BRAINTREE -- Mark and Chris Landolfi never played together on the Archbishop Williams High varsity football team because they were two years apart. The best Chris (Class of 1988) could do was serve as sophomore scout-team fodder for Mark's senior-season 1985 team that made it all the way to the Division 4 EMass Super Bowl, losing to Holliston.
But the brothers did (ahem) run into each other in college.
Chris was a cornerback at Central Connecticut. Mark was a fullback at UConn, back in the days when the Huskies were a 1-AA program in the old Yankee Conference.
"He knocked me out of the game for a couple of plays," Chris recalled with a laugh. "They ran a sweep right at me and I just froze. I don't know why. He was 245 pounds then. Literally knocked me into their sideline. I got him back (later)."
The brothers don't bang heads anymore, especially now that they are reunited again at their alma mater . Mark was a longtime member of Chris' staff when Chris was the head coach at Hanover High from 2013-2022. Now the roles are reversed. Mark is a first-time head coach at Archies ( coming off a 5-6 season ), and Chris is on his staff as defensive coordinator.
Chris Landolfi took a one-year leave of absence from Hanover last season to coach at Lawrence Academy, where his son Michael was a star senior quarterback. Mark Landolfi stayed at Hanover and helped interim (now full-time) head coach Brian Kelliher lead the Hawks to a Div. 5 Super Bowl appearance .
The Landolfi brothers could have returned to Hanover, where they both still live, but when Archies came calling they found it hard to say no. "Being able to come back to your old high school, a place we loved" was too good to pass up, Mark, 56, said. Added Chris: "It's like coming back full circle. This is where I fell in love with football."
Mark Landolfi, who is retired from the Secret Service, acknowledges that being a first-time head coach has been eye-opening in terms of all the responsibility. But he gets a vote of confidence from Chris, who says, "I think he's perfect for this."
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Mark has plenty of veteran know-how at his disposal. Kevin Macdonald, who coached the Landolfis at Archies and later had a long, successful tenure at Milton Academy, is on the new staff as running backs coach. And Matt Landolfi (there are five Landolfi brothers in all) is coming off back-to-back Div. 4 Super Bowl wins as Duxbury's head coach.
So far, Mark Landolfi likes what he's seen from his new team, which kicks off the new season at Oliver Ames on Sept. 6. "We definitely have talent," he said. "We're putting in a new offense and a new defense and they've been very committed to learning that and asking good questions. It's been tough on the kids, but they're totally in on it. And they're getting better and better every day."
The no-huddle
Senior Nick Schwartz (Braintree) is the new quarterback; his older brother Joe had the job last year, accounting for more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage with 17 TDs. Senior Devin Sheehan and junior Tyler Gardner-Harris are the top running backs, replacing graduated All-Scholastic Shane Wright, who ran for 1,140 yards and 12 TDs. Junior Luke Deftos and seniors Nolan Swirbalus and Collin Waldron are in the mix at receiver. Sheehan might line up in the slot, too. Senior Zach Garrett anchors the O-line at left tackle, joined by junior right tackle Travis Gardner-Harris and junior center Kevin Esdale. Junior Marc Romain will be one of the guards. Sheehan, Swirbalus and Waldron will be in the defensive secondary, Tyler Gardner-Harris will play linebacker, and Garrett will anchor the defensive line.
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2023 recap
The Bishops had lost four straight before ending the season with back-to-back wins over East Bridgewater (40-21) and Cardinal Spellman (42-24). The latter was their fourth consecutive win in the Thanksgiving Gravy Bowl rivalry.
Three names to know
QB Nick Schwartz: This 5-10 senior from Braintree will be at the controls of the Bishops' new offense.
Zach Garrett: This 6-4, 260-pound senior from Kingston will be key in the trenches for Archies. Said coach Mark Landolfi: "He's big and he can move. He's smart, so he knows all the line calls. He's helping out the younger guys."
Gardner-Harris twins: Travis, a two-way lineman, and Tyler, a running back/linebacker, are juniors stars in the making from Braintree. "Awesome kids," Garrett said. "They deserve it."
They said it
Coach Mark Landolfi on his memories of Gravy Bowl games vs. Cardinal Spellman. (Archies won his senior year, kicking off a nine-year winning streak in the Thanksgiving rivalry.): "It's nice having memories of those big games with big crowds. My senior year I think it was snowing and raining, just a terrible day. But back in those days, running around in the mud was fun."
Defensive coordinator Chris Landolfi on senior QB Nick Schwartz: "He's grown by leaps and bounds. I've always been around good quarterbacks at Hanover and Duxbury, and he's right up there with them already."
Senior LT Zach Garrett on Archies' O-line prospects: "It's going to be awesome. Great group of kids. Hardest workers I know. We couldn't have assembled a better line."
Archbishop Williams High 2024 football schedule
Friday, Sept. 6 -- at Oliver Ames, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 13 -- at Quincy, 7
OFF WEEK
Friday, Sept. 27 -- at Bishop Feehan, 6
Friday, Oct. 4 -- vs. Bishop Fenwick, 7
Saturday, Oct. 12 -- at Arlington Catholic, 11 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 18 -- vs. St. Mary's (Lynn), 6
Friday, Oct. 25 -- at Bishop Stang, 7
Friday, Nov. 1 -- vs. Cathedral, 6
Thursday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Cardinal Spellman, 10 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: All in the Family: Landolfi brothers come home to lead Archbishop Williams football
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