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THE NRHS football team has been working hard to prepare for the 2023 season, including scrimmages against Kipp Academy and Wakefield (pictured). The Hornets kick off their season this Friday night, 6:30 p.m. in Amesbury. (Eric Evans Photo)
Update post publication: North Reading falls to Amesbury 40-38 (Sept. 9)
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
NORTH READING — There is little doubt in the minds of the North Reading football faithful that last season will be a tough act to follow. Led by a talented “Band of Brothers,” who had toiled together for many years, the 2022 Hornets ultimately raised a Super Bowl banner at Gillette Stadium, the first in the program’s storied history.
That memorable team, which handily defeated Shawsheen Tech, 44-28, in the MIAA Division 5 Championship last December, boasted 16 seniors and understandably, an abundance of experience. In sharp contrast, the current North Reading Hornets usher in the 2023 season with just five seniors.
Four of those five, Will Batten, Zach Demetri, Anthony Corvino, and Brandon Eng, have been granted the privilege of guiding the Hornets into battle as Team Captains.
“We’re asking a lot from them,” admitted Coach Ed Blum, as he embarks on his sixth year at the helm of the Hornets. “It is a small senior class this year but they’re trying their hardest to lead this team, to step out of their comfort zones, and be the leaders who will bring this group together. I know it’s not the most natural thing for them but they’re doing a great job.”
With the annual preseason trip to Nantucket canceled due to inclement weather, North Reading’s first scrimmage took place early last week. The Hornets hosted Kipp Academy, which is a charter school based in Lynn. Blum, along with assistant coaches Eric Archambault, Chuck Campobasso, Matt Costello, Jeff Lane, Roy Medeiros, Kyle Bythrow, Jim Brown, Jason Montrose and Cam Williamson put the players through their paces on the recently-installed replacement surface. Managed as a joint practice, each squad alternated an assortment of head-to-head exercises, including red zone offenses and two-minute drills.
On Friday, North Reading wrapped up the brief preseason with a visit to face Wakefield, a program which also won a Super Bowl last year, defeating Milton 34-28 to claim the Division 3 title.
“The Wakefield scrimmage, like past years, is a great test to end the preseason with game-like conditions,” said Blum, who was recognized by the MIAA as Coach of the Year in 2022. “Wakefield is well-coached and always a tough team. We’re definitely proud of the way our guys competed and made the most of the reps and experience. Like anything, we did some things well and have to improve on others. It’s all part of the process.”
North Reading will face a formidable opponent in Amesbury on Friday night to kick off the 2023 campaign. It goes without saying that Blum and his staff will rely heavily on senior tailback Will Batten, who added 19 rushing TDs last year, including three scores at Gillette.
In a poll published in an edition of the New England Football Journal, Batten was the only North Reading representative selected to the Preseason All-State Team, relegated to Third Team running back. While admitting that it’s difficult to choose the candidates because “no games have been played yet,” the reporters tasked with compiling this list clearly missed this senior’s potential, particularly on a club that lost much of its high-caliber passing game to graduation.
“Our skill guys and certainly our running back gives us a lot of versatility,” said Blum. “But similar to past years, I don’t think it’s going to take just one guy. I think there will be a lot of players who will be ready to step up when their number is called.”
“For the season ahead, I’ve been trying to help prepare the younger guys on this team,” said a humble Batten, who amassed his impressive resume as a junior, despite missing several games to injury. “These guys will be filling the roles of seniors from last year and I hope to contribute to their development.”
Anthony Corvino, who shared his heartfelt appreciation to last year’s seniors for “helping him to learn how to lead and grow as a player,” has a similar approach and was particularly impressed by the participation in summer football programs.
“The preparation of this team in the off-season has been impressive,” said the senior linebacker. “We had almost all of the kids showing up for our summer lifting program. This shows their commitment and willingness to grind it out.”
Zach Demetri, who will likely return to the offensive line as center, doesn’t seem entirely content with just one title.
“Obviously, last year was an incredible experience,” he said. “But we have to stick to our game this season. We can’t allow the outside noise to get to us as a group. We have to stay on task and improve in every single practice and game. After losing all the seniors, I personally hope to contribute as a leader on the offensive line and help the new kids step into their roles.”
Last Thanksgiving, controversy swirled around the Hornets and the decision to deploy the second string in the traditional holiday game against Lynnfield while resting the top players for the upcoming trip to Gillette Stadium. In hindsight, with a trophy now prominently on display in the high school, it was a prescient choice on the part of the coaching staff. But there was another benefit, not considered at the time. Jason Berry, then a freshman, now steps into the quarterback role with valuable varsity experience.
“In terms of being comfortable on the field and being in a game, it’s not his first time,” said Blum of sophomore Berry, who threw a 50-yarder to snap a game-long shutout against the Pioneers. “Last year, he was able to shake off the nerves like many of his teammates. Now we have a number of sophomores and juniors who played in that game. The nerves will be there but now it becomes about the execution.”
With underclassmen representing nearly half of the Hornets roster, there is the hope that players will emerge who weren’t previously members of last year’s team.
“Whatever this team is capable of doing, we’ll maximize it,” said Blum. “We’re replacing a lot of guys and not a whole lot of them have varsity experience. It doesn’t mean that we don’t think they’re going to be really good varsity players – we absolutely do. But it will take small steps. I keep reminding myself that it’s a learning process and hopefully, we’ll eventually get there.”
North Reading will travel to face Amesbury on September 8 followed by three straight at home, with Pentucket (Sept. 15), Greater Lawrence (Sept. 22), and Hamilton-Wenham (Sept. 29) visiting. The Hornets will be back on the bus, heading to Triton (Oct. 6) and Ipswich (Oct. 13) before returning to their brand new turf with Essex Tech (Oct. 20) and Newburyport (Oct. 27). What follows the regular season is what captain Brandon Eng hopes is a successful playoff run.
“The end goal is obviously the same – to claim another State Championship,” said the senior wide receiver. “As a young team made up of players who didn’t participate last year, a lot of them are unaware of the ups and downs of our journey. As a leader, it’s important to make them aware that this isn’t last year’s team. Day by day, brick by brick, we’ll lay the foundation and find our identity.”
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