By Evan Walsh, Contributing Writer
NORTHBOROUGH – They’re known as the Algonquin Titans, but Richard ‘Dick’ Walsh is perhaps the titan of Algonquin.
The 92-year-old Northborough man has dedicated his life to Algonquin Regional High School. Walsh has spent the last 66 years at the Northborough high school, becoming the school’s first athletic director, teaching thousands of students (he’s seen every single graduating class from the school), working in the cafeteria and leading the then-Tomahawks to the school’s first – and only – Super Bowl and undefeated football season in 1973.
“He’s never not been here,” said Algonquin Principal Sean Bevan. “He’s an institution.”
Walsh, humble as they come, never asks for the limelight – the Algonquin mainstay is content with meeting students from his post in the school’s cafeteria – yet he received the celebrity treatment nonetheless on Dec. 1.
On Dec. 1, 1973, Walsh guided his football team to the Super Bowl, and on Dec. 1, 2023 – exactly 50 years later – the team reunited at Algonquin to celebrate its history-making championship win.
Proudly wearing his maroon-and-gold-typeface ‘A’ hat, worn from years of activity around Northborough, Walsh was escorted onto the field. As he saw his former athletes – now in their late-60s – Walsh couldn’t help but smile. The players at once gathered around him.
“Some of you guys look older than me,” Walsh said.
‘Still Undefeated’
As Walsh was greeted by players, Lee Heffernan – the team’s star halfback and coordinator of the reunion – hurriedly distributed commemorative hats. The maroon hats, which perfectly matched the high-school letterman jackets many players brought for the occasion, had an unmistakable message embroidered on the back: “10-0,” the hat reads. “Still Undefeated.”
While local newspapers at the time were optimistic about Algonquin’s chances, Walsh initially wasn’t happy with the team – and he let the press know.
“This is the most disappointing team I ever had,” Walsh told the Enterprise-Sun before the 1973 season opened. “I think the problem with the team is their attitude… We have talent on this team, but their play has been very disappointing to me… There’s going to be some changes made.”
Yet the coach’s less-than-complimentary words only motivated the team. Algonquin breezed past Wachusett 39-0 to open the year. Heffernan, the halfback, scored three touchdowns and the Tomahawks – who ran the bruising, run-heavy wishbone offense throughout the year – accumulated 236 rushing yards in the season’s first action. Algonquin won 21-0 against Wayland the following week, registering only seven passing yards.
“I remember at the beginning of the year, Coach [Walsh] kicked us in the butt. He told us we weren’t playing to our level. That really got us going,” Heffernan said at the team reunion on Dec. 1. Algonquin next faced Shrewsbury, another preseason favorite, and earned its third-straight win after another 21-0 rout. “I remember the Shrewsbury game was a big… jumping point for us. We knew we had a really good team,” Heffernan said.
Algonquin kept rolling; Milford, Marlborough, Hudson, Athol and Clinton were the next stops on the team’s road to the Super Bowl. Over the course of the season, Algonquin beat opponents by the combined score of 222-30.
Walsh’s wishbone offense accumulated points, and Defensive Coordinator Jack Wallace ensured nobody could catch up with them. Algonquin cruised to 8-0.
“These kids were good… We had a two-platoon team. We had an offensive team and defensive team… Our toughest game a lot of that year was our offense against our defense at practice,” Walsh said at the team reunion.
Then – the rivalry game. More than 5,000 fans gathered at Algonquin’s field – which would later be named in honor of Walsh – to watch the match on Thanksgiving Day. Algonquin got the better of Westborough,18-0 that day, but five decades later the rivalry still runs deep for many players.
As the team gathered at the 50-yard line of the (recently redone with turf) Dick Walsh Field for photos, the old teammates couldn’t help but relive their triumphant win over their rivals: “1, 2, 3… beat Westborough,” they yelled as cameras shuttered.
Algonquin, 9-0, had earned the opportunity to face East Longmeadow – which hadn’t lost in three years – in the Super Bowl. The high-stakes game was an extremely low-scoring slugfest. Wallace’s defense held the 45-point-per-game East Longmeadow offense to zero points (the team’s two points came after an Algonquin safety). Walsh’s offense attempted four passes (completing zero), but nonetheless found enough offense to win.
As the team gathered at Algonquin 50 years later, the team’s monumental 6-2 win against East Longmeadow was reflected on the scoreboard. As the team stood on the field, reliving their past success, Athletic Director Mike Mocerino presented the team’s 1973 championship trophy. Long after their football careers had ended, the team was able to raise the trophy once more.
‘We’ve stayed together’
With many members of the team in town, Heffernan coordinated activities for the whole day. Prior to walking onto Dick Walsh Field, Mocerino showed the team around Algonquin, highlighting both the old and the new parts of the building, and giving players the opportunity to see the school’s recent athletic success in the gymnasium and Hall of Fame.
“The school was different,” said Heffernan. “A lot of new additions. Bigger. Cleaner. Brighter.”
The team later had dinner at the Neighborhood Tavern, watching old film of their championship-winning season.
While time often draws people apart, the group has remained remarkably close over the last five decades. Some of the members of the group have an annual golfing expedition, and when the team was inducted into the Algonquin Hall of Fame in 2015, team members created an intricate scrapbook that catalogs newspaper clippings and photos from each of their 10 wins.
The group picked up where they left off in 1973, swapping stories about football, their families, careers, children and lives on the gridiron.
“When Southborough and Northborough came together, we came together as one football team. I mean, look at us. We’ve stayed together. We love each other. We played multiple sports with each other. We went from age 14 to 18, formative years, and did a lot of stuff. We have great families, great teachers, and great coaches that have helped us. Look at everybody smiling. Good people,” Heffernan said.
Unfortunately, not everyone could join the fun. The team, including Walsh, huddled at midfield to honor several now-deceased teammates. Bill Santella, Heffernan’s co-captain, and Gerry Milano, who scored the only touchdown in the Super Bowl, were among those who have since died.
“We’re all part of the team,” said an emotional Heffernan, holding his Algonquin undefeated hat against his heart. “Some of us are not physically here today because they’re off to the football field in heaven, but they’re as much a part of the team today as they were then. They’re our brothers.”
After each game, Walsh would have his players do 10-yard sprints, and thus, as the reunion on the field was wrapping up, it was only natural to hand the whistle to Walsh and have everyone run. The players likely weren’t as agile as they were 50 years ago, but many expressed excitement they had the opportunity to do the grueling exercise in front of Walsh once more.
‘He’s a very special man’
Walsh sat on the field, proudly watching the crowd of men he had coached 50 years ago. As he shook hands with the team, one player looked at the rest of the team: “This man is my role model,” he said as he walked away. “I became a teacher, coach – all because of him.”
The title-winning squad gathered around Walsh as Mocerino presented him with an Algonquin game ball.
“[Walsh] has not only had an impact on the 1973 football team that won the Super Bowl, but many teams thereafter. He still has an impact on the lives of many of us – coaches, athletes, students inside the building. Many in both communities are still impacted by his involvement within the school community. We can’t thank him enough for everything he has done,” Mocerino said.
Mocerino also presented two citations to Walsh as the team watched. Both towns – Northborough and Southborough – made certificates to honor Walsh’s impact on the Algonquin community; Nov. 17 will hereafter be referred to as “Richard Walsh Day” in the local community.
“It means a great deal,” said Walsh. “Having the superintendent and principal here – it’s great.”
Walsh remains an ardent supporter of Algonquin football, egging on his Tomahawks (Titans) whenever he is able.
“Coach Walsh has been a tremendous supporter for me in the time I’ve been here,” said Algonquin Football Head Coach Mark Allen. “He’s a very special man. He’s impacted a lot of people, and the kids here love him… For the kids to play hard for him, it’s a special opportunity.”
Walsh had touched the lives of thousands, spent decades helping the school, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of everything Algonquin. After health concerns prompted him to miss two weeks of his Algonquin cafeteria post, all Walsh would talk about was how much he missed being at the school.
“There’s great people here. There’s a great facility here. They treat us well… “I really miss being here. The kids are good… and I wouldn’t be coming here unless I wanted to,” said Walsh before he was whisked away by the team for another group picture with the trophy.
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