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The MVC coaches didn’t have the guts to do it … but I do. Here’s my TRUE All-MVC team

Dec 5th, 2009 by Hector Longo

Since the coaches in the Merrimack Valley Conference can’t pull the trigger, and from what my sources say, the league administrator didn’t bother to show up for the All-conference meeting to administrate, I am left no option but to name the real Merrimack Valley All-Conference team.
I can assure you, I won’t go 38 deep for an all-conference team as the coaches did.
I will not pick 10 MVPs as the coaches did.
We are talking about 10 teams here. 10 MVPs?????
Really means a lot, let me tell you.
Any how, here goes:

Offensive (and overall) MVP: A no-brainer. The dominant team in the league, when he was on the field, was Billerica. Nick LaSpada, the super soph, was the best player on the field every time he touched it. A no-brainer.

Defensive MVP: I saw everybody (albeit Andover for just one half of one game), the most impactful defender I noticed on the field was Central’s Zack Lattrell, by a whisker but he was it. For its overall talent, Central overachieved by going 8-3. Lattrell was a giant reason why.

All-MVC Offense

QB – John Hennessy, Sr., Andover. The first and toughest choice I had to make. If I did this tomorrow, the pick could easily be Cal Carroll or Matt Silva or Nick Elwell. I went with Hennessy probably as a bit of a lifetime achievement away. Tough, tough choice, though.
RB – Jared Gauthier, Sr., Dracut … The runner-up to offensive (and overall) MVP in my eyes. Kid’s a stud.
TE – Brian Miller, Jr., Andover … The D1’s like him, so do I.
WR – Michael Calzetta, Sr., Lawrence … I could watch his highlight film over and over.
WR – Wayne Bolz, Sr., Billerica … Saw them twice, he was open on every route he ran.
WR – Raudy Minaya, Jr., Methuen … Gigantic upside, made some phenomenal catches, came alive when the Rangers needed a passing game.
OL – Chris Carmant, Sr., Billerica
OL – Anthony Morin, Sr., Dracut
OL – Aaron Ferreira, Sr., Methuen
OL –Connor Clancy, Jr., Andover
OL –Ryan Davila, Sr., Lowell

All-MVC Defense
DL – James Roth, Sr., Billerica
DL – James Acosta, Sr., Dracut
DL – Tito Morel, Sr., Haverhill
DL – Pat O’Leary, Sr., Methuen
LB ¬¬¬– Zac Borrelli, Sr., Central … Overshadowed by Lattrell, dominated at times.
LB ¬¬¬– Harvey Blanco, Sr., Lawrence … Inch for inch, the best player in the MVC
LB ¬¬¬– Jimmy Holland, Sr., Billerica … Might be the toughest kid I’ve seen on defense this year.
LB ¬¬¬– John McCarthy, Sr., Lawrence … Made all the plays. Love his strut. A huge season. My runner-up for defensive MVP
DB – Jimmy Johnson, Sr., Andover … Gets every ounce of production possible out of his athletic ability.
DB – Tom Szymanski, Sr., Dracut … One of the top all-purpose talents in the area.
DB – Andrew Ouellette, Sr., Central … Overlooked because of his offense. I love his work back in center field.

Coach of the Year – None. You’re all a bunch of politically correct, stubborn tenderfeet, afraid to make a team that really carries some merit. 10 MVPs in a 10 team league. I can’t make this stuff up.

A couple quick notes:
Apologies to Cam Walsh of Central and the like, I just have no need for kickers and punters on this team.
Linemen are so nondescript, so this is tough. I’m telling you I saw Billerica twice. When the coaches names their co-linemen of the year and he came from Billerica, I was sure it was Justin Hood or whoever wears No. 72. It’s Hood according the roster. The kid pancaked everything in both games. Just dominating, and he wasn’t even all-conference, never mind co-LOY.
Same thing with Dracut. I saw them on Turkey Day and #68 was a monster. That was James Acosta. Yet no love from the coaches,who put another Dracut kid on first team, so I improvised on the linemen, using a couple guys from the coaches and a couple of my own guys. I’d love all your comments, maybe even Name’s, if he chooses to show himself.
Please folks, remember, these are kids, who needed to be shown proper respect.I will not tolerate “Oh, he sucks, this kid’s much better.” Those comments are flat-out wrong.

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  • ranger91

    I buy it HL. Great league –great kids

    What I can'y buy are chicken s— AD's who aren't able or willing to enforce the MIAA anti-alcohol and anti-drug rules like the two GL suburban AD's who know all about the drinking parties but refused to stand up and do their jobs.

    Shame on them!

  • john

    Hec, I could talk about the MVC all the time. How many on the list are D1? I believe 10 of them will be offered. Great conference, great teams that win state championships every year

  • John Stark

    Good call, Hec, but I'd tighten it down further. Make your Offensive MVP part of the all-conference team. Hence, Laspada is your all-conference qb with all due respect to the Andover kid. There, that wasn't so hard, was it? But I strongly agree with the broader point re: MVC coaches. Attempting to read the “all-conference” team in the paper is simply unwieldy.

    And while we're on the topic, Laspada's injury vs. Everett clearly reinforces what happens to a one-man high school team when that one man can't play. With him, Billerica is very, very good. Without him, they're low average.

  • Name

    Hec, if you are disapointed at what the MVC coaches did…
    wait until you hear about the CAC awards. wow.

  • rangercoach

    The MVC al-conference team is laughable. Way to many kids. It should be League MVP(overall). Off Player of the year and def player of the year regardless of large or small. and then 1 player for each of the starting 11 positions on each side. They should also do a special teams player of the year. A coach of the year and thats it. It boils down to outright lying and cheating about inflated stats and egos. It is quite embarassing. For instance the starting middle linebacker for dracut supposedly broke the school record for tackles in a year with 155. and he wasn't the defensive mvp symanski is. I would bet my house he wasn't even close to 155 tackles this season. 155/11=14 a game which means he basically makes 30 percent of the plays. come on! If it was true he should have been the MVP.

  • tim

    Great season by Whittier. Great to see the recognition they are receiving on the site. Program can become a powerhouse since they can take kids from 11 different communities. They need to start getting more kids from Amesbury and Newburyport. I know those school systems try very hard to keep their top athletes from going to the Whittier.

  • football4life

    So Hector when do we get to see the NH all-stars? I am a bit anxious to see if Proulx, Guinto, Jacques, Cannone, and Frederick get some love from the ET for their seasons. I saw some MVC games but I didn't see a tougher runner then Jacques, a faster person fly off the ball like Proulx, and a better QB than Cannone, and a more game-changer like Guinto.

  • bighec711

    Name,
    I coached three sports in the CAC. What the coaches do in that league is horrifying.
    I will never forget representing Whittier back I want to say in 2001 at the baseball meeting. We were league champs. Our best player was a kid by the name of Mike Pratt, who hit .450, drove in 25 runs, went 5-1 with an ERA under 2.00 on the mound, including a no-hitter.
    Long story short, I present the case. Another coach in the league, one that had been around, says “I know we only won a few games but Kid X is a great kid. Don't have his stats, he hit around .300.”
    We were the New Kids on the Block. He'd been there forever. I don't have to tell you who got the MVP, and the vote wasn't close. From then on, I understood 90 percent of these coach-picked teams are a farce.

  • Zak

    What about an all MVC selection show held at the Eagle Tribune offices? Have the tribune staff select the team with highlights from games. Then we can follow that up with a signing day live feed from Central on February 3rd!

  • nick

    The MVC does a nice job of publicizing itself with help from some big local newspapers (Sun and Tribune). The administration from many if not all of its member schools are very committed to athletics. Many leagues have just as talented athletes but lack these important things mentioned above.

  • bearlb67

    Hec as a CAC coach in 3 sports also, and a former player, this year in football there are 3-4 kids who could make a claim for O MVP Ryan whittier/ Pizzuto Glt/ Surette whittier/ Cicconie ME they all have great stats, who do you think??

    D MVP again i am biased towards Bemboo (Olivio) but also 55 from whittier, But Bemboo completely dominated games when not double and triple teamed (see 07 super bowl, or these year vs Northeast)

  • MrReal2000

    Coach – Team has already been selected last week?

  • bearlb67

    Yes, i was just making banter about it… i believe Ryan gets the MVP award

    Name. what happened that was so bad??? i really must have missed something?? i was not at the meeting?

  • massfan

    Thats the problem ” No One was at the meeting” Just sad..

  • bearlb67

    i hear ya, i am not a head coach, i am the O.C/line coach. i agree it should have been a better showing, CAC represented well in the playoffs northeast and whittier both state champs. its a shame some kids will not be recognized as allstars due to poor attendance of coaches/AD's at a meeting

  • massfan

    True, I just think their has to be better coordination amongst coaches (someone has to attend to represent). I understand where your coming from but, for the Pizzuto kid and the year he had not to get CO-MVP when they select 3 from five teams? Kind of ridiculous? I saw the kid play 2 or 3 times and he is a very good player makes guys miss and has that break a way speed..

  • klq567

    it was in the tribune today, Tri-MVP
    Ryan / Murphy? / & Ciccone ?.
    That Pizzuto kid got snubbed. Guess 2,000 yards & high 20's in touchdowns isnt good enough to the CAC coaches.

  • hoopking

    I think the lack of coaching hurt the Andover High kids – if they win 2 of the 4 winnable games they lost – you would have put the entire offensive line on the team – they were the best O line in the league – Just look at Hennessey stats for 2 years – The entire game begins and ends with line play

  • bigsportsfan

    “MVC coaches don't have the guts to do it, BUT I DO.”

    Seriously, get over yourself. High School sports is about high school student/athletes, not some local writer for a Lawrence newspaper.

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