Peabody football captain battling cancer
Aug. 17—Mikey Mastrocola spent the entire summer getting ready to deliver pancake blocks and sack quarterbacks.
One of Peabody High's senior captains will be sacking cancer instead.
Last week, Mastrocola was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It's a blood and bone marrow condition that's one of the most common childhood cancers in the world and is considered very treatable. He'll be spending the next month at Boston Children's Hospital receiving in-patient treatments and will then continue his treatments on an out-patient basis after that.
Needless to say, moving to the hospital instead of picking up his helmet and shoulder pads to start practice on Friday came as a shock. Though he can unleash punishing hits at defensive end and snarling blocks as a right guard, Mastrocola's an affable kid off the field and his spirits remain relatively high.
"Mikey's always the kid to have a smile on his face no matter what was going on. I've known him my whole life and he's really just the nicest kid you'll ever meet," Tanner QB and fellow captain Shea Lynch said. "He is a great leader and everyone on the team looks up to him on and off the field."
Teammates of Mastrocola's from both Peabody High and his youth football days leaped into action when they heard about his illness. A GoFundMe page has been started by the family of St. John's Prep running back Carson Browne (a Peabody native and longtime friend of many Tanners) and exceeded its goal of $25,000 in only three days. Nearly 400 people have already donated to the cause.
"The support has been amazing. Peabody is an incredible place and Mikey has so many good friends that have been so supportive," said Stephanie Mastrocola, Mike's mom. "We're hearing from our friends in Everett, people from so many different schools and all over the city. Football is a special sport and builds an amazing community."
Stephanie and Michael Mastrocola have four children: Mikey, daughter McKayla Mastrocola who just started nursing school at UMass Boston, daughter MyKenna and son Matt, who will be a sophomore football player at Peabody High.
"It breaks your heart and you wish it wasn't happening," Peabody head football coach Mark Bettencourt said, "yet to see our kids rally around both Mikey and Matt? As a coach, that means all the things we've been teaching about life are getting through."
An exceptional honors student at Peabody High, Mastrocola was voted captain along with Lynch, Danny Barrett, Giovanni Guglielmo and junior Alex Silva following a solid 2021 season. He led the Tanners' unofficial line workouts all summer and was primed for a big role on a team carrying a six-game win streak into a promising season.
"He's a kid who spent three years paying his dues, earning his job and earning the respect of his teammates and the whole school," said Bettencourt. "He's an incredible leader. To see his season taken away like this is heart wrenching ... we're all going to do everything we can to get him healthy."
After Mastrocola got a persistent sore throat at the beginning of August, tests for various ailments like strep, COVID-19 and mono came up empty. Some blood work revealed the need for more testing. Quickly, doctors found the Leukemia and treatment began almost immediately.
"It was a very quick thing ... within a week it was like, 'Bring him in here and let's get this started right now'," Stephanie said. "We're here in Boston and he's doing OK. He's up and moving around and everyone at school has been great as far as school work and making sure he'll graduate and all that.
"He's in the best of hands and he's getting the absolute best care possible."
Peabody opens up the season on September 9 at home against Revere and they're hoping their leader will be well enough to join them for the coin toss ("That's our goal," his mom said). While Mastrocola may not step between the stripes this fall, every Tanner will have No. 66 with them each time they break a huddle. — To donate to the Mastrocola Family visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/mikeys-battle-to-beat-cancer
