Warriors focused on improving amid changing football landscape

Published September 4, 2019

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WAKEFIELD — Attitude is everything.

Even in its heyday, maintaining a positive frame of mind throughout the grind of a high school football season was anything but easy.

Wakefield High boss John Rafferty (WHS ‘71) knew that as a Warrior, and he knows it more than ever as an experienced head coach in a rapidly changing sport.

A decline in numbers is nothing new, but this is largely uncharted territory.

According to the National Federation of High School Association’s, there was a three percent national decline in football last year alone. The numbers become more staggering when you consider that since the sport hit its peak in 2008-09, high school participation has gone down 9.6 percent.

Those numbers are steeper in Massachusetts. There is even a state bill to ban youth tackle football.

The rules have changed too. Massachusetts no longer follows NCAA guidelines for officiating as they move to NFHS standards along with every other state in the country except Texas. There are 238 differences between the two. Games are now 12 minute quarters, many personal fouls don’t result in automatic first downs, throwing out of bounds is always illegal, low blocks are ruled differently and even the hash marks have changed, to name a few.

This is where attitude comes in. While everybody loves to talk about the changes, football is still statistically the most popular high school sport in the country. It’s better to adapt and stay positive.

The Warriors dealt with a numbers problem all season in 2018. They had about 30 to Melrose’s 50 during last year’s 34-13 loss on the day before Thanksgiving.

This year, Rafferty and the Warriors are taking a more universal approach to the 55 total kids on the roster.

“That was a major concern – a significant problem,” said Rafferty of the numbers last year. “That being said, looking at what we needed to do even by just a numbers standpoint, is to not have a separate freshman program but instead we would take all the incoming freshmen (16) and they have joined us (on varsity). For all intents and purposes we are just one team now.”

Mirroring a problem with many other teams in the Middlesex League who would have a hard time fielding consistent numbers for freshmen or JV games, the Warriors are practicing as one team, so if and when injuries strike, they can be as prepared as possible.

Take the numbers out of it, and attitude still remains paramount when considering the Warriors are in phase two of coach Rafferty’s longterm plan for an overhaul.

Last year was about building a new foundation. The Warriors finished the season with a 3-8 record, but the hope was that a new understanding between coaches and players would grow into a dedication towards offseason workouts and a renewed excitement for the 2019 season.

After their eighth straight loss to Melrose on Thanksgiving, Wakefield junior lineman Anthony DeVito could be heard imploring his teammates that the offseason had just begun. It was a challenge to his Warriors. Let’s focus on the future.

Now, DeVito is one of three senior captains along with fellow lineman Liam Cosgrove and tight end/defensive end Chris Miller.

The coaching staff is largely the same as last season with Kevin Slattery (OL/DL), Mike Mosto (Offensive Coordinator), Brian Millea (QB/LB), Tom Crusco (WR/DB), Carmen Nigro (OL/DL) and Sean Rafferty (Safeties).

The first thing they looked for when training camp opened on Aug. 16 was pretty simple.

Who wants to be here? Who is hustling? Who wants to learn? Who has a good attitude?

What they found was extremely encouraging.

“Probably the most important way (to accomplish a rebuild) is atmosphere, culture, you know those nebulous terms; what does that mean? I don’t know, it’s just been entirely different,” said Rafferty.

“These kids have been great. They’re adhering to structure and they’re embracing it well. That’s really refreshing from a coaching standpoint. That atmosphere, a learning environment has improved tremendously (from last year).”

Wakefield wants to return to a smash mouth style of football and they have the returners to accomplish that after showing flashes of black and blue success last year, especially during a 49-21 win over Boston Latin in the penultimate game of 2018. Last year’s freshman sensation Aidan Sweeney ran for 200 yards and four of his team-high 11 touchdowns in that game.

Sweeney is back, “one year older” as Rafferty says, and running behind a line led by DeVito and Cosgrove who have plenty of experience is a great place to start.

Add to that mix the Andrews brothers, senior Taaj and sophomore Sharieff, and Wakefield has plenty on their line to build on even with the unfortunate loss of senior Dan Lamonica, who suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason.

Also returning is junior fullback Danny Hurley. He’s a strong defender and a weapon in the kicking game as well. Hurley hit all but one blocked extra point last year. During Wakefield’s last scrimmage against North Reading on Friday, Hurley connected on two field goals, one from 40 yards, in the first half alone, proving that so long as the Warriors can cross their own logo at midfield, Hurley can get them some points.

Tucker Stikeman is also back. The speedy junior will get plenty of chances to make plays in the offense while being counted on in the secondary as well.

Senior Joe Alden looks back to 100 percent after an injury last season. He made plenty of tackles against the Hornets and forced the only turnover of the first half with a nice interception.

The starting quarterback for Wakefield will be senior Wesley Pierre, who made a big impact as a running back on Thanksgiving last year in his first game of the season.

Pierre is a former Malden High running back.

His first varsity experience came on Thanksgiving 2017 as a sophomore. He ran for 160 yards that day, including his first touchdown on a 50-yard carry that essentially won the game for Malden, 27-22.

Pierre is a dynamic playmaker who the Warriors will count on a ton. He will also return kicks and play safety.

While there will be plenty of newcomers and first-time varsity players, Wakefield has the foundation, and more importantly the kind of attitude that usually equals improvement.

Game one is this Friday, 7 p.m. against Greater Lawrence Tech at Landrigan Field.

The Reggies went 9-2 last year. They lost a close one, 21-20, to a solid program in Swampscott in their opener last year and went on to beat Lowell Catholic in the playoffs before getting knocked out by St. Mary’s 30-24.

The Warriors will then travel to Belmont next week before taking their bye week (another new change) on Sept. 20 to help prepare for their Freedom Division schedule starting with two straight road games against strong Stoneham and Burlington teams. The Warriors then host Winchester on Oct. 11 and Watertown on Oct. 18 before closing out the regular season in Wilmington on Oct. 25.

For now, the Warriors want to focus on their own progress.

“We want to be ready for the first game,” said Rafferty. “We want them to get after it. It’s a good group. They’ve been great to work with, the attitude has been good and they’re putting their best foot forward.”