Boothbay football begins preparing for season
Boothbay football players will wear helmets and pads, but there will be no hitting during the first week of practice. Coach Ed Crocker handed out equipment Aug. 17 as the Seahawks begin their preseason workouts. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register
Boothbay football players will wear helmets and pads, but there will be no hitting during the first week of practice. Coach Ed Crocker handed out equipment Aug. 17 as the Seahawks begin their preseason workouts. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register As Boothbay enters another football season, some new additions to the schedule stand out. The Seahawks will host Waterville and travel to Readfield to play Maranacook. The Black Bears join 8-man football after competing last season as an 11-man squad.
Second-year player Peyton Barter mentioned the new opponents as attention getters during the team’s first week of preseason workouts. “We’re playing new teams, ones we haven't played before, Waterville and Maranacook, so that should be interesting," he said.
Barter is one of several returning players. Barter was a standout last season running the ball and on defense as a linebacker and cornerback. But the junior enjoys offense most.
“I like running the ball and scoring,” he said.
Coach Ed Crocker expects 22 players on his fall roster. One player who won’t be there is senior Shawn Gamage, who is still recovering from an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury. “We are going to miss him, but it looks like he will be ready to play baseball,” Crocker said.
The team also has a couple of “big additions,” Aiden Locke and Chase Licursi. "Both are big guys who are strong,” Crocker said. “I’m thinking Aiden will be a running back and also do some pass catching. Chase will mostly be a receiver. These are great additions to our team.”
Boothbay graduated three seniors last season.
The first week of preseason is an important time for a football team. Crocker said it's a time for conditioning which will likely be a major factor in the team’s success. “We need to do a lot of cardio. So, there is lots of running. We also need strength, so there are a lot of push-ups and sit-ups," he said.
Players don’t have much time to learn the playbook before their first scrimmage. Boothbay hosts Traip Academy on Saturday, Aug. 29. Crocker said the focus will not be about execution, but measuring a player's desire. “It’s very basic with about seven or eight plays on offense. We want guys who are confident and not afraid to get hit,” he said. “It shows the coaches what players are ready and who wants to progress.”
Boothbay begins its regular season Saturday, Sept. 5 with a 1 p.m. game at Sherman Field against Valley, a cooperative team consisting of northern Maine high schools Fort Kent, Madawaska and Wisdom (St. Agatha).
