Hampden Academy is searching for a new head football coach with the resignation of John Sparacio after three seasons.

Sparacio’s resignation was accepted during the Dec. 1 meeting of the SAD 22 board of directors, according to HA athletic director David Shapiro

“He certainly put a lot of effort into the program,” said Shapiro. “He worked with the kids for close to a decade as head coach and an assistant. He’s got a good football mind.”

The Broncos went 9-17 during Sparacio’s tenure, including 3-6 this fall in the Pine Tree Conference Class B ranks. Hampden had more than 50 players competing at the high school level this year, and the program also is beginning to reap the benefits of a relatively new feeder system.

According to Shapiro, this year’s sophomores represent the first class that has played organized football since beginning in the local youth league as fourth- and fifth-graders.

Shapiro hopes that fact, as well as the artificial-turf field that ranks as arguably the state’s best high school football facility, are among the attractions that will appeal to potential candidates to replace Sparacio.

“There’s a modest sense of urgency about it,” said Shapiro. “We’d like to have someone on board by next spring so they can meet with the kids and set some expectations.”

Sparacio could not be reached for comment.

Tunney caps off standout season

Clayton Tunney, a former Hampden Academy football player who moved to southern California after his sophomore year, quarterbacked La Costa Canyon High of Carlsbad, Calif., to its first-ever appearance in the California Division I high school semifinals this fall.

Tunney, a first-year starter at QB for the school of more than 3,000 students, passed for 2,275 yards and 19 touchdowns in leading the Mavericks to an 8-5 record.

La Costa Canyon’s season ended last weekend in a 17-7 loss to defending CIF Division I champion Torrey Pines. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior is considering a number of college options, according to his father Greg Tunney, including Brigham Young, California, Utah, Colgate and Columbia.

Clayton Tunney also plays basketball at La Costa Canyon as well as spring football.

Tunney has been selected to play in the first High School All-American Game to be held Jan. 13, 2005, in Shreveport, La.

Younger ‘Jammers still a favorite

With seven starters graduated from a 2004 team that earned Camden Hills of Rockport its fifth consecutive Class B wrestling state championship, it might be time for the Windjammers to rebuild. That’s perhaps true, but it doesn’t mean the aspirations of coach Patrick Kelly’s contingent are any less ambitious.

“We’re quite young,” said Kelly. “Losing seven guys who won 12 [individual] state championships is more than usual, you generally like to have no more than four seniors leaving, but we have some talented wrestlers back.”

The graduated contingent featured four-time individual state champion Chris Remsen, now at North Carolina State, and two-time state champ Jake Rollins. But a pair of state champions have returned in junior Joe McGowan (now at 119 pounds) and Harry Pearson (160). Other veterans include juniors Derek Young (130) and Jeremy Burnside (119), sophomore Cody Laite (140) and seniors John Forst (152) and Matt Creamer (189).

Camden Hills will blend those veterans with some impact freshmen: Murphy McGowan and Ivan Bragg at 103, Jacob Berry (a three-time New England junior high champion) at 125, and Gibby Bryant at 215.

“This team is looking at where it needs to be at the end of the season,” said Kelly. “We may take our lumps, but we’re focusing on Feb. 5, the qualifying meet for the states, and that’s what really matters.”

Camden Hills had a solid showing at last weekend’s Oxford Hills Duals, falling to six-time defending Class A state champion Noble of North Berwick in the championship round.

In fact, Noble and Camden Hills are ranked 1-2 in the state, according to the first Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance high school wrestling poll of the season, followed by Marshwood of South Berwick, Foxcroft Academy, Deering of Portland, Mountain Valley of Rumford, Lisbon, Belfast, Mt. Blue of Farmington and Skowhegan.

Kelly expects Mountain Valley to be among the Windjammers’ top competition in Class B statewide this season, along with perennial Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference rival Belfast.

“Mountain Valley has been in the hunt for so long, and I’m told they’ve got a senior-laden team,” he said. “And I’m always concerned about Belfast, that’s just a strong program from year to year.”

Ernie Clark can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net