Post-publication: Lynnfield falls to Shawsheen Tech 41-6 (Sept. 12)
THE PIONEERS will run into the 2025 season on Friday night, Sept. 12 with a visit to Shawsheen Tech in Billerica. The Rams had an undefeated season last year complete with a Div. 5 Super Bowl title. (File Photo)
By JAMES CRANNEY
LYNNFIELD – When beginning a new season, every team faces an uphill battle.
On top of losing a senior class due to graduation, many fresh faces are thrown into the deep end of varsity football. For the 2025 Lynnfield Pioneer football team, who graduated 19 senior players last year, this season is no exception.
“They [the seniors] are hard to replace,” stated head coach Pat Lamusta going into his 8th season at the helm. “But that is how each year goes. We are fortunate to have over 60 players come out for the program which certainly helps with the reload. There is always some type of puzzle to figure out with personnel. The young guys have been so eager to learn and compete for roles, so that has made preseason exciting.”Among the nearly 20 upperclassmen lost from 2024, the Pioneers are also tasked with replacing a position that has been of no concern the past three seasons.
After breaking the Lynnfield all-time passing records for yards (5,251 yards) and touchdowns (66 touchdowns), quarterback Tyler Adamo has moved on to the next level and will be playing baseball this year for Columbia University. Lamusta announced that Adamo’s predecessor under center for the 2025 campaign will be senior captain Matt Tracy.
“Looking forward to Matt Tracy leading this offense,” said Lamusta on his new quarterback. “He has done a great job this preseason helping bring the inexperienced offensive players up to speed. He learned a bunch from Tyler these past couple years and has a great sense for the game and playbook.”
Quarterback is not the only position with big shoes to fill. In 2024, senior wide receivers Madux Iovinelli and Jesse Dorman accounted for 61 percent of Adamo’s completions and 73 percent of his touchdown passes. With Iovinelli off to High Point University to play baseball and Dorman at the University of New Hampshire for football, the Pioneer receiving corps will need to elevate their game.
“Look for [Tracy] to dish the ball to our two returning starting receivers Dan Lemieux and senior captain Luke DiSilvio,” said Lamusta on the two biggest receivers to look out for this year. “Both are explosive, big play threats.”
While Iovinelli and Dorman earned the bulk of last year’s receptions, Lemieux and DiSilvio were certainly no slouches. Lemieux caught 2 touchdown passes along with 17 catches and 267 receiving yards, and DiSilvio caught 3 touchdowns with 17 catches and 206 receiving yards. As Lamsuta stated, expect Tracy to look their ways early and often to extend drives. In terms of other receivers Pioneer fans should keep their eyes on, Lamusta pointed to juniors James Pasquale and Joel Attubatto to round out the receivers room.
Another skill position lost to graduation for Lynnfield was running back. Last year, senior captain Jared Bernabei led the Pioneers with 13 touchdowns and 700 rushing yards. Look out for juniors Lucas Deraps, Xander Janicki and Chase Bergeron to help pound the rock this season.
Of course, the success of any offense hinges on the big guys up front. Entering his 16th year with the program, coach Gino Fodera will have his hands full working with some inexperienced linemen. While there could be some growing pains, expect senior captain Ben Gazit to lead the Pioneers in the trenches.
Defensively, Lynnfield looks to pick up where they left off in 2024. Last season’s Pioneer defense forced 18 turnovers and sacked the opposing team’s quarterback 15 times.
“We want to keep the standard of pursuing with relentless effort, making sure tackles and having the whole defensive mindset on takeaway opportunities,” says Lamusta. “You will see some speed on the defensive side with a bunch of players who like to hit and be physical.”
Expect Gazit, who recorded one sack and one fumble recovery last year, to apply some pressure up front on the defensive line.
For the linebacker group, a rotation of seniors Kevin Keyes, Spencer Liu, Tobin Ventolieri and junior Cole Hixon will mix in. The defensive backfield will be led by Lemieux who snagged two interceptions a season ago. Some other players to look out for in the secondary will be senior Will Mandile and juniors Josh Bernabei, Devon Neenan and Chase Buoniconti.
While it may be the most overlooked facet of the game, special teams always plays a crucial role in deciding the outcome of games. Similar to the quarterback position, Lynnfield has not had to worry about the kicking position the past two seasons.
Before committing to play at Western New England University, kicker Massimo LoGrasso tied the Pioneer record for most career field goals (6 field goals) and finished 2nd all-time in extra points (91 PAT’s). Lemieux will be tasked with replacing the long legged LoGrasso on both kicking and punting duties.
If Lynnfield wants to return to the playoffs in 2025, they will need a consistent and combined effort from all three phases of the game.
Every season opening game comes with its challenges. There is a level of uncertainty the first time you take the field with a new set of players and plays. The Pioneers will be battling these expected obstacles on the road against the 13-0 defending Super Bowl champion Shawheen Tech Rams.
“Shawsheen will be a formidable challenge for us,” said Lamusta. “It will be very challenging, but we figured it is better to get calibrated against quality competition before league play.”
Some teams could be intimidated kicking their season off against the defending champions. This new look Pioneer football team is choosing to embrace the test.
The season opener kicks off Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m., so Lynnfield still has another week to prepare for the Rams.
Coach Lamusta likes what he has seen so far in his team’s development, and knows they are ready for some real football.
“Practices and execution have been getting better as the days go on, so we will be ready to compete.”