Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking: Questions aplenty as we begin anew

Welcome to the first edition of “Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking,” a compendium of all things North Shore High School football.The teams are back at it. As of yesterday, I could hear the whistles blowing behind my house at Gallagher Park, and sure enough, there was the St. Mary’s football team, fast at work at its first practice of the 2013 season.Last year, four of our teams made Super Bowls. And if that seems like a lot, consider that this area is represented in all six divisions under the latest playoff format/realignment. Most of them (10) are either in Division 3 or Division 4, and only one (Lynn Tech) is in 6.Peabody and St. John’s are in D1; English and Classical D2; Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Revere, Salem and Marblehead D3; Saugus, Swampscott, Lynnfield and Winthrop in D4; St. Mary’s and Bishop Fenwick in D5; and Tech in D6.There will, of course, be only two teams from each division — statewide — in the Super Bowl, giving Massachusetts,at least, a true champion in each. Up to now, Eastern Mass has had its own while Central/Western Mass. had one as well.All four teams that went to last year’s Super Bowl have major questions to answer. St. Mary’s might have the biggest, because the Spartans will be looking for a quarterback. Jake Cassidy, who was a sophomore last season, will be repeating the 10th grade and playing his football at Lawrence Academy in Groton. Of course, when you have a backfield of Jordan Manthorne and Jordan Collier, along with some other returning starters from last year’s team, nobody’s going to feel too sorry for you.But along with losing their quarterback, the Spartans will also have to account for the loss of Item Defensive Player of the year Andres Rodriguez to graduation. No easy task.The Spartans may end up getting their best competition in their own league, with Bishop Fenwick. Junior running back Rufus Rushins, from Lynn, will certainly be a player to watch.Beverly will try for a repeat minus some extremely heavy hitters, beginning with Player of the Year Brendan Flaherty. Between him and Kenny Pierce, that’s a lot of offense to lose from what was, to be sure, a team for the ages in 2012.But the Panthers hope to contend anyway (don’t forget, two teams from each league automatically make the playoffs), and are thinking that maybe this year its defense will lead the way.Lynnfield is losing two absolute studs in Andrew Kiberian and D.J. DeGeorge, both Item All-stars, from last year’s Super Bowl team. Still, the Pioneers looked good in the summer 7-on-7 tournaments, so coach Neal Weidman has to be somewhat optimisitic.Unless something happens, however, the class of the region will once again be St. John’s Prep. Jonathan Thomas has already committed to Maryland, and he leads a balanced offensive attack. And while The Prep will be breaking in a new quarterback, the Eagles will be doing so behind an deep and experienced offensive line.Defensively, the Eagles are equally rich, led by Sean Smerczynski, who has already verbally committed to Holy Cross.So let’s play some football!