Agganis Classics Week, a much-anticipated event on the local sports calendar, will commence Sunday with the annual awards breakfast held at Manning Field.
Agganis Classics Executive Director Paul Halloran said the first-ever boys and girls lacrosse games will kick off the weeklong schedule Monday night at Manning Field. The week concludes Friday night with the 51st playing of the Agganis Football Classic at Manning Field.
Current coaches Tony O’Donnell of Peabody and Ryan Connolly of North Andover and retiring coaches Kevin Houlden (Peabody), and Steve Connolly (North Andover) will coach in the boys lacrosse game. Heather Hartford of Georgetown and John McVeigh of Andover will coach in the girls game.
At Sunday’s breakfast, the Agganis Foundation will present scholarships. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to students.
The football game should be a high-powered affair with four exceptional quarterbacks ready to air it out.
Everett’s Jonathan DiBiaso, who set the all-time career record for touchdown passes, will join Bartley Regan of Boston College High School at the helm of the North offense. Regan, who led his team to the Division 1 Super Bowl title, is the son of new St. Mary’s High School Head of School Grace Cotter Regan.
The South quarterbacks are Michael Walsh of Swampscott and Brandon Walsh of North Andover.
Lynn Classical’s Chris Warren will coach the South team in the Softball Classic. Jennie Erekson, Katie Cuozzo, Chelsey Bartlett, and Mackenzie Coppinger will represent the Northeastern Conference champions. English’s Taylor Newhall and Jessica Dellazoppa, St. Mary’s Genevieve Benoit and Jessica Dellazoppa, and Tech’s Ofelia Sermeno Alas will also compete in the game.
Warren’s team will face off against the North team led by Malden coach John Furlong. This season Classical split its two meetings with Malden (24-2), who played in the Division 1 state championship game Saturday, losing 1-0 to Milford. Malden’s ace, Kiara Amos, will be on the mound for the South contingent.