Dennis-Yarmouth High football team gets tricky to get past Nantucket
YARMOUTH -- Chris Marsh, head coach of the Dennis-Yarmouth High football team, must have seen something he liked.
In Friday's game against Nantucket (which ultimately ended as a 26-14 D-Y win), Marsh went deep into the playbook with his team up 14-7 nearing halftime. After forcing a Whaler punt, he dialed up a shot play.
The play call? With sophomore quarterback Jayden Barber in the shotgun, he handed the ball to the motion man, Wyatt Stevens, who in turn halted his motion and launched the ball downfield. The trick play caught the Nantucket defense off guard and Stevens connected with sophomore Walter Mayo, who snuck behind the defense for a 60-yard touchdown reception.
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"We've had that in our back pocket for a while, we've just been saving it up for the right time to use it," Stevens said. "He pulled it out at the perfect time, and we just executed. It was a lot of fun."
That play pushed D-Y's lead to 20-7, and Nantucket never had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the second half.
"I think we've had some really good weeks in practice." Marsh said. "I think the guys are working really hard. We have been able to add more and more as we've gone. so I feel pretty confident."
It was a play call that required confidence from Marsh. Confidence in his players to execute it with the Dolphins potentially facing a 1-3 start.
The Dolphins schedule thus far has been tough, three games against three playoff teams from last year. However, Marsh believes his team is continuing to grow week by week, and that growth as a team coincides with Barber's individual improvement.
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As the season has progressed, so too has Barber's role in the offense. Marsh said he's asking more of Barber as the year has gone on, and believes in his sophomore starter to rise to the challenge.
"I have a ton of confidence in him," Marsh said of his QB1. "(For us) To be at our best he needs to be able to do those things (make decisions), and I trust him to do it."
It's not just Marsh that feels the optimism heading into Week 5. Senior running back and linebacker Jake Arnsenault, who ran for a score and recovered a fumble, said despite the slow start, his team is excited about what lies ahead.
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"Every week from now on is winnable," Arsenault said. "We've just got to get it done, work hard, and keep pushing."
For Nantucket, the team is 0-4 to start the season. The loss to the Dolphins was plagued by penalties and turnovers .
"I think just going back to simple football, and just trying to give them more opportunities to be successful is the way to go from here." first-year coach Tim Psaradelis said.
After the game, senior captain Jeremy Caspe stood amongst his team and addressed them.
His message was a simple one. he wanted to see effort on the field. He spoke passionately to his team about how they've seen it done on the practice field, and they have to work harder to have it translate to gameday.
It's that type of leadership that Psaradelis sees as a victory nestled amongst the struggles. A metaphorical rose growing out of concrete.
Why did Caspe choose to speak to his teammates?
"They need a positive voice," he said postgame. "At this point, yeah we're 0-4, but we need to win and that positive voice can help us get there."
The win takes the Dolphins back to .500 this season at 2-2. D-Y's next game is a road game against Falmouth on Friday. Nantucket hosts Sandwich on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Dennis-Yarmouth High football team defeats Nantucket
