Foxborough, Mass. –With a 21-0 shutout victory over Nashoba in the 2017 Division 4 Super Bowl, Melrose High School's Tim Morris has been named this week's New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week.
Bolstered by a strong ground game and a resilient defense, Melrose earned its first MIAA High School Football State Championship in school history after making Super Bowl appearances in 1982, 2014 and 2015. The Red Raiders accomplished this feat without completing a pass, relying instead on the legs of junior tailback Isaac Seide. Seide accounted for 184 of the team's 203 total yards and two touchdowns. The defense also contributed by limiting Nashoba's offense to 186 total yards and coming up with two key turnovers in the second half. First, sophomore cornerback Chris Cusolito intercepted a pass late in the third quarter and returned it 55 yards to set up the final score of the day, a 1-yard run by quarterback Charlie Stanton. Later in the fourth quarter, senior linebacker Jack Whitley picked off Nashoba to seal the win.
Melrose's Super Bowl victory capped a perfect 13-0 season and highlighted Morris' 23-year career as head coach of the Red Raiders. Morris, an alumnus of the school, returned to Melrose as an assistant coach in 1983 and spent 11 years in that role before taking the helm. During his tenure, he has compiled a 176-97-0 winning record.
Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, now the team's executive director of community affairs, visited the Red Raiders players and coaching staff Wednesday afternoon to present Melrose High School's football program with a $1,000 donation on behalf of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, in honor of Tim Morris. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the Patriots weekly television show, "Patriots All Access," which airs on Friday night at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.
This is the 22nd year in which the Patriots 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. The 2017 season marks the seventh year that Tippett has taken the award on the road to visit the schools that benefit from the program.
"Congratulations to Coach Morris and the Red Raiders for bringing Melrose its first Super Bowl championship," Tippett said. "In his many years at Melrose, Coach Morris has developed an excellent culture and winning tradition within that football program. His leadership and coaching experience are invaluable, and it is terrific to see him lead his team to an undefeated season and Super Bowl victory. We wish Coach Morris and the Red Raiders continued success in the future."
At the conclusion of the fall, one of the weekly winners will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year and will receive a $2,000 contribution towards the school's football program.
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.
Gatorade, a proud partner of the Patriots, is proud to support local High School Athletics. Each week, Gatorade will provide the Patriots Coach of the Week with complimentary product to keep his team hydrated for the rest of the season.
