Can Falmouth High School football hold onto Cape & Islands League champion crown in 2023?
Falmouth High School's football team enters the 2023 season as the reigning Cape & Islands League champs after they posted an unblemished record (5-0) last season.
If they want to repeat that feat, they will have to do so with some major changes to their roster, and that’s not just adjustments on the field.
After three years at the helm, Falmouth head coach Joe Morency resigned to spend more time with his wife Julie, and their two young children, Thomas and Reilly.
When Morency stepped down, Timothy Medeiros stepped up.
Medeiros is no stranger to Falmouth. Not only did he graduate from Falmouth as a student, but he was on the sidelines as the defensive coordinator the last couple of seasons. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for Falmouth for his entire coaching career, which lasted nearly two decades.
Now, it’s his turn to call the shots at the helm. The reason for taking the job now was simple.
“I love Falmouth, I love football, and I like watching kids grow,” Medeiros said.
Medeiros said the hardest part about this transition has been not having much time to do the X’s and O’s.
“There are so many other things that go outside the game of football that a head coach has to do that I saw, but never really thought about it,” Medeiros said.
He said they will be doing things a little differently, but that they are doing that gradually. Medeiros likes that the kids are buying in and receptive to what the coaching staff is trying to do.
His main goal is to get better every day.
“As long as we’re projecting a good image and becoming better people and players, and having fun, those are the three things we want to do every day,” Medeiros said.
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Medeiros will have his hands full in his first season as the Clippers graduated a lot of seniors, which included six of their seven all-stars from a season ago.
One of those all-stars was starting QB Aiden North, who finished his senior season with 393 rushing yards, seven rushing TDs, four passing TDs and a two-point conversion. He ended his high school career by throwing a game-winning TD over Barnstable, their first win over them since 2018.
With North gone, it’s time for the Clippers to go in another direction.
Insert Tommy Bushy.
In his senior season, Bushy will be under center for the first time in his varsity career, but said he learned a lot from playing behind North, and that he set a great example.
“It’s definitely high pressure, but I feel like I can manage it,” Bushy said. “I feel I have a lot of guys that have confidence in me. With my teammates behind me, we can do really well this year.”
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Bushy said he has to stay sharp mentally, make sure everything is precise and clicking well offensively, the reads are sharp, and that the rest of the offense knows what’s going on.
“Some plays aren’t going to go perfect, but we have to stay strong and hype, and make sure the energy is high all day,” Bushy said.
Senior wide receiver and defensive back Evan Hauptmann doesn’t see the six all-stars leaving as a negative.
“I feel like that’s six more opportunities for the younger guys coming up to fill those shoes and make big plays,” Hauptmann said.
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Another player who will help Falmouth get back to that C&I title is the only non-senior all-star from last season, Collin Govoni. Last season the go-to running back finished with 891 rushing yards, two rushing TDs, and a two-point conversion.
Govoni said people are counting them out, but they are ready to take on the challenge this season.
“People are thinking this is the rebuilding year. I don’t like that. I see this as we’re starting back from last season,” Govoni said. “We definitely lost two big pieces on our offense and defensive line, but I feel like we’re going to come together and make it work no matter what. We just got that dawg in us. We’re ready to compete.”
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Head coach: Timothy Medeiros
Last season record: 8-2
Falmouth Clippers 2023 football schedule
Week 1: Friday, Sept. 8 vs Plymouth North, 6 p.m.
Week 2: Thursday, Sept. 14 vs Marlborough, 6 p.m.
Week 3: Friday, Sept. 22 at Medway, 6 p.m.
Week 4: Friday, Sept. 29 at Rockland, 6 p.m.
Week 5: Friday, Oct. 6, vs Dartmouth, 6 p.m.
Week 6: Friday, Oct. 13, at Dennis-Yarmouth, 6 p.m.
Week 7: Saturday, Oct. 21, vs Saugus, 1 p.m.
Week 8: Friday, Oct. 27 vs Nauset, 6 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, Nov. 23 vs Barnstable, 10 a.m.
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Key matchups
The Clippers will face a Rockland team that was ranked No. 2 in the Div. 6 MIAA state tournament last season, and a Marlborough team that was 10th in Div. 4. The Thanksgiving Day matchup with Barnstable is always a good one to watch.
Top returning players
Collin Govoni, RB/DB, senior
Evan Hauptmann, CB/WR, senior
Austin Zylinski, DE/TE, senior
Tommy Bushy, QB, senior
Connor LeBlanc, LB/FB, senior
Jack Demers, DE, senior
Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth football: Schedule, key games, top players for 2023 season
