Making points on court, and on film
HULL -- The storytellers captured the teenager's attention.
One by one the World War II veterans sat in front of the camera and told their stories to Hull High senior Henry O'Loughlin. One described watching a man die a few feet away. One told how he patched himself up after being shot. Another described how he once led hundreds of troops.
O'Loughlin was filming the interviews for a documentary he is creating for an independent study course. The focus of his film is on World War II veterans from Hull. He titled the project ''Ordinary
''They talked about it like it was nothing. Like it was an ordinary thing -- I think that's amazing," O'Loughlin said.
Some would say that O'Loughlin is pretty impressive himself.
Although he's known in town for his athletic contributions -- he is the leading scorer on the varsity basketball team and has coached youth basketball and soccer teams -- he is an example of a young athlete whose interests and influence extend well beyond the court or field.
He has a 4.0 GPA and is ranked No. 3 in his senior class. He was homecoming king. He runs a lawn-mowing business with his three brothers. And he's making a documentary film -- his second.
''His presence is such a positive effect on those around him," Hull basketball coach Jim Quatromoni said. ''He takes such personal pride in everything he does that it sets a good example for all young kids."
O'Loughlin acknowledges he is a little different from his peers. He does not have a cellphone. If he needs one, he borrows his dad's.
He wears a beard. A small part of him thought it might make him more intimidating on the basketball court. ''When I was a sophomore, I remember playing against kids with beards and I assumed they were bigger, quicker, and stronger because they were more mature," O'Loughlin said.
Quatromoni did not need to see a beard to call O'Loughlin mature. He used to refer to O'Loughlin as the ''40-year-old freshman."
''He was so mature beyond his years," Quatramoni said. ''He could take in information, process it, and perform."
Henry O'Loughlin is the second oldest of four boys. He learned responsibility at an early age as he and his brothers operated O'Bros Lawn Service. The business began when Spencer O'Loughlin helped his oldest son, Morgan, mow a few yards in the neighborhood. As the boys grew older, Henry, Patrick, and Myles joined in. The brothers are now responsible for more than 60 yards.
''It certainly taught all the boys to look forward a bit and plan," Spencer O'Loughlin said. ''They learn to not let every little thing bother you. It taught them organizational skills and taught them how to work together."
Another learning experience for Henry came with his time at what was then the South Shore Charter School, where he was introduced to film. He and his friend made a documentary on the Blizzard of 1978, and that experience is what inspired O'Loughlin to make another documentary for his last school project.
He decided a film capturing the war experiences of Hull residents would make the perfect documentary. He realized that many of the veterans were more than 80 years old and may not be around long to share their stories.
He set up his own deadlines. He typed out his plan, designating a number of class periods for research, interviews, and editing. He then requested permission to use copyrighted material, keeping the information in a school folder with an oversized basketball on the cover.
O'Loughlin edits the film with Peter Seitz, who is a part-time teacher and the program director for two public access channels in Hull.
''He is the nicest kid," Seitz said. Seitz is also helping O'Loughlin create personal DVDs of each veteran's interview to give to their loved ones.
O'Loughlin said he hopes the documentary will be used by teachers in Hull when they are discussing World War II in their classes.
Even with this experience in film, O'Loughlin is not sure of what he wants to study in college. He is awaiting acceptance letters to see where he will be attending college. Part of him would like to study film, another part business; another part would love to coach.
No matter what he decides, Seitz said, he believes O'Loughlin will be successful.
''I don't know if he'll be famous or not," said Seitz, ''but he'll be a good person."
Please send story suggestions to mwalker@globe.com. 
