Published in the April 25, 2018 edition

By TOM CONDARDO

LYNNFIELD — Forty seasons. Four hundred and nineteen games. Road trips from Haverhill to Hull, from Winthrop to Wayland, and from BC’s Alumni Field to Gillette Stadium. It’s time. I’m hanging up my Bic 4-color ballpoint pen, my Sony Cybershot camera, and my trusty clipboard.

For 11 seasons (1976-1986) covering North Reading for the Transcript and for the past 29 seasons (1989-2017) following the Pioneers for the Villager, I have spent my fall Saturdays and Friday nights prowling scores of high school field sidelines charting the exploits of over 500 high school football players. And I loved every minute of it.

But it’s time to bid a fond farewell. I’m busier than ever with my business marketing copywriting business. I have one grandchild and another on the way in western Mass., so I will be spending more time out there. I just can no longer devote the time that’s needed to cover the games, compile all the stats, write my newspaper article, and compose my blog posts the way I feel they should be done.

TOM CONDARDO

When I started as a wide-eyed cub reporter/advertising rep/layout man/paper deliverer/go-pick-up-subs-supper guy for those late nights putting the paper together, I was using a manual typewriter and a Minolta SLR 200 without autofocus or autoadvance functions.

I would get a roll of film with 12 shots, shoot what I could get, and hope for the best. I wouldn’t even know what I got until I saw the pictures in the paper.

My first game was on September 24, 1976: North Reading at Hamilton-Wenham. Being a city boy from Chelsea, I didn’t know Wenham from Mars so in those pre-GPS days I asked 28-year-old first-year Hornet Head Coach Ed Sapienza if I could ride up on the bus. He agreed and that was the first and last time I ever did that. I went out and purchased a map book the next day.

My first ever game story was published in the Transcript the following Thursday and the lead read as follows:

“A determined Hornet football team combined a bone-crunching defense with a balanced offense on Saturday to gift wrap a 20-0 opening day victory over Hamilton-Wenham in honor of coach Ed Sapienza’s birthday.”

I would go on to cover eight more Hornet games that year. I left full time duty at the paper to begin my corporate career, but I continued covering the Hornets on a part time basis for total of 109 games. After a two-year break in 1987–88, I bought a home in Lynnfield and then Transcript–Villager editor Al Sylvia Jr. asked me to begin covering the Pioneers, which I did for the next 310 games.

Glory days

I was fortunate to cover two golden eras in both programs. The first was the Hornet resurgence under the ever positive, energetic Sapienza (think Pete Carroll). Sap took over a moribund North Reading program in 1976 and turned things completely around. The apex came in 1978–80 in which the Hornets went 30-2-2, won three straight CAL championships and made it to the Division Three Super Bowl at BC in 1979.

On the other side of the rivalry, I was witness to the just concluded unparalleled success of the 10-year Weidman Era, which included seven CAL championships and my second Super Bowl trip in 2012 – this one at Gillette Stadium.

There were also many seasons on both ends of Chestnut Street that weren’t so successful. Watching those Hornet and Pioneer teams scratch and scrape for their one or two season wins and enjoying their reactions to them was also a special feeling.

On an individual level, I covered one future professional in Steve Doig, who was a three-year starter for the Hornets from 1976-78, went on to UNH and was a third-round selection of Detroit in 1982. He played for the Lions from 1982-84 and for the Patriots from 1986-87.

I also covered two of Lynnfield’s current esteemed selectmen in Phil Crawford (1976-77 Hornets) and Chris Barrett (1994 Pioneers). I also had the pleasure of covering my son Kevin (1998-2000 Pioneers), especially his senior year when he was one of the team’s captains.

I also chronicled the exploits of dozens of players who would earn All League status and go on to do well in college. But it was just as gratifying following the hundreds of unsung players that would never go beyond high school but would sacrifice a great deal to play for the Hornets and Pioneers. Those are the true heroes of high school football. As former Pioneer head coach Scott Brennan (1995-1999) would always tell me, “You PLAY other sports, but you ARE a football player.”

Kudos to the dedicated coaches, head and assistant, who give up their personal lives and make a huge commitment to put these kids in a position to do well. I was lucky that all of the coaches I had chance to work with were always thoroughly professional and cooperative, win or lose. In addition to Sapienza, Weidman, and Brennan, I had the pleasure of working with Gary Sverker, Jim Nangle, and Walt Miller on the North Reading side and Bill Adams, whose 187 games on the sideline are the most by any Lynnfield coach. I am grateful to all of them for their cooperation.

Changing times

A lot has changed in high school football in general and for the two schools’ programs in particular. When I started in 1976, the Hornets were clad in forest green and yellow, not the Kelly green and gold they wear today. The Pioneers wore royal blue and lots of gold, but today feature navy blue and a only a gold logo on their helmets.

Back them both squads played on old-school, dirt and grass fields that took a beating throughout the autumn and were usually delightfully muddy quagmires by Thanksgiving Day. Today both teams are fortunate to have sparkling new, state of the art facilities with artificial turf and lights.

Which is another huge change. Until recent years, most high school games were played on sun-splashed Saturday afternoons. Every other year, the Pioneers and Hornets would travel to Newburyport for their lone night game. The Pioneers would also play under the lights in Wayland every other year. Today, most schools have lighted fields so almost all of the action has shifted to Friday nights. Last season, the Hornets played only one game on a Saturday and only two games in daylight counting the Thanksgiving Day game. The Pioneers didn’t play any Saturday games and their only day game was the rivalry clash against the Hornets.

What hasn’t changed is the passion of the coaches, players, cheerleaders, and parents who are still as rabid as ever, cheering on both teams regardless of when they play.

I would like to thank the Sylvia family, especially Al Jr. for the opportunity to do this for so many years, and for current publisher of both papers Glenn Dolbeare, for allowing me to continue after the papers changed hands several years ago. Also a shout out to current Transcript Editor Maureen Doherty who has been great to work with for the past five years.

Covering high school football has been a part time gig, full time passion, and huge part of my adult life. I’ll miss it, but all things must pass. I’ll be following the Pioneers and hopefully will make it to the stadium on a few Friday nights to check in and I’ll be keeping an eye on the Hornets as well. Thanks to all the coaches, assistant coaches, players, parents, fellow reporters and everyone involved in the football programs in North Reading and Lynnfield. And most importantly thanks to my wife Noreen for putting up with my “hobby” for these many years. It’s been a great run.