After a 4-3 record in the regular season, the football team made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The ninth-seed Titans fell to Bridgewater-Raynham in a 39-7 loss on Nov. 8.
The team was led by senior captains Dominic Frallicciardi, Owen Ellsworth and Kyriakos Ciccone. In the days leading up to the game, Ciccone reflected on the season as a whole and the importance of their playoff appearance.
What does it mean for the team to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years?
“I think everybody on the team is really proud of the accomplishment. You know, we all put in a ton of work, from the offseason lifts to the preseason to now. Everybody should be proud of themselves, but there still is work to be done and we still know we can accomplish more. It is a great feeling but we still have to keep pushing forward and get to the ultimate goal. It also means a lot to us because it hasn’t been done in so long.”
What has been a highlight of the regular season?
“I would say the highlight of our season was beating our nearby rival Shrewsbury, 36-28. We were down 28-7 with less than 2 [minutes] to go and scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick, scored a touchdown, recovered another onside kick, and then scored another touchdown. It was really a game that was like a plot from a movie. You can’t write it up better than that. We won in overtime and that one was really special, especially since they were a rivalry. That celebration in the locker room felt really good for sure.”
Who are some of your key players?
“I’d say all of the starters are key players. All of the starters have worked really hard to do everything they can for this team. We don’t really like to look at it that way because it’s a team game and everybody does their part and everybody has played a big role in our season. It hasn’t just been one or two people, it’s been the whole offense, the whole defense, and the whole special teams.”
What has been the most challenging part of the season?
“I would say the most challenging part of the season has been dealing with injuries. We’re not too banged up, but we are banged up in specific areas like the defensive line. We’ve had to bring some new people to play defensive line. They’ve been doing a great job but they’re just not as experienced because they were playing other positions before. That’s been tough, but our two game losing streak was pretty tough too. We lost to two good teams, Doherty and Grafton, and morale did get a little low after those games because we were 1-2. I was really happy with how the team bounced back, going on a three game winning streak. We’re just rolling now.”
What is your team dynamic like?
“I’d say our team dynamic is pretty interesting. We definitely take things serious but also like to have a lot of fun still. It’s made for a really fun season and all the guys are really enjoying it, especially the seniors. It’s awesome to be doing the things that we’ve done in our senior year. We just have to keep our chemistry and dynamic going because it’s what’s working and it’s why we’ve had our success this season.”
What is coming up for the team next year?
“I have really high expectations for the team next year. There’s a lot of experienced juniors and several experienced sophomores who can step up and be leaders next year. I’m really excited to see what they do. If they just work hard in the offseason, do all of the right things and stay out of trouble, they’ll be a really solid team.”
