This past April, first year (now second) Westborough head coach Joe Beveridge was just trying to get used to his new team when suddenly, football became secondary.

Beveridge was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer the night before his team was set to play rival Algonquin during the Fall II campaign. Just days ago, Beveridge announced on Twitter that he had completed his chemotherapy treatments and is ready to go for the 2021 season.

“I was diagnosed, they got me into surgery in May and then I had three months of chemotherapy over the summer,” he explained following Friday morning’s brutally hot session of practice. “It was a struggle to say the least, but it was a wonderful opportunity to see all the wonderful people in my life.

“Friends I grew up with that stepped up and helped out, my family, my coaching staff, the administration here at Westborough and where I teach over at Tantasqua, the kids, everybody. They could’ve used it as an excuse not to come work out, like “oh coach isn’t here so I don’t have to be,” but we had a lot of kids work their butts off all summer with the assistant coaches. I’m a lucky man. I wasn’t lucky to be diagnosed obviously, but going to Dana Farber and Umass Memorial Cancer Center, I saw a lot of people had it much worse than I do. I feel very fortunate they caught it when they did and I was blessed with great doctors that took care of me and a lot of people that stayed by my side.”

There was no way in hell any of Beveridge’s players were going to skip those workouts while their coach was battling a life threatening disease.

“He came in new last year and really took charge of the program,” said senior co-captain Adam Steinberg. “He’s shown us resilience on and off the field, so it just gives us that much more drive to do the same for him and pay him the same respect and show that same resilience.”

“He’s been working through everything,” added co-captain Theo Henderson. “He’s still been here all the time and we’ve got to give back everything he’s given us.”

For Beveridge, football was the most critical part of his recovery.

“I had three week cycles,” he explained. “There was a week where I couldn’t do anything, the next week I’d feel a little better and then the third week I’d feel great and that would kind of start all over again. Football was my saving grace. On the days I felt really, really sick and couldn’t do anything, it gave me something to think about besides my illness.”

There was one person who Beveridge wanted to thank for these last five months above anyone else, his wife.

“My wife is a saint and the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life,” he added. “She did a great job of helping me be able to just focus on football. She took care of the kids, the house, the lawn, I mean…the cooking, the cleaning, she did everything. I am more than fortunate to have her in my life obviously. My kids handled it well, but football was an opportunity for me mentally to focus on something positive.”

Westborough is extremely young this year with only a handful of seniors, but few coaches – in just their second year with a program – have the ability to earn the hearts and ears of their team so quickly. It was obvious spending just a half hour at Friday morning’s practice that Beveridge’s trials and tribulations are going to help make his Ranger squad mentally tougher this season. Respect is earned and not given and Beveridge has the respect of not just his team, but everyone involved with Massachusetts High School football.

Welcome back, coach Beveridge.