Once more unto the breach, dear friends. That was the call from captain J.T. Bresnahan.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior hoisted a massive brace over his elbow to protect a partially torn UCL and took the field for one last hurrah this past Thanksgiving. Playing both ways - as a fullback and defensive end - Bresnahan was his usual disruptive self, leading an inspirational charge to help Ayer Shirley avenge an early-season loss to Littleton High, earning an 18 to 6 holiday victory.
“He wasn’t even supposed to play offense,” laughed Coach Bill Wright, noting that a last-minute illness required Bresnahan to man his usual spot in the backfield. “J.T. did an unbelievable job out there. We had over 200 yards rushing on the game and the passion and desire he brought to our blocking scheme allowed for the biggest runs of the day.”
Senior quarterback Bobby Manchester shined brightly in his final high school send off, accounting for 175 yards rushing and one touchdown. Following a midseason leg injury that caused the two-year starter to miss some time, Manchester sharpened his command of the Panther offense in November. Ayer Shirley was 2-5 after averaging just 14.8 points over the first seven contests. But Manchester and the Panthers found another gear late in the year, scoring 21.5 points per game and earning wins over Murdock and Littleton. Even their defeats to Lunenburg and Blackstone-Millville were close one-score games.
“Bobby’s compete level is off the charts,” Coach Wright said. He’s not the biggest guy out there; he’s slender. But he fought through injuries all year long and was tough as nails. He really matured a lot over the last two years and had a phenomenal season, not just offensively but defensively, too,”
Manchester finished the year with 850 yards rushing and 13 passing touchdowns. Junior pass catchers Isaiah Mulemba (five touchdowns) and Nathaniel McCormick (four) were the main beneficiaries of the Ayer Shirley passing attack. Fellow classmate Manny Gambino was the team’s leading rusher, notching a pair of scores in the Thanksgiving Day win.
Those core playmakers are slated to return alongside starting linemen Evan Cormier, Jake Pizzisos and Chuck Hudson. Sophomore Dylan Bergin has the inside track to replacing Manchester after quarterbacking the jayvee team to a record of 5-4. Bergin also earned playing time as the starting defensive cornerback, recording five pass breakups in the season finale.
Sophomore Logan Warren was slated to start on the line as well, but went down with a neck injury. Wright believes he can be a key addition if he returns to full health. With a solid nucleus in tact, Ayer Shirley believes it may be in the hunt for a Mid Wach League title - a crown the
team earned in 2022.
“We’ve got something to build on,” Wright said. “We were a left-handed running team this year, which is contrary to most high school teams. And Jake and Evan were on that size. I think we can really count on the guys coming back next year. We’ve just gotta get bigger, faster and stronger in the weight room.”
The Panthers will however have to replace seven athletes who are set to graduate this spring including Bresnahan, Manchester, Dominic Sciabarrasi, Brady Quirion, Mathias Paillard, Joey Clayton, Jacob Andre and Miguel Estrada.
“To be honest with you, at times it was a very frustrating season,” Wright said. “We had a ton of injuries…a ton of illness. But as frustrating as it was, we managed to put it together toward the end. And in that last game on Thanksgiving, it was the first time we played a complete 48-minute game of football all year long. It was a great way to go out, especially for the seniors.”
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