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Royal defense looking to roll up its sleeves against Rams

Friday, October, 05 By Bob Albright
Staff writer

Georgetown football coach Matt Bouchard likens it to the difference in going from a suit and tie job to one that requires a sweat shirt and a beat up pair of overalls.

On offense his Royals are all about precision, timing and spreading out the field. Defensively, where a majority of his offensive starters also play, he would like his team to drop that suit and tie mindset.

"Being a spread team like we are it's not always easy to be hard nosed (on defense)," said Bouchard. "You're putting on your suit and tie and going to work and I think some of that mentality carries over from the offense. It took a little time for us to make that transition and flip the switch and take off the ties."

Suffice it to say after stuffing a proficient Whittier Tech offense on all four of its fourth down tries last week in a 33-16 win, the shirts and ties officially came off on the defensive side of the ball for Georgetown.

"The guys are really hunkering down and starting to get that defensive mindset," said Bouchard. "I would have to say that defensively right now we are where we were last year in November."

It's a very pleasing turn of events for Bouchard who served as a defensive coordinator both at St. Mary's of Lynn and Saugus before taking the helm at Georgetown last fall. Linebacker play has been a big key to that steep growth curve for the Royals. Only a sophomore, Chris Esposito had a monster game at middle linebacker against Whittier as did the two guys flanking him, sophomore Andrew Sinkewicz and junior Dave Kenneally.

"From the minute we put Chris in the middle last year we knew were not moving him," Bouchard said of Esposito, who recorded double digit tackles against the Wildcats. "The great thing about all three of those guys is that we'll have them together next year and they're only going to get better."

Bouchard says that if there has been a real surprise impact player it would have to be Matt Kumph. The 6-foot-4 junior hit the weight room harder than anyone in the off-season, according to Bouchard, and his play at strong side defensive end this fall has proven it.

"He's also our special teams captain which is something he simply went out and earned in preseason."

Coming off their first win over Whittier Tech since a 28-14 decision back in 2001, the Royal defense will definitely need to keep their suits and ties in the locker tomorrow (2 p.m.) when it hosts the team which Bouchard feels is the top outfit in the league | undefeated Shawsheen Tech.

"They're a little more balanced than Whittier in that they probably run it 65 percent of the time, so they'll throw it a bit too," said Bouchard of the Rams, who handed a strong Manchester Essex club its first loss of the year last week, 18-7.

You have to go back to that 9-2 juggernaut team of 2001 to find the last time that the Royals knocked off successive CAC Large opponents, but all of a sudden it does not seem as daunting a task in Georgetown despite a roster that fits on a 5x8 index card.

"We have very few numbers, maybe 30 kids, but when double sessions come around with Coach Bouchard he works our tails off," senior defensive back Nadjee Harrigan said after last Saturday's win. "These guys are dedicated kids. I came here from Central Catholic and this was not even a football town, but Coach Bouchard has helped turn this program around. Shawheen better be ready."