Trevor Foley catching on – Boston Herald

MANSFIELD — It is not hard to find Trevor Foley when he is on the football field.

He’s 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, and when he lines up for Mansfield at wide receiver, he draws a lot of attention.

What is quite difficult, though, is being able to stop him. No one has done that yet, and the Hornets are hoping that continues in his senior season.

With many taller receivers, running routes can be a bit awkward at the high school level. But Foley’s footwork and ability to change direction on a dime make him a tough cover.

“Just practice, practicing over and over again, offseason, in season, after practice, before practice,” said Foley to explain his route-running prowess.

“Usually, the tall, rangier kids that are that big, they’re good targets, but they’re not great getting in and out of cuts,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding. “But he’s got great feet. His out cuts, he’s in and out and he’s got good length. You can run those outs to him, but you get one-on-one and you throw the ball up on the fade, and even though he’s covered, he’s going to make the play. He gives you a lot of different things.

“This year, we’re going to move him around. Obviously, teams are going to want to bracket him and get some doubles as much as they can. We’re going to move him. We’ve got four or five spots we can put him. We’ve got a nice, complementary group around him.”

Foley started as a sophomore and was instantly a hit. He was a Hockomock League All-Star that year, and just beginning to scratch the surface of what he could be.

Then, last year, even knowing defenses would key on him, Foley produced again. He caught 43 passes for 817 yards, a 19.0 yards per catch average, and 12 touchdowns.

Foley is also a standout basketball player for the Hornets. He says playing two sports has helped his game in each.

“They both help in some way, lateral movements,” Foley said. “Getting up for rebounds is like getting up for contested catches, and vice versa.”

Mansfield, which will compete in Div. 3 this season after playing in Div. 2 previously, will be one of the favorites in that bracket to make a deep run. And Foley loves playing for Redding and the Hornets.

“It’s very important,” Foley said. “We’ve built a family around here. We’re a tight group of guys. We all work hard together. We’ve all been through the ups and downs. We all love it here and the atmosphere the fans bring, and all that.”

Over the weekend, Foley committed to play his college ball at Brown. But he still has unfinished business at Mansfield.

“Win as many games as possible,” Foley said. “Definitely win the Hock title, and have a deep run into the postseason.”

Redding has confidence that Foley can do whatever he puts his mind to.

“The icing on the cake is the leadership that’s developed,” Redding said. “He’s a great leader in our football and basketball programs. He’s a first-class young man who’s a great athlete that loves playing. It’s been fun. We’re looking forward to this year, seeing what he can do after two great years.”