It’s hard to imagine what the Buccaneer football team will do for an encore after a record-setting performance during the 2012 season, but with Head Coach Jeremy Cameron welcoming back 63 letterwinners and 16 starters from a squad that posted Massachusetts Maritime’s third straight winning campaign, the stage that is Clean Harbors Stadium is certainly ready for some show-stopping plays.

Cameron will look to a prolific offense and an experienced defense to make his ninth season in Buzzards Bay just as memorable, as Massachusetts Maritime has 15 victories over the last three years combined, marking the first time the program has enjoyed three straight winning campaigns since 1998-2000.  Included in that list of triumphs are a pair of Admiral’s Cup wins over Maine Maritime, two victories over rival Coast Guard and scooping up a Cranberry Bowl win over Bridgewater State, and along the way Cameron’s crew has re-written the school record book on both sides of the ball, including 17 single-game, season and career records last year alone.

While all of those marks and memories have been duly recorded and remembered, the Buccaneers are turning the page to write a new act in 2013, and Massachusetts Maritime will rely on a great deal of returning experience both on and off the field as it begins play in the newly-formed Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference this fall.  Veteran leadership has always been a staple of the program, and this year is no exception to that, as Cameron has tabbed seniors John Bochman (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), Sheldon Roper (Sharpsburg, Ga./Northgate), Michael Sylvia (Lincoln, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) and Stefan Gustafson (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) to serve as co-captains for this season.

“This group has demonstrated effective leadership by example and commitment both on and off the field throughout their careers at the Academy, and that leadership will be a key component once again during the upcoming season,” Cameron says of the quartet.  “They have gained the utmost respect from their teammates by instilling confidence and camaraderie, and they will continue to represent the program with great pride and integrity.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2013 edition of Buccaneer Football:

OFFENSE.  Senior Mike Stanton (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy), who has established himself as the top passer in school history, returns as Massachusetts Maritime’s incumbent signal caller, as the 2013 Gagliardi Trophy candidate ranks as the third winningest active starting quarterback in Division III play with 15 victories in 26 starts.  In nine contests a year ago, Stanton completed 183-of-287 attempts (63.8 percent) for a school record 2,449 yards and 16 touchdowns while posting a 146.2 pass efficiency rating.  He already holds the school career passing yardage record with an even 5,000 heading into his final campaign, and he is complimented under center with the return of juniors John Trudel (Niantic, Conn./Ledyard) and Brad Skeffington (Salem, Mass./Salem), who provide additional depth and experience.  Trudel completed 25-of-40 attempts for 277 yards and five scores in 2012, while Skeffington is adept both as a rusher and passer and looks to return from an injury suffered in the second week of last season.

Gustafson earned all-New England Football Conference Bogan Division honors at running back for the Buccaneers a year ago, as he collected 701 yards on 104 carries (100.1 per game) and five touchdowns, while junior Austin Pierce (Peabody, Mass./St. John’s Prep) lends additional experience in the backfield with 177 yards and a score in 2012.  Sophomores David Yerxa (Milford, Conn./Foran) and Matthew Kupiec (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham) will also look to contribute to the Massachusetts Maritime rushing attack, as Yerxa notched 94 yards in six contests as a newcomer.

The Buccaneer receiving corps ranks among the best in the MASCAC, led by junior E.J. Bennett (East Wareham, Mass./Wareham) and senior Keith Caruso (Hingham, Mass./Hingham), who both earned all-NEFC Bogan accolades last fall.  Bennett hauled in 59 receptions for 857 yards (14.5 per catch) and seven touchdowns, while Caruso was not far behind with 56 receptions for 726 yards (13.0 per grab) and four scores.  Junior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) chipped in with 30 receptions for 310 yards and a touchdown in 2012, while fellow junior Jonathan Wright (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) collected 25 catches for 425 yards and three visits to the end zone.  Junior Kyle Hardy (Salem, Mass./Salem) and sophomore Matthew Anson (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) also combined for 11 receptions and 102 yards for Massachusetts Maritime a year ago.  In addition, senior Ted Mello (Acushnet, Mass./Old Colony), along with sophomores Grady McCarthy (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand), Julian Picard (Upton, Mass./Blackstone Valley) and Kevin Healy (Palmetto, Fla./Palmetto), will be vying for roles in the receiving corps this season.

Cameron has solid size and speed returning at the tight end spots as well, with sophomore Drew Girouard (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne) hauling in eight receptions (four for touchdowns) and 126 yards and senior David Wilson (Weare, N.H./John Stark Regional) notching six catches for 55 yards and a score.  Senior Brian Donaghey (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) also provides experience after appearing in seven contests and snagging a touchdown pass in 2012, while sophomore Andre Elnakhle (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) also looks to contribute during his second season.

Performance, points and records wouldn’t be possible without a solid offensive line, and the Buccaneers return three starters up front from a group that enabled Massachusetts Maritime to rank sixth nationally in Division III in total yards per game (520.7) last season.  Bochman and fellow senior John Moriarty (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) will be joined by junior Jared Roark (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) on the o-line, while seniors Josh Bevilacqua (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), Sean Marshall (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) and Ian Bradley (Burlington, Conn./Saint Paul Catholic), juniors Timothy Lawler (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) and Jeffrey Wallace (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and sophomores Andrew Bochman (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South), Philip Boudrow (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) and Joe McCauley (Pittsfield, Mass./Pittsfield) will all be vying for spots up front for Cameron this fall.

DEFENSE.  The Buccaneers welcome back solid veterans on the defensive side of the ball as well in 2013, led by senior Robert Gratzer (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) and junior Zachary Ryan (Danvers, Mass./Danvers), who each earned all-NEFC Bogan honors last season on the d-line.  Ryan recorded 42 total tackles (32 solo and five for losses) and a team-leading three sacks in 2012, while Gratzer chipped in with 18 total stops (15 solo and three for losses).  Junior Richard Ford (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) added 15 total tackles (13 solo) in eight contests, while fellow junior John Dee (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) amassed nine stops in six outings.  Juniors Kyle Gavoni (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) and Gordon Fitch (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington), along with sophomores Nicholas Mann (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury), John Schmitt (Bourne, Mass./Upper Cape Tech), Michael McGuiggan (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), Dylan Zona (Clinton, Mass./Assabet Valley) and Michael Kuligoski (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township), lend additional depth and experience to Massachusetts Maritime’s defensive line.

Junior Reynard Ortiz (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) looks to continue Massachusetts Maritime’s longstanding tradition of strong linebacker play, as he led Cameron’s crew in tackles in 2012 with 61 total stops (45 solo).  Fellow junior Victor Andrade (Yarmouthport, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) looks for a strong return after collecting 37 total stops (29 solo) in a six-game injury-shortened campaign, while the sophomore duo of Matthew King (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) and Brian Liamos (Brookline, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) combined for 41 total tackles (31 solo) as rookies.  Senior Max Devoe (Quincy, Mass./Quincy), juniors Kyle O’Keefe (Carver, Mass./Carver), Avery Tavares (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) and Jack Radke (York, Maine/York), along with sophomore Steve Walls (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne), will also be vying for linebacking spots this fall.

Roper and Sylvia lead the way in the defensive backfield for the Buccaneers, as Roper amassed 49 total tackles (37 solo) a year ago while recording three interceptions.  Sylvia was limited to just four appearances due to injury but chipped in with 15 total tackles, and the duo is joined by junior all-NEFC Bogan selection Kevin Stanton (Abington, Mass./Cardinal Spellman), who ranked third on the team with 50 total stops (42 solo) with an interception.  Senior Bernie Girard (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) and junior James Nguyen (Quincy, Mass./Quincy) each recorded 14 tackles in 2012 for Massachusetts Maritime, which will also welcome back senior Juan Sandoval (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) and sophomores Kervin Claude (Mattapan, Mass./Scituate), Michael Williams (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and Michael Kozmiski (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) into the fold.

SPECIAL TEAMS.  Senior Brandon Rodrigues (Brockton, Mass./Brockton), who is one of 34 student-athletes from over 750 schools across the country to be named to the 2013 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List as the nation’s top placekicker, returns after converting 31 PAT’s and a pair of field goals last season for the Buccaneers.  Off the field, Rodrigues became Massachusetts Maritime’s first Capital One Academic All-America honoree in 30 years (and just the second in school history) with his selection to the second team national squad, and he is joined by sophomore Michael Messersmith (Orleans, Mass./Nauset), who averaged 46.5 yards in handling the kickoff duties as a rookie.

SCHEDULE.  The formation of the MASCAC will bring with it five familiar Buccaneer foes, as former NEFC Bogan Division rivals Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Westfield State and Worcester State will be joined by former NEFC Boyd Division squads UMass Dartmouth and Plymouth State along with former New Jersey Athletic Conference member Western Connecticut in the new league.  Massachusetts Maritime returns to a 10-game schedule for the first time since 2010 this fall and faces the challenge of having four of its first six outings away from Clean Harbors Stadium.

Experience, depth and excitement are certainly buzzwords that aptly describe the upcoming Massachusetts Maritime football season, which will see its curtain rise on Thursday, September 12^th when the Buccaneers entertain SUNY-Maritime in the Sixth Annual Chowder Bowl clash at Clean Harbors Stadium that kicks off at 7:00 p.m. EDT.  Cameron’s squad will then head to Castine for the 41^st Annual Admiral’s Cup match-up with Maine Maritime on Saturday, September 21^st before opening its inaugural MASCAC schedule the following weekend at Worcester State.