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For the record, here is that much talked about 130-plus player All-MVC team, from the perspective of this side of the Valley

Dec 18th, 2008 by Hector Longo

Central Catholic senior Zak Adamopoulos, a three-year starter who had eight sacks and 94 tackles this fall, was named the MVC Lineman of the Year.

Pat Graham, who guided Methuen to a 7-4 season following five straight seasons of two or fewer wins, was selected co-Coach of the Year. He shared the award with another second-year coach, Lowell’s Al Pare.

The overall MVP was Dracut’s Matt Grimard, who threw for 21 TDs and scored 34 times this fall.

All-MVC Football

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Matt Grimard, Sr., Dracut, 6-4, 235; Shain Jowett, Sr., Central Catholic, 6-3, 180; John Hennessy, Jr, Andover, 5-11, 175; Running Back: Joel Altavesta, Sr., Tewksbury, 5-9, 185; Mike Bartlett, Sr., Methuen, 5-11, 190; Jon Rivera, Sr., Dracut, 5-7, 190; Evan Sheridan, Sr., Chelmsford, 5-11, 185; Dan Triplett, Sr., Haverhill, 5-11, 220; Wide Receiver: James Sorenson, Sr., Billerica, 5-11, 180; Joe Healy, Sr., Lowell, 6-3, 195; Joenrry Acosta, Sr., Methuen, 6-1, 180; Rakeem Shepherd, Jr., Dracut, 5-11, 185; Tight End: Jordan Murphy, Sr., Dracut, 6-2, 230; Offensive Line: Ryan Davila, Jr., Lowell, 6-5, 350; Andrew Lebowitz, Sr., Andover, 5-11, 275; Kyle Sullivan, Jr., Haverhill, 6-1, 230; Keric Kelly, Sr., Billerica, 6-2, 280; Chase Bartrum, Sr., Tewksbury, 6-2, 250; Brian Baez, Sr., Methuen, 6-0, 250; Andy Sutherland, Sr., Dracut, 6-1, 250; Kicker: Melvin Mah, Sr., Lowell, 5-10, 175; Punter: Justin Marsan, Sr., Methuen, 5-11, 195

First Team Defense

Defensive Line: Zak Adamopoulos, Sr., Central Catholic, 6-1, 225; Brandon Frechette, Sr., Chelmsford, 6-0, 230; Joe Gulino, Sr., Tewksbury, 6-2, 240; Kevin Coutu, Sr., Lowell, 5-10, 255; Kyle Raymond, Sr., Billerica, 6-1, 210; Michael Garcia, Sr., Central Catholic, 6-3, 245; Linebacker: Chris Bent, Sr., Dracut, 6-1, 200; John McCarthy Jr., Methuen, 5-11, 185; Matt Gordon, Sr., Methuen, 6-0, 195; Steve LaFortune, Sr., Andover, 6-0, 216; Zack Lattrell, Jr., Central, 6-0, 220; Defensive Back: Chris Callery, Sr., Lowell, 5-10, 175; Yogi Layne, Sr., Andover, 6-2, 178; Tom Szymanski, Jr., Dracut, 6-2, 195; John DiBitetto, Sr., Central Catholic, 5-9, 170; Brian Smith, Sr., Lowell, 5-10, 165; Aaron Everleigh, Sr., Chelmsford, 6-0, 180

Locals on Second Team

Quarterback: Matt Bartlett, Sr., Methuen; Running Back: Tucker Devine, Sr., Andover; Wide Receiver: Brendan Walsh, Sr., Central Catholic; Patrick Phillion, Sr., Methuen; Chris McConnell, Jr., Andover; Offensive Line: Zack Jordan, Sr., Methuen; Walter Gillis, Sr., Central Catholic; Matt Lafrance, Sr., Central Catholic, Erik Geffken, Sr., Andover; Punter: Chris Berganti, Jr., Central Catholic; Kicker: Cam Walsh, Soph., Central Catholic; Defensive Line: Dan Canniff, Sr., Central Catholic; Jake Lebowitz, Jr., Andover; Sean Cairns, Sr., Methuen; Zach Borelli, Jr., Central; Defensive Back: Evan Pare Sr., Haverhill; Kyle Hudson, Sr., Methuen; Andy Scott, Sr., Central Catholic

Locals Honorable Mention

Running Back: Ryan Peek, Sr., Andover; Tommy Lacroix, Jr., Central Catholic, Noel Figuereo, Sr., Haverhill; Wide Receiver: Jimmy Johnson, Jr., Andover; Jimmy Nguyen, Sr., Central Catholic; Nygil Nelson, Sr., Central Catholic; Offensive Line: Pat Guidi, Sr, Central Catholic; Defensive Line: Kevin Baroni, Sr., Andover; Mike Ardagna, Sr., Andover, Peter Theodorou, Jr., Andover; Linebacker: Jimmy Haddad, Sr., Central Catholic; Nick Enxing, Jr., Andover

Miscellaneous Honors

Coaches of the Year: Pat Graham, Methuen; Al Pare, Lowell

League MVP: Matt Grimard, Dracut

Offensive MVP: Joel Altavesta, Tewksbury

Defensive MVP: Chris Callery, Lowell

Lineman of the Year: Zak Adamopoulos, Central Catholic

Posted in Football, Hector Longo | Comments

  • Hector Longo
    For obvious reasons, I will hold off on any commentary on this team until our Eagle-Tribune All-Stars are published Sunday.
    I just don't want to give anything away.
    I welcome anyone else's thoughts, yes even Mr Middie, as long as they are tasteful, classy and thought out.
    Remember, there is no ripping kids allowed on this site. Period.
  • LHS
    Coach in the league, the selection process is a joke. There should be set limits on each position, but if that was the case peoples feelings would get hurt. Also some area coaches lie about statistics, so even when there is a deserving kid from school A, school b, c, d, e, all have better stats. Therfore there all selected. It's quite comical.
  • clayton
    the mvc is a joke.......they would lose to 99% of the the teams in florida by 50 points!!!!!!!!!
  • mka (aka Mr Middie)
    Never ripped a kid...only ripped you.
  • walt
    aren`t the two players on the central roster that didn`t make this list offended.
    the team must have gone 14-0

    this many selections is a joke
  • Tom
    Hector,

    I am just curious of the selection criteria for the Eagle Tribune All Star. You have stated there are teams in the region that you have not seen play. How do you pick all stars from these teams?
  • Hector Longo
    Tom,
    Awesome question.
    The Eagle-Tribune All-Stars, which in all sports will run starting Sunday, are done in this way.
    Take football.
    One staffer, in this case David Willis, calls every coach to get their nominees.
    Then, all the E-T sports staffers get together, offer their opinions and hash out an All-Star team that we can be proud of.
    That way every team can be fairly observed and represented.

    HL
  • Hector Longo
    And Walt, not to stick up for Central here, but there were other coaches in the league who abused the system.
    For example, my count had Central at 19, while Tewksbury, one of the weaker teams in the league, placed 16.
    Both teams had a quad-MVP, along with Dracut and Lowell.
    There were over 130 kids mentioned, everyone abused the system.
    Imagine, Matt Grimard is good enough to win the Gatorade State Player of the Year, but the MVC coaches, who feel it necessary to name two coaches of the year, name him a quad-MVP.
    But I must stop this snow-fused rant.
  • Herman Hermanson
    YOu mean you actually have space for an all star team after all the meaningless crap from Burt and Siegel about things that don't matter to people who buy your local newspaper? Guess what, you idiots: We don't buy the Eagle Tribune to hear about tghe Redsox or Patriots. We buy it to hear about Methuen, Lawrence, North Andover, Timberlane, etc, etc

    CAN THE ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR. YOU WORK FOR A LAWRENCE PAPER, NOT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.
  • Badcopier
    It is an awful lot of players.
  • Jimmy G.
    Wow. Herman Hermanson has anger issues.
  • good fan
    the eagle tribune all-stars are a dam joke.Some of the players there are a joke.The eagle tribune should be ashamed
  • Loyal Reader
    Good Fan, Who are they missing? Why don t you give your opinion of who should be added and why. (not of who shouldn't be there)
  • William
    Hector,
    Can you please post the all star team on the blog? Thanks.
  • good fan
    for one juan olivio from greater lawrence. I was there in the lawrence vs gr lawrence game and i saw him get outplayed by bothe george escoto and pedro cruz.
  • good fan
    both of whom werent even on the starting team. its a shame
  • Loyal Reader
    Good Fan, Were those two better than the representatives that Lawrence had on the team? That is what you should be looking at. Lawrence was a middle of the road team this year and really shouldn't have any more players on this team than the couple that they do. I have not seen this player from GL play but have heard good things about him. It would not be realistic to have 2 more players from Lawrence on this team unless Lawrence was a powerhouse which they were not. The coaches nominate who they want on and the writers at the trib decide who makes it.
  • good fan
    but those two lawrence kids were were two of the most dominating linemen in the region. ask mr. Longo if you think i am lying.
  • frank
    good fan, 1 game doesn't make a season. How many times did you see Juan Olivio play? He was dominant, against everyone he played, I will grant you lawrence was much better than the Voke this year, but Juan deserved to be on this list, and there wasn't a better dlineman on lawrence.
  • good fan
    oo is that why his only tackles against Lawrence came in garbage time.I bet you are the voke line coach.i bet you still have nightmares about those two lawrence dlineman destroying your oline every play.here some advice find a new job.
  • frank
    Good fan I guess the answer is that you didn't see him play in the other 10 games like the writers and coaches did. As far as Lawrence vs the Voke this year, when you have a school that has 5000 students (approx), playing a school that has 1400 students (approx) and the smaller school is not good that year these things will happen. Lawrence should be happy for a great year, Mike, Kevin, and Chris have done a great job building a program that no one has been able to build for 20 years. As far as the dlineman go, they weren't as big as a factor as Donea was, we couldn't get him blocked all game. Finally the only nightmares I have are worrying about my family and friends during these tough economic times, I will never have nightmares about a High School football game.
  • good fan
    the dlinemen were not a big factor huh. i saw your oline cutting lawrences dline every sinlgle play yet they still dominated.ask your qb how your qb felt after getting walloped by the lawrence dline. i saw at least 2 sacks.
  • good fan
    and as for the student size that doesnt matter because the voke is never good. they are a glorified scrimage for lawrence high school.
  • LancerFaN 09
    these tings are too funny.. i feel like there was a db missing on the list
  • Danny Triplett
    I would like to say coach briggs for the haverhill hillies has no respect for his team or other coaches. I know for i'm the starting fullback for his team in the 08 season. I've been pushed by this man to the verge of self destruction. I'm writing this so people have respect for the hillies and know why they struggle. They struggle because the passion and love football brings to it's athletes is being suck from this man and this is by far no exaggeration. Please for those who read this for the future when you look at the hillies don't look down on them for poor skills or no effort. Just look at the coward who is just here to make a name out of a squad whose having trouble for years but has no heart in it rather treat people like dogs. I was dog for too damn long.
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