Bears Football Team Look to Rebound in 2010

BREWSTER—After winning a league title two years ago, the Brewster High football team took a turn in the wrong direction last fall, struggling to a 2-6 record and missing the playoffs.

Left: Adam Tavolilla. Photo by SKIP PEARLMAN. And graduation hit Brewster hard, with 23 seniors leaving the program and setting the stage for a new start.

Third-year coach Don Polverari believes he has the personnel to get Brewster back on a winning path.

“We’re real young,” Polverari said earlier this week. “We graduated a lot of seniors, and now we have 11 seniors and 18 underclassmen. But we’re athletic… we’re excited, and we’d like to get this thing back on track. Offensively, we hope to use our speed – I think this is one of the fastest Brewster teams in some time. And we’re more athletic in skill positions.”

Major losses include LB/FB Joe Rubino and DT Dan Santiago, both All-Section HM picks, OG/DT Steve Green (All-Section and All-League), and All-League RB Tyler Hanson.

The Bears are looking to improve on last year’s 2-6 record. SKIP PEARLMAN Key returning players on the offensive side include senior captain and RB/S Trevor Smith, junior captain and OT/DT Mike Bonilla, junior captain and QB/S Adam Tavolilla, junior LB/TE Colin Callahan, junior SB/LB Kamal Johnson, senior C/LB Mike Decanio, senior G/LB Tom Ritchey, senior DE/TE Terrell Patterson and senior DE Jamal Price.

Hoping to make an impact in their first season on varsity will be junior LB/SB Harry Erickson, sophomore SB/DB Fernando Solis, junior LB/ TE Ryan Hanson, sophomore SE/DB Brian McNeill and sophomore C/LB Ed Schoenig.

“Our offense will start with Adam and Trevor,” Polverari said. “Adam is a real bright kid, and one of the strongest in the weight room. He’ll run the team on offense and defense… he’s very versatile. He has a live arm, and he can run. I think he’ll be level headed, and he’s been doing a great job. And this type of offense fits Trevor and his skills. He has great footwork and a tremendous work ethic. Johnson will also be a key… we have a lot of potential with this group.”

Trevor Smith SKIP PEARLMAN Tavolilla, Johnson, Ritchey and Decanio will also be key returning players on the defensive side of the ball, where Polverari also listed Solis, Erickson, Schoenig, Price, Patterson and junior DT/OT Ray Dann as key additions.

“We graduated a lot from last year on defense,” Polverari said of a unit that lost eight starters. “We’re not big, but we have a lot of hybrids… guys who will move around and be aggressive. We want to put pressure on the quarterback and use our speed and athleticism to disrupt the offense. This group needs to prove itself.”

Smith and Johnson will also be keys on special teams. Smith will punt and handle kickoffs, and he and Johnson will be Brewster’s return men. “We have good to very good speed from our return guys,” Polverari said. “And Trevor can kick field goals in the 30- yard range.”

Brewster plays in League A-North, along with Greeley, Poughkeepsie, John Jay CR, Lakeland, Panas and Hen Hud.

“Being young, the goal is to take it one week at a time,” the coach said. “Right now we’re looking at beating Greeley – a potential league titlist. For us to be successful this season we’ll need to stay healthy, and we’re gonna need to put points on the board – and lots of them. And we’ll need a young defense to learn on the fly. I think they can do it.”

Brewster opens the 2010 season Saturday, hosting Greeley at 1:30 p.m.