FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Waltham High School's Paul Mayberry has been named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week in recognition of his team's victory over Brockton High School on Thanksgiving Day.
Waltham improved its record to 7-3 on the season with a 21-14 victory over Brockton High to cap a turnaround season that saw Waltham start the season 0-2 before defeating two of the top five ranked teams in the area.
Mayberry, in his second season at the helm of Waltham High's squad, is a 1986 graduate of the school, where he played football and has been inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame. Prior to coming to Waltham he served as the offensive line and special teams coach at Bentley College for six years. He played his collegiate football at UMass, where he was an AP All-American selection on the offensive line.
"The team played a very difficult schedule and come out with an outstanding record," said Bill Foley, athletic director of Waltham High School. "In just his second year here Coach Mayberry led the team to some great victories."
This season marks the ninth 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.
Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, who is now the team's director of football development and promotions, oversees the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's commitment to youth football initiatives. Each week during the season, Tippett, along with WCVB Channel 5 sports anchor Mike Lynch, will honor the selected coach on the team's weekly magazine show, Patriots All Access. The broadcast airs on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 7 p.m. on WCVB.
"The Waltham team showed true character after starting the season 0-2," Tippett said. "To come back from that and finish 7-3 while beating some of the top teams in the area is a true accomplishment."
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Waltham High School's football program in Mayberry's name in recognition of his selection as Coach of the Week. At the conclusion of the season, one of the previous weekly honorees will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year, and will receive a $2,000 contribution to go toward the school's football program.
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, Inc. is the non-profit organization through which the Patriots support charitable and philanthropic organizations throughout New England. This support comes in the form of both direct grants and in-kind donations, and through player appearances at a number of charity functions and educational programs. The foundation assists a variety of charitable organizations and programs throughout New England by supporting their educational, family and health initiatives.
