North Attleboro High School Football

BOSTON GLOBE PRESEASON NO. 7 > NORTH ATTLEBORO

Rocketeers walk long red line
By Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff | September 1, 2006

NORTH ATTLEBORO -- The regular season was still a week away, but a palpable seriousness filled the halls of North Attleboro High School Friday morning. With the Hockomock League preseason jamboree on tap that evening, the Red Rocketeers and coach Kurt Kummer were already in game mode.

So despite having spent the past week at football camp in Brewster, the Rocketeers piled into the film room to dissect some tape before their scrimmage with Dartmouth. It's a glimpse into the tradition of a storied football program where players ooze pride each time they put on their red and white jersey -- even when it's just for a preseason tune-up.

At North Attleboro, they call it the Long Red Line. The idea that each player is a part of history. They are not just playing for themselves, they are playing for everyone who has passed through these halls. "The kids who play here have had uncles or brothers or fathers that have played for this team," said Kummer, a 1983 graduate of North Attleboro who enters his third season at the helm this fall. "Putting on that uniform is like a right of passage... Our whole program is about tradition and the seniors are the key to upholding that."

Kummer doesn't even blink when asked about expectations. Sure there's lofty goals coming off a 9-1 season in which North Attleboro tied both Foxboro and Mansfield atop the league standings (Foxboro earned the playoff berth by virtue of tiebreaker). But there's expectation on this team when they are coming off 1-9 campaigns. "We think we're a good football program and we expect the kids to get up and fill the voids of the kids that left," said Kummer. "There's expectations all the time. But we have good kids that work hard and they know the expectations. They actually enjoy it. A lot of these guys have been waiting for their turn to play."

Kummer credits his senior leadership for how well-conditioned his team returned to camp. Captains Anthony Sherman and John Farroba kept their teammates focussed on training for the upcoming season. Now it's September, and there's no doubting just how focussed this team is.

At the jamboree, North Attleboro showcased that crispness, moving the ball with ease early on and featuring an unrelenting defense helped the Red Rocketeers prevail over Dartmouth, 16-7. Junior quarterback Greg Dusel guided his team on an early scoring drive, while classmate Greg Elkins relieved and completed all three passes he attempted. The backfield is rock solid with captains Sherman and Ferroba leading the attack.

Sherman is the heart and soul of the Red Rocketeers and it's not just his numbers. The 6-foot, 228-pound running back/linebacker rushed for over 800 yards and 18 touchdowns (110 points overall), while sharing backfield duties with Robbie Vaughn last season. Defensively he's an inside linebacker with a motor that doesn't stop. Sherman flies to the ball and hits opponents like a locomotive. Couple that power with his speed and he's an opposing running back's nightmare.

Kummer can't say enough good things about his UConn-bound standout. "He's the hardest working kid and a true leader," said Kummer. "He's like our coaching staff, he doesn't yell, but he teaches the guys around him. As an athlete, he's big, he's physical and he's been on the field since the day he arrived. That's saying something here because only a few guys have had the talent to play that early here."

Ferroba heads the secondary from his free safety position. He adjusts the coverages and ensures that his teammates are in the right position.

North Attleboro returns seven starters overall, including the heart of their lines in junior Michael Hart (guard/defensive end), senior Dan McNamara (guard/defensive tackle) and senior Nick Chagnon (tackle/defensive tackle). Seniors Scott Schafer (6-2, 195) and Brett Catarius (6-4, 220) are two big targets at tight end and also excel on the defensive line.

North Attleboro won its first Super Bowl title in 1973 and repeated in 1974. The program went quiet for nearly two decades before claiming a Super Bowl crown in 1993. The Rocketeers lost a perfect season with a defeat in the title game in 1995, but rebounded to win three consecutive titles from 1997-1999. That title collection grew with a Super Bowl triumph in 2002.

The Rocketeers hope they have enough talent to get them back to the game's biggest stage, but it's hard enough to escape with the conference title in the ultra-competitive Hockomock League. And despite the tradition of the program, Kummer puts a premium on teaching his charges lessons over leading them to titles. "We're teachers more than anything else," said Kummer. "It's less about motivation and excitement here, and more about teaching our players. I have the luxury of having 10 assistant coaches and trainers that really work well with the kids. It's what makes them better players and that's why they are able to step up each year and help us maintain our success."