MARBLEHEAD — In a year that’s already been filled with twists and turns, this season is set to be a unique one for the Marblehead football team. The Magicians and coach Jim Rudloff are set to have smaller numbers on the sideline this season, but they’ve been making the most of it so far.
“We’re a little bit thinner than we’re used to,” Rudloff said. “We’re down to maybe 50 guys when we’re usually in the 60’s or 70’s because of families making their own personal choices and things like that.
“But it’s actually made practice easier,” Rudloff said. “Each player gets more personal attention and as coaches we get to see each kid more.”
So far it’s been all about shaking off the rust for Marblehead, with this year’s team having a hop in its step after more than a year away from the gridiron.
“It’s been really good,” Rudloff said. “The kids are enthusiastic and happy to be doing something organized. They bring a lot of energy, so they’re in no need of motivation.
“The problem is, they’re rusty,” Rudloff said. “They’re out of shape strength-wise, not cardiovascular-wise. They could run for days. It’s more a rust from not doing competitive team sports. They’ve had to get back into the routine of being coached.”
Usually those kinks are worked out in August, but with a delayed season the Magicians have had to get it done in the span of a few weeks as they gear up for their opener this weekend. That’s why the chance to scrimmage Northeastern Conference foe Winthrop last week has come in handy, especially for the underclassmen.
“It was a tremendous help,” Rudloff said of the scrimmage. “The guys needed to bang the pads. The older kids are in decent shape, having ten varsity games under their belt. But the younger guys are struggling with that. The speed of the game gets bumped up a bit and that’s where that helps.”
Marblehead is right in the middle ground when it comes to returners. Plenty of experienced players will help the Magicians go this year, but there are still some gaps to fill.
“We have a little bit of a mix,” Rudloff said. “We lost a couple guys that are going to other sports. We have some corners and wide receivers, some lineman, some linebackers and running backs. We have a little bit of everything but not a lot of everything.”
This year’s senior captains will help lead the group. Cam Janock can play just about anywhere on the field while JT Monahan, fresh off a hockey season, will return at defensive end and tight end. Wide receivers and defensive backs Miles Smith and Mark Paquette round out the group.
Godot Gaskins and Mitch Corelle also bring experience to both sides of the ball, while James Doody returns at tight end. Junior Josh Robertson returns at quarterback and the trio of James Manichi, Gresham Bosworth and AJ Andriano will sure up both the defensive and offensive line.
Without a tournament spot to chase, they’ll all have their sights set on a NEC title. But Rudloff and his staff have begun their expectations with the idea of improving every snap.
“We told the kids our goals are like walking up a set of stairs,” Rudloff said. “Step one is to get better everyday. Then you can focus on step two, which is to win. It sounds like a cliche but I’m not trying to be, you just can’t do one without the other. That’s how you get there.
“And then third, we said let’s win the league,” said Rudloff. “That’s it in terms of championships this year. Some teams are treating this year different, playing younger guys but I’m not taking that approach. I owe it to this senior class.”
Marblehead opens up the season with a home game against Beverly Saturday afternoon (2).
