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Plays like team spirit: Rian Schwede’s versatility, unselfishness shining for W-H

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Schwede against Duxbury. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Senior captain Rian Schwede has done anything asked of him, and is flourshing in that role.

The general consensus about Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior Rian Schwede is simply stated: He’s as unselfish a player as you can ask for.

His talent blends quite well with his unselfish manner, too, and it hasn’t been more evident than over the last two weeks.

Due to an unforeseen change at quarterback early in the season, the Panthers needed a boost under center, and Schwede, who was on the receiving end of 19 passes for 300 yards and two TDs last season, stepped right in and is now sharing snaps with junior John Zeidan.

Quarterback isn’t completely foreign to Schwede, as he played it throughout youth football, but it’s never easy to accept a position change, albeit a partial one.

“I always love my receiver spot, but it was like second nature when coach told me [to play quarterback],” Schwede said.

But Schwede, who stands at 6-foot-3, isn’t just playing quarterback. He has also been been split out wide and lined up in the backfield, along with starting in the defensive backfield and on special teams and flourishing while doing so.

Over the past two weeks, Schwede’s posted five touchdowns and a two-point conversion rush, while recording an interception.

On some occasions — as in two games ago against Quincy — Schwede will see action at receiver, running back, quarterback, defensive back and placeholder all within the span of a quarter.

Senior kicker Jake O’Brien’s said Schwede’s unselfish attitude is nothing new.

“Since youth football, Rian has played a ton of different positions,” O’Brien said. “He will do anything to help the team be more successful. Rian definitely embodies the unselfish attitude that every football player should strive to have.”

Against the Presidents — a 39-0 shutout victory — Schwede found himself on the receiving end of a 30-yard TD from Zeidan, tossed an 11-yard score to classmate Jacob Nixon and rushed for a 2-yard TD.

The offensive outburst came after the Panthers were held to two touchdowns or less their previous three games.

“Rian has always been one of the leaders, that’s why he’s one of our captains,” W-H football head coach Mike Driscoll said. “He’s doing what Rian does. He’ll do whatever we ask him to do.”

Against Silver Lake last week — a 29-6 victory on senior night – Schwede fired a 57-yard TD to Nixon on a fleaflicker to open the scoring just 16 seconds in. Then, in a 2:06-span in the fourth quarter, he converted a key two-point conversion run to put the Panthers up by two-plus scores, came down with an interception and tossed a 76-yard TD to classmate Ryan Downing.

“Rian’s stepped into that role and he’s flourishing in it,” Driscoll said. “We know he’s got a cannon, and Rian’s done a great job for us.”

Schwede said the biggest adjustment has been studying all of the pages of the Panthers playbook rather than a few.

“The practices, they’ve just been kind of getting to know the whole entire offense, all the runs,” he said. “I was pretty down with all the pass routes and plays, but a majority of the runs I’ve started to learn.”

It’s on to Plymouth North (4-2, 2-2) for Schwede and the Panthers for a key, in terms of potentially hosting a playoff game, Patriot League Keenan Division battle.

“We got to have a real good week of practice and preparation and that’ll be it,” Schwede said.

A flair for heroics: O’Brien hits game-winning field goal, W-H upends New Bedford

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Before the season even started, Mike Driscoll let his feelings be known of his senior kicker Jake O’Brien.

“Jake is a big, big, big part of our team,” said the eighth-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High football coach back in August. “I’ve never had a kid who you feel confident trotting him out there from 40, 45.”

On Friday night, Driscoll’s confidence was tested as was O’Brien’s poise. 

After a Mike Connors run advanced the ball to the New Bedford 17 and two timeouts thereafter, O’Brien got his time to shine in front of a packed Dennis M. O’Brien Stadium. 

With four seconds remaining and the score knotted at 6, the fourth-year varsity kicker knocked in a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired to send the Panthers to a 9-6 victory.

“When it came time to do it, I wasn’t really thinking, just kind of instinct — all this practice time I’ve put in for a long, long time finally paid off for me tonight,” O’Brien said.

With 3:09 left, W-H (2-0) forced New Bedford (0-2) to punt after just a 17-second drive. On the punt, senior Billy Martell drew a catch interference call, which advanced the ball to the Whalers 40. Martell then bulldozed his way ahead 14 yards to get the Panthers inside New Bedford territory.

“I knew when Billy got that run we were in position there. He said we were good from inside 30, in warmups he was booming them in from like 45, so I felt pretty confident. He wanted the ball on the right hash and Mike (Connors) knew that, so Mike got it to the right hash and Jake came through.”

Junior John Zeidan – starting under center for senior quarterback Ethan Phelps (illness) – followed up Martell’s run by hitting senior Ryan Downing, who just had an interception, in stride down the left side for a 21-yard completion with time winding down to get into field goal range.

“I was a little nervous,” Zeidan said. “I knew what he had to do to win the game. I knew the plays.”

The Panthers struck first in this one with 37.4 seconds remaining in the first half when Connors plowed his way to pay dirt from 1 yard out. A 37-yard throw from Zeidan to senior captain Jacob Nixon keyed the drive.

Tru Williams countered for the Whalers in the third, hitting Joey Alverio on a 9-yard pitch and catch to even the score at 6.

W-H’s defense was sparked by senior captains Connors, Rian Schwede and Quinn Sweeney, along with Downing and seniors Nate Beath and Ryan Trongone.

The Panthers begin league play next week when they travel to Hingham (1-0) at 7 p.m.

“We’ll enjoy this for a little while and they we’ll get right back at it,” Driscoll said.

W-H football’s O’Brien is a rarity

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O’Brien nails one through the uprights in the Panthers’ tournament game against Stoughton last season. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Senior kicker Jake O’Brien is near automtic for the Panthers.

Jake O’Brien is a rare find among high school football players in the state.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior’s primary role is kicker, and just kicker.

Last season — his second as the starter — O’Brien knocked in 18 of 19 extra points and was three for three on field goals, which included a long of 39 yards. His near-perfect campaign had him drawing high praise from his head coach Mike Driscoll.

“In my opinion, he’s one of the top five kickers in the state,” Driscoll said.

It’s not O’Brien’s point-scoring ability that’s his biggest asset to the Panthers, but rather when he takes the pressure off his fellow special teamers.

“Some of the bigger ones to me were some of the times he could kick it out of the end zone on a kickoff and not worry about the return,”Driscoll explained.

Driscoll said a key to O’Brien’s success is that he understands his role on the team. Besides spilling the starter occasionally at safety, all O’Brien does is kick.

“He knows he’s not going to play offense for us, so during offense he’s out there [and] he’s kicking — either up on the grass field working on his kickoffs or he’s working on one end on his field goals,” Driscoll explained.

And, when he’s up on the grass field, Driscoll must make sure he keeps a close eye on him.

“We have to limit him on his kicks because he would kick 100 a day [and] you don’t need that,” Driscoll said jokingly.

PITCHING IN

Ironically, O’Brien’s knack for kicking doesn’t even stem from the gridiron, rather the pitch.

“I played soccer for a while when I was younger and then [in] eighth grade all my friends were playing football, so I decided ‘Why not switch over?’” O’Brien said. “Then, from eighth grade I just started kicking in youth because I played soccer and then it’s just been natural for me, I guess.”

As a ninth grader, O’Brien was the freshman team’s starting kicker, but his leg was essentially neutralized because the Panthers would shy away from the point after. However, he got his chance in the last game of the season.

“We played Abington before Thanksgiving and they let me kick a field goal and that was my first field goal in a game ever and I was pretty nervous, but I did hit it; I think it was from 15 yards,” O’Brien said with a laugh.

Over the following months, O’Brien set his sights on the starting varsity kicker position and nabbed it as as sophomore.

“I knew that our kicker was graduating next year, so in that offseason I did work a lot,” he explained. “I worked a lot all summer. I made sure that I definitely had a chance to get that spot and it paid off for me in the end.”

O’Brien connected on 23 extra points and a pair of field goals that sophomore season.

“To have a kicker is huge because most kids don’t work at that skill anymore and I think Jake is unique,” Driscoll said.

To prepare for his final go-around, O’Brien used the offseason to kick — of course.

“I went to one camp at the beginning of the summer with Kicking World and that was in Braintree and that was more of an instructional camp,” O’Brien explained. “They kind of taught me a little more of the basics, likewhat I didn’t know already. From there, I went to another camp called Clutch Kicks and that was more of, not really competitive, but it was kind of like you already know what you’re doing. They definitely helped me out a lot.”

Driscoll said he has no reason not to believe O’Brien’s going to have another strong campaign this fall.

“Jake is a big, big, big part of our team,” Driscoll said. “I’ve never had a kid who you feel confident trotting him out there from 40, 45. He’s working hard try to get less air time on it and put something into it. I think that he is going to be a huge factor for us to besuccessful this season.”