End of Season Black vs Grey Scrimmage a Success

The Bridgton Academy Football season has now officially come to a close. On Wednesday, December 10th the Wolverines took the field one final time at the Portland Indoor Sports Complex in their annual end of season Black vs Grey scrimmage.

It started off like a typical practice with the players going through their normal warm up routine before breaking off into their units of offensive line, defensive line, receivers, linebackers, etc. From there the guys went through some speed and agility drills before participating in some one on one competition and finally ending in the much anticipated Black vs Grey scrimmage.

The event was open to those interested and an impressive turnout showed up and were treated to a great day of football. Following the scrimmage the players had an opportunity to learn about a number of college opportunities from college representatives there to talk about their schools.

All in all it was a huge success and a terrific way to bring another great year of Wolverine football to an end!

Interview with BA Alum Scott Connolly

Saw this interview with BA Alum Scott Connolly '92, who is the head football coach at Salem HS. Enjoy.

Bridgton Academy Fall Sports Awards

The Bridgton Academy community gathered together Wednesday night for the annual Fall Sports Awards Banquet. It was a time for the coaches to reflect upon the season and the players to be acknowledge by their classmates and coaches alike on the accomplishments of the season.

Head Coach Rick Marcella chose to award two Coaches Awards on the night with the recipients being, linebacker Craig Richardson (Revere, MA) and running back Anthony Jimenez (Feeding Hills, MA). The criteria for the awards was not based necessarily on a performance, the awards were given to Richardson and Jimenez for the excellence and leadership they provided for this years team both on the field as well as off, day in and day out.

Congratulations to Craig Richardson and Anthony Jimenez on their awards and to the entire 2008 Wolverines Football Team!!


Head Coach Rick Marcella (Center) with 2008 Football Coaches Awards Recipients Craig Richardson (Left) and Anthony Jimenez (Right).

Tom Daley '05 Earns All-Conference Honors at Colby College

COLBY FOOTBALL PLACES THREE ON ALL-NESCAC TEAM

WATERVILLE, Maine --- Colby College seniors Sam Handler (Campbell Hall/Beverly Hills, Calif.), Tom Daley (Bridgton Academy/North Bridgton, Maine), and Kevin Bird (Dover/Dover, N.H.) were all named to the New England Small College Athletic Conference Football All-Conference Team on Tuesday.

Handler was named to the first team as a defensive lineman. Daley was a defensive back and Bird was a defensive lineman on the second team.

Handler finished tied for fourth in the NESCAC in sacks with 5.5 and led the Mules with nine tackles for loss among his 30 stops this past season. He also led the team in forced fumbles (3) and quarterback hurries (6). Handler finished his career with 113 tackles, including 23 for a loss, in three seasons. Handler’s best season statistically was 2007 with 51 tackles (second on team), 10.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.

Daley, a two-time NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week during the season, ranks in a tie for first nationally in fumble recoveries per game (0.63) with five. He was fifth on the team in total tackles (46) after leading the squad last year in tackles with 65. Daley, a co-captain this past season, finished his career with 152 tackles.

Bird helped Colby finish third in the NESCAC in rushing defense at just 82.8 yards per game from his defensive tackle spot. He finished seventh this season in total tackles (30) and added three sacks. Bird had 91 career tackles, including 36 stops a year ago.

Photo and story courtesy of Colby College, for more information please visit their website Colby College Football

Former Wolverines Have Big Games, Three Named To Northeast 10 All-Rookie Team

UPDATED 11/14

Three former Bridgton Academy Wolverines had big days last week on the gridiron. Merrimack College quarterback James Suozzo threw for a career high 4 touchdowns, on 24-39 passes and 338 yards in his teams 34-7 win over Assumption College.




Saint Anselm College quarterback Marc Wilson rushed for 285 yards on 35 carries with 1 TD, and completed 8 of 16 passes for 63 yards and 1 score in leading his team to a 28-14 win over Pace University.





Edwin Gowins, a running back at Stony Brook University found the end zone 3 times in a 68-9 blowout win over Iona College. Gowins carried the ball just 19 times but amassed 278 yards in the process.




All three were teammates on last years team which finished the season 8-1.

Suozzo, Wilson, and Bryant Lane (TE Saint Anselm) were all recently named to the Northeast 10 Conference All-Rookie team.

Congratulations!!

Wolverines End Season With a Victory

The Bridgton Academy football team ended their season on a high note defeating Dartmouth University's Junior Varsity squad 24-20 over the weekend.

Michael Wheeler (Hanover, MA) had a career game in pacing the Wolverines offense, carrying the ball 23 times for 194 yards (170 in the first half), including a 34 yard TD run in the first quarter thanks to a strong effort from his offensive line, including a couple of key blocks from Matt Gallery (Chicago, IL) and Travis Ianetta (Tewksbury, MA). Taner Boucher (Keene, NH) started the game at quarterback for the Wolverines and was described as "efficiently effective" by Head Coach Rick Marcella. Boucher finished the first half completing 5 of 11 passes for 71 yards, including a 6 yard TD pass to TE Alex Monetta (Kentfield, CA) in the second quarter.

Defensively, Craig Richardson (Revere, MA) had another outstanding game as the anchor of a strong Wolverine defense. He received plenty of help from both Kevin Sledge (Salem, NH) and Robert Carbone (Cranston, RI) who made some big plays in the secondary, as well as Giovanni Clayborne (Newton, MA) who was a big part of two Wolverine takeaways.

The Wolverines played some of their best football in the first half taking a 21-7 lead into halftime and we're able to protect that lead throughout the second half, in what was one of their most complete games all season. Coach Marcella had high praises for his Wolverine team stating: "We truly played up to our potential in all three phases of the game; we were stronger on offense, defense, and special teams. We played very well."

The Wolverines finish the season with a 5-5 record and couldn't be more pleased with the way they ended their season. There is a sense of satisfaction and excitement amongst the players and coaches alike as the players will spend the next month preparing for their Black and Grey scrimmage December 10th where they will have one final opportunity to showcase their talents.

The Wolverine football family, as well as everyone at Bridgton Academy, would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to all of the parents, friends, and family members who were there all season long in support of this years Wolverine team. Traveling to the various away games, often times providing a larger and louder cheering section then the home teams, and hosting what can only be described as a one of a kind tailgate following the games is a tradition that everyone at BA is very proud of, and was only made possible by the wonderful family and friends of this years team. On behalf of this years team and coaches, Thank You.

Former Wolverine Amadeus Guerrero'Pou '06 Named Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week

2006 Bridgton Academy alum, Amadeus Guerrero'Pou has recently been named the Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in American International College's 34-29 victory of Merrimack College this past week. Guerrero'Pou carried the ball 39 times for 207 yards rushing (both career highs) and added two receptions for 28 yards, including 1 TD in helping to keep his Yellow Jackets undefeated on the season at a perfect 9-0.




For the full story follow the link below

Amadeus Guerrero'Pou Named Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week

Wolverines Continue to Struggle, Fall 27-17 to Yale University Junior Varsity

The Bridgton Academy football team traveled down to New Haven, CT this past weekend to take on the Yale University Junior Varsity football team. Although the result was not what the Wolverines were hoping for suffering a 27-17 defeat on the field, the weekend as a whole was a positive one for the Bridgton Academy Football Program.

With multiple college coaches in attendance including Saint Anselm College and the University of New Haven to name just a couple, the Wolverines represented Bridgton Academy well and had a tremendous opportunity to showcase their abilities against a very talented Yale JV team. On the defensive side of the football, DE’s Justin Tervo (Millbury, MA), Joseph Baldacchino(Everett, MA), and RJ Kelly (East Lansing, MI) all had strong performances, as did DT Schuyler Waterhouse (Phoenix, AZ) and LB Craig Richardson (Revere, MA). On the offensive side of the ball TE Alex Monetta (Kentfield, CA) turned in yet another strong performance, and HB Michael Wheeler (Hanover, MA) notched the Wolverines first 100+ yard rushing game of the season.

The loss drops the Wolverines below .500 for the first time all season at 4-5. Head Coach Rick Marcella pointed to the teams’ five turnovers in the game as a key statistic, noting that: “Those kinds of mistakes are difficult to overcome for a good football team, and right now we are only an average football team.” The Wolverines will look to have a strong week of practice before heading to Hanover, NH this Sunday, November 9th, to face Dartmouth College’s JV team in the season finale. Game time is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. kickoff.

Wolverine Athletes of the Month- Giovanni Clayborne and Matt Gallery

Giovanni Clayborne (left) and Matt Gallery (right) were our September 2008 Athletes of the Month!! Congratulations!

Wolverine blog had a chance to speak to both Matt and Giovanni about winning the award in addition to some of their thoughts about BA...














Why Bridgton Academy?

Giovanni Clayborne- I chose to come to BA to prepare myself for college both academically and athletically. It was a place I knew had a great football program and would let me find my way both in the classroom, and on the football field.

Matt Gallery- I wanted to come to BA so I could work on getting my scores up and continue to develop as a football player in hopes of playing for an Ivy League school.

What are you looking to take with you from your time here at BA?

Gallery- I’m looking to gain more knowledge in general, develop better study habits, and improve my skills as a football player.

Clayborne- What I’m learning about structure, how to keep my priorities in order, and the importance of some things that are sometimes overlooked like appearance, a strong handshake, good eye contact, things like that.

What kind of changes were you hoping to make?

Clayborne- The main changes were academically, learning to do things for a reason to better myself, not just because I have to. That sense of pride you get from being on the football field has carried over into the classroom for me.

Gallery- I’m just looking to improve my study skills and the way I go about getting my work done, and from a football perspective I have been working on getting bigger, faster, and stronger to play at the highest level possible.

What would you tell someone considering coming to Bridgton Academy?

Gallery- I would tell them that it is definitely a good idea, that from BA you will really learn to apply yourself and learn to work for things you get, that things won’t be just handed to you. You will really be amazed at what you are able to accomplish with the extra effort.

Clayborne- I’d tell them that this really is the year that makes the difference. It’s all what you make of it, if you work at it and push yourself academically and athletically it will all pay off.

What does it mean to you to be honored as Athlete of the Month?

Clayborne- It was really unexpected but it means a lot. It means that all of the hard work I have been putting in is really paying off and its great to be recognized for it, everything doesn’t just get swept under the rug like its no big deal.

Gallery- Well for starters I was shocked, I’m an offensive lineman and we aren’t usually recognized with these kinds of awards. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, all the congratulations I’ve been getting from people have really made me feel good, its been pretty cool.

Is there a relationship you have developed with anyone at BA that has surprised you in any way?

Gallery- Coach Inzer has been a nice surprise, he’s a really great coach and I can relate well to his style of coaching. He’s also been a big help to me with my Ivy League aspirations since he played at Brown. It’s been a pleasant surprise to have him as a coach.

Clayborne- The relationship I have with Coach Marcella, he’s always been straight forward and honest, he’s really made me feel comfortable here and is always pushing me to get better. Whether its on the football field or in school. I know he will do anything he can to help me and that means a lot.

On the football side of things, how is football here different then anywhere else you’ve experienced?

Clayborne- The competition is much different, it’s a much higher level. It’s not like high school when you are playing against people younger then you, everyone you play against is a man. Also the coaching is phenomenal, this is the best coaching I’ve ever had it really feels like you are playing college football.

Gallery- The biggest difference has been that in high school you are teammates with guys for four years, here you have a matter of weeks to get to know your teammates before you take the field with them. Also here we aren’t playing for any kind of playoffs or state championship like in high school so that’s pretty different as well.

Former Wolverine Dayne Hoffman '07 Named Stony Brook University Athlete of the Week

Former Wolverine Football standout Dayne Hoffman class of '07 has recently been named Stony Brook University's Athlete of the Week for his performance in Stony Brook's win over Charleston Southern Saturday, October 18th. Hoffman completed 17 of 31 passes for a career high 210 yards, and 2 TD, one of which turned out to be the game winner!

For the complete story follow the link below to Stony Brook University's official Athletics Website.
Dayne Hoffman Named Athlete of the Week

Good Article on Bridgton Academy

The Maine Sunday Telegram ran a good piece on Bridgton Academy this past Sunday. Check it out here.

Brown University JV too much for Wolverines to handle, fall 35-12

The Bridgton Academy Football team headed down to Providence, RI this past Sunday to play Brown University’s Junior Varsity team. Even though both sides of the ball played extremely hard, the Wolverines fell short, 35-12. Big plays were made by the defense—Justin Tervo (Millbury, MA) recovered a fumble early in the first quarter and Schuyler Waterhouse (Phoenix, AZ) had a great first game at defensive tackle—allowing the offense to capitalize early because of them. With 14:06 left in the second quarter, Buddy Leathley (Manlius, NY) found his way into the end zone off the right tackle to make the game 7-6 in favor of the Bears. Joseph Robichaud (Madison, CT) had a spectacular catch during the series to keep the drive going. Unfortunately, the Wolverine defense let up a couple of long runs and a few long passes. Bridgton's final score came from Shane Ferguson (Pt Pleasant Bch, NJ)—a 15 yard pass from quarterback Isaiah Kempf (Thousand Oaks, CA) with 2:51 to play in the game—though it would not be enough.

Head Coach Rick Marcella offered some insight on the afternoons contest: “As a team we went out there and really competed with them, that was something that had been lacking from us in the last couple of games. I was pleased for the most part with out level of intensity; we are just struggling to find ways to win right now.”

The team will have a chance to get back into the win column when they travel down to Connecticut to take on the Yale Bulldog's JV squad this coming Sunday, November 2nd in New Haven, kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Former Wolverine Tom Daley '05 Receives National Recognition at Colby

Former Wolverine Tom Daley class of '05, and son of current Wolverine Assistant Football Coach Joe Daley class of '77, has recently received a number of awards in recent weeks, including on the national stage, for his standout play as a Safety Co-Captain at Colby College.

Daley has been honored four times in the first five weeks of the season, twice being named NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) Defensive Player of The Week, once being named ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Co-Defensive Player of the Week, and even being recognized on a national stage by being named by D3football.com to the "National Team of the Week" one week.

The first of Daley's two NESCAC awards, as well as earning his spot on D3football.com's National Team of the Week, came following his performance in Colby's 13-7 win over Wesleyan University, a game that saw Daley recover two fumbles in addition to five tackles and two pass breakups.

The second NESCAC weekly honor and Daley's first ECAC honor came this past weekend after leading his Mules team to a 16-13 victory over Hamilton College, in doing so he recorded his fourth fumble recovery of the season to go along with an interception and six tackles.

Daley currently leads the Mules and the nation with 4 fumble recoveries at the Division III level. He also is tied for the team lead in tackles with 31. For more information and detailed press releases regarding Daley's awards please visit the Colby College football website.

Wolverines fall to Columbia JV in OT 16-13

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines dropped a close one this past Friday to Columbia's Junior Varsity squad, 16-13 in overtime. After a long bus ride Thursday afternoon, followed by a two hour drive into New York City, the football squad appeared tired in the first quarter. Though the defense let up a few big plays and the offense stumbled in the first quarter, the team quickly got things together. With ten minutes left in the second quarter, Pat Daley came screaming off the edge sacking the quarterback, forcing him to fumble. James Shaw was there to recover the ball. A few plays later Buddy Leathley found his way into the end zone from five yards out. Up 7-0, with only 1:03 to play in the half, Buddy Leathley found Shane Ferguson in the middle of the end zone for the Wolverine's second score of the day. Unfortunately, the 13-0 halftime lead would not last. Columbia tied the game in the fourth quarter and won the game in overtime on a 47 yard field goal. The football team will be headed down to Brown University this Sunday to play their Junior Varsity squad at one o'clock.


#34 Marquise Ruffin (Ledyard, CT) makes a cutback in the backfield.


#20 Patrick Daley (North Bridgton, ME) forces a fumble as he gets to the quarterback.


Wolverines #74 Alex Spradlin (Stroudsburg, PA) and #88 Justin Tervo (Millbury, MA) make a stop behind the line of scrimmage.


#50 Patrick McGrath (Everett, MA) and #2 Lewis Bailey (Chelmsford, MA) combined for the tackle.


#27 Shane McMahon (Windham, NH) makes a tackler miss.


#44 Robert Carbone (Cranston, RI) coverts on a 4th down.


#4 Buddy Leathley (Manlius, NY) makes his way into the endzone for 6.

UMaine @ URI Features Four Bridgton Alums

On November 15th, 2008 the University of Maine football team will travel down to Kingston, RI to play the University of Rhode Island. The game will feature a pair of former Wolverines on each side.


Jordan Stevens (far left) class of '06 will pair with Joshua Sundquist (near left) class of '08 for the University of Maine. Stevens is currently in his junior season playing a big role for the black bears on the defensive side of the football. Sundquist, currently in his freshmen season, has moved over to the tight end position for the black bears after playing H-back and linebacker for Coach Marcella last season at Bridgton Academy.




Joe Accinno (far right) class of '06, joins Jason Foster (near right) class of '08 in completing the Bridgton Academy duo for URI's side. Accinno and Foster, both offensive lineman, share the responsibility of protecting the quarterback and winning the battle at the line of scrimmage.

for current player bios click on the player name below

Joshua Sundquist

Jordan Stevens

Joe Accinno

Jason Foster

Former Wolverines Square Off in NCAA Division II Showdown

Two former Wolverines from last years team met over the weekend in a showdown between Merrimack College and Saint Anselm College. Just one year ago they were sharing quarterback duties taking snaps leading the Wolverines to one of the most successful seasons in recent memory. Friday James Suozzo and Marc Wilson found themselves on the same field once again, only this time it was on opposite sides of the football.




Suozzo, the starting quarterback for Merrimack College had recently earned Northeast-10 Conference Freshmen and Player of the week honors after passing for 246 yards and 3 TD, while also rushing for 59 yards and 1 TD in leading his Warriors squad to a 31-28 win over Pace University last week. He followed up that performance by going 23-49 for 289 yards passing with 1 TD and 132 yards rushing and 3 TD against Saint Anselm College on Friday.



In that same game Wilson, now the starting quarterback for Saint Anselm College, threw for 114 yards and 2 TD to go along with 181 yards and 2 TD on the ground. It was Wilson's Hawks however that came away with the win 48-42 and gives Wilson bragging rights until next season when the two will battle it out on the gridiron again in what is sure to be a great friendly rivalry over the next few years.

In addition to Suozzo and Wilson the game featured 2 additional Bridgton Academy graduates on the Saint Anselm College sideline. Patrick Murphy BA class of '91 currently holds the position of Head Coach while fellow BA Alum, Rob Eggerling class of '97 serves as an Assistant Coach on Coach Murphy's staff.

For current player bios click on the player names below

James Souzzo

Marc Wilson

Navy Prep handles Wolverines 56-14

The Wolverines football team suffered their 2nd loss in as many games this afternoon as Navy Prep came into Bridgton and left with a 56-14 victory. Navy Prep got things started in the first quarter scoring a touchdown on their opening drive only to see the Wolverines tie things up with a touchdown of their own only minutes later. Navy Prep took complete control from that moment on taking a 42-7 lead into halftime and never looking back. Bridgton Academy was able to find the endzone one last time in the second half but it wasnt before Navy Prep had already put the game well out of reach at 56-14 which is how things ended.

The Wolverines will look to bounce back after 2 tough losses when they head down to New York on Friday, October 17th for a game against Columbia University's JV Team. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.


#58 Craig Richardson (Revere, MA) making a tackle against Navy Prep early in the game


#1 Isaiah Kempf (Thousand Oaks, CA) commanding the line, setting up the Wolverines first score.


#34 Marquis RUffin (Ledyard, CT) moving to space on the first scoring drive for the Wolverines.


#21 Michael Wheeler (Hanover, MA) runs in a score for BA.


#83 Joe Robichaud (Madison, CT) gets the punt past the blocker.


#7 Alex Monetta (Kentfield, CA) lays out for the diving catch.


#9 Isaiah Quinones (Roslindale, MA) fights off a Navy Prep defender along the sideline.


#34 Marquis Ruffin (Ledyard, CT) makes a move in the open field.


#21 Michael Wheeler (Hanover, MA) returns one of his many kick off returns on the afternoon.


The Wolverine Offense in a huddle getting the play from QB Buddy Leathley.


#83 Joe Robichaud (Madison, CT) makes the leaping catch.

Wolverines fall to Crusaders 25-6

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines lost a tough one yesterday to Holy Cross' Junior Varsity squad, 25-6. The Wolverine defense came up big early in the game with two quick turnovers. Justin Tervo deflected a pass and Alex Spradlin came up with the interception. In the next series, RJ Kelly recovered a botched snap by the Crusader's quarterback. The Wolverine offense quickly marched down the field and in a few plays Isaiah Kempf found Brendan McNeish in the back corner of the end zone from 15 yards away. Unfortunately, this would prove to be Bridgton's only points as they could not come back from a 12-6 halftime deficit.

Bridgton Academy will host NAPS (Naval Academy Preparatory School) this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. As the school's biggest rival rolls into town, this will prove to be the Wolverines biggest challenge thus far.





#58 Craig Richardson (Rever, MA) applies some pressure which leads to #74 Alex Spradlin's (Stroudsberg, PA) 1st quarter interception.



Quarterback #1 Isaiah Kempf (Thousand Oaks, CA) about to connect on a 1st quarter TD pass.



#2 Lewis Bailey (Chelmsford, MA) fights for some extra yards.



DE #87 Joseph Baldacchino (Everett, MA) introduces himself to the Crusaders QB.



WR #83 Joe Robichaud (Madison, CT) makes his way towards the sideline after the reception.



WR #6 Brendan McNeish (Springfield, MA) weaves his way though a collection of Holy Cross defenders.



HB #12 Anthony Fitts (Rochester, NY) turns and makes the grab.



Linebackers #8 Stephen Ferriter (Scituate, MA), #48 Kent Fessette (Morrisonville, NY), and #15 Theodore Fossa (Middleton, MA) combine to take down the Crusaders quarterback.



DB #38 Kevin Sledge (Salem, NH) leaps for a pass on defense.



HB #34 Marquise Ruffin (Ledyard, CT) takes on a pack of Crusaders defenders.



QB #1 Isaiah Kempf (Thousand Oaks, CA) scrambles out of the pocket towards the sideline.



QB #4 Buddy Leathley (Manlius, NY) preparing to unload a pass.



Coach Marcella giving his Wolverines some instruction during a timeout.