Foxborough, Mass. – Northbridge High School's Ken LaChapelle has been named this week's New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week in recognition of his team's 28-21 victory over Grafton High School on Friday, Oct. 5. The win brings the Rams' record to 5-0 and adds to LaChapelle's historic total. His 301 victories are third on Massachusett's all-time wins list, behind Armond Colombo (323) and Bill Broderick (304). The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Northbridge High School's football program in LaChapelle's name in recognition of his Coach of the Week selection.
Patriots and Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, the team's executive director of community affairs, visited Coach LaChapelle and his team on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Northbridge 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, Oct. 12, on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.
The 2012 season marks the 17th 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.
"I enjoyed visiting Northbridge High School and meeting with Coach LaChapelle and the Rams," Tippett said. "Coach LaChapelle is an extremely deserving recipient of the New England Patriots Coach of the Week award. As usual, his team was extremely well prepared for this week's matchup and they put forth a true team effort, coming from behind and then holding on against a tough league opponent. The Patriots are pleased to reward his team and Northbridge High School with a donation to the football program. We wish them the best of luck with the remainder of their season."
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 2011, Tippett decided to take the award on the road so he could visit the schools that benefit from the program. In previous years, Tippett has invited the Coach of the Week and senior captains for a visit to Gillette Stadium. This year is also the second 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.
