WELLS — Simply put, Joey Spinelli has a knack for big plays.
Spinelli, a junior defensive back and kicker for the Wells football team who stands just 5 feet, 8 inches tall, has been a clutch performer for the Warriors for most of the 2011 season. He is one of the reasons Wells is 10-0 ”“ the No. 1 seed in Western Maine Class B ”“ and will host Mountain Valley in the regional championship game on Saturday at Warrior Memorial Field.
Though he has a nose for the ball, Spinelli can’t explain his success this season.
“I don’t know,” Spinelli said. “I just try to get in every play I can and see what happens. If you’re around the ball, good things happen.”
He first made his presence known in the season-opener against Cape Elizabeth on Sept. 2. In that game, Spinelli made a key block on a Capers’ extra point attempt, helping seal a 14-6 win for the Warriors.
Two weeks ago, Spinelli intercepted two passes against rival York, ensuring a 42-7 win in the quarterfinals.
But last week may have taken the cake. In the Warriors’ 23-6 win over Westbrook in the semifinal round, the Blue Blazes were well on their way to scoring on the first drive of the game, moving the ball inside the Warriors’ 10-yard line. But Wells forced a fumble out of quarterback Terry Webber, and Spinelli picked up the ball and raced 93 yards down the sideline and into the end zone for the game’s first score. The only downside was that Spinelli was so out of breath that he missed the extra point.
“I thought the play was over, but I didn’t hear the whistle,” Spinelli said. “I picked it, and figured I would just try to run for the touchdown, I guess. It’s the most winded I’ve ever been in my life. I was about to collapse on the extra point.”
“We haven’t had a lot of that this year,” Wells head coach Tim Roche said. “Our defense has been awesome, but it hasn’t created a ton of turnovers.”
Spinelli has usually been a steady hand on extra points, scoring 34 points for the Warriors this season on point-after attempts. He made a 25-yard field goal against the Blazes last week.
Spinelli is also a skilled running back on offense, but due to the production of starters, Louis DiTomasso, Doug McLean and Drew Shelley, he doesn’t see much time on offense.
“He could be a good running back, too,” Roche said. “But we’ve got so many good running backs, we put him out at wide receiver and let him do stuff. But he’s a good little player. What is he, 4-foot-3?”
The Warriors played against Mountain Valley in Rumford last November for the regional final, which saw the Falcons coming away with the win and an eventual state championship. Though the Warriors beat Mountain Valley in the playoffs, Spinelli said the Warriors have long awaited the opportunity to meet the Falcons again in the playoffs. It remains to be seen if Spinelli has another big play up his sleeve.
“We’ve been waiting for this since last November,” Spinelli said. “We’re just ready to get back at them.”
— Contact Staff Writer Dave Dyer at 282-1535, Ext. 318 or follow him on Twitter @Dave_Dyer.
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