By Alexandra Molnar, Contributing Writer
Northborough – Algonquin Regional High School senior Trevor Fuce is in a position that not many of his peers can claim right now: not only does he know where he will be attending college next year, but he will also be playing football on a Division 1 team.
On Feb. 4, Fuce officially signed his National Letter of Intent for the University of Maine where he will play for the Black Bears as an offensive lineman starting in the fall of 2015. Friends, teammates, coaches and family all gathered to celebrate the accomplishment at Algonquin.
“It feels amazing,” Fuce said. “The past few months have been really stressful. It just feels really good to be in that position where I know what I’m doing next year and I’m just going to prepare from here on out.”
Fuce has been playing football since the sixth grade, and that is when his enjoyment for the sport took off. Standing at 6 feet, 5 inches, he actually exceeded the size limit for the Northborough team, so he spent two years playing on the Pop Warner League in Framingham.
As co-captain for the Algonquin Tomahawks for the 2014 season, Fuce played a major role in achieving Algonquin’s first winning record, 6-5, since 1997. He also led his team to the Central Massachusetts Division 2 playoffs for the first time since 1987 and to share the Midland-Wachusett B title.
It is a rare occurrence for Algonquin athletes to pursue a Division 1 college career – Fuce is the first football player since the mid-1990s and only the second since the late-1970s to sign with a Division 1 team.
When asked what he will do to prepare for his college football career, he said that he will keep lifting a lot, work to increase his speed, and “get a little more mentally tough.”
Fuce cites the biggest highlight of the past season as winning the Thanksgiving Day game over Algonquin’s biggest rival, Westborough, while playing at Westborough. He was sick but forced himself to make it through the game, even drinking tea on the sidelines.
“It was rough, but at the end of the game my boys pulled it out and I could rely on them, and it was just the greatest feeling ever,” he said.
In addition to playing football, Fuce enjoys hunting and fishing and is active with his church youth group. He also said that he “lives in the gym,” especially since he works at Gold’s Gym in Marlborough.
As for next year, Fuce is not sure yet what he would like to study, though he is potentially interested in kinesiology.
Ultimately, his dream is to play in the National Football League.
“I want to play some sort of football, whether it’s the NFL or Canadian Football League. We’ll see what happens,” he said.
Fuce’s biggest role model is his cousin, Peter Wambolt, who played football at Marlborough High School and now plays at Embry-Riddle University in Florida.
“If you have the dream and drive to do it, you can do it. You just have to work for it,” Fuce said.
Photos/Alexandra Molnar
