Georgetown Game Preview: Heroes Welcome

by Tom Condardo

We often talk about heroes in connection with great performance during sporting events, but Friday night the Lynnfield home crowd will get to see real heroes on the Pioneer Stadium field. In a pregame ceremony beginning at 6:40 pm, head coach Neal Weidman and the Pioneers will be honoring all of the town's military personnel, especially those who played football for the Pioneers.

Kathy Balestrieri, event organizer from the Lynnfield Pioneer Football Club, and Jason Kimball, 1994 LHS captain and the town's Veterans Affairs agent, are trying to round up as many of the town's veterans or active military as possible. If you know of any, please reach out and invite them. In honor of their service, all personnel with proper identification will be admitted to the game free of charge.

The Pioneers will be wearing special camouflage uniforms for the game against Georgetown.

In addition, the Pioneers will also be honoring Benjamin "Sonny" Tropeano, a dedicated player in the Lynnfield Youth Football program who passed away suddenly this past July. His older bothers Tony and Nick were both varsity players for the Pioneers and brother Joe played as a freshman. Nick was a captain on the 2007 team.

Growing Pains
In the game that follows, the Pioneers will take on winless Georgetown with a chance to clinch their fourth straight league crown, unprecedented in LHS football history. The Royals have struggled under new head coach Eric McCarthy who has remained upbeat through a very difficult stretch. Georgetown has scored only three touchdowns all season and has allowed 173 points.

"We're doing this for each other and as long as everybody has each others' back and keeps that in mind we'll be able to move forward," McCarthy told Nick Giannino of the Newburyport Daily News after the Royals 34-7 loss to Hamilton Wenham last week.

The Royals key players are Ryan and Jimmy Sherman and they've also had some strong two way performances from Nick Calvani. Matt Mansfield has shown flashes from the running back slot.

With a roster of around 26 and only six seniors on the squad, the Royals will be at a serious disadvantage against the bigger and deeper Pioneers.

After losing the first three matchups against Georgetown in 2006-2008, the Pioneers have won six straight against the Royals, outscoring them 219-20.

Game time is 7 pm, but get there early to get a good seat for the ceremony before the game.

That's it for now. Check back Sunday night for some Leftovers.