Veteran head coach Jarrett Shine ’92, entering his ninth season leading the Brunswick football team, is anxious to see his new-look Bruins take the field in 2017. Despite losing 18 talented players to graduation this past spring, Shine believes his 2017 squad has the talent to be successful in the ultra-competitive Erickson League.
“This team is full of potential with new key players at certain positions,” Shine said. “We need to get them in a rhythm in order to have success.”
Last season, the Bruins finished second in the Erickson League and earned a spot in the NEPSAC’s Wayne Sanborn Bowl, finishing with a 7-3 record.
In each of the past four seasons, Brunswick advanced out of the Erickson League into a NEPSAC post-season bowl game. Since the 2013 campaign, coach Shine owns a record of 29-8 (.789) against one of the most challenging schedules in the NEPSAC.
Looking at the 2017 version of the Bruins, Shine will lean on another talented group of seniors, including tri-captains Sean Amill, Nick Henkel, and Nick Mosher.
Shine attributes plenty of past success to the trio of leaders, as each one has played a significant role on and off the varsity field since his sophomore year.
Henkel, slotted to be the starting quarterback for a third-straight year, enters his final year with over 4,900 career passing yards and 61 TD tosses.
For the past two seasons, Amill has been a top target for the Bruins passing game, collecting 76 catches and 1,011 yards, along with seven touchdown grabs.
Mosher, a tough and versatile two-way player for Brunswick, will be leading the defense from his outside linebacker position and will be one of the anchors on the offensive line.
Brunswick kicks off its eight-game regular season on the road, traveling to Erickson League foe Hotchkiss on Saturday, September 23. Six days later, the Bruins open their home schedule with a non-league game against Cheshire Academy under the lights at Cosby Field on September 29.