ITEM PHOTO BY KATIE MORRISON
Marblehead’s Justin Faia sported the number 33 for Thursday’s Agganis All- Star Football Game, the number Harry Agganis wore at Classical.
By STEVE KRAUSE
LYNN —The honor within the honor of playing in the Agganis All-Star Football game is to be given No. 33, the number the legendary “Golden Greek” wore while he was at Lynn Classical.
Thursday night at Manning Field, that honor went to Marblehead’s Justin Faia for the North squad and Classical’s Matt Lauria on the South.
It was particularly thrilling for Faia’s extended family to see him out there with No. 33 on his back because he represents four generations of Agganis game participants in one way or another.
“We are pretty proud of him, and it’s a happy night for our family, and an honor to see him wear No. 33,” said his grandfather Tom Iarrobino, who not only played in the game in 1962 (“they called it the Agganis/Polio Bowl back then) but refereed it for 25 years.
Iarrobino was dating Ruth McElligott when he played in the game (she was later to become his wife). Her father was the longtime voice of Manning Bowl, Ed McElligott.
“He was the public address announcer for 32 years, including when I played in the game,” said Iarrobino, who represented St. Mary’s in the game. “He played no favorites. We got into arguments about who was credited with what tackles.”
Fast forward from 1962 to 1987. That’s when Iarrobino’s future son-in-law, Steve Faia — Justin’s father — played in the game. It ended up being the first tie in the history of the game, 15-15.
Thursday night, Justin Faia caught a pass in the North’s 10-6 win over the South in the 56th annual game. Iarrobino, who has also been a trustee of the Agganis Foundation for 20 years, made sure he told his grandson all about the Agganis name and what it represents.
“He knows,” said Iarrobino. “We have a big picture book in our living room, and I’ve seen him thumbing through it.
“I have talked all about Harry Agganis with all five of my grandchildren.”
“He told me that the Agganis game is important to our family,” Justin Faia said. “And he told me it was a particular honor to be given the No. 33, which is something I didn’t realize when they gave it to me.
“I also learned a lot about (Agganis) Sunday at the awards ceremony,” Faia said. “Listening to the speech (foundation chairman) Tom Demakis gave, that was a pretty detailed story.”
