First-year high school football players generally must bide their time before seeing varsity duty.
But when those student-athletes are upperclassmen with athletic skills honed in other sports, the future can be now.
Take the Oceanside High School Mariners, fresh off a season-opening 38-14 victory over defending Class D state champion Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield at Wasgatt Field in Rockland.
Returning veteran Michael Norton Jr. made the biggest plays, returning the opening kickoff 73 yards for a touchdown and adding three more scores on runs of 46 and 58 yards and on a 74-yard pass reception.
“We try real hard to see what the other team does and scheme ways to get Michael one on one with somebody because I think — and I’ve been his coach since seventh grade — he’s one of the top one, two or three players in (Class C North),” said fifth-year Oceanside head coach Wes Drinkwater.
The Mariners also benefited from the play of several upperclass newcomers to high school football, including senior Titus Kwaethong, a sprinter and former soccer player at the school who started at quarterback.
Kwaethong completed 4 of 11 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, scored on a 7-yard run and a 58-yard fumble return, kicked two extra points and boomed a 71-yard punt.
“Titus is one of those kids who’s good at whatever he does,” said Drinkwater of Kwaethong, who played football in middle school before turning to soccer. “He has a good arm, he’s very smart, but the biggest thing about Titus is he is fast.”
Kwaethong filled a key void for the Mariners, who graduated their top two quarterbacks from the 2016 team that finished 6-4 and reached the Class C North semifinals before dropping a hard-fought 20-6 decision to Mount Desert Island, the eventual regional champion.
But he isn’t alone among Oceanside upperclassmen new to high school football but ready to contribute in a significant way.
“My team’s full right now of really good athletes that have either zero or limited time on a football field, but I’ve learned that those kids who just joined us this year are capable,” said Drinkwater. “They played well and they’re just going to get better each week.”
Among the other elder newcomers are seniors Michael Dougherty and Hunter Fowles and juniors Trevor Reed and Brett Start.
Dougherty started at wide receiver in his debut and Fowles started at tight end, while Reed came off the bench to play cornerback and contributed five tackles and solid pass coverage, according to Drinkwater.
“If they can do it physically it’s my job to do it mentally and know their limitations and put them in the best spots to make plays and know their limitations,” said Drinkwater.
Add those athletes to a senior class led by Norton and a talented junior class that includes halfback Ben Ripley, who rushed for 77 yards on nine carries against MCI, and it’s no wonder that Oceanside is hopeful of earning its third straight postseason berth.
“That’s a big part of it, just winning football games,” said Drinkwater, whose team travels to Rumford on Friday to face Class D North entry Mountain Valley, which fell to Dirigo of Dixfield 13-0 in its opener. “There was a long, long culture around here that coming out for football was just banging your head against the wall, but I really do think success breeds success.
“We went to the playoffs last year for the second year in a row, we won a playoff game and we took MDI right to the wire and I think more kids are willing to come out now.”
And if the Mariners aren’t yet listed among the Class C North favorites along with the likes of MDI and Winslow, that’s OK by their head coach.
“We’ll fly under the radar as long as people will let us,” he said.
