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Amesbury back carrying load after being reinstated by MIAA

Thursday, October, 11 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

At the start of the football season, Marion Wilder's career as Amesbury's highly-touted tailback appeared to be over after one season.

The fastest player on the Indians roster didn't have the necessary credits to remain eligible by the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association. He completed his freshman year having earned eight credits | four shy on the MIAA requirement.

"It was scary," Wilder said. "I didn't know how to take it. Some kids can't even play with 11 credits."

While Wilder's performance in the classroom was deemed unsatisfactory by the MIAA, few in Amesbury categorized his on-field performance in the same manner. He tallied 833 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns | tops on the team in both categories.

As a last ditch effort, the Amesbury athletic department filed a request for an MIAA waiver on Wilder's behalf. The request was granted days before Amesbury's opener at Lawrence Sept. 14.

"It's a blessing, it really is," Wilder said. "I'm trying hard in school now and staying focused on helping the team." But Wilder missed nearly the entire preseason, and his rust showed in the first few weeks.

Through the first three games | all Amesbury losses | he tallied 135 rushing yards and no touchdowns. His 45.0 rushing yards per game average was well below his tally of 83.3 of a year ago.

"He had to get acclimated to everything we do," Amesbury coach Thom Connors said. "It's a matter of practicing and doing the same thing over and over. He missed a lot of that because he wasn't here for the preseason."

But just as his Amesbury team was destined to win eventually, Wilder was bound to get in the end zone. Both happened last weekend in what was, perhaps by no coincidence, Wilder's best game of the season.

He had 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown | all tops on the team.

"I think he's much more in the fold in the last couple weeks," Connors said. "That goes across the board, though. We've shifted quarterbacks. David Smith was our lead guy for almost the entire preseason. Now Jared Flannigan is taking a lot of the snaps. Our entire personnel has made the transition."

With the numbers he put up last season, Wilder's greatest contribution may come serving as a decoy this fall. Defenses and special teams units appear to be game-planning to stop him, and his teammates are reaping the benefits.

Amesbury has returned two kicks for touchdowns this season | one each by Kevin Johnston and Jared Flannigan. The role of primary kick returner was filled by Wilder last season. "Having a lot of guys with speed has a lot to do with it," Johnston said.

"They're three dangerous kids," Connors said. "They all have good speed, and that will make the running game better and better every week. We're grateful to have all three."