Fleet of foot; Opponents' main focus will switch to Northbridge senior Mike Padro.Byline: John Conceison As football teams open up their offenses around Central Mass., more and more receivers are proving to be fleet of foot and soft with the hands. And the best of the pass catchers are finding more and more ways to challenge the defenses. Last season, Northbridge found many ways to score en route to a Division 2A Super Bowl championship. As a junior, speedy flanker flank·er n. 1. One that flanks, especially a soldier so positioned as to protect the flank of a column of troops on the march. 2. Mike Padro burned secondaries to the tune of 58 catches, 839 yards and 12 touchdowns while defenses concentrated on senior all-purpose back Tyler Bennett and how quarterback Zach Zidelis put the ball in his hands. This year, opponents' main focus will switch to Padro, now a split end who will line up out of three or four positions in coach Ken LaChapelle's vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. , very multiple offense. "If teams want to concentrate on Michael, they'll have a difficult time trying to find where he is," said LaChapelle, who plans to send Padro out of the slot and the backfield, among other places. "I want teams not knowing what I'm doing," said Padro, whose 5-foot-8, 165-pound frame isn't imposing but his sub-4.7 40 time sure is. While Padro had between six to 10 touches on offense in any given game last season, LaChapelle looks to put the ball in Padro's hands about 15 times a game this fall, and also have him returning punts. He was Zidelis' deep threat last year; look for the Rams to find Padro underneath in '08. "Catch and go; this is an area he can improve on," LaChapelle said. "He's a great kid, and yet we keep after him, telling him there's more he can do." "This year, I really want to work on catching the ball over the middle," added Padro, a Telegram & Gazette Super Teamer as a lacrosse lacrosse (ləkrôs`), ball and goal game usually played outdoors by two teams of 10 players each on a field 60 to 70 yd (54.86 to 64.01 m) wide by 110 yd (100.58 m) long. Two goals face each other 80 yd (73. midfielder
In association football, a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders (highlighted in blue on the diagram). last spring. "I don't want people just thinking of me as a deep-ball threat; I want them to know I can catch a ball in traffic. My favorite part about catching the ball is making a move on someone afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here ." Padro also will be relied on heavily as a cover cornerback cor·ner·back also corner back n. Football Either of two defensive halfbacks stationed a short distance behind the linebackers and relatively near the sidelines. Noun 1. , after standouts Bennett and Roberto Clemente, Padro's cousin, graduated last spring. No. 3 will be a busy man this season. "If he takes a break, it'll be on offense," LaChapelle quipped. Orlando Anderson This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since October 2007. Fitchburg High Anderson Anderson, river, Canada Anderson, river, c.465 mi (750 km) long, rising in several lakes in N central Northwest Territories, Canada. It meanders north and west before receiving the Carnwath River and flowing north to Liverpool Bay, an arm of the Arctic is another end who will line up at various positions, depending on the sets implemented by Red Raiders Red Raiders can refer to sports teams at:
"He's truly a big-play player; he can break one at any time," Cosenza said of the 6-2, 205-pound senior who also starts at safety. "He can turn a 5-yard reception into a touchdown." The senior combines size with speed and smarts. "He picks things up fast," Cosenza said. "You tell him once, it sinks in right away. With his ability, we find a way to get him the ball." Justice Boateng South High Listed as a tight end as he enters his third season in the Colonels' starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes , Boateng frequently lines up at inside slot and can be flexed out in coach Jerry Snay's attack. "Justice has tremendous hands and is very athletic, not just a kid who runs post routes," Snay said. "A lot of our passing game is built around him." The 6-2, 210-pounder, a T&G Division 2 all-star last fall who also plays defensive end, started on South's Super Bowl squad as a sophomore in '06. "Based on his athletic ability, he's a (Division) 1-AA caliber player," added Snay, who noted Boateng could attend prep school next year. Alec Hudson, Peter Lekaditis Lunenburg High The Blue Knights' top two receivers had nearly identical stats during last year's march to the Division 3 Super Bowl, and again will be relied upon as seniors. "They open up our running game," coach Steve Boone said. "We're still a running team with the option, but if you put eight in the box on us, we'll throw the ball. They're weapons, so we'll use them." At 6-2, 215 pounds, Hudson (33 catches, 491 yards, 4 TDs last season) is a tight end who can be used in the slot. Lekaditis (33 catches, 496 yards, 4 TDs in '07) is Lunenburg's deep threat. "The big thing about Peter is his yards after the catch," Boone said. "He can turn a slant into a long gain; he's hard to bring down." Matt Jurczyk Quabbin Regional Last fall as a junior, Jurczyk developed into one of the region's top deep threats, scoring five touchdowns of 50 yards or more. The Panthers, however, are young this season, with only six seniors, and junior Tyler Przybek succeeding the graduated Joe Whitney at QB. "We're going to invent ways to get Mark the football," coach Tim Griffiths said of his 6-foot, 175-pound split end who will also play safety. "We feel we have one of the best in Central Mass.," Griffiths added. "He can get off the line of scrimmage line of scrimmage n. pl. lines of scrimmage Football Either of two imaginary lines extending across the field parallel to the goal line at the ends of the ball as it rests prior to being snapped and at which each team lines up for and can really jump; he can two-hand dunk. It's nice to have a threat like that on the outside." Victor Martinez Southbridge High Dependable - the word that best describes this Pioneer senior, whether it's in the National Guard, for whom he was serving while missing the very beginning of preseason workouts, or for Frank Koumanelis' football team. Along with hauling in Tyler Ramsey passes, expect Martinez to run balls on reverses, from the wing and on inside traps. "He catches the balls thrown his way and has become a breakaway break·a·way adj. 1. Designed to break, bend, or fall apart easily upon impact, especially to create an illusion, as with a theater prop, or for safety, as with a highway sign or barrier. 2. runner after he catches the ball," Koumanelis said of the 6-1, 175-pounder who will also see time at cornerback or free safety. Paul Tizzano Shrewsbury High Hard to believe this multiple threat didn't even start on offense last year, after becoming one of three Colonials to catch 25 or more passes on a 13-0 Division 1A Super Bowl champion. Tizzano (5-8, 170) seems to have played everywhere - wide receiver, tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction , even quarterback in a couple of sets - in addition to entering his fourth season as the starting strong safety, where last season he led Shrewsbury with six interceptions. "He kicks, returns kicks, sells popcorn at halftime - he's as good a player as we have, but even a better kid," coach Terry Walles said of the T&G Division 1 all-star. "He just seems to play better on the bigger stages." Top Returning Receivers Name, School Rec. Yds. Avg. TD Victor Martinez, Southbridge 44 957 21.8 10 Matt Jurczyk, Quabbin 51 898 17.6 6 Mike Padro, Northbridge 58 839 14.5 12 Justice Boateng, South 44 706 16 6 Orlando Anderson, Fitchburg 31 585 18.9 9 Graham Asum, Marlboro 24 547 22.8 5 Peter Lekaditis, Lunenburg 33 496 15 4 Alec Hudson, Lunenburg 33 491 14.9 4 Paul Tizzano, Shrewsbury 25 488 19.6 4 John Genkos, Doherty 32 486 15.2 2 A.C a.c., adv the abbreviation for ante cibum, a Latin phrase meaning “before eating.” . Carter, Marlboro 27 446 16.5 2 Erik Peterson, Bay Path 17 367 21.6 3 Stefan Forsberg, Millbury 26 366 14.1 3 Brandon Perkins, Millbury 16 342 21.4 2 Sean Morton Morton, village (1990 pop. 13,799), Tazewell co., central Ill., in a grain-farming and livestock area; inc. 1877. Food is canned, and tractor parts, washing machines, and pottery are manufactured. , Leicester Leicester (lĕs`tər), city (1991 pop. 324,394) and district, Leicestershire, central England. The city is connected by canals with the Trent River and London, and it is also a railway center. 18 321 17.8 3 Casey Hippert, Northbridge 20 318 15.9 3 Kellon Haynes, Wachusett 10 289 28.9 3 Alex Avery A·ver·y , Oswald 1877-1955. American bacteriologist noted for establishing (1944) that DNA is responsible for the transmission of heritable characteristics. , Milford 19 288 15.2 2 Fred Alexis, Burncoat 20 280 14 2 Sam Frost, Quabbin 13 261 20.1 0 NAME: NORTHBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL ART: PHOTO CUTLINE: As a junior, Northbridge's Mike Padro burned secondaries to the tune of 58 catches, 839 yards and 12 touchdowns. PHOTOG pho·tog n. Informal A person who takes photographs, especially as a profession; a photographer. : CHRIS CHRISTO |
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