Seacoast NH, Maine high school football teams open 2023 practice: Here's what we learned

Chin straps are buckled, shoulder pads are on and mouthpieces are in place. High school football practice has begun in New Hampshire and Maine.

In the Seacoast, New Hampshire teams opened practice Friday, Aug. 11 and Maine teams started Monday, Aug. 14.

Reporters hit the gridiron to catch up with coaches and players who were eager to hit the practice fields.

With more preseason coverage to follow in the coming weeks, and with stories on the top offensive and top defensive players already published, here's what we learned from the opening of practice:

NH DIVISION I

A new first day record turnout for Portsmouth/Oyster River football

PORTSMOUTH — Last season, the Portsmouth/Oyster River football team saw 94 players show up for the first day of fall practice, which was good news for head coach Brian Pafford.

The 2023 turnout of 115 players blew 2022 out of the water, boosted by a great turnout of freshmen.

"It's an incredible problem to have, a good problem to have," Pafford said. "You're worried about, 'Do I have enough coaches so the kids get the proper coaching?' The freshman number is at 42, and we actually have five guys coaching the freshman team. In that sense, it's how do you get 42 kids in the game. So, we're going to do some creative things and make them into three groups, and two groups go to a game. Have two intra-squad scrimmages, so for that, we need to make sure they all play and get in the game, especially at that age so they can have fun, and not just practice every day."

"It's the biggest number we've had since like 1976, it's crazy, I love it," senior captain Max Durkin said. "The more numbers, the better. We have so many more options with who we can put out there."

Portsmouth/Oyster River senior inside linebacker Cole McLaughlin added, "We have more numbers, we're deeper on the charts, it's all just looking better. More competition, everything is going up because of it."

McLaughlin, who had a team-high eight sacks last season, joked he now has to worry about more guys taking his spot.

A fellow linebacker, senior Dom Buono, said the large number helps with the intimidation factor.

"We have a lot of guys coming off the bus, and a lot of guys lining up on the sideline," he said. "It's going to build up a lot of intimidation towards the other team. We have a lot more people, and I like it. ... A couple of guys pushed themselves out of their limits, and we really stood by each other, talked with each other and kept motivating each other."

"Guys are in shape, guys are ready to go," senior running back and slot receiver Angus Moss said. "Plenty of guys are ready to go, guys came back bigger, stronger and faster. A lot of confidence going into the season."

Moss led the ClipperCats last season in catches in 2022, and his 8.5 yards per carry ranked first on the team as well.

— Brandon Brown

Ball back on sideline in Exeter, where new faces are ready to make impact

EXETER — A few months after Exeter’s 2022 season ended with a 29-28 loss to Timberlane in the Division I quarterfinals, longtime Blue Hawks coach and Athletic Director Bill Ball had heart bypass surgery.

Feeling stronger very day, Ball is not only back full time leading the athletic department, but is glad to be back starting his 31st season as the head coach.

“I feel great, I’m ready to go and there are no issues. I love coaching football,” Ball said. “Also as the AD, everybody was back as practice on Monday, so it was a great atmosphere to see everyone come together again.”

After serving as the back-up quarterback to Evan Pafford last season, senior Jack Bove enters camp atop the depth chart this season. He offers a lot of athleticism and size at 6-foot-2-inches tall.

Bove could certainly be a presence in the Blue Hawks' running game and make key throws when needed. Bove will also double up as a defensive back.

“He’s just very athletic, smart and has the leadership makeup that you need at quarterback,” Ball said. “He stays calm and has a great attitude.”

Exeter graduated a number of key players from last year’s team and Ball has plenty to wade through a number of positions to get the right mix and meet the expectations that the program has set.

“There is a lot of competition and there is a lot to sort out,” Ball said. “We want kids who bring a lot of energy, love and play tough football. We want kids to meet the standard of Exeter football.”

— Dan Doyon

Winnacunnet starts with 'high energy'

HAMPTON — Winnacunnet held a week-long camp that ended on the Thursday night, a day prior to the official first day on that Friday, and with that came a group that was in shape and ready to get to work.

"You can tell they were all itching to start the season for sure," Winnacunnet head coach Ryan Francoeur said. "The energy level was high, kind of good camaraderie across the board and a lot of focus, which is nice to see. We have a lot and it wasn't perfect out there, but it was definitely high energy level and people are ready to play football."

Francouer added, "Part of our job as coaches, and the captains' job, is to keep that energy level high, because it won't stay high every day, and that's just the nature of the beast. But you try to pile as many of the high-energy days and focus days together as the season progresses."

The Warriors will have around 80 players across the program with a goal to build upon 2022. A bigger freshman class could help, going from 22 last year to 31 this year, according to the coach.

"We're happy about that," Francouer said.

Francouer said he jokes with the freshman coaches that their evaluations are based on how many of the freshmen return to the team next year as sophomores, with the primary goal of the freshman season being for players to enjoy themselves.

"We want to develop these kids, but we want to make sure that they develop also a love for the program, and want to be part of it," Francouer said.

— Brandon Brown

Dover and Spaulding look to build off nearly identical seasons

DOVER — Rivals Dover and Spaulding had similar 2022 seasons in Division I. Both were 4-1 in September, both ended the season at 4-6, and both lost a first-round game in the expanded D-I playoff format (from eight to 13 teams). Dover lost at Bishop Guertin, 42-14, and Spauldng at Pinkerton, 35-20. Expect the rivals to be better this fall with strong returning numbers.

The Green Wave return eight players on both sides of the ball, led on offense by dual-threat senior quarterback Ryder Aubin, as well as the senior trio of tight end Bryce Carberry, halfback Brady McInnes and wide receiver Sam Grube. “It’s a different place that we’re in compared to last year,” said coach Eric Cumba. “We have some foundational pieces in place. They’re a year older and a year better. Some of those guys have played a lot of football. We have quite a few three-year starters.”

Defensively, Dover feels much better with its returning experience led by McInnes in the secondary, senior Kyle Merrill on the front line and senior Liam Gannon at linebacker.

“We’re looking to maximize our potential this year,” added Cumba, whose team could have got to six wins but let two late-season games slip away. Dover opens on Sept. 1 at Winnacunnet.

ROCHESTER — The Red Raiders won their first four games in D-I, including a huge 36-23 win over rival Dover, before stumbling down the stretch, losing their final six, including two losses where the lack of a kicker came back to haunt them. With seven starters back on offense, eight on defense and 85 overall in the program, Spaulding could be in a position to attain a winning record and a first-round home playoff game.

“I was thrilled with the turnaround,” said Spaulding coach Kevin Hebert. “We hadn’t won a game (in 2021), so to turn it around in a year. .... Even that Pinkerton game was a two-score game for us. … Our guys finished strong. Nothing to be ashamed of to lose by two scores at Pinkerton in a playoff game.”

The offense will be led by senior third-year quarterback Kaiden Melendez, as well as two big power runners in the backfield in senior Hunter Trueman and junior Seth Cortina. On defense, Cortina will play a key role at linebacker, along with senior Jackson Rup (middle linebacker), while senior Zach Lynch will be an important fixture in the secondary. The Red Raiders open the season on Sept. 1 at home vs. Portsmouth/Oyster River.

— Mike Whaley

NH DIVISION II

Physically fit first day for St. Thomas Aquinas

DOVER — St. Thomas coach Ed McDonough could hardly hide his excitement on Friday.

Not only was it the first official day of practice, but many of the veterans showed up physically fit.

“I think a good number of the kids lifted (weights) on their own and they look in great shape,” McDonough said. “We have a lot of kids who’ve come in ready to play. They’re taking it very seriously.”

The Saints return almost intact on both sides of the ball. They lost only two starters on defense and many of the skill position players on offense are back, most notably senior quarterback Michael Skowron and senior fullback Trent Salyards, who had his 2022 season cut short by an emergency appendectomy.

“I like the returning offense,” Skowron said. “It just feels like we're getting back into the norm. A lot of players coming back have gotten stronger over the summer. I like seeing that improvement.”

After starting 3-1 last season, the Saints finished 4-5, including a loss in the first round of the Division III playoffs.

“I think we’ve got some solid skill kids coming back,” McDonough said. “With our top 11, if we can stay healthy we’ll be in the mix I think.”

“We want to go as far as we can and give it our best shot,” Skowron said. “Obviously a championship is a goal for every team and that’s what we’re going to shoot for.”

Entering his third year as the starter, the athletic Skowron will play a big role in that pursuit. The Saints plan to call more designed runs for the versatile QB.

“I love being able to run and throw the ball,” Skowron said. “It feels like I’m more of a threat to the defense and it gives our offense more options.”

“He’s a good runner,” McDonough said. “We’ve got a couple other wrinkles to put in this year for him. We’re going to feature him.”

— Al Pike  

NH DIVISION IV

Lukas Kelly's true definition of being a team player

SOMERSWORTH — Along with Calvin Lambert, Tayshawn Sheppard and Blayne Belanger, Somersworth's Lukas Kelly was also a big part of a deep running back crew for the Hilltoppers last season.

In 2023, Kelly is focused on trying to help the Hilltoppers win their third consecutive Division IV state championship, even though it means a position change.

When Kelly started playing football more than a decade ago, he started out as a lineman, and then transitioned to being a running back as well. Now, Somersworth is looking for his dynamic ability to be shifted back to being a major contributor on the line.

"The team needs me back at that position, so going back to a lineman and kind of just doing what the team needs kind of is a good feeling just to help out," Kelly said. "Whatever I can do to help (the team)."

Kelly said initially he still wanted the glory of being a running back, but eventually came around to the idea.

"Honestly, I don't care anymore because I'm working just as hard, if not harder, and I'm benefitting the team more where I'm at now," Kelly said.

"Lukas Kelly has done a great job for us, he's been our fullback the last few years, and he's converting to the line for us because we need that," Somersworth head coach Jeremy Lambert said. "For me, that's a huge character piece, that he stepped up and said, 'Hey, I'm going to do this. I know it's a change for me, but it's what the team needs.' And he's a great lineman. I'm really proud of him for taking that leadership role."

— Brandon Brown

MAINE CLASS B SOUTH

Rotsko sees successful first day at Marshwood

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — One player is changing positions and is all in. Another remarked on how quickly Monday’s first practice seemed to fly by.

Those were good signs for a proud Marshwood program that is coming off a two-win season, a hard fall that came on the heels of four consecutive state championships.

“The first day we just hope everything goes smoothly,” said coach Alex Rotsko. “We spent a lot of time preparing and getting ready for Day 1. We try not to waste time and I thought we did a pretty good job.”

The Hawks are anxious to put last year behind them.

“They seemed glad to be here,” Rotsko said. “One kid commented, ‘Boy that was fast. I can’t believe how fast it went.’ We were here for two hours. That’s absolutely a good thing. They weren’t thinking about getting out of here.”

Junior Andrew Ryan was taking reps at guard after moving from fullback to the offensive line.

“I love it,” Ryan said. “I’ve never played the position before but I’ll get used to it. I’m a smart guy.”

Senior center and co-captain Riley Parnham offered his take on the practice.

“I saw a lot of good effort throughout from the varsity to the freshmen,” he said. “Guys were really focused on their technique and footwork. … I was looking to see who wants to be here and who actually wants to play football.”

Ryan certainly does.

“We run a wing-T offense and our guards are constantly pulling and trapping and doing a lot of different things athletically that in a lot of offenses you don’t see,” Rotsko said. “My best guards have been running backs because they have a feel for it. He looks good so far.”

— Al Pike

MAINE CLASS C SOUTH

Ben Ronca ready to lead as senior captain after missing last season

YORK, Maine — Despite missing all of last season with a broken ankle sustained in an ATV accident, York’s Ben Ronca found a way to stay involved and contribute.

His teammates were so impressed by his team-first attitude and leadership qualities that they voted him a senior co-captain. No task was too small for the dedicated two-way lineman who functioned as a team manager for the first half of the season.

“That was a big blow,” said coach Matt Nelson. “We expected a lot out of him. The kid worked hard. He came to every practice. He never missed anything for the whole team. As a result the team voted him a captain. That says a lot about his leadership.”

"It's nice to know you're appreciated even if you can't play," Ronca said.

Ronca’s welcome return was just one of the positives derived from Monday’s first practice that was broken up into two parts.

“The first part of practice for us is usually a physically demanding practice,” Nelson said. “I was happy with the kids that worked hard in the summer and it showed. A lot of them handled it quite well. I really liked the energy that the kids brought. Everybody showed up early and ready to go.”

"It was difficult but that's football," said senior co-captain Chris Connors. "You've got to find the strong and the weak. It shows who really put the work in."

Nelson also liked what he saw from junior quarterbacks Alex Taylor and Peter Martin, who are competing for the No. 1 spot. The Wildcats (5-5 last season) also have a freshman in the mix.

“We’ve got three quarterbacks,” Nelson said. “They put a lot of work in this summer. The first part of practice the work that they’ve put in has shown. They’re hitting their receivers in stride and they’ve got a grasp of the plays through that 7-on-7 period.”

— Al Pike

MAINE 8-MAN SMALL SOUTH

Traip Academy's newest Ranger

KITTERY, Maine — Traip Academy junior Phin Fifield spent last fall on the Rangers' boys soccer team, but this year he'll be a wide receiver for the football team.

"I've always played soccer and I wasn't really feeling that last year, so I just decided that I wanted to make the change, and I'm really enjoying football this year," Fifield said. "It looks like this year we have a lot more players than we've had in a long time ... I'm just looking forward to being a part of that this year."

Fifield said he believes his speed and hands can "make a difference at receiver, especially with long routes. ... I also like to think I'm a good teammate, and I like to help everyone around me get better."

Traip Academy head coach Eric Lane said the team had a good showing in terms of numbers on the first day, and has experienced players returning.

"Last year was rough for them, but the experience they got last year is going to be huge for them this year," Lane said, referencing the team's 0-8 record in 2022. "Now I just need them to get bigger and stronger, and then I'm all set."

— Brandon Brown

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast NH, Maine high school football teams open 2023 practice