MEDFORD — A year ago, Medford High head coach Jason Nascimento’s first option on offense was quite clear: Keep the ball in senior quarterback Ben Antoine’s hands.
As a matter of fact, it was more of the same for options two, three and four.
And why not? All Antoine did last year was finish second in scoring in Division 2 football statewide with 24 touchdowns and 168 total points, smashing every Mustang school scoring mark along with the way.
As he readies his Medford squad for his fifth season opener as head coach, Friday night at Lynn Classical (7:30) Nascimento knows it will be a whole different look as he turns the key on a new model of Mustang offense.
“We are a young team with some new faces and we know we are going to be more balanced offensively,” Nascimento said. “When you have a player like (Antoine) back there, he was a threat to score every down, literally. It’s not easy to replace that.”
Filling those shoes will be the task of the Mustangs’ new quarterback, junior Joel Difla, who got an offensive baptism on a couple of occasions last season as a very green sophomore when Antoine got dinged up, including a stint in last year’s Thanksgiving loss to Malden. “Joel (Difla) got some snaps last year, but he’s learned very quickly so far this year what it takes to lead the offense. He’s very sound and disciplined. He works very hard at it and he’s only a junior, we’ve got some time with him.”
Medford will be led by a pair of senior co-captains this year, lead running back and linebacker Chris Perella (5-11, 180) and senior Joe Camara, a two-way starter as well. Other key members from the senior class include senior two-way tackle Jacob Morey, defensive back Brian Burke and senior center Vince Cavanese. Gigantic two-way lineman Tevin Cadet (6-5, 275) is also back for the Mustangs.
Leading the defense will be juniors Keith Barraso (6-2, 205) and Matt Aredes (6-0, 190).
“We’ve got a lot of juniors and they’ve been waiting to get out there,” Nascimento said. “We’ll make some mistakes and we’ll have growing pains, but our kids are working very hard.”
Nascimento said he’s expecting a battle Friday night in Lynn versus Classical. “They’ve got a new coach (Brian Vaughn) who’s been a winner every where he’s been,” Nascimento said, noting Vaughn, the first-year Rams football boss coached his brother, Brian, at a former coaching stop at Pope John. “I saw them the other night against Everett in a scrimmage and they moved the ball well at times and also looked sharp defensively.
“It should be fun,” Nascimento said, “the season opener’s always intense.”