I apologize to my loyal blog buddies and readers.
The last few days, I have been engrossed with the passing of my dad, Hector Longo, who fought like a champion but succumbed at the age of 81 Wednesday at MGH.
I’m a zombie. I loved the man, from who myself and three sisters learned so much.
Very quickly, my dad was ahead of his time and we didn’t know it. He came to every sporting event I had as a kid and never said a word. He was the perfect parent as far as youth sports went, supportive at the event, without even going near the edge.
Not once did he yell at a coach or official in public, something I see now in Little League.
He let me have it a few times, but I was always better for it.
Big H … We all love you so much.
Enough on that.
As for football, I’m behind, so I’ll make the quick picks, even though the games are being played as we type.
I had Lawrence over the Reggies last night.
I like the Port over Amesbury, to run the table in the CAL.
Central will nip Andover in a grind em up battle.
Manchester knocks off Georgetown in a shootout.
Lowell strafes Haverhill.
Masco runs over a Walsh-less North Andover.
Methuen stuns Dracut in the upset of the decade.
North Reading has more Hart-well and tops Lynnfield.
Pentucket pastes Triton.
Whittier drills HC.
Finally, some notes on Lawrence-Greater Lawrence last night:
Alex Andrews, who fought some incredible academic woes, to get back in the lineup and face the Reggies deserves some credit.
I called Alex out for some really sad sideline antics early in the year. I blasted him. Heck, he’s a kid and deserves all the second chances we can muster.
“Prime Time” hit the books this quarter, he stuck with it, turned it around and became a positive influence to his teammates, then went out and had his one night under the lights.
He ran back the opening kick for a score and ran a 24-yard end around for a TD too.
I congratulate Alex, who still talks a little too much for me, but is fighting to do things right.
The kid is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds of playmaking potential. If he could ever straighten out completely, I’m convinced we’d be watching him Saturdays on ESPN.
I also congratulate his teammates, who welcomed Alex back after they had done all the hard work all season long.
He should thank every one of his teammates and coaches, heck the teachers too, for sticking with him.
Good luck Alex. And remember, there is no harm in overachieving.
Great crowd for the Lawtown Showdown. Tim Finn made the right move pushing it to Wednesday night.
Will this game stick? I don’t know.
The Reggies want to play league rival Whittier on thanksgiving.
Look, with both programs in good hands … Mike Yameen at LHS and Tony Sarkis at GLT … Lawrence should always be better, talent-wise. That’s a fact.
But Yameen stepped up and played Central the last couple years in a non-leaguer that’s good for the program.
The Reggies should take the same attitude. Step up and play Lawrence, maybe in the season opener at the Stadium.
What’s better for those kids, a non-league Saturday smooshing of, say, Northeast, or a rival showdown with the Lancers under the lights?
The occasional win over Lawrence will mean so much more.
Finally, I’ll end with a classy note emanating from the Reggies.
They were outmatched last night, trailing 33-0 at halftime, and came out to stretch for the second half.
Out of the stands, popped more than a handful of Orange and Black Super Bowl champion jackets: Nate Adames, the Sosas, John Cote, Yerison Cruz and other Reggie stars from 2007, came on the field, demanding their team and former mates stay up, stay in the game, and fight with pride in the second half against Lawrence. I know I was inspired. Those kids get it.
This exemplifies exactly what Tony Sarkis is looking to build over there at GLT: Pride, respect, dignity, kinship.
The coach is doing things right folks. He and the whole staff are assets for the kids. And that’s what matters most.
