Item Football 2009: Beverly gearing up for a possible banner season

BEVERLY ? After three straight years as a contender, is this the season the Beverly High football team finally wins a championship?Many of the North Shore cognoscente have tabbed the Panthers as the favorite in the Northeastern Conference’s South division in 2009. Beverly coach Dan Bauer isn’t predicting anything, but the Panthers certainly have enough returning talent and experience to contend with the likes of two-time defending champion Swampscott, Winthrop and Marblehead, the four teams that went into the last two weeks of the 2008 regular season vying for the division title.”The NEC is always tough, and we expect another dogfight,” said Bauer, about to begin his sixth season at Beverly High. “There are no easy games on our schedule.”The Panthers started last season by winning six of their first seven games, but losses to Marblehead and Winthrop (sandwiched around a win over Swampscott) doomed Beverly to a 3-2 record (7-4 overall) and a second place tie in the division. Three of Beverly’s losses in the last four games were by a combined 16 points.The Panthers return their starting quarterback from last season, senior Mark Hannable, who completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,189 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with three of the team’s top four receivers. Tight end Steve Dubois, a quad-captain, was the Panthers’ leading receiver last season with 25 receptions for 381 yards and 4 touchdowns. Among the wideouts, Justin Marrs caught 21 passes for 250 yards and 1 touchdown. Quad-captain Curtis Manuel hauled in 20 passes for 292 yards and 1 TD, and was second on the team in yards per catch with 14.6, while returning letterman Chris Mitchell adds depth.Beverly will have to replace its top running back from last season, Rashad Sims, who rushed for 1,174 yards, but figures to have a willing candidate in Dylan Terry, a quad-captain who was second on the team with 215 yards and a 5.6 yards per carry average in 2008. Mark Theriault, who saw limited action at running back last year, figures to move up to Terry’s role as the number one understudy. Joe Wionceck, a junior, will also be in the backfield mix.”We have some good pieces on offense,” Bauer said. “The kids have worked hard in the off-season, and we think we have some depth. It’s always good to have two good running backs in case there are injuries.”Anchoring the offensive line if another quad-captain, Nick Koslowski, who at 5-11, 185 pounds relies on agility and athleticism.. Other veterans returning to the offensive line are Theritchnide Roc and George Kallas, a 6-2, 265-pound junior. Another junior, Alex Ego, provides size at 6-4, 240 pounds and has been one of the more impressive newcomers during pre-season camp.A lot of the key players on offense will also play defense. Beverly is well-stocked at linebacker with Koslowski, who led the team with 92 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks last season, Dubois, Theriault, Roc (70 tackles; third on the team) and Wioncek. Manuel, Terry and Mitchell all figure to get a lot of playing time in the secondary. Manuel led the Panthers with four interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, in 2008, while Terry picked off three passes.On the defensive line, Kallas was second on the team with 81 tackles, including nine behind the line of scrimmage.The Panthers held their first two scrimmages against Hamilton-Wenham and Wayland, and close out their pre-season slate on Saturday against Masconomet. They open up the regular season at home against Melrose, from the tough Middlesex League. The schedule is front-loaded with three home games, but three of the five South division games later in the season are on the road, including the last two against Marblehead and Swampscott. Once again, Beverly figures to be at least in the mix for a championship, and the Nov. 14 game at Blocksidge Field could determine a post-season berth.