This one is for all the marbles.
When the Manchester Essex football team meets Whittier Tech tomorrow at Ed Field Field (3:30 p.m.) in a Commonwealth Large showdown, there will be much more than a win or a loss on the line. The Commonwealth Large title will be up for grabs.
The Hornets (7-1, 3-0 CAC Large) will clinch the conference title with a win while the Wildcats (8-0, 2-0 CAC) will be one win away from the title if they knock off the Hornets.
"We are ready to go," Hornets head coach Mike Athanas said. "This is the biggest game of the year for us, fortunately we have been in this situation before and we know how to prepare for big games. Whittier is a very good team, you have to be to go 8-0."
In tomorrow's contest, the Hornets will be coming in sporting a new role; the underdog.
Manchester Essex has won seven straight games and 20 of its last 21. The Wildcats, however, have rolled over every opponent they have played this season by an average score of 36-13.
The Wildcats have been the top dog of the CAC Large over the last two years as they are the defending champions, although they were defeated by the CAC Small champion Hornets last season. Whittier has knocked off Lynn Tech and Greater Lowell in the conference this season.
Hornets senior captain Brian Ciccone concedes that his team is an underdog, but knows his team can come away with a win.
"They are the defending conference champions and we are new to the conference so I would say we are the underdog," said Ciccone, who leads the team in rushing and receiving this season. "They are a good team but we are too. We will have to put together four quarters of good football to beat them."
Athanas agreed.
"Everything I have seen says we are the underdog," Athanas said. "It fires us up a little bit, but the great thing about it is you have a chance to prove yourself on the field."
In Whittier Tech, Manchester Essex will have to deal with a multi-faceted offense led by quarterback Ryan Dillon, who leads Division 4 with 19 touchdown passes on the season. While the Wildcats have been known over the years to be primarily a physical, running football team, Dillon has given them the ability to open up the offense.
Dillon's favorite targets are receiver Steve Surette and tight end Ralph Hancock. Surette has a team and Division 4-high 10 touchdown catches this season while Hancock, who stands 6-feet-4, has five touchdown receptions. Running back Nick Ferreira, who has a combined seven touchdowns on the year, is a duel-threat out of the backfield for the Wildcats.
"They are a little different from their teams in the past," Athanas said. "They are still a tough, physical team but they will throw the ball this year. Dillon is a great quarterback and he has the weapons. Surette is dangerous and (Hancock) is a big target."
The Hornets are hoping to build on last week's 33-0 win over Greater Lowell, their first shutout of the season. Manchester Essex had been struggling on the defensive side of the ball and last week's shutout gives them some much-needed momentum. The Hornets offense, on the other hand, has been scoring at will over the last four weeks averaging just under 50 points per game in that span.
