WORCESTER—The Saint Paul football team won a total of two games during the last two seasons. But this fall the Knights are on a new crusade, winning three of their first four games under the leadership of first-year head coach Gary Senecal.
In all three wins, Saint Paul (3-1) has rallied to overcome late deficits. The Knights were down 12 points in the fourth quarter in wins over both Nipmuc and North and trailed Sutton (1-3) by eight points late in Saturday’s game before pulling off a dramatic 25-22 victory in the final minute.
“The kids are tough and they don’t fold easily,” said Senecal, who possesses something most high school coaches don’t typically have—a Ph.D. For his day job he serves as an associate professor of Human Services at Assumption University.
“As coaches we have full faith that they’re going to play 48 minutes and so far we’ve been able to finish.
The kids are talented, tough and resilient and they’re the ones winning games. Coaches don’t win games, the kids win games,” said Senecal.
That resiliency was on display against Sutton with less than eight minutes remaining and Saint Paul down 22-14. A brilliant diving catch by Hayden Dorsey put the Knights in the red zone before a 13-yard touchdown pass over the middle from John Walsh-Karam to Ethan Silva cut the lead to 22-20. Karam found Silva again on the next play for the two-point conversion and the game was tied 22-22 with five and a half minutes left.
The Saint Paul defense came up with a huge stop on the ensuing Sutton possession and took over on downs with just over a minute on the clock. A tough catch from Krystian Kowalczyk got the Knights down field before a costly penalty on the Sammies moved Saint Paul closer to the endzone with 49 seconds to go.
Facing a fourth down and 10 situation, freshman Josh Chavoor kicked one 32-yards through the uprights for what proved to be the game-winning field goal with 28 seconds remaining.
“I was completely confident when we had to send Josh out there,” said Walsh-Karam, one of five senior captains. “Once we got in his range I knew Josh was going to knock it through and ice the game.”
Sutton had one last chance but the Knights came away with another huge defensive stop, this time an interception to seal the three-point win in the game’s waning seconds.
Walsh-Karam, normally utilized as one of the best wide receivers in the region, finished the game with three touchdown passes, highlighted by a 67-yard strike to Dorsey in the second quarter. A high ankle sprain forced Walsh-Karam into the quarterback role, a position normally occupied by James Kelly who was also just coming back from an injury.
Despite the personnel setbacks, Walsh-Karam confidently took the reigns and led Saint Paul to its third win of the season over a well-coached and competitive Sutton team.
“I didn’t want to sit out a game. I wanted to be out there to help give my team the best chance to win,” said Walsh-Karam. “It was all worth it because we ended up coming out on top.”
Silva, also a senior captain, highlighted the collective effort of the team rather than individual performances.
“I had a great game but without my teammates that doesn’t happen. Without coverage, I don’t do anything that I do out here,” said Silva. “I made the plays today but it’s a whole team effort.”
Senecal, who served as an assistant coach at Saint John’s last season, also spent two years on Bob Chesney’s staff at Assumption. After leaving the Greyhounds, Chesney went on to lead Holy Cross to five Patriot League championships and now serves as head coach at James Madison.
“I consider that the greatest apprenticeship I’ve ever had in my coaching life,” said Senecal, a 2003 graduate of Saint Peter Marian. “The thing I learned the most from Bob is how to practice. Bob Chesney’s practices are excellent and we’ve tried to do that here. Because we practice hard, we’re able to compete on Saturday.”
The Knights are a different, more focused team with Senecal at the helm and the players appreciate the positive changes in attitude and leadership he has brought to the program.
“Coach Senecal really just flipped the culture for us,” said Walsh-Karam. “He’s been a great leader and he gets on us if we need it.”
“Not everyday is easy, but you have to fight through the hard days,” added Silva. “He always preaches that you’re not going to be at your best everyday. The days when you’re not is when you find out who you really are. I couldn’t ask for a better coach.”
Saint Paul returns to action on Friday, Oct. 11, when the Knights host Blackstone-Millville at 7:30 p.m.
As the Worcester Guardian marks nearly a year of delivering free, independent digital news to our city, our dedication to this mission strengthens. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our ongoing commitment to providing hyperlocal news coverage to Worcester. Scroll to the bottom of our home page to sign up for our daily newsletter
