CANTON – At one point during practice last Friday, the Blue Hills Regional Technical School football team had 18 offensive linemen (along with three different quarterbacks) stand shoulder to shoulder to perform a drill.
This must sometimes be how it feels for the opponents who face the Warriors in the trenches.
“We’re very proud of our offensive line,” said left guard Tristan Camarra, a senior from Canton. “Our coach likes to call us the ‘machine.’ We’ve got to get the machine going again.”
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Considering Blue Hills released six other starters on the O-line, including the two tight ends who are primarily blockers, the machine will have a lot of new parts this fall. Oh, and all three standout running backs from last year’s 9-4 club are gone, too.
However, the heavy personnel losses will not stop the Warriors from deviating from their proven plan of winning with a tough ground game.
Consider that Blue Hills has had eight individual 1,000-yard runners in the last three seasons. In 2021, Jake Reissfelder, Eric Mann and Caiden Montas all reached that plateau as the Warriors capped an 11-2 season by rushing for 402 yards in the small-school state Voke Bowl (a 52-51 win over Nashoba Regional). Last year, Montas, Aidan Landers and Matthew Begin all reached 1,000 yards and Blue Hills rushed for 383 yards in a 44-7 Voke Bowl win over Tri-County.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
“It wouldn’t be wise to change that,” third-year head coach Ed Madden said of the approach, before adding with a laugh, “People suggest that. Students. (But) experiments can be expensive.”
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Madden (class of 2004) played in the Blue Hills system and was on former coach Ed Catabia’s staff for 15 years before succeeding him in 2021. He won’t be implementing a run-and-shoot offense anytime soon.
“The program (philosophy) is good,” he said. “I was lucky to learn it from my coaches and I’m lucky to have players who love it as well. We’re going to keep doing it. It’s great for us. We’ve been successful.”
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Of course, the starting lineup will look new this season, but Madden can build his offensive line around Camarra, can count on a quarterback who is in his third year in the starting lineup, namely senior Brayden Mahoney (Canton), and has high hopes for his new running back group, which includes senior Damion Howitt.
“There’s a lot of teaching going on here right now,” Madden said of the Warriors’ relative inexperience, which will be put to the test in Week 1 with a home game against Norwell of the rough South Shore League. “I enjoy teaching; it keeps me fresh.”
The no-huddle
The new running back group is led by Howitt and junior Mikey McDonagh, while juniors Kanyinsola Olanrewaju and Reinaldo Sepulveda vie for the starting fullback spot. Mahoney is back for his third year as QB. The new-look O-line features Camarra at left guard and senior Khai-Ryn Nance at right guard, while seniors Nick Taglieri and Akanimo Jones are slated to start at tight end/split end. On defense, Howitt, McDonagh, Jones and Colton Metcalf anchor the secondary, with Nance and Camarra on the line.
Review 2023
The Warriors lost to Mashpee 32-14 in the first round of the Div. 7 MIAA playoffs, but rebounded to win their final four games, beating Nashoba (46-12) and Smith (54-12) in the final playoffs, defeating Bristol-Plymouth 22-6 on Thanksgiving and then defeating Tri-County in the Final Bowl.
Three names you should know
Damion Howitt: The next 1,000-yard runner in a program that regularly produces such players? Blue Hills hopes the speedy senior can replace all of its junior production.
Tristan Camarra: The experienced two-way lineman is the only experienced starter in the O-line. Coach Ed Madden says: “Explosive. Very positive. Great leader.”
Colton Metcalf: Junior Safety was a rugby star last spring and will play a key role on defense. Madden calls him “tough as nails.”
They said it
Coach Ed Madden on winning two Voke Bowls in the last three seasons: “The Voke Bowls are a big deal for us. I wish the Voke Bowls were held at Gillette (Stadium, host of the MIAA Super Bowls); that way the professional players could be highlighted like the comprehensive students. Maybe soon. That would be a great thing.”
Senior QB Brayden Mahoney on not being able to throw much in the Blue Hills offense: “For me, that’s totally fine. As long as we win games, I’m happy. That’s why I play football – to win games and build a family with my teammates.”
Senior LG Tristan Camarra on the newly built offensive line: “We have a lot of positions to fill, but we have the kids to do it. I think we’ll be good this year.”
Blue Hills Regional Technical School Football Schedule 2024
Free week
Friday, September 13 – vs. Norwell, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, September 20 – in Randolph, 6
Saturday, September 28 – at Diman, 12pm
Friday, October 4 – at South Shore Tech, 7
Friday, October 11 – against Old Colony, 4
Friday, Oct. 18 – in Nauset, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 26 – at Tri-County, 4
Friday, November 1 – vs. Southeastern, 7
Thursday, November 28 – against Bristol-Plymouth, 10am
