Having seen Matt Severance three times this season, I can attest to the fact that if the Northeastern Conference coaches got together tomorrow and named him the unanimous MVP of the league, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.
Of course, I fully realize that lots can happen between now and the time those votes are taken, which usually happen after the Thanksgiving games. And I’m also cognizant of the fact that there are others around the league that might want to advance their players too. Marblehead’s Derek Marino is certainly in the conversation, as is Swampscott’s Colin Frary. And perhaps Tagh Coakley of Danvers, whose absence in the first of two games this season against Classical (the one the Falcons lost) was keenly felt. With him in the lineup, Danvers won the rematch two weeks ago.
However, I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more valuable player to his team than Severance, the junior quarterback/free safety who has led English to a 9-0 record heading into Saturday afternoon’s Division 3 North final against Tewksbury.
Severance has been calling signals since he was a freshman. Last year, as a sophomore, he led the Bulldogs to a Thanksgiving Day comeback against Classical, only to see it all slip away on a razzle-dazzle runback on the ensuing kickoff with eight seconds to go in the game.
This season, he has been everything English coach Chris Carroll has asked him to be — and everything is the operative word. He’s thrown the ball with amazing accuracy, especially on routes in which he connects with Prince Brown and Tayshawn Anderson. Having seen the Bulldogs three times in nine weeks, it’s a lot of fun watching their speedy receivers being hit in stride by Severance’s passing and continue onto the end zone.
He also runs with the best of them. Last week, with English safely ahead of Billerica (a tough Merrimack Valley Conference opponent), Carroll had Severance running straight ahead. He got some serious yardage every time he did it.
But the revelation this season has been Severance’s work on defense. English has evolved since the beginning of the season from passing to set up the run to the other way around. Running backs Ishmile Bangura and Ski Gaston have gained huge chunks of yardage. I wouldn’t say this has made Severance an afterthought, because he’s still involved in every play. But it’s definitely made you sit up and take notice of his defense. He is always around the ball — always in on tackles, and he seems to save his best for when the Bulldogs are hanging to prevent an opposition touchdown.
The Bulldogs did it again Friday night, stopping Billerica from the English 3-yard line. Guess who made the tackle on fourth down?
Of course, up and down the line Lynn has seen players have MVP-type seasons for their leagues. It’s tough to discount a guy like Keith Ridley of Classical, or Chase Buono, just because the Rams have actually lost a couple of games. And I’d love to see who, in the Catholic Central League, has had a better season than Calvin Johnson. And speaking of St. Mary’s, the Spartans lead the state — not the Catholic Central League but the state — in point differential. Is it any wonder no one but those who have to play them want to tangle with the Spartans?
Now, of course, would be a perfect time to salute Saugus, which had the courage to go up against the mighty Spartans in Week 1.
Commonwealth Conference? Forget it. Steffan Gravely could play for Everett High, let alone Lynn Tech, and so could Keoni Gaskin. Like all the successful Lynn schools, Tech has a great supporting cast. It’s unbelievable that all four of these schools (KIPP is just starting out, so give the Panthers time) have had such success in the same year. It kind of puts the lie to the claim that Lynn’s too small a city to have this many schools, and that the talent is spread too thin.
Nonsense. All it takes is dedicated coaches and dedicated kids. And Lynn has both.
The slate for next weekend is set, for the most part. Manning Field manager Rich Avery still has to find a spot for KIPP, which will be a challenge in light of the sectional soccer finals being held over there this weekend. But I have faith.
Meantime, here’s what we have. On Friday, beginning at 4 p.m., Classical will entertain Peabody. St. Mary’s hosts Brighton in the nightcap (7) in the Division 7 North final.
Saturday, English will play Tewksbury in the Division 3 North final at 2, at Manning; with Tech hosting Cathedral at 7.
Incidentally, if Carroll wants any info on Tewksbury, he need look no further than Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff. The Magicians have tangled with the Redmen several times over the past few seasons.
