By Michael Letendre
Is the football program over at Bristol Eastern ready for a bit of a breakout season?
After a 2-8 campaign in 2019, the Lancers have high expectations this fall and with an elite running sensation ready to steamroll the ball down the throats of ten different opponents, Eastern hopes to be able to put some major points on the scoreboard every game.
And if some of the program’s younger players can produce off the bat, the Lancers will be more than a competitive group.
Here’s what to expect when the Bristol Eastern football program hits the turf this Friday:
Bristol Eastern Football – 2021
Head Coach: Anthony Julius
Career Record: In his fifth season as coach, Julius is 4-36 overall.
2019 Ledger: The Lancers went 2-8 two years ago. Eastern won its games against Pomperaug and Hartford Public that year.
Strengths: Eastern has ability in the running game and should be able to move the ball offensively.
Weaknesses: Experience, depth
Vital stat: Bristol Eastern is looking to win at least three games for the first time in the Anthony Julius era.
The question: Eastern has a much more manageable schedule than in years past. Is a .500 finish a possibility for the Lancers?
Players to Watch: Alex Marshall (sr. TB/LB); Luke Dauphinee (sr. G/NG); Nate Shorette (sr. WR/S); Conor McCormick (sr. TE/DE); Alex Vita (sr. T/T); Brady Brown (jr. QB/LB); Jeremy Kolloverja (jr. WR/LB); Austin Shorette (jr. LB); Connor Gimpl (jr. C/E); Cooper Harris (jr. T/DL); Wyatt Scarritt (so. T/DL); Joseph Arborio (jr. G/DL); Kamden Laprise (fr. QB/DB); Rayshon Andrews (so. WR/DB); Austin Shorette (jr. TE/LB); Kyle Babin (jr. WR/CB).
What to Expect from Bristol Eastern in 2021: Just getting out on the field is a huge deal for the boys at BE after a year away from full contact, 11v11 football.
“It’s been great to see the kids out there practicing,” said Julius. “It seems like we have some kids who are pretty happy to be out there. I know myself as a coach and my coaching staff are definitely excited to be back and playing 11-on-11 football. It’s something that I tremendously missed, and I know the kids did too.”
Inexperience is of concern but that’s a problem for all the programs in the state due to the lingering pandemic.
Getting reps has been critical for the Eastern team and a solid preseason of action helped to develop those players – getting Eastern’s athletes ready for the bright lights of Friday nights.
“From talking to other coaches in the state, I think a lot of us are in the same boat,” said Julius. “That year off was tough for a lot of kids. For our juniors to have not played since their freshmen year, sophomore year is a big year for development and growth. To not have those years, just from a football IQ standpoint, just a playing experience standpoint, has definitely been a little bit of a disadvantage.”
“But to the kid’s credit, they’ve worked pretty hard and they’re catching up fast which is a good thing.”
Only a handful of players that were on Eastern’s varsity roster in 2019 are back but one of the main attractions so to speak, running back Alex Marshall, has returned and is poised for a tremendous senior campaign.
And the speedster can flat out run with the ball.
“Alex is a workhorse,” said Julius. “We talk all the time and marvel at the fact it really doesn’t seem to matter (as) he’s going to get back to the line of scrimmage. He’s going to fight for yards. That’s what Alex does. He’s a fighter.”
As a sophomore, Marshall narrowly missed out on a 1,000-yard season while compiling 10 touchdowns on 217 carries.
His average of 4.5 yards-per-carry led the team.
At quarterback, either junior Brady Brown or freshman Kamden Laprise will be the signal caller this year.
And whichever choice is made at QB, that chucker will get plenty of experience as the season moves along.
Senior Conor McCormick is over at tight end and the offensive tackle position is platooned by senior Alex Vita, junior Cooper Harris, and sophomore Wyatt Scarritt.
Guard Luke Dauphinee (senior) was in the varsity mix in 2019 while juniors Joe Arborio (guard) and Connor Gimpl (center) will provide support for the squad on the line.
“The offensive line is really starting to come together,” said Julius. “We’ve seen definite gains from the three scrimmages. If we can get some guys blocked up, Alex is definitely going to do a lot of damage for us. It’s a comforting feeling as a coach to have a player of his caliber in the backfield.”
Rounding out the offense will be the wide receiving corps of Nate Shorette (senior), Jeremy Kolloverja (junior), and sophomore Rayshon Andrews.
Defensively, several of the names on offense flip to the opposite side of the pigskin as well.
McCormick and Gimpl (end), Vita (tackle), Dauphinee (nose guard), and Marshall, Austin Shorette (junior), Kolloverja and Brown (linebackers) will be tasked to stop opposing offenses along with junior Kyle Babin (cornerback), Andrews (cornerback) and Nate Shorette (safety).
Eastern’s roster might not be the biggest in the CCC but that’s the same situation for several programs across the state.
And several players will be getting their first shot of varsity action this season, working in both of Eastern’s offensive and defensive schemes.
“Numbers are a little down across the board,” said Julius. “Having a year off from football was hard in terms of being able to get kids involved in the program. And there’s just a lack of overall experience. We’re relying on kids as juniors and sophomores to play varsity roles and some of the last seasons they played were in Pop Warner. And now they’ll be going up against varsity competition. That’s a steep learning curve for anybody.”
“Like I said, the thing that’s very unique to this year is that we’re not the only ones in that boat. It seems like everybody is dealing with the same things for probably the most equal playing field we’ve ever had going into a season.”
The Schedule
Like its crosstown rival over at Bristol Central, the program at Eastern moved down the CCC Division III and won’t see the likes of Middletown or Windsor on its slate in 2021.
But there won’t be pushovers either.
There will be another crossover game this season against an opponent from the SCC.
The Lancers open against Edwin O. Smith this Friday while a week from now, Eastern travels to RHAM for a 4:45 p.m. engagement in Hebron.
Week 3 will be the crossover game versus Wilbur Cross and in Week 4, the Lancers tangle with Plainville (October 1).
Other October opponents include Capital/Achievement (October 8), East Catholic (October 21), and a home encounter with South Windsor to end the month.
Eastern takes it shot against Bloomfield on November 5, is home for Farmington on November 12 before the Thanksgiving Day bash against Bristol Central to end the regular season.
“We feel like we’re going to be competitive with every opponent that we play this year,” said Julius. “But obviously when you look at the schedule, you don’t see Middletown, Wethersfield, Windsor and [teams] like that. But that’s not to discredit the programs we are playing.”
“The names are different but they’re going to present different challenges for us…it’s just not the same opponents that we’re used to playing.”
Excitement around the Eastern campus
The bottom line is that football is back on King Street and it’s not just the players who are excited about Friday night lights from Alumni Field on the campus of Bristol Eastern.
“The kids are excited to get out there” and play said Julius. “I was talking to the student body at Bristol Eastern. Some seniors in school that don’t play sports, they’ve said they’re looking forward to having home football games again. It’s nice to see it’s not just our players excited to see that football is back. I think the school community is excited as well.”
“Hopefully, our kids continue to work hard, we put a good product on the field, and we give the fans something to cheer about.”
