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By David Pevear dpevear@lowellsun.com
DRACUT -- He followed the 2008 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, Matt Grimard, as Dracut High's starting quarterback. He plays in the same league as the 2009 Gatorade winner, Billerica quarterback Nick LaSpada.
But Matt Silva refuses to be overshadowed. His 37 touchdown passes since the start of last season tie Silva with LaSpada for tops in the area during that time. Silva has also rushed for 28 touchdowns since smoothly succeeding Grimard following a Super Bowl-winning season.
Though football is his first love, Silva, an excellent right-handed pitcher, is leaning toward baseball in college. "I don't know how much my body can handle (playing football) at that next level," says this fearless 5-foot-11, 165-pounder, who last Thanksgiving dislocated his left shoulder during a 28-14 victory over Methuen, yet played in Dracut's 20-6 Division 2 playoff loss to Reading.
He may not project as a major college football talent. But as a high school football player, Silva is irrepressible. The senior has helped lift Dracut into the Merrimack Valley Conference Division 2 title chase during what was expected to be a down year for the Middies after they reached the MIAA playoffs the past two seasons under former coach Jeff Moore, now at Lowell.
Following non-league losses to Marshfield (33-20) and Westford (27-13) to begin this season, Dracut is 4-0 in the MVC heading for Chelmsford on Friday night.
"There's nothing he can't do," says Dracut coach Jason Houston about Silva, who has thrown for 1,241 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for 613 yards and five scores.
He has also kicked 22 extra-points -- and a 24-yard field goal.
"I've played with him since Pop Warner. He's always been great," says senior wide receiver Chris Malonis, who leads the area with 10 touchdown catches. "When Matt Grimard left, people wondered how could you possibly replace Matt Grimard. Maybe (Silva) is no Matt Grimard (as a football player), but he's the next best thing."
As a sophomore quarterback-in-waiting in 2008, Silva played on special teams as Dracut won an Eastern Mass. Division 1A Super Bowl title. Last season he stepped in behind an experienced offensive line and coolly distributed the ball to experienced playmakers, "and let them do the work."
Silva last season threw for 1,745 yards and 23 touchdowns, and ran for 921 yards and another 14 scores, as Dracut finished 9-3.
But this season began with Silva feeling he had to shoulder the offensive load after Dracut was depleted by graduation.
"Matt and Chris Malonis were our only two returning starters on offense," says Houston. "The first two games, Matt kind of took a beating. But once we stopped making mental mistakes, in the third game we started clicking."
In its last three games, Dracut has scored 140 points, which includes a 60-42 victory over Billerica three weeks ago. In that shootout, Silva passed for 262 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for 96 yards and one TD. Billerica's LaSpada, a junior, passed for 253 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed for 147 yards and one TD.
"It was definitely fun," says Silva.
Dracut's 0-2 start taught Silva that "I really had to trust my teammates. Just go by the game plan, do what the coaches tell me to do."
Houston says Silva is the best quarterback around at running the no-huddle spread offense that has become all the rage, considering "all that we ask Matt to do."
"At times he's reading two or three defenders," says Houston. "He's running the ball, throwing the ball. He takes care of the ball. He doesn't throw picks all that often.
"He'd be a hell of a defensive back, too," says Houston. "But he's too valuable (to risk being injured on defense)."
That doesn't stop Silva from asking Houston every week if he can play safety. "He doesn't let me," says Silva, smiling.
Silva's brother Mike was a 2008 Sun Player of the Year in boys' soccer who now attends Southern New Hampshire University. His sister Megan is a Dracut High sophomore who plays volleyball and runs track.
Silva made a baseball recruiting visit to Franklin Pierce University. He is also interested in Merrimack College and Bridgewater State.
" Football is my true love," he says. "Baseball is a close second."
Right now, the No. 1 thought in all the Middies' minds is Chelmsford (5-1, 3-1 MVC).
"They're probably going to be our toughest opponent yet," says Malonis. "Coach (Bruce) Rich has great concepts. Chelmsford is always a tough game."
