Hamilton-Wenham football fans can look back at the 2009 season and dismiss it as a wasted year.
It was a campaign in which the injury-riddled Generals went 2-8, and the final insult was a 14-13 Thanksgiving Day loss to Ipswich, a team that had lost 31 straight games.
But while the fans can forget all about it, head coach Andrew Morency and his returning players have no such luxury. The coaches and players are the ones who had to live with the losses (including two one-point defeats in the final three games) in the offseason, and they're the ones who need to erase doubts this season. And that part is never easy.
"Any time you have the kind of record we did last year, it's difficult to move forward," said Morency, who is starting his fifth season at H-W. "But at the same time, it allows us an opportunity to grow from that adversity.
"The kids feel they have something to prove this season," he added. "Despite everything that happened last year, we were two points away from finishing 4-2 in our division (Cape Ann League Small). Sometimes it's a thin line between winning and losing. This year we have to show that we've worked hard enough to cross that line."
Morency feels he has more pieces of the puzzle to work with this season. When senior quarterback Andy Duval was injured last season, Dylan Keith got a chance to display his versatility. He was 14 for 22 passing for 122 yards and a touchdown. This season Morency likes him at quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back.
Other prominent role players include senior pass catcher Jimmy Love (29 receptions for 371 yards last season), senior tackles James Brao (6-2, 210) and Nick Vogus (6-3, 245), two-way end Jake Prince, center Ryan Foringer, middle linebacker Elliott Burr and running backs Tucker White, Dakota Stevens, Sean Turpin, Zach Nekoroski (who was injured last season) and Burr. Sophomore Trevor Lyons, who helped the Jayvees to a 7-2 record last season, is expected to be in the mix at quarterback, which will allow Keith to move around.
"I like our experience," said Morency. "We have the same 11 kids who, at certain points in the season, were starters last year. Brao and Vogus have each logged 20 games as starters. We feel Lyons has tremendous potential at quarterback. As far as Tucker White is concerned, he kicked a couple of field goals last season, including the game-winner over Georgetown (3-0) with five seconds left, and he went to kicking camps in the offseason to improve himself. That's pretty cool."
Hamilton-Wenham may feel a sense of urgency to win early since the first three games are at home. After that the Generals have a brutal stretch of five consecutive road games: Bishop Fenwick, Wilmington, North Reading, Georgetown and Amesbury.
"That would be a tough stretch for any team at any level," said Morency, referring to the cluster of away games. "It's an added challenge for us, but I feel the league is wide open. We've had to grow up fast (in the last year), so we plan to fight really hard."
surgin' GENERALS
Last year's record: 2-8
Head coach: Andrew Morency (fifth season, 20-20)
Team captains: Dylan Keith, Sr., QB/WR and DB; Jimmy Love, Sr., WR/S; James Brao, Sr, OT/DT
Top returning rusher: Tucker White (150 yards, TD)
Top returning passer: Dylan Keith (14 for 22, 122 yards, TD)
Top returning receiver: Jimmy Love (29 receptions, 371 yards, TD)
Last league title: 2005
Did You Know?: Eight players from the H-W program in the last five years are now playing Division 2 or Division 3 college football.
2010 Schedule
DateOpponentTime
Sept. 11Newburyport1 p.m.
Sept. 18Triton1 p.m.
Sept. 25Pentucket1 p.m.
Oct, 1at Bp. Fenwick7 p.m.
Oct. 8at Wilmington7 p.m.
Oct. 22at No. Reading7 p.m.
Oct. 30at Georgetown1 p.m.
Nov. 5at Amesbury7 p.m.
Nov. 13Lynnfield1 p.m.
Nov. 25Ipswich10 a.m.
