Two of the city’s schools play in the Northeastern Conference, so beyond the fact they’re from Lynn, they’re generally playing teams from the area.Thus, they get plenty of coverage.At third school has seen its program grow so much in this decade that it has climbed to a higher division. As a result, it gets plenty of coverage too.But let’s talk a little about the fourth school: Lynn Tech.The Tigers – very quietly – have opened the season with a 3-0 record. Right off the bat, that’s a huge improvement over the last several seasons, where the Tigers have struggled mightily just to break even.We say “very quietly” because Tech plays in the Commonwealth Conference, which is competitive enough ? but there isn’t a school in the league, except for Northeast Regional (Wakefield) that’s anywhere close to Lynn.Tech’s opponents play in places such as Middleton, Lexington, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill and Tyngsborough. Often, they’re up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning and on a bus at an hour when most people are still sleeping (including Item personnel still reeling from the late-night football crunch on Fridays).Yet the Tigers persevere. Thus far, they’ve done more than that this season.Last week’s 36-0 romp over Minuteman is a good case in point. The Mustangs may not have a very good record, but nobody at the high school level (except perhaps Everett) can afford to be that choosy about who it beats.I remember getting into a rather lively conversation with the late Mike Carr, who coached the Tech team forever before becoming the school’s athletic director, who said that you can’t compare vocational schools to most other high schools. Their priorities are different, and it’s one reason why the voke schools band together to form leagues like the CAC (Carr always HATED the term “shop league”).These kids don’t just go to school and go to practice. A lot of them work cooperative education jobs, and a lot of them are there to learn a trade. Whatever they do athletically is secondary.So it’s nice to see these teams do well. Tech, in general, has always had a pretty good athletic reputation despite its stated purpose. Every now and then, there may be a dip in football or baseball results, but we’re approaching an era where Tiger fortunes may be rising again. The girls basketball team has met with tremendous success, and the baseball team made the tournament last year.Time will tell as to whether Tech can sustain this good start and be the CAC’s post-season representative (the Tigers are still the only Lynn team never to have gone that far). But unless you’re a totally insensitive clod, you have to root for coach Gary Sverker and the Tigers. Even hardened old news guys like a good story.Go Tech!uThis may sound very odd, but the game of the week may take place Saturday morning (11) at Saugus’ Stackpole Field when Winthrop comes to town.Now that Saugus and Peabody are erstwhile rivals, this is the closest thing the Sachems have now to an annual all-out rivalry.But it hasn’t been much of one lately. Winthrop has reached dizzying heights the last few years while Saugus has had to do some serious climbing to recover form its lows.That has changed – at least thus far. Saugus with a loss (ask any of those kids over there, and they’ll tell you they should have won it) over Newburyport, but from there it’s been three wins in a row.Granted, the wins have come against who have struggled themselves, but that’s hardly the point. Again, nobody can afford to get too picky about victories. You take them when you get them.Winthrop will be a pretty good test for the Sachems. After an 0-2 start, the Vikings have roared back to win three straight – all against NEC/Large schools.uThe Major Leagues certainly haven’t done local sports around here much of a favor, have they? For the second Friday in a row, the Red Sox are in action – this time at 8 p.m. in the ALCS against Cleveland.From what I understand, this impacted crowds at some venues. Which is too bad.