NEEDHAM — It’s hard to fathom, but the 2025 high school football season is a mere three weeks away.
This week, the state introduced its first Massachusetts High School Football Media Day, becoming the latest state to host such an event.
The idea was simple, yet daunting at the same time. Invite the top teams in the community to one centralized location, where players and coaches could provide their insight as to what fans can expect this year. How many would show? Who would attend? These were all questions to be answered.
It all started back in the spring, with Recruiting Board’s Alex Agrella laying the groundwork for the showcase. He was elated when 16 programs arrived at Needham High School, all looking forward to what lies ahead this fall.
“For me to see this now, I think it’s a beautiful thing,” said Agrella. “This was kind of something that I just thought of in early May. I talked to my good friend Gage Nutter, and was like, ‘What do you think?’ I talked to some others to get their interest, and I think it was just important for me specifically to put this on … I used to live in Alabama, went to college down south, and we had it (there), they had it in Georgia, they had it in the Carolinas, Maryland, all these other states. I said, ‘Why not us?’ ”
For years, St. John’s Prep has been one of the teams to beat in Div. 1. The Eagles lost a lot of key pieces from last season, but welcome back sophomore Christopher Vargas, who enters the year with much fanfare. The quarterback was recently named a five-star recruit by 247Sports, and is listed as the top-ranked player at his position in Massachusetts.
Vargas has already received offers from the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, Boston College, Illinois and Syracuse.
As the Eagles walked as a large group onto Needham’s campus, Vargas was eager to get the year going.
“First and foremost, I have to thank my lord and savior, Jesus Christ,” Vargas said. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here. It’s really just a reflection of how much work I’ve put into this.”
Vargas will have a tall task, as he looks to propel St. John’s Prep back to Gillette. However, the expectations remain the same for the Eagles.
“We’re starting at ground zero like we do every season,” said St. John’s Prep coach Brian St. Pierre. “One of the big things that stick out to me is that we’re replacing 18 starters. That’s a big number. Usually, we’re around nine or 10. So, we’re going to have to have some guys step up. But we have a history of guys doing that in our program. This year, we will probably need a little bit more.”
It’s a new era for Andover, as legendary coach EJ Perry announced his retirement this offseason following an epic career. After a 13-year stint at Central Catholic, longtime defensive coordinator Jay Fielding is looking to lead the Golden Warriors back to the pinnacle in his latest challenge.
“Really big shoes to fill with EJ,” said Fielding. “He did a great job over there. The Perry name is synonymous with Andover football. … But the kids have been working hard, they’ve bought into the strength and conditioning program that I implemented back in March. We are excited about the season.”
In addition to the heavy hitters from the North Shore, a few of the top schools from the South side of town made their way to Memorial Field, including reigning Div. 4 Super Bowl champion Scituate. The Sailors will look to lean on senior quarterback Jonny Donovan, who committed to Pomona-Pitzer a few days ago.
“I’m thrilled,” Donovan said. “I was there this past week, and I’ve been in contact with the staff. Great guys, they have a great culture over there. The area of Claremont, California is beautiful. Beautiful facilities, and it’s everything that I’m looking for in a program. Elite academics and elite athletics.”
Much like Donovan, Leominster standout and Coastal Carolina commit Osiris Lopez is looking to close his career with a bang after leading the Blue Devils to a Div. 1 quarterfinals appearance in 2024.
“I’ve prepared for this season for so long now,” said Lopez. “Since last season ended, I’ve been watching film on every game we’ve played, multiple times. See what I can do better, see what the team can improve on. I’ve never been more excited for a season to come.”
Northbridge coach Ken LaChapelle has witnessed just about everything when it comes to Massachusetts football. His resume includes 401 career wins. Wednesday’s media day gathering was a first for him, however. He thinks that this is just the start of an incredible tradition.
“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said LaChapelle. “I think it’s something that gets even bigger. We were talking about those coming from Central Mass. Maybe someday, Central Mass. will have its own (media day), if you know what I mean. … I think these things, what (they) do best, is promote the high school game of football. I think that’s what we all want to do.”
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