The Varsity Football team this year experienced a huge makeover in their coaching staff, bringing in three new outside coaches. With former head coach and history teacher, John Lyons, taking a sabbatical, the athletic department hired Jamie Lamoreaux as this season’s head coach. Formerly the head coach at Ayer High School, Lamoreaux brought a new offensive system to Groton. The new system is called the “wishbone,” differing from the timeless offense Lyons ran called the “Wing-T.” The wishbone offense is defined by the positioning of the quarterback, fullback, and the two running backs. The quarterback stands directly under the center with a fullback directly behind him, and two running backs behind the fullback. The shape of this offense is similar to the wishbone that is pulled from a turkey during Thanksgiving, earning its nickname of “the wishbone.”
Breandain Keating, another new member of the coaching staff this season, is the wide receiver and Junior Varsity coach. His one eyed dog, Cooper, has become a fixture on the circle. The third new coach is John Margarita who is an offensive coordinator.
Of the changes to the coaching staff, wide receiver and defensive back Lachlan Combs ’18 says, “the new coaches are great, they brought in a new offense that is different but complements our personnel really well.” During the live half that was played in the team’s recent scrimmage at Portsmouth Abbey, the offense was firing on all cylinders. The Zebras were able to run in for a score, along with multiple long offensive series where the chains were constantly moving.
The defense largely stayed the same with Lamoreaux at the helm with assistance from Coach Francis. When asked about the defensive schemes Groton runs, starting safety Matt O’Donnell ’17 believes that, “Our defense adapts, depending on the team we are playing and the type of offense they run.” During the Portsmouth Abbey scrimmage, Groton held their opponent to only one touchdown with O’Donnell delivering a huge hit preventing them from converting a go-ahead two-point conversion. When asked about the season outlook for this year, starting offensive lineman, starting defensive tackle, and co-captain, Rashawn Grant ’17 reports, “The guys have been working really hard in practice and we are looking forward to a great season ahead of us.”