FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Acton-Boxboro High's Bill Maver has been named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year in recognition of his team's undefeated 13-0 season and fourth consecutive Division 2 Super Bowl championship. The Colonials defeated No. 6 Chelmsford 28-6 in the Super Bowl on Dec. 4 to notch their 50th consecutive overall victory.
Maver, a former team captain at the University of Connecticut, is in his 19th year as head coach of the Colonials, and his Acton-Boxboro teams have won 12 straight Dual County League championships in addition to four straight Division 2 Super Bowls.
This season marks the ninth year in which the Patriots have joined the National Football League in conducting the High School Coach of the Week program, which recognizes outstanding high school coaches and promotes youth football throughout New England. Maver was the recipient of the High School Coach of the Week award on Oct. 6 in recognition of his team's history-making win over Concord-Carlisle on Oct. 1.
Acton-Boxboro broke a 52-year old Massachusetts high school record for consecutive wins when it notched its 41st straight victory, a 19-7 win over Concord-Carlisle, the team that previously held the record of 40-straight wins (1948-1952). Coming into this season, Acton-Boxboro owned 37 straight victories, and upended then-No. 3 Marshfield, Chelmsford and No. 8 Bridgewater-Raynham en route to tying the record, before breaking the record against Concord-Carlisle.
Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, who is now the team's director of football development and promotions, oversees the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's commitment to youth football initiatives. Each week during the season, Tippett, along with WCVB Channel 5 sports anchor Mike Lynch, will honor the selected coach on the team's weekly magazine show, Patriots All Access. The broadcast airs on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 7 p.m. on WCVB.
"Coach Maver has done a remarkable job in leading Acton-Boxboro to 50 straight wins," Tippett said. "His team clearly plays with a lot of pride and we couldn't be more proud to present Coach Maver with the 2004 Patriots High School Coach of the Year award."
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $2,000 to Acton-Boxboro High School's football program in Maver's name in recognition of his selection as Coach of the Year in addition to the $1,000 donated to Acton-Boxboro for Maver's previous Coach of the Week selection.
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, Inc. is the non-profit organization through which the Patriots support charitable and philanthropic organizations throughout New England. This support comes in the form of both direct grants and in-kind donations, and through player appearances at a number of charity functions and educational programs. The foundation assists a variety of charitable organizations and programs throughout New England by supporting their educational, family and health initiatives.
