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Young Marblehead looks to build off of Thanksgiving win

After losing five Thanksgiving games in a row to archrival Swampscott, the Marblehead High football team stepped up in the final game of 2006 to secure their biggest victory of the season, a 6-0 shutout.

Nine-and-a-half months later, the Magicians are hoping the momentum from that holiday upset carries over into this season while they move ahead at the same time.

Marblehead finished third in the Northeastern Conference South (now Small) division a year ago at 4-7 overall behind league champion Winthrop and once-beaten Beverly. The season-ending win over the Big Blue was an exclamation point to the season, but head coach Doug Chernovetz and his returning players are already turning the page.

"The kids came into camp and felt good about themselves (after last Thanksgiving), but that's not something we even talk about right now," said Chernovetz. "That's in the past; we're not going to dwell on what we did last year. "Instead, we want to continue to build on that. We're looking forward to our opener (tomorrow at Ipswich) and moving forward from there."

One area the Magicians want to improve upon is their defense. They gave up 251 points a year ago, good for nearly 23 points a game allowed. On the flip side, they scored only 149 points (13<1/2> average).

They'd also love to turn in the program's first winning season in 15 years. Not since 1992, when it finished the year 6-3-1, has Marblehead had more victories than losses. That could be tough, however, with only six seniors on this season's roster.

The captains are seniors Michael Sahagian (running back/defensive back), Eric Fader (center, linebacker) and Drew Guzowski (offensive line/defensive end), as well as junior Sam Perlow (tight end/defensive end). Their leadership will prove invaluable as Marblehead tries to grow up fast.

The Magicians will have no choice but to stick many inexperienced players on the field over the course of the season. The hope, said Chernovetz, is that they will continually develop in both practices and games. "Hopefully they can stay healthy and just keep improving," Chernovitz noted. "Success isn't always measured on the football field in wins and losses. I don't care how great a football player you are; if you're not a team player, it doesn't matter.

"We want good kids that will help build a football program. If we get some wins here with a young group, that's gravy." Other players who will be integral for the Magicians this fall include junior Ian McKinley and sophomore Hayes Richardson, who are the candidates for the quarterback position. Junior Jamie Wade, a running back and defensive back, has turned some heads in preseason after not playing last year.

Chernovetz also lauded the offseason work by sophomore wide receiver/defensive back Tariq Allen. "He's the nicest surprise right now," Chernovetz said. "Tariq filled out over the summer and has great athleticism that we'll try to utilize."

With the new season about to kick off, Chernovetz is looking forward to watching his team grow.

"We're going to play hard and be competitive," stated the third-year head coach. "With our younger kids getting the experience, they're pretty tough. It takes a while to see those kids come about and try to rebuild a program that has been at the bottom of the Northeastern Conference for a while now. We're starting to see the fruits of that labor, and we're optimistic for this year as well."

Last year's record: 4-7

Head coach: Doug Chernovetz (3rd year, 6-16)

Captains: Michael Sahagian, Eric Fader, Drew Guzowski and Sam Perlow

Style of offense: Multiple looks; mostly I-pro and a little spread formation

Style of defense: 4-3

Last winning season: 1992 (6-3-1)

Last league title: 1973 (7-2, won Northeastern Conference)

Did you know?: The Magicians will field the youngest team in the Northeastern Conference this fall with just a half-dozen seniors on the roster.