The Pingree School football team has gotten used to winning in their short existence as a program.
The program has seen a steady increase in wins each year since the program began in 2005 and this year, they just finished off their best season in school history. At 7-1, good for first place in the Evergreen League's Northeast Division, the Highlanders were selected to play in the Clark/Francis Bowl tomorrow afternoon at Endicott College (1:30 p.m.). Pingree is the only team from the Evergreen League to qualify for the Bowl, which features the top New England Prep School Athletic Conference Schools and even a few schools from New York. Pingree will face off against Brooks Academy of North Andover in the Class C game. Brooks also comes into the game with a 7-1 record.
Helping the Highlanders to the best season in school history and a Clark/Francis Bowl bid is a pair of Gloucester natives in senior Jon Fonvielle and junior Joe Harmon. Fonvielle starts on the offensive line and plays defensive tackle while Harmon has seen time at running back and linebacker.
"This year has been a great experience for the team," Fonvielle said. "It's unbelievable knowing that in five years this team was built. To be able to come on so quick is a great achievement."
What's most impressive about Pingree's success is the fact that they are a tiny program (just over 30 players) playing against schools with much larger enrollments and older kids. Just about every school in the NEPSAC with the exception of Pingree has post-graduate players on their roster, while the Highlanders play with only high school age kids.
"We try not to think about that," said Fonvielle of playing against post-graduate players. "Our mind-set is to go out and play like we are the better team. We play our hardest each week and good things have happened because of it."
Fonvielle is a 6'2" 210 pound offensive and defensive tackle. He is a staple on the right side of the Highlanders line and he can both fight in the trenches and get downfield to throw blocks. In the Highlanders pass-happy spread offense, which features no tight end and at least three wide receivers on the field at once, Fonvielle is asked to do a little bit of everything. Whether it be a zone blocking scheme on a pass play, a drive block on a run play, or pulling and getting out in the open field on a screen pass, Fonvielle is there. The Gloucester native has started the last two seasons for Pingree on both the offensive and defensive lines.
"We do a lot of running on the line," Fonvielle said. "I love getting out on screen passes as a lead blocker."
Harmon, on the other hand, has seen significant action as a junior on both offense and defense. Harmon has two carries on the season for 15 yards but has seen most of his action on the defensive side of the ball as an outside linebacker.
As for the Clark/Francis Bowl, the Highlaners are looking forward to their showdown. Both teams come in with identical 7-1 records but their roads to the game could not have been different. Pingree has been running through opponents this by an average score of 30-12, while Brooks is averaging 21 points per game and allowing 13 against a tougher schedule.
"We are determined to win this game," Fonvielle said. "It's been a great season so far and we want to end it with the biggest win in program history."
