SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

Sports Special

Related Photos

  • Senior Kyle Lucido will be among the many new starters whom the Gloucester High football team will lean upon to keep its winning ways going in 2011.

    4789452SN.jpg

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus
September 7, 2011

Fishermen hit hard by graduation, retirement

By Nick Curcuru staff writer

Change is in the air for the Gloucester High football team entering the 2011 season.

The Fishermen were hit hard by both graduation and retirement during the offseason. They not only graduated 19 seniors and 20 starting positions from the 2010 Division 1A Super Bowl championship squad, but also lost wildly successful head coach Paul Ingram and long-time assistant Tom Walsh to retirement.

Former assistant and 2010 defensive coordinator Tony Zerilli takes over as head coach for the two-time defending Super Bowl champs.

Leading the way for the Fishermen this year will be senior tri-captains Chris Burke, Matt Taormina and Kyle Lucido.

Burke looks to lead the defense as a returning starter at middle linebacker. He will also be starting at guard. Toarmina started at offensive tackle in 2010 and looks to start at both tackle and defensive end this year. Lucido missed just about all of the 2010 season with lingering injuries, but showed promise in the playing time he got as a sophomore in 2009.

Every other starter for the Fishermen this year has little to zero varsity experience.

"We have a lot of new starters that we have to find positions for," Zerilli said. "We've been moving guys around a lot in the preseason to get an idea where the best place to put them is.

"Our senior captains are going to be the ones who lead us this year. They have the experience and they know what it takes to win in this conference."

The 31-year-old Zerilli, a long-time assistant for Gloucester, is inheriting the state's longest winning streak at 26 games. He captained the 1997 team and played for the 1995 Super Bowl championship team as a sophomore, both under former coach Terry Silva.

FISHERMEN'S CATCH

Last year's record: 13-0 (Division 1A Super Bowl champions)

Head coach: Tony Zerilli (1st year, 0-0)

Team captains: Chris Burke Sr., LB/G; Matt Taormina Sr., OT/DE; Kyle Lucido Sr., RB/LB.

Top returning rusher: Zach Smith (74 yards, 0 TD)

Top returning passer: None

Top returning receiver: None

Last league title: 2010 (NEC Large)

Did You Know?: Head coach Tony Zerilli, his older brother Leo, and his younger brother Chris were all captains at Gloucester High School — and each won a Super Bowl.

2011 schedule

DateOpponentTime

Sept. 9at Lynn English7 p.m.

Sept. 16Andover7 p.m.

Sept. 23Weymouth7 p.m.

Sept. 30Peabody7 p.m.

Oct. 6at Masconomet7 p.m.

Oct. 14at Lynn Classical7 p.m.

Oct. 21Marblehead7 p.m.

Oct. 29at Beverly1 p.m.

Nov. 4Salem7 p.m.

Nov. 12at Swampscottnoon

Nov. 24Danvers10 a.m.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Football 2010
Sports
Local News
  • 5913832SN.jpg A long road to graduation for Salem High senior SALEM — When he receives his diploma tonight in the Salem High field house, Greg Martinez plans to cross the stage with a walker.
    It will be only a few steps, but it will mark a milestone in a journey that was hard to imagine five years ago, the attainment of a goal that few dreamed possible on Aug. 15, 2007.

    June 1, 2012 2 Photos

  • Salem High valedictorian in a class by himself SALEM — All by himself, Jesus Morales has swept aside the stereotypes, the demographic data and the educational studies.
    He is an 18-year-old boy from a low-income family.
    He went through school on the federally subsidized free and reduced lunch program.

    June 1, 2012

  • Delegates torn about DeFranco's Senate bid Marisa DeFranco needs 750 votes this weekend, or 10,000 signatures will be for naught.
    The long-shot U.S. Senate candidate from Middleton has splashed onto the national political scene in recent weeks by stubbornly standing between Democratic establishment candidate Elizabeth Warren and a clear path to the party's nomination.

    June 1, 2012

  • Ferry season opens June 8 SALEM — The Salem ferry opens the 2012 season in one week.
    Boston Harbor Cruises announced yesterday that it is taking over the Salem-to-Boston service and will make its first run on Friday, June 8.

    June 1, 2012

  • 5951678SN.jpg Governor brings energy to ceremony for Cummings Center's solar panels BEVERLY — Gov. Deval Patrick went to the top floor of the West Garage of the Cummings Center yesterday afternoon to cut the ribbon on a 366-kilowatt solar power installation.
    Touting the state's investments in clean energy and life sciences, the governor spoke before approximately 100 people, many of them tenants of the Cummings Center.

    June 1, 2012 1 Photo