Lowell NorEaster
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The Lowell Nor'easter are a semi-professional football team, who plays in the New England Football League (NEFL). The Nor'easter play their home games at Cawley Memorial Stadium in Lowell, Massachusetts. The current Nor'easter Head Coach is former Lowell Nor'easter Center and former Captain Eric Smith.
How the Lowell Nor'easter was formed
In 1995, the North Shore Rage, run by Steve Girard and Steve Skinner, won the Championship of the New England Football League beating the Rockingham Cougars. The Rage stayed together as a team for two more years, making the championship game again in 1997, this time losing to the Massachusetts Havoc. Many of the core players from the Rage were from the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts, primarily Dracut and Lowell. These players were Brian Bedard, Brian Cote, Dave Hebert, Mike Williams, Scott McGlinchey, Shaun McCormack, Rich Grasso and Todd LaCourse. Looking to play a little closer to home and realizing that there were more resources and contacts available to recruit players from the area, draw from a larger fan base, and establish a stronger organization, they decided to move the team to Lowell, Massachusetts.
Girard and Skinner were instrumental in finding a sponsor, Captain John’s of Lowell, thanks to proprietor Nick Kozombolis. As well as appointing a new head coach, Al Pare. Pare was coming from a coaching stint at Lowell High School and was a highly respected coach in the area. He added to his staff offensive coordinator Randy Witts, as well as defensive coordinator Robert Fitzmaurice. Included in the staff was quarterbacks coach Billy Rizos, who set a handful of records at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell.
The next step was acquiring a field to play at, and with the help of Bernie Judge, Skinner and Girard were able to obtain historical Cawley stadium. With all the pieces in place all that was left was to field a team.
Al Pare, drawing on his pool of former players from Lowell High, and with the help of Al Gendron, began to piece together a team of players that played their high school football in the Merrimack Valley, with many who went on to play at various colleges and now lived back in the area, and had plenty more football left in them. The Nor’easter were now officially a new team in the NEFL.
In their first year, the Nor’easter had one regular season tie, won the Northern Division of the NEFL, and went on to defeat the Tri-boro Rhinos, 13 – 6, for the NEFL Championship. They weren’t done there as they defeated the Maine State Football League champion, the Central Maine Storm, in the first round of the N.A.F.A. playoffs. The next game in this regional playoff, the Harvest Bowl, was for the championship against the New York Football League champions, the Irondequoit Sting. Lowell hosted the game and went on to beat the Sting, 13 – 6, and become the second annual N.A.F.A. AA National Champions, capping their first season at an impressive 14-0-1.
The Nor’easter would continue their winning ways in their second season, adding more accomplished players to their roster and strengthening an already impressive team, on their way to another undefeated season at 12-0. Also, winning their second consecutive NEFL title and Harvest Bowl Championship, against the Massachusetts Havoc, 41 – 21, and the Buffalo Gladiators, 20 – 6, respectively. This would conclude Al Pare’s reign as head coach, as he stepped aside at the end of the season and Robert Fitzmaurice would take over for the next four seasons as the head coach.
The Nor’easter made their mark in NEFL history by piling up an undefeated streak of 34 games before their first loss came in the eighth game of their third season against the Eastern Massachusetts Mavericks. The Nor’easter would avenge this loss and beat the Mavericks in the NEFL playoffs, 38 – 31, on their way to a third consecutive NEFL title over the Tri-boro Rhinos, 34 - 0. As well as, defeating the Mavericks in the Harvest Bowl tournament, 35-0. Unfortunately, the Nor’easter would lose in the championship of the Harvest Bowl to the Buffalo Gladiators, 35 – 21, out of the New York Amateur Football League.
The Nor’easter continue to be comprised of many former Merrimack Valley high school all stars, as well as, college all stars that want to continue playing a high level of football for the love of the game.
YEAR W L T For Against Notes
1998 14 0 1 308 95 NEFL & Harvest Bowl Champions
1999 12 0 0 326 48 NEFL & Harvest Bowl Champions
2000 13 2 0 472 105 NEFL Champions, Harvest Bowl Runner-up
2001 13 2 0 425 102 NEFL Runner-up, Harvest Bowl Runner-up
2002 14 1 0 348 65 NEFL & Harvest Bowl Champions
2003 9 4 0 284 151 NEFL Runner-up
2004 14 1 0 422 83 NEFL Champions, Harvest Bowl Runner-up
2005 11 2 0 382 115 NEFL Runner-up
2006 8 4 0 255 161 NEFL Runner-up
2007 10 2 0 237 132 NEFL Runner-up
Year(s) Head Coach W-L-T NEFL Champs
1998-1999 Al Pare 25-0-1 1998,99
2000-2003 Rob Fitzmaurice 50-9 2000,2002
2004 Mike Power 14-1 2004
2005-2006 Tim Wilson 19-5 runner up 2005,06
2007 - ? Eric Smith 11-3 2007 runner up
