Justin Flores was appointed as the new head coach of the Everett High School football team July 1, and he’s begun preparing for the 2023 season.
Flores has reached out to his incoming players, who have been engaged in individual strength and conditioning sessions during the summer.
“The players have been on the football field and are training in the weight room, said Flores.
A former Woburn High and University of Maine football standout, Flores, 31, is excited to take over one of the state’s most successful high school football programs.
“I’m excited to be the new coach,” said Flores. We’re looking forward to the start of preseason camp on Aug. 18, and we’ll be naming our captains next week. We’re coming together as a team. We have a senior-heavy team this year, which is good for me as a new coach. We have a lot of returning starters, but they’re going to be learning new things. It’s going well right now. I’m familiar with Everett’s football tradition. That is a big reason for taking the job. There is the tradition, there are the athletes, and the city and the kids care more about football than your average city or town in Massachusetts.”
College football background
Flores was an assistant coach at Maine for the past six seasons, working as the running backs coach before being promoted to receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. He was part of the coaching staff that led the Black Bears to the FCS national semifinals in 2018. He coached at Bentley University for one season in 2016 after receiving his degree from Maine.
From Pop Warner to Woburn High
Justin Flores played Woburn Pop Warner football from age 8 through eighth grade. Flores, who is 6 feet tall, was a four-year varsity football player at Woburn High School, becoming a three-year starter, mostly at running back and defensive back. He quarterbacked the Tanners during his junior season.
“My sophomore year, we were No. 3 in the state at one point,” he recalled. “Our last two years, we fell off a bit, so I decided to take a prep year at Tilton in New Hampshire.”
Heavily recruited at Tilton, Flores opted to attend the University of Maine, where he excelled as a receiver and punt returner. “We went to the [NCAA] playoffs two of my five seasons and we won the league title in 2013,” said Flores. “I was part of the first home playoff game in Maine history, which was a big rivalry game versus UNH.”
A tough test in the opener
Flores couldn’t have picked a tougher opponent for Everett in the season opener, except maybe, Catholic Memorial. The Crimson Tide will play at Xaverian, who is expected to be a legitimate contender for the Division 1 state championship. The Hawks are led by quarterback Henry Hasselbeck, who has committed to Michigan State University.
“They’re going to be tough, but what more can you ask for than a game against one of your rivals,” said Flores.
The Tide will have a new starting quarterback following the graduation of Karmarri Ellerbe, their GBL All-Star starting quarterback last season. Junior Carlos Rodriguez is one of the leading candidates at quarterback. Boston College-commit Christian Zamor will be a leader of the Crimson Tide defense.
Everett will have scrimmages against Mansfield (Aug. 29) and Peabody (Sept. 1).
Interestingly, Flores has brought on staff his father, Oscar Flores, who is the team’s strength coach.
The Tide’s assistant head coach will be Holvin Pena, a long-time high school football coach, while assistant coaches will be returning from the previous staff, along with other new assistants.