Knights prepared to defend the throne in 2009 football campaign

Local high school football coaches seldom agree on everything. Yet, all of them seem to feel that the 2009 campaign has potential to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent history.

The reasons behind this optimism? For starters, the gap of talent between the various schools appears to be drawing nearer, increasing the possibility of competitive match-ups on virtually a weekly basis.

And where 2008 began as the “year of the well-known stars,” with the likes of Eric Roque, Joey Martellacci and Brett Walter all ready to shine, this schedule will unfold with new names rising to the top of the charts, as lesser-known athletes enjoy the spotlight.

With their predicted record noted, here is the order in which the teams will conclude the 2009 regular season:

Lo-Ellen Knights (6-0)
Although I have a gut feeling that the defending city champions will drop a game along the way, I can’t put my finger on exactly where that loss will occur. Despite the graduation of key players, coach Kevin Ellsworth and staff will see a seamless transition. Credit this to the fact that a number of game-breaking players remain behind – Josh Haslam, Mark Randa, Lindsay Vanderbeck and Jessy Bertin-Haggart – but also that few programs can match the Knights’ ability to replace contributing players with others more than capable of stepping in.
Ryan Rysdale provides stability at quarterback, Sandy Bissett will anchor the offensive line and linebackers Doug Bennett and Ian Thomson provide a great one-two punch in the heart of the defensive line-up.

St. Charles Cardinals (5-1)
No team in the league returns as many players in key positions as does St. Charles College. Pivot Chris Duke enters his third year as signal caller, armed with an offensive arsenal that includes the likes of Brett Toulouse, Nick Micelotta, Tyler Peroni and Blair Roberts.
Dylan Martin, Eric Conrad, Jacob Lynott and Andrew St. Amour are among a group who have endured the learning process of the past three years defensively and it’s time they reap the rewards, earning a first-round playoff bye as second place finishers.

St. Benedict Bears (4-2)
Despite graduating roughly 20 starters from the team that captured three straight regular season titles, I’ll give the edge to a much younger than usual St. Benedict side in squeezing past Lockerby for third place.
Curtis Sarmatiuk makes the move from slotback to quarterback while Brian Hennessy steps into the shoes of Martellacci as feature running back. But having the ability to dress linemen like Riley Roy, Brock Lamarre, Carter Long, Emilio Frometta and Erik Lessard means St. Ben’s will be as tough as anyone in the trenches.

Lockerby Vikings (4-2)
Make no mistake – the strength of the Vikings this year should lie with an impressive defensive unit, most notably a linebacking corps that features Jordan Assinewe, Nathan Quinn and Mitchell Paul. And with Lyndon Moorehouse, Nick Guerin, Jordan Leclair-Dahl and Kadeem Rouleau all more than capable of contributing offensively, the Vikes will easily be able to challenge the top three on any given night.

Notre-Dame Alouettes (3-3)
Explosive back Eric Roque is no longer around to single-handedly change the momentum of the game, but the Als are as solid across the board as any team this year. Paul Cecile and Matt Chartrand will look to take a successful summer season with the Gladiators into the fall, while Tyler Paradis, Justin Ouellette and Kennedy Voz spark a defense that Gauthier suggests converges on the ball as rapidly as any that he’s coached recently.

Lasalle Lancers (2-4)
They may not yet be ready to take the leap to the elite of the SDSSA ranks, but the Lancers should move forward this year. Josh Cuomo provides a workhorse in the backfield and the numbers in practice, while still not great, seem more encouraging than the past two years.

Confederation Chargers (2-4)
Numbers are starting to become a concern at the Valley school where football was resurrected less than a decade ago. Coach Brandon Dougan will need to lean heavily on veterans Travis Campbell, Justin Gilroy, Trevor Gudrie and Taylor Fish if this team is to do any better than a playoff appearance and out this season.

Lively Hawks (1-5)
For the past two seasons, I’ve made few friends predicting back-to-back winless campaigns for the Hawks. Unfortunately, I was right on both counts. Coach Reg Bonin and company are hoping I have it right three years in a row as I have the program picking up their first victory since their re-incarnation in 2007, with a two-win season not at all out of the question.

Chelmsford Flyers (0-6)
Under head coach Walter Wilson, the Flyers may actually find themselves more competitive this year and still not win a game. Scott Lovelace, Spencer Burton, Owynn Lahnalampi and Chad Methe all return to a team that Wilson terms as “phase two of construction.”

NOTE: A more detailed analysis is available on www.sudburysports.com.

Randy Pascal is the voice of Eastlink Sports and the founder of SudburySports.com.