FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Sharon High School celebrated their first victory of the season against Wareham, a 30-20 win that meant more as they snapped a 12-game losing streak going back to 2023 and honored their injured teammate, Rohan Shukla. The Eagles' head coach, Ben Shuffain, brought his squad together and earned not only his first win as Sharon head coach, but also the New England Patriots Coach of the Week Award.
After a heartbreaking 2024 season that ended with a devastating injury to Shukla, the Sharon Eagles regrouped early and began their 2025 campaign with a renewed sense of unity and purpose. The team honored Shukla with helmet stickers and a spirited performance highlighted by an 82-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brady Shuffain and a late scoring run by senior Randy Weng. Junior Brayden Salkin played a key role on both sides of the ball, hauling in a long pass to set up a touchdown and also scoring on the ground. Senior Matt Khrakovsky rushed for 138 yards, including a crucial breakaway run that helped seal the victory.
NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, who presently holds the role of Executive Director of Community Affairs for the New England Patriots, had a meeting with the Eagles on Tuesday at Sharon High School. During the meeting, he presented a generous donation of $1,000 to the football program on behalf of the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. The acknowledgment pays homage to Coach Shuffain's commitment to the development of the next generation.
"Coach Ben Shuffain's leadership has turned heartbreak into hope, guiding Sharon football from the trials of last season to an inspiring new chapter," said Tippett. "By dedicating this season to their teammate Rohan Shukla, he has shown his players that the game is bigger than wins and losses, it's about resilience, unity and honoring those you love. For his vision, perseverance and the spirit he's brought back to Sharon football, Coach Shuffain is truly deserving of Coach of the Week."
The visit and donation presentation will be showcased on the Patriots' weekly television program, "Patriots All Access." You can catch the episode on Friday night at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV in Boston, and it will also be available for immediate viewing on Patriots.com. The acknowledgment and support underscore the Patriots' dedication to community engagement and the recognition of exceptional individuals, exemplified by Coach Shuffain.
This is the 30th 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 2025 season marks the 15th 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 15th 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.
