LYNN – It was certainly a night to celebrate for the Lynn Tech football team. The Tigers did something no other Tech team had ever done last fall, making – and winning – the state vocational Super Bowl.And celebrate they did at Thursday night’s banquet at the Tiger’s Den in the annex building. Each team member received a hooded sweatshirt, a picture plaque, and other mementos of perhaps the best season – in terms of postseason accomplishment – in the school’s history.Click here for a photo gallery.And when it was over, the captains and the coaches went up to the second floor of the annex, so the school committee – and mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy – could recognize them and present them with another plaque. School Superintendent Cathy Latham told those in the room (including Jay Richards, who was approved as Tech’s lacrosse coach during the meeting) that coach Gary Sverker was a physical education teacher to her children.Sverker saved the announcement that, perhaps, many in attendance expected to hear ? but hoped they wouldn’t ? until the end of the dinner, when he announced his retirement from coaching after 19 years at the school.”It’s time,” said Sverker, who retired from teaching last year. “I was actually going to do this last season, but I saw we had a good senior class coming back, and I knew we had a chance to do something special, and lo and behold, we did.”Tech, with a senior-laden team, finished the regular season at 7-4 and qualified for the state vocational championship game in the large division at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy. The Tigers jumped all over Southeastern Regional in the first half and then hung on for dear life to win, 18-16.Some of the more prominent leaders from that game were recognized for their contributions at last night’s banquet. Ryan Murphy – The Item’s Defensive Player of the Year – was awarded the team’s most valuable player trophy. Murphy was a horse in that championship game, and scored the touchdown that provided the final margin of victory.Steve Caisse, who broke up a last-gasp Southeastern pass in the end zone to seal the victory, was honored with a leadership award (he also marched up to the podium and embraced Sverker moments after he announced he was stepping down).The unsung hero was Pedro Martinez, who scored two touchdowns in the Southeastern game. Another major factor in that game was Item all-star Joe Brady, who received an award for being the best linebacker.Other award winners included Juan Urena, coaches award; Alex Quinton, defensive line; Dustin Rooney, best offensive back; and David Mover, best offensive lineman.”This has been a great run,” Sverker told his players afterward, “but it’s time to step down. I’ve coached the kids’ fathers ? and fathers’ kids ? that’s how long I’ve been doing this. So, it’s time.”Sverker was an even 94-94-2 during his tenure at Tech.”Thank God we won the vocational Super Bowl,” he quipped. “I’d have finished under .500.”Sverker, who has coached at North Reading, English, Classical, Peabody and Bishop Fenwick as an assistant, said the best thing about coaching was “seeing kids come in as freshmen and sophomores, and watching them grow in confidence so that they become good citizens and productive members of society.”That’s what it’s all about.”He told his players, “A lot of people ask me what I’m going to do now. I tell them, ‘Anything I want.'”