Many Hands Helping Generals Get Ready For Football Season

A saying that is often heard in sports is “success breeds success.”

In high school, classmates see players excel and they want to be part of it. Better coaches will decide to come on board because the foundation is already set.

Coming off its first playoff experience in school history, the football team hopes last year is the first of many post-season appearances.

And the success of the Generals’ 8-2 campaign bred something else: involvement.

From high turnout to captains’ practices, summer leagues and camps to parents lending a hand in all sorts of ventures and responsibilities, more and more people related to the program have stepped up in hopes it will turn into more victories.

“A lot of what happened this summer (with the players) is voluntary but we (still) had good turnout,” said coach Andrew Morency. “We also have a contingency of parents on hand to help any way possible.”

Some of the more visible efforts by parents were new banners at the field, hosting strength and conditioning for younger players who didn’t have a private coach or somewhere to work out, and even a yoga instructor provided by a parent of one of the captains.

“Since we are a self-sufficient program it is imperative that we have parent involvement,” Morency added. “We might not have the most numbers but the quality is great. They come to me and ask, ‘what do you need, coach?’”

Bob Foringer, whose son Ryan is a senior lineman and linebacker, helped with the banners. He said there are two for all the school sports – 10-foot by 40-foot “Home of the Generals” and a 5-foot by 35-foot “Go Generals.” He said there are also a few that are 5 feet by 5 feet that have the school’s helmet with the star.

He said the football team is one a few teams that will have a “senior wall” banner that gives seniors a 2-foot by 2-foot space with their name and number.

“There is a lot of excitement at the school (for the football program) and it is only the summer,” said Foringer. “I work out at the field and I always see people coming by to look at the banners. It’s exciting for a small school like Hamilton.”

While it appears school spirit is at an all-time high, the players on the squad are holding up their end with participation in football camps and clinics, captains’ practices and the strength and conditioning and yoga.

“All of the kids worked out extremely hard over the summer. I can’t think of any kids who were not involved in some way,” said Sid Jenkins, whose son, Shane, is a tri-captain with Elliott Burr and Kevin Anthony. “We are all extremely pleased with the turnout.”

Morency said that the team held its own in the North Shore Passing League, NFL and National Guard 7-on-7 passing clinic in Beverly, and the Under Armor Skills Camp at Bishop Fenwick.

“It starts with the captains but we certainly have a strong senior class who witnessed the success last year,” Morency said. “We have high character kids throughout the team but very good senior leadership.”

The team has its first scrimmage against Revere on Saturday. The first team offense “moved the ball well” and “pretty consistently all day,” according to Morency. “The defense was particularly strong, shutting down Revere at times.”

But there is still “a lot of work to do,” Morency said.

Strong performances were put in by the Generals by Ryan Foringer, Trevor Lyons, Taylor Drinkwater, Matt Vogus, Shane Jenkins, Elliott Burr, Ben Kozlowski, Christian Eckert, Steven Brao and Ricky Nardella.