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.