rrr
Here are a dozen local players who deserve more publicity than they've gotten for their gridiron exploits this fall:
Mike Koulouris, North Shore Tech QB/WR - Salem native has stepped in admirably at quarterback when needed; he's also efficient at catching passes and breaking them up defensively.
John Wood, Marblehead TE/LB - Captain is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the football for the Magicians.
Alex Harrington, Ipswich QB - Senior signal caller doesn't get the headlines, but is extremely efficient at running the Tigers offense and simply doesn't make mistakes (7 TD passes, 0 INTs).
Tom Musumeci, St. John's Prep OL - Eagles' 250-pound pulling guard is consistent, steady and opens big holes for star tailback Derek Coppola.
Kevin Karakoudas, Peabody LB - Senior linebacker is a 100 percenter; he goes all out on every play, no matter the score.
Nick Traicoff, Beverly OL - The smallest (190 pounds) of the Panther starters up front, he does a great job from his guard spot at pancaking defenders and getting outside as a blocker on sweeps.
Patrick George, Pingree RB - The sturdy sophomore (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) is a workhorse, averaging better than seven yards a carry.
Kevin Tarr, Salem C/DT - Senior 240 pounder is a rock in the middle of the Witches' line, perfect for his team's running attack.
Dan Santorella, Danvers G/DE - Two-way senior starter works hard, displays leadership on and off the field and has the qualities that all coaches look for in a player.
Brendan Barrett, Bishop Fenwick DB/K - Virtually perfect on extra points and field goals, the junior from Peabody also patrols the Fenwick secondary like a cop on the beat.
Brian Harnish, Gloucester RB - Tiny (5-foot-4, 150 pounds) but powerful junior back who gladly grinds out the tough yards for the Fishermen.
Eric Dinarello, Masconomet C/MLB - Hard-nosed, vocal leader is as strong as an ox and smart as elephant, mixing his intellectual and brawny personas together perfectly on game night.
rrr
Lost in the mad scramble that was Salem's 29-27 triple overtime triumph over Marblehead last Friday night was the performance of Nate Smith. The Magicians' senior back had a terrific game in a losing effort, scoring three times on runs of 6, 9 and 10 yards, with the latter two coming during in OT.
rrr
Speaking of great efforts, Steve Phaneuf continues to turn them in for an Ipswich team that is playing everyone tough (their two losses are by a combined three points). Phaneuf racked up four touchdowns en route to a monster 259-yard performance on the ground, pushing his season totals to 1,052 yards and 16 TDs this fall. He also has another 110 yards and four TDs via the air.
Also, you can't overlook the absolute magnificent season being turned in by Bishop Fenwick's standout tailback, Bobby Tarr. His fifth straight 200-yard-plus rushing game this past Sunday night in a win over St. Mary's of Lynn gave the junior 1,581 yards and 23 touchdowns on 171 carries, all of which lead the area.
rrr
A few of the area's top talents are poised to break into the 1,000-yard rushing club this weekend. Senior captain Pat Bailey of Beverly likely would have already done so a week or two ago had he not been shelved for 11/2 games with an ankle injury. Heading into tomorrow's clash with visiting Lynn Classical (2 p.m) at Hurd Stadium, the Panthers' back needs 96 yards to hit 1,000 for the season.
Danvers' Colin Lynch, whose 148 carries are second on the North Shore, needs 106 yards tonight against Swampscott at home to eclipse that mark. Salem sophomore Melikke Van Alstyne (855 yards) would need a big night against undefeated Winthrop to join the club; it's more likely he'll break four figures a week from tomorrow when the Witches play their final Friday night game at Lynn Classical.
In the passing category, Masconomet's Craig Bunker could hit that milestone with one pass tomorrow night against visiting Pentucket, needing just 14 yards for 1,000. His Cape Ann League counterpart, Hamilton-Wenham's Connor Sullivan (835 yards), could also break into the exclusive club this weekend when the Generals host 1-7 Lynnfield Saturday afternoon.
And while it's virtually impossible he'll get the 292 yards receiving yards he needs to hit 1,000 tomorrow night against Danvers, Swampscott receiver extraordinaire Brendan Garner (32 catches, 708 yards) could reach the magic mark before season's end, a rare feat for a receiver. The Big Blue's last three contests are against Danvers, Lynn English and Marblehead.
rrr
One thing that's been very encouraging to see this fall: big crowds are back attending high school football games.
Beverly and Danvers recently played to a crowd of 3,000 fans on a crisp fall afternoon at Hurd Stadium. The resurgence of the Salem High football program has fans flocking back to Bertram Field, as home games with Danvers and Bishop Fenwick have attested to. St. John's Prep draws great crowds at Cronin Field regularly, and other hot spots such as Miller Field in Winthrop, Newell Stadium in Gloucester and Deering Stadium in Danvers, have all kept the turnstiles humming with fans flowing through them.
After a few years of declining attendance locally, it's nice to see more fans coming out to the games, supporting the teams and their schools.
Moving The Chains, a column on high school football on the North Shore, will appear each Friday in The Salem News during the fall sports season.
