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Swampscott's Palangi headed to Northeastern

After offering Swampscott High football star Brian Palangi a full scholarship, Northeastern University head coach Rocky Hager asked him to take a few days and consider it.

Hager understandably wanted to evaluate some other offensive linemen for a scholarship opportunity if Palangi had rejected the Huskies' offer. Palangi understood and didn't feel any pressure in responding to the offer.

Middlebury lands two-sport Big Blue ace Kinchley

Swampscott's Peter Kinchley has led a diversified lifestyle growing up. He's best known as a student-athlete who won a Super Bowl, was a unanimous All-Scholastic football choice and excelled as a pitcher on the Big Blue baseball team as well.

Swampscott football saves its best for last

FOXBORO | Swampscott High's football players said all the right things and gave the Medfield Warriors plenty of respect prior to the Division 3 Super Bowl game at Gillette Stadium Saturday.

But once the game started, the Big Blue wouldn't give them the time of day.

Swampscott defeats Medfield in Super Bowl

The Swampscott football team refused to take anything for granted in the Division 3 Super Bowl today at Gillette Stadium.

The Big Blue didn’t get too comfortable, even when it opened a two-score lead early in the second quarter against a Medfield team that averaged just over 15 points per game this season.

Big Blue defense set for Super Bowl test

Swampscott High nose tackle Brian Palangi had the rare opportunity to walk on the Gillette Stadium turf in Foxboro on Thursday. Something tells you he'll still be talking about it when he's 75 years old.

Staying super in Swampscott

Tomorrow, coach Steve Dembowski and Big Blue, the Swampscott High School football team, will be at Gillette Stadium, marching off the same yards that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have made sacred to the region's football congregation.

Super Bowl Preview: Swampscott vs. Medfield

3 keys to victory

Swampscott

1. Let the 'D' be the key. Five times this season, Swampscott has limited its opponents to single digits in points, and four other times held them to 13 points or fewer. It's not a coincidence; the Big Blue are a team that thrives on swarming to the ball defensively and gang-tackling before an opposing runner, receiver or quarterback can cause much damage. Swampscott gave up less than 10 points a contest in four November games, and would love nothing more than to force yet another opponent to try and play from behind on Saturday.

Medfield hopes its style makes for a tough matchup for Big Blue

When Matt Schairer's family moved out of Medfield just two weeks before the football season started, there probably wasn't a single person affiliated with the Tri-Valley Conference that thought the Warriors could contend for a league title.

Swampscott football routs AC, advances to Super Bowl

ARLINGTON | The misconception that football fans have about the spread offense is that a team is married to the passing game.

But coach Steve Dembowski's Swampscott High team isn't married to anything | except winning. The Big Blue are as resourceful as any team you'd care to name, as they demonstrated again last night against Arlington Catholic in the Division 3 playoffs.

Swampsott football notebook: Big pass before half sparks Big Blue

Swampscott's passing game had been nonexistent in the first half of yesterday's Division 3 playoff semifinal against Arlington Catholic.

That was, until the final play of the half.

With two seconds remaining unter intermission and nursing a 6-0 lead, Big Blue senior quarterback Peter Kinchley launched a heave toward the right sideline, where senior wide receiver Justin Mitchell came down with it and galloped into the end zone.

Swampscott vs. Arlington Catholic preview

3 keys to victory

Swampscott

1. Maintain good run-pass balance. For all the talk about Swampscott being a passing team, Big Blue coach Steve Dembowski really strives to make his running game a threat and not just something that sets up quarterback Peter Kinchley's aerial attack. More than ever, said Dembowski, they're getting the kind of balance that will keep the opposing defense guessing.

Kinchley accounts for four touchdowns as Big Blue gears up for playoffs

MARBLEHEAD | The unbeaten New England Patriots were resting comfortably at home on Thanksgiving but Swampscott senior quarterback Peter Kinchley still did his best Tom Brady impression as he led the Big Blue (10-1) to an impressive 42-16 win over rival Marblehead (4-7). Marblehead now leads the Thanksgiving series 48-47-7.

Memories flow for Marblehead, Swampscott Old-Timers

Danny Sullivan was emphatic, even 55 years after the final whistle of his last high school football game.

The 1942 Marblehead High School graduate and former Magicians' quarterback was as boisterous as he was proud, talking about his team's annual Thanksgiving Day Game vs. Swampscott.

Thanksgiving Day Preview: Swampscott at Marblehead

Where: Piper Field, Marblehead

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22

Time: 10 a.m.

Coaches: Steve Dembowski, Swampscott; Doug Chernovetz, Marblehead

Captains: Swampscott: Peter Kinchley, Sr. QB/DB; Brian Palangi, Sr. OL/DL; Dorsey Dobias, Sr. OL/DL; Marblehead: Mike Sahagian, Sr. RB/DB; Eric Fader, Sr. C/LB; Drew Guzowski, Sr. OL/DE; Sam Perlow, Jr. TE/DE.

Big Blue rides Kinchley's arm to title

Clemson's Death Valley has been a pit for Atlantic Coast Conference football opponents over the years. Danvers might be inclined to think of Blocksidge Field in the same terms. The fact the Big Blue (9-1) had an opportunity to clinch the Northeastern Conference's small division championship and an MIAA playoff berth didn't help Danvers in its latest bid to snap the Blocksidge Hex.

Kinchley getting it done for Swampscott

Peter Kinchley was on fire for the Swampscott High football team last Saturday, connecting on 20 of 27 passes for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Big Blue's 34-13 win over Beverly.

According to Swampscott head coach Steve Dembowski, Kinchley's numbers should've been even better. "Two of those incompletions were dropped by our receivers," noted Dembowski.

Swampscott takes charge

Beverly's Greg Pierce owned the first 12 minutes of yesterday's Northeastern Conference Small football showdown between his Panthers and host Swampscott at Blocksidge Field.

The final 34 minutes, however, belonged to Big Blue quarterback Peter Kinchley.

Small school showdown, huge implications

Beverly (5-3, 3-0 NEC Small) at Swampscott (7-1, 2-0 NEC Small)

What's at stake

With the new two-tier system in the Northeastern Conference, there's a high probability that the winner of this game will secure a spot in the postseason playoffs. If Beverly triumphs, it would clinch its first league championship in 19 years. If Swampscott comes through Saturday, it still must beat divisional foes Danvers and Marblehead to claim the crown | but those two teams have a combined record of 4-12 heading into this weekend.

Swampscott staves off Saugus to set up NEC South showdown

On an afternoon that featured mishaps of every sort | from penalties and turnovers to sloppy play and even two inadvertent whistles | the Swampscott High football team showed why it is in good position to capture the Northeastern Conference Small championship.

On the road again

Who's the best road team on the North Shore? You'd be hard pressed to argue against Swampscott, which has won five straight away from home and will have an opportunity to make it six in a row tomorrow at Saugus (2:30 p.m.). This is an especially big game for the Big Blue because it impacts the Northeastern Conference Small division. Swampscott is 6-1 overall, 1-0 in its division. Coach Steve Dembowski's team has played six of its last seven games on the road.

Defense, Kinchley help Swampscott knock off Winthrop

WINTHROP | Once again, Swampscott's defense came up big.

And once again, the Big Blue prevailed in a tight ballgame.

On a miserable, rainy night that caused the turf at Miller Field to be turned into a quagmire, visiting Swampscott dug down on the defensive side of the ball and gutted out a 14-12 victory over host Winthrop.

Swampscott defense takes a stand, stops Fenwick

PEABODY | Bishop Fenwick's Bobby Tarr needed only one more yard to surpass 200 yards on the ground for the fourth time in six games this season.

Had he picked up that single yard, the undermanned Crusaders might have shocked Swampscott at Donaldson Field last night.

Crusaders hope to overcome injuries in showdown with Swampscott

Bishop Fenwick football coach Dave Woods gets a new appreciation for Bobby Tarr with every game film he watches. In a season of uncertainty, Tarr has been Fenwick's constant.

The Crusaders, who face another major obstacle tomorrow night when they host 4-1 Swampscott, have battled injuries since dropping their first game of the season to Masconomet three weeks ago. At this point, Tarr may not even know the names of some of the players blocking for him, but it hasn't stopped the record-breaking back from piling up yardage in his senior season.

Gloucester tops Swampscott in battle of unbeatens

SWAMPSCOTT | After Saturday's clash between the Swampscott and Gloucester football teams, Fishermen head coach Paul Ingram admitted that there is no real way to gameplan for the Big Blue's explosive pass-first offense.

Swampscott downplaying Gloucester matchup

Swampscott High's football team is positioning itself to win the Northeastern Conference South Division title this fall | and the postseason berth that would come with it. Gloucester is trying to do the same thing in the NEC North, but is taking a completely different approach.

Second half strength powers Swampscott football

SWAMPSCOTT -- The Swampscott High football team is quickly establishing itself as one of the top second half teams on the North Shore. No opponent has scored on the Big Blue after halftime and that trend held Saturday afternoon as quarterback Peter Kinchley accounted for three second half touchdowns to lead his team past Salem, 21-6, at Blocksidge Field.

Swampscott High football edges Lynn English

LYNN | Scoring on the first possession of the second half wasn't necessarily the goal for the Swampscott football team last night.

Even though the Big Blue, known for their proficient spread offense, was trailing by a score, Swampscott was simply hoping to gain a territorial edge and wear down Lynn English at Manning Field.

Swampscott football team opens season with slim win over Winchester

SWAMPSCOTT | Swampscott's 99th high school football season opened in ulcerated fashion when the resilient Big Big Blue twice repelled major scoring threats by Winchester in the final 89 seconds to hang on for a 14-12 victory when Stephan Khouri blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt to preserve the margin at broiling Blocksidge Field.

With veteran defense, Swampscott should be on upswing again

Steve Dembowski doesn't like to make excuses.

His Swampscott High football team had just seven seniors who received serious playing time last season, so he was forced to use more juniors and sophomores than he would've liked. The Big Blue finished an uncharacteristic 5-6.