2008 Hall of Fame

JOHN NORDBERG 1981

John Norberg, whose sons have played for Redding, was inducted as a member of the class of 1981. He was an outstanding linebacker and punter and also played tight end, tackle, guard and was moved to quarterback when injuries hit the Hornets hard at that position. He was the most valuable player on 1981 team.

STEVE MOORE 1992

A 1992 graduate, Steve Moore was on one of Redding's early teams at Mansfield High and was an outstanding defensive back and receiver. He was moved to free safety in his senior year and was an impact player for the Hornets. Moore went on to a successful career at Assumption College and is a former assistant coach for the Hornets. He now coaches the varsity girls' basketball team at Abington where he is also a teacher and is also the freshmen football coach at Whitman-Hanson.
"It's an honor to have him as part of the coaching fraternity," said Redding. "We just have to get him back to the land of the Hornets."

RYAN GRAY 1997

A 1997 graduate, Ryan Gray was an offensive line and defensive end on one of the all-time great Mansfield High teams, the 1996 club where he was an all-star player be-fore going on to an outstanding college career at Bates.
Redding said Gray was a rare combination on the high level as a lineman with size, speed and athletic ability. "He was a dominating pass blocker," said Redding.

MATT McLAUGHLIN 1997

One of the players who benefit from Gray's talents was the record-breaking quarterback on the 1996 team, Matt McLaughlin, who smashed the record book in his senior year, throwing for 1,822 yards and 24 touchdowns in leading the Hornets to a Super Bowl win over Swampscott and a No.1 ranking.
McLaughlin went on to an out-standing career at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and is now the junior varsity baseball coach at Sharon High and has been a high school assistant football coach. "He was a great quarterback with a great arm," said Redding. "He played with poise and was a leader."

MIKE REDDING Coach

This was something Mike Redding wasn't expecting.
For the Mansfield High head football coach, that word has one meaning and one meaning only lately
"I haven't been this surprised since (my wife) Nicole came home and told me that we were having twins," joked Redding. "I still haven't gotten over that"
In this case, though, the surprise he was talking about was being inducted into the Mansfield Gridiron Club's hall of fame at its annual banquet on Dec. 11 at the Mansfield Holiday Inn.
Redding is only one of three people who didn't play football for Mansfield in the hall of fame. One of them, Gridiron Club president AI DeSimone, had been planning for years when he would put Redding in.
He had been talking about the 2008 banquet as being the right time to put Redding in for his accomplishments in leading the teams to five Super Bowl titles and an amazing six consecutive titles.
"As I've gotten to know him, I've realized that he is more than a coach," said DeSimone. "He's a teacher."
It was fitting that Redding was inducted into the Hall of Fame with three of his former players and the father of a player he has coached.

To assist in researching in many areas like future Hall of Fame members, a Gridiron Club Library has been established and we would appreciate receiving any scrapbooks, photographs (especially of the team) or newspaper articles concerning the football team. We would accept them as a donation or for reproducing. We guarantee their safety and return.