Joe Pohoryles
Brad Mayer had a simple directive for his players as the Marauders football team warmed up for their joint practice against Quabbin at Belmont High School on Aug. 24.
“Be loud enough so they can hear us in Watertown,” said Mayer, Belmont’s new offensive coordinator and strength/conditioning coach.
With the sun beating down on that Saturday morning in late August, it was the perfect recipe for lethargy. Yet all 62 players wearing maroon began counting off their jumping jacks – or “Marauder jacks,” as they call it – in a loud unison.
It’s a new season for the Marauders following a landmark 2023 campaign. While not historically regarded as a football powerhouse, Belmont turned heads with its first Middlesex League title in 59 years. The Marauders defeated programs such as Reading, whom they had not beaten in 17 years, along with Woburn and Winchester en route to the title.
Despite falling 42-0 to Wellesley in the Division 2 Sweet 16, the Marauders capped their historic season with a 47-0 beatdown against their rival Watertown on Thanksgiving. They finished 6-4 overall and 4-1 in the Middlesex League.
Things look much different in 2024. Head coach Brian McCray stepped down to move closer to family in South Carolina, and assistant Francois Joseph was tapped to assume the mantle.
Joseph has been on the staff since 2021. However, during this year’s hiring process, he brought on new offensive and defensive coordinators. Additionally, around 20 players on last year’s roster have graduated, leaving four returning starters on both sides of the ball.
“We graduated a lot of people, so a lot of people think we’re not gonna be all that good,” junior wide receiver/cornerback Andre Chavusian said. “But we’re gonna prove everyone wrong and go for that title again.”
Along with Chavusian, junior wide receiver/free safety Casey Regan and senior offensive and defensive tackle Zak Zaddem will be players to watch on both sides. Regan and Zaddem each earned League All-Star honors last season. Senior wide receiver/cornerback Moses Lubega also made his presence known in the joint practice against Quabbin when he recorded back-to-back interceptions.
After years of hearing Belmont “is not a football town” from students, parents, and even coaches, Joseph is seeing the culture shift before his eyes.
“I think we have a real good group,” Joseph said. “We only have nine seniors, … but with our underclassmen and our Junior Marauders right behind them, the future looks bright.”
The path to a repeat title will be just as arduous as last season, with rematches against Reading (Nov. 1), Woburn (Oct. 25), and Watertown (Thanksgiving, Nov. 28) highlighting the schedule.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Mayer said. “If you let the pressure get to you, then that just shows that we’re not mentally prepared. … Every Friday, every Saturday afternoon, they’re going to come out and try to attack us. And that’s a privilege for us, and we’re just going to communicate that to the kids.”