“Coach just said, ‘One more game,’ and, I mean, we’re all playing for his dad, Boya,’’ Dougherty said after the victory. “The win’s for Boya, number one.’’
Ellis Reid “Boya’’ Follette died on Dec. 17, and the Eagles made it their mission win a state title for him and his grieving family. For their head coach. And for their teammates: his grandson, designated hitter Connor Follette, and his nephew, senior catcher Matt Walsh. To everyone else, he was just family.
“Boya Follette was a big part of my life and everybody else’s in Plymouth,’’ Dougherty said. “He was probably one of the most well-known people in this part of Massachusetts. He was in our minds when we were playing this entire season.’’
Boya — nicknamed by his sister, Jane Ripley, at a young age — was a fixture in the Plymouth community, particularly among those who played sports.
Boya coached baseball in his younger days, putting his managerial skills to work in Little League, Babe Ruth, and even American Legion ball for a short time. He was league president in Little League and Babe Ruth. And his son, Dwayne, has developed North into a perennial power.
“He had a excellent set of values and passed those on,’’ said his friend, Carl Freyermuth, a former football coach at North.
“You watch Plymouth North, and they know how to play the game. They play it the way it should be played. Dwayne will carry 25 kids, and they’re all happy, and that doesn’t happen in 2011. I think a lot of Dwayne’s personality and the way he looks at things comes from Boya.’’
The ex-coach was appreciated for his positive, insightful postgame remarks. He had a sharp eye for the game, and wasn’t shy about sharing what he knew.
He instilled in his son the ability to motivate, and in doing so, helped mold this year’s squad. And Walsh, the Globe’s two-time Division 2 Player of the Year who is headed to Franklin Pierce College, learned the game in Boya’s backyard.
