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Portrait of Richard Reilly, Class of 1973, Old Rochester Regional Athletic Hall of Fame
2018

Richard Reilly

Football, Ice Hockey, Track & Field
Induction Year
2018
Category
Athlete
Class of
1973

Hall of Fame Plaque Biography

Richard Reilly, a 1973 graduate of ORR, was a 3 sport athlete for all 4 years but also played football for the freshman team as an 8th grader, practicing with the varsity. He was Coach Gerry Oliva’s most reliable back running for 1000 yards his senior year, but Rich was even more highly regarded as the premier distance runner in eastern Mass. He was the track MVP and lettered in 3 sports for all 4 years. He attained his BA at Roger Williams College and then served 6 years in the Marine Corps. He lives in Mattapoisett with his wife Melanie, has 3 children, and is very involved in Christian organizations. He runs FME, an up and coming business based in Mattapoisett.

Original Hall of Fame Plaque

Original 2018 Old Rochester Regional Athletic Hall of Fame plaque for Richard Reilly

THE COMPLETE STORY

Expanded Historical Profile

Richard “Rich” Reilly was a three-sport athlete throughout his four years at Old Rochester Regional, competing in football, ice hockey, and track and field. His connection to ORR football began even earlier, when he joined the freshman team as an eighth grader and practiced with the varsity.

Reilly became one of coach Gerry Oliva’s most dependable running backs and rushed for 1,000 yards during his senior season. He achieved even greater distinction as a distance runner, earning recognition as one of Eastern Massachusetts’ leading competitors and receiving ORR track MVP honors.

After graduating from ORR in 1973, Reilly earned his bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams College. He subsequently served for six years in the United States Marine Corps.

ARCHIVAL MEDIA

Photo Gallery

Historical photographs, action images, team photographs and later-life images will be assembled here as verified source material becomes available.

Richard Reilly’s complete 2018 Hall of Fame display with historical photograph and induction plaque
Complete 2018 Hall of Fame display for Richard Reilly, preserving the historical photograph alongside the induction plaque. Original photograph from the ORRAHOF archive.
Richard Reilly and Barbara Whitney, identified as “Most Athletic” in the original ORR yearbook.
Richard Reilly and Barbara Whitney, identified as “Most Athletic” in the original ORR yearbook.

INDUCTION CEREMONY

Watch the Hall of Fame moment

Watch induction ceremony →
00:06:23

Timestamp from the Vimeo description for the 2018 ORRAHOF Induction Banquet.

SOURCES & HISTORICAL NOTES

Documenting the record

October 16, 2026: plaque biography reconciled directly against the existing photograph of the physical 2018 plaque. The inscription matches. Printed errors and induction-era claims remain part of the plaque record; this is not independent verification of every historical claim. No photographs were added or changed.

Plaque biography transcribed from official 2018 manufacturer artwork. Football, ice hockey, and track and field are retained as separately verified sport relationships. The approved Class of 1973 yearbook portrait was standardized to the Jefferson presentation standard, with the original historical source preserved.

October 2, 2026: physical plaque photograph IMG_1910.HEIC from the inductee's Drive folder visually matched by name and 2018 induction label and attached as the plaque reference. Original retained in Drive. Format conversion only; no crop, retouch or generated detail. Approved primary portrait and earlier biography wording retained. Word-for-word physical-plaque reconciliation remains pending.

The Hall of Fame archive also preserves the complete 2018 display (IMG_1909.HEIC), pairing the historical photograph and induction plaque. That original display is included in the profile gallery.

October 10, 2026: original yearbook material was reviewed and added to the gallery. Captions follow printed labels or describe the team/page without asserting uncertain individual identities. Original files remain in the Hall archive; publication copies use format conversion only.

October 14, 2026: text-only editorial review against the existing Hall biography and source notes. Existing history covers the available Hall achievements; retained rather than padded. This review does not certify an exact physical-plaque match or current record status.

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