Warriors after Another Super Season

The last time King Philip walked off the football field they were the recipient of a 21-18 victory over Reading, which entitled the Warriors to their first ever Division 1A Super Bowl Championship. With the 2017 season now underway, the newly minted champions will have to begin all over in hopes of repeating last year’s feat.
“Unfortunately the new season means everything starts over and nothing carries forward,” King Philip Head Coach Brian Lee said. “You get no points for what you did the previous year. It’s a new challenge that comes with some difference--there is a target on our backs.”
Lee and his coaching staff approached the beginning of this season the same way they’ve approached every other season, with hard work and determination. Having lost quite a bit of talent in terms of the offensive line, two fullbacks, a tailback, a middle and an outside linebacker as well as a corner, it looks like the Warriors will be under the gun right from the get-go.
However, the Coach is not all that worried because he has known-commodities coming back. Senior captain and running back Shane Frommer, who is already committed to Yale to play football, will be looked upon to be a key leader if the Warriors are to capture another Super Bowl.
The hardnosed runner was getting carries behind Sean Garritty last fall until the senior went down with an injury in the fourth game of the season, putting him on the shelf for the remainder of the year. Prior to his injury, Garritty had racked up 420 yards, while Frommer had managed to only pick up 60 yards of offense. Following the injury Frommer became more or less the featured-back and amassed 980 yards along with 9 touchdowns. Frommer will also see time on the defensive side of the ball as either an outside linebacker or safety.
Another key athlete to last year’s success, especially in the Super Bowl, was Brendan Lydon, the team’s signal caller. Throughout the regular season, the KP quarterback didn’t have to drop back all that much. When he was called upon to throw the ball he did so with near perfection and always seemed to come up with a big play in order for the Warriors to keep the chains moving.
Last fall Lydon, a then-junior, threw for 832 yards with 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. However, when Reading put a halt to the KP running game (Frommer had a mere 18 yards in the big game), Lydon picked up the slack, throwing for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. He would also toss in a rushing touchdown for good measure.
When the senior signal caller is looked upon to throw the football this fall, he’ll be looking to a trio of receivers in the likes of Thomas Madden, who was not with the team last year, junior David Morganelli, and tight end Jack Piller. Lee is hoping that with these three talented receivers the Warriors offense will be much more balanced than a year earlier.
Not only will King Philip have that giant bullseye on their backs for all to come after, the Warriors will have to once again get through the ever so tough Hockomock League.
“The Hock is always murderous. It’s a grind with a lot of good teams,” Lee said. “We also open the season with two non-league games against very good teams in North Attleboro and Foxboro and they will test us.”
Like every other team once the season starts, King Philip is looking to secure as many wins as they can.
“You want to win as many games as possible,” the KP Coach said. “Once you get into the season you just want to put forth your best team week in and week out and hope that we can repeat what we did last year.”