FOXBOROUGH — At this point, it’s pretty much indisputable and goes without saying: Corey Grimes is the best quarterback who’s ever played at Salem High.
What needs to be said, a little bit more often, is that Grimes is also one of the very best leaders who has ever worn a Witch on his helmet in 130-plus seasons of Salem High school football.
Playing quarterback, and playing it well, requires a lot more than a strong arm, sturdy legs, athleticism and smarts. The QB is the guy every player in the huddle looks at before every play is called … and when they do, they need to be inspired. They need to see a guy they believe in, a guy who can make the impossible routine and who they’d follow, unquestioning, against impossible odds.
That, and so much more, is Corey Grimes.
Thursday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, Grimes led Salem High into battle in the Division 6 Super Bowl. The Witches fell to Fairhaven, 26-22, but not before their quarterback and their offense almost pulled one last magic trick out of their helmets.
Trailing by two scores with 3:45 left in his high school career, Grimes took Salem down the field and found Albert Pujols for a touchdown from 15 yards away with under tow minutes to go. Even though the Witches didn’t recover the ensuing onside kick, the way they overcame an early penalty on the final drive and refused to bow down despite odds stacked against them said everything.
“You can’t drive down the field with three minutes left like that on talent alone,” said Salem head coach Matt Bouchard. “Talent is a lot of things. But leadership is everything.”
How much leadership did Grimes give Salem? How many tourists visit the Witch City on Halloween? Those numbers are equally large.
It’s not just his teammates that Grimes inspires. His energy is palpable to anyone who happens to be near the Salem sideline.
Thank back to the final regular season game against Peabody … with a long reception, two TD passes, and an interception return for a TD, Grimes brought Salem from 20 points down and nearly won the game.
His performance was so impressive that evening that I felt compelled to tell him afterwards that he’d convinced me the Witches would play five more games, thereby reaching their first Super Bowl in 24 years.
Over the next month, the kid went out and proved me right.
“We always believed,” said Grimes.
Salem High’s had some incredible quarterbacks over the years: Billy Pinto, Jim O’Leary, Mike Giardi, Sean Stellato and Brad Skeffington come to mind. They were all incredible leaders, cut from the same cloth as Grimes. But when all the numbers are tallied up, none approach his passing acumen.
Throwing for a single-season Salem record 2,082 yards this fall, Grimes’ 28 touchdown passes rank 11th all-time for one year on the North Shore. He owns all of Salem’s career passing records, too, with 4,566 yards and 54 touchdown passes (which ranks 8th all-time in the region).
“That all says a lot about Corey. Not only athletically,” said Bouchard, who often sends Grimes to the line with 2-3 options and trust him to read a defense and make the right decision. “The things he can do … he can really manage an offense. It makes my life (as a play-caller) so much easier.”
Toughness? Grimes has that, too. He plays linebacker and defensive end, taking on rugged Fairhaven linemen and bruising fullback Justin Marques (who carried a Super Bowl record 46 times for 228 yards) all afternoon. On special teams, he’s Salem’s kicker … in other words, there are no snaps off, no time to stand on the sideline chatting with an offensive coach via the headset or reviewing reads.
Is there anything on a football field Grimes can’t do? He can play wide receiver … he caught a pitch-pass from Devante Ozuna to spark a drive in Thursday’s Super Bowl. Two years ago as a sophomore, he alternated with Michael Ready at QB … and led Salem in both receiving yardage and passing yards.
“That’s who Corey is,” said Bouchard. “He just did anything he could for the team.”
From the time Grimes arrived in Salem’s program as a freshman, there was a feeling he could be a building block to something special. He deferred the seniors in 2021, never caring what position he played and always simply wanting to help the team win. Becoming full-time QB in 2022, the Witches gradually assumed his personality through hours of off-season catch and route-running sessions and sheer force of will.
“Sophomore year I felt like we had something. But I also knew we were missing some pieces. I had to go out and get some guys,” said Grimes, who built chemistry in the summer playing catch with Ozuna, Logan Abboud, Christian Lane, Rocco Ryan and others.
If wins are the ultimate measure of a quarterback’s success, Grimes certainly measures up. Salem won 17 games the last two years … and from the year 2000-2020, you’d be hard pressed to find many four (or even five) year periods where the program had 17 wins.
That’s the dictionary definition of a winner, a leader and a culture changer.
“Whatever Corey decides to do next, he’s going to be successful,” said Bouchard. “Any college program would be very, very lucky to have him.”
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You can contact Matt Williams at MWilliams@salemnews.com.