Masco Youth Football and Cheerleading

Masco Youth Cheerleading at Nationals

04/07/2013, 12:00pm EDT

By Randy Castle

Masco Youth Cheerleading at UCA National High School Cheerleading Competition

While the northeast was still reeling from the effects of Blizzard 2013, four Masco Youth Cheerleading teams headed down to sunny Florida to put their skills against the best cheering teams in the country aiming for national recognition.

The UCA National High School Cheerleading Competition was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. To get to the event, teams needed to qualify first, doing so in November when six Masco teams went to the New England Cheer and Dance Competition in Boston at the Reggie Lewis Track Center.

Of the six teams, all qualified and four accepted the bid: The JVD Team, 3rd grade- coached by Michelle Gaudin and Jenn Oakes; The JVC Team, 5th grade- coached by Lynne Bermudez, Rosemarie Lucey, and Cassandra McMahon along with student coaches Amanda Verruso and Ashley Lucey; The C Team, 6th grade- coached by Alisa Orgettas and Pam Jeffreys, and student coach Allie Slattery.; and The A Team, 8th grade- coached by Stacy Fallon and Lisa Costello, and student coaches Alyssa and Kaylee Buono.

The girls practiced for an extended two and a half months beyond the regular end of the football cheering season, sacrificing free time in an effort to perfect their routines, which consist of two and a half minutes of cheers, stunts, dance and tumbling. Their hard work earned impressive scores for this, their first ever, National competition. Lynne Bermudez, coach for the 5th graders said she has never been more proud of all of the Masco cheer teams. "The girls did an amazing job. You would never know it was their first time on a national stage," she said.

The 8th grade team competed in the 14 and Under, Sr. Recreational division. There were fourteen teams from across the country in this category, with the 8^th grade taking 10th place. The 6th and 5th grade teams competed in the 12 and Under Jr. Recreational. They had 11 teams in their division and placed 7th and 6th, respectively. The youngest Masco team to compete were the 3rd graders, who competed in the 9 and Under Youth Recreational, earning them a trophy and 5th place in the nation. There were seven teams in their division.

"The weekend was an awesome experience for girls and parents alike...The girls had the time of their lives. It was an experience they will never forget. There were also a great group of parents that supported us and followed us to Florida," said Stacy Fallon, coach for the 8th grade team.

The Masco Youth Football Cheerleading (MYFC) program is comprised of seven teams of 180 young ladies in grades 1-8 from Topsfield, Boxford and Middleton. The season begins in mid-August and runs through the regular football season in November, and into February with teams competing around the region. The UCA was the first National Competition for any Masco teams.

Annual Shriner's High School Football Classic

04/07/2013, 11:30am EDT

By Randy Castle

Former MASCO Football players to play in 35th Annual Shriner's High School Football Classic

Former MASCO Football players to play in 35th Annual Shriner's High School Football Classic

On Saturday June 22 at 4pm at Bentley College former Masco Youth
Football teammates will be reunited representing the North Squad in the
35th Annual Shriner's High School Football Classic.
#11 Alex Moore St John's Prep (University of Pennsylvania); #86 Lucas
Bavaro St John's Prep (Dartmouth); #20 Dylan Mann Masconomet (Bowdoin);
and #83 Sean Antonuccio Masconomet (Bates) all played together for
years for Masco Youth Football. Lucas Bavaro's father Mark played in the
game from Danvers High School in 1981.

The game is sponsored by the Aleppo Shriners and the Massachusetts High
School Football Coaches Association. The game encompasses high school
seniors from Eastern Mass. Aleppo Shriners provide transportation for
patients of the Shriners Hospital (Orthopedics, Burns, spinal cord,
cleft lip and palate). The hospital does not charge any patient for
treatment.

To donate See one of the players or donate to this worthy through
www.shrinershospitalboston.org

Masco 7th Grade Team Wins Super Bowl

11/13/2012, 10:00pm EST

By Randy Castle

Masco Wins Super Bowl in OT

North Reading - The Masconomet B Team captured the Cape Ann Youth Football Championship on Sunday with a 14-12 overtime victory over Marblehead. It was a rematch of an earlier game that saw Masco squeak out an 8-6 win. Both games were defensive struggles decided by 2 point conversions.

The Super Bowl started with Marblehead kicking off to Colby Jacques who returned it 5 yards. After a 5 yard run, Masco attempted a pass that was intercepted at midfield. Like it has all season, the defense stood tall and forced a Marblehead punt.

The game went back and forth in the first half until late in the second quarter when QB Patrick Aylmer connected with Danny Monagle in the end zone on a beautiful catch and throw. The 2 point conversion failed.

Marblehead struck back midway through the second half with a 3 yard plunge for a TD. The 2 point conversion also failed.

Following the kick-off, Masco had a series of good drives until about five minutes left in regulation time when Marblehead defense stood strong. With 3rd and long situation, Aylmer dropped back to pass and, realizing all his receivers were well covered, decided to run for it. After gaining first down, Aylmer was hit hard out of bounds

by two defenders resulting in what turned out to be a broken collarbone. After only three plays out of the game, Aylmer returned to lead the offense into overtime.

In overtime, each team lined up on the ten yard line and had 4 plays to score. Masco had the ball first and scored on the first play with a 10 yard run by Connor Patterson. The play was set up by tremendous blocking by the Masco offensive line.

After the TD, a penalty was called on Masco for excessive celebration. 15 yards were then tacked onto the 2 point conversion attempt. With 18 yards to go for the 2 points, Masco received a break when Marblehead was called for pass interference at the 9 yard line. Still having 9 yards to go, the Chieftains went back to the air with a strike from Aylmer to Patterson for the 2 point conversion.

Marblehead then took the ball at the ten yard line for their turn. They managed to grind it down to the 5 yard line after three short gains. On 4th and 5 and the season on the line the Headers punched it in, disappointing the large Masco crowd on hand. The disappointment was short-lived however, as Masco was able to stop Marblehead’s 2 point conversion attempt when several Masco defenders swarmed the Marblehead running back at the line for the game winning tackle.

It was truly a team effort but there were several defensive players that really stepped up in the biggest game of the season. DT Nick Kartounis had 8 tackles, NT Kyle Gaffey had 6 tackles and splitting time at DL, Matt McGaunn, Colin Dooley and Jack Nadherny combined for 6 tackles. The interior linemen really shut down the lanes between the tackles. On offense the edge was QB Patrick Aylmer and his ability to throw so well at this level combined with great efforts by Danny Monagle, Connor Patterson and the Masco offensive line.

Congratulations to the Masco 7th Grade team for securing the program’s first ever CAYFL Super Bowl title.

Masco 7th Grade Team To Super Bowl

11/08/2012, 5:15pm EST

By Randy Castle

With a shutout win over Pentucket, the Masco B Team advanced to this year’s 7^th grade Super Bowl for the Cape Ann Youth Football League. Masco will face a tough Marblehead squad on Sunday, November 11^th at Noon at North Reading High School for the title. Admission for the CAYFL Super Bowl games is $5 for Adults, $3 for Students and $3 for Seniors. Players and cheerleaders that come to the game wearing their game shirts or uniforms will be admitted free of charge. Please come and support the MASCO squad as they pursue a Super Bowl title this Sunday!