RallyNorth.net

Fishermen set to cast off

Tuesday, September, 04 By Matt Langone
Staff writer

GLOUCESTER | A winning season for the Gloucester football team is the closest to a sure thing in the North Shore every fall. The only part in question is | to what extent will the wins outnumber the losses?

Well, for the majority of the last 10 years, the wins have come at a ridiculous pace. The Fishermen have dominated Northeastern Conference play to the tune of an .858 winning percentage (91-15) and five conference titles in that span. Gloucester won at least nine games in eight of those seasons, and its least amount of wins came in 2005, when the Fishermen could only muster up a mere six victories.

Perennial success, such as Gloucester's, goes hand-in-hand with tremendous hard work and dedication. That was evidenced yesterday at Gloucester High School, as the Fisherman took to the field and participated in the second day of practice. Adoring fans from the Gloucester community were sprinkled throughout the parking lot and field observing. However, physical activity was just a portion of what was a seven-hour day.

"We're coming in at 10 a.m. and having a lot of meetings, then we have lunch and then the players meet again with the individual coaches," said fifth-year Gloucester head coach Paul Ingram. "Finally, we practice from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. "We feel that if we can outwork our opponents, we have a chance."

Once again the Fishermen could be the consensus pick to win the conference this fall. However, Ingram is well aware of the false sense of confidence that can come with preseason predictions and he knows that opponents will be targeting the Fishermen. Thus, players wore practice t-shirts yesterday that encouraged effort and accountability with the phrase, "Make plays not excuses."

"I think a lot of people will pick us to win the conference because a lot of our kids played last year," Ingram said. "We have a lot of backs and lineman returning, and we have a lot of speed. But it doesn't mean anything, because you still have to go out and play the games. If you beat Gloucester, there is always a huge celebration on the field. So we know everyone is shooting for us."

Aside from work ethic, the other theme from the early stages of Gloucester camp is the competition for several of the team's starting spots. Nothing has been finalized, which Ingram believes is a good thing.

"There are a lot of kids on this team that are going to push each other," Ingram said. "Nothing is etched in stone and a lot of kids are vying for jobs. We have depth, which is often an issue in high school."

There are 12 seniors back from last year's 9-2 squad, including senior strong safety/running back Andrew Fulford. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound back rushed for 811 yards and 22 touchdowns last year, yet he should be part of a balanced running attack this fall.

"Nobody on this team is guaranteed a starting job, no matter who you are," said Fulford, who will be joined by Adam Quinn, Mario Peritore and Cam Marston as team captains. "If you don't work hard, there is always someone there to replace you, so you're always looking over your shoulder. It creates hard work and makes the team better.

The quarterback position will feature a three-way battle between Ricky Gallant, Brett Cahill and Kyle Haybecker. Each candidate is on a level playing field, as none of them saw significant playing time last year.

Regardless of how the competitions play out, there will be a positive effect on the roster.

"Everyone on the team loves the competition," said Fulford. "Nobody holds a grudge. We're all like a family." Only time will tell exactly what kind of results 2007 will bring. But Friday, September 7 will tell a lot, as the Fishermen host defending conference champ Winthrop in the season opener.