SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott’s football team is one game away from the Division 6 semifinals. To get there, however, the Big Blue have a big task.
That task would be No. 2 Stoneham on Saturday with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. at Woburn High.
Swampscott has delivered this fall, compiling a record of 7-2 and earning the No. 6 seed. Head coach Peter Bush, in his second season, said, “We are excited about this opportunity.
“You put so much time in during the offseason. This group started right when Thanksgiving ended; they went right into the weight room. Through the winter, the spring, and summer, they’ve been working hard,” Bush said. “We’ve hit some bumps in the road over the course of the season, but the nice thing about this group is we have great leadership and they’re always looking to push forward to the next moment.”
When asked about Stoneham, Bush credited the opposition as being a “physical” unit that likes to run the ball.
“They run a really unique offense. They run two tight ends with two wings and a fullback and they really try to pack it in and run the ball,” He said.”We’re playing with good confidence defensively. The key is to get stops and get the ball to our offense. It’s going to take a tremendous effort on defense, our offense is going to need to put up points, and our special teams need to be sound for us to be successful.”
Another one of those keys is dominating the line of scrimmage, according to Bush.
“It all starts up front with our defensive line. Timmy Sheehan, John DiLisio, Vaughn Hazell, and Henry Beuttler have had great seasons and I think that’s one thing that’s led our defense,” Bush said. “The line allowed our linebackers to play fast and aggressively. That group is led by Liam Keaney and made up of Jay Domelowicz and Will Bush, all of whom have had great seasons.”
And for Swampscott to pull off the upset, it might have to learn on its bell-cow in Beuttler, who has been one of the top running backs in the Northeastern Conference.
“Being able to run the ball – especially this time of the year – adds a whole different dimension to your offense. Henry has had a tremendous season in the backfield. He’s gotten an amazing effort from his offensive line and that would be the first thing he would mention is his offensive line,” Bush said. “He runs the ball downhill and he’s fast. He can run through tackles and make people miss. The season he’s had really helped us open up things on offense.”
Another player who’s been having a great season is John von Barta, who has stepped in as a sophomore quarterback.
“Which isn’t easy, and he started to mature as the season got on. He’s got a good grasp of the offense and has great receivers in Liam Keaney, Joe Marino, Nakeylen Davis, and Jay Domelowicz, who have been great in both catching and blocking,” Bush said. “We’re going to need them to score to be able to stay in the game come Saturday.”
You might think practices would be different ahead of a do-or-die game, but for Bush and company, they’re the same as Week 1.
“This group has played in some high-stake games. I think every game that we’ve ended up playing is a high-stake game and the kids understand the importance of each game – that it’s their own unique situation,” Bush said. “Whether you’re playing on a Friday or Saturday, this group’s focus all season has been to be 1-0. Whether it’s the game or practice, they’ve done a really good job of focusing on the moment.”
Well, time will tell Saturday night, as the Big Blue look to knock off the No. 2 seed.
