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The Newburyport hockey team is currently one of 19 teams being considered for the Super Eight Tournament. There seems to be several opinions regarding this news.

Some say the Clippers (12-2-3) are not worthy for consideration. They’re not currently in first place in the Cape Ann League. No Division 2 team has ever accepted an invitation, and teams with better records have certainly been ignored.

Others say the Clippers are worthy if they win their remaining games. Strength of schedule would be a huge plus for the Clippers if they win out. They will have beaten Division 1 representatives Malden Catholic and St. Mary’s. They will have beaten Franklin and Gloucester, teams that have combined for four Division 2 state titles. And they will have beaten Division 2 North state title contenders Wilmington and Lincoln-Sudbury.

Another school of thought says the Clippers should turn down an invitation to the Super Eight. They have a chance to play for a Division 2 state title, and the Super Eight could eliminate that possibility. This point is not entirely true. If the Clippers lose a play-in game for the Super Eight, they can return to the Super Eight Tournament. If they win the play-in game, they are assured of three more Super Eight games.

Plus, you have to consider that a Division 2 state title is not a guarantee. Five other Division 2 teams - Peabody, Lincoln-Sudbury, Revere, Wilmington and Winthrop - have at least 12 wins. The top six seeds in Division 2 are all capable of winning state titles. At the most, four of those teams will advance to the D2 North semifinal.

What are your thoughts on Newburyport’s chances?

Seabrook’s Scotty Lago is featured in tomorrow’s Daily News. The snowboarder recently placed second at the 2009 X Games in Aspen, Calif.

I spoke with Lago’s former manager, who feels the 21-year-old is the top snowboarder in the world. He finished second behind Shaun White at the X Games, but there was a general feeling among analysts that White received some generous scores from the judges. The reasoning: Snowboarding is such a niche sport, it helps to promote the stars. And White is the biggest star.

Regardless, Lago’s life involves earning lucrative prize purses at international competitions. He spends months at a time on the road. In a span of one month, he’ll travel to Aspen, Austria, New York City, Vancouver, and a few places in Europe. The money is certainly a huge plus, but the travel must get old.

If you’re interested in seeing Lago’s aerial moves, check out this YouTube clip.

WALTHAM - The Amesbury football team captured a Super Bowl title yesterday for the first time in school history.
The Cape Ann League Small champion Indians (12-1) beat Martha’s Vineyard, 40-19, in the Division 3A Super Bowl at Bentley College. The victory clinched Amesbury’s first state title since 1970, when long-time former Amesbury baseball coach Jerry Mondalto was the star running back for a team that won a Class D championship.
Amesbury senior quarterback Jared Flannigan led yesterday’s offensive attack, logging 207 yards of total offense and two passing touchdowns. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 57 yards with one interception. He also logged 150 rushing yards on 11 carries.
The Indians defense forced turnovers on Martha’s Vineyard’s first three possessions, resulting in 21 unanswered points. Holding a 21-7 lead late in the first half, the Indians effectively closed out the game by adding another 14 unanswered points in the last 2:18 before the break.
The Indians defense focused on Martha’s Vineyard quarterback Mike McCarthy (9 for 20, 127 yards) in the first three series – the quarterback coughed up two fumbles and an interception in the first quarter. Amesbury gained possession each time on Martha’s Vineyard’s side of the field.
“We wanted to be physical,” said Amesbury defensive captain Steve Serwon, who had an interception and a sack. “We wanted to keep smashing so we could beat them up.”
Amesbury senior Kevin Johnston had 12 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Jesse Burrell added 11 carries for 108 yards and two receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Following the victory, several Amesbury seniors hoisted seventh-year coach Thom Connors onto their shoulders. The Indians coach inherited a squad in the midst of a 13-game losing streak in 2002. His first squad went 0-11, stretching the streak to 24 games.
Connors had a 20-40 career record when his squad dropped to 2-4 last season. The Indians have since gone 15-3 and collected two CAL Small titles, two playoff appearances and one Super Bowl victory.
“Winning breeds winning,” Connors said. “If you look back to where we were halfway through last season, we were floundering and trying to find ourselves a little bit. Something happened in that locker room, and we’re 15-3 since.”