ShareThe St. Mary’s football team had been looking forward to playing at Fenway Park ever since it was announced back in the summer, but they never could have imagined that they’d have the opportunity to play in two professional stadiums in back-to-back weeks.
After beating Rockland by just one point in the Division 6 semis, St. Mary’s advanced to the championship game that will be held at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, December 3.
Any team or player is lucky to have an opportunity to play at a venue like Fenway, but to be able to play at two of Boston’s professional sports arenas, let alone in the span of 10 days, is priceless.
After the Spartans ran Austin Prep out of the ballpark 34-21, senior tight end and linebacker Jack Marks talked about the experience of playing at Fenway and moving on to play at the home of the Patriots a few days later.
“I’m at Fenway with my family, watching Red Sox games four times a year,” Marks said. “I’ll always remember this day, and I’ll definitely always remember playing at Gillette.”
Senior running back and linebacker Derick Coulanges reflected on getting to play at both Fenway and Gillette in his final season, stating that moments like these are what keeps him going.
“When you’re in the summer running at camp, you know, all tired and sweaty, you think about times like this,” said Coulanges. “It feels good to just be here, playing at places not a lot of people get to play at.”
Head Coach Sean Driscoll also weighed in on the athletes’ experience, saying the reaction his players had was very similar to his when he was younger.
“The best thing about today, we came out of that tunnel for the first time. It reminded me as a kid, seeing the grass for the first time – same looks on their faces, especially my seniors,” he said. “I mean, to play at this great place and then go to another great place next week to finish out your career, it’s a great experience.”
The Spartans cruised to a win against the Cougars at Fenway, and look to end their stadium tour with what would be the cherry on top of the entire experience: a state championship.
