Foxborough, Mass. – Coming off a dramatic 25-22 victory over the unbeaten Everett Crimson Tide on Friday in the first round of the Division 1 tournament, Methuen High School's Tom Ryan has been named the ninth New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week of the 2021 season.
Coach Ryan, currently in his ninth year as head coach of the Methuen football team, guided the Rangers to one of the most memorable and significant victories in program history Friday night. Advancing in the Division 1 tournament took a combined effort, however, with senior captain JP Muniz leading the way on the field. Muniz battled through a leg injury to grab the game-winning touchdown catch with 3:55 left to play and then secured the victory with a pair of interceptions in the final four minutes.
"Led at the helm by Coach Ryan, this Methuen team is a relentless bunch," said Tippett. "Coach Ryan has developed an excellent culture and winning tradition within this football program, and we wish him and the Methuen Rangers the best of luck in their playoff run."
The Rangers will look to ride their momentum into the Division 1 quarterfinals this weekend as they travel to take on top-seeded Franklin (8-0) on Friday, November 12 at 7 PM.
Patriots, College, and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, now the team's Executive Director of Community Affairs, met with the Methuen captains and coaching staff Tuesday morning to present the football program with a $1,000 donation on behalf of the Patriots Foundation in honor of Coach Ryan. 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 26th 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. The 2021 season marks the tenth year that Tippett has taken the award on the road to visit the schools that benefit from the program.
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 an additional $2,000 contribution towards the school's football program.
For the 11th straight year, the Patriots will also be accepting nominations for High School Coach of the Week honors. Those who wish to nominate a high school football coach in New England who leads a team to an exceptional weekly performance or reaches a personal career milestone are encouraged to send submissions to nominatecoach@patriots.com. All nominations must be submitted following a team's Friday night or Saturday afternoon game to be considered for that week's Coach of the Week award.
The Patriots 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.
