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The Gloucester High School football team is positioning itself to win the Northeastern Conference North Division title this fall | and the postseason berth that would come with it. Swampscott is trying to do the same thing in the NEC South, but is taking a completely different approach. Both teams are 4-0 heading into tomorrow's contest at Swampscott's Blocksidge Field (2:30 p.m.), but that's where the similarities end.

Swampscott High's football team is positioning itself to win the Northeastern Conference South Division title this fall | and the postseason berth that would come with it. Gloucester is trying to do the same thing in the NEC North, but is taking a completely different approach.

HYANNIS | After Saturday's game against Barnstable, the Gloucester football players gathered at mid-field and chanted, "Second half team."

The Fishermen proved that they were indeed a second half team, bouncing back from a sloppy first half to defeat the Red Raiders 28-20 at Barnstable High School.

1.Gloucester (3-0): Three games have equalled 116 points, including an impressive 27-point blowout at Beverly. The catches have been huge thus far for these Fishermen. Last week: 3

BEVERLY | Gloucester High School football captain Andrew Fulford and his fellow seniors had never tasted victory on the varsity level against Beverly.

The Fishermen had a chance to finally get that elusive win against the Panthers on Saturday afternoon at Hurd Stadium, and it's safe to say that Gloucester played like a team with revenge on its mind.

We know they're good, but tomorrow will help us take a step toward learning exactly how good the Gloucester Fishermen are.

For the first time this season, the Gloucester football team will not have the luxury of playing in front of the hometown faithful at Newell Stadium. The Fishermen will hit the road for a game against Beverly in the always-tough atmosphere of Hurd Stadium.

GLOUCESTER | There would be no upset at Newell Stadium last night. Gloucester confirmed that very early.

Three offensive plays was all it took for the Fishermen to score their first two touchdowns and set themselves well on the way to a 48-15 win over Marblehead.

Tonight's Northeastern Conference matchup between Gloucester and Marblehead may not count toward a berth in the playoffs. But it still means a lot in the minds of the Fishermen and the Magicians.

That hunger should lead to an intense football game at Newell Stadium (7:45 p.m.), as both teams come in at 1-0, and both teams looked very impressive last week.

High school football coaches all over the country were faced with a dilemma at their Monday football practice this week. The big question was: How do you approach discussing Sunday's sobering reminder that football is indeed a physically brutal and potentially life-threatening sport with your own team?

GLOUCESTER | For the most part, the playcalling was predictable.

But even though the Winthrop Vikings knew what was coming, they still couldn't stop it.

The aforementioned "it" refers to the Gloucester High football team's dominant running game, which was on display for a jam-packed Newell Stadium on Friday night in the Fishermen's season opener against two-time defending NEC champion Winthrop.