He's still inpiring his teammates
B-R community honors Cream
Matthew Cream left a lasting impression on many: friends and foes, teachers and coaches, and his loving family. And his talents were not limited to the football or baseball fields.
"He really was like an All-American kid," said John Kearney, a teacher and coach at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional for three decades. "None better, character-wise. Fun to be around. He was all of that; he really was."
Cream's life ended last July, at age 16, when he was killed in a car accident on Interstate 495 in Bellingham while returning from the
His loss gripped the entire Bridgewater-Raynham community. And its grief quickly turned into motivation.
One day after his funeral, B-R students held a car wash and raised over $3,000 for the Cream family, the first of many fund-raising efforts. A Matt Cream Scholarship Fund was created at the high school.
On Saturday afternoon, before Kearney and his Bridgewater-Raynham baseball team open their season in Bridgewater against rival Brockton, a new scoreboard will be dedicated in honor of Cream, who as a sophomore last year was a member of B-R's junior varsity squad but was expected to be on the varsity this spring.
The red-and-black scoreboard, adorned in white letters, stands above the fence, straight down the right-field line.
For the Cream family and their friends, baseball and Matt came hand in hand.
"Matt Cream represented the baseball team and how much fun he brought to the field," said Mary Anne Tumiski, a family friend.
On Saturday, the school plans to grill food and set up tents for the large crowd expected to attend the emotional event. Kearney will try to summon a few words as the team uncovers the pristine scoreboard.
Sergeant Daniel Clark, the "Singing Trooper," will sing the national anthem.
Kearney first met Matt Cream as a freshman in the honors world history class he taught.
"I've been teaching and coaching almost 30 years now and I've never seen a community come together after this type of a tragedy like they have for Matt," Kearney said. "I think it's a real tribute to Matt and his family."
Last fall, B-R students created lanyards and wristbands with messages like "Buckle up for Creamo" and "Team Cream" T-shirts.
"These kids, immediately after the tragedy occurred, wanted to start doing things," Ron Tumiski said.
In mid-January, a dinner, dance, and auction were held to raise funds for the new scoreboard.
The event netted over $10,000, which was enough to cover the cost of the scoreboard and then some, with leftover funds being added to the scholarship fund, which had already earned close to $7,000.
This weekend, the sophomore pitcher-outfielder from Milton will get his chance, when the Blue Devils visit the Bay State to play a three-game series against Atlantic Coast Conference rival Boston College. Game 2 will be played Saturday afternoon at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton.
Hassan has played a key role in Duke's 21-7 start. He leads the team in hitting (.369) and runs scored (33), and has knocked in 22 runs.
On the mound, the BC High graduate has made the shift from starter to reliever. In nine appearances, he has recorded four saves and a 0.82 earned-run average.
When coaches approached Hassan about the move, he said he was open to the change. He just had to mentally make adjustments.
"It's something I'm working on," Hassan said. "The only difference is you try and be a little more aggressive in the closing role. You're only out there for one or two innings and you have to come in and be aggressive with everything you have."
Hassan said he has more confidence this spring. "This year, I trust myself more than I did last year," Hassan said. "Last year, I didn't know what to expect. Basically, I feel like I have trust in my teammates and myself."
Duke is looking to bounce back after back-to-back losses to No. 2 Miami last week.
Monique Walker of the Globe staff also contributed to this column.
