By Jason Graziadei
I&M Senior Writer
Playing in memory of former Nantucket High School football player Joseph Viera, his son Jamie and the rest of the Whalers battled Diman Vocational last Friday, but lost an emotional contest 40-22.
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Photo by Jim Powers
Football action versus Diman during the first half of Friday evening's game. |
Viera, who passed away the day before last week’s game, was a lineman and captain of the 1970 Mayflower League championship team along with Chris Maury and Dennis Egan. Viera was honored Friday with his No. 74 jersey hanging on the side of the clubhouse and a moment of silence before kickoff.
“Joe was a very dedicated individual,” head coach Vito Capizzo said. “He played football and basketball and in those days I was coaching both. He was a really true member of Whaler pride. He hated to lose. I remember him as a well respected individual on and off the field. He never missed a game.”
His son Jamie lined up at fullback, running back, and on defense for the Whalers, and was cheered by his fellow students who chanted “Jamie! Jamie!” throughout the game in support of their classmate.
“It was an emotional game. I thought the kids rallied around Jamie very well,” Capizzo said.
Despite the blowout suggested by the final score, the Whalers (0-4) scored more points than they had in any previous game, and showed signs that the offense was capable of big plays and putting up points quickly.
“I think overall under the circumstances, I thought the score did not indicate how the game went,” Capizzo said.
Quarterback Chris Welch threw three touchdown passes, including an 87-yard strike on a slant route to Josh Butler, but Nantucket had difficulty running the ball, and in the end, Diman’s size and relentless ground game were simply too much for the Whalers.
“Putting the shotgun in gives Chris Welch a little more time to throw the ball and I thought he threw the ball very well. All three touchdowns were pass plays,” Capizzo said. “The running game isn’t working because the offensive line is not firing out and if you don’t fire out and you wait for them to come to you, you are going to get run over.”
Nantucket’s two top receivers, Butler and Troy Sullivan, used their size and speed effectively for the Whalers as each scored a touchdown and topped 100 yards through the air.
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Photo by Jim Powers
A shot of the crowd and the Whaler cheerleaders from Friday's game dedicated to Joe Viera. |
“I think our kids have improved from week one to week four. It is a much improved ball club. Unfortunately, on defense, we would stop them, but we have no consistency. We have third down and long and give up the big play. That is one thing we have to work on,” Capizzo said. “We are improving, however, we are not there yet. I have not found the right combination offensively or defensively. We have a lot of work to do. Eventually before the season is over I will find the right combination.”
After Nantucket went three-and-out on their first possession and was forced to punt, Diman marched down the field and scored on a two-yard run by running back Israel Washington with 4:50 left in the first quarter.
On the Whaler’s ensuing drive, Welch was intercepted by Washington, who returned it to Nantucket’s five-yard line. Diman scored on the next play on a touchdown run from Corey Silvia, putting the Bengals up 14-0.
Nantucket struck back quickly, however, when Welch connected with Butler on the 87-yard score, to move the Whalers to within at touchdown at 14-6. But a penalty against Nantucket before the extra-point try pushed them back, forcing the Whalers to attempt a long two-point conversion. Welch passed to Viera on the right side, but he was denied at the goal line by two Diman defenders.
The Bengals went three-and-out on their next possession and punted to the Whalers, who took over at their own 10-yard-line with a chance to tie the game before the end of the first quarter. After a 40-yard completion to Troy Sullivan that put Nantucket within striking distance, two penalties forced the Whalers into a first-and-20 situation, and Diman intercepted Welch again on the next play with five seconds left in the quarter.
At 14-6, it was the closest Nantucket would get for the rest of the game.
After a quick touchdown by Diman that put the score at 20-6, the second quarter was highlighted by Michael Molta’s interception of Diman quarterback Bryan Yun. The turnover and a quick 30-yard pass to Butler gave the Whaler’s a first-and-goal, but Nantucket was unable to cross the goal line, and turned it over to Diman on downs at the three-yard line.
Diman then methodically marched down the field and capped off a 97-yard drive with an 11-yard run by Corey Silvia with just under two minutes left before half-time. The two-point conversion was successful, putting Diman on top 28-6.
The Bengals opened the second half with a score after another long drive down the field, capped by a five-yard pass from Yun to Justin Desilva.
But Nantucket answered on the next possession when Viera lined up at running back for the Whalers and led a drive down the field with several rushes into the middle of Diman’s defense. On fourth-and-goal, Welch connected on a nine-yard pass to Joe Bopp for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass from Welch to Butler was good, cutting Diman’s lead to 34-14.
Diman’s final score came with eight minutes left in the game on a 12-yard touchdown run by Justin Desilva.
Welch connected with Sullivan on a 44-yard touchdown pass on the Whaler's final drive of the game, with the two-point conversion pass to Butler successful, for a 40-22 final score.
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