Chris Walsh COACHES OF THE YEAR John Rafferty
James Sharkey
Lynnfield, senior
The Cape Ann League Defensive Player of the Year recorded 80 tackles and seven interceptions at linebacker, adding 369 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on offense. A member of the National Honor Society, Sharkey is a lacrosse captain.
Sid Tildsley
Shawsheen, sophomore
The quarterback played beyond his years with 1,885 passing yards, 608 rushing yards, and 37 total touchdowns while leading the Rams to the D5 Super Bowl. The Commonwealth MVP added 58 tackles and four interceptions at safety.
Duxbury, senior
The senior caught 51 balls for 1,210 yards and 19 touchdowns to set school records in yardage and receiving scores. Walsh was the main target for Matt Festa during the Dragons’ undefeated run to a state championship.
Jaden Wiggins
Central Catholic, senior
The senior lineman, committed to play at UMass Amherst, logged 69 total tackles, including 19 for a loss, with 7.5 sacks on defense. Wiggins recorded 8.5 sacks last season and helped anchor the Raiders offensive line for two years.
Javin Willis
Wakefield, senior
The Middlesex Freedom MVP broke school records with 326 passing yards in a game and 2,108 passing yards on the season, completing 73 percent of his throws for 21 touchdowns. Willis led the Warriors to a D3 state championship.
Nick Yanchuk
Bishop Feehan, senior
The senior saved his best for the D2 tournament with monster performances in wins over previously unbeaten Reading and Peabody, setting school records with 2,205 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns despite dealing with injuries.
Preston Zinter
Central Catholic, senior
The Merrimack Valley Defensive Player of the Year posted 116 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions, and 2 pass breakups while leading the Raiders to the D1 state semifinals. Zinter will play at Notre Dame.
Conner Zukowski
Mansfield, senior
The Hockomock Davenport MVP became the fifth Mansfield quarterback to top 3,000 career passing yards with a program-record 66 percent completion rate and 17 total touchdowns. The senior finished his career with 32 TD passes.
Brian St. Pierre
Division 1: St. John’s Prep
The 1998 Prep alum led his alma mater to a third state chamionship in four seasons with his defense pacing the Eagles to a 13-0 shutout of Springfield Central in the Super Bowl. The former Boston College QB owns a 71-28 career record.
John DiBiaso
Division 2: Catholic Memorial
After leading the Knights to their first state title since 1978, DiBiaso coached CM to another D2 Super Bowl, extending its state-best win streak to 29 games with a 12-0 season. He has 353 career wins at St. Patrick's, Weston, Everett, and CM.
Division 3: Wakefield
With just 13 players seeing the field in most games, the 1971 Wakefield graduate led his alma mater to a 13-0 season and the second Super Bowl crown in program history. The former Syracuse standout owns a 124-79 career record.
Matt Landolfi
Division 4: Duxbury
The Dragons never lapsed during a 12-0 season, beating Grafton in the Super Bowl after being denied by Scituate, 14-13, in 2021. After nine years as an assistant, the Wesleyan grad is 23-2 in two years as head coach.
Eddie Blum
Division 5: North Reading
Now a two-time Globe Coach of the Year and two-time Cape Ann League Coach of the Year, the Bentley alum led the Hornets back to the D5 Super Bowl and secured the school’s first state title. He has a 4014 career record.
Sean Driscoll
Division 6: St. Mary's
The fifth-year coach led St. Mary’s to a D6 state title, his second since 2018 and third overall including a 2005 Super Bowl at Winthrop. Driscoll posted a 12-1 record this season and owns a 98-72 record at Winthrop and St. Mary's.
Colin McQueen
Division 7: Amesbury
The two-time Cape Ann Baker Coach of the Year led Amesbury to a 9-2 record and D7 state semifinals appearance. A graduate of Exeter (N.H.) and Salve Regina, McQueen owns a 37-23 record over six seasons at Amesbury.
Michael O'Donnell
Division 8: Hull
The Pirates beat rival Cohasset for the first time since 2009, clinched the program’s first South Shore Tobin title since 1996, and won their first D8 Super Bowl with a 13-0 record. O'Donnell is a threetime SSL Coach of the Year.