By John Conceison, Sports Copy Editor

August 22, 2013

Worcester, MA ---  Players always give that funny smile when talking about rivals turned teammates.

Worcester State senior and Marlboro native AJ Scerra is no exception when it comes to juniors Dana Barry and Jack Sprague, catching cousins and best friends who starred at Hudson High.

"On a personal level, they are characters," mused Scerra, the leader of the Lancers' productive wide receiver corps, who now couldn't be happier sharing receptions with two grandsons of area coaching standout Jack Duggan and nephews of Southern Mississippi defensive coordinator Dave Duggan.

"We were rivals in the past, and I've grown to love both of these guys," Scerra said.

"They have such a great work ethic, they're tough kids," said Brien Cullen, who begins his 31st season as Worcester State coach. "They're just good, tough athletes. They're dependable, they're here all the time, they're game-changers."

Last season, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Sprague was second in receptions (33) for the 6-4 Lancers with three touchdowns. Barry, however, watched from the sidelines while recovering from ACL surgery performed in May 2012.

"I could barely watch the games," said Barry, who saw shared duty at Worcester State two years ago after transferring from Norwich following his freshman year. "It was frustrating seeing plays that you know you could have helped on. It's so different seeing things from the sidelines because you want to be out there helping everyone out and you really can't do anything about it."

Barry, who at 21 is one year older than Sprague, will have a chance to do something about it this fall, and the Lancers are excited. While Sprague thrives as an inside slot-type receiver who can throw a killer block every other play, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Barry will serve as a valued deep threat for a new quarterback. As Corey Spencer has graduated and joined the Lancers' staff, transfers Kevin Bumpus (Assumption) and Pat Vinecik (Nichols) are vying for the QB job.

"We missed Dana last year, and we had glimpses of him a couple of years ago," Scerra said. "He's that tall receiver that we need to stretch the field and go up and win a jump ball. A couple of years ago when he played against Westfield State, he won us a game that way, going up in the end zone and catching a ball going over a guy. It's very big that we have him back this year."

"Dana went to Norwich right out of high school, and we talked about me going there," recalled Sprague, who shared two seasons of Hudson High football with his cousin, "and then he was transferring to Worcester State, which was one of the schools I was looking at.

"We played together growing up when we were little kids, from out of the driveway through high school, so we thought it would be a great opportunity again to play with each other."

The combination has worked just fine, for the cousins and the Lancers.

"We figure we're a good combination," Sprague said. "We're able to communicate real well, we're able to give a look over to let each other know what we're doing on a play. We like to work together a lot."

"Jack is more of your blue-collar kind of guy, he's a real workhorse," Cullen said. "He's nothing flashy, but gets it done. With Dana, you may see something out there and say that's a pretty talented kid.

"Jack will make the block, make the catches, do everything you ask him to do. He's not as 'sexy' as the other one, but they both in their own way contribute a great deal. They balance each other well."

Worcester Telegram & Gazette Article

Photos Inside Article Courtesy of Worcester Telegram & Gazette: Top - Dana Barry, Bottom - Jack Sprague

You can follow the Worcester State Lancers on Facebook and Twitter