In high school football any coach will tell you that you can’t have enough athletes. The more playmakers you can get on the field at one time, the harder it is for the opposing defense to gameplan for your offense.

Massabesic coach Brooks Bowen came into this season with an experienced and talented quarterback back for his senior year, but he also had a talented sophomore signal caller on his roster.

Bowen made the tough decision to tell senior Isaac DesVergnes that he would be switching to wide receiver and sophomore Nick Roberge would be taking over at quarterback for the Mustangs. Despite an 0-6 record, the tough decision Bowen made in the preseason was certainly the right call.

“We liked the idea of getting another skill position athlete out there,” said Bowen of making the switch. “A lot of teams down here in the South know that Isaac is a pretty good quarterback as well so when he’s lined up in the slot he’s really a dual threat for us … I think everybody would agree at this point that it was a good decision.”

For DesVergnes it was a difficult pill to swallow at first.

“It was tough,” said DesVergnes, who made the most of the change. “But it was fun and it was a good learning experience.”

Roberge is happy to have Isaac in the huddle to help him through his first varsity season.

“I looked up to Isaac a lot as a freshman, and he really helped me out as the season started and getting me into the swing of things. He was really helpful,” said Roberge.

The sophomore QB also calls DesVergnes’ number quite a bit.

“He’s a really good receiver and if I don’t know something he’ll help me out … he’s my go-to guy, he’s a great receiver,” said Roberge.

While DesVergnes certainly offered Roberge tips to start the season, it didn’t take long for the sophomore to pick things up.

“I mean through the beginning of the year a little bit, but he caught on real quick. He’s got a good brain, you know, learning the offense was pretty easy for him,” DesVergnes said.

Bowen believes Roberge has solidified himself as the Mustangs starter for the rest of this season and in the future.

“Nick’s fully qualified to sit behind that center and run this offense. He does real good  job of it,” said Bowen. “He’s a pure student of the game. He wants to run the offense, he wants that position, so we’re thinking he’s there now and I don’t see anything that’s going to change that for the next two years either.”

The Massabesic coach also believes DesVergnes is at the top of his game.

“We feel he’s playing some of his best football to date,” said Bowen of DesVergnes. “He’s a threat on both sides of the ball and on special teams. So we’ve taken the pressure out of the quarterback position and put him out there where he can be a playmaker for us. We’re real happy with that.”

The Mustangs have had a brutal schedule to start the year with games against powerhouses like Bonny Eagle, Scarborough and Thornton Academy.

While they don’t have a win to their credit, this week could be the time they snap their losing streak as the Mustangs travel to Bangor to take on another winless squad.

“We try to stay focused on our improvement because we realize that we’re not going to play a lot of those crossover games up in the North, so we’ve got to figure out a way to get better every day. Obviously, the trip to Bangor is a long bus ride and the guys know that this is a game that we should be competitive in,” said Bowen.

“It’s a game that we can be competitive in and we’re going to work our hardest to come out with a victory,” said DesVergnes, who would love to secure a win in his senior campaign. “It would be nice to get one under our belt and then go on to next week.”

The 0-6 start has certainly been tough on the Mustangs, but that hasn’t stopped this squad from working hard each week.

“Everything’s about character. We’re not stopping and we won’t stop for anything, it doesn’t matter who we are playing,” said Roberge.

The Mustangs, who last won a game in 2015, won’t be heading to the playoffs this year, but DesVergnes is hoping to set up the program for success in the future.

“I want to feel like I helped get this program somewhere,” said DesVergnes. “I want to feel like I was a part of that and I know this program will go somewhere.”

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.

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