RallyNorth.net

Hornets look to show 2006 was no fluke

Tuesday, September, 04 By Matt Langone
Staff writer

MANCHESTER | Rome wasn't built in a day, and the same could be said for any successful football team.

It's a fact that fourth-year Manchester Essex football coach Mike Athanas knows all too well, and one that was probably his inspiration when his team was mired in a 17-game losing streak in 2004 and 2005.

While those first two years of Athanas' tenure were tough, to say the least, last year's Hornets' squad turned the corner from being a weekly stepping stone to becoming an up-and-coming football team in the North Shore. Manchester Essex finished the 2006 season with an 8-4 record, won its first Commonwealth Conference Small title since 2003 and fell to Ipswich in the opening round of the EMass. Division 3A tournament.

In recognition of his program's miraculous turnaround, Athanas earned Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year honors last fall. Yesterday, he and his team took to the practice field for the first time with hopes that 2007 will bring an even greater improvement than 2006.

Of course, it will be a slow and steady progression.

"We're taking it slow from day one," said Athanas while his team performed drills at Sweeney Park in Manchester. "Right now we're going over all the fundamentals and try to see who is in shape and who isn't. We're going to try to really work them into shape these first couple of days."

Perhaps the biggest reason for the Hornets' stellar 2006 was the rise in participation in the program last summer. Manchester Essex saw the size of the football team grow to 46 players last August, and according to Athanas, there were more than 40 players at yesterday's practice.

"Numbers were good again," said Athanas. "We knew what we were basically getting and we got some new kids too."

Unlike last year, the Hornets will not have as much opportunity to surprise opponents. However, they do figure to feature a potent offense led by junior quarterback Pat Orlando, who tossed 10 touchdown passes last year and threw for 894 yards. Sam Cohen (senior), Scott Forsythe (senior) and Phil Gillette (sophomore) join Orlando as the team's captains.

"We expect to work very hard and do well," said Athanas. "Depending on injuries we should be all set. We have some kids coming back, who saw a lot of playing time last year."

The Hornets open up on the road against Pope John on Saturday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.). They will play their home opener the following Friday against Lynnfield.