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The Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA, Friday, September 7, 2012 Page 2 Buddy Thomas FROM THE DESK OF BUDDY THOMAS Did you know? Photos by Mike Valeri/the standard-times n That Mike Rapoza of New Bedford High, above, was the only player to run for a touchdown, throw for a touchdown, catch a touchdown pass, kick an extra point and convert a field goal during the 2011 season? n That Trevor Leandro figured in at least one touchdown (by scoring a touchdown or throwing a touchdown pass) in 16 consecutive games in which Dartmouth scored before the streak ended with last year’s 21-14 loss at Fairhaven on Thanksgiving Day? The Indians’ quarterback accounted for the two extra points in that loss and finished his career by scoring points or figuring in a touchdown in 17 of his team’s last 18 games – the exception coming in a 37-0 loss at Barnstable last Oct. 14. n That Old Colony has won its last three season openers and lost all but one of its remaining games in the last three seasons? The Cougars finished 1-9 in 2009 and 2010 and were 2-8 in 2011. n That since the start of the South Coast Conference in 1985, Apponequet has played perennial title contender Dighton-Rehoboth in its second scheduled season game five times? The Lakers are 1-4 under that scenario, thanks to three straight losses since 2009. This season, Apponequet will take on D-R in week 10 of the schedule in Rehoboth. n That Nate Michael led all area players with multiple touchdown games last season – four. Several players shared the single-game high of three. Michael and Tristenn Clark (GNB Voc-Tech) were the only players to score four touchdowns in one game in 2010 and the last player to score five touchdowns in one game was Jon Williams of New Bedford in 2009. Jordan Todman of Dartmouth is the last player to score six touchdowns in one game. He did that in 2007. n That half of Fairhaven’s 26 touchdowns last season came via the pass and three different players threw scoring strikes ... Jared Antil (6), Christian Braga (6) and Ryan Baldwin, above, (1)? n That last year’s 6-5 record was GNB Voc-Tech’s first winning season in 20 years? The last time the Bears were over .500 was back in 1991, when Paul Guilbeault led the team to a 6-4-1 record. n That Old Rochester has finished a season with the numbers 7 and 4 in the final total for four consecutive years? After finishing the 2008 season with a record of 7-4, Henry Quinlan’s crew has limped through 4-7 records the last three seasons. n That Wareham was outscored in its final two games last season by a combined 63-0 score, the only time in Dan Nault’s 12-year head coaching career the Vikings have been shut out in back-toback weeks in the same season? n That Ian Pratt kicked at least one point-after-touchdown in 12 consecutive games from Bishop Stang’s 2010 seasonopener through last season’s opener and converted at least one PAT in 16 of the last 19 games in which the Spartans scored? how the coaches fare Here are the win-loss records of the head coaches from the nine area schools. The information includes: Coach’s name, school (years coaching), win-loss regular season and (postseason record). golden Bob Lomp, Apponequet (11 seasons), 89-31 (0-2). Dan Nault, Wareham (12 seasons), 76-54 (1-2). Rick White, Dartmouth (8 seasons), 58-26-3 (1-3). Henry Quinlan, Old Rochester (8 seasons), 41-47 (0-0). Dennis Golden, New Bedford (8 seasons), 33-48-1 (0-2). Chuck Allaire, GNB Voc-Tech (5 seasons), 19-36 (2-0). Rudy Bulgar, Fairhaven (2 seasons), 3-17 (0-0). Bryce Guilbeault, Old Colony (first season). Ryan Sylvia, Bishop Stang (first season). guilbeault On the cover: Billy Pires, Kobie Edwards, Ryan Baldwin and the rest of the Fairhaven Blue Devils are aiming for success this season. Photo by Mike Valeri. football picks Football guru Buddy Thomas and High School Sports Editor Laurie Los try to predict this weekend’s winners: VT 17-12 GNB Voc-Tech at BP VT 21-6 MV 21-20 ORR at M. Vineyard ORR 14-13 WARE 27-13 Falmouth at Wareham WARE 21-7 NBH 28-26 Taunton at New Bedford NBH 24-12 AP 20-16 Apponequet at Middleboro AP 21-12
Buddy Thomas It looks like another two-horse race in the South Coast Conference, but this season’s race-to-the-wire finish could feature two new horses. Perennial front-runners Dighton- Rehoboth and Apponequet are expected to challenge again but only for the show position as a couple of also-rans a year ago are expected to battle it out for win and place, respectively. Fairhaven, which has gone just 3-17 in Rudy Bulgar’s first two years as head coach, has inherited the favorite’s role in what is expected to be a wire-to-wire race with a Wareham team coming off a 6-4 season last year and 1-10 in 2010. Somerset and Bishop Feehan are set to battle it out in what could be another two-team battle in the Eastern Athletic Conference, while Bridgewater-Raynham and Dartmouth take aim at the top spot in the Old Colony League. And who else but Brockton gets the nod in the Big 3, with New Bedford and Durfee battling for second place. Here is a look at the conference races. SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE 1. FAIRHAVEN: With two returning quarterbacks (Jared Antil and Christian Braga) who combined to throw a dozen touchdown passes; a fleet-footed running tandem of Billy Pires (9) and Kobie Edwards (6) who combined for 16 of the team’s 26 touchdowns and a handful of returning linemen, led by two-way all-star Ryan Baldwin (6-3, 235), this team looks solid and should be fun to watch. 2. WAREHAM: With the addition of former Old Rochester running back Elias Tobia (transfer), the Vikings should be as strong as any team when it comes to running the football. Darien Fernandez and Charles Tranfaglia carried the running load last year, and both are back — along with quarterback Anthony Abbott and a handful of key linemen on both sides of the ball. The defense allowed just under 30 points last season, but should be much improved with several members back for another season. 3. APPONEQUET: Nate Michael has graduated, along with a host of key offensive linemen, but younger brother Matt Michael is ready to assume the running load. If some of those holes up front are filled, the Lakers could find themselves in position to challenge. The Lakers may not be championship-ready just yet, but, under coach Bob Lomp, they could eventually find themselves in position to make a run. 4. DIGHTON-REHOBOTH: The FROM THE DESK OF BUDDY THOMAS how the conference races stack up Falcons’ offense was gutted by graduation with running backs Bryan Rocha (14 touchdowns), Adam Benvie (7) and Ethan Berry (3) carved from the program along with starting quarterback Jerry Whitmore and more than a few key two-way linemen. But, there’s still some beef up front with Chuddy Nwachukwa (6-6, 315) and Liam Hoye (6-2, 220) back, which could help keep this team in the race. 5. OLD ROCHESTER: The Bulldogs may not have any illusions of winning a conference championship, but they are looking to regain some form of respectability after three straight 4-7 seasons. With a nucleus of young, though somewhat inexperienced talent, coach Henry Quinlan’s crew could make things a bit uncomfortable for the so-called conference contenders. 6. SEEKONK: New coach plus new system usually equals question marks and unless some of those question marks turn into exclamation points, the new-look Warriors may be looking at no higher than a sixth-place finish. 7. GNB VOC-TECH: With Cory Ponte leading the way and Trevor Mena ready to fill the role of supporting player, the running game appears to be in good hands — especially when it will be running behind an underrated line led by the not-so-underrated Dakota Whoriskey, a 6-1, 270-pound beast at the tackle spot. 8. BOURNE: After winning the conference last season, the Canalmen were hit hard by graduation; the knockout punch dropping high-scoring mike valeri/the standard-times Anthony Abbott leads a Wareham offense that Buddy Thomas predicts will contend for an SCC title. Joe Epps from the backfield. Epps can’t be replaced, and with just a handful of players returning for another season, the Canalmen are probably looking at a rebuilding year. 9. CASE: The Cardinals are back after playing a two-year independent schedule in an effort to get their program back to where it once was. There is talent sprinkled throughout the roster – led by quarterback Taylor Furtado and running back Logan Walmsley – and with a veteran coach (Dave Morgado) that will develop more talent, this team should, at least, be competitive. EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE 1. SOMERSET: With their largest turnout in years and the return of three battle-tested weapons (Mike Garrant, 12 touchdowns; Cole Stafford, 5 touchdowns and John Melchert, 2 touchdowns) in the backfield, the Blue Raiders appear ready to replace perennial power Bishop Feehan at the top of the standings. 2. BISHOP FEEHAN: The Shamrocks lost a bevy of talent from last season’s championship team, including quarterback Andrew Murphy, running back James Corbesero and a host of big offensive linemen. But the talent well rarely runs dry here, and there appears to be plenty left to keep this year’s team in contention. 3. MARTHA’S VINEYARD: Like the Shamrocks, the Islanders were hit hard by graduation, but new talent emerges every season and this year should be no exception. Alec Tattersall (3 touchdowns) could replace the graduated Delmont Araujo at quarterback if he doesn’t play the running back position and the Islanders have five returning linemen who weighed in at 220-or-better last season. 4. BISHOP STANG: First-year head coach Ryan Sylvia is installing a new system that — hopefully — will produce more positive results at Spartan Village. The one big plus Sylvia has is the return of Charlie McKeeman, a 6-3, 200- plus pound package of dynamite who is explosive out of the backfield and blows people up from his linebacker position on defense. 5. COYLE-CASSIDY: The Warriors are getting better, but still have a long way to go to seriously compete for a title in this highly-competitive conference. OLD COLONY LEAGUE 1. BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM: Graduation chipped away several key components from last year’s 8-2 team, but the Trojans have a way of filling gaps on an annual basis. Size is always there and this year is no exception. 2. DARTMOUTH: Coach Rick White has a host of talented returning players, including the outstanding tandem of Mitch Loranger and Tim Smith. They combined for 17 touchdowns last season – 11 by Loranger. There’s also plenty of beef and experience on both lines, enough in fact, to help the Indians make a serious run at the league championship. 3. BARNSTABLE: The defending champions lost record-setting quarterback Doug Crook (76 career touchdown passes) and a host of linemen to graduation, but return Nick Peabody, who threw 10 TD passes in the five games Crook missed because of injury, and kicker Tom Mullen who kicked four field goals and converted 41 PATs, with at least two in all 11 regularseason games. BIG THREE 1. BROCKTON: They’re big, bad Brockton, with emphasis on big, which usually helps the Boxers distance themselves from the rest of the field. Nothing has changed this season. 2. NEW BEDFORD: The Whalers can throw the ball (Mike Rapoza) against any team, but a lack of size up front doesn’t bode well against bigger teams who love to pound the ball. 3. DURFEE: Much improved is the word out of Fall River and coming off a 1-9 season, the Hilltoppers should have no trouble going up ... except, in the conference standings. Page 3 The Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA, Friday, September 7, 2012
Page 1: KICKOFF 2012 SEPTEMBER 7, 2012 THE
Page 5 and 6: outlook: New Bedford 2012 SCHEDULE
Page 7 and 8: Dynamic duo in backfield By LAURIE
Page 9 and 10: The Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA
Page 15: The Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA

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