Chris Carroll, who coached the Lynn English football team to a 10-1 record and the Division 3 North final in the MIAA playoffs, has been named the Northeastern Conference coach of the year.
The Bulldogs, who went from a 2-8 record in 2016 to a championship in the Northeastern Conference South this season, were led by five of the players who also made either the NEC first or second teams.
Carroll was a four-year starter for English under former-coach Gary Molea. He was The Item’s Player of the Year in his senior season.
Carroll took advantage of the size of his interior lines on both sides of the ball to unleash a ferocious running attack that paid dividends in a 36-7 win over Swampscott in a battle of undefeated teams. English finished the regular season with a 7-0 record, and suffered its only loss in the Division 3 North final against Tewksbury. However, the Bulldogs rebounded with a 38-0 win over Classical on Thanksgiving.
Senior quarterback Elijah Jeffreys of Somerville, who committed to the University of Connecticut before the season started, was selected as the league’s most valuable player.
Somerville is one of three teams that were absorbed from the Greater Boston League into the NEC before the season started, the others being Medford and Malden. The fourth team, Everett, played an independent schedule in football and will join the NEC in all other sports.
The Highlanders finished with a 7-4 record and won the NEC title in the middle division.
English placed three players on the NEC first team: Matt Severance, a junior quarterback/defensive back; Jacob Miller, a senior offensive lineman/linebacker; and Prince Brown, a junior wide receiver/defensive back.
Also placing three players on the team was Marblehead, which won the league’s upper division: Aidan Gillis, OL/LB; Derek Marino, WR/DB; and Andy Clough, QB /DB. All are seniors.
Other schools placing three players on the first team are Danvers, with seniors Tagh Coakley, WR/DB; Zach Dillon, TE/LB; and Colby Holland, WR/DB.; and Somerville, with Jeffreys, Jio Pierre, a senior wide receiver; and Marcus Thomas, a senior linebacker.
Lynn Classical placed two players on the first team: junior quarterback Keith Ridley and junior wide receiver Nashaun Butler. Gloucester did as well, with senior RB/DB Matt Smith and senior linebacker Oliver Emerson; Swampscott with senior quarterback Colin Frary and senior defensive back Isaiah Bascon; and Salem, with senior RB/DB Vinnie Gaskins and senior OL/LB Felix Cruz.
Also making the first team were Eric DeMayo, a senior RB/LB, Peabody; Clark Marchand, senior RB/DB, Beverly; Edeh Ballo, senior defensive lineman, Revere; and Ricky Martinez, senior linebacker, Saugus.
Second team selections were as follows:
Tony Petrilli and Kevin Gabriel, Gloucester; Ishmael Johnson and Chase Buono, Classical; Quency Bocage, Somerville; Jimmy Kiousis, Revere; Ryan Burke, Medford; Will Bosworth and Tyrese Hardy, Marblehead; Matt McCarthy, Danvers; Dariel Canela and Nolan Murphy, Peabody; Clayton McAlpine, Beverly; Edouard Bazile, Malden; Emil Rossi and Ski Gaston, English; Joseph Diaz, Salem; Dominic Codispoti and Jake McIntire, Swampscott; Mike Mabee, Saugus; and Calvin Tufa, Winthrop.
