Monomoy Football Bounces Back, Upends UCT 23-8

Despite playing without senior running back Dillon Chapman, who was out sick, the Sharks rallied for a 23-8 victory over Upper Cape Tech on Friday, eight days after the team was dealt a 44-6 defeat at Bourne.

 “I was happy with the way the team reacted,” Monomoy coach Rob Sliney said after his team improved to 2-3. “Obviously we lost our starting quarterback early in the season, and then last night we had to go into the game without Dillon. The guys reacted really strong and came out firing on all cylinders.”

 Monomoy was able to build momentum early after the opening kickoff and force a three-and-out. Senior Zach Vagenas then blocked the Rams’ punt for a safety to give the Sharks an early lead and set the tone for the remainder of the game. 

 “The momentum kind of fell right into our hands, which was great,” Sliney said.

 With Chapman out of the lineup, senior Logan Crevier shouldered most of the load in the team’s backfield. Crevier rushed for two touchdowns out of the backfield and was an impact player on the defensive side of the ball with seven tackles. 

 “When Dillon is on the field he’s usually our fullback because he’s such a good blocker for us,” Sliney said of Crevier. “He’s really a huge utility player for us. He played linebacker, safety, corner, fullback, receiver and running back — the kid was all over the field, and wherever we put him, he gave us 110 percent. 

“I’m very proud of him, especially for the game that he played.”

Junior Lucas Mirisola also rushed for a touchdown for the Sharks, while freshman Max Furman finished with a team-high eight tackles. 

Friday also served as another step in the progression of freshman quarterback Drew Chapman, who was sprung into the lineup after starting quarterback Chase Yarletts, a senior, hurt his thumb during the team’s 20-0 loss at Cape Tech on Sept. 20. 

Although the younger Chapman is still getting acclimated to being the team’s signal-caller, Sliney said his game has elevated during the past few weeks.

 “He’s been doing great,” the coach said. “He’s been progressing every week. Quarterback was new for him and he kind of got thrown into it. Honestly, he probably wasn’t ready when he got thrown into the Tech game after Chase went down. 

“It’s been trial by fire, and he’s been really working hard to find his competitive edge.”

The team welcomed the Lower Cape Bluefins youth program to Friday’s game.

 “We’re trying to build a good relationship with the Pop Warner program,” Sliney said. “That’s our future, so I want to try to do anything we can to help support those guys.”

 Monomoy will look to make it two wins in a row when it travels to Martha’s Vineyard for a 6 p.m. kickoff Friday.