LYNNFIELD — A lot has changed for Lynnfield’s Clayton Marengi in the last year.
A three-sport athlete, Marengi went into his senior year heartset on finding a place to focus on his baseball career in college.
Then a funny thing happened.
He had a breakout and record-breaking football season as the Pioneers’ quarterback last fall, prompting Marengi to do an about face and trade in the diamond for the gridiron after committing to play football at Endicott College. He made the announcement Monday night on Twitter.
Marengi rewrote the Pioneers’ record books this past fall, setting the program’s single season record in passing touchdowns (31) and passing yards (2,542). Marengi also led Lynnfield with 251 rushing yards. The historic season not only caught the eyes of coaches around the Cape Ann League, but gathered attention from across the state.
In December, Marengi was named CAL Baker Division Offensive Player of the Year. He also received the Daily Item Agganis Offensive Player of the Year award.
Last week, Marengi was named to the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-Star team. Only 26 players from across the state are selected to the team each year and Marengi, who is quick to credit his success on the football field to his coaches, never thought he’d be one of them.
“It’s crazy, the feeling is surreal,” Marengi said. “And it couldn’t have been possible without our coaches at Lynnfield. I was shocked when I first found out to be honest. But again, all the credit goes to my coaches. They played a huge part in making this past year possible. They gave me the confidence I needed to succeed. They believed in me and vice versa.”
This past year the Pioneers unloaded a whole new offense to best take advantage of their talent. It took some getting used to but obviously the work paid dividends this season with Marengi and his teammates thriving on the field.
“The coaches really made it work,” Marengi said. “We couldn’t have had the season we had and done everything we did without them, especially coach (Ted) Flaherty. This was his first year serving as our offensive coordinator and he brought a whole new offense in. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it ended up fitting perfectly with the players we had.”
The decision to attend Endicott wasn’t an easy one, but staying closer to home in Beverly and joining a handful of recent Lynnfield grads who have continued their athletic career with the Gulls, including Clayton’s brother Cooper, who became a member of Endicott’s baseball team last spring, helped make Endicott feel like the right fit.
“The whole decision has definitely been a little overwhelming,” Marengi said. “I really didn’t know what I was going to do. My junior year of high school I definitely thought I was going to play college baseball somewhere. But All the support from my family, my friends and the community helped me out. I feel like I definitely made the right decision and I’m excited about it.”
When it comes to the football field, Marengi believes that Gulls coach Paul McGonagle and his staff can pick up where Lynnfield’s coaches left off in improving his game.
“I’ve talked with (McGonagle) and he seems like a great guy,” Marengi said. “It seems like a good program and the right fit. I feel like I fit in perfectly with them. My brother goes there and it’s close to home. It’s the right place for me.”
