NEWPORT, R.I.– After an 8-2 finish last season, the Salve Regina football team carried high hopes in the 2017 campaign. Thanks to key contributions from players like Lynnfield native Drew Balestrieri, those hopes are translating into wins.
Salve Regina, 3-0 on the season, couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year after victories over Worcester State (35-28), Montclair State (26-20) and Dean (27-0). In those three wins, Balestrieri, a sophomore linebacker, has tallied six tackles: four solo and two assisted.
After dropping two of their final three games in 2016, including a 37-34 loss to Framingham State in the New England Bowl, Balestrieri and the Seahawks came into 2017 ready to play.
“Last season was excellent, but we finished with two tough losses at the end of the season,” Balestrieri, a former three-year starter at Lynnfield High, said. “One was to Western New England in a hard-fought game. The other was to Framingham State, we were fortunate enough to play in the New England Bowl and we lost a close game. It was a tough loss but we’re back this year and we’re ready to go.”
Balestrieri credited the key to Salve Regina’s early success to mastering what the Seahawks call the “little things.” While Salve Regina has excelled at the big-picture areas of the game, the team really hammered down on the “little things” throughout training camp.
“The coaching staff has done a tremendous job this year,” Balestrieri said. “We lost our two biggest games last year. Our coaches and captains have been unbelievable. They’ve been stressing the little things and doing the little things right. We do the big things right on this team and now we’re hammering on the little details.”
His main goal coming into the season, Balestrieri said, was to establish a role that allowed him to rotate into games as often as he can. In the end, he’s hopeful that his contributions will help land Salve Regina a Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship.
“For me, my goals were to be on the field with the team, rotating in as much as I can,” Balestrieri, who earned a 3.89 GPA his freshman year, said. “Also, I wanted to do as much as I can. I wanted to play as much as I can and help us reach our main goal. Above everything, our goal is to win the conference championship.”
As a freshman in 2016, Balestrieri made a quick impact with the Seahawks. In nine games, the former Pioneer totalled 15 tackles, 14 solo, while making major contributions on special teams.
Balestrieri’s strong freshman season not only allowed him to find his comfort zone on the team but also to make a strong impression on Seahawks coach Kevin Gilmartin.
“He was a captain at Lynnfield and when we first met him, we thought he was going to be an absolute steal,” Gilmartin said. “We knew he’d develop into a big time football player. He came in and not only is he a good football player, but he’s a phenomenal human. He’s a leader on our team as a sophomore. Teammates gravitate to him because of his personality.”
While many incoming freshmen struggle in making the jump from high school to college football, Balestrieri came to Salve Regina well-prepared. In his days wearing the Pioneers uniform, Balestrieri became accustomed to practicing at a high speed. When he arrived at Salve Regina, the practice tempo was something Balestrieri had already seen.
“(Lynnfield) Coach Neil Weidman does a great job,” Balestrieri said. “More kids are coming out of the program and playing college football. That’s a credit to Weidman and the coaching staff. I remember how fast we went in practice and the tempo we had. When I got to Salve, we ran with a similar tempo in practice. Everyone’s rotating and moving around the field. I couldn’t have been more prepared.”
Now that Balestrieri’s already tackling a major role on the team in his second season, Gilmartin’s excited for what lies ahead for his sophomore linebacker.
“His position requires athleticism and he has to be the heart and soul of the defense,” Gilmartin said. “The fact that he’s already stepping up into that role tells you he’s going to have an even bigger role two years from now.
“He’s a great player and a great person,” Gilmartin added. “He had a great GPA as a freshman. That tells you a lot about him as a person, he’s able to work hard on the field and in the classroom. He’s a worker and because of that we know he’s going to keep getting better.”
But before Balestrieri can look forward to taking on an expanded role in his next two years, first thing’s first. Salve Regina, which went 6-1 against CCC opponents in 2016, is looking to build on that success and bring home a conference championship.
“It’s going to come down to us and Western New England again,” Balestrieri said. “Endicott’s an excellent team as well. In order for us to achieve this goal, we have to stay as strong and healthy as we can. We have to keep our discipline on defense and keep the ball moving on offense. If we can do that, we’ll definitely get there.”
The Seahawks will aim for a 4-0 start on Saturday evening when they visit Western Connecticut State.