Players Add Depth To Worcester State
By Marvin Pave, Globe West Notebook
October 7, 2010
The 1-2 punch of sophomore cornerback Graham Asum and junior linebacker Cameron Jones is a big reason the Worcester State football team (3-2) has won as many games this year as in its previous two seasons combined.
A three-sport athlete at Marlborough High, Asum was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after his four-interception performance, including one that he took 52 yards for a touchdown, two weeks ago in a 30-18 victory over Westfield State.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Asum also ran back a kickoff 80 yards for a score in a 62-31 loss at defending New England Football Conference champion Maine Maritime last Saturday.
A graduate of Nashoba Regional from Stow, the 5-11, 195-pound Jones has four interceptions in five starts entering Saturday's home game against Massachusetts Maritime. He is also the team's long snapper.
"Graham is a tremendous athlete and also our top return guy, and since he's just a sophomore, we're really excited about having him for two more seasons. He really set up our offensive drives with those picks against Westfield and he has instincts, speed, and quickness,'' said Brien Cullen, in his 26th season as head coach of the Lancers. Cullen's younger brother, Tom, or "Waxie,'' is head football coach at Milford High.
"I was due for a big game and I had a lot of help from our D-line who put a lot of pressure on their quarterback,'' said Asum, who added he was "still a bit shocked'' after his grand theft performance against Westfield.
"When I got here, all I wanted was a chance to start — either offensively or defensively. And while three wins feels pretty good, we know we can keep getting better.''
Asum, who started at quarterback his senior year at Marlborough, where he was also a league champ in the 100-meter dash, has 13 kickoff returns for 353 yards and a conference-best 27.2 yards average per game. He is joined on the team by freshman receiver/returner Andrew Scerra, who started at QB for Marlborough last season.
Worcester State, which leads the conference with 11 interceptions, includes 16 players with ties to area communities.
Kenny Russell, a 6-2, 215-pound junior wide receiver from Bedford High and a transfer from Fitchburg State who sat out last season with an injury, was the team leader with 25 catches for 327 yards and 5 TDs. "He's physically dominant and a big find for us, and one of the best receivers in our conference,'' said Cullen, whose team won one game last year and two in 2008.
Two Shrewsbury High grads are handling the kicking chores — freshman placekicker Eric Perfetti, a soccer player in high school who is playing football for the first time, and punter Alex Blakeslee. Perfetti was the NEFC's Special Teams Player of the Week after keying a 32-29 win against Nichols with three extra points in as many attempts, a 32-yard field goal and a 51.3 yards average on six kickoffs. Senior captain David Harris of Milford is a superb blocker at tight end.
Other contributors include senior defensive lineman Connor Hogan (Millis High); junior defensive lineman Taylor Santos (Bedford High); and freshman linebacker Nick Doria of Watertown (Arlington Catholic).