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Game recap
The Arlington Spy Ponders continued their dominating start to the season with a 35-7 victory over Brookline on Friday night. The Ponders set the tone early with a quick touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Their energy remained high throughout the game with the offense putting up an impressive 21 points to head into halftime. Arlington extended their lead in the third quarter with another touchdown, making the chances of a Brookline comeback slim. With a strong defensive effort to help close out the win, the Ponders secured the second win of the season making them 2-0.
The Arlington offense and defense both played crucial roles in their 35-7 win over Brookline. On offense the running game took over, led by sophomore Ryan Scull. Scull carried the ball nine times for 90 yards scoring two touchdowns. On the defensive side, Arlington applied constant pressure on Brooklie's quarterback disrupting their offense. Drew Beck had an outstanding performance on defense with two sacks and a blocked punt. Beck also had an impact on the offensive side with two catches for 65 yards. With both offense and defense operating at a high level Arlington was able to secure their second win of the season.
Looking ahead to the next game
This Friday, Arlington faces the Stoneham Spartans (1-0). Stoneham is coming off a 27-14 victory over Winthrop. Arlington however is coming off two weeks of momentum, with convincing wins over AC and Brookline. Last year, when the two teams met, the Spy Ponders came out on top with an impressive 41-21 victory. The Ponders are looking for another win tomorrow against a tough, disciplined opponent in Stoneham.
The Arlington Spy Ponders have already begun preparations for Friday’s game. Stoneham runs a unique double-wing offense, something the Ponders have not encountered yet this season. As a result the Ponders defense is making changes to make sure they can effectively stop this unfamiliar offense. On the offensive side, the Ponders are also fine tuning their execution. Last week Arlington turned over the ball twice on the center to quarterback exchange and have been working to fix this issue in practice. Both sides of the ball need to be sharp as Arlington looks to extend their winning streak and continue their strong start to the season.
Arlington vs. Stoneham will take place Friday, September 20th, at 6:00 pm at Peirce Field. Come out to support the undefeated Spy Ponders as they aim to extend their winning streak and improve to 3-0 on the season.
Player Q&A
This week I had the opportunity to interview Manu Mahenthiran, a senior defensive back. Manu has been playing football with his friends since kindergarten, but his first experience with organized football came his freshman year of high school. His passion for the game stems from his dad who inspired him to play. They have been watching football together for as long as he can remember.
Manu’s favorite aspect of football is the culture, specifically, the shared passion between everyone who is involved. His most memorable moment on the field came last year against division rival Belmont when he made the game sealing interception. Belmont was a strong team whose only league loss was against Arlington making this moment even more memorable. Manu says his biggest strength is toughness. He takes pride in showing up and giving his all, even when he’s dealing with bumps and bruises. He believes the Arlington team is as tough as they come. His favorite team tradition is the team dinners the night before a game. He enjoys the camaraderie and fun with teammates that come with the dinners.
This season Manu is working on improving his mental game by learning to look past mistakes and focus on the next play. He also emphasized the importance of communication on the field, noting how talking between plays and taking many reps during practice helps him build a connection with his teammates.
Outside of football, Manu competes in track and runs the 400m hurdles which helps him maintain his speed and agility in football. His ultimate goal for the season is to help the Ponders win a league title.
Elyse Wagner ‘25
Arlington Football Communications Intern