Football preview: Seniors have helped Marblehead through a special era

For the group of seniors that will pull on a Marblehead jersey for the final time tomorrow morning, it will mark the end of a run that helped bring the Magicians? program back to prominence.Three times in the last four seasons, Marblehead has won a Northeastern Conference championship and have accumulated a standout record of 35-9 entering their Thanksgiving Day meeting with archrival Swampscott.The Magicians have a chance to win 10 games for just the second time in the program’s history — and first time since 2009 — as they face the Big Blue for the fourth time in the last two seasons.?When Marblehead and Swampscott play, everything goes out the window,” Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. “Our seniors are focused on ending their season well and they’d like to get to 10 wins. No one would be in a good mood if we lose to Swampscott.”The two met back in week four as they played at Piper Field in the first night game ever between the two teams. Prime time proved to be showtime for star running back Brooks Tyrrell as he torched the Big Blue for 256 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in a 56-35 victory.That game, however, was more competitive than the final score showed as Swampscott trailed by only a touchdown at the half before the Magician defense forced a couple of turnovers that helped blow the game open.?We got a couple of big runs from Brooks and a couple of other big plays,” Rudloff said. “Other than that, it’s a close game.”Tyrrell has a chance to break his own Marblehead single-season rushing record from a year ago with a big performance on Thanksgiving. But numbers aren’t what drive him.?Brooks is more than willing to do anything it takes to win a game,” Rudloff said. “He is a very mature kid but he also has a great sense of humor. He clicks with coaches and is one of the loosest kids you will see in practice leading up to a game. But he’s all about the game when it begins.”Tyrrell isn’t alone in helping lead the Marblehead offense to plenty of points this season. Fellow seniors, quarterback Spencer Craig and tight end Will Millett, have given the Magicians a dangerous troika to handle.Craig, who is on his way to the U.S. Naval Academy next fall, has run the Marblehead spread offense expertly in his first season as the starting quarterback. He and Millett also have been outstanding from their outside linebacker spots all season.?People tend to forget that Spencer has started on defense since he was a sophomore,” Rudloff said. “And he’s done a great job at QB this year. To do what he’s done is a credit to all the hard work he put in as an understudy.”Up front, the Marblehead line is anchored by 6-feet-5, 325-pound Derek Dumais, who has committed to play for UMass Amherst next season. That line has helped lead Marblehead to score 25 or more points in all but their playoff loss to Tewksbury.?Derek has all the tools to become a great player in college. He has excellent footwork and anyone that has his size is going to get a chance,” Rudloff said.Despite Marblehead coming in at 9-1 and Swampscott with a 4-6 record, Rudloff knows that his team will still have to be ready for a battle.?I don’t expect it to be anything other than a close game. We both know each other so well,” Rudloff said. “Swampscott will fight tooth and nail to the last minute so we need to make sure that we don’t get beat multiple times on big plays.”