Dracut High head football coach Pat Murphy and athletic director Tim Woods recently announced the Middies are taking on two of the most recognizable Division 1 powers in Massachusetts — Everett and Brockton, as well as St. John’s Prep. Brilliant or crazy? Sun staffers Lynn Worthy and Rick Harrison duke it out.
RICK HARRISON: Lynn, ma man, I think this is a no-lose proposition for the Middies. A spectacular, eye-opening coup by the Dracut braintrust that can only help their cause and the overall cache carried by the well-regarded Merrimack Valley Conference. No matter what the outcome of the two games, unless both high-profile foes crush Dracut by 50 or 60 points (which won’t happen), the locals are putting the MVC and, for selfish reasons I admit, their own program in position to be noticed by a lot of people. Everyone is going to be curious to see how this goes and that’s a good thing — a very good thing.
LYNN WORTHY: Rick, after all these years in the business I’m sure you know there is always another side of the story. I’ll play devil’s advocate and let you know why you are wrong. And I mean more wrong than a 300-pound man squeezing three inches of spandex around his bottom and calling it a Speedo. First, you admit the possibility of losing BIG. It will be regular season, and there is no guarantee they’ll call off the dogs. If things go wrong it may be a 50-point whoopin’ or, even worse, a pair of 50-point beatings. You don’t want to be bringing that attention to your program. Being “that team” that Everett rolled over isn’t going to put the program or the conference on the map. And, like you said, everyone will be looking for that score.
HARRISON: Lynn, dude, revealing my weight and choice of swimming attire is hitting below the belt. I will not even mention your man-kini. I said, in my humble opinion (and in parentheses), the whuppin’ ain’t gonna happen. Dracut returns a veteran team that beat St. John’s Prep and a 5-0 (at the time) Billerica team back-to-back last fall. I’m told Brockton is young and the Boxers have been notoriously slow starters in recent years — even losing to Pinkerton Academy by more than 50 points in an opener. Dracut has the kind of wild, wide-open offense that will give both stodgy, predictable Brockton, and possible Everett as well, fits. And remember, to coin one of your favorite words, nuttin’ ventured, nuttin’ gained. Dracut is putting itself out there. You don’t want to be that team Everett “rolled over,” for sure, but imagine being that undersized underdog that knocked Everett and/or Brockton off!
WORTHY: When you’ve got one of the smallest schools in the MVC, you don’t have to go overloading your non-league schedule with state powerhouses. These three games are all in the first five weeks of the season! At best, Dracut comes out of that portion of its schedule physically and emotionally drained before the Middies play games that count. At worst, they could limp into the heart of their schedule like sacrificial lambs, injured, discouraged, and all their momentum gone. Really, playing one of those teams is fine, but three is overkill. Plus, they’ve signed on for multiple years in several cases, so if you hit a down year and Everett is stacked ... well, good luck to you.
What do you think? Is Harrison right, that Dracut’s schedule is a win-win for the school and league? Or is Dracut over its head, as Worthy maintains? Give is your thoughts!