LYNNFIELD — And the celebration continues for the Division 4 state champion Pioneers’ boys soccer team, which was honored by the community on Thanksgiving Day with a rolling parade and special ceremonies at Town Hall and Lynnfield High prior to the football team’s game against North Reading.
One of the first players to arrive at Town Hall bright and early was junior captain Charlie Morgan. You couldn’t help but smile to see the ear-to-ear grin on his face as he cradled the Final Four trophy in one arm, and the championship trophy in the other.
“I am so excited for today,” Morgan said. “I am so proud of this team and can’t believe we won it. I know we were good enough to win it, but it’s so unbelievable that we did. Everyone played well and we’re all so glad to get coach (Brent Munroe) his first win.”
“This is so great for the kids, but I do think they could have done it without me,” Munroe joked prior to the Town Hall ceremony. “I’m excited and happy and still smiling and I’m happy to see the guys again. The celebration continues and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Select Board Chair Joe Connell noted the championship was the first in the 55-plus-year history of the program since the sport was added in the late 1960’s, adding the team finished with a 19-2-2 overall record and captured the Cape Ann League Kinney Division championship, going undefeated against annual rivals in both North Reading and Newburyport.
The team trailed in just two games this year, both of which ended in losses. Connell said the team’s 0.54 goals against average was “one of the top in all divisions of the entire state.”
Connell praised the Pioneers for being a “team that worked hard all offseason, had practice on a warm New Year’s Day this year, worked hard all summer playing up to two to three games a week,” adding the team also went to Maine in July for a weekend tournament and won the group division against some top teams in New England and “was one of the premier teams” at a club level camp consisting of local high schools in August.
“This team became engaged with their community, hosting Senior Night together with the local youth from Lynnfield Youth Soccer and also, as a team, understood the value of giving back, donating funds for the Breast Friends Walk for cancer, and wearing pink for warm ups honoring all those struggling, and also honoring veterans on their special day which coincided with the team’s playoff game,” Connell said.
Connell recognized several Pioneers for their postseason honors. CAL Kinney Division Player of the Year Dillon Reilly, a junior, Chris Calnan and senior captain Dhimitri Dono were selected as CAL First Team All-Stars, while Morgan and junior goalkeeper were selected to the Second Team. Coach Brent Munroe, now in his 23rd year as head coach and 31st year overall, earned CAL Coach of the Year honors.
From there, the motorcade hit the streets of Lynnfield, led by the team in a bright blue open-air trolley car, and proceeded to the high school for the annual Turkey Day classic, now in its 64th year.
As far as the on-field ceremony goes, Munroe said he told head coach Pat Lamusta how “appreciative” he was that the football team wanted to share its special day with the soccer team.
“It’s great that they all came down to Scituate to watch our game and I was so appreciative that all those kids came a long way to root for us,” Munroe said. “So now, we’re rooting for them to win today after our celebration.”
Another mission accomplished, as the football Pioneers prevailed for a second straight year, defeating the Hornets 34-0.
While Morgan said he was trying to stay in the moment, when asked if the team might have what it takes to repeat (a feat accomplished by the girls team in 2004), Morgan’s smile grew even wider.
“We have a lot of juniors who will be back as seniors and most of the team is coming back,” Morgan said. “We are losing some really good seniors, and (exchange student) Allesandro (Raimondi) who all contributed so much this year. Those are going to be big losses, but I think we can have a really good shot next year.”
