Stardom shines bright for Abbott
HOPKINTON — Hopkinton senior Will Abbott is the ultimate athlete for all seasons.
Abbott was the TriValley League’s most valuable player in football, catching 67 passes for 1,112 yards and 16 touchdowns in leading the Hillers to an 11-1 season and a Division 4 South title. He traded in his cleats for skates with similar success, earning TVL MVP honors in hockey, scoring 35 goals and 21 assists for a 19-3-1 team that advanced to the Div. 3 South semifinals.
Oh, by the way, we haven’t even begun discussing his favorite sport — lacrosse. The senior midfielder has been a mainstay since his freshman year, making his presence felt from the first time he stepped on the field.
“I love all three sports, but lacrosse has always been in my family since I was a little kid,” Abbott said. “My father (Ray Abbott, who played at Framingham South) has been my biggest supporter and was my first youth coach. It’s been good having him by my side.”
Abbott is the poster child for those who abhor the mindset of some who insist one must play one sport to have a better chance of getting to the next level. Abbott feels competing in three sports is the biggest reason why he will be playing Division 1 lacrosse at Quinnipiac.
“You can use different aspects of three sports,” Abbott said. “The footwork, speed, strength, training. It’s easier to train that way knowing what you are building into.”
Coach Dan Norton arrived in Hopkinton four years ago. He’s been on the ground level with Abbott and sensed early on that he wasn’t your ordinary freshman simply happy with making the varsity.
“You could see he was a competitive kid,” said Norton, who previously coached at Ashland. “He’s one of the hardest workers around and that’s why he gets better every day, every season. That’s why he is where is now.”
For Abbott, Quinnipiac was a case of love at first sight.
“It’s a beautiful campus in a beautiful area,” he said. “The head coach (Eric Fekete) was awesome. He’s a great guy and as soon as I met him, I knew it was a place where I wanted to spend the next four years.”
While Abbott has every reason to strut around like a big man on campus, Norton insists that is far from the truth.
“As you can see right now, he’s lugging the water down to the practice field,” Norton said. “He’s always the last one to leave practice, he’s always working on his shooting. He supports everyone in the program from the freshmen right up to the varsity. He’s just an awesome person who comes from a great family.”
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