Holliston toughs out this defeat

HOLLISTON - On a cold, late-summer night, they got to be football players again.

Holliston played its first game of the season last night, facing Tyngsboro. The focus wasn't so much on football, however, as Holliston played for the first time since the recent deaths of Joey Larracey, a junior who died after collapsing at a scrimmage, and Tim O'Connell, a 10-year-old who became an honorary team captain as he battled leukemia.

"It's tough. It was tough getting out here, it was an emotional night," said Holliston coach Todd Kiley after his team's 40-14 loss. "We wanted to put the families first. To see them out here, that right there was a victory."

Players said the outpouring of support from the community and student body helped them ease back into playing football.

"The student section was rumbling right until the end. They were unbelievable," said captain Andrew Barrett. "The parents, the students, the community, it's been unbelievable these past couple of weeks."

Kiley said he was proud of the way his team played, even if the outcome wasn't what the Panthers desired.

"We wanted to play 44 minutes of Holliston football, because that's how Joe played it. The intensity was there," he said. "We didn't let up. We kept fighting and battling. Things will get better for us."

Throughout the night there were various markings of remembrance for Larracey and O'Connell. The Holliston players lined up to form Nos. 73 (Larracey's number) and 7 (the number O'Connell wore on game days) prior to the national anthem, an act they'll be performing before each game this season.

The No. 73 jerseys of each of the other Tri-Valley League teams were displayed under the scoreboard (the number was retired for the night by the league). The field was adorned with a No. 73 inside a paw on the home sideline, while a No. 7 paw graced the visitor's side. At halftime, a pair of students ran a large "73" flag back and forth in front of the student section. David Bowie's "Heroes" played at the game's conclusion.

Tyngsboro dominated the game, with Tom Sullivan running for three touchdowns and catching a TD pass.

Holliston sent the crowd roaring when Sean Mayo took a quarterback keeper 2 yards up the middle for the team's first score early in the fourth quarter. Dan Barone added the Panthers' second touchdown with six seconds left, another moment that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Barrett said the team will carry the memories of Larracey and O'Connell with them at every moment of every game throughout the season.

"They'll always be on our minds. They'll be on our mind every game," he said.