> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Laurendi feels good about start to second season with Merrimack football
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/laurendi-feels-good-about-start-to-second-season-with-merrimack-football/
- Published: 2014-08-14T19:04:24.000Z
- Updated: 2014-08-14T19:04:24.000Z
- Description: MERRIMACK - There is a lot for Dante Laurendi to be happy about as he starts his second season as the head coach of the Merrimack High School football team.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Fall Sports, Division I, football, Merrimack, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

![Joe Giampietro is back for Merrimack after a season-ending knee injury a year ago.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/jmmerfball083013-m24-1.jpg)

Joe Giampietro is back for Merrimack after a season-ending knee injury a year ago.

MERRIMACK - There is a lot for Dante Laurendi to be happy about as he starts his second season as the head coach of the Merrimack High School football team.

The Tomahawks had what the coach feels was a successful offseason, getting a large part of its core players involved in the things the staff wanted to see them do in order to take the next step.

Numbers are a little higher this fall, with the 70 players who came out for the first practices Wednesday giving Merrimack about 15 more kids than they had a year ago. More importantly, the Tomahawks have another large freshmen class, making it two years in a row Laurendi has seen over 30 kids come out before starting high school.

"Not a staggering increase, but a pretty good increase," Laurendi said. "If we can maintain our sophomore class, that had over 30 kids as freshmen, and this in-coming freshmen class, that I believe has over 30, hopefully we can keep building."

With a year under their belts, the Tomahawks' returning players already have the foundation needed to get the ball rolling from the start of training camp. Now Laurendi hopes they can get the smaller details worked out.

"Understanding and knowing what we do on offense and defense and getting comfortable with the ins and outs of it, the small aspects of it, the tiny adjustments," he said. "It's not that I know the route, but I know how to run the route and I know different moves off the route. Same with coverage and things like that. We understand it and we're trying to take it to the next level and apply it at a quicker rate."

Merrimack enters the year with two big personnel questions already answered.

After suffering season-ending knee injuries as a sophomore and a junior, senior Joe Giampietro is back at full strength for the Tomahawks.

And although three-year starting quarterback Devin Gillis graduated, Laurendi has already found his replacement signal caller for this year in sophomore Justin Grassini.

"He has the potential to be a very good one," Laurendi said. "The thing I like about Justin is that he's played some varsity at times. He was our punter last year and I know that's not the same, but he was in some games for us. They brought him up to start in varsity baseball games. I think he's got game experience to where I don’t think the bright lights will overwhelm him."

Merrimack continues double sessions through the end of next week and will scrimmage at Manchester Central on Aug. 23.