Local junior football squad
dominating opposition
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The numbers are eye-popping for the Aroostook Junior Huskies’ football team.
The squad holds a 4-0 record and have yet to be tested with two games remaining. The Huskies have averaged 68 points per game while allowing an average of 29.
Contributed photo/Katie O’Connell
GREYSON SONNTAG of Mapleton stiff-arms a Millinocket defender en route to a score during Saturday’s 68-32 victory by the Aroostook Junior Huskies football team. 
Sonntag plays quarterback and linebacker for the local squad.
The lead wing back, Apollo Grondin of Caribou, has rushed for an incredible 884 yards on just 32 carries, with 18 touchdowns to his credit. The other wing back, Evan Michaud of Caribou, has 209 yards on 28 carries and three TDs.
Quarterback Greyson Sonntag of Mapleton has gotten the job done with his arm and his legs. Sonntag is 17 for 32 in the passing department for 203 yards, with two touchdown throws and one interception. He has gained 431 yards on 31 rushes for another nine scores.
The leading receiver is Josh Baldwin of Presque Isle, who has 11 receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
The Huskies run a double-wing offense out of the shotgun formation and the playbook, a stripped-down version of the high school team’s, includes only six plays.
“We try to execute what we have to perfection,” said first-year coach Jon Frederick.
“With our offense, everything is timing based and the guys do a great job executing it,” he added. “We also run a no-huddle, which was new for these guys entering this season, but they’ve gotten used to it.”
The team, comprised of middle school-aged youth, has a 19-player roster. Fifteen of the players are eighth-graders and nine have prior football experience, which has been a key to the team’s success, according to Frederick.
“Football is a complicated game, so the experience level is a key element,” he said.
The squad has a mix of players from Mapleton, Presque Isle and Caribou, with another coming from Washburn. Frederick said when he took over, he was concerned about chemistry, but “the guys get along great,” he said.
“They have fun together and aren’t afraid to bust each other’s chops,” Frederick said.
Frederick said he works well with assistant coach Nathan DeFelice. Frederick specializes in line play, while DeFelice concentrates on working with the team’s backs.
Headlining the offense is Sonntag, an “intelligent player” who Frederick calls a quiet leader. One of the team’s three captains, Sonntag also owns a “mean stiff-arm,” the coach added.
Grondin, the speaking captain, has plenty of experience in the sport and is very fast with a good sense for finding running lanes, as evidenced by his gaudy statistics. Michaud is small, but Frederick calls him the toughest player in the league, pound for pound.
The two ends on offense are Baldwin and Evan Mechalko of Caribou. Baldwin owns “an incredible set of hands” and catches anything thrown in his direction. Mechalko is a technically-sound player with a fantastic grasp of the fundamentals of the sport.
Contributed photo/Katie O’Connell
MAXX LANGILLE of Mapleton makes the tackle on a Valley Mustangs’ player during the Sept. 28 Aroostook Football League game played in Caribou. 
The Huskies of central Aroostook County won easily and are now 3-0 on the season.
Jared Kilcollins and Colin Daigle, both of Presque Isle, are the guards. They are two of the biggest players on the Huskies and have done a good job blocking all season. The center, Izaiah Thayer of Caribou, has huge responsibilities with his snaps and blocking and has been up to the task. “He has a very good understanding of the game,” Frederick said.
Matt O’Connell of Presque Isle is one of the team’s top defenders. The tackle is a very disruptive, intense performer who has two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a sack to his credit. Thayer is the team’s other starting tackle.
The defensive ends are Noah Rosado of Caribou and Grondin (1-1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery). Rosado is a first-year player who is a solid lineman with two fumble recoveries on the season.
Sonntag. who has an interception and 52-yard touchdown return, and Dylan Paddleford of Caribou, the team’s other captain, are the starting linebackers. Paddleford (one sack and one fumble recovery) is another veteran who has boundless energy and can play multiple positions on the field. He serves as Sonntag’s backup at quarterback.
The starting defensive backs are Michaud and Andre Daigle of Presque Isle, although Jovanni Taveras of Washburn (one interception) has filled in for Daigle lately as he recovers from a concussion.
“We are fortunate because of our depth,” Frederick said. “We have three guys for every two slots on both sides of the ball, so we can rotate people in easily.”
Other eighth-graders on the Huskies’ team are defensive end Hunter Lindsey of Caribou, linebacker Maxx Langille of Mapleton, tackles Tristan Mancos of Caribou and Eric Easler of Mapleton.
Seventh-graders, beside Andre Daigle and Taveras, are Justin Edwards-Robidou of Mapleton and Joey Cyr of Caribou. Frederick said Robidou is one of the toughest players on the team and that Taveras, who also serves as the team’s kicker, is the fastest and is capable of running anyone down. Andre Daigle serves as the team’s No. 3 quarterback.
The Huskies will wrap up the season with games against Houlton Saturday at 11 a.m. in Caribou and Oct. 19 against the Valley Mustangs in Madawaska.
