Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – WEDnESDAy, DECEmbEr 24, 2025 Remembering Coach Ginolfi A former player reflects on the passing of a legendary Saugus High School football coach By Vincent Serino (Editor’s Note: A 1983 photograph of then-Saugus High School football Head Coach Mike Ginolfi conferring with one of his players, then-junior Vincent Serino, has been circulating since the Dec. 11 death of the legendary coach. Saugus Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Anthony Cogliano (a 1984 Saugus High graduate) had a newspaper copy of the old photo in his High School scrapbook and began sharing it in the Saugus community after Coach Ginolfi passed away. ”I do not have any info onthe game or score. Just saved the picture because Vinny and I were best friends in High School,” Cogliano said of the old newspaper clip he photographed with his cell phone. Cogliano graduated in 1984. Serino graduated in 1985. The Saugus Advocate asked Serino to reflect on the photo and the coach.) T hank you to The Advocate for this opportunity to reflect on my time as ASKS| FROM PAGE 3 2) My one wish for all residents is that everyone has a happy and healthy New Year. a Saugus High School football player and to tell you about our Coach Mike Ginolfi, Gino. Like many young players, I didn’t fully understand at the time how much those years and Coach would shape me — not just as an athlete, but as a person. Football at Saugus was about more than wins and losses. It was about discipline, accountability and showing up for your teammates no matter what the circumstances. Coach Ginolfi demanded effort and toughness, but he also taught us something deeper: pride in representing our school, respect for the game and responsibility for one another. He believed in preparation and doing things the right way. Practices were tough, expectations were high, and excuses weren’t part of the culture. At the time, it felt demanding. Looking back, I realized it was a gift. He was preparing us for life beyond football — where hard work, resilience and integrity matter far more than any scoreboard. Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini 1) I think one of the top stories in Saugus in 2025 pertained to continued movement towards a potential West Side Public Safety building. The and about the young men wearing that uniform. Long after the final whistle, the lessons stayed with us. Many of us carried those lessons into our families, careers and communities. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have played for him and to have been part of something bigger than myself. His impact lives on through every player he coached and every life he influenced. Saugus football is better because of him, and so are we. Rest easy, Coach. Your legacy will never be forgotten. An update by Vincent Serino: AN INGAME CONVERSATION: Left to right: Then-Saugus High School junior Vincent Serino confers with then-Saugus High School Football Head Coach Mike Ginolfi during a 1983 game. (Courtesy photo of Anthony Cogliano from his High School scrapbook) What stands out most now is how much he cared. He cared feasibility study was completed and the town, working with consultants, identified properties that would meet the key criteria for a station to be constructed as outlined in the feaabout the program, about the traditions of Saugus football sibility study. The next step is to determine the estimated cost to construct the facility as well as the cost of the fire apparatus needed at the location. The town needs to have a thor“I played for four years in high school and four years in college. I was a WR, defensive back, and a kicker in high school, and a Safety in college. “That photo was taken during my junior year, the 1983 season. Not sure on the background of the picture, but whatever he was telling me, you can be sure I was listening.” ough community education process to let the community be fully apprised of the cost/ benefit of having this station. ASKS | SEE PAGE 7 Be prepared before the next power outage. Dr. Rosemonde Paulo DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC Mindset Psychiatric & Wellness LLC 26 Ferry St., Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (781) 242-5401 Fax: (781) 205-1973 Email: Info@mindsetpsychiatricwellness.com Receive a free 5-year warranty with qualifying purchase* - valued at $535. Call 866-852-0221 to schedule your free quote!
7 Publizr Home