Biography

If one were to glance quickly at the 7-3 record for NAHS’ 1987 football season, the true competitiveness of that team might not be recog- nized. Two of their three losses came against eventual Division III Super Bowl participants Foxboro (6-0) and Canton (12-7), a nd the average margin of defeat in all 3 losses was a mere 5 points per game. The Rocketeer defense was immense, limiting 7 of their 10 oppon ents to one TD or less while surrendering just 69 points the entire year. This is the 3rd lowest points allowed total over the past 38 sea sons in Big Red Country, and one of the team’s leading defensive players of impact was one of its smallest – defensive back Matt Gaulin.

At 5’8 and 165 lbs Gaulin was “our number one guy back there in the secondary...he is the guy we always put on the other team’s b est receiver” noted head coach Ray Beaupre after Gaulin intercepted two passes in a 19-6 victory over Oliver Ames. Matt then contr ibuted 41 yards rushing , 59 yards receiving, and his 26-yd interception return to the Mansfield 19 yard line led to North’s 1st TD in an emoti onal 13-7 victory over the Hornets. Led by two more Gaulin interceptions the Rocketeers limited the Franklin Panthers to just 84 total yards and 4 first downs the entire game in a 21-0 shutout. The next week, after falling behind 7-0 against a KP team led by talented passing QB Jim Weir, adjustments by the Matt Gaulin-led defensive back corps picked off 4 passes in the 2nd half to cement the 28-7 victory. Offensively Matt cont ributed 72 addi- tional yards on offense to spearhead the comeback.

Matt’s athleticism enabled him to contribute in multiple ways during his senior year as a running back (272 yards rushing); rec eiver (386 receiving yards and a 22.7 average yds per catch); and defensive back (his 9 interceptions was one of the highest totals in the entire state that season). In his final high school games against Attleboro on Thanksgiving morning the Rocketeer secondary helped limit Attlebo ro’s vaunted passing attack from doing too much damage. Gaulin picked off two more passes while matching up with AHS’ outstanding Hall of F ame WR Jon Daskam, and offensively Matt caught 6 passes for 143 yards, one a 39 yard TD strike for the game’s first score in a dominat ing 34-0 vic- tory.

At the conclusion of his senior year Matt was selected to both The Sun Chronicle and Hockomock League All Star teams, and he wa s tabbed as the Rocketeer’s Offensive Player of the Year.