Methuen linebacker Borrelli ready to dish out punishment in Agganis game
Jun. 29—Methuen's Alex Borrelli has truly been exploring uncharted territory.
Not the football field, of course. The recent Methuen High graduate was a three-year varsity standout for the Rangers.
When Borrelli takes the field for the 60th annual Agganis All-Star football game, he will not only the be the lone former Ranger playing, he'll be the sole representative from the entire Merrimack Valley Conference.
"It's weird not seeing any familiar faces from the MVC," said Borrelli. "Not being able to play with the kids that I've played alongside my entire life has been a tough adjustment. But I can assure you of the competition, toughness, and grittiness amongst all the players on the roster, and their talent speaks for itself."
Borrelli — a 5-foot-9, 180-pound linebacker — will anchor the defense for the North squad in the Agganis Game on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.) at Manning Field in Lynn.
"When (Methuen head coach Tom Ryan) told me that I was selected to play in the Agganis Game, I was truly honored because I've heard how much passion (former Boston University football star and Red Sox standout) Harry Agganis had for the game of football," said Borrelli. "Being able to play in a game that has the best players from around northern Massachusetts is a huge accomplishment."
Borrelli, who will walk onto the Bentley University football team in the fall, will focus on defense on Wednesday, after playing blocking fullback and linebacker in the fall for a Methuen squad that scored 30.1 points and allowed 21.1 points a game on the way to an 8-3 record and a trip to the Division 1 quarterfinals. He ran for a touchdown on Thanksgiving Day and a 2-point conversion in a win over Andover.
"I started my high school career at quarterback and linebacker," he said. "I was definitely no (Eagle-Tribune All-Star Methuen QB) Drew Eason, so going into my sophomore year, the coaches told me that I would have a better chance to play on defense, and that was where I focused my attention. I then started at linebacker by the end of my sophomore year.
"My favorite position to play would definitely be linebacker. I love hitting, and there's no better feeling than making a huge sack in a big spot. I also love the mental aspect of playing a position of that caliber. You always have to have your head on a swivel, read the guards, watch for the running back coming out of the backfield, the list almost never ends. You always have to be one step ahead of the offense."
Ryan said Borrelli brought plenty of value to the Rangers thanks to his versatility.
"Alex can play a lot of different positions all over the football field," said Ryan. "He is quick and not afraid to tackle anyone on defense."
Borrelli will now look to close out his high school career in style in the Agganis Game, and dish out some punishment along the way.
"To deliver a big hit is a feeling like no other," he said. "I was always known as an aggressive player, so when I see an opportunity to deliver a big hit, my eyes peel wide open. It's not always about the big hit though, you don't always have to lay your shoulder into somebody, you just have to get them to the ground.
"My goals for the Agganis game is just to go out there, and have fun. Obviously I want to win, so I am going to go out and play my best."
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