LYNN — The St. Mary’s soccer workforce got here into the 2022 season with expectations of creating a visit to Gillette Stadium and successful a Super Bowl championship.
And with proficient seniors like David Brown, Derick Coulanges, Tommy Falasca and Jack Marks, the Spartans rolled to this system’s second Super Bowl title.
But head coach Sean Driscoll says the Spartans wouldn’t have been in place to take dwelling the Agganis Trophy with out junior center linebacker/fullback Joel Maggs.
The quarterback of a protection that stymied groups for a lot of the common and postseason, Maggs additionally made big contributions offensively when Brown needed to miss time due to accidents.
Turn the calendar to 2023 and Maggs is again for his senior season and is anticipated to play a good larger function for the Spartans, who look to defend their championship and show they weren’t a one hit surprise.
“We lost a lot of key players and we’re fortunate enough to have a kid like him playing the way he has for the last couple of years,” Driscoll mentioned. “He works hard at the game. He knows the game. His toughness and speed brings a whole different magnitude to our team as a whole and we’re going to be leaning on it a lot this year.”
For Maggs and his teammates, discovering the motivation to have a return engagement in Foxboro gained’t be exhausting to search out.
“Even though we won the state championship last year, we have a lot to prove because we lost a lot of guys,” Maggs mentioned. We misplaced a number of starters on either side of the ball, a number of seniors. Everyone believes we’re not going to be that good this yr so we positively have so much to show and an enormous chip on our shoulder.”
A season in the past, Maggs led a protection stuffed with skilled gamers who had been on a quest to lastly recover from the hump and win a championship. This season, nevertheless, the Spartans shall be breaking in a number of new gamers on that facet of the ball. Getting these gamers able to face varsity competitors is one thing Maggs is trying ahead to.
“I had a big role last year. I was the middle backer and was the quarterback of the defense who had experienced guys all around me. Guys who had been starting for two or three years and that was a big help. It made my job a lot easier,” Maggs mentioned. “This year as a senior and someone with experience, I have to teach the guys a lot and help them improve and get better.”
Reports of the Spartans’ demise is likely to be a bit bit untimely, as Maggs and firm nonetheless have loads of proficient and skilled gamers returning to Tremont Street. Led by quarterback Tyler Guy and operating again/linebacker Ernie Panias, together with proficient lineman Chris Marks, the Spartans ought to nonetheless pack loads of punch on either side of the ball.
“We definitely have guys that can step up and fill the roles of the guys that we lost. It definitely hurt but we’ve been working all summer and camp in the weight room and on the field trying to get better every day,” Maggs mentioned. “I think we have the guys that will be able to do it. We have a lot of experience at the positions we need and a lot of guys that have been learning a lot every year.”
There’s additionally the added incentive of proving that the Spartans are actually a program that doesn’t should undergo a rebuilding part and now might be one that may reload with expertise on a constant foundation.
“That’s the chip on the shoulder, to prove to everyone saying that we can’t win without David,” Maggs mentioned. “David was a great leader, a great player and one of the best teammates you could ask for. He’s up at Bentley doing his thing now. But we have guys that can show that we can win without him and fill the roles that we need.”
The Spartans will step proper into the breach on opening night time after they face fellow Super Bowl participant KIPP Academy in a rivalry of faculties who name the identical neighborhood dwelling.
Source: www.bostonherald.com
