Below is a release from Foxboro High School announcing its 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees. It’s the second class for the Hall of Fame, following the inaugural class which featured six individuals and one team.
Foxborough High School is pleased to announce the 2024 class of inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame, which was started in 2023 to honor former student-athletes, coaches, supporters, and championship teams. This year’s class of inductees will be recognized at an event at Foxborough High School on Saturday, December 7th.
“Foxboro High School has a long history and tradition of success in all areas of Athletics. Inducting our inaugural class last year was a great takeoff point, and our second class is full of people who also played an important role in helping create that tradition. We are thrilled to give these Warriors a place in the Hall of Fame. This is another opportunity for our community to celebrate, the inductees to take great pride in, and show our student-athletes a level of success to aspire to,” said Joe Cusack, Foxboro Athletic Director.
Accepting nominations has been ongoing for three years, and all nominations received remain active each year. After extensive discussion and research, this second class of inductees was selected by a six-person executive committee, which included the Foxboro High School Principal, Athletic Director, and four committee members who are former student-athletes, current or former coaches and/or school staff members.
This year’s Induction class includes Natalie McComb, Dave Comeau, John Stather, Brian Gallagher, John Manning, Kevin Martin, Alison Culley, and the 1977 State Champion Boys Soccer team. (Individuals are listed by their year of participation.)
Natalie McComb, best known to her players as “Coachie,” was an important part of the Foxborough High School community from the 1950s into the 1980s. Natalie started as the head coach in field hockey and girls’ basketball in 1954 and took on the same role for softball in 1955. While coaching just 11-12 games per season, “Coachie” won 245 career field hockey games and 12 Hockomock League championships, 143 softball games, and had a basketball winning percentage of 75%.
Dave Comeau was a 1966 graduate of Foxboro High School who was widely known for his contributions to youth and interscholastic athletics. Dave was a sportswriter for the Foxboro Reporter from 1972-1997 and was the sports editor starting in the 1980s. Dave covered all the teams at Foxborough High School with genuine interest and enthusiasm. He also received numerous awards for both sports writing and photography while covering the Warriors, including consecutive years as the best sports section in New England.
John Stather is a 1978 graduate of Foxboro High School who was a three-sport star who played soccer, basketball, and baseball. John’s true specialty was on the soccer field, where he was arguably the most dominant soccer player of his era. John scored 108 career goals, which was a state record at the time, and was a three-time All-State selection. During his senior season, John scored 35 goals and led the Foxboro boys’ soccer team to the 1977 State Championship.
Brian Gallagher is a 1981 graduate of Foxboro High School, who played football and wrestling. “Gal” was the head wrestling coach at Foxboro from 1990-2001. During that eleven-year stretch, the Warriors won seven consecutive sectional team championships, six state team championships, and numerous individual champions at the sectional, state, all-state, and New England level. He was inducted into the MA Interscholastic Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2011, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014.
John Manning is a 1984 graduate, who played football, basketball, track, and tennis. In football, he was a four-year starting quarterback and led his team to a Hockomock League championship as a senior in the 1983 season. In basketball, John was an important member of the 1983 Hockomock League championship team and was Foxboro’s 4th all-time leading scorer at the time of his graduation. John was also the first Foxboro football player selected to play in the Shriner’s Game.
Kevin Martin was a 1993 graduate, who was one of the most talented all-around athletes ever at Foxboro High School. Kevin was a three-sport standout in soccer, basketball, and track, and he led each team in numerous statistical categories. Kevin was an excellent two-way player at basketball, leading the team in both assists and steals as a senior. On the track, Kevin was a two-time Hockomock League champion in the 300-meter hurdles and won a Class championship. Even more talented on the soccer field, Kevin was the first Foxboro boys’ soccer player selected as an All-American and went on to play at UMass-Amherst.
Alison Culley is a 1998 graduate of Foxboro High School who set the standard to which all other Foxboro High School sprinters are held. At a time when Foxboro High School was 8th through 12th grade, Alison was a five-year varsity track athlete, both indoors and outdoors. During her five-year career, Alison was undefeated in the Hockomock League in every distance from 55m through 600m. Alison won numerous individual and team championships at all levels, including at League, State, New England and National competitions. Alison still holds three individual school records and one relay record. Alison was inducted into the MA State Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018.
The 1977 Boys’ Soccer Team won the MIAA Eastern Mass state championship over Dover-Sherborn for Foxboro’s only boys soccer state title. In that post-season, Foxboro defeated Wilmington, Scituate, and defending champion Duxbury before beating Dover-Sherborn in overtime 2-1. The final was scoreless through regulation, which led to two five-minute overtime periods. Andy Jameson scored the lone goal of the overtime sessions, which gave the Warriors a 1-0 victory.
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