BA Holds Annual Black and Grey Recruiting Showcase

Bridgton held its annual Black and Grey Recruiting Showcase at the Portland Sports Complex on Wednesday. Despite the snow storm things went off without a hitch, with a very solid turnout of college coaches from DI A to DIII in attendance.

Coaches watch during Offensive Line and Defensive Line drills

Mr. Vigneau talks with coaches from UConn and Sacred Heart

An assortment of coaches at the showcase

Brent MacLeod talks with a Southern CT coach

Zach Schnitzer sits down with a coach from WPI

Stephen Goniprow chats with a Colgate coach after the Combine on Wednesday

BA Ends Season On High Note

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines traveled down to Manchester, NH this past Saturday and came away with the victory 20-12. All the Wolverine scoring came in the first half. Brett Parenteau scored on a wide receiver screen from about 40 yards out, while Ken Brock added the two point conversion. Christian Weeman landed on the ball in the end zone after a blocked punt and Jordan Murphy caught a five yard pass before the half. The defense, for the most part, held their ground, though it was not easy; for most of the day it rained extremely hard. The coaches even admitted that it was the hardest they had ever seen it rain in a game. The Wolverine football team came together and the coaching staff were very proud of the way the kids played throughout the entire season.


-Coach Shairs

Gridiron Sightings & End of Season Tailgate

There hasn’t been a shortage of alumni at recent Bridgton football games. The following alumni were spotted by BA coaches over the past few weeks – sorry if we missed you! At the October 25th game, JD Blue ’08 and his father, John, were in attendance, and working as a line judge was 1988 alumnus Dexter McKenzie, who serves as a probation officer during his day job. The following week at Yale, Bill O’Brien, the father of Greg O’Brien ’94 came out to see this year’s football team in action. Bill has gone to almost every BA-Yale game since his son’s graduation in 1994. Also checking out the Wolverines was alumnus Dayne Hoffman ’07, the quarterback at Stonybrook University, and the parents of Sean Bostic Sealy ‘09, also a football alum who now plays at Pace. The Ivy League sightings continued at Columbia, where Vinny Marino ’88 works as an offensive coordinator for the Lion’s football team. NYC residents Andy Barr ’99 and his father, Ed, both came for the game, along with former faculty member, Tony Wright.

The ’09-‘10 football Wolverines wrapped up their season on November 14th with a game against Saint Anselm College. Local alumni were invited to tailgate, and we were happy to see more than ten Bridgton grad’s out and about at the game. The Bridgton-Saint A’s connection runs deep in recent years, with two BA alumni serving as football coaches on the Hawks staff. Patrick Murphy ‘91 has been the head coach for a number of years, and recently brought fellow Wolverine Rob Eggerling ‘97 onto his staff. Murphy and Eggerling, along with the entire Saint Anselm institution, appreciate recruiting Bridgton graduates, as they seem well prepared for Saint A’s both on and off the field from day one.

At the tailgate reception, Saint Anselm Athletic Director, Dr. Jo-Ann Nester, said that she looks forward to continuing to build the Bridgton-Saint A’s relationship, and although new to her job, feels that BA students seem to be a good fit to the Saint Anselm program. Several Wolverines now attend the college including Marc Wilson ’08, Bryant Lane ’07, Ethan Sylvain ’09, and Joe Robichaud ’09, all members of the football squad. In just two years, Wilson has become the school’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, and last year was named as freshman of the year. This honor is now shared by Sylvain, who was selected as co-Freshman of the Year by the Northeast 10 committee this November. Other alumni in attendance included Kyle Snow ‘05, who recently graduated with a degree in engineering, Bob O’Sullivan ’84, and Vinny Orlando ‘77. BA football coaches Joe Daley ’77, Pat Shairs ’02, and Matt Burgess ’88 also attended the tailgate. A special thank you was presented by Coach Joe Daley ‘77 to current parents Cathy and Bob Benzing, Chip and Dora MacLeod, and Jill and Dave Parenteau, who coordinated the amazing tailgates provided to players and families throughout the entire season. A special thanks to all alumni and parents who joined us for games throughout the season, and we look forward to seeing you at future games.

Admissions and Alumni Event at St. Anselm's Game

This Saturday, November 14th, Bridgton Academy Football wraps up their season with a contest against the Hawks of St. Anselm's College in Manchester, NH.

Bridgton and St. Anselm Football have a number of connections starting with Head Coach Pat Murphy who is a BA alum, as well as Assistant Coach Rob Eggerling class of '97. Four former Wolverines dot the Hawk's roster including Marc Wilson '08, who because St. A's all-time leader in all purpose yards in just two season. Ethan Sylvain '09 was a 2nd team all conference selection for the Hawks this season. Also on the team are Bryant Lane '07 and Joe Robichaud '09.

The game kicks off at noon, and after the game join Bridgton Academy for a tailgate where you can meet up with current, past, and future members of the Bridgton Academy family. RSVP to Hope Beal in the Admission Office- 207 647 3322x 209. Or just show up to the game!

See you there.

Offense Falters As Big Green Win 14-12

In the best defensive effort in weeks the Bridgton Academy Wolverines held Dartmouth College JV to just 14 points; however the offense was not able to put up points like they had in previous weeks as Bridgton fell 14-12 to the Big Green.

On the road for the fifth consecutive week the Wolverines looked to break out from their losing streak, playing against their final Ivy League opponent. Bridgton got off to a tough start by turning the ball over on their first two drives, including on the second play of the game. Both turnovers, a fumble and interception, resulted in short fields for Dartmouth. The Big Green was able to find the end zone on each possession, quickly jumping out to a 14-0 lead. From that point on the defense would step up and give one of the best efforts of the season. The offense would get into the red zone three times but not come up with a score.

The start of the second half saw Bridgton force Dartmouth to punt after three failed plays. The ensuing drive by the Wolverines an impressive one as they marched the length of the field and was capped by a six yard touchdown run by Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ). On the next Dartmouth possession Brian Wilcox (Jericho, VT) recovered a fumble and took it to the 25 yard line. Four plays later Brock once again ran in for another score, after BA did not convert on the two point attempt the score was 14-12.

The third quarter came to an end with Bridgton marching the ball down the field, taking it to the Dartmouth 15 yard line, however the Wolverines could not get into the end zone and turned the ball over on downs. From there on Dartmouth was able to run the clock out, and walk away with the win.

Brock threw for 152 yards, completing 16 of 29 attempts. Keith Williams (Simi Valley, CA) caught four passes for 42 yards, and Nick Marcella (North Bridgton, ME) caught three passes for 40 yards. On the ground Brock gained 75 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns. Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NJ) racked up 79 yards on 11 carries and Nick Finger (Millbrook, NY) ran for 55 yards on 10 carries.

Defensively Stephen Goniprow (Barrington, RI) recorded 15 tackles, including a sack. Wilcox added a sack to go along with his fumble recovery, and Cameron Ziny (Natick, MA) also added a sack. Casey Gogeun (Ashburnham, MA) and Chris Higgins (Cumberland, ME) played very well for the Wolverines.

“This is the first game in a while you can say the offense did not play their best,” commented Head Coach Rick Marcella. “It was frustrating to not support such a solid defensive effort. The turnovers killed us, as we held them without a score after their first two drives,” added Marcella.

Brock awarded Athlete of The Month for October

Ken Brock was awarded with the Athlete of The Month award for October during Chapel on Tuesday by Coach Sawicki. Coach Sawicki mentioned that Ken had one of the most impressive months statistically by any Bridgton Academy quarterback. He also alluded to Ken's leadership qualities by saying that, "He (Ken) is the kind of athlete that coaches covet because he is willing to run through a wall time after time."

Ken was awarded the coveted "This Is Sparta" t-shirt and joins soccer player Rob Palumbo as winners of the award for the 09-10 schoo year.

Check out the link that further describes his exploits on the field for the month of October here: http://www.bridgtonacademy.org/athmonth.cfm

Dartmouth Tops Bridgton

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines headed down to Hanover, NH this past Sunday morning to play Dartmouth’s Junior Varsity team. Even though both teams played very well, the Big Green pulled out the victory, 14-12. Early in the game, the Wolverine offense turned the ball over twice and before the first quarter was over, Bridgton found themselves in a 14-0 deficit. On Dartmouth’s next series, however, Brian Wilcox (Jericho, VT) came hard off the edge causing the quarterback to fumble. He picked it up and bulled his way down to the 30 yard line. The Wolverines kept knocking on the door throughout the entire first half, yet they could not put the ball in the end zone. Down 14-0 at the half, Bridgton came together and played the best half (collectively) they had all year. Early in the third Ken Brock (Burlington, NJ) drove the Wolverine offense down the field and took it in from four yards out. However, the extra point had failed and Bridgton trailed 14-6. Later in the period, Brock took it in again from 3 yards away making the score 14-12. The two point conversion failed as Nick Finger (Millbrook, NY) was pulled down from the behind. With a few minutes to go, Ken Brock and Co. were knocking on the door yet again but turned the ball over on downs close to the 20 yard line. The defense couldn’t stop the run with just under 3 minutes to play and Dartmouth’s quarterback took a knee for the final two plays.

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines will head down to St. Anselm in Manchester, NH to end their season this Saturday at noon.

Photos From The Yale Game

Yale Recap

The Wolverine Football team traveled down to New Haven, Connecticut this weekend to face the Yale Bulldogs Junior Varsity squad. Even though the loss 34-26, the team showed signs of improvement. With Jonathan Balcacer (Peabody, MA) out most of the week due to illness, John Price (New Cannan, CT) stepped in and had a great week of practice; he ended the game with a handful of tackles and a forced fumble/recovery. The play resulted in a 6 yard run by Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, MA) with 6:39 left in the first quarter to make it a 7-6 ballgame. With :04 seconds left in the first, Ken Brock (Burlington, NJ) found Keith Williams (Simi Valley, CA) down the middle for an 80 yard touchdown strike. The two point conversion failed and the Wolverines went into the half down 14-12.

With 6:07 left in the third, the Bridgton offense drove down the field where Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NJ) took it into the end zone from 15 yards out. The defense tried to hold it together, but let up two more touchdowns before the day was over. Although, with :55 seconds left, Brock found Williams yet again from just over 40 yards out. With Alex Colorito’s (Beaverton, OR) two point conversion catch in the back of the end zone, the Wolverines were only down eight. However, the onside kick failed and the Bulldogs took two quick kneel-downs to end the game. The team is headed down to Hanover, NH to play Dartmouth’s J.V. team next Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00.

-Coach Shairs

Bears Trip Up Wolverines

Wolverine Football was on the road once again, this time they traveled to Providence, Rhode Island where they took on Brown University, their second Ivy League foe in as many weeks. Bridgton found itself in familiar territory, by answering a Brown score with one of their own; however the defense was not able to make enough stops to allow the offense to make up the difference as the Wolverines fell 38-21.

Bridgton, coming off of a tough week at Columbia, which sidelined many players for the week and others for the season, saw the effects of not having a full squad during practice. Coach Marcella said, “We had a tough week in practice, and injuries and sicknesses have caught up to us.”

The Wolverines threw the ball well, however catching it was an issue as four balls were dropped, including one on the first play of the game that would have been an easy score. Seven different players caught passes and five of those players had over 30 yards receiving.

It was the defense that was unable to hold off the Brown attack as Coach Marcella said, “We had poor alignments, coverage and tackling, which is the recipe for disaster.” With the rushing attack held to less than two yards per carry, the Wolverines were forced to rely on the passing game, which turned the ball over twice in the red zone.

Head Coach Rick Marcella continues to stress to his players the need to improve and get better. With players returning from injuries and a full week of practices the Wolverines will be ready to face Yale University, as they travel to New Haven, Connecticut. Yale, a team the Wolverines had beaten seven straight times, has now beaten Bridgton two out of the last three meetings. With new coaches, with NFL experience, Coach Marcella looks for the game to be, “another good test, in which we will have to play well to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Bridgton Runs Out of Time Against Columbia

Coming off of a lopsided defeat to Navy Prep, Bridgton Football traveled to New York City on Friday to take on the Columbia University Lions JV team. Coming off of the loss Coach Marcella said, “It looked like we knew what we were doing out there, against a huge team, by far the biggest we have faced yet.” The Wolverines however, were handed a 49-40 set back.
Trailing 35-12 at the half the Wolverines were not without opportunities as they had a ball dropped in the end zone and threw an interception on the goal line. Coach Marcella said, “We moved the ball well in the first half, and were able to scored on our first drive.” “I told my players, ‘just keep playing’,” in the start of the second half the defense forced Columbia to punt and the offense went to work.
In what could have been the offensive lines best game the Wolverines outscored Columbia 28-14 in the second half. Lead by offensive linemen Jacob Lane (Harrison Valley, PA), Kevin Colon (Lowell, MA) and Daniel Alexander (Sammamish, WA). Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ) lead the way both passing and rushing, gaining 95 yards on 23 carries and two TDs. Brock threw for 211 yards completing 23 of 47 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jordan Murphy (Ayer, MA) caught four passes for 43 yards and a score. Keith Williams (Simi Valley, CA) caught three passes for 23 yards and one touchdown. Scott Benzing (Brookfield, CT) caught two passes for 53 yards. On the ground Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, MA) gained 54 yards on 11 carries, scoring a touchdown. Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NJ) accumulated 68 yards on 11 carries while getting in the end zone once. Bridgton ran almost twice as many offensive plays, (103 – 55), as Columbia did.
The defense was able to slow Columbia down enough to allow the offense to come back, yet the kicking game was the difference as the Wolverines were not able to convert on plays in the red zone and were not able to kick field goals on fourth down. Defensively Stephen Goniprow (Barrington, RI) and Brian Wilcox (Jericho, VT) played very well.
Bridgton gears up to take on Brown University JV on Sunday October, 25th at 1:00 PM. “Brown is the most talented team in the Ivy league that we will face, they are also the best coached team,” said Marcella.

Wolverines Drop One At NAPS

Bridgton Academy Football traveled to Newport, Rhode Island to take on Naval Academy Prep School. In a game that Coach Marcella said had, "absolutely no bright spots," the Wolverines were handed a 71-7 setback.

Moving forward Coach Marcella acknowledges that the team, "needs to be better on both sides of the whistle, calling plays and executing them." "As coaches it is our job to put players in position to make plays, that didn't happen, and when they were in position the plays were not made."

With five games left in the season the Wolverines will set their sights on Columbia Univeristy, "This is still a good group of guys and I enjoy coaching them, but I am going to demand more from them, and they should be more demanding of themselves," added Marcella.

Bridgton fell to Columbia a year ago in overtime on a field goal, so they look to avenge the loss. Kickoff is at 1:00 PM.

Bridgton Holds On Against Springfield 34-27

The Bridgton Academy Wolverine Football team was able to hold on and survive its only home contest of the year, defeating Springfield College JV 34-27. In what was a highly contested game the Wolverines caused their only turnover of the game, with Springfield on the one yard line and under one minute remaining in the game.

The game did not appear as it would be highly contested as Bridgton easily marched down the field and scored on its opening drive in just four plays. Springfield would answer right back, scoring on their opening drive and taking a 7-6 lead. On Bridgton’s second drive they were forced to punt on fourth down. On the third series Bridgton ran 20 plays and scored to once again take the lead, however Springfield answered right back with a score of their own.

Coach Marcella called the early stages of the game a, “battle, which we did not have the answers for defensively,” yet the Wolverines were able to hang on and as time expired in the first half Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ) was able to find Brett Parenteau (Manchester, NH) in the corner of the end zone with his, “best ball all year,” according to Marcella. Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, MA) converted on the two point try to take a seven point lead into the half, 20-13.

Springfield dominated the clock in the third quarter, taking the kick-off and putting together a 12 minute drive capped by a touchdown to even the score at 20-20. Once Bridgton got the ball they went on an 11 play drive in which Van Alstyne caught passes to keep the drive alive and also score a touchdown. On Bridgton’s next drive they went 10 plays to score and go up 34-20 with eight minutes remaining.
Springfield answered back scoring again with under five minutes to play. After only the second three and out for Bridgton all day, Springfield got the ball back at the 50 yard line and 3:30 to play. Springfield marched down the field, with time running down and out of time outs they were forced to play quickly, miscommunication and the Bridgton defense caused a fumble with Springfield on the Bridgton goal line. Speaking of the play Marcella said, “We were fortunate to come away with the win, getting a turnover was huge.”

For the first time this season the Bridgton offense did not have the upper hand in time of possession, nor plays run. Yet were able to hold on and win.
Brock finished the day completing 14 of 23 passes for 215 yard and 2TDs, he also rushed for 85 yards on 12 carries. The offensive line once again did not allow a sack and continues to improve. “Different offensive weapons are starting to emerge and step up,” said Marcella.

The defense had four players registering double digit tackles, lead by Stephen Goniprow (Barrington, RI) with 19, and Jonathan Balcacer (Peabody, MA) with 12 from the secondary, Jack Wright (Forest Hill, FL) and Chris Higgins (Cumberland, ME) round out the quartet.

Bridgton travels to Navy Prep on Saturday to face the triple option offense for the second week in a row. Coach Marcella believes that Navy, “runs a more efficient and discipline version,” as compared to Springfield. Navy scored 54 points a year ago, so the Wolverine defense will be tested again to stop the option.

BA Escapes with 34-27 Win

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines escaped victoriously this past Sunday with a 34-27 win against the Springfield Junior Varsity Football squad. Key plays were made across the board, including an amazing catch in the corner of the end zone by Brett Parenteau (Manchester, NH) with no time left on the clock in the second quarter, as well as John Moscotel’s (Lexington, MA) fumble recovery in the last minute of the game with Springfield inside Bridgton’s ten yard line. With many parents, faculty and students watching, the Wolverines did their best both offensively and defensively, scoring on the first drive of the game and continuing to match the Pride’s intensity—especially when they drove the field in the beginning of the third quarter, chewing up over twelve minutes of time. Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, MA) and Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NY) had great games; both were key contributors to the victory. Last, but certainly not least, the offensive line had one of their best games to date. Coach Drew Inzer was caught after the game and had the following to say: “I felt the line played great as a unit, but we need to continue to get better this week. We have the biggest game of the year coming up and we need to be perfect.” The rest of the coaching staff agrees, as the Wolverines will head down to Rhode Island to play the Naval Academy Prep. School this week.

-Coach Shairs

Important Infomation For Parents Planning on Going to the Navy Prep Game

Bridgton Academy football will be traveling to Navy Prep on Saturday, October 10, 2009 for one of the top rivalry games of the year. For parents planning on attending the game there are a few steps that will need to be taken in advance due to the game taking place on a Navy base.
For families traveling to the game, please contact, via email, Bryan Brouse at Navy Prep with the following information:
Names of those who will be in the car.
Car license plate number and state.
Car model and color.
Email this information to: brouse@naps.edu no later than Wednesday, October 7th.

Holy Cross 28, Bridgton 20

The football team traveled to Worcester, MA to take on division I-AA opponent Holy Cross JV. The Wolverines ran out of time as their comeback attempt fell short, 28-20. In a game that Coach Marcella said, “we played well enough on both sides of the ball to win,” the Wolverines were not able to overcome a 21-7 halftime deficit.

Mistakes were the down fall for Bridgton, as they committed four turnovers, including two interceptions in the end zone and a mishandled punt on the Holy Cross 35 yard line. “If we had of converted on one of those drives for a touchdown and another for a field goal we would have won the game,” said Marcella. The Wolverines, trailing by 14 at halftime were the victims of one blown coverage that lead to an easy score, otherwise the game would have been a seven point spread at the half.

The Bridgton Academy offense controlled the game, running 90 offensive plays to Holy Cross’ 55. The offense was lead by quarterback Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ) who threw for his third consecutive 200 yard game completing 28-42 passes for 249 yards, 1TD, however the three interceptions were the downfall. Scott Benzing (Brookfield, CT) caught nearly half of those passes as he had 127 yards on 12 receptions. Commenting on Benzing’s day Coach Marcella said, “I cannot remember when a Bridgton receiver had that many catches, or a chance for that many.” For just the second time all season, and the first for Brock in three weeks, the quarterback was sacked, “that speaks volumes about our offensive line, for a team that averages 37 pass attempts to be sacked so few times,” Marcella was quick to point out that Jake Lane (Harrison Valley PA), Kevin Colon (Lowell, MA), and Viondy Merisma (Waltham, MA) continue to get better and improve. Alex Colorito (Beaverton, OR) has continued to execute punts well and Daniel Alexander (Smmamish, WA) has done a great job with long and short snaps. Seeing action for the first time since early in week one, due to injury, was Jordan Murphy (Ayer, MA) who Marcella called, “huge for us, he (Jordan) had three big catches for us, converting a fourth down.”

The defense throughout the game improved as BA only gave up one score in the second half of the game. Coach Marcella credits both the defense and the defensive coaches who, “made adjustments and played smarter and better in the second half.” The defense was lead once again by Ryan LaFromboise (Ludlow, MA) and Brandon Murphy (Branford, CT) as well as Jonathon Balcacer (Peabody, MA) who Marcella has called, “the most improved on defense.”

As the Wolverines look ahead to the match up with Springfield College on Sunday October, 4th at 2:00PM, Coach Marcella looks for his team to play smarter, tackle better, as well as be more physical against a physical offensive team.

Photos from Holy Cross Game

#2 Scott Benzing finds some running room in the Holy Cross secondary

#75 Jack Wright collects a sack


#1 Melikke Van Alstyne finds a hole and the end zone

The offensive line creates a hole for #40 Nick Finger


The BA defense swarms to the ball

Coaches Daley, Shairs and Burgess (L to R) look on

#2 Scott Benzing makes a diving catch

#33 Brian Wilcox and #43 Ryan LaFromboise cause a fumble

Bridgton Runs out of Time in Loss to Holy Cross

The Bridgton Academy Football squad had a late surge this past Friday afternoon against a tough Holy Cross team but fell short, losing 28-20. Trailing 21-7 at halftime (the lone score coming from a 5 yard pass from Kenny Brock to Keith Williams late in the second quarter), the Wolverines knew that they had to bring their level of play up a notch if they had any aspirations of coming out of Worcester victorious.

Even though it seemed that Bridgton couldn’t defend the pass well on defense, nor capitalize in the red-zone on offense, the team knew they were capable of competing with the Crusaders. To start the third quarter the Bridgton Academy offense took the field, marching down to Holy Cross’ 1 yard line, taking over six minutes off the clock. On the next play Melikke Van Alstyne took the ball off tackle to make it a 21-14 game. After a botched punt by the Crusaders, the offense took the field two minutes later and again, found the end zone to make the score 21-20 with 5:04 to play in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, that was as close as the squad would come. However, it should be noted that the defense stopped two drives by Holy Cross late in the game, giving the offense a chance to tie in the end. On fourth down, with five seconds to play in the game, the Wolverine offense was 15 yards away from scoring. Even though Brock’s pass fell short, the Wolverines held their heads high. They will get back to their winning ways this Sunday against Springfield College. Kickoff is at 2 o’clock.

-Coach Shairs

(more photos and commentary to come)

49 Years of Bridgton Academy at Curry

49 years of Bridgton Academy history was represented at the recent BA-Curry College football game on September 20th. Current football parents put on a wonderful tailgate following the 28-18 Wolverine victory. The Admission Office was also busy at work, welcoming a handful of prospective 2011 families to the reception. The prospective families had the opportunity to learn more about BA from not only faculty and coaches, but alumni, parents, and friends as well. Former BA football coach Bud Burbank was also in attendance. Bud’s brother, Tom, a 1959 Academy graduate, presented him with a BA football sweatshirt. The Curry game is always a great time, as alumni who now play on the Curry team face-off with the current crop of Bridgton players. Bridgton has changed over the years, going from a four year to school to one that caters solely to the PG (post graduate) student.

The following alumni were seen at the game: (Sorry if we missed you) Jim McGillen ’59, George Mullin ’59, Bob Weston ’59, Tom Burbank ’59, Mike Klapman ’71 (now a current parent as well), Bob O’Sullivan ’84, Skip Bandini ’77 (also Curry College’s Head Football Coach!), Joe Daley ’77, Matt Burgess, Jon Lounsbury ‘01, Nick Markos ’00, Pat Shairs ’02, Wil Colon ’04 (whose brother, Kevin, is a member of the Class of 2010), Jamal Woods ’06, Maurice Rodriguez ’06, Jason Ryan ’07, and David Bonaparte ’08.

Be sure to check the Wolverine athletic schedules for a game near you!


Maurice Rodriguez '06, George Mullin '59, Tom Burbank '59, Bud Burbank, Jason Ryan '07, Jamal Woods '06, David Bonaporte '08

Photos from Curry Game

#1 Melikke Van Alstyne breaks a tackle


#6 Weslee Galloway and #23 Philmore Phillip upend a Curry receiver


#23 Philmore Phillip defends a pass


Brett Parenteau fakes out a Curry defender


#13 Brandon Murphy picks off a Curry pass in the end zone


#7 Kenny Brock unloads a pass, Brock lead BA with 247 yards passing and 3TDs


BA defense swarms to the ball


#80 Alex Colorito hauls in a TD pass

Wolverines Upend Colonels, 28-18

Bridgton Academy Football picked up their second win of the season, in as many tries, Sunday against Curry College JV, by a score of 28-18. The Wolverines, who continue to step up their level of competition, gave up their first points of the season, yet have still never trailed on the season.

Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ) lead the offensive attack through the air, completing 17 or 33 passes for 247 yards including 3TDs and 1INT. Only three of Brock’s completions were for less than 11 yards, and four completions went for more than 20 yards. Coach Marcella notes that Brock was able to throw so well on the day due to the, “very good protection by the offensive line.” Brock stepped up for the running game, which was slowed after a very successful previous week. On the ground the Wolverines accounted for 120 yards on 38 carries, Brock lead the way with 41 yards rushing. For the second week in a row Alex Colorito (Beaverton, OR) had a big week, catching three passes for 78 yards and one score, Scott Benzing (Brookfield, CT) also continued a successful start to the season by hauling in 5 receptions for 56 yards. Brett Parenteau (Manchester, NH) caught four passes for 52 yards including a touchdown. Keith Williams (Simi Valley, CA) got the scoring started with an 11 yard touchdown reception off of a play action pass. Coach Marcella was pleased with the offensive effort, but acknowledges that in the upcoming weeks the Wolverines will need to run the ball more effectively, and take care of the ball better to be successful. BA was able to answer back two out of the three times Curry scored a touchdown, with touchdowns of their own, which shows as Marcella said, “poise and execution.”

Defensively the Wolverines were lead by Ryan LaFromboise (Ludlow, MA) and Stephen Goniprow (Barrington, RI) who collected 13 and 12 tackles respectively. LaFromboise also caused a fumble, and blocked a point after attempt. Brent McLeod (Winchester, MA) for the second week in a row had at least two sacks, while Brian Wilcox (Jericho, VT) also collected two sacks. The secondary for Bridgton to collected 3 interceptions and seven pass break-ups, lead by Brandon Murphy (Branford, CT) who had one interception, two pass break-ups and eight tackles. Philmore Phillip (Dorchester, MA) had a solid day on defense, collecting an interception, and Weslee Galloway (Brockton, MA) recorded 9 tackles from the secondary.

Coach Marcella sees improvement each week, but going into a short week in which the Wolverines will be facing Holy Cross, whose varsity is open, and ranked 21st in the most recent I-AA polls, sees the game as, “a measuring stick for us, to see how far we have come, and how much further we must go. It will measure our intensity, and how well we deal with adversity.”

Bridgton travels Friday September 25th to Worcester, MA to take on Holy Cross JV at 3:00PM.

Husson Recap, with Coach's comments

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines traveled to Husson University on Sunday September, 13th to take on the Eagles JV football team, and walked away with a convincing 32-0 victory. Noting that it was the first game Coach Marcella stated, “it was an opportunity for us to know what kind of depth we have, as well as, what we need to address.” The Wolverines, who scored on their first possession of the game, never looked back after that.

The defense lead the way for Bridgton which posted its first shut out in three years. They caused two turnovers, collected five sacks, including three from Brent MacLeod (Winchester, MA), and caused nine Husson plays to go for negative yardage along with four pass break ups. Marcella said, “we were undersized on defense, but were able to get to the ball the way we wanted to, and that is what wins games.” The defensive line was lead by Ryan LaFromboise (Ludlow, MA) with 13 tackles, Stephen Goniprow (Barrington, RI) 10 tackles, Jack Wright (Forest Hill, FL) collected eight tackles, Chris Higgins (Cumberland, ME) seven tackles, and Andrew Kelley (Pittston, ME) six tackles. Christian Weeman (North Attleboro, MA) recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Wolverines will continue to try and put all the pieces together, as they gear up for next week.

The offense set a goal of running 80 plays; it came very close to that goal by running 74 plays. The Wolverines trio of running backs Melikke Van Alstyne (Salme, MA), Nick Finger (Millbrook, NY) and Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NJ) gained 291 yards on the ground, averaging 9 yards per carry. Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ) lead the passing attack, completing 17 of 29 passes for 230 yards, 2 TDs, 1INT. Brock also rushed for 42 yards and one score. Eight different Bridgton receivers caught passes, lead by Scott Benzing (Brookfield, CT) with 6 catches for 125 yards, including one reception that went for 67 yards and a touchdown. Alex Colorito (Beaveron, OR) caught five passes for 72 yards. The offensive line, including Daniel Alexander (Sammamish, WA), Jacob Lane (Harrison Valley, PA) and Kevin Colon (Lowell, MA) played very well, which allowed for the big plays to develop.

Coach Marcella recognizes that the most improvement for his team happens between the first and second week, and says his team is, “not where we need to be yet, but everyone contributed against Husson, and that will need to continue for us to be successful.”

The Wolverine’s are on the road Sunday, September 20th when they take on Curry College in Milton, MA.

#2 Scott Benzing breaks free for a 67 yard TD

#75 Jack Wright collects one of the five sacks the Bridgton defense collected on the day

#40 Nick Finger finds a hole created by #54 Viondy Merisma

Wovlerines Take Season Opener 32-0

The Bridgton Academy football team traveled to Bangor on Sunday to take on the Husson Eagles JV. The game featured a strong offensive showing for the Wolverines as well as a defensive shut out that gives the team a boost of confidence as they start their season.

The scoring started early, as Bridgton marched down the field on their first drive and Kenneth Brock (Burlington, NJ) found Keith Williams (Simi Valley, CA) three yards out for the first score of the game with 11:12 remaining in the quarter. The Wolverine defense did a good job of holding the Eagles and the next time the ball saw the end zone was half way through the second quarter when Brock took the ball in on his own from a yard out. On the very next series Scott Benzing (Brookfield, CT) caught a pass in the middle of the field from 71 yards out and took it in for the final score of the half. Bridgton went into halftime with a 19-0 lead and the defense dreaming of a shutout.

The second half opened with Bridgton pinning the Eagles back on their two yard line. In the next play the Eagles quarterback lost the handle on the ball as Christian Weeman (North Attleboro, MA) came off the corner on a blitz and forced the fumble. Weeman recovered the ball in the end zone for another Wolverine touchdown.

Later in the fourth quarter Bridgton’s offensive attack continued as Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NJ) ran it in for a score from six yards out. The defense kept the pressure on and the Eagles failed to find the end zone before time expired.

With a final score of 32-0 the Bridgton Academy coaching staff was pleased with the day, however they were quick to remind the team that the schedule doesn’t get easier as the season goes along.

Next up for the Wolverines, a trip to Milton, MA to take on the Colonels of Curry College, coached by Skip Bandini, a member of the Bridgton Academy class of 1977 (a class mate of Coach Daley, Bridgton’s linebacker coach). Kickoff is set for 2 pm on Sunday, September 20.


Daniel Alexander #50 (Sammamish, WA) makes a tackle.
Mallik Van Alstyne #1 (Salem, MA) makes a cut and causes an Eagle defender to miss.
Jack Wright #75 (Forest Hill, FL) is on the line and ready.
John Moscatel #20 (Lexington, MA)making a tackle.

Season Preview

As head coach Rick Marcella closes out his second decade at the helm of the Bridgton Academy football team, he is making sure that the program continues to follow the mission statement of the school in preparing students to succeed both academically and athletically in college and later in life.
This fall Bridgton starts the year with a shorter roster and has installed both a new offense and defense. Coach Marcella, who is closing in on his 100 career victory at Bridgton is quick to point out that despite fewer players this year, “we have the right 50 guys.” Marcella attributes his success not just to the very talented players he has had in the past but also to the coaching staff he surrounds himself with saying, “we have great talent on both sides of the whistle.”
Joining Marcella on the coaching staff are three Bridgton alumni: defensive coordinator Joe Daley ’77, defensive line coach Matt Burgess ’88 and, Patrick Shairs ’02 is the defensive backs coach. Drew Inzer is in charge of the offensive line, and Rick Kramer is the quarterbacks and running backs coach.
The football team started working as soon as they stepped on campus; Coach Marcella gets his players in a routine saying, “we are getting our players ready for college, so we are holding them accountable, starting from day one with preseason.” Marcella added, “ask any recent graduate, if their college football preseason camp was anymore challenging than the one they faced at Bridgton Academy, and they will say they knew exactly what to expect in a college football preseason camp.”
In three of the last four years the football team has finished 5-5, including last season, the only exception came in ’07 when the Wolverines went 8-1. Looking at the schedule Bridgton will once again be tested, as their schedule is composed of college JV teams, with Navy Prep being the only prep school on the slate. Marcella will not look past any team, “all our focus is on the team we are playing that week, we cannot afford to look ahead.”
The Wolverines open up their season on the road against Husson College in Bangor, ME on the 13th. They then travel to Curry College, a team that lost their season opener for the first time in three years, and is a perennial DIII playoff team. Curry is coached by Skip Bandini, a 1977 Bridgton graduate. The following week Bridgton will take on Holy Cross, a D-I AA team, with the Crusaders varsity team having an off week Coach Marcella expects to see many varsity players. The only home game on the schedule will take place on October, 3rd against traditional rival Springfield College. Following Springfield, will be Navy Prep, where Bridgton will look to avenge a loss from last season. Bridgton then takes a road trip to face four Ivy League opponents in Columbia, Brown, Yale, and Dartmouth. Bridgton closes out its season with a game against renewed rival St. Anslem’s and Coach Pat Murphy, who is a Bridgton alum, class of ‘91.
Coach Marcella speaks highly of his squad starting with the offensive line, which he says, “has the potential to be the best ever at Bridgton Academy.” The line includes Viondy Merisma (Waltham, MA), Kyle Empey (Middleboro, MA), Kevin Colon (Lowell, MA), and Jacob Lane (Harrison Valley, PA). The running backs consist of a trio of talented and unselfish players in: Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, MA), Phil Bigelow (East Orange, NJ) and Nick Finger (Millbrook, NY). The receiving core is made up of: Brett Parenteau (Manchester, NH), Jordan Murphy (Ayer, MA), Keith Williams (Simi Valley, CA), Ethan Barnes (New Bedford, MA) and Scott Benzing (Brookfield, CT). When speaking of the receivers Coach Marcella says they are a very talented group, which catch the ball well. The quarterbacking will be done by Kenny Brock (Burlington, NJ), Coach Marcella says that he mixes a strong arm with solid running ability. Backing up Brock will be Nick Marcella (North Bridgton, ME), who will also see time at wide receiver.
The defensive line is anchored by Brent MacLeod (Winchester, MA), and Andrew Kelley (Pittston, ME). The defensive ends include: Cameron Ziny (Natick, MA), Jack Wright (Forest Hill, FL), and Brian Wilcox (Jericho, VT). Linebackers include: Ryan LaFromboise (Ludlow, MA), Stephen Goniprow (Barrington, RI), and Chris Higgins (Cumberland, ME) who is the third member of his family to attend Bridgton Academy. The secondary is home to Alain Lundi (Ontario, Canada), Brandon Murphy (Branford, CT), Jonathan Balcacer (Peabody, MA), and John Moscatel (Lexington, MA), who is the only two way player on the team. Coach Marcella is quick to point out that there will also be key contributions by others, especially on special teams.

Wovlerines Set to Take On Husson

Sunday, September 13th, Bridgton Academy football will make the trip up to Husson College for their season opener against the Eagles JV squad. The game begins at 1 p.m. at the Winkin Sports Complex on the Husson campus. Click here for directions.

Black and Grey Scrimmage

Yesterday the Wolverines hit the field for the annual Black and Grey scrimmage. A chance for the offense and defense (both players and coaches) to see how the pre-season has gone and what still needs some work. The squad looked good as they prepare for their season opener against Husson College this coming Sunday at 2PM.
#36 meets the defense
The D Line takes a look
Ethan Barnes (#19) goes up for the ball
The defense converges on the ball
#36 taking the handoff
Coach Inzer watches the line at work
#1 (Mallik Van Alstyne) breaks into the open field
Coach Marcella calling in the playThe team takes a knee after the scrimmage

2009 Wolverine Football Team

The team put in another good day of work as they get to know each other as well as the Wolverine playbook. The first game of the season will be at Husson College on September 13th.