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Sports

Cougars hungry for more against Swampscott

By Mike Grenier
staff writer
Published: December 1, 2008

Arlington Catholic's football team will never get tired of making the playoffs, but the Cougars are sick of losing in the opening round.

Coach Serge Clivio's team, which plays Swampscott (9-2) tomorrow night at Arlington High (7:15 p.m.), has nailed down a postseason berth the last two years but has fallen short of its ultimate goal, which is to play for a Super Bowl title on the big stage at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

Two years ago, Arlington Catholic lost a wild shootout first round game against Whittier Tech, 48-46. Last season, Swampscott easily downed the Cougars, 33-7, en route to an eventual Super Bowl championship.

Clivio doesn't begrudge Swampscott at all, but his veteran players feel it's their turn to move on. Basically, Arlington Catholic is hungry for more.

"Hungry for more - yes, that's probably the best way to put it," said Clivio, whose team beat intra-city rival Arlington, 19-15, on Thanksgiving Day to put the finishing touch on an 8-3 season. "This group has been amazing about rising to the occasion and they'll have to do it again against Swampscott.

"Our older kids have been through it all in the playoffs. We had some great athletes two years ago, but we lost a heartbreaker to Whittier. Last year we happened to face an outstanding Swampscott team. They had one of the best linemen we've seen in Brian Palangi (who has since graduated) and Swampscott was just a heck of a team overall.

"It's a great privelege to make the playoffs," added Clivio, "but you reach the point where you want to take it to the next level."

Swampscott coach Steve Dembowski knows exactly where Clivio and the Cougars are coming from because he's been there himself. Dembowski's 2002 and 2003 Big Blue teams had outstanding talent but didn't win the Super Bowl. Swampscott finally broke through last season when it dominated Medfield, 22-6, at Gillette to capture the Division 3 title.

"They should be (hungry for more)," Dembowski said of Arlington Catholic, which won the Catholic Central League regular season title with a 5-0 mark. "To get this far is really an honor, but you don't reflect on it that way if you don't get the final prize. To win it is special because it doesn't happen too often."

Similar to Swampscott, which has an extraordinary quarterback in Chris Cameron, Arlington Catholic is banking heavily on its senior quarterback, Corey Spencer, who threw two more touchdown passes in the Arlington game, pushing his season total to 24. Spencer has 42 touchdown passes in the last two seasons.

"The kid has a great arm. He's just a great player," Dembowski said of Spencer.

Spencer also has the benefit of another's year experience, which could mean a world of difference in a situation like this. Spencer has a big target in senior wide receiver Joe Weseloski and a complementary running game led by senior Charlie Bates, who had 133 yards against Arlington. Bates has over 700 rushing yards for the season.

"Spencer was just developing as a quarterback last year, so this year he's been better," said Clivio. "He has great touch; throws a really nice ball. We have some new linemen this year and Corey was rushing some throws early in the season, but we've settled down up front. Corey is really good at reading defenses and making good decisions. He's got almost 3,000 (passing) yards, so he's making the right throws."

Cameron, of course, has made a huge splash this season in his first year as a starter. He's averaging around 280 yards per game as a passer/runner and is coming off an 11 for 15 (for 154 yards) passing performance in the Big Blue's 21-13 win over Marblehead on Thanksgiving Day.

Dembowski doesn't hesitate to call Cameron the player of the year on the North Shore and Clivio was super impressed when he saw the Swampscott quarterback play a couple of times this season.

"Cameron is an exceptional athlete," said Clivio. "You have to be so careful with him because of what he can do with his feet as well as his arm. I saw the Winthrop game and he burned them with his legs. Just ate them up. If you overplay the pass, he has the ability to take off and do a lot of damage. Like Spencer, he makes good reads. He won't make the stupid throw."

If you go strictly by the medical charts, Arlington Catholic may have the edge. Swampscott, which is not as deep as it was last season, was banged up late in the season and its best defensive player, Ilya Levin (shoulder), wasn't ready for the Marblehead game and is questionable for tomorrow's game.

Arlington Catholic, on the other hand, was limited in the running game early in the season when Bates was hobbled by an ankle injury. But Bates is now healthy again and is coming off a strong game against Arlington High.

"We've been nicked up, but most of the kids who've been hurt will be playing in this one," said Clivio. "We're happy about it because we seem to be playing our best football."

A Swampscott rout appears to be out of the question this time, but both teams feel they have a good shot at the big prize which awaits at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.

Swampscott's keys to the game:

1. Avoid the silly penalties that cost them field position in the Marblehead game.

2. Win the turnover battle. "It was, what, 2-0 in our favor against Marblehead? That was your outcome right there," said Dembowski.

Arlington Catholic's keys to the game:

1. Prevent Cameron and his army of receivers, led by Steve Moran, from making long gainers. "They can nickel and dime you and then they'll break a big one. That's what we have to avoid," said Clivio.

2. Mix the run and the pass. The Cougars have a tremendous passer in Corey Spencer and the temptation will be to try to match or outdo Cameron through the air, but AC can't abandon a running game that is so capably led by junior Charlie Bates.

Swampscott (9-2)

OFFENSE

No.NameYr.Pos.

1Steve MoranSr.WR

17Jon PothSr.WR

56Charlie GambaleSr.RT

67Chris FagoneJr.RG

54John RosenthalSr.C

76Ryan PollardSr.LG

68Charlie BakerSr.LT

13Chris CameronSr.QB

5Kyle ShonioJr.RB

2Randall KelleherJr.WR

8Patrick Freemont-SmithSr.WR

DEFENSE

No.NameYr.Pos.

68Charlie BakerSr.NG

55Ryan MihovanSr.DE

59Mike DePippoSr.DE

17Jon PothSr.OLB

9Shawn HubauerSr.MLB

2Randall KelleherJr.ILB

56Charlie GambaleSr.ILB

7Peter YasiSo.OLB

1Stephen MoranSr.CB

5Kyle ShonioJr.CB

13Chris CameronSr.S

ARLINGTON cATHOLIC (8-3)

OFFENSE

No.NameYr.Pos.

1Joe WesoloskiSr.WR

2Jibreel HendersonSr.WR

54Brett SpracklinSr.RT

77Kevin CaseySr.RG

66James LashotoJr.C

76Tom DonohueJr.LG

50Steve KerinsSr.LT

17Corey SpencerSr.QB

9Charlie BatesJr.RB

45Chris ElbagSr.WR 48

80Andrew ManningSr.WR

DEFENSE

No.NameYr.Pos.

48Eric BartonJr.LE

78Peter GoncharSr.NG

54Brett SpracklinSr.DE

50Steve KerinsSr.OLB

52Al BrandanoSr.OLB

44Steve PaglioccaSr.ILB

40Nick DoriaJr.ILB

11Ricky DouglassJr.CB

23Zack BatesFr.CB

8Travis StanleySr.S

13Jon ManciniJr.S

Photos