Sports 12-16-2015

In the Middle, At the Top

Stanfield earns second All-New England selection

By Cary Shuman

Nick Stanfield received virtually every major award that was attainable during his splendid football career at Framingham State University.

All-New England – Twice. MASCAC Offensive Lineman of the Year – Twice. All-MASCAC Team – Three Times. NEFC Rookie of the Year – Once (in his only year of eligibility for that award.).

But the former Everett High football standout, who helped the Crimson Tide win two Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium and Bentley University, has one more game remaining in his collegiate career and it’s a big one: the Division 3 Senior Classic, the nation’s premier all-star game for Division 3 college players that will be held this weekend in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Stanfield, a rugged 6-foot, 230-pound center, will compete against the best players in the country. National Football League, Canadian Football League, and international football scouts will be on hand to evaluate each player’s professional football potential.

“I’m flying out there Thursday,” said the 21-year-old Stanfield. “It’s a very exciting opportunity. Playing professional football would definitely be something that I would be very interested in doing. I don’t know if I have the body frame to be playing offensive line in America but you never know. We’ll see if anybody can see anything in me that they like and hopefully I’ll get a call somewhere.”

Stanfield was a four-year starting center at Framingham, playing in more than 40 games. Few centers in college football can boast that they blocked for a 6,000-yard career rusher (Melikke Van Alstyne, who was an FSU running back for Stanfield’s first two seasons) and a record-setting quarterback (fellow All-New England player Matt Silva, who threw 41 touchdown passes and for 3,168 yards this season).  FSU wide receiver Matt Mangano also joined Stanfield and Silva on the All-New England Team.

Silva was the brilliant quarterback receiving the snaps from Stanfield in the Rams’ explosive offense.

“Nick has an uncanny ability to help me with the protection in the line and the run schemes – he’s another quarterback on the field,” said Silva, a former Dracut High QB who played against Stanfield while he was at Everett. “As I’m worried about reading the coverages, he’s taking care of the front seven and helping out the younger linemen. He was another coach on the field for me. Everett has a great program and they deliver superstar athletes every year to college teams. It was an honor to play college football by Nick’s side.”

FSU head coach Thomas Kelley said Stanfield’s presence in the middle of the line will be missed.

“We’re going to really miss Nick,” said Kelley. “He was an outstanding player for four years. As an offensive lineman, he was like a quarterback on the field. He made a lot of the calls out there. Not only will we miss him as a football player, we’ll miss him as a person. I knew the first time I watched him play football on film, he was our guy. Nick is just a smart, smart football player.”

Stanfield learned his blocking skills at an early age, as a player in the Everett Pop Warner system. He advanced those skills under the tutelage of Everett High offensive line coach Mike Milo and head coach John DiBiaso. He started at left guard as a junior and was the All-Scholastic center when All-Scholasti quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso set the state’s all-time career touchdown passing record.

“It [blocking techniques] goes all the way back to coach Peter Forte and those guys in my Pop Warner days – my father [Bob Stanfield] also helped me out. He was at practices every day and he did what he could outside of practice,” said Stanfield. “And I learned more than I can even describe from coach Milo and coach DiBiaso.”

Stanfield will receive a degree in Criminology and intends to pursue a career in law enforcement. He would like to coach in the Everett High football program if his schedule allows.

Reflecting on his experience at Framingham State, Stanfield said, “The coaching, the people I’ve met, my all-around experience – I’ll be be forever grateful for all of that. “I’ve met some very valuable people and learned a lot of valuable lessons. I feel very blessed to have had a fortunate outcome of my football career going from Everett to Framingham. I’ve never had to experience a losing season and I feel very lucky to land out here.”

EHS Roundup

EHS hockey team

opens with 7-1 victory

The Everett High hockey team opened its 2016 season with a 7-1 triumph over East Boston at Porazzo Rink Saturday evening in a non-league encounter.

The Crimson Tide scored twice in the opening frame and then exploded for four markers in the middle stanza to put the game on ice.

Leading the way for the Crimson Tide was junior Bryan Bessler, who scored a goal and added four assists. Ryan Snook lit the lamp for two goals and teammates Louis Staffieri (who notched the first goal of the 2016 season),  J.J. McLaughlin, and Marc Faia also scored for Everett.

Senior Crimson Tide goalie Cassara Roderick turned in a strong effort with 25 saves. EHS head coach Jason Lawrence also praised the play of defenseman

Jason Cardinale.

Lawrence and his crew took on Swampscott this past Monday in another non-league contest and will travel to non-league rival Methuen next Monday.

EHS girls open

with 54-37 loss

The Everett High girls basketball team opened its season against Northeastern Conference foe Marblehead  Friday and came out on the short end of a 54-37 decision.

The Lady Crimson Tide trailed by a manageable eight points at the end of the third quarter, but Marblehead pulled away in the final eight minutes.

“We lost steam in the fourth period,” said EHS head coach Tammy Turner. “We have been dealing with injuries, so we are not as well-conditioned as I would like.”

Talia Riccioli paced Everett in the scoring department with 13 points. Yasmeen Guerrier reached double figures with 11 points and Nyomi Dottin hit for six.

The Lady Crimson Tide took on Lawrence last night (Tuesday).

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