Foxborough, Mass. – Leominster High School's Dave Palazzi has been named this week's New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week in recognition of his team's 41-13 victory over Shrewsbury on Friday, Oct. 25, at Leominster High School. Taking a 20-7 lead into halftime, the Blue Devils scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to seal the win and clinch a No. 1 seed in the upcoming Division 2 playoffs. The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Leominster High School's football program in Palazzi's name in recognition of his Coach of the Week selection.
Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, the team's executive director of community affairs, visited Coach Palazzi's team on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Leominster High School. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the Patriots weekly television magazine show, "Patriots All Access," which airs at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.
This is the 18th year in which the Patriots join 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. Tippett oversees the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's commitment to youth football initiatives.
"Congratulations to Coach Dave Palazzi and his team," Tippett said. "Leominster High School set the tone by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown and never looked back, earning a 41-13 win over a tough Shrewsbury team to clinch the No. 1 playoff seed. This was a big win for the Blue Devils."
At the conclusion of the season, one high school coach will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year and will receive an additional $2,000 contribution toward the school's football program.
For the third straight year, Tippett will take the award on the road so he can visit the schools that benefit from the program. This year is also the third year the Patriots will accept nominations for High School Coach of the Week. Anyone who knows a high school football coach in New England who has a great week or reaches a personal career milestone is encouraged to submit a nomination to nominatecoach@patriots.com.
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is the non-profit through which the Patriots support charitable and philanthropic organizations throughout New England. This support comes in the form of direct grants, in-kind donations and player appearances. The foundation assists a variety of charitable organizations and programs throughout New England by supporting their educational, family and health initiatives.
