Milton football Head Coach Steve Dembowski, who was at the Swampscott helm for 16 years, learned about a little rivalry between Swampscott and Marblehead when he was just a kid.
Dembowski remembers going to a Thanksgiving Day game with his father, Henry, in the late 1970s. Oddly enough, for a Swampscott native so associated with the blue and white, they sat on the Marblehead side as his father worked at the school as both a teacher and principal during his lifetime.
“My brother and I were cheering for Swampscott while we were in the Marblehead stands,” Dembowski said. “That’s probably my first memory, and there were so many unbelievable games.”
Eventually, it was time for Dembowski to join the rivalry on the field. In 1984, Dembowski was an eighth grader playing high school football, to which he still recalls every game against Marblehead in full detail – starting in 1985.
“It was a miserable, snowy, wet day where Ray Forbes caught a one-handed pass in a 6-0 Marblehead win,” Dembowski said. “Then, my sophomore year, we upset Marblehead 14-0. They had some great players.”
Not only did the Big Blue win in 1986, but Dembowski was just happy to be a part of history, saying “we took that away from them” when referencing Marblehead going for a share of the conference championship that season.
Dembowski calls his rivalry games against Marblehead “back and forth” as Swampscott also won during Dembowski’s senior year after losing his junior year.
He was named the Northeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1988 and still holds the record for the longest rush in Swampscott history (99 yards against Gloucester in 1988). After putting the graduation cap on, he took his talents to the University of Massachusetts to become a tight end for the Minutemen.
In 1999, it was time to represent the Big Blue yet again – this time as a coach. Dembowski coached Swampscott for 21 years, 16 as head coach. During his tenure, he won four NEC titles and the Super Bowl in 2007 – a 22-6 victory over Medfield.
Dembowski’s total win record in Swampscott was 114-67, with many games coming against that same Marblehead team. His favorite coaching win against the Magicians came on Thanksgiving of 2012, the last time Swampscott defeated Marblehead.
“We had some explosive plays, we kind of shocked them early, and kind of held on for a 25-16 win,” Dembowski said. “The kids just put it all together for a magical Thursday morning.”
However, rivalry outcomes often go both ways. His most crushing loss at the hands of Marblehead came in 2014.
“That ended up being my last game in Swampscott,” Dembowski said. “That was tough to walk away off a loss.”
On Friday, Dembowski takes on the Magicians again – this time representing the Milton Wildcats. Milton is 8-0 while Marblehead is 8-1, but records aren’t the only thing Dembowski thinks is close between the teams.
“Marblehead’s a good team, a lot like us. They can hurt you with the run, they can hurt you with the pass, they play great defense,” Dembowski said. “It really is like looking in the mirror. Every good player we have, they have one to match. It’s really going to be a chess match type of game.”
“Jim’s [Rudloff] done a great job with that program,” Dembowski said. “Obviously it brings back a lot of memories.”
When talking about Swampscott and Marblehead, as well as North Shore rivalries in general, Dembowski says the matchup is a great opportunity to make a difference in his players’ lives, and for them to join a rivalry that’s lasted over 100 years.
“The whole North Shore football scene is something special in itself,” Dembowski said. “The communities, the rotary clubs, the respect and tradition of the NEC, it is special. It’s an experience that kids need to have – to be involved in something that’s bigger than themselves.
In the end, Dembowski said it’s all about his players, and hopes the group can come out victorious on Brooks Field this Friday.
“There’s nothing I’d rather do than knock Marblehead out of the tournament,” Dembowski said.
