A bittersweet end for Lynn's football teams

By Maureen Mullen

Item Sports Editor

LYNN — When the clock ticks down to zero, signaling the end of their traditional Thanksgiving football games, the players from Lynn’s four high schools will go home.

There are no playoff berths riding on these games. No chance for postseason glory.

It’s bittersweet.

“It is,” said Alen Cangalovic, a senior captain at Lynn Tech. “I’m happy that four years are done, but yet I’m going to miss it because football taught me a lot. I never played football and now four years of my life playing football taught me a lot. My coaches taught me a lot. The game taught me a lot — leadership, working together and family.

“My thoughts are for me and my team to play for the last game, my last game. I’m done. All I want is for my team to play together as one and just play the game fair, but hard.”

It’s different for student-athletes in Lynn, where you can grow up playing with and against your friends and neighbors. Occasionally there are even siblings facing off on opposite sides of the field.

“It’s great,” said Anthony de la Cruz, a senior captain at English. “Before the game, you see all your old friends, say ‘hi’ to them and everything. But then when it comes time to play the game and it’s on the field, it’s a different atmosphere. You don’t want to say ‘hi’ to them at all.”

For most of the seniors this will be the last game of organized football they will ever play. And the last game they will play with these teammates.

“It’s tough,” said Connor Sakowich, a senior captain at St. Mary’s. “I’ve been playing for four years with kids I consider my brothers, and I know we’re going to go our separate ways. So in a way it’s sad. It’s bittersweet.

“I just hope everyone has fun. I hope our team wins, but I just hope everyone has a good game.”

“I’m going to miss it a lot,” said Devin Crayton, a senior captain at Classical. “I hope we win. No one wants to go out on a bad note. I want to do well for the people who are going to be there watching and for my teammates.”

It’s bittersweet — not only for the players.

“The biggest thing is to enjoy it and understand that this is the last time they’re going to be in the same locker room with the same teammates,” said St. Mary’s coach Matt Durgin. “So really step back, enjoy it, take a moment and share it with their families.

“I think they understand it’s going to be the last football game. They’re sad about that. But I think 10, 20 years down the road they’re going to understand that football was more about friendships and just being around the guys than wins and losses.”

The only thing riding on these games now is bragging rights. And pride, regardless of the score.

And perhaps that is more important than anything.

Lynn Tech coach James Runner has two examples he has held up to his own team this season. One is this year’s St. Louis Rams, who — despite their woeful record — beat the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and defending AFC champion Denver Broncos.

The other example Runner goes to is a bitter memory of one of his own Thanksgiving Day games, when his Classical team was thumped by English, 49-0. The following season Classical coach Dave Dempsey reminded his team of its poor performance by slapping stickers on his players’ helmets with the number ‘49’ on them.

The bottom line: Be prepared.

“That’s what we’re trying to do right now as coaches — from all four, not just Lynn Tech,” Runner said. “All the coaches from all four programs want our kids to play their best and give their best effort. So that way when they’re done they don’t say, ‘I shoulda, I coulda and I woulda.’

“That’s the motto I try to keep in my kids and I think it sticks in your brain forever: These Thanksgiving game memories last forever.”

Maureen Mullen is the Item sports editor. She can be reached at mmullen@itemlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MaureenAMullen.

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