WESTBROOK – Four years after the Patriots’ stunning Super Bowl loss to the Giants, Sunday’s rematch offers New England an opportunity for redemption, and a chance for local fans of both teams to revel in what it is now a bitter rivalry.
As that rivalry plays out on the world’s biggest stage, the gut-wrenching memory of the Giants’ final drive and the end of an undefeated season will be foremost in the minds of diehard Pats backers, including a Bonny Eagle High School graduate who was on the sidelines that night in Phoenix, Ariz.
Alyssa Caddle, 27, a Standish native, was a Patriots cheerleader at the Super Bowl four years ago, and had a front-row seat as the Giants came away with the Lombardi Trophy. As the debate over Sunday’s game raged among fans in Westbrook and Gorham this week, Caddle, whose cheerleading career ended in 2009, sounded like she was still ready to put on the uniform.
“I am hoping for the Patriots to win this year,” Caddle, a Patriots cheerleader for three years, said. “They are a great team, and we are all looking forward to an awesome game.”
Super Bowl XLVI will kick off in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised locally on WCSH-TV Channel 6. The Patriots will be seeking their fourth Super Bowl title since the team’s first one 10 years ago.
This season, quarterback Tom Brady led the Patriots to playoff victories over Denver and the Baltimore Ravens to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Many fans are expecting a Super Bowl air show with Brady and Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who engineered tough road wins over Atlanta, Green Bay and San Francisco to earn his team a Super Bowl berth, representing the NFC.
The Super Bowl is the ultimate, not only for players, but also for super fans and cheerleaders. This week, Caddle recalled her experience of cheering four years ago in the Super Bowl in front of thousands of spectators at the stadium, and millions more at home.
“There is always a feeling of nervousness performing in front of a large crowd, but I think mostly we were all excited,” she said.
“We train the whole year for an opportunity like that, so it’s great to have the opportunity to perform in the playoffs and Super Bowl,” Caddle said.
Now a Boston resident, Caddle works at a technology firm. She grew up in Standish and graduated from Bonny Eagle in 2002, the year the Patriots won their first Super Bowl in stunning fashion over the highly favored St. Louis Rams. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2007 at Northeastern University in Boston and a master’s degree in engineering management in 2011.
Caddle studied dancing for 14 years, beginning at age 4 at the Centre of Movement in Gorham, the studio’s owner-director, Vickie Lloyd, said. Lloyd said Caddle hadn’t been a cheerleader before becoming one for the Patriots, but her early dance training proved valuable.
“For the Super Bowl, we spent a lot of time organizing our dances to work with different songs, as each stadium plays different music between plays,” Caddle said.
Caddle said the Patriots cheerleaders practiced year round a minimum of about 10 hours weekly, besides participating in all home games, charitable and promotional appearances, and other trips.
Caddle said her association with the Patriots has accounted for memories no less than those of players themselves or fans sweating out games.
“I got to participate in some truly amazing things while cheering, including the Super Bowl,” Caddle said.
She was chosen to represent the Patriots in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in 2009, and also traveled to China to promote American football. She also entertained U.S. troops in Ecuador in addition to Navy personnel aboard an aircraft carrier.
“Mostly, I am thankful for all of the amazing girls I got to meet during my time on the team,” Caddle said.
This year, Caddle, who was a Patriots cheerleader from 2006-2009, and her friends will be “road tripping out to Indy” to support the Patriots in the stadium.
Meanwhile, a faithful Patriots fan in Westbrook won’t be in Indianapolis, but will do his part, lighting a candle in a living-room vigil. Tom Johnson, 58, has been a Patriots fan since age 10 and easily reels off names of Patriots from the 1960s.
Sunday, he’ll organize his memorabilia, including miniature Patriots helmets, a Brady watch and other good luck charms, into a circle and then light a candle in the center.
“One more time,” Johnson, hoping the Patriots would win their fourth Super Bowl, said Tuesday.
However, local rooting appears divided between the Patriots and Giants, who garnered fan worship long before the Patriots played their first preseason game July 30, 1960.
Now, 52 years later, this week’s Super Bowl has been a hot, coffee klatch topic all week.
Bob Gardiner, a longtime Westbrook resident who played defensive end at Deering High School, is a dual Patriots and Giants fan. Gardiner believes the Giants will win the Super Bowl, “Because I think their defense is better,” Gardiner said.
But, Scott Smith of Westbrook doesn’t think the Giants defense can stop Patriots tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, who along with wide receiver Wes Welker are three formidable targets for Brady.
“Too much versatility, too many options,” Smith said.
Marc Cole of Westbrook believes in the Giants.
“It’s going to be the Giants, Eli is going to be on,” Cole said.
Smith and Johnson both expect a close game.
“I think the Patriots will win it by a touchdown,” Smith said.
But Windham resident Steve Lampron, owner of River’s Edge Deli in Westbrook, predicted, “Eli 31, Brady 17” in round two of their Super Bowl matchup.
Hoping for a Patriots victory, Johnson, a customer interviewed at Doughboy’s Deli in Westbrook, said, “It’s going to be who protects Brady or Manning more.”
Defeats have been hard to handle.
“I was up half the night,” Johnson said about the Patriots loss in 2008.
But, the victories remain sweet. From a pocket, Johnson Tuesday pulled a key chain with the play-by-play audio of Patriot Adam Vinatieri kicking a winning field goal.
Monday, Johnson re-played videos of Patriots Super Bowl victories in 2002, 2004 and 2005. For him, just like other longtime Pats fans, the first one remains the sweetest.
“I waited so long when we won,” Johnson said.
Bonny Eagle grad Alyssa Caddle, a New England Patriots
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