Before Winnisquam took the field last season, it had already experienced a whirlwind of change.
The Bears jumped from Division IV to Division III and with the pandemic in full swing last fall, they played a cohort schedule of just area teams ranging from Division II to Division IV.
But now with some sense of normalcy, the program looks to bounce back from an unorthodox year and continue its recent stretch of impressive success. All doing so with a new face at the helm of the program.
Tim Hyde begins his tenure as the next head coach at Winnisquam and brings with him a wealth of football knowledge and experience. Hyde has spent the better part of two decades in football, and for the last eight years ran the program at Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades, California.
Hyde went 56-27 in his tenure at Palisades, a reputation that will bode well with the former 2018 and 2019 Division IV state champions.
His biggest challenge has merely been readjusting to the New England area – his wife and her family are originally from Boston. Finding which roads to take to get to the school, learning new names and evaluating talent. It’s all been a process for Hyde, but it’s one that he’s enjoyed so far.
“I’ve been here everyday working, getting ready ever since after the Fourth of July,” he said. “I’m still learning the ropes since I’ve only been here 60 days.”
One of Hyde’s biggest challenges he’s encountered in the last 60 days is releasing he’ll be starting the season with a young and inexperienced roster. Last season the Bears’ starters were a large class and they played in all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams.
Experience returns in some vital spots, however. Kyler Bourdeau – described as the “heart and soul of the 2021 team” by Hyde – is a three-year starter at middle linebacker and also plays running back for the Bears. The senior hasn’t missed a step since he joined the team his freshman year and has only grown as a player with each varsity letter he’s earned.
“He’s a great high school football player,” Hyde said. “He’s small in stature, big in heart. (A) really good linebacker, great instincts.”
Listed at just 5-foot, 7-inches and a solid 180-pounds, Bourdeau might be undersized for a linebacker, but his play on the field speaks for itself.
Other key returners for Winnisquam this year include offensive lineman Kiernan Harris, wide receiver Alex Nichols and quarterback Anthony Boomer.
Harris, a 6-foot, 1-inch senior, will be looked at as the anchor for an otherwise inexperienced offensive line. He saw time as both a guard and a tackle as a junior a year ago and will look to lead his unit in the direction that all offensive linemen want to go – forward.
Nichols and Boomer both have had position changes heading into this season. Nichols saw time as a freshman playing safety but was switched to wide receiver this summer in an effort to have more options for the offense.
Boomer’s position change is perhaps one of the most important on the team after he was moved from wide receiver to quarterback.
The 6-foot, 3-inch, 185-pound junior has a big arm at his disposal and is able to make throws down field. Boomer’s arm can also be accredited toward his prowess on the baseball field where last season he won MVP of the junior varsity Winnisquam squad.
With so many changes circling around the program, fans can expect some growing pains, but Hyde’s message to fans and the team itself is to enjoy the process.
“Our message is real easy – it’s just get better, keep learning together as a team,” he said. “We’ll put our cards on the table each and every week and compete for 48 minutes.”
Hyde’s young and eager team will begin the 2021 season on Saturday when it hosts Inter-Lakes. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.
Much like Winnisquam, fellow Division III school Kearsarge will have plenty to look forward to in 2021.
The first being that there is a season.
Because of COVID and low turnout numbers, the Cougars canceled their 2020 season. The rebuild that second-year coach Cody Anderson continues to be at the forefront of the program and after an 0-9 finish in 2019, there’s plenty of eagerness to get back on the field.
Their first opportunity to take another step forward in the rebuild happens on Friday when Kearsarge plays host to Campbell. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.