Except for themselves.
Sharon believed in themselves from Day 1 and were rewarded on a snowy December day with a 12-3 win in the D3 EMass Super Bowl at Bentley.
Ryan Lanigan recapped the big win for ESPNBoston High Schools:
When Dave Morse took over the reins in 2011, Sharon football had only won four games since 2008.
Now, in just his second year, the 25-year old fierce head coach has taken Sharon to the promise land, leading the Eagles to a 12-3 win over Wayland Saturday in the MIAA Division 3 EMass Super Bowl.
“They bought in to hard practices,” Morse said of his team’s commitment. “They bought in to early morning film sessions. They bought into it and it shows – that’s how you win a Super Bowl.”
Senior running back Sean Asnes led the way for Sharon with 17 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown. He added another score through the air on a 4-yard touchdown reception.
“Sean [Asnes] was great,” Morse said. “He got hard yards when he needed to. He lowered his shoulder against a very stout defense that shut a lot of teams down this year. He’s learned to play running back over the last four years. He’s not just a fast kid who can touch the ball.”
There were a lot of heroes for the Eagles, not just during the Super Bowl game, but throughout the entire season. One of the best stories of the entire year for Sharon was the emergence of Brad Schiff, who was named the Hockomock's Defensive MVP by the coaches.
For ESPNBoston High School's, Josh Perry talks about Schiff shining in the big game:
Brad Schiff made his first career interception count.
The Sharon High middle linebacker stepped in front of a pass in the flat to end a Wayland drive with just under 3 minutes remaining in the Division 3 Super Bowl and capped an improbable season for the Eagles.
Schiff, who was named the Hockomock Defensive MVP by the league’s coaches, has been a mainstay in the middle for the Eagles this season and labeled an All-State caliber player by head coach Dave Morse.
“We knew that was going to be the nail in the coffin,” Morse commented amidst the pandemonium on the field after the game. “He’s made plays all year. That’s his first career interception and it came at a big time.”
With only 30 seconds left on the clock, Schiff also broke up a pass on the goal line to end Wayland’s final drive.
“I’m doing my job,” he explained. “I saw him go to the flat and I did what I’m supposed to do. That’s what happens, you come out on top. We got the ball back, ground and pound, that’s how you win a game.”
The win earned them the top spot in ESPNBoston High School's Top 5 High School Storylines of 2012:
1. Sharon wins a Super Bowl
For as long as anyone can remember, Sharon High's football program had been mostly nothing more than a doorstep in the uber-competitive Hockomock League.
But in 2012, the Eagles' fortunes took a wild turn for the better, behind a wunderkind 25-year-old head coach and a fearless Lilliputian of a linebacker. In the Eagles' second year under coach Dave Morse, they not only turned in their first winning season in 15 years, but they also went to the Division 3 Super Bowl for the first time in school history -- and won.
Prior to this season, the Eagles had won just seven games in their last 10 seasons, including just four since 2008. Sparking the turnaround offensively was senior running back Sean Asnes, who rushed for over 1,800 yards on the season. But the hallmark of this unexpected run was the defense, led by Hockomock League Defensive MVP Brad Schiff. At just 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, Schiff was one of the region's best downhill run-stuffers, named to ESPNBoston.com's All-State Team with 174 tackles.
The Eagles won two defensive struggles in the postseason -- first a 7-6 slugger over Pembroke, then a 12-3 decision over Wayland for the Super Bowl title.
“It’s unreal,” Schiff said following the Super Bowl win. “It still hasn’t hit me. I’m overwhelmed by emotions. It’s hard work, it’s commitment for four years. It feels great.”
Yoni Monat described the scene inside Eagle Gymnasium:
The Sharon High football team capped off an unforgettable 2012 season with a fitting ceremony celebrating the Div. III champs on Feb. 15.
Sharon players were given their Super Bowl rings, and the state championship banner was raised to the Eagle Gymnasium wall, in festivities held prior to a Sharon basketball victory.
Senior football captain and All-Hockomock League running back Sean Asnes said, “Raising the banner, and the ceremony in general, was great. It was truly an honor to be a part of it.”
“It was a night to remember,” said senior Eric Lesser, a running back on the squad. “Even though it [the championship] has been a couple of months past, [the euphoric feeling] has still not gone away; everyone remembers it.”
Every player who dressed for the Dec. 1 title game, a 12-3 conquest of Wayland, received a ring. The cost to the players of the ring was greatly subsidized by donations from several local businesses.
As public address announcer Kee Arguimbau called out each name, the player strode to midcourt, where he received his ring from Head Coach Dave Morse.
Senior Toby Modebelu, an outside linebacker, said, “It was good. It gave everybody their own single moment that they can cherish for the rest of their lives.”
Lesser said that an “awesome” moment was fitting the ring, which were manufactured by Jostens, onto his finger for the first time. “Nice ring – a lot nicer than I expected. We finally have something tangible for our accomplishments,” he said.
“Oh my goodness. I was actually shaking as I was putting it on,” said Modebelu. “The whole experience was surreal – just putting it on, and then seeing it glow in the light and shine – it was beautiful.”
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