CAPIZZO, WHALERS PREPARE FOR 2007 CAMPAIGN
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
"Heck, no," he said between puffs on his pipe when asked if he thought that when he arrived on Nantucket back in 1964 he'd still be coaching football. "I didn't think I was going to last a week."

But his love of the game was infectious, and he turned little Nantucket into a powerhouse. Now the winningest active coach in Massachusetts, and third all-time in state history, he has helped guide Nantucket to 290 victories since 1964. Not be coaching? Absurd.

As Vito - he hasn't needed to use his last name for years - prepares for his 44th year with Nantucket (and 45th year coaching overall, counting his first year in Florida) he admitted this may be a rebuilding year, not a reloading year, as it was throughout the 1980s and into the '90s when it was customary for 75-to-80 students to come out for the team. With the number of players noticeably down, the sobriquet "smallest football-playing team in the state" seems more applicable than ever.

"We have 40 kids total, on the varsity and junior varsity," he said. "We lost 11 seniors, 9 of them starters. But we're going to be okay, provided we don't have any injuries."

The team will miss for sure the talents of running back and linebacker John O'Mara, who concluded his high school career with 5 unassisted tackles and 3 assisted tackles in the Shriner's Football Classic allstar game this summer, as it will the scoring punch of quarterback Geddes Paulsen, who proved to be an invaluable team leader last year.

But it's a new year, and with it comes new faces. "You're going to see some younger kids," the coach noted. New quarterback Chris Welch has taken on a leadership role in early practices. "He reminds me of Matty Erisman," Vito said. "The whole staff is pleased with the way he's running the offense."

Coming up from the junior varsity, sophomore Jamie Viera will see action at fullback, while junior Hunter Day has taken pre-season snaps at running back. David Loveberry is showing signs of speed, while freshmen Matt McGrath, Curran Huyser and Jake Molloy all have exhibited solid skills that will land them on the varsity squad. "I think these young athletes are going to represent Nantucket very well," the coach believes.

Seniors Erik Hughes and Tomas Smaliorius, meanwhile, look solid at the middle and outside linebacker positions. Also coming back after promising seasons last year are Josh Butler, Delroy Lawrence and Rasheed Smith.

The team will be tested early, as Southeastern is first up on the schedule and playing the Whalers at home this Saturday. The Hawks will be gunning for the Whalers after last year's 42-28 loss on the island. Nantucket was behind, 28-8, late in the third quarter, you may recall, before forging what Vito called "the greatest comeback in the history of the school." Not that the Hawks need further incentive, but their only win against Nantucket came in 2005, which was also the year of their second Super Bowl championship. Southeastern had 90 boys come out for the team this year, and they will rely on those numbers to try and wear down the Whalers with their wedge-style offense this weekend.

Fortunately, the Whalers had an extra week to prepare for the season opener. They dropped the Cohasset game from the schedule, paring the season down to a more manageable 10 games. "Having the week off is a blessing," Vito admitted. "It gives me a little more time to work on the offense."

The team rebounded from a 1-9 record in 2005 to finish 6-5 last year, winning five of their last seven games. Vito hopes the commitment shown

in 2006 will carry over into 2007. I