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Coach's Corner: Hamilton-Wenham football coach Andrew Morency

Wednesday, November, 14 By Bill Kipouras
Staff writer

Can you recall your first varsity game playing for Beverly High in 1985?
"It was pretty exciting. I was a junior and we played at Manning Bowl. My cousin Pat Barror was the quarterback and was hurt in midseason, so I got my first start. We won, 3-0, on Mark LeClair's field goal in the third quarter. I was nervous, but lucky to have a championship team around me and felt confident. What was special was completing a pass to my brother John.

How about your debut as head coach at Hamilton-Wenham?
"We beat Pentucket, 17-14, on a field goal by Andrew Marques on the last play of the game. I had the butterflies. It was an exciting time. We felt good going in, but it was an unforgettable finish. We were down 14-7 in the fourth quarter and came back. I'll never forget it. I can remember being so exhausted. It was awesome, a relief to get the first one under my belt."

What about some other highlights as a player and head coach?
The double overtime win over North Andover last year. Great intensity, an overflow crowd, and my first night game at H-W. It went back and forth and John Carey won it for us on a 104-yard interception return, a school record. I had a hard time sleeping that night.

We played Ipswich for the title and lost 7-0 on Thanksgiving. We were on their four yard line and fumbled. It was tough.

My first start at Stonehill was the school's first varsity football game. I threw 40 passes and completed 25. It was a big difference from Beverly.

My senior year we won at Gloucester. Playing under Bill Hamor in a great program was huge for everybody.

Any great remembrances from other sports?
Playing with brother John in three sports was neat and is always a nice recollection. We had an incredible upset over Salem in basketball. They were 16-2 and going to the tournament and we beat them bad. About 25 points or so. The late Steve Kerr as well as Chuck Palmer had great games. I helped with the rebounding.

What coach had the most influence on you?
Coach Hamor. He's someone who had a profound effect on me. He was such a good motivator and someone to look up to. My family's support was very important to me. My parents rarely missed a game. My dad (Roger) played football for Charlie Walsh and loved Coach Walsh. My mom (Emily) was the first woman in the Beverly Hall of Fame. She set the single game scoring record in basketball (for boys and girls) with 46 points.

When did you start your coaching career?
Roger Rosinski gave me my first start as the Beverly freshman coach. I was in Beverly for six years and joined Sean Gallagher in Salem for two. I left because he offered me the offensive coordinator's job.

How about joining the enemy in Salem?
It was an adjustment. Different. Especially on Thanksgiving and being on the other sideline for the 100th game. Some Beverly people were yelling at me on Thanksgiving. I stood by my convictions. I just wanted to coach, Sean was my friend, and I felt I grew as a coach. I took a ribbing, but that was OK."

What about Hamilton-Wenham and Beverly and the difference in tradition on Thanksgiving?
It's a different stage, but the circumstances are similar. We played for a championship my first year and lost to a very good Ipswich team. Beverly-Salem is Beverly-Salem. It's hard to duplicate that. I always had a lot of respect for the rivalry. I feel fortunate to have both played and coached in the rivalry. As for coaching in Salem, I was 0-2, but I think it worked out well.

Were there any individual accolades?
I was a two-sport captain, which made me proud. I received the Charlie Walsh Memorial Scholarship (a student athlete award) and the Birmingham Trophy. Those were big thrills for me. Education was the emphasis in our home, for John, my sister Mary Alice and I. My parents stressed our grades. We didn't want to let them down. Receiving Coach of the Year in the Cape Ann League last year was a super honor because it was voted by my peers.

What about President Bush?
My mom always said if you can't say anything good about somebody then don't say anything at all, so I'll say no comment.

Who are the most important people you've met?
Roger Clemens in a Boston restaurant and I had a chat with K.C. Jones once.