In 6 seasons, Derek Almeida has turned Fairhaven into a perennial power
by Laurie Los Lee, S-T Sports Editor
When Derek Almeida took over in 2020, Fairhaven High featured a struggling football program that had just one winning record in 10 years. His goal was to make the Blue Devils competitive again. Almeida has done more than that.
Under the direction of Almeida, Fairhaven has become a perennial power in Div. 6, making three straight Super Bowl appearances and winning a pair of state titles, including this year against Norwell, 28-14, on Dec. 4 at Gillette Stadium.
“I had no expectations of that when I came here,” said Almeida, a 1998 graduate of Fairhaven High who led Falmouth to the 2016 Div 2A title. “I just knew that I wanted us to play better football, have more kids involved, be tougher, be stronger and that's what happened. I think the success has been mostly due to that.”
Fairhaven’s rise started in 2021 when the Blue Devils enjoyed one of the best seasons in nearly two decades, winning the South Coast Conference Gold championship and finishing with 8 wins. During that year, Cadence Chase became the first Otto Graham Award winner from Fairhaven since 1992 as he scored a single-season school-record 20 touchdowns.
That mark was later shattered by 2024 Otto Graham winner Justin Marques with 42 touchdowns his senior year. Marques went on to become the state’s all-time leader with 110 touchdowns. The Blue Devils won three more SCC Gold crowns and appeared in back-to-back Super Bowls with Marques. They beat Salem 26-22 in 2023, but lost to Hudson 21-14 a year ago.
This year, the Blue Devils (12-1) featured a trio of star running backs in Grant Darmofal (21 touchdowns), Aaron Lague (18 touchdowns) and Ian Alexion (16 touchdowns) as well as a standout quarterback in Evan Lamontagne (12 touchdowns passes and 6 rushing TDs).
“We’ve had great players,” Almeida said. “To do what we’ve done, you need great players, but I think the culture and the buy-in was important too. I’m really happy with where that has come along.”
In his six seasons with Fairhaven, Almeida has led the Blue Devils to five straight playoff appearances and 55 total wins, including 11 in the postseason.
Not only is Fairhaven High football back on the map as far as the state, there’s a buzz around town when it comes to the Blue Devils.
Signs scatter the area showing support of the hometown team and local restaurants offer discounts for customers wearing Fairhaven High swag.
"I’m happy that we’ve gotten this to the point where people really care about football,” said Almeida, whose father, Dana, coached the Blue Devils to three Super Bowl titles with the last coming in 2000.
Young athletes fill the stands at Alumni stadium each Friday night for home games, creating a natural pipeline of future Blue Devils.
“Kids want to play for coach Almeida,” said Fairhaven senior Ian Alexion. “Coach Almeida is the best coach around.”
Outside of the Xs and Os, Almeida has focused on building a bond between his players.
“We play for each other and we play together,” said Fairhaven senior Luke Cathcart. “We just have a lot of energy and we’re all there for each other in every game and every practice.”
“They care about each other and they’re willing to put the work in,” Almeida said. “None of this is easy. It takes a ton of work.
“I think the kids of Fairhaven are raised to be tough kids and hard workers. When you set up an environment where kids can flourish, it leads to this kind of success.”