As a Chelsea High football player during the 2011 state playoffs, David Roque was one heartbreaking play away from his team advancing to the Super Bowl.
The last-second 12-10 loss to Cathedral High still stings, but Roque is now poised to lead the Red Devils back to the playoffs as the newly appointed head coach of the Chelsea High football team.
Director of Athletics Amanda Alpert announced the hiring of Roque last Friday.
“I’m very excited to be the coach,” said Roque, who is a 2013 CHS graduate. “I’m grateful for the opportunity that our athletic director has given to me. I congratulate her [Alpert] on winning another ring [as a member of the Boston Renegades women’s professional football team].”
Roque, 28, has served the last seven seasons as an assistant coach in the CHS football program. He currently plays semi-professional football for the Mass Warriors in the New England Football League.
Meeting With the Team
Roque has met with the Chelsea High players, who are participating in off-season workouts. Pre-season practices begin officially on Aug. 18.
“We have about 40 players, but those numbers should go up to 60-70 players the first week of school,” said Roque.
The coach is pleased with the positive attitude and work ethic of his team.
“I’ve been seeing the group of players putting in the work this off-season, and we have high expectations and high hopes for them,” said Roque.
Chelsea High, who is a member of the Greater Boston League, will play an independent schedule in the 2023 season. The Red Devils will open on the road against Saugus and play games versus GBL schools Somerville and Medford. Other opponents are Lynn Tech, Roxbury Prep, and Georgetown.
Coaching Staff Selected
Roque has announced his assistant coaching staff. Joseph Saez will be the offensive coordinator. Max Byrd will be the running backs and defensive backs coach. David Bui will be an assistant coach. Christian Velasquez will be the special teams’ coach.
“Christian is my brother,” said David proudly. “He also went to Chelsea High, played football, and graduated in 2015. He was a senior on the team during my first year of coaching in the program.”
The volunteer coaches are Rony Gomez (defensive line) and Deron Hines (offensive line).
Attended Local Schools
The son of Yasmin Velasquez, who is originally from El Salvador, David attended Kelly Elementary School and the Clark Avenue Middle School before entering Chelsea High School.
Roque resides in Chelsea and works in manufacturing at a pharmaceutical company.
An Excellent Football Career at CHS
David Roque was a two-year starter for the Red Devils. He was a starting center, defensive end, and long snapper for the Red Devils, sometimes filling in at linebacker. In the 2011 Division 4A state semifinal, Chelsea was leading Cathedral, 10-6, with 13 seconds left when Cathedral’s Edward Bermudez returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown as time expired. “If we won that game, we would have gone to the Super Bowl and played Blue Hills,” recalled Roque. “It was a memorable year, but we still have nightmares about that game.” David Roque’s quest to lead Chelsea High back into the state playoffs begins next month. A young man with a love of football and a tremendous knowledge of the sport, Roque is setting the bar high and feels his team can reach those lofty goals and fill up the stands again on Friday nights with Chelsea fans.