WINTHROP — Bobby Hubert and the Winthrop football team feel things are finally starting to fall into place for them. After a grueling regular season slate, the Vikings have won two in a row heading into Thursday’s game against Thanksgiving rival Revere.
“Our confidence came back,” Hubert, a junior, said. “We had some upsetting losses and injuries limited us a little bit. The last two wins have helped us gain confidence. We came back in the fourth quarter to beat Greater Lowell (36-34 on Nov. 15) and that was a great game. With the confidence we have going into this game, it’s going to be a great game.”
The Vikings hope their confidence drives them to a win over the 9-1 Patriots,who reached the Division 4 North final. Winthrop (4-6) isn’t worried about records.
“We’re pretty confident in all our guys,” Hubert said. “We’ve been watching a lot of film. We know what they’re doing in their different formations. We know they’re 9-1. Our record is our record. When we’re out on Miller Field on Thanksgiving, records don’t matter. That’s how we’re approaching it.”
Still, the Vikings know it won’t be easy. They’ll have to move the chains offensively and stick to their assignments defensively.
“It’s a big game but we’re not changing up anything,” Hubert said. “How we play is how we play. Our offense will look the same. We’ll do the same things. We have different packages that we have with different athletes. Not much is changing. We’re very confident in how we run our offense.
“They have a lot of good players but I think our defense stacks up real well with their weapons,” Hubert added. “If we have our keys, we know what they’re going to do. If we have our keys down and we know what they’re doing, I think it’ll be hard for them to move the ball.”
Hubert has emerged as utility-type player who can fill in wherever the Vikings need him. He started the season at quarterback, where he threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, before giving way to sophomore signal-caller Mikey Chaves. Now Hubert carries Winthrop’s ground game at fullback, where he’s recorded 934 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
“In all honesty, I think Bobby’s played out of position the past two years,” Winthrop coach Jonathan Cadigan said. “He’s the type of kid that’ll do anything for you in terms of playing quarterback or fullback. He’ll play anywhere because he’s a team player but his natural position is fullback.
“He’s always been a versatile player for us,” Cadigan added. “He’s one of our better receivers too. Just the nature at fullback, you don’t catch many passes. He started for us as a freshman and returned a couple kicks for us that year. He’s a kid that has made big plays for us for three years now.”
The 2018 Item All-Star wasn’t fazed by the position change.
“I see it as a weapon to our offense,” Hubert said. “It’s harder to game plan if I’m in different spots. If I’m a quarterback I can run and pass the ball. If I’m at fullback I’m a running threat. The change wasn’t hard. I think with me playing different positions it just makes it harder to scout and prepare for us.”
Hubert has also given the Vikings a boost defensively. A safety/outside linebacker, Hubert sealed the win over Greater Lowell with a late interception and blocked a couple extra point attempts in a 34-20 victory over Arlington Catholic the week before.
“He had five interceptions for us last season,” Cadigan said. “He’s an impact player for us on both sides of the ball.”
The Vikings have plenty to play for Thursday. Revere has won the last three Turkey Day battles and Winthrop’s hungry to turn things in its favor.
Hubert’s also looking to give his senior teammates, two of whom are family members, an ideal send-off.
“This year specifically it’s important to me because my brother, Billy Hubert, and cousin, Pat Teixieira, are both seniors,” Hubert said. “It’s the last time I’ll share the field with them. For the team it’s just about getting the trophy back to Winthrop. We haven’t had it the last three years. It would be great for our program and the community to bring it back and hopefully keep it as long as we can.”
Kickoff for Thursday’s game is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Miller Field.
