Foxborough, Mass. – Sharon High School's Dave Morse has been named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year in recognition of his team's EMass Division 3 Super Bowl victory over Wayland, 12-3, on Saturday, Dec. 1. In just his second season at Sharon High School, Coach Morse led the Eagles to the school's first Davenport Division title, first Super Bowl appearance and first Super Bowl championship. Sharon High had won seven total games in seven seasons before hiring Morse, the youngest football coach in Massachusetts at the time. The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $2,000 to Sharon's football program in Morse's name in recognition of his Coach of the Year selection.
Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, the team's executive director of community affairs, visited Coach Morse and his team on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Sharon 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, Dec. 14, on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.
This is 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.
"Everyone is calling Sharon's victory a Cinderella story, but for me, it looked like a team who was very determined to finish what it started," Tippett said. "To have success on the football field, you need a great coach and team players who are hard workers, disciplined and who know how to persevere. You need a little luck on where the ball rolls but everyone has to be on the same page: offense, defense and especially special teams. That's what I saw during the season and again today during my visit with Coach Morse and the Eagles at Sharon High. The seniors have left a great legacy for others to follow and the program is in good hands with Coach Morse. The Patriots are pleased to award Coach Morse and Sharon High School a donation to the football program and we congratulate them on their groundbreaking Super Bowl championship."
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 was also the second year the Patriots accepted nominations for High School Coach of the Week.
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.
