The Hebronian December 2008 Page 1 Volume 7, Issue 3 ... - Gulemo

For RHAM Football, the W’s Are Coming!
“We’re headed where we want to go,” exclaimed a confident Head
Coach Tom Hammon about the RHAM football team. “The W’s
[wins] are coming!”
And if November 17’s Junior Varsity game against Bristol is any indication,
he’s right.
RHAM’s football program includes three major groups: the freshmen,
Junior Varsity, and varsity teams. While the program is relatively new at
RHAM, that hasn’t stopped the players and their coaches from working
hard to produce winning teams and a winning future.
What’s interesting about this year’s program is all the changes that
have taken place. Hammon, a Federal Marshall by day with flexible
hours, is totally dedicated to his coaching role at RHAM. He runs
the federal Fugitive Task Force Unit and is the U.S. Marshall’s Warrant
Coordinator in Connecticut. He brings years of focused discipline,
as well as his experience playing football during his military years, to
his players.
“If you watch on a game-by-game, you’ll see that RHAM is becoming
very competitive,” said Hammon. “The freshman program is doing
very well, and the junior varsity wins almost every game.” Just seconds
after he made this statement, RHAM ran the ball almost 65 yards,
scoring what appeared to be an easy touchdown. The JV team is led
by Coach Chris Riley and Coach Jarrid Clifton.
Hammon noted that the success of any athletic program is paying attention
not only to the varsity team, generally comprised of juniors and
seniors, but also to the freshman team, who will play varsity football
in the not-so-distant future.
Leading the freshmen this year is Mark Gendron, one of Hebron’s
Resident State Troopers. Even though he is a Salem resident, Gendron
“wants very much to make a difference in the Hebron community on
and off the job. I like working with teenagers and helping them through
difficult times, and I want to know that I am making a difference and
helping them grow into adults.”
Gendron joins Hammon in his enthusiasm about the RHAM football
players. “I think the most gratifying aspect is watching the progress,”
he said. “At the beginning of the season, many of the players had never
played football before. Our goal was to learn one offense and eleven
plays. But now they know three different offenses and 58 plays, and
they run them very proficiently. I have never been more proud of a
group of people in my life as I am of these young men and what they
have achieved on and off the field.”
Having cops as your coaches might be intimidating to some players.
“At the beginning of the year, many of the players were not sure if I
was approachable or not since I’m a Trooper,” said Gendron. “But as
the season progressed, the players found that I am not just a Trooper,
but a person who cares about each of them as individuals. They
know I will help them with problems or listen to them when they
need someone to just listen.”
There have been some truly telling moments in this year’s RHAM
program. “The players told me one day that they wanted me to go
with them to the Junior Varsity level next year,” said Gendron. “They
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The Hebronian December 2008 Page 22
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