June 12, 2023 – Story and photos by Joshua Ross
This week’s choice of Athlete of the Week presented by College Hype is a little unconventional. However, when the coach invites you into the huddle for the post game speech, you are technically considered an athlete. Hingham’s Red Army not only showed up to the boys lacrosse game in Franklin on Saturday, they were there in support of the boys tennis match at home on Thursday. While making an impact all year, this week they seemed to take it to another level.
Twitter user @MrGrahamAHS posted of the lacrosse game, “I was at the game as a neutral yesterday and impressed with the traveling support.”
During a playoff game with a spot in the Final Four, the Red Army basically turned an away game into a home game.
Boys lacrosse senior captain Joe Hennessey describes what it was like playing in front such vocal fans at an away game.
“It was awesome to see all your classmates and friends cheering you on,” says Hennessey. “It made a huge difference in a back and forth game like that. I think they definitely had a direct impact on the outcome of that game. The game couldn’t have been won without them. To me it felt like a home game and there was more red in the stands then blue. Seeing them in the stands reminds you of why you play for your hometown and I have yet to see any town support there student athletes the way that Hingham does.”
Members of the boys tennis team felt the same way with the support they received earlier in the week.
“Having the Red Army at the tennis playoff match against Hopkinton was crucial for team moral,” describes senior captain Thomas Fabrizio. “We normally don’t get a lot of fans at our matches, so when the team heard that the Red Army was coming to our match everyone was super excited. Tennis can be a very tough mental sport, and it doesn’t help when the other teams’ fans are louder than your own, but the Red Army really changed that around during our match. On the court the only thing you could hear was the Red Army cheering on the sidelines. In my own match, I know that my partner Will Baker and I used their support to push through some tough games and even win our match. Even though the team lost as a whole, the courts had a buzz that I’ve never seen before, and I’m truly grateful for The Red Army for coming out to support the Boys Tennis Team.”
The Red Army will have at least one more game to make their presence felt as boys lacrosse takes on St. John’s Prep in the D1 Final Four on Tuesday at 4:30pm in Weston.