Post-publication: North Reading defeats Greater Lowell 35-7 (Sept. 12)
Published September 11. 2025
Hornet football kicks off highly-anticipated season this Friday night
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
NORTH READING — There are signs that Autumn is upon us, including the inevitable closet search for that extra layer of clothing, the switch from “C” to “H” each morning in the car, and for football enthusiasts, the sudden surge of activity on area gridirons.
In recent weeks, the 2025 edition of the North Reading Hornets football team took to the Arthur J. Kenney Field to begin honing their skills, preparing to do battle in the Cape Ann League and beyond. Leading this group of 48 eager athletes is Head Coach Ed Blum, who is impressed with the drive of his charges as they ready for the task ahead.
“The thing I’m most excited about is the collective commitment they’ve embraced since January,” said Blum as he embarks on his eighth-year with the Hornets. “It’s obvious they put in the work during the off-season and I’m confident the kids learned a lot from last year. In these early days, they have been practicing with a purpose.”
Blum’s capable staff includes Matt Costello, Roy Medeiros, Tarrin Earle, Matt Ferraro, and longtime assistant Eric Archambault who, most recently, guided the North Reading Baseball Hornets to a State title.
Last season, North Reading enjoyed a highly successful 8-3 campaign but ended on a sour note as No. 4 Norwell handed the No. 13 Hornets a rain-soaked 39-28 defeat in the Division 6 opening playoff round. The memory of that tough loss, coupled with the 2022 Division 5 State Championship win at Gillette Stadium, when this year’s crop of seniors were freshman, will provide the driving force as this season gets underway. Five of those seniors were selected as Captains by their teammates, including Nick Torra, Jason Berry, Gavin Brady, Otto Indelicato, and Zachary Morse.
“We have so many returning players this season and strong leadership which I feel will make this team hard to beat,” said Torra. “There is a great deal of dedication, we understand our responsibilities, and the leadership is strong. As a Captain, I hope to be a role model and gain the trust of my teammates. One of our goals on defense is to hold each of our opponents to a touchdown or less.”
North Reading starting QB Jason Berry, who last year was 136-of-204 for 1873-yards and 26 passing TDs, also expressed his desire to be all about his teammates as a Captain.
“First and foremost, all glory and honor to God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” said Berry, who often leads the Hornets in pre-game prayer. “Being named a Captain is a blessing and a huge honor and in my eyes, means being a servant leader and putting my teammates first before me. It’s a We over Me mentality – that is how I intend to lead.”
Top wide receiver Gavin Brady, who earned the Kinney Division Special Teams Player of the Year honors while amassing 55 receptions for 779-yards and 11 scores, emphasized how excited he is about the year ahead.
“Being named Captain by my teammates is truly an honor and I’m looking forward to offering my guidance and being the best leader I can be,” he said.
Returning to the backfield as a senior Captain is tailback Otto Indelicato who was dubbed “Otto-Matic” by the adoring North Reading faithful for his handiwork.
“I think we are a well-bonded and experienced team so there are high hopes this season,” said Indelicato, who last season garnered 860-yards and 16 TDs on 134-carries. “Being chosen as Captain is a great honor and means a lot to me. It allows me to show the many different ways that I can provide leadership.”
Rounding out the Hornet Captain quintet is Zack Morse, who will join Torra in leading the defense.
“Last year, we came up short of our goals but we have a strong group of kids this season and I’m honored that my teammates trusted me enough to vote me into the Captain position,” said the linebacker.
When North Reading travels to face Greater Lowell Tech in the season opener on Friday, Sept. 12, the contest will mark the first of four straight on the road. The Hornets will not see home field until Essex Tech pays a visit on October 10, midway through the nine-game season.
Week No. 2 features a trip to Dedham (Sept. 19), followed by the first Cape Ann League match-up at Hamilton-Wenham (Sept . 26) and a visit to Triton (Oct. 3). After hosting Essex Tech, the Hornets will travel to Amesbury (Oct. 17) before returning home for games with Pentucket (Oct. 24) and Newburyport (Oct. 30). The 66th edition of the Thanksgiving Day clash with archrival Lynnfield will take place at Pioneer Stadium (Nov. 27) with the Hornets seeking to snap a three-year holiday slide.
“We appreciate a challenge like this to see how the players will respond,” said Blum, when asked about the long stretch on the road. “Come playoffs, we will have to win a road game or potentially play at a neutral site so this stretch of away games is a good way to prepare. And midseason, coming back to the great North Reading crowds, we’ll be able to feed off that homecoming energy.”