As we look forward to 2025 and another great year of Methuen sports, it is a fitting time to look back on some of the personalities and characters featured in Sports Blitz in 2024.

As I went through some of the interviews and stories, there seemed to be a common theme with many of the athletes and coaches interviewed, and it is a fitting theme as we come out of the holiday season and into a new year. That theme is family.

In sports, families take on all forms, from those who support at home to trusted coaches to teammates. Regardless, that sense of belonging and knowing that people close to you have your back is one of the great things about scholastic athletics.

Anthony Faradie has moved on from his position as head boys’ basketball coach at MHS, but his lingering memories of his time in Methuen are all about the concept of family.

“Working with (former Athletic Director) Matt Curran and (former Principal) Rich Barden was a match made in heaven for me,” says Faradie. “My assistant coaches that I had over the years in Methuen were incredible – David Brown, Ryan Middlemiss, Doug Ryan, Doug Gemmell, David White and many others.”

Faradie also mentioned a truly touching story that really shows the familial nature of his time in Methuen. He relates, “When my nephew Ty got diagnosed with leukemia in December 2023, it was a really challenging time for our family. Without telling me, our players made special warmup T-shirts that read ‘Team Ty.’

“The parents ran fund-raisers and made up extra shirts for my family. It was really amazing. The relationships I formed in Methuen will last a lifetime, and I’ll treasure those forever.”

Former Methuen High School and Curry College star Connor Bryant comes from a truly dedicated and involved family. His parents Bill and Pam have been staunch supporters of Methuen sports and athletes, even after their kids stopped competing in city programs.

Bryant puts the impact of Bill and Pam into perspective: “My parents have put many people, including myself, above themselves, from the Boosters in Methuen to just helping me get through the rough homesick moments at Curry.

“They have supported me and many others for such a long time, and it has made me want to be like that too. As I embark on my journey into law enforcement, I take that lesson from them to put people above myself and to help them.”

Similarly, Methuen native and U.S. Olympic rower Regina Salmons took her family ties and impact all the way to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She states, “My parents (George Salmons and Marion Brown) still live in Methuen, and I played youth soccer for my entire childhood in Methuen. The love of sport was really instilled in me at the MKS fields.”

Clearly, Methuen is a huge part of Salmons’ psyche, and her family holds an even larger space in her heart: “My parents have been incredibly supportive, and they continue to support me so much emotionally. Their love has been incredible.

“My mother has been a teacher my whole life. Her patience and commitment to growth is so inspiring. She has faith in and respect for all of her students. My father drove to every single one of my collegiate rowing races and took me to every sports practice growing up. His quiet belief in me has always carried me through any tough moments.”

Like the Salmons family, the Danellas of Methuen are all about support and impact. MHS football quarterback Josh Danella led the Rangers to another sparkling season and looks to be even better as a senior QB in 2025. His dad Jason quarterbacked Methuen High School to the 1992 Division 2A Super Bowl championship and the pair have a special bond indeed.

“The role my father has played in my growth, not only as a football player but as a person, has been massive,” says Josh. “He has been my role model growing up and the person I look to when I need any kind of advice.

“It’s a real blessing to have a figure like that in your life, and for me, it really has been the defining factor in who I am as a player. Every chance we get, we are downstairs watching film,” Josh continued. “I think the thing that I admire the most about him is his honesty. He isn’t afraid to carve into me when it comes to film which is a good thing. The more I listen, the more I learn, and that’s something that goes deeper than just football.”

Jason Danella sees the value of mingling family with football because he experienced it himself as a youngster. He relates, “We try to do what our parents did for us when we were young. It’s the rides, the team meals, the travel for away games, and the fund-raising.

“We were fortunate to have involved parents who took an interest in our love of sports and shared in our experiences. Playing football as a kid was a beautiful experience for me, and the relationships that came from it are my most treasured. We’ve been blessed to have that same experience as parents now with Josh.”

As I stated, family comes in all forms in sports. For legendary Methuen High School cross country and track star Chris Cameron, head coach Roger Fuller did so much more than just blow a whistle and hit a stopwatch. Fuller passed away in 2024 and left an eternal impression on Cameron.

“Coach Fuller was like a father figure to me my whole life,” says Cameron. “His impact on myself and countless others is so profound that it’s difficult to put into words. To me, he was the perfect mentor. He was always there to support me and also showed me tough love when I needed it the most.

“He helped inspire me to be a coach, and 32 years later I still find myself using many of the lessons he taught with my own athletes.”

Methuen High School wrestler extraordinaire Dom Gangi experienced the same kind of coaching from the recently departed Bill James. The young mat magician talks about the late Coach James as well as his family at home: “I learned so much from Coach James, life lessons on and off the mat. He taught me so much and I can’t thank him enough. Losing him was devastating to me and my teammates.

“In sports, family is everything. You need that support when you’re grinding all season. Coach James and my family have been amazing through all my ups and downs in my career, and I can’t say enough how much I love all of them.”

Perhaps no team at MHS was more about family in 2024 that the Methuen/Tewksbury Red Ranger girls’ hockey team. This roster featured three pairs of sisters including Ella and Ava Duffy.

All of these siblings expressed the positives and challenges of competing alongside close family. Ella Duffy encompassed their thoughts saying, “Having a person on your team that you can trust 100% is something I never knew I needed until I started playing high school sports. I always have someone to celebrate successes with or cry to after tough games.”

Ella expressed great emotion on the prospects of not having her older sister on the team as Ava graduated in 2024. She states, “The thought of going from having Ava in every aspect of my life to not seeing her every day will certainly leave me with an empty feeling.

“We play volleyball, hockey and tennis, and do almost everything together. We still fight like siblings, but we were raised with pretty thick skin, so arguments never last too long in our house.”

Duffy’s teammates, sisters Emma and Samantha Ryan, have grown up in sports. Their dad is Tom Ryan, the highly successful Methuen High School varsity football coach. So, what is it like having a coach at home as well as on the ice?

Emma responds, “He understands certain team dynamics better than other parents. He tends to compare what his team does to what our team does at certain times, but I think he tries to keep his coaching mindset and his parent mindset separate.”

Adds Samantha, “Having my dad as a coach has made me a better athlete. I know what coaches expect, and the commitment I need to give to the team. He gives us constructive criticism and tells us when we need to pick it up. Our dad makes sure we come into the season prepared and ready to compete.” 

Tom Ryan’s best player this past football season, senior running back and safety Shane Eason, hails from good football family stock. His brother Drew, currently a freshman at Stonehill, was one of the best quarterbacks in Ranger history, and parents Tammi and PJ have been in his corner all the way.

Says Shane, “My parents have pushed me to work hard ever since I started playing football, and my brother Drew had a huge impact on my career. I started playing receiver in high school mainly because of his talent throwing the ball. He also pushes me to become the best version of myself and is the hardest working kid I know. I definitely miss playing with my brother. We had such a special connection and rhythm on the field.”

Connection and rhythm, these words sum up the incredible effect of family in sports. As 2025 commences, we will surely see more athletic stars make their marks, and just as surely, we will see family of all types providing support and encouragement.

John Molori is an author, columnist, and a 2011 inductee into the Methuen Athletic Hall of Fame. Facebook: John Molori, Twitter @MoloriMedia. E-mail molorimedia@gmail.com