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Barry, Ryan set the tone in the trenches

Thursday, October, 11 By John Shimer
Staff writer

For the younger Newburyport football players, this is uncharted territory.

Fresh off a 4-7 season that ended with a 20-0 loss to rival Amesbury, the Clippers have turned things around in a hurry. Newburyport (3-2) is one win shy of matching last year's win total with six games to play.

All signs point to that win occurring tonight (7 p.m.) when the Clippers travel to Lawrence to face the 1-4 Lancers. But with the prospect of overconfidence rearing its head this evening, the Clippers will lean on two players they've leaned on so many times over the past four seasons: captains Kevin Ryan and Chris Barry.

The two are both four-year starters, both start on the offensive and defensive lines, and both are potential All-Cape Ann League players as seniors.

But the leadership the two have provided may be their greatest attribute.

And the leaders aren't about to let their teammates forget last Thanksgiving.

"We put up 20-0 in the weight room in the off season and left it there so we wouldn't forget how awful that disappointment felt," Ryan said. "For me, there was almost a feeling of helplessness that day and it was by far and away the worst sports feeling I've ever had."

A loss tonight could match rival that disappointment. And with the way things have been going in the CAL so far, anything is possible.

Parity is the buzz-word for 2007 as it seems that any team can win on any given day.

With Masconomet winning the battle of the remaining undefeated teams against Wilmington last weekend, the Chieftains would seem to have separated themselves from the pack. However, taking a closer look inside the numbers that same team only beat Hamilton-Wenham the previous week by a touchdown on a busted play.

Why mention that Masconomet vs. Hamilton-Wenham game? Because this last weekend Newburyport may have made the statement game of the season in either the Small or in the Large, pounding the Generals by three touchdowns, 34-13. However, one of the two losses on the Clipper record came at the hands of Wilmington in the second game of the season. "All we have done to this point in the conference schedule is win one game, and it is far too early to tell who may be the front-runner in the Small," said Newburyport coach Ed Gaudiano. "Don't be mistaken by Lawrence's record. They have an explosive offense and could put up 80 points in a hurry." Barry and Ryan, who have been through each of the past three year's painful growing process, say their senior class keeps things in perspective for games like Lawrence.

"One game could change everything and derail our goals," said the hard-nosed lineman, Ryan. "We aren't trying to look at where we are in the standings or where our opponents sit because then we could lose."

"We have a lot of kids that have been playing together for a while, so there is good chemistry and continuity here," Barry added. "If we take the same approach each game, I think we will be where we want to be at the end of the season."

For Ryan and the rest of the Clippers, the push for this year's CAL Small title started last Thanksgiving. Barry and Ryan said the key to tonight's game will be slowing down the prolific spread-passing game.

"They throw the ball 30-45 times a game, so we have been working on conditioning all week to get ready," Ryan said. "Our job on the line will be to get pressure up the middle and force their quarterback to make mistakes," Barry added. On offense the Clippers will look to do more of the same, which has provided a lot of success to this point in the season.

"We want to hang onto the ball, eat up the clock, and get some points for ourselves in order to keep Lawrence's offense off the field," Gaudiano finished. "Balance will be a big part of our game plan as always, and hopefully we can catch them on their blitzes, which they like to do a lot."