The Aroostook Huskies Football Club recently completed its season. This year’s team made considerable progress on the field, earning the respect of all opponents. Despite coming up short on the scoreboard, these Huskies physically stood up to larger players week in and week out, making teams earn every point.
Being so young promises much for the future of this team,” coach Stu Wyckoff said. “We’re really proud of the courage and grit our bunch showed every game.”
The offense was led by senior quarterback Colin Murray of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick. His running backs were seniors Cody Kennedy of Presque Isle and Joe Silliboy of Ludlow, sophomores Jed Grant of Woodstock, N.B. and Wyatt Kennedy of Presque Isle and freshman Apollo Grondin of Caribou, who led the team in scoring.
Wideout targets in the passing game included sophomores Victor Negron of Limestone and Evan Leach of Presque Isle and freshman Dylan Paddleford of Caribou. Up front, the offensive line featured senior center Brandon Suitter of Hodgdon, junior guards Dustin DeMerchant and Jacob Burby, both of Caribou, and a tackle rotation of sophomores Kevin Bither of New Sweden, Andrew DeChaine of Limestone and Andrew Kirk of Presque Isle. Added depth was provided by freshmen Maxx Langille of Mapleton and Caleb Libby of Caribou and sophomore Travis Hatfield of Limestone.
Defense was the strength of this year’s squad. Consistently spotting the other team 30-40 lbs. per man, the Huskies were aggressive and fierce on this side of the ball. The play of Burby at nose tackle and Grant at middle linebacker made the Huskies tough up the middle. DeMerchant, Bither, Grondin and Negron contributed on the line with support from Kirk, DeChaine and Langille.
Outside linebacker was ably covered by Suitter and Silliboy. Defensive backs included Paddleford, the Kennedy brothers, Leach, Libby and Hatfield.
Both Negron as kicker and Paddleford as punter showed consistently strong legs. Grondin’s speed and quickness made him an exciting return specialist.
With 2014 in the books, the Huskies have turned an eye to next season.
“We can’t wait for next year to get here — we’re going to be a force to reckon with,” coach Taylor DeFelice said. “If we get a couple of big kids to add to our line mix, we’ll be plenty tough.”
Prospective players and coaches interested in getting involved with the off-season program commencing in January can contact the Huskies by going to the club website at www.aroostookfootball.org and clicking the “Contact Us” link.
Lack of experience is not an impediment to joining up, according to Wyckoff. Training is available and provided by the club.
Wyckoff added that individuals with a knowledge of the game and limited time to give might be interested in training to become referees.
