The Lynn Tech football program is coming off one of its most successful seasons in school history. The Tigers had a
Coach James Runner III is pictured with the Tech seniors before practice Monday. Front row, from left, are Emerson Ramirez, Giuliani Daniells, Rartha Kou Thach, Edwin Gonzalez, and Chance Buono. Among those pictured, back row, from left, are Justin Diaz, Jashet Irizarry, Brandon Touy, Robert Wallace, David Barrios, Angel Hernandez, Noah Thurston, and head coach James Runner III.
sterling 12-1 record, won the Commonwealth Athletic Conference Small title, and claimed the State Vocational Super Bowl championship. They were one play away from a berth in the state semifinals.
But head coach James Runner III isn’t looking back. He’s looking immediately ahead to the Tigers’ season opener against Nashoba Valley, a new CAC member and Tech’s opponent in the State Vocational Super Bowl. And he’s optimistic that the Tigers can get to Gillette in December.
“It was a great year,” said Runner. “We played really tough (in the Division 8 North final) for two-and-half quarters versus Cathedral. We had a great senior class and it was a big season because it set the bar really high for us in this off season.”
The Tigers will look to replace the offense generated by Steffan Gravely, who is a first-string running back at UMass/Dartmouth, and Keoni Gaskin, who is playing football at Franklin Pierce.
Senior David Barrios returns for his second season as the starting quarterback and he is regarded as one of the top players in the conference. Chance Buono, Giuliani Daniells, and Elvin Gonzalez will lead the Tigers’ rushing attack.
Runner believes that Barrios will get some well- deserved recognition in a city where Keith Ridley Jr. (Classical) and Matt Severance (English) are also highly rated quarterbacks.
Barrios is serving as a team captain, along with Emerson Ramirez, Kenneth Perez, and Brandon Touy.
Tech will scrimmage against Salem High Friday night at Manning Field. Runner will be on the opposite sidelines of Salem High coach Matt Bouchard. Both head coaches were assistants on the staff of Mike Stellato at St. Mary’s High School. Stellato is an assistant on Runner’s staff at Tech.
Also serving as assistant coaches at Tech are Jason McCuish, Al Bercy, Maurice Cordy, Brian McAskill, Shaun Brady, and Rod Wilson.