Millis Hall of Fame to Induct 5 in Inaugural Ceremony on Nov. 24

Three former players, one coach and one team will be the first inductees into the Millis High Athletic Hall of Fame when it holds its dinner and ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Medway VFW.
The athletes include John Monaghan, Jim Caddell and Mickey Lipsett, the coach is the late Ernie Richards and the team is the Mohawks’ 1965 football squad.
Monaghan and Caddell were key players on the school’s first Super Bowl championship squad, which defeated Wareham, 19-9; Lipsett was a daynamic three-sport athlete and six-time captain; Richards coached at Millis for 21 years and led the school to seven Tri Valley League crowns and one Super Bowl title; and the 1965 grid team not only went unbeaten at 9-0, but also was ranked No. 2 in the state.
Brian Kraby, Millis’ new varsity football coach, is the organization’s president, and he’s delighted that the concept to honor the school’s athletes, coaches and teams of the past is in full swing.
“There was a move to start a hall of fame back in the 1990s, but it just never got moving,’’ Kraby said. “Late last year, myself, Tom Ingraham (Millis girls’ tennis coach) and Mark Caulfield (youth sports coach) wanted to get a hall of fame underway. Other schools were moving in that direction. Dover-Sherborn had its first ceremony last year and Bellingham will have its first induction this year.’’
The trio approached Millis High Principal Bob Mullaney and Athletic Director Chuck Grant, presented its case, and got the green light to proceed. The three are all Millis High alumni. Kraby and Caulfield played on the 1994 football team that won a Super Bowl against Trinity Catholic and Ingraham has coached both boys’ basketball and girls tennis.
Here’s a capsule look at the five inductees:
ERNIE RICHARDS — The Springfield College grad first coached in Maine before arriving in Millis in 1966, when he was hired to teach science and coach both the varsity football and baseball teams. He finished with 200-plus victories during 21 years at the Mohawks’ helm in football. Seven TVL titles were won and one Super Bowl triumph came in 1980. He also coached football at Marlboro High and at Uxbridge High, where he led the Spartans to a pair of Super Bowl wins. Richards was inducted into the Mass. Football Coaches Association in 1988.
JOHN MONAGHAN — A 1981 graduate of Millis High, he quarterbacked the 1980 football team to the school’s first Super Bowl triumph, a 10-point win over Wareham. He was a three-sport star, also excelling in basketball and baseball, and was a TVL all-star in all three. A four-year starter at quarterback, Monaghan was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and also played baseball for the Milford Legion. He later moved on to Brown University where he played cornerback in football.
JIM CADDELL — Considered the top running back in the school’s football history, Caddell was a key in Millis’ Super Bowl win over Wareham. A 1981 graduate, he once scored four touchdowns and gained 250 yards on a total of five carries in a game against Pope John. Caddell was the Boston Globe’s Player of the Year in football. In track, he was a dynamic sprinter, setting school records in the 100 and 200-yard dashes. He was recruited to play college football at the University of Tennessee by legendary coach Johnny Majors.
MICKEY LIPSETT — A 1979 graduate, she was a Tri Valley League all-star three times in basketball and tennis, and was a Milford News all-star in both those sports twice. She earned 12 varsity letters and was a Charles River Tournament all-star tennis player who was ranked No. 1 for five years. Lipsett also was a two-time captain in field hockey, basketball and tennis. A National Honor Society member, she also participated in the band.
1965 FOOTBALL TEAM — Niles Nelson coached this squad to an undefeated season (9-0) and the championship of the Tri County League, which later became the Tri Valley League in 1966. A superb defensive squad, it posted seven shutouts and yielded a total of 18 points. Playing Medfield in a night game (portable lights were used once a year), Millis downed the Warriors, 28-0 before 4,000 fans at Welch Field. The team finished its season ranked No. 2 in the state behind Franklin. The captains were linebacker-tackle Jay Monaghan, who earned a scholarship to play at the University of Rhode Island, and Joel Howie, a tackle and middle linebacker.
The Millis Hall of Fame committee includes seven members — Kraby is the president, Caulfield is the vice president, Ingraham is the secretary and Dyann Rice is the treasurer. Jack O’Rourke, Rusty Cushman, Dave Sperandio, Kim Latosek and Jim Hart round out the group.
The committee adopted bylaws and has fashioned them after Natick High School’s guidelines. Several of the rules for prospective inductees state that the candidates must have graduated from Millis High (coaches excluded); they have to be 10 years beyond their graduation date; and all of their achievements must relate to their time at Millis High. Nominations are not limited to Millis residents, and the form, which is available on line at Millisathleticshof.com, must be filled out completely and can be submitted on line.
Kraby emphasizes that if anyone would like to donate to the hall of fame to help with expenses, such as the costs for renting the facility, the meal and plaques, can submit their donation to Mohawkhof@gmail.com. Tickets cost $40 and children under nine will be admitted free. Tickets can be obtained by mailing a check to Millis Athletics Hall of Fame, 208 Orchard St., Millis, Ma., 02054. If there are any questions, committee members can be contacted.