Olivieri Brings Not Only Size, but Determination, to Millis Football

Many younger kids who play football are looking for a position that is not only exciting, but gratifying – usually something along the lines of wide receiver, running back or quarterback. Wrentham’s Netinho Olivieri, who plays his high school football for Millis High School, was not your typical kid. Olivieri, who was a little bigger than most kids his age, was tapped to play defensive tackle and right tackle, two positions he loves.
“I was 8 or 9 years old when I joined Pop Warner (Football), and the coaches thought that I would be good as a tackle,” he said. “I took a look at my body type, and figured that I could be successful playing that position.”
Not only did he enjoy the sport of football, the tackle position could eventually allow him to play football on the collegiate level. Currently Olivieri is 6’4” and 280 lbs. playing defensive tackle and right tackle for the Mohawks as a junior. In addition to playing football, the junior also plays center for the Millis basketball team.
“I really enjoy the sport, being part of a team,” Olivieri said. “When it comes to which I side I prefer, I like them both, but playing right tackle and being part of an o-line that works together is my preference.”
As a freshman, Olivieri was considered part of the varsity squad, but saw the majority of his playing time with the junior varsity team. His freshman season, he saw the Mohawks run through the Division 8 South Tournament, where Millis capped thigs off with a 31-8 thrashing of the number one seed Wareham to capture the Super Bowl.
After seeing how Millis went about things in the tournament gave the then incoming sophomore something to shoot for. That summer, he invested everything that he had to get better and make a second run at the Super Bowl.
“I wanted to become part of a team that won a Super Bowl, so I began lifting and working on my techniques,” Olivieri said. “Unfortunately, the team that year was not as good as the one the year before.”
Although the player has grown to become a big, strong athletic tackle, Millis Football Coach Brian Kraby believes that Olivieri has not reached his true capability on the football field.
“Football has given him an outlet to self-confidence and what he is capable of accomplishing,” the Mohawk Coach said. “Netinho is good, but he is still young. He will be really good when he reaches his full potential.”
Coming into this season, the junior tackle is looking to become the Tri-Valley League Lineman of the Year, while wanting to lead Millis to the league championship and a spot in the tournament where they eventually win the Super Bowl.
“I realized how much I’ve improved since last year, and I don’t believe that there is as much competition this year, so it’s possible,” Olivieri said. “I hadn’t really thought about it until the Coaches told me that it was something that I could achieve if I continued to work hard.”
Winning the Lineman of the Year would be a great honor, but doing what the junior can to help the team win comes first. Although the team has opened the season slowly, the games have all been close. Millis has kept its opponents at arm’s length, they just haven’t been able to secure the win.
“Netinho is a phenomenal athlete that can move guys up front and open up holes, Kraby said. “As a defensive tackle, he’s hard to hold back, but I’m looking for him to be more of a vocal leader this year. We need him to step it up and get in the linemen’s faces.”
While he still has a year and a half of high school football, Olivieri can continue to improve his game and get the attention of some college teams. The Mohawks tackle definitely wants to play football after high school on the college level, but at this moment he has no ideas of where.
“I think that he can play 1AA football,” Kraby said. “I want with him to a BC football camp, where the athletes were bigger and he held his own in all the drills.”
Olivieri will have the next season and a half to continue to improve his game and figure out where he may want to play collegiate football. For the time being, he’s working on getting Millis back on the winning track and back into the tournament for a chance to win another Super Bowl for the high school.