2022 Hornets Football at practice last week. (Photo Paul Clark)
The Manchester Essex football team’s season was a success story last year no matter how you look at it.
The Hornets finished the season with a winning record (8-2), won the Cape Ann League Baker Crown and made it to the round of 16 in the MIAA Div. 8 tournament before losing to KIPP Academy. Even with that in mind, this team is looking to take care of some unfinished business from last year as the fall season kicks off this week.
“I don't think last year's success added to the pressure these guys are under, but it has given us renewed focus that carried into the summer,” explains ME football coach Josiah Grimes, now in his second year as head coach of the Hornets. “We had records numbers of football players out for our summer weightlifting program and almost all of our student-athletes participated in some kind of camp or 7-versus-7 league this summer. Having success - winning the league - but falling short of our ultimate goal - winning a state title - has made these guys focused and hungry to get back out there and we really saw that this summer.”
Helping this cause is the return of many of the key players from last season, including captains Brennan Twombly (quarterback/defensive back), Ben Hurd (offensive/defensive line), Henry Otterbein (running back/defensive back) and Danny Wood (tight end/linebacker).
“All are seniors and they bring - collectively and individually - a lot of experience and leadership ability that really resonates with the younger guys,” Grimes says of the captains.
Of particular note is the return of Twombly at quarterback.
“He had a great year last year and continued to grow as a player and a leader as the year went on,” explains Grimes. “Having that type of senior leadership makes our jobs easier as coaches and allows us to focus more on getting better as opposed to starting fresh at practice one.”
Others who are expected to have an impact in 2022 include a pair of seniors stepping into new roles. Declan Kirk will spend time at wideout and cornerback, while Zak Porat will spend time in the trenches on offense and defense. According to their coach, both, “are having great camps and are meshing well with the more experienced guys.”
With a good deal of experience returning, it makes it much easier for this squad to get back up to speed in time for the season. The offense and defense are installed, key pieces are already in place.
“We run a variation of the 4-3 on defense and a variation of the traditional Wing-T system that we've been using for the past few seasons,” explains Grimes. “We change a bit every year based on personnel, but we try to keep the terminology and concepts similar year-to-year to facilitate learning and bringing on new players.”
This is a balanced team on offense and defense, with the biggest challenge being a search for more depth as the season goes along.
“We're a small school so almost everyone goes both ways so finding ways to rotate guys in and keep them fresh is one of our biggest challenges,” says Grimes. “We're working hard to get better at managing that energy.”
The first big task of the season will be opening up on the road on Sept. 8 against Ipswich.
“We faced them last year and they were a tough, well-coached team despite being pretty young,” says Grimes. “They're a year older now and we expect a battle from them. I have not yet seen any film from them this season - so it'll be a bit of learning next week - but they brought back their coach, so we expect similarities, but I'm sure they'll have something new for us this year.”
