Old Colony Memorial: "Plymouth South Grads Wrapping Up College Career"
Plymouth South grads wrapping up college career
November 15, 2013
By David Wolcott, Old Colony Memorial
They’ll probably eat the same pre-game meal they always do. They’ll listen to the same music in the locker room and put their equipment on in the same order, as is their ritual. But today will be a little different for these two Plymouth South graduates. For Bochman, Gustafson and the other 15 seniors on the Buccaneer squad, it will most likely be their final football game.
“It really hit me in last few days. After this game, that’s probably going to be all for me and playing football,” Gustafson said. “The closer you get to that actual last game, I think the more emotional you become. I love the game, and I’m not sure I’m ready for it all to come to an end just yet.”
“I’ve been playing football since the third grade, but this is going to be it for me. (Saturday) will be the last time I put on a helmet,” Bochman said. “It kind of hit me the other day in practice that this was coming to an end. It’s crazy that it’s coming to an end so fast. I’ve been playing football all my life, but it feels like it was just a blink of an eye.
“Every August since third grade, it’s been time to get ready for the football season. But come next August it will be different.”
There’s nothing more than Bochman and Gustafson would like to do than end their season with a win over rival BSC in the Cranberry Bowl. The teams come into the game with matching 5-4 records, and the Bears hold the series advantage over the Buccaneers, 25-8-1.
Despite missing a game early in the season, Gustafson leads Mass Maritime with 1,130 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns. He is 229 yards away from breaking the single season rushing mark held by Kevin Piecewicz (1,339 yards, set in 1992).
The 229 yards is a lofty goal, but not out of the question for an offense that should set a new mark for total yards in a season during Saturday’s game. Gustafson already has rushed for more than 200 yards in a contest three times this season, including a 235 yard effort in a 54-53 win over Western Connecticut.
In that same game he also tied a school record by scoring four touchdowns. Familiarity obviously led to success in that particular game, as starting on the offensive line front of him were three of his former Plymouth South teammates: fellow senior Captain John Bochman, junior Jared Roark and sophomore Andrew Bochman.
“As linemen, we all know what we are going to do and where our tendencies are as blockers, but with Stefan, you never really know what he’s going to do,” John Bochman said. “He could bounce off you, break a tackle, get to the outside and go in for a long touchdown.”
“It’s been great to be able to play with these guys in high school and college,” Roark said. “I hurt my knee earlier this season, and it’s been tough having to sit on the sidelines and just watch the game for the last couple weeks.”
Gustafson said all of his former high school teammates have grown as football players since their days as Vikings back in youth football and then Panthers.
“We’re all bigger, faster and probably smarter about the game now,” Gustafson said. “You get better the more you play at a higher level of football.”
As the high school coach of all four players, Scott Fry said he couldn’t be prouder of what his former stars have been able accomplish at the next level.
“It’s been great to see them grow as players as well as people at a great college like Mass. Maritime,” Fry said. “Playing in college is a great accomplishment, but being the captain of your college team says something about you both as a player and as a leader.”
The former Panthers said they were very happy to see what the football program has accomplished in the last two years. They’ve been very interested observers from not very far away.
Andrew Bochman said, “I think it’s been great what they’ve able to do the last couple of years and it’s nice to think that we helped play a role in getting all of this started.”
“They’ve done a great job with program,” Gustafson added. “With two ACL titles in a row and success in the playoffs, I’d like to think that we helped lay some of the groundwork for that.”
