After press time:
North Reading defeats Wilmington 52-18 (Sept. 13)
Published September 12, 2024
Hornets kick off season in Wilmington on Friday night
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
NORTH READING — Each season, the North Reading football team comes up with a catchy word or phrase that often winds up on their uniforms. “Family” and “Be that Guy” come to mind and this year, imprinted on the sleeves of the warm-up jerseys, “Whatever it Takes.” Somewhere along the way, the Hornets might want to consider some form of the word “Dedication.”
Long before official team practices and scrimmages got underway this season, players such as quarterback Jason Berry and wide receiver Gavin Brady, among others, could be found on the turf at the high school, working on their passing game. Often, this selfless enterprise would carry on until well after dark, when the ball could barely be seen.
The dedication to the task at hand of this year’s Hornets squad has already proven out, a day before the regular season kicks off with tomorrow’s visit to neighboring Wilmington.
“Almost every single day after practice, we’re out here building our chemistry and working on our hands and routes,” said senior tri-captain Lucas Do Val. “We have our quarterback helping us out, along with our coaches supporting us. It takes all of us.”
“I agree that the strength of this team is our dedication,” said senior tri-captain James Fodera, who will contribute to the Hornets defense at linebacker. “We’ve been working on our game year-round, winter, spring, summer, and now fall, all with the goal of returning to a championship.”
While many of these players got their first taste of varsity football as freshmen, when they were deployed against a senior-laden Lynnfield team on Thanksgiving 2022, last year marked their first full campaign.
Behind the anticipation for a successful season ahead is the added maturity and growth of many of the Hornet players. Of the 48 athletes, there are 17 freshmen, 10 sophomores, 11 juniors, and 10 seniors. The program is very well balanced in all aspects.
“We are starting to see it,” said seventh-year Coach Ed Blum, when asked about the maturity gains of his crop of upperclassmen over the last three years. “A lot of them spent considerable time in the weight room during the off-season but really what we’re starting to see now is the mental part. They’re understanding the game and embracing some of the mental skills such as handling adversity, setbacks, how to remain humble in success, and how to constantly learn to play harder and smarter.”
In addition to these refinements there is the leadership factor to consider, which has been provided by several players including tri-captain Andrew Taylor.
“We all came together and decided as a group that we wanted another championship,” said the senior tailback, who has fond memories of the 2022 Division 5 Championship win at Gillette Stadium. “Most of us are coming back, ready to play for that goal. We have another year under our belt, the jitters are gone and we’re ready to fly around out there.”
Over several weeks of practice and scrimmages with Nantucket, Kipp Academy, and Wakefield, Blum has re-identified the weapons at his disposal and, along with his staff, has prepared these athletes for the arduous season ahead. The Hornets are enjoying an extended preseason due to an added bye-week built into their schedule.
“Every off-season, we adjust things based on the personnel we know is returning,” explained Blum, who wrapped up the 2023 season at 5-5. “The goal at the end of the day is to put these guys in a position to be successful.”
Blum admitted that the Hornets’ throwing game is a proven commodity, behind QB Berry, who threw for 16 TDs last year, along with established receivers Gavin Brady, Antonio Ricca, Anthony Tammaro, Tanner DuPriest and Do Val, among others. But the coach felt that certain aspects of his offense needed a tweak or two.
“One of the things we did as coaches was to simplify the run game,” he shared. “Sometimes, we tend to overthink things. We focused on three or four run schemes that we can get really good at. The offensive line can execute, communicate, and adjust. They’ve done a great job, even in the scrimmages.”
Returning junior Otto Indelicato remains the go-to tailback who Blum describes as a “physical, downhill runner.” The coaching staff also has high hopes for senior back David Tran who will see his share of carries.
The Hornet kicking game wasn’t quite up to the standards this program has grown accustomed to in recent years but Blum feels he has identified a solution.
“Most likely, we’ll use senior CJ Villarroel for kickoff and PAT assignments and senior Ryan Labb for punting,” said the coach. “The bye week really allowed us to identify that. These players, along with our long snappers and holders, have done a great job of getting to practice early and work on the kicking, which we all know is critical in close games.”
On Friday night at 6 p.m., North Reading will visit Wilmington, which lost its opener to Chelmsford, 48-6. The Hornets will then host Dedham on September 20.
“We played well in our scrimmages and the team is moving in the right direction,” said Blum. “There’s an attention to detail with this group and I’m pleased with the collective leadership of the juniors and seniors and their receptiveness to a lot of things we’re doing. We’re ready to attack the game plan against Wilmington.”
