Young Rams start ’91 season tonight

It will be a largely untested Bangor High football team that takes the field Friday night for its Pine Tree Conference opener at Mt. Blue in Farmington.

Coach Bruce Morse’s Rams, 3-6 a year ago, will field a far less experienced and much smaller squad this season. Bangor has had its share of bad breaks, including losing standout junior quarterback John Tennett to a broken left arm this summer.

And, because of all the changes, the Rams will be playing a different brand of football. Bangor does have a strong group of players who could be characterized as “skill people,” but those players will be needed to fill in some of the many holes left vacant by graduation.

Bangor is conspicuously lacking in front-line size and experience. Thus, the Rams will need to rely on quickness and agility rather than brute strength. Although people like senior captain Brian Isaacs and senior Jerry Hewes have played some, the rest of the line will be new.

Morse and his staff have even had to relegate some running backs to duty as linemen. Among them are seniors Eddie Hannan and Gary Martin.

“I think that we have a number of kids who are backs,” Morse said. “What we’ve had to do in a lot of cases is make them linemen. I guess you could say we’re hoping we’ll have a quick offensive line. It might take them a game or two to get it together.”

Junior tailback and linebacker Robbie Estey returns to spearhead a youthful starting backfield, which also will include sophomore Ryan Iarrobino and junior Robert Carrera. Freshman Chad Bazinet was expected to contribute, but is out indefinitely with a leg injury.

The injury to Tennett was a big blow, but Bangor was fortunate to have Josh McNeilly, a senior transfer from Rockland, to step in. McNeilly’s experience should be a settling influence. Freshman Mark McEwen is a promising freshman signal-caller.

Bangor will likely not be as diverse offensively. But, if the Rams can establish the run, McNeilly does have a strong arm to balance the attack.

“We’re definitely not going to be the same wide-open group we were before, I wouldn’t say,” Morse said. “But, it is still early.”

Seniors Chris Steeves and Chris Chamberlain, and soph Matt Nye join Martin as newcomers in the line. Senior TE-DB Steve Subjoc will step in and play. Sophs Craig Bowden and Iarrobino team with Carrera and McEwen in the secondary.

“Some of these kids haven’t played and a lot of the kids are playing in positions they haven’t played before,” Morse said. “We keep telling the kids we’re trying to get the best 11 football players on the field, no matter where they’re lined up when the season finally starts.”