LYNN — Being selected to play in an all-star game is an honor any athlete should cherish. Wearing the jersey number of the legendary athlete the all-star game is named after, however, adds an extra element of prestige to the experience.
Such is the case with Lynn Cassical’s Matt Gisonno and St. Mary’s Marlon Scott, who were selected to play in Friday night’s 57th Agganis Football All-Star Game at Manning Field.
Each year, Agganis Games Committee Executive Director Paul Halloran and football game director Matt Durgin select two players they feel deserving of wearing No. 33 — the jersey number Harry Agganis donned during his playing days at Classical. Gisonno will wear No. 33 for the South, while Scott will don it for the North.
Scott, a four-year varsity player at cornerback and running back, helped lead the Spartans to the Division 7 state tournament semifinal this past season.
“It’s pretty cool to get to play in this game,” Scott said. “From the community standpoint, everyone here’s close and connected. This is the ultimate level in showing the city what we’re made of. It’s going to be fun. We’ll go in there and compete. It’s going to be an entertaining game.”
Gisonno, a two-year varsity defensive lineman and tight end, aided the Rams in a turnaround campaign this past fall. Classical finished 3-8 in 2016 but bounced back under first-year coach Brian Vaughan to win eight of 11 games in 2017.
“It’ll be huge for me to play one last game on my home field at Manning,” Gisonno said. “The words ‘last game’ don’t feel real in high school. It means the world to me to play one last game on my home field.”
The ties between Gisonno and Scott are deeper than wearing the same jersey number in tonight’s game. Both will continue their football careers in the fall, when they’ll be teammates at Division III UMass Dartmouth. Joining Gisonno and Scott at UMass Dartmouth are Classical’s Adam Washington and Tech’s Steffan Gravely.
“I like what they have to offer academics wise,” Scott said. “They have a great engineering program. It was a good package for me money wise and that was huge for my family. They have a close, diverse community. I went to the orientation and everyone knew me by the second day.”
“It feels good going to college but it’s bittersweet, staying in Lynn for 18 years and then having to move,” Gisonno said. “Having friends to cushion that fall a little bit is great. The talent in Lynn is amazing. If Lynn had one high school, we’d compete with the best schools in the state. The talent that comes out of Lynn is unmatched.”
Scott, who spent part of his childhood living in Salem and now resides in Beverly, has grown a close connection to Lynn sports through playing football at St. Mary’s for the past four years. Part of developing a connection to the rich tradition of Lynn sports, Scott said, is understanding the Agganis legacy.
“I know Harry Agganis kind of exemplifies a lot when it comes to what Lynn’s about,” Scott said. “He stayed around after high school to remain close to his family. He was recruited to some of the best schools in the country but stayed in his hometown and remained in that atmosphere.
“I didn’t grow up in Lynn,” Scott, who also played basketball and ran outdoor track,added. “I grew up in Salem. As I got older I became more connected to Lynn. (Wearing No. 33) is a huge honor. He had great leadership characteristics.”
As a fellow Rams student-athlete and alum, Gisonno has learned plenty about the Agganis legacy through his experiences playing sports at Classical.
“I know just about as much as any other Classical student,” who also played three years of baseball and basketball at Classical, said. “He was a great three-sport athlete. He’s heavily respected and was an overall great athlete.
Gisonno added, “Its a huge honor. There’s nothing that can compare to being in the Agganis game and being able to wear number 33. It’s huge.”
The 57th Agganis Football All-Star game was originally scheduled for Thursday night, however inclement weather postponed the game to a 7 p.m. start Friday. Tech coach James Runner has been tabbed to man the North all-star team’s sideline, while English’s Chris Carroll will handle coaching duties for the South.
Tickets for the Agganis game can be purchased online at agganisfoundation.com. New Balance has created a team store with Agganis all-star apparel and is donating a portion of its proceeds from sales to the Agganis Foundation. Apparel can be purchased by visiting newbalanceteam.com/team/member/order?orderId=53468.
