While this season has seen plenty of change for the Dedham High football team, the end result has yet to. The Marauders enter tomorrow’s contest looking to avoid a second 10-loss season in the past three years when they take on Norwood in the 80th meeting between the schools on Thanksgiving.
As those dressed in white and maroon line up, they will be outnumbered close to 3-to-1 by the Mustangs, but that certainly hasn’t meant Dedham has conceded defeat during the coin toss.
One of those who will be standing on Norwood’s Murray Field will be fullback/linebacker Rob Zarthar. A three-year starter on both sides of the ball, he is part of a group of seniors that have gutted out one of the toughest spells in the history of Dedham football.
“It’s been tough considering our record as of now, but it’s been a fun year and we’ve had a good time,” said Zarthar. “We haven’t had a lot of wins, but it’s been fun.”
That one win that they do have came in most impressive fashion, coming from behind to top Weymouth 25-7. While rallying from an early seven-point deficit is hardly Earth-shattering, the Wildcats were in position to go up by two scores before the Marauders recovered a fumble and turned the momentum in their favor.
Leading 18-7 with four minutes remaining, Marauders first-year head coach was looking to get Zarthar into the end zone as an exclamation point to a sold team victory.
“We had a timeout and we were talking about getting him the ball and getting into the end zone, he actually said, ‘Coach, keep running the quarterback ISO, it’s working so well,” said first-year coach Keith Comeau. “It shows his unselfishness and he’s looking to lead block (John O’Connell) into the end zone.”
That unselfishness has been on display many times throughout the season, as he has consistently been moved into different positions because of injuries and scheme and has made a seamless transition each and every time.
Offensively, with Dedham starting the year in an I-formation he was put at tailback and getting a large share of the carries. Then came the move to fullback, which saw more blocking and less touches and when the Marauders switched to the spread he became an almost exclusive blocking back as O’Connell took the reins as primary ball carrier.
“We needed more touchdowns, and I said, ‘We’re better off running the ball with Okie, now’s not the time to get me a touchdown. We need to win,’” said Zarthar, who is keeping his options of extending his football career open while planning on studying criminal justice in college.
Even seeing his time away from lugging the pigskin drastically cut has not dampened Zarthar’s outlook.
“I like to block, especially for (O’Connell), he’s a really good running back,” he said.
Defensively, he has seen significant time both inside and outside. Losing the team’s emotional leader on defense, Jeff Sweeney, in the opening half of the first game of the year was not the way the Marauders looked to start the year. According to Zarthar that is the biggest thing that limited the number of wins this year.
“He was always the one who got us ready for the games because he so loud in the locker room, and he was probably the best nose guard in the league,” said Zarthar. “Him in the middle clogged up the middle and stopped the run. Without him there, teams were able to run the ball a lot more.”
Like the other seniors that have faced long odds in most of the games they have suited up in, Zarthar hits with a passion, and Comeau sees his versatile captain as one who keeps plugging away and leads through his example.
“His intensity, during practice and the games, he’s always flying around, either trying to make a big hit – either blocking or tackling, whatever it is – he brings that all the time,” said Comeau. “He’s a captain this year and he’s stepped up his leadership as well.”
He has consistently looked for someone to hit since starting as a sophomore and while the Marauders may be 3-29 since 2006, they have never backed down from a duel.
While the numbers don’t lie and the Marauders are a 1-9 squad, looking closer at the numbers also show a squad that was not as far away from being in the middle of the pack as one might thing. With the exception of the Walpole and Natick games, the biggest deficit the Marauders faced heading into halftime was seven points against Needham in the opener
“I’ll always remember Dedham is one of the toughest teams in the league despite the record we’ve had over the years,” said Zarthar. “Every team that faces us, every coach says they hate playing us because of how physical we are.”
