Athlete of the Week: Jack Anthony

North Andover first baseman Jack Anthony may be described as quiet and reserved but, when the time is appropriate, Anthony can be the source of a lot of noise for his state champion Little League squad.

North Andover recently participated in the East Region Invitational held in Cranston, R.I. Teams from as far north as Maine and as far south as Maryland are competing in the tournament. North Andover lost its final game of the tournament, 13-10, to Essex, Vt. on Wednesday night to conclude its campaign.

Anthony said he had a good time being a part of such an important event, even if it meant getting up and getting loud every once and a while.

“I like to cheer,” Anthony said, but followed with, “well, I’m not sure really.”

North Andover manager Mike Valentino praised Anthony for his dedication to the team all season and said he provided a spark to the team when needed.

“Jack’s a good hitter,” Valentino said. “He’s had some real big clutch hits for us during the year. Big kid, has some power behind the ball. He’s a great kid to have on the team.”

And Anthony himself can attest to his timely hitting.

“My hitting has gone pretty far," Anthony said. "I got a couple doubles that brought us back in the game. At first base I try my hardest and try to stop every ball.”

Anthony hit a go-ahead double in the state championship game to give North Andover the lead for good.

When he’s not playing on the baseball diamond, Anthony says he’s just like any normal 10-year old. He plays with his friends when he can and he also plays basketball in the winter and will pick up a lacrosse stick every once in a while.

Valentino thinks highly of Anthony and the rest of the team, both on the field and off.

“He’s a very, very nice boy,” Valentino said of Anthony. “He’s a great kid to have on the team. And all the kids are great kids. This is a group of kids who came together and got a lot further than anybody thought.”

Valentino also sees a bright near future ahead for the developing Anthony.

“He’s the one who I’ve seen step up a little bit,” Valentino said. “He’s going to get better and better as time goes on if he works at it. He’s an enjoyable kid to have around. Nice kid, very nice kid.”

Anthony is still satisfied despite the loss because he knows that there are not many kids his age who can say they are Little League state champions.

“It was really good and we all played so hard today and I think we deserved to be here,” Anthony said.