Local football standouts to play in Shriners game

Seven North Shore football players, six of whom were Item All-Stars last December, will be playing in the 36th annual Shriners game next Saturday, June 21, at Bentley University (4 p.m.).Included are player of the year Nick Bona of Bishop Fenwick and offensive player of the year Chris Tinkham of Lynn English.Other Item all-stars on the North squad are Matt Millett and Liam Gillis of Marblehead, Jordan Manthorne of St. Mary?s and Isaiah White of Beverly. Sean Lovett of St. John?s Prep also was invited to play.Bona led Bishop Fenwick to the state Division 5 Super Bowl championship last fall, and was a standout both as quarterback on offense and as a defensive back. Tinkham was a three-year league all-star as a defensive tackle with the Bulldogs.Manthorne was a two-year mainstay in the backfield for the Spartans while Gillis and Millett helped the Magicians go deep in the inaugural state playoff system in Division 3A.White is among the most prolific running backs in Beverly history. Lovett?s Eagles made it into the Division North playoffs, but fell to Lowell.The game, put on by the Massachusetts Football Coaches Association, is the flagship fundraiser of the Aleppo Shriners, and benefits the Shriners hospitals for children, including the Boston and Springfield hospitals, and has raised $1,000,000 for the charity to date.There are 100 players invited, representing 71 high schools in Eastern Massachusetts.Coaching the North squad is Buckingham Browne & Nichols coach John Papas while Hingham?s Paul Killinger is the South coach.