Kraft comes to the rescue for Governor’s, Belmont Hill

Listen up high schoolers. The SATs can be your friend.Saturday is an SAT day, which generally means any sporting events scheduled have to start a little later in the afternoon to accommodate the test takers. As the Belmont Hill School and The Governor?s Academy found out, that poses a problem now that it gets dark so early and neither school?s field has lights.Playing the game at Cambridge was an option ? or at least it was until an offer that couldn?t be topped came along. Turns out Jonathan Kraft — president of the Patriots and son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft – is an alum of Belmont Hill. His son Harry is a senior and Belmont Hill?s quarterback. The Krafts apparently knew of a field that wasn?t being used Saturday night and they offered it up for the game. That field just happens to be Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.?The Krafts reached out to us,” said Belmont Hill coach Chris Butler, “and we thought it would be a great experience for both teams.”?(Belmont Hill) asked us if we wanted to play the game at Gillette,” Governor?s coach Jim O?Leary said. “It didn?t take long for us to decide.”That?s good news for several local players. Sultan Olusken is a senior cornerback from Revere and Patrick Shea is a sophomore tight end from Lynnfield on Belmont Hill?s squad. Seth Harrell of Nahant and Robert Driscoll of Swampscott play for Governor?s, the independent prep school in Byfield. Both juniors, Harrell is the quarterback and Driscoll is primarily on special teams, including serving as the team?s long snapper. “It?s awesome,” Harrell said. “Coach surprised us (with the news) Monday ? It?s a great opportunity to go down there.”As for being overwhelmed by the setting, Harrell is keeping it in perspective.?At the end of the day it?s 100 yards and two goal posts,” he said.?It will definitely be different, but it will be a fun experience. Hopefully we can get used to it in warmups.”Driscoll said it?s great for the seniors who get to play their last regular season game ithere. “It will be a memorable thing for them,” Driscoll said. “We just have to remember that it?s just a normal game, it?s just 100 yards. I feel like once we?re on the field playing, it will feel like a normal-sized field.”The two teams always tend to play each other in the regular season finale. Governor?s can qualify for an Independent School League Bowl game with a win, so it?s a big game.O?Leary said when he told his players about Gillette “a big roar” went up.?We all realize this is a chance of a lifetime. Most kids grow up dreaming of playing in a professional stadium. The team has been excited all week,” O?Leary said.O?Leary is in his fourth year coaching Governor?s and during that time, the team has gone 32-2, won three straight ISL titles and three straight Bowl games. O?Leary is well known on the North Shore, having played football at Salem High for former coach Ken Perrone. O?Leary , who played quarterback, was an Item Football All Star his senior year (1983). The Governor?s coaching staff has another local connection in assistant Ray Long, who is from Lynn.