2013 Football Squad Aims for Second Bowl Win in Five Years

After an undefeated 2012 regular season, Big Red football kicks off its 2013 campaign in a scrimmage against Proctor next Saturday. Last year ended in heartbreak for the boys, as Salisbury kicked a field goal as time expired to beat an injury-ravaged Exeter squad in the Jack Etter Bowl.This fall, Big Red will look to go one better and bring home a championship, despite having graduated no less than 25 seniors. Under new head coach Rob Morris, Exeter must become familiar with the new playbook, and both new and returning members will have to step up to make sure that the team’s offense and defense meet last season’s high standards.Last year’s team thrived on the ground, and the 2013 squad’s offense should operate at a similar level. Big Red has a host of talented running backs with postgraduates Austin Roberts and Stephen Ucheomumu joining returning seniors Matt Greaves, Luke Gray and Ryan Heavirland in the backfield. PG Vincent Sansone and upper Shayne Holland will replace the DiBiaso/Perkins combination that led Exeter to a perfect 2012 regular season.On the other side of the ball, senior middle linebacker Matt MacKay will return to steer the defensive effort. This year’s team also boasts a formidable defensive line. Lower Jeff MacArthur returns after being the only freshman starter in recent memory in 2012, and senior Tobi Laguda and postgraduate Stone Hart will join him in stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback.Both the offense and defense have a lot of studying to do, as Morris takes the helm after former coach Bill Glennon opted to take over for Eric Bergofsky and take the reins of the boys’ lacrosse program. Morris calls a run-heavy offense and actually reversed the order of the holes in the playbook, marking them right to left instead of Glennon’s preferred left to right. The team has had no problems adjusting, however, thanks to Morris’ effort to familiarize his players with his style. “The playbook is pretty different but simple, and Coach Morris gets up to the chalkboard often to discuss and dissect plays, which has been really helpful,” Heavirland said.One thing that will be familiar to the boys will be their slate of games. Exeter’s schedule does not change much on a year-to-year basis, and 2013 is no different. Last year’s narrowest win came against Choate; Big Red edged their opponents by one touchdown. The boys travel to Shanahan Field to face the Wild Boars for their second tilt of the season. Exeter ends the regular season with arguably their three toughest games, hosting traditionally tough customers Cushing before travelling to Avon and welcoming archrivals Andover to Phelps Stadium on E/a Weekend.Another win against Big Blue would mark Exeter’s sixth straight victory in prep school’s most historic rivalry and would ensure that the Class of 2014 graduates without seeing a single loss to Andover in the annual football game.Last season’s team may have gone undefeated in the regular season, but the boys will not be satisfied until they come home with a ring.“Last season was great, but to have come so close to the championship and lose on the last play was incredibly disappointing,” senior Paul Lee said. “I don’t think any of us expect anything short of a sixth consecutive victory over Andover and a championship in 2013.”“I hope we can send off all the seniors with a ring and an undefeated record against Andover,” MacArthur said. “If we can’t do both of those things, I would be disappointed because we’re good enough to do it.”The boys’ first scrimmage will be a chance for the team to test out the new playbook and see how some preseason position battles shake out, but afterward, nothing short of a win every Saturday will do.“Everyone is raring to go,” Lee said. “If Exonians aren’t rushing the field in November against Andover and in the bowl game, I think we’ll all be pretty disappointed, regardless of what our record is.”