Believe it or not, August football practices are knocking on the door. A few weeks later, Friday nights at Manning Field will be kicking that door down.
The City of Lynn delivered a successful 2023 on the gridiron.
St. Mary’s picked up six wins through a tough schedule – Bishop Feehan, Cardinal Spellman, and Everett included. KIPP went 8-3, with one of those losses coming against St. Mary’s by just two points.
Lynn Classical is another program that poured in six wins after a Thanksgiving triumph against Lynn English, which finished 3-7. Then, there was Lynn Tech, which was .500 at 5-5 before falling to KIPP on Turkey Day.
That said, the way the cookie crumbles is seeing star players graduate. The city lost some starpower in Ernie Panias (St. Mary’s), Morenel Castro (KIPP), Chanel Gutierrez (KIPP), Brian Vaughan Jr. (Classical), John Nasky (Classical), Mitchell Purter (English), and Ethan Prum (Tech), among others.
So, let’s talk about who’s returning, as well as some intriguing storylines heading into the fall.
Tyler Guy, among other key returners, looks to lead St. Mary’s. Last fall, the quarterback/receiver/ball-carrier/safety recorded 40 receptions for 489 yards and four touchdowns, 63 tackles, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and five passes broken up.
Speaking of St. Mary’s and, perhaps, its most anticipated matchup of the season, it takes on traditional archrival Bishop Fenwick on Thanksgiving Eve. The tradition began in 1964 and lasted until 1991. It came back from 2015-2018 and has now returned.
As for KIPP, its fans probably have October 4 circled on their calendars. The team hosts Hull High School, the same program that bested KIPP in the 2022 Division 8 Super Bowl.
On top of its Super Bowl appearance, KIPP has captured the Commonwealth Athletic Conference crown three times in just seven years as a program. Let’s see what No. 8 holds in store for coach Jim Rabbitt and company.
Jadiel Ortega was an effective player for Tech last season – and now, he’s finally a high schooler. Last season, the eighth grader registered 65 yards and a touchdown against Nashoba, another score against Chelsea, and showed what might be in store this fall with a 46-yard deep-ball TD against Lowell Catholic.
Again, only an eighth grader. The Tigers look to climb above the .500 mark for good this season. The last time they were on a football field, they lost, 45-19, to KIPP.
With previous head coach Anthony LaFratta moving on to school administration, Tyllor McDonald has been brought on to lead English. For those who don’t remember, the 2011 graduate racked up more than 5,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in just two years.
He looks to bring that energy to the sideline.
“I’m excited to restore order in this program – how it was when I played and even before,” McDonald said when he got the job back in December. “The state tournament is always the goal, but realistically, just get the boys onboard and try to win. Let’s create a winning culture.”
In order to make the state tournament, they’ll have to win on the road. English was 2-3 in enemy territory last spring, so road matchups against Woburn, Lawrence, and Dracut will be key. From there, if they repeat last season’s victories against Revere, Somerville, and Essex Tech, you could say English is a sleeper team to make some noise.
Last but certainly not least, Classical, which will be without the duo of Vaughan and Nasky for the first time in three years. That said, coach Brian Vaughan Sr. has had to make adjustments before.
Javon Clayborn and Tyren Hoeun look to lead the charge. Hoeun suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 last season, still catching eyes with 100-plus yards and two TDs in that game. After an extra long offseason for him, the running back/linebacker looks to return with some vengeance.
Full team previews and schedule drops will be released.
