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It was merely three games into the season that Dave Morgado began thinking to himself that this might very well be a special season for his Seekonk High School football team.

For Tony Wood, it was much longer, like the eighth weekend, after walking off the field at McGrath Stadium with a one-point win over crosstown rival Attleboro High.

During his five previous seasons roaming around Connolly Field on the campus of Seekonk High and through the villages that are called home to many South Coast Conference members, Morgado's Warriors had won just 12 games.

The Warriors nearly matched that this season, finishing with an unblemished regular season record (10-0), not only becoming the first football team in Seekonk High history to do so, but also the first to capture the SCC championship outright.

Being the fourth head coach in four seasons at Bishop Feehan High, Wood wondered what he got himself into last season when, as the Shamrocks' first-year mentor, his club won just two games. Then his Shamrocks were foundering around the .500 mark (2-2-1) when some magic began gaining momentum, the result being eight consecutive victories and the sixth MIAA Super Bowl championship in school history.

Five members of Morgado's SCC champion Warriors and five members of Wood's Eastern Athletic Conference kingpin Shamrocks are among the elite players to be selected to The Sun Chronicle's 2007 All-Star Football Team.

For their effort and perseverance, Morgado and Wood were selected as Co-Coaches of the Year in recognition of their endless hours of dedication, sacrifice and shepherding student-athletes.

"I had one sheet for our offense (playbook) last year," chuckled Morgado, "this year I had three." Not to mention a defense which limited 10 of its 11 foes to one touchdown or less.

"If I knew how or why, I'd have more hair on my head," grinned Wood of the Shamrocks' string of success (eight straight wins). "I guess we got lucky! But, we also had a tremendous group of seniors."

Guided by 1,000-yard rusher Chris Hanoian and sparkplug defensive lineman Bobby Jeannotte, Seekonk earned its first SCC title since 1987 and an MIAA Division 2A playoff appearance against Hingham.

Directed by 2,000-yard rusher Nick Schwieger and three superb senior linemen, Bishop Feehan not only won the EAC title, but then stunned Hockomock League champion Mansfield and Bay State League champion Walpole in winning the MIAA Division 2 Super Bowl championship.

Along with Hanoian, Jeannotte and Coach of the Year Morgado, Seekonk was represented on the all-star team by linemen Chris Howard and Jonathan Hurst along with two-way back Alex Lyman.

Along with Schwieger and Coach of the Year Wood, Bishop Feehan was represented by quarterback Mike McGowan and a trio of linemen - Nick Lenihan, Chris Paine and Jacob Curren.

The Hockomock League champion Hornets of Mansfield High had six players selected to the team, while Foxboro (with eight wins), North Attleboro (with seven wins) and Attleboro (with six wins) each had four players selected. Rounding out the roster are King Philip High linebacker Mike Stewart and Norton High linemen Pat Hannon, Darren Doucette and Mark Ledbetter.

Mike Abany, the Hockomock League's Defensive MVP, a senior linebacker from Mansfield High was one of a half-dozen Hornets to receive all-star acclaim along with teammates Dan Glavin, Mark Gilson, Will Gasson, Powell Simpson and Dave Westhaver.

Tim Mogan, the Hockomock League's Offensive MVP, a senior fullback from Foxboro High, was joined by his Warrior teammates Brian Woollard, Ali Mourtada and Stephan Neville.

Elijah Harris, North Attleboro High's own 1,000-yard rusher, was named to the all-star team with fellow Rocketeers Mike Hart, Kevin Connolly and Brett Catarius.

Matt Howe, a three-year starter for the Bombardiers of Attleboro High along with teammates Matty Campbell, Allen Leach and Mike Barry also were recognized as all-star selections.

For Bishop Feehan, the Shamrocks had a final minute chance to beat North Attleboro, but had to settle for a tie. The Shamrocks had limited Nauset and MIAA Division 2A Super Bowl finalist Hingham to just 14 points in winning games, but they had also lost a seven-point decision at LaSalle Academy and a 22-point decision to Mansfield.

At 2-2-1, then heading into the final weekend of October for a game against Attleboro, the Shamrocks' wheels began to churn. Bishop Feehan eeked out a one-point decision over the Bombardiers. "We had been playing in spurts," said Wood, "but after we got beat down in Providence (by LaSalle), I kind of felt that we could be in every game.

"Then after we beat Attleboro, I felt that if we improved our defense and our specialty teams play, we could be pretty good." And then the Shamrocks began running wild and scoring points, 163 through the final five games.

Bishop Feehan overcame a 14-0 deficit to beat Mansfield in the Division 2 playoff game and then produced scoring drives on its first two series of the Super Bowl championship game against Walpole at Gillette Stadium to secure an eight-point victory.

"I lost every hair on my head," said Wood of those wins over the Hornets and Rebels within a span of five days. "It takes a while to get your team going every year and a lot of things have to go right - you have to stay healthy (they didn't as Matt Boulter, Mynor Chacon and Tom Effler were all limited) and you have to get lucky.

"And that's what we did against Mansfield and Walpole. Some of the kids that were hurt came back to help and in both of those games, we made a few plays."

Morgado watched his Warriors begin making plays early in the season. They beat Bourne by 10 points in their season opener and then shut out Case. "But after the Apponequet game, for us to go down there and win (28-0), that was a sign that we might be able to accomplish some things."

The Warriors ran well and controlled the clock, totaling 292 points. But, it was on defense that Seekonk placed its trump card, shutting out five foes and even limiting Division 2A playoff foe Hingham to one TD, losing a final minute three-point game.

"In years past, we always had kids that would be nervous about making mistakes," said Morgado. "These kids didn't think that way. They just went on to the next play and they came at you, it was an attacking type of team, offensively and defensively.

"And best of all we won the South Coast Conference's Sportsmanship Award, which to me is just as important as winning the league title and getting into the playoffs. There's never been an SCC champion that has won the Sportsmanship Award - we were the first.

"I've had teachers tell me all the time what a great group of kids they were - that proves that you can win with class!"