All season, the Marblehead High football team has said that each game is like climbing a rung on a ladder.
This is their Everest.
In one of the most anticipated clashes in recent memory, the Magicians (8-2) host rival Swampscott (7-3), tomorrow morning at Piper Field in what's essentially a conference championship game.
The 101st holiday meeting between these schools — both 3-1 in Northeastern Conference Small play — will decide the league champion and playoff representative.
"This is the biggest Thanksgiving game I've ever been involved in. The Swamspcott-Marblehead games when I was an assistant or the Salem-Beverly games when I coached (in Beverly) don't touch this," said Magicians head coach Jim Rudloff, who has led the MHS to the brink of its first league title in 36 years in first season.
The two-time defending NEC Small champion Big Blue want to make it three in a row over Marblehead. They got the job done in a nail-biter at Blocksidge Field last year and expect tomorrow's clash to be every bit as close.
"We've been in these situations before and we've handled them well. When it comes down to it, it's a game and you've got to make plays," said Swampscott head coach Steve Dembowski, who is 8-2 in Thanksgiving games against the Magicians.
The matchup of the day is Marblehead's fierce linebackers, Evan Comeau and Matt Evans, against Swampscott's speedy and dangerous wide receivers. They'll need to make sure the Big Blue's Randall Kelleher, A.J. Baker and Peter Yasi can't break tackles and get yards after the catch.
"Their linebacking is the best in the conference. It's on the same level as (unbeaten) Gloucester's," said Dembowski.
Matt Barbuzzi, the Big Blue's triggerman at QB, is completing 65 percent of his passes — a number that's off the charts. The senior's passer rating is 116, and he has 22 TDs with 2,100 yards. Senior captain Kyle Shonio became the first 1,000-yard back in Swampscott since 2005 and has over 2,000 career rushing yards to balance the attack.
The Marblehead attack, which has scored a school record 307 points so far in 2009, is led by quarterback Hayes Richardson. The senior has thrown for 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he's most dangerous with his legs and has 15 rushing TDs to his credit.
"They have a solid ground game, and that makes them a tough offense to defend," said Dembowski. "Richardson can burn you on a broken play for big yardage. He's turned bad plays into 50-yard touchdown runs."
The game within a game is how well Swampscott's front seven does with keeping Richardson in the pocket. If they bite on fakes or overcommit, he can break one tackle and go all the way. If they contain him and make him throw, it's an entirely different ballgame.
Expect a standing room only crowd at Piper Field tomorrow morning and a contest that goes down to the wire. Tickets are $10 at the gate but can be purchased today for $7 at the two schools.
