Prior to this month, only six schools in Massachusetts had ever reached 700 total wins with their football programs.
That number has now expanded to nine in short order.
Originally, Everett, Brockton, Leominster, Waltham, Natick and Salem encompassed the list.
Now, add Haverhill, Fitchburg and Northbridge.
Haverhill (3-4) became the first this month to shatter the historic barrier. Led by players like Henry Farrell and Michael Bayko, the Hillies made a trip north of the border Oct. 10, and toppled Concord (NH) during a wild 42-35 victory.
Rob Pike took over as the program’s coach in 2023, carrying on a proud family tradition. His father, Bob, coached the Hillies from 1986-1999, accounting for many of those wins. His grandfather, Bill, was the team’s play-by-play announcer for the Haverhill-based station WHAV, and the school’s pressbox was commemorated in his name as “Pike’s Peak.”
Now, Rob is establishing his own legacy.
“I grew up in Haverhill, and I love coaching in the city and at the high school,” Pike said. “But Haverhill’s history is really immense. It’s something that a lot of people don’t understand. For a long time there in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, they were the winningest program, I think in the country. Through the teens and 20s, they won so many games. 700 is a lot. It’s a big number, and it just shows you the incredible history that Haverhill High football has.”
This past Friday, Fitchburg (1-6) became the latest school to break through, knocking off Monument Mountain with a 22-6 victory. Late in the first half, the Red and Gray were locked in an 8-6 nail-biter with their Berkshire-based opponent. They pulled away with 14 unanswered points to seal the deal. It was the best performance of the season for the group, as sophomore Jamani LaGuerre finished with a pair of touchdowns.
“Certainly a historic moment for our program and speaks to the weight, expectations, and gravitas that a program with a historic lineage carries,” Fitchburg athletic director Todd Robbins said in an email to the Herald. “I always tell people there is a discernible difference in serving in any capacity as part of a department and program’s legacy with over 100 years of history. We all, from the student-athletes to the coaches to myself are incredibly fortunate to be the current caretakers of this legacy, not just in football but department, school, and community-wide.”
On Oct. 18, Northbridge also reached 700 wins with a 32-6 romp of Blackstone Valley.
Ken LaChapelle has been coaching the Rams (6-1) for 50 years, with 407 of those victories coming under his tutelage. LaChapelle has led the Rams to 10 state championships. This year, his group has been led by a strong group of senior captains, a list that includes his grandson, quarterback Joel LaChapelle.
“We take a lot of pride in football at Northbridge,” said the coach. “We have for a number of years. To get to 700 wins is special. There are not that many teams that have done it. We make sure that our players and our student athletes are aware of these accomplishments.”
2025 will serve as LaChapelle’s final year with Northbridge. With another achievement under his belt, he couldn’t help but think about one of his final coaching opportunities this upcoming Thanksgiving. The Rams will face Uxbridge, a school led by another one of Ken’s grandsons in senior running back, Camden LaChapelle.
“I’ve coached my kids, three of my boys,” said LaChapelle. “I’ve coached six of my grandkids. That in and of itself is a nice aspect to all of these 50 years.”
