, Saturday, September 13. |
Raiders’ staring running back Jovani Curet was also a threat out of the backfield, running the ball eight times for 61 yards and one touchdown in three quarters of play.
Rough start
Dover-Sherborn controlled the game from the first whistle. The Raiders took a 14-0 lead before the Whalers could manage a first down.
The Raiders opened their first possession with a simple ground attack led by Curet and Perlmutter, picking up two first downs and driving into the Whalers’ red zone. Nantucket came up with two big stops on a second-and-one and third-and-four to put the Raiders in a fourth-down situation on the 20-yard line. Pressing for the lead early in the game, Perlmutter rolled out and found Jordan Recine for the 18-yard completion to set up the Raiders on the 2-yard line. Perlmutter capped off the drive with a two-yard dash into the end zone.
A short Nantucket punt following a second three-and-out set up the Raiders on the Whalers’ 25-yard line. It took Dover-Sherborn only three plays to get back into the end zone and take the 14-0 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
It was more of the same from the Raiders in the second quarter. Perlmutter scored on an eight-yard rush to open the quarter and completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Recine to give Dover-Sherborn the 28-0 advantage.
With the running game clearly not making any headway against the Raider defensive line, the Whalers started to attack the secondary with slightly more success. Welch connected with Marrett for and 18-yard pick-up and then found Sullivan on the right side for the 52-yard touchdown strike to get the Whalers on the scoreboard. The Raiders blocked the extra point attempt by Josh Butler and the Whalers trailed 28-6.
Dover-Sherborn got the points right back on the following possession after the Whalers failed to pick up the on-sides kick. Perlmutter connected with Tim Torigian for the 25-yard touchdown to take the 35-6 lead into the half.
After Dover-Sherborn added a field goal on the first possession of the second half, the Raiders’ second team took over the game. The Whalers turned the ball over on the first two possessions of the half, but turned a Raiders fumble into points late in the fourth quarter. Welch again hit Sullivan on the right side for the 47-yard touchdown with 1:03 remaining. The two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete as the Whalers came up short 38-12.
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