Foxborough, Mass. (November 16, 2011) - Marshfield High School's Lou Silva has been named the New England Patriots High School Football Coach of the Week after earning his 200th win with his team's 35-7 victory over Falmouth High School on Thursday, Nov. 10. Silva is the 45th coach to reach the 200-win plateau. It was also a historic night for quarterback Mark Pomella, who set the school record for single season passing yardage. The Rams got on the board early, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown en route to the team's seventh win.
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Marshfield High School's football program in Silva'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 Silva and his team on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Marshfield High School. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the team's weekly television magazine show, Patriots All Access, which airs at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 on WBZ-TV in Boston and later on Patriots.com.
This season marks the 16th 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. Tippett oversees the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's commitment to youth football initiatives.
"It was a pleasure to visit with Coach Silva and his players after the Rams' milestone victory," said Tippett on Tuesday. "Coach Silva preaches that you play the game the way you practice and that was certainly on display last week as the team got off to a fast start and never looked back. The Patriots are proud to offer our congratulations and present this week's Coach of the Week Award to Coach Silva and the Marshfield football program."
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.
In previous years, Tippett has invited the Coach of the Week and senior captains for a visit to Gillette Stadium, but decided to take the award on the road in 2011 so he could visit the schools that benefit from the program. This year is also the first 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 at 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. For more information, visit www.patriots.com/community.
