Gonnella steps down
Paul Gonnella officially stepped down as the Cambridge football coach after the Falcons' 42-6 loss to Everett on Thanksgiving.
Gonnella finishes his three-year career at Cambridge with an 18-14 record. The Falcons didn't reach the playoffs during Gonnella's tenure, having lost to Everett each year, including the last two with the Greater Boston League title on the line.
"Speaking with the team [Thursday], it was hard because they know how much I do for them," he said. "Right now, we've got six to seven kids who are potentially college kids, that could play college football."
Gonnella told his team, "If any of you guys want to continue to get my help in that area, you need to call me."
Gonnella's departure is sudden, but not entirely unexpected. Gonnella took a leave of absence for several weeks during the season, and the reason for the hiatus has not been publicly revealed.
He discussed his football plans when reached by phone late last night. Gonnella will coach in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 5, a gathering of high school football prospects from around the country.
There are eight coaches per team in a battle of East vs. West. Gonnella said he received a call from the head coach of the East squad, but insists that his coaching responsibilities are still "up in the air." He went on to say that the offensive coordinator position for the East team will most likely be his position on the team.
Although Gonnella said he is exploring coaching opportunities at the college level, he said that he does not have a preference between coaching in high school or college. He said that he has been contacted by "big" high schools in Georgia and Florida about possible job openings.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Look for updates from:
- Chris Forsberg: An Auburn native (Go Rockets!) and Northeastern graduate, Forsberg interned at the Globe from 1999-2003 before joining the staff at Boston.com in 2006. He's still fielding angry phone calls from Everett supporters after ranking Acton-Boxboro No. 1 following the 2001 season.
- Bob Holmes: A Reading resident (Go Rockets!) and Boston College graduate, Holmes is the Boston Globe High School Sports Editor. We remind you now that his weekly picks are often made in jest so everyone just calm down when he picks against Everett for 11 straight weeks.
- Mike Carraggi: An Everett native (Go Tide!), Mike attends Eastern Nazarene college and is entering his second year with the Globe. He'll focus on Division 1 this fall, which means he'll spend a lot of time in his hometown, which Forsberg thinks is cool because the Tide have that Fried Dough cart.
- Emily Wright: A Hyannis native (Go Barnstable Red Raiders!), Emily is a senior at Emerson College and has been with the Globe since the end of July. She'll cover Division 1A and will be the first intern we've trusted to navigate her way to Dennis-Yarmouth or any other school on the Cape.
- Mike Grossi: A Lexington native (Go Minutemen!), Mike attends Northeastern and has been with the Globe for two months. He'll cover Division 2 and 2A and unsuccessfully lobbied to include Lexington in the preseason Top 20.
- Jonathan Raymond: A native of Benicia, Calif. (a suburb of San Francisco), Jonathan attends Northeastern and has been working at the Globe since the end of June. He will be focusing on Division 3 and is likely woefully underprepared for covering a game in a foot of snow.
- David Carty: A native of West Bridgewater (Go Wildcats!), David is a senior at Emerson College and has been working at the Globe for a year. He'll cover Divisions 3A and 4 because, "small school ball is in my blood."
- The bench: You'll also catch updates from our regional contributors, including Globe North's Julian Benbow and South's Monique Walker. Correspondent Brendan Hall will have updates from the Globe West coverage area and will often try to sneak in Central Mass. news.
LIAR