Reading Football vs. Duxbury Football

Photographs by Toan Trinh (Jerseys); Courtesy of John Fiore and Dave Maimaron (Portraits)

FOR THE NORTH SHORE:
John Fiore, head coach of the sixth-ranked Reading Memorial Rockets.

FOR THE SOUTH SHORE:
Dave Maimaron, head coach of the 16th-ranked Duxbury Dragons.

Is there a prototypical North Shore or South Shore player?

JF: You look at the great teams from the North Shore over the years, like Gloucester, and they certainly had big, physical defensive linemen and tight ends and D-ends. But we’ve had a nice run of offensive linemen and quarterbacks, too. Real competitive kids come out of the North Shore.

DM: Oh, our kids aren’t competitive. [Laughs.] You might have a few more linemen on the North Shore, but we have a couple more skilled kids. I think one difference between the North Shore and South Shore is that on the North Shore, it’s highly likely the player’s last name is going to end in a vowel. On the South Shore, it might start with an O.

What are your respective team identities?

JF: We really like to be a great defensive team. That’s where we start from.

DM: We want to be athletic. We’re more of an offensive team.

Did you ever have an “aha!” moment when you realized how intense the North Shore/South Shore rivalry is?

JF: In terms of rivalries, you get more cranked up about your league. But the way the playoff system is now, the teams in the south—it’s a loaded bracket. Once the season starts, you don’t think about them until they’re right in front of you.

Who’s on your football Mount Rushmores?

JF: On the North Shore, it starts with Harry Agganis, from Lynn.

DM: Ken MacAfee, Jim Rourke, Steve Trapilo, and Marc Colombo.

Have you guys ever met in the playoffs?

DM: No.

What would happen if you did?

DM: Hopefully it’d be a great game.

JF: Because if it’s down south, it would be a long ride home.

—As told to Kyle Scott Clauss

*** WINNER ***

North Shore. Ken MacAfee now practices dentistry in Waltham.

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