No back to today's postcard. Instead, check out the entries below for all the highlights from tonight's Hockomock League jamboree in Franklin.

Mansfield wins it, 14-3.

Despite the rivalry, coach Mike Redding admitted you never want to show too much in a preseason scrimmage joking, "This is sort of like the fourth preseason game in the NFL."

The Hornets looked sluggish early, but Mike Morrill's 39-yard touchdown run put them up 7-3 before both sides subbed in the backups.

We've got some video to edit and we'll have some highlights online a little later.

Looking for more Hockomock League coverage? Check back tomorrow as the Hockomock League team-by-team capsules will be online, along with our No. 7 squad in the top 10 countdown (which might just be a member of the Hock).

Mansfield's Mike Morrill scored on a 39-yard touchdown run off an inside reverse and the Hornets lead rival Foxboro, 7-3, late in the second quarter of their scrimmage at the Hockomock Jamboree.

Mansfield endured a pair of three-and-outs to start the game, but watched quarterback Mark Gilson complete a 13-yard pass to Davis Westhaver on third-and-10 from the Hornets' 30 to finally move the chains. Three plays later, Morrill streaked into the end zone.

Both teams have their second teams in now. The Hornets tacked on a short touchdown run after a long pass to increase their lead.

Foxboro dominated time of possession over the first 12 minutes of play and Ali Mourtada boomed a 34-yard field goal for a 3-0 advantage with 9:34 remaining in the scrimmage.

The Warriors, despite the deficit, have proven this is anything but a rebuilding year.

Franklin recovered a fumble inside the King Philip 5 and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:48 remaining to emerge with a 7-3 triumph.

KP senior Brian Toney booted a 29-yard field goal in the first quarter and it looked like it might hold up when Franklin fumbled at its own 7 with 2:35 remaining.

A botched handoff gave the Panthers the ball back and they didn't miss this opportunity.

Earlier in the scrimmage, Franklin watched a potential 59-yard touchdown pass on a screen play get called all the way back due to some extremely late offsetting penalties.

But overall, King Philip and its defense more than held its own against a very dynamic Franklin offense that likes to throw the ball around.

King Philip marched deep and gave itself a Hail Mary opportunity on the game's final play, but could not convert.

FRANKLIN -- We were going to wait until afterwards to post some notes, but, hey, this is preseason for the bloggers as well, so here are some quick notes from the Hockomock Jamboree at Pisini Field.

Dartmouth topped North Attleboro, 7-0, in the second game of the day.

The Indians showed a ton of promise in their new spread offense, but still have some kinks to work out. The athletic backfield of Jordan Todman and Sean Sylvia, with the ability to sneak 6-foot-5 tight end Artie Fontaine off the line, is going to cause opposing defensive coordinators nightmares once the unit gets its timing down.

Seven of Dartmouth's nine plays for positive yards on its opening drive went for double-digit yardage, including Sylvia's 19-yard touchdown pass to Fontaine off a play-fake to Todman.

North Attleboro -- limited in personnel due to injuries -- went 3-and-out on its opening series. A long pass from Greg Dusel to Greg Elkins helped move the Red Rocketeers to the Dartmouth 25 on their next possession, but North turned the ball over on downs.

North advanced to the Dartmouth 8 on its final drive, but turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert 4th-and-2.

"I liked how we looked, we just gotta work on our timing," Dartmouth coach Richard White said assessing his first-team offense. "We have to do a better job with our reads, but I'm pleased with the effort. We'll work out the kinks as we get ready for North Middlesex (in Week 1 of the regular season)."

We've got video of the NA-Dartmouth matchup and we'll plan on posting that later.

***

Host Franklin is on the field now tangling with King Philip. Neither team scored on its first possession, with King Philip making a fourth-down stop near midfield against the Panthers.

Sprinkles seem to be passing through, but it's otherwise cool and pleasant here.

Mansfield meets Foxboro at 8 p.m., while Canton jousts with Stoughton at 9 p.m. Tri-County (filling in for Oliver Ames) met Sharon in the day's first matchup.

A moment of silence for Oliver Ames' Aaron Ortiz is being observed before each game and the flag is at half mast.

Oliver Ames' boosters are also here raffling off a signed Mike Vrabel jersey and tickets to the Patriots-Chargers game to raise money in memory of Ortiz.

More to come from Franklin.

Cambridge checks in at No. 8 today on our countdown of the Boston Globe's preseason Top 10.

The Falcons bring back a nest full of young talent and will look to take the next step in their development under head coach Paul Gonnella this fall.

Check out today's feature, which includes video from a recent practice (watch wide receiver Joshua Adams getting reps at quarterback), and a gallery with scenes from camp.

***

We'll be in Franklin tonight for the annual Hockomock League jamboree. Here are the game times as passed along by a Hockomock fan:

5 p.m. -- Sharon vs. Tri-County
6 p.m. -- North Attleboro vs. Dartmouth
7 p.m. -- Franklin vs. King Philip
8 p.m. -- Mansfield vs. Foxboro
9 p.m. -- Canton vs. Stoughton

We'll collect some video from the event and post that online tomorrow when one of these Hockomock League teams are unveiled as the seventh-ranked squad in our countdown.

Later this evening, we'll mail Postcard 11 from the Hockomock jamboree and include a few tidbits from the event.

Postcard 12 will depart from Weymouth Saturday, where Xaverian tangles with the Wildcats at 10 a.m. We'll try to capture some video from there as well.

Postcard 10 sails from Waltham, where coach Paul Mayberry is cautious, yet excited, about his team's potential this fall.

While the Hawks only bring back four starters, Mayberry -- now in his fifth year at the helm -- likes the fact that he has a total of 25 seniors, all of whom have been under his guidance their entire high school careers.

Given the size and athleticism of the group, Mayberry believes it's possible that Waltham could mature into something special. It's going to take a little time, but the Hawks certainly don't want their final year in the Greater Boston League to end on a sour note.

Don't expect any surprises from this group. Mayberry said he'll stick with a run-first offense with quarterback Don Hopkins leading that unit. Defense will continue to be the team's bread and butter, with Hopkins and his twin brother, Steve, patrolling a speedy backfield.

"We're bigger than any team we've had here, so that's a good thing," said Mayberry. "We've got some nice young talent in our sophomore and junior classes, but the seniors will lead this team."

Click the image above or below to see today's full-sized postcard.

We continue our countdown of the preseason top 10 today with a glance at Dartmouth.

Each day, we'll reveal a new team leading up to kickoff on Friday, Sept. 7.

Who do you think belongs in the preseason top 10? Hop over to our message boards to discuss.

Okay, we can't take credit for snapping the photo on the front of today's postcard. Globe staff photographer Bill Polo captured that gem of Brockton Josh Marsh (center) breaking through the defense during the Boxers' preseason scrimmage against St. John's of Shrewsbury Saturday at Marciano Stadium.

We did want to use the postcard to remind you that the Globe today started running its league-by-league capsules. On the back of today's postcard you'll find the info capsule that appeared in today's paper. If you hop over to High School Sports Central, you'll find the online capsule that includes returning starters, returning lettermen, and expanded outlooks.

Check back each day this week for more capsules as they appear in the Globe leading up until kickoff.

You can also follow along with our preseason Top 10 countdown, which kicked off today with Andover debuting at No. 10.

Click the images above or below to see today's full-sized postcard.

If you'd like to submit your own Postcard from Camp, go here.

With 10 days remaining before the season's first kickoff, we've begun counting down the top 10 teams in the Boston Globe's preseason Top 20.

Andover kicks things off at No. 10. Hop over to High School Sports Central to read the feature story on the Warriors and to view photos and video from camp.

We'll unveil a new team each day leading up to the first week of games on Friday, Sept. 7.

The Globe also began running its league-by-league preview capsules today with all four leagues from Division 1. In the print version, you'll find the basics. But check out our online versions that will be updated each morning to include returning starters, returning lettermen, and expanded outlooks.

Miss a day? Don't worry. We've got a handy little high school football preview box at High School Sports Central that will aggregate the top 10 countdown and the league-by-league previews throughout the preseason.

A few links for the afternoon:

We have two athletes (and more likely to follow) providing insight this fall in our Player Diaries blog. Both of our new writers have posted entries today.

Click here to read Caitlin Burchill's preseason thoughts on Ursuline Academy volleyball.

Click here to read Mike McPherson's preseason thoughts on Mansfield football.

If you're interested in writing a Player Diary, hop over to the blog and use the feedback form in the left rail to send us your information.

You've been reading our postcards all week. Postcard No. 8 featuring Foxboro is available below this post.

But now we want your postcards. If you've got a snapshot from your favorite team's training camp, go ahead and send it to us. We'll post them online at a map of user-submitted postcards.

Click here to see all of our postcards and to submit your own.

A law is set to take effect in New York on Sept. 1 that will ban metal bats in high school baseball games. A judge today deemed the rule constitutional, saying it was not his place to overturn a law that was approved by a local government with the public's safety in mind.

Click here to read the full story.

Only one football team in Foxboro will be raising a new championship banner this fall.

Putting together some of the finest football played all year over the final three weeks of the 2006 season, coach Jack Martinelli and the Warriors emerged with the Division 2 Super Bowl crown. Despite brining back just four starters from that squad, the team is confident it can defend that title.

"That's about all we brought back the year before," said Martinelli, "so we'll see what happens."

Martinelli is hoping his squad can learn from last year's team, which needed a late-season Stoughton upset of North Attleboro to re-open the door for the Warriors. Foxboro would prefer to control its own destiny this fall.

Click the images above or below to see today's full-sized postcard.

Everett debuts at No. 10 on the first rankings of the season.

Be still the hearts of all the Everett faithful. We're talking about ESPN's regional rankings here, not the Globe Top 20. You can rest assured you'll be a bit higher in the latter.

ESPN distributed its first polls of the season and Everett lands in the East rankings. Here's the full breakdown on the region:

1. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (12-0)
2. Gateway, Monroeville, Pa. (6-5)
3. Central Catholic, Pittsburgh (10-2)
4. St. Anthony, South Huntington, N.Y. (11-0)
5. Liberty, Bethlehem, Pa. (14-2)
6. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. (12-0)
7. Upper St. Clair, Pittsburgh (16-0)
8. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (10-2)
9. St. Peter's Prep, Jersey City, N.J. (11-1)
10. Everett, Mass. (12-0)

Only the top two teams in the East made ESPN's Super 25 National Rankings with DeMatha at No. 7 and Gateway at No. 15.

The Globe kicks off its preseason print coverage of the 2007 high school football season this morning with a feature spotlighting two of the state's premier running backs in Everett's Isaac Johnson and Dartmouth's Jordan Todman.

Hop over to High School Sports Central for all the links, including video interviews, a photo gallery, a tale of the tape, and much more.

Check out the 1-on-1 video interviews to learn more about each player.

A few tidbits that we weren't able to squeeze into the story:

Todman is always eating, according to his guardian Steve Cruz. Imagine the grocery bill, then, in a house that includes parents, Steve and Dana, and their sons, Justin, a junior offensive lineman at Dartmouth, and Jake, 6, and daughter, Katelyn, 11.

"I'm a big guy, 295 pounds, and Jordan can out-eat me any day," said Steve Cruz. "The kid loves to eat, but you'd never know it by looking at him."

Junior tight end Artie Fontaine has the size that college coaches covet at 6 feet, 4 inches, but says Todman might be the strongest guy on the team.

"Not only is he the most athletic players I've ever seen -- he's legit and makes some of the craziest moves I've seen -- but JT is also one of the strongest guys on the team. It's a big confidence boost having him back there."

When Todman has to go, he has to go. Just ask head coach Richard White, who received an early first-quarter visit from Todman during last year's season-opener against Apponequet.

"I told him this season can't be like last year," said White. "He gets real nervous before games and sometimes he throws up. Last year, during our first game of the season, he had to go back to the school to use the bathroom. Here we are without our running back for 10 minutes as he runs all the way back to the school."

Did anyone notice his absence?

"Oh yeah," said White with a laugh. "When Jordan leaves the field for that long, it's sort of a problem."

Everett coach John DiBiaso first discovered Isaac Johnson when the star running back was just a 7th grader playing for the city's youth basketball program.

"You could tell right away he was a special athlete," said DiBiaso.

Johnson might not always be the flashiest runner, but he knows how to find the end zone.

"He has great vision and he's very patient," said DiBiaso. "Sometimes it almost seems like he has no idea where he's running because he's so patient. But he waits for those blocks to develop and he's gone. He just has great eyes on the field."

Today's postcard ships from Dartmouth, where the Indians and Division 1 Player of the Year Jordan Todman are looking to build off of last year's ultra-successful campaign.

Dartmouth claimed the Old Colony League title while posting a 10-0 record, but fell to Brockton in a nail-biter in the opening round of the playoffs.

Back is Todman and his 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns, along with a host of talent at the skill positions (junior tight end Artie Fontaine has Division 1 potential, while classmate Sean Syliva shifts to quarterback).

If you want more on Todman and the Indians, be sure to check out Tuesday's Globe as we kick off the preseason print coverage of the 2007 high school football season.

Tuesday's Globe will also have the full team-by-team schedule. If you're the impatient type, you can check out the entire Massachusetts team-by-team schedule online here. This database will be updated throughout the season.

Click the image above or below to see today's full-sized postcard.

Classmates and friends gathered today in Easton to remember Aaron Ortiz, the 15-year-old Oliver Ames sophomore who drowned at the school's football camp in Monmouth, Maine Thursday.

Our friends at NECN have more. Click here to check out the video.

No Sherman, no problem.

At least that's what North Attleboro coach Kurt Kummer and his charges hope is true this fall. With fullback/linebacker Anthony Sherman now at the University of Connecticut, the Red Rocketeers don't boast that one game-changing star.

What they do have is 20 hard-working seniors who are ready to lead this team in the rigid Hockomock League.

Kummer thinks the league will be as challenging as ever. He raves about Franklin's talent and Foxborough's size, and thinks Oliver Ames will be much improved as well. North was in the driver's seat early in 2006 after topping Foxborough on the road, but lost on consecutive weeks to Stoughton and Mansfield, deflating the team's postseason chances.

Click the images above or below for today's full-sized postcard.

We've uploaded some highlights from Saturday's scrimmage featuring Everett and BB&N.

The clip shows the first few series, including Everett's impressive defensive stand to open the scrimmage. Isaac Johnson rumbles 60-plus yards on the TIde's first offensive play and, after some quality goal line defense by BB&N (and an offensive holding call) keeps Everett out of the end zone, the hosts punch in the tilt's first touchdown.

Click here to check out the video.

Today's postcard ships from Everett, where the Crimson Tide hosted BB&N this morning in a preseason scrimmage featuring two of the region's strongest programs.

The postcard has some game details, but overall Everett looked pretty dominant. The Tide's first-team defense set the tone by limiting BB&N to a handful of yards on its first possession, before Isaac Johnson and Co. went to work by taking the ball over 60 yards on Everett's first play from scrimmage.

Junior quarterback Joe Conti made a nice throw for a score on Everett's second possession. The Tide followed it up by running for a score off an option play on the very next snap.

BB&N has great size and we're certain coach John Papas' squad will be just fine this season. It's the rest of the public schools in Eastern Mass. that should be concerned. Everett has only been in pads three days, yet the Tide looked in midseason form at times.

We took some video from the scrimmage. We'll try to get some clips online in a bit.

Click the images above or below to see today's full-sized postcard.

Our latest postcard is postmarked from Cambridge, where coach Paul Gonella and his high-flying Falcons are hoping this is the year they topple the Everett juggernaut.

Gonella spent plenty of time breaking down film and is throwing a lot of formations and strategies at his players.

"We're throwing some unbelievable stuff at these guys," said Gonella. "This is pros to college stuff."

Junior wide receiver Joshua Adams is already drawing the interest of some of the nation's top programs and the Falcons will do whatever it takes to put the ball in his hands this season.

Click the images above or below to see today's full-sized postcard.

FOXBOROUGH -- Rivals on the gridiron, Oliver Ames High School's Hockomock League brethren extended their deepest sympathies to the program as it reels from the drowning of a sophomore football player Thursday.

Aaron Ortiz, 15, died in Lake Cobbosseecontee a day after his team arrived to train at Camp Cobbossee in Maine.

In Foxborough, where Oliver Ames head coach James Artz played his high school football and cut his coaching teeth, the Warriors and coach Jack Martinelli were devastated by the news.

"Our hearts go out to the young man's family, the coaching staff, and the entire community of Easton," said Martinelli, who is entering his 26th year at the helm. "This really puts things in perspective. What's really important and what really isn't. To me, it's a tragedy."

Martinelli said Artz graduated in 1988 and was part of Foxborough's first Super Bowl squad in 1987, playing fullback and linebacker. Artz coached with the Warriors until taking the head coaching job at Oliver Ames last season.

"Coach Artz coached with us here for years," said Martinelli. "My heart is broken for him, but especially the family of this young man. I can't think of anything harder to deal with."

Martinelli recalled his first year coaching in Foxboro in 1982 when a young man, Tony Williams, was paralyzed by an on-field collision during a regular-season game.

"Mentally, I didn't really want to be involved in football again for a long time after that," said Martinelli. "Yet it was [William's] courage throughout the whole thing that really inspired us to keep going."

Foxborough senior captain Tim Mogan said he expected Oliver Ames to dedicate its season to Ortiz and hoped they could find a way to rally after the tragedy.

"All you can do is hope that nothing like this happens to anyone," said Mogan.

Down in North Attleboro, head football coach Kurt Kummer, said an event like this resonates throughout the entire football community.

"Any time there's a tragedy like that, it hits everybody," said Kummer, now in his fourth year at the helm. "We all know [Artz]. ... How do you recover? It's an absolute shame. It's one of those things head coaches lose sleep over at camp. It's one of the reasons we get gray hair and get old so quickly. It's just a terrible thing and I feel awful for the young man's family.

"I just can't imagine. It's un-imaginable."

Foxborough is one area squad that does not go away for a yearly preseason football camp (most of which take place in New Hampshire or Maine). Martinelli, with a program of well over 100 athletes, imagines it would be difficult to keep track of all his players.

"It's a difficult thing to do," he said. "I take my hat off to coaching staffs that can do it, it's a difficult thing to do these days."

North Attleboro departs for its own camp Sunday. Kummer said the familiarity with the process and a dedicated staff eases his concerns.

"We've been going for 35 years now and we hope we've worked out all the bugs," he said. "We've got our system, but accidents happen. That's why this is a tragedy."

School officials at North Easton-based Oliver Ames High School confirmed today that a 15-year-old sophomore football player drowned at the team's preseason training camp this morning in Maine.

The Globe's David Abel provides more details here.

School principal Wesley Paul left the school this afternoon to accompany the team back from camp. Oliver Ames camped with the Norton football squad.

A Division 3 high school program with three Division 1 college recruits?

Yes, it's safe to say that Holliston has quite the assembly of talent this season. But ask coach Todd Kiley about his charges, and he'll rave about a tireless senior class that has put itself in prime position to contend for the Tri-Valley League title this fall.

Sure the M&M&M boys -- Mike Stone (Boston College), Matt Edwards (UConn), and Matt Bellomo -- have some serious individual talent, but Kiley believes it's fellow seniors like captains Mike LaMarque and Robbie Bowles that will dictate just how far this team advances this season.

Coming off back-to-back 8-3 campaigns, the Panthers admit it's hard not to have playoff aspirations.

Click on the images above or below to view today's full-sized postcards.

Postcard 2 ships from Natick, where coach Tom Lamb and his charges are chomping at the bit to get back on the gridiron.

Natick remains a bit embarrassed by its performance in a 45-9 loss to Burlington in the Division 2 playoffs last season. The Redmen have posted a 24-1 record over the past two seasons, winning a Super Bowl in 2005, but want more this season.

Click the image above or below to see a full-sized version of the postcard.

Today marks Day 1 of our new series, "Postcards from camp."

We'll unveil one new postcard each day until the season begins, highlighting a camp I visited during the preseason.

We'll hit you with a few quick details on the program and provide a brief outlook. Want more? You'll have to wait until we count down the top teams in the area. Just like last year, we'll unveil the top 10 teams in Eastern Mass. day by day starting on Aug. 29 and leading up to opening day, Sept. 7.

We'll also provide a "best of the rest" that will include more details we picked up during our travels.

There's no order to our postcards. A team ranked in our upcoming top 10 could be featured on the daily cards at any time.

Today's card features Andover High School. Click here to see a full-sized version of both cards. Any feedback can be submitted through the contact info on the left-hand side of the page.

We're already knee-deep in football coverage, but we wanted to post the transcript from the Washington Nationals' press conference introducing Jack McGeary.

McGeary, a Newton native and former standout at Roxbury Latin, was selected by the Nationals in the sixth-round of the MLB entry draft in June. Despite being considered unsignable, the Nationals locked him up with a midnight deal last week.

Many thanks to the Globe's Nick Cafardo for passing this along.

Jim Bowden (General Manager), opening statement:

“It’s a very exciting day for the Washington Nationals. On draft day, we have a board, and we rank all the top players in the country. And on top of our board at No. 10 was Jack McGeary. And next to his name was ‘Unsignable. Player going to Stanford.’ Unsignable to us meant ‘signable later in the draft, we hope.’ But we didn’t think we’d be able to do it. As the second day of the draft started, and we began round six, we had an internal meeting, and we felt that it was worth taking the risk because of his talent that Jack possessed. With the approval of Stan Kasten and ownership at that point, we took him with our sixth-round draft pick with the hope that a miracle would happen on the last day. At 11:30 p.m. last night, legitimately, we came to an agreement that was approved by all parties to sign Jack. And we’re very, very pleased that he’s going to be pitching for us in our organization, and hopefully in the major leagues in a very short period of time. He’s a tremendous person with great character. We spent time with his family and his brother Dan. We were so impressed with the family, we just knew that he belonged Washington Nationals going forward. This is a left-handed pitcher that has probably the best breaking of anybody in the draft. This is a left-handed pitcher that has tremendous command that throws the ball 88-92 consistently. He has a tremendous delivery, and has makeup and character that just is off the charts, including intelligence…I’d like to also thank very much the hard work that his advisor from CAA, Brody Van Wagenen, put into this negotiation. Without a will on both sides and a lot of determination and hard negotiating, this deal doesn’t get done.”

Dana Brown (Scouting Director), opening statement:

“It’s an exciting day because – as Jim mentioned – we had it that three quality left-handed pitchers that have a chance to pitch in the top of the rotation. Getting Jack finished last night was, for me, very emotional…We got him done. We’re excited about it. I feel he’s a top-of-the-rotation-type pitcher, a No. 2 starter, and could get better than that. He’s still young and he’s developing. He’s a northeast pitcher that I think is going to come on strong. What you see, you’re going to get even more than what you see. I’m exciting about it.”

Jack McGeary opening statement:

“I just want to say how excited I am to be here to get this opportunity. First thing I want to say thank you to my parents. I know my mom would kill me if ever forgot to thank her. There’s a lot of appeal to come to Washington. Obviously it’s a great city. I’ve had a chance to spend some time here, walk around, and I’ve loved it. Besides that, the organization starting at the top with the Lerner family, Mr. Kasten, Mr. Bowden and Dana and Mr. Boone. Everything they portrayed to me about the direction they’re going to take this team, I wanted to be a part of that since day one…They’re definitely committed to winning, and that’s what I want to be a part of. Hopefully we’ll win a World Series here some day…I couldn’t be more excited to be here today.”

Bob Boone (Vice President of Player Development) opening statement:

“The day we were watching him was great from a scouting standpoint because the backstop was right there. You’re right behind the catcher. I’m sitting down there trying to remember what it was like to catch, and Jack was throwing. The first curveball he threw, I got buckled. I thought, ‘Geez, he let go a high fastball.’ Then all the sudden it turned it into a curveball, turned it into a strike. The last one I’d seen like that, I was hitting against was Bert Blyleven’s. One of the few pitches I couldn’t hit very well was Bert Blyleven’s curveball...I was very impressed.”

--Question & Answer--

Can you go over logistically how academics and baseball are going to work with Stanford’s schedule

Bowden: “From the Nationals perspective, we encourage education. We encourage education with all of our players that sign. We have encouraged the family that he should go to Stanford. So as part of the deal, one of the things that was important to them – and part of the reason why he fell to us – is that he was going to go to Stanford. We felt that he could do both. Our Scouting Director Dana Brown did pretty good on another pitcher named Chris Young, who this organization allowed to do the same thing. And he’s had a pretty good career doing it…We also know that the family and the player know that if some point there may come a time when playing baseball is something that makes more sense for them than being at Stanford. Or they may decide, ‘look, let’s just get the education out in four years.’ That’s something that we’ll all have the flexibility to do. As far as we’re concerned, developmental-wise, and this is the important part, that we felt because of Stanford’s schedule we could get the starts and the innings in with him getting his education in full without affective his development time. We sat down with the pitching people, and said, ‘Ok, how many starts are we going to get? How are the innings? What’s the program for an 18-year-old arm?’ Our conclusion was how we handle our pitchers and the innings we give them, we can get it during the period while he gets his full education…At this point, for the first three years of the contract, he is committed to us basically June, July, August and September. He goes to Stanford, starts late September. There are also times in the middle of all that when there is some flexibility, which will be worked on both parties and with our pitching people…Obviously, he’ll be on a 12-month program with us as far as conditioning and throwing. CAA is phenomenal on how they will work with us in making sure that we have catchers for him.”

McGeary: “That was always part of the plan, for me to go to Stanford…The creativity on part of the Nationals was outstanding. That’s really what made the deal happen. I’ll definitely be able to development here a lot with the four months at least that I’ll be playing. Like he said, it’s a 12-month program. I’ll always be staying in shape, and doing whatever I need to do to do that.”

On draft day, what did you think the chances were that you’d sign?

McGeary: “I got drafted in the sixth round, so I thought, pretty much, there was no chance to sign because I had never really heard of anything like this before. Here, we’re two or three months later, and it’s hard to believe that something actually happened.”

After today, where do you go from here

McGeary: “I’m going to go down to the Gulf Coast League until that ends, and we’ll see from there.

Do you know what you want to major in?

McGeary: Not really, no. I’m not sure yet.”

What particular appeal did Stanford have for you that you wanted to go there?:

McGeary: “You’re not going to be able to play baseball forever. At some point, if I do get a Stanford degree, it’s going to come into play later on in life, and it’s obviously a good back-up plan to have if things don’t work out.”

Is there anybody that you admire, current pitcher or past pitcher?

McGeary: “I’m a Red Sox fan, obviously. Watching Pedro Martinez, he was one guy that I just loved with his style of pitching. Obviously he has electric stuff. Right now, I think Josh Beckett is a lot like that, the way he attacks hitters. He’s really aggressive. So I enjoy watching those guys. And then, of course, Dice-K, I get to watch him a lot. Those are three guys that I really enjoyed watching growing up.”

How much did the late development of this deal, how much was it affected by what was going on in the industry with a bunch of late signings?

Bowden: “The Nationals made the decision on their own. At the end of the day, ownership gave approval…Ownership and Stan wanted to make what was the best decision for the Washington Nationals organization. That was the most important factor at the end of the day. Any time you have a chance to get the 10th pick in the country, and have a chance to build up a farm system with a draft like this, you have to take advantage of it. When the Lerners came in, and when Stan came in, they made a commitment to development and scouting. The commitment was to build the very best in baseball, and to go at it 100 percent, not 80 percent, not 90 percent. This signing is very significant because it’s talking the talk and walking the walk.”

We did a quick tally of the votes in the ongoing preseason football fan poll and here's how the results look so far:

1. Everett
2. Brockton
3. Xaverian
4. Mansfield
5. BC High
6. Foxboro
7. Natick
8. St. John's Prep
9. Wayland
10. Marshfield

Everett and Brockton have been early favorites, but spots Nos. 3-10 have displayed plenty of variation. Knocking on the door are Acton-Boxboro, North Attleboro, and Waltham. Two Super Bowl teams from a year ago -- Burlington and Winthrop -- have done well in the early balloting as well.

Keep voting and we'll unveil the official fan poll as opening day approaches.

Boston.com will begin its day-by-day countdown of the the top 10 teams in Eastern Mass. starting on Aug. 29 and leading up to opening day. The Boston Globe's league-by-league preview capsules are expected to start running on Aug. 28.

STONEHAM -- The start of training camp doesn't bring smiles to the faces of many football players, especially once the two-a-days kick in. Most gridders would prefer to hold the fast-forward button until the season's opening kickoff.

Yet fresh from pushing a blocking sled across a surprisingly cool practice field on the first official day of practice Monday, Stoneham senior Tim Lee couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

"This is my life," said Lee, sweat soaking the front of his T-shirt. "There's not a better feeling in the world than buckling on that chin strap everyday."

There were times this summer when Lee wasn't sure if it would be a Stoneham T-shirt he'd be wearing on this day. Voters defeated a $3 million override in late June that wiped out the school's entire athletic budget. The Stoneham School Committee subsequently eliminated all 54 coaching positions, the athletic director's job, as well as elementary and middle school arts and music programs.

With the failed override threatening to take away the very thing that Lee and many of his friends rank up there with food, clothing, and shelter, the town approved a $1.3 million trash fee that ultimately saved the athletic program.

The good news, which only became official earlier this month, meant Lee didn't have to worry about his future any more.

"It came to the point where I started thinking about moving to a different school, a different town," said Lee, the smile temporarily disappearing. "One kid left to go to Bishop Fenwick. It's tough. But we stood together and now that it's all fallen through, all we have to worry about is football."

Stoneham coach Bob Powers admits he never spent too much time worrying about the prospect of losing athletics. But the situation certainly affected his team. Instead of building off the positives from last fall's ultra-successful 7-4 campaign (the Spartans were just 9-41 in Powers' previous five seasons at the helm), his athletes spent much of the summer wondering if it was even worth it to put in the effort for a sport that might not exist in Stoneham come September.

"They put you through this all the time, and it's too bad, because kids don't need any excuses not to work out," said Powers, noting that 66 of the 88 players who signed up for football in the offseason were present for practice Monday.

"Right now, they're talking about maybe waiving the user fees for fall. Maybe that would lure some kids back. Our freshmen numbers are down again, just like they were three years ago when they cut our freshmen programs. The kids had to raise the money individually then, and we ended up with the smallest group ever. It's the same thing now. Kids don't need excuses to play video games."

Powers understands it's a money issue and one that many communities are dealing with. But he also is a firm believer that athletics are a major part of a high school education. He beams like a proud father when he reports that as many as 15 of his former players will play collegiately this fall.

And with that, he's hoping to turn a page Monday. To put Stoneham athletics back in the headlines for all the right reasons. There's work to be done on the gridiron and Powers has already wasted enough time worrying about the money issues.

"I'm still short a coach," said Powers, who brings back 12 seniors along with meaty sophomore and junior classes. "We didn't post the job until so late. I just got two new guys last week... There's a lot of work to do. I told our guys, we've got two good scrimmages coming up with Bishop Fenwick and North Andover. Fenwick is going to be one of the better teams and we could easily get our butts kicked. We're going to find out something against these teams."

The underdog role is nothing new for Stoneham. This year it'll simply be magnified by all the summer happenings. On the field, the Spartans have to find a way to replace the speedy Bruno brothers -- Mark and Jeff -- and reload an offense that averaged 27.8 points per game last fall.

It'll start on the line where the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Lee anchors a group that includes three returning starters including Danny Murphy (5-10, 269) and Ryan MacDonald (6-2, 225). The Spartans must replace holes at center and left guard, but Lee thinks they have guys ready to step in.

"It's one of those years where everybody needs to step up," said Lee. "We'll be OK on the line. We just need everyone to step up and do big things in big situations.

"Us linemen, we battle in the trenches. It's up to us to make things happen. We gotta open those holes and make it easy on the guys behind us."

And there's the smile, again. The one that nothing could erase on the first day of football practice in Stoneham.

"In my perfect season we'd win the Middlesex League title and win a Super Bowl," said Lee. "We're much more underdogs this year. People will say we lost stuff and we don't have the people. That's fine. We got the heart."

When the MIAA and New England Patriots joined together earlier this month to announce that six of this year's seven Eastern Mass. Super Bowls would be hosted a Gillette Stadium, the groups stressed there would be 12 excited communities.

With only one day to host the games at Gillette, the MIAA is already cramming six games into one 15-hour span on Dec. 1. That meant one Super Bowl had to be shifted to Stonehill College and the MIAA's 2007 football tournament memo confirms that it will be the Division 4 game this year.

The MIAA says a rotation will be set up so that a lower-division game will be the one shuffled away from Gillette each year.

***

The postseason memo also outlines the playoff structure. For those who haven't seen it yet:

EMass. football divisional playoffs
North/South alignment

Division I
A) Catholic Conference
B) Greater Boston
C) Big Three
D) Old Colony

Division IA
A) Merrimack Valley
B) Dual County
C) Bay State (Carey)
D) Atlantic Coast Conf

Division II
A) Middlesex League
B) Bay State (Herget)
C) Eastern Athletic Conf
D) Hockomock League

Division IIA
A) Cape Ann (Large)
B) Northeast Conf (Large)
C) South Coast Conf
D) Patriot League

Division III
A) Catholic Central (Large)
B) Northeast Conf (Small)
C) South Shore League
D) Tri-Valley

Division IIIA
A) Commonwealth (Large)
B) Cape Ann (Small)
C) Boston North
D) Mayflower (Large)

Division IV
A) Boston South
B) Commonwealth (Small)
C) Mayflower (Small)
D) Catholic Central (Small)

EMass. semifinals will be played on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007 at 4 and 7 p.m. and will be announced Nov. 23 and be played on artificial turf. The league listed first (below) will be the home team designee:

North: A vs. B. South: C vs. D.

High school football is back.

Today is the first official day teams can return to the gridiron for team practices. Schools must hold three days of individual sessions before launching into 2-a-days starting Thursday, the same day the rest of the fall sports can begin practicing.

For those of you who want to start mapping out your travel schedule for the fall, we've posted the entire 2007 Massachusetts football schedule.

These schedules came directly from the MIAA, but there's bound to be a miscue or two in the system. If you spot a date or time error in one of your team's games (or if there's an omission), please use the contact information or feedback form in the left rail to email me the updated info. We'll make the changes, ASAP.

If you're looking for details from last season, hop over to High School Sports Central and use the drop-down menu at the top of the page to access the 2006 schedule, standings, leaders, and more.

We'll check back with more football news and notes throughout the day.

Schools and athletes growing wary of rising user fees may want to take a page out of the playbook of Franklin coach Brad Sidwell.

The Panthers are exploring the possibility of posting corporate ads on the football field to defray rising user fees, which jumped from $100 to $125 per sport this year in Franklin.

From a story in the Milford Daily News:

If a pilot program proposed at last night's School Committee meeting is approved, the high school football team might be greeted by a new sight when it hits the gridiron this fall: corporate ads.

"I think this is an idea worth pursuing," said School Committee member Ed Cafasso, responding to a proposal from Athletic Director Brad Sidwell to avoid future fee increases by using new funding sources. "I think it will take some of the pressure off parents."

While interscholastic sports advertising has proven to be a controversial subject in some school districts, Franklin is investigating the potential revenue generator after it was forced to raise user fees from $100 per sport to $125 for the coming year. That was after a $2.7 million Proposition 2 1/2 property tax override allowed the school district to continue subsidizing the athletic program.

Under a draft proposal from Sidwell, Franklin would place advertising banners on a single football field fence this fall. The prices would be based on intricacy of design, Sidwell said, with an estimated annual financial windfall of $20,000. With School Committee approval, the program could then be expanded to other spaces at school athletic facilities.

My take: Why not? Anything that defrays the cost of athletics is fine by us. Isn't this exactly what Little League fields across the Commonwealth have been doing for years by selling outfield signage? Heck, if you can find a company willing, I say schools should sell naming rights to their fields. Would it matter to anyone if they were going to Visa Stadium on the campus of BC High instead of Viola Stadium?

The less athletes and their families have to pay to play, the better off high school athletics will be.

Check out the NECN video above for more details.

In a surprising last-minute deal, former Roxbury Latin standout Jack McGeary has signed with the Washington Nationals.

Touted as a potential first-round pick, McGeary slid to the sixth round where the Nationals scooped him up with the 190th pick overall. McGeary maintained that he wouldn't sign for anything less than first-round money and secured himself a $1.8 million signing bonus by agreeing late Wednesday night.

From MLB.com:

A day after it appeared he would not play professional baseball, left-hander Jack McGeary, the sixth-round pick from the 2007 First-Year Player Draft signed with the Nationals late on Wednesday night.

McGeary said back in June that he was not going to sign with the Nationals unless he received first-round money and he now has it. According to sources, McGeary will get a $1.8 million signing bonus and the team will pay for his college education to Stanford University.

The Nationals have now signed each of their first 20 selections from the 2007 draft.

"We are very pleased to be able to draft and sign three left-handed starting pitchers -- Jack McGeary, Ross Detwiler and Josh Smoker -- all blessed with first-round talent," general manager Jim Bowden said in a press release.

McGeary, 18, was named the 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Massachusetts after going 6-1 with a 0.88 ERA in seven starts as a senior for Roxbury Latin High School in West Roxbury, MA. He struck out 80 in his 40 innings, leading his club to a share of the Independent School League championship.

How does McGeary's signing bonus stack up? It would appear McGeary got the money of an low-teen pick. From the Associated Press:

Also agreeing on the final day were right-hander Jarrod Parker (No. 9) and Arizona at $2.1 million, left-hander Madison Bumgarner (No. 10) and San Francisco at about $2 million, right-hander Phillippe Aumont (No. 11) and Seattle at $1.9 million, third baseman Matt Dominguez (No. 12) and Florida at $1.8 million, and outfielder Wendell Fairley (No. 29) and San Francisco at about $1 million.

The last-second deal came as quite the surprise. The Washington Nationals' website reported Tuesday that:

McGeary will forgo professional baseball and attend Stanford University, which the Nationals were expecting all along. Washington will not be compensated in next year's Draft for losing McGeary."

In Thursday's edition of the Globe, Christine McConville wrote on the situation in Medford, where new football coach James Atkins is being probed by the Suffolk district attorney's office:

In a move that officials say has sent Medford sports fans reeling, city officials have placed the new high school football coach on paid leave, until the Suffolk district attorney's office completes its criminal investigation of him.

The city's decision was made just days before 70 prospective Medford High School football players are scheduled to depart for a four-day training camp in New Hampshire.

Many of the prospects are new to the game, the Medford Public Schools athletic director, Bobby Maloney, said yesterday. They decided to try football after meeting now-suspended coach James Atkins, Maloney said.

"Historically, this program has not done well, but he's been working incredibly hard to change that," Maloney said about Atkins. "I'm in shock."

Earlier this week, the Chelsea Police Department, where Atkins works as a sergeant, placed him on paid leave, until the conclusion of both the district attorney's probe and a separate Police Department investigation.

Chelsea officials have refused to discuss the investigation, but Atkins's Boston-based lawyer, Doug Louison, said the probe centers on "some vague allegation of the misappropriation of monies from a football program at Chelsea High School," where Atkins was head football coach from 2004 to 2006.

"None of it is true," Atkins said yesterday in a telephone interview, before referring the Globe to Louison, who said his client "adamantly and strongly denies" those allegations," adding that "he's offered to work with authorities to clear his name."

Click here to read the full article. McConville first provided details of Atkins' leave in Wednesday's editions.

Fox 25 attempted to talk with Atkins Wednesday in Chelsea. Check out the video report here.

The Medford Transcript also wrote about Atkins being placed on leave in Wednesday's editions.

Another Massachusetts prep standout has landed in Sports Illustrated.

Once this week's copy arrives on your doorstep (USC Trojans on the cover), flip to the Faces in the Crowd section where Nobles & Greenough girls' lacrosse star Sarah Plumb is featured.

The Wellesley native's bio reads: "Sarah, a senior midfielder at Noble and Greenough School, scored 38 goals and had 22 assists as she led the Bulldogs to a 15-0 record and the Independent School League title. She is a first-team All-America in lacrosse and an ISL all-star in field hockey and basketball."

What's more, you can hop over to Takkle.com to watch highlights of Plumb in action.

As we continue the countdown to kickoff, a reminder that the voting in the preseason gridiron fan poll remains open.

We'll let the voting run through the end of the week and, right before most training camps open on Monday, Aug. 20, we'll give you a glimpse of your top squads.

We'll then leave the voting open again until opening week when we'll roll out the official preseason fan top 10.

Cast your vote now.

You can also visit our message boards to discuss your potential top 10 for the upcoming season.

As we gear up for the start of the 2007 football season, the high school football community suffered a monumental loss this week as South Boston football and baseball coach Robert Lerro passed away last week.

The Boston Herald reported Lerro had been part of the Boston school system for the past 37 years.

Lerro posted a 5-5 record with South Boston last season and maintained a 17-14 mark over four years. He had nearly 200 wins as baseball coach.

You can post your memories and tributes to Lerro here.

Okay, so it's not exactly high school sports, but we felt it warranted mentioning in this space that the Walpole Little League All-Stars conquered the New England bracket today by topping Shelton, Conn., 14-4, in a game televised nationally on ESPN.

The Walpole entry is off to Williamsport, Pa. for the Little League World Series. Globe South's Monique Walker had a nice story on the Walpole squad last weekend.

Somewhere, Bill Tompkins is smiling while dreaming about the future.

Here's more on today's game from the Associated Press:

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — A series of home runs propelled the Walpole American Little League team to a 14-4 win over Connecticut's Shelton National Little League in the New England Regional Championship on Saturday.

Walpole now advances to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., for its shot at becoming the Bay State's first team to capture the worldwide title.

The six-inning game gave Walpole a chance to highlight its experience. The team has 13 players who are over 12-years-old and are finishing their final season.

The last Connecticut team to win the World Series in Williamsport was Trumbull in 1989, preceded in the 1950s by Stamford and Norwalk, and in 1964 by Windsor Locks.

No Massachusetts team has ever won the World Series.

The Patriots have placed a video online from this morning's press conference to announce that Gillette Stadium will host six of the seven MIAA Eastern Mass. Super Bowls this season. Here are a few highlights.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft on the Super Bowls:

"All of us who grew up as young athletes, we had dreams, things we'd like to accomplish. One is playing in a major league venue... Ever since my family bought this venue, we said we'd do everything we could to encourage all youth sports, especially football. We wanted to have the high school Super Bowls played here at Gillette Stadium."

Kraft mentioned that his family would like to tie the Super Bowls into Patriots Place, the $350 million shopping and retail development being built around Gillette Stadium. Kraft said he envisioned recording the games and keeping them on file at Patriots Place, so that, "50-100 years from now, relatives can come back, be able to use files in the hall at Patriots Place, and see relatives" in past Super Bowls.

Before a photo opportunity in which he held an over-sized ticket to a high school Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium, Kraft joked: "We're not supposed to talk about Super Bowls in this stadium, but this has given us the opportunity to do so."

Asked about how long the Super Bowls might stay in Foxborough, Kraft said: "As long as I'm living, we'll be here, but we'll see what happens."

Kraft also joked about hoping to see Brookline High in a Super Bowl when a reporter asked him about his alma mater.

MIAA executive director Dick Neal on the Super Bowls:

"Across Eastern Mass. tonight, every football player, thousands of them that start practice in a couple weeks, have added a goal to their list of goals: to get to Gillette Stadium and play in this fine facility... On the very field that New England Patriots defend their tradition in the NFL. This is great moment for us."

Neal mentioned that the MIAA was holding a summit last November around the time the Patriots were installing the artificial surface at Gillette and said there was a buzz about the potential of moving the Eastern Mass. Super Bowls back to Foxborough (Super Bowls had previously been held in Foxboro and Sullivan Stadium before the introduction of a natural playing surface in 1991).

Asked about specifics, Neal admitted there was some loose ends to tie up. What he and colleague Bill Gaine did share is that:

Six games will be held at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 1.

The games will likely be staggered two hours apart, with teams allowed to warm-up on the Patriots' practice fields to ensure smoother transitions.

The games will feature 10-minute quarters, as will all Tuesday night playoff games and Thanksgiving Day games with playoff implications.

There's a contingency plan for inclement weather, with the potential to move the Super Bowls to Sunday at Gillette.

The seventh Super Bowl game will be held at Stonehill College, and will feature a to-be-determined rotation of lower-division games.

"We haven't gotten that far yet, but clearly we want the larger games here," said Neal. "We want to accommodate the fans of those schools... We won't be sending the larger games somewhere else."

Neal cited traffic woes at other area venues during this year's postseason matchups, including a lack of parking and seating that forced the MIAA to turn away fans.

He stressed that there would be "12 very excited communities." How the other two communities react to being forced to play away from Gillette Stadium, remains to be seen.

We'll have more Thursday in the Boston Globe and at High School Sports Central on Boston.com.

When high school football practice begins on Aug. 20, teams can set their goals with a more specific destination in mind other than just the "Super Bowl."

Today, the MIAA and Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that six of the seven Eastern Mass. Super Bowls will be held at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 1. The seventh game will be held at Stonehill College.

MIAA Executive Director Dick Neal said a formal plan for determining the game that will be rotated outside of Gillette Stadium each year has not been established yet.

The games are likely to begin in the morning and are expected to be rotated on two-hour intervals, with each game having 10-minute quarters.

The venue will be rent-free for the MIAA and they will not have to put up any other costs for the event as part of the agreement that runs through 2009.

The Associated Press just moved the following:

FOXBOROUGH (AP) -- The New England Patriots will play host to the high school championships from the eastern part of Massachusetts starting this year.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has agreed to pick up the bill for the games.

The 3-year agreement is possible only because the Patriots replaced the natural grass in Gillette Stadium with FieldTurf last year. That allows more games to be played without tearing up the turf.

Six of the seven eastern Massachusetts games will be played in Foxborough on December 1st. The seventh is a rotation of one of the smaller divisions and will be at Stonehill College.

The Globe's Monique Walker was at the press conference this morning and will be passing along more details in a bit.

The New England Patriots just emailed the following release:

What: An important announcement by Gillette Stadium and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) with an accompanying photo opportunity.

Who: Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and MIAA Officials

When: 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Where: Gillette Stadium

The buzz about the MIAA's intentions of hosting this year's Eastern Mass. Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium has been picking up steam lately and it appears tomorrow's announcement will make it official.

The Brockton Enterprise's Glen Farley touched on the Super Bowls last week, while Kraft told the Globe's Mike Reiss last year that, "We used to love hosting it at Foxboro Stadium. Kids work so hard during the year that if their prize is to play on an NFL field, that is pretty cool."

The MIAA last held Super Bowls in Foxboro in 1990. Foxboro Stadium switched to a natural playing surface in 1991, making it impossible for the team to host multiple games at the venue. The introduction of an artificial surface at Gillette Stadium last season reopened the door for the high school football Super Bowls.

One unconfirmed rumor suggests Gillette Stadium will host six Super Bowls over the weekend of Dec. 1-2. That means one other game would be held off-site.

We'll have more details following tomorrow's press conference. You can sound off about the potential Super Bowls in Foxborough on our message boards.

As pointed out by good friend and former Globe reporter Adam Kurkjian, PrepNation.com has released its first batch of rankings for the upcoming season.

While only two teams from the Northeast made the national top 25, the site provided regional breakdowns, where Everett (No. 6) and Brockton (No. 20) were the only Massachusetts entries in the Northeast rankings.

Two other rankings of note: St. Joseph Regional of Montvale, N.J. at 13th in the Northeast and St. Edward of Lakewood, Ohio at 10th in the Midwest. Xaverian hosts the New Jersey squad on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Hawk Bowl, while Mansfield travels to Ohio for an out-of-state clash on Saturday, Sept. 15.

***

Click here to vote in our own preseason fan poll. See the previous entry for more details.

We're still two weeks away from the first official day of high school football practice (Monday, Aug. 20), but it's never too soon to start getting excited for the 2007 season.

We've set up a new football fan poll, where you can vote for your favorite teams. We'll tally the votes each week and see how you're top 10 compares to the Boston Globe's rankings.

The preseason poll is open and you can vote as many times as you like. As the regular season approaches, we'll unveil your top 10.

Is Everett still No. 1? Can Brockton return to the top of the polls?

We've also posted a countdown clock at High School Sports Central so you can know exactly how much time remains before the first practice of the year. We've set it to expire at midnight, you know, in case anyone wanted to organize a late-night practice.

Once that expires, we'll reset the clock for the season's opening kicoff.

In the meantime, go vote.