Ahern Field Dedicated To Jack Martinelli

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Thirty-five years ago, Foxborough High School Athletic Director Art Jewitt hire a new football coach that he hoped would change the culture of a team that had fewer than 30 returning players for the 1982 campaign. Eleven Hockomock League titles and four state championships later, it’s safe to say the move to hire Jack Martinelli was a success.

Sunday morning, with friends, family, coaches, and former players present, the countless wins and success that Martinelli brought to Foxborough were celebrated with the naming of the Ahern Middle School field to Jack Martinelli Field.

A sign of the impact the Foxborough High School football coach has made on the community, 18 people spoke during the ceremony, ranging from town officials to former players, and more.

“I shall forever remain humble and grateful for the recognition for the field I have many memories of. It's been a privilege to spend countless hours with all of you. Although this is a personal award, it is a result of dedication, teamwork, hard working assistant coaches, young kids and the town of Foxborough,” Martinelli said.

Among the gifts given to Martinelli were citations from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, a plaque commemorating the honor, and Foxborough Board of Selectmen Chairman David Feldman’s helmet from when he played against Martinelli's Foxborough Warriors as a high school cornerback and quarterback for Sharon High School.

Feldman recalled going into the 1982 season with a goal of beating Foxborough. Expecting to play cornerback and slot receiver, injuries to both quarterbacks meant a move to behind center.

“We knew they were well coached and on a roll. We came to (Ahern Field) 31 strong. The game was back and forth with a lot of hard hitting on both sides, but in the end, we lost. I remember in the handshake line Jack said, ‘great game 24,’” Feldman recalled.

Years later, Feldman’s son would play football for Foxborough and attend the Citadel, the latter made possible by a strong recommendation letter from the coach.

Members of the Foxborough Warriors alumni and coaches said they believed that Martinelli’s best achievements were not on the field but rather off the field. It didn’t matter your talent level, as long as you worked hard and wanted to play football, there was always a spot open on the team.

“While the record speaks for itself, it's the relationship with him players that matter. Coach knows every first, middle, and last name of every kid that comes through this program,” assistant coach and former player Mike Bordieri said.

One of Foxborough's best-known attributes is their ability to compete against larger schools. Despite declining enrollment and population increases in area towns, the Warriors have always pushed well above their weight. No one knows that better than Mansfield Football head coach Mike Redding, who will spend his 30th Thanksgiving standing on the opposite sideline of Foxborough.

“If you play freshman football, you will be a better player and person as a senior. We have been simply amazed that despite declining enrollment, we have to compete against 90 guys in blue and gold at the highest level,” Redding said.

Of the 3,000 players that have worn a Foxborough uniform, one of the most well-known is Tom Nalen, who went on to play college football at Boston College and enjoy a successful career with the Denver Broncos. Nalen said he only wished he was coached my Martinelli later in his career so he could have a better appreciation of his talent and ability.

“For 20 years after leaving Foxborough, I've been around hundreds of coaches and there isn't another Martinelli. When I look back at what he meant to me and everyone who went to Foxborough High School, he was so accessible to everyone, they all had their own relationships,” Nalen said.

Since 1982, Foxborough High School football has produced 147 Hockomock League All-Stars, 43 Shriners All Stars, 17 Boston Globe All-Scholastics, 19 Boston Herald All-Scholastics, and most importantly 3,000 players, all who left the program as a three-year varsity letterman.

Funding for the signs and naming was provided by a grant from Partners in Patriotism and several donations.

Image Credit: Dan Libon