PELHAM, N.H. — Bill Helliwell could count the classes he passed as a freshman at Pelham High School on, well, no hands.
"I failed ... miserably, every class I took," said Helliwell. "I went to school basically every day and did nothing. By the time May came around I was working full time (detailing cars) and wasn't even bothering to show up at school. I was ready to drop out."
Eighth-grade graduates just don't, as a rule, go too far in life. He learned one lesson back in 2005.
"The money really doesn't matter," he said. "Work, no matter what you're doing, is much tougher than school."
Saturday afternoon, a whole different Bill Helliwell turns one more corner in his young life. Now 18, he bounces a little differently than he did as a freshman, between honors and high honors that is.
A two-way starter for the Pelham football team, Helliwell will play one more game as a Python, today's Division 5 title game with St. Thomas Aquinas of Dover.
He'll go back to the garage at season's end, but this time, unlike his freshman year, Helliwell will do it on his terms — part-time and in his own free time — as he prepares himself intellectually for college and four more years of football.
"My dad (Wayne Sr.) always told me cars are awesome, but if he had the chance to do it again, he'd be doing it in his free time," said Bill. "He would have given school a chance. Thanks to coach (Tom) Babaian and to the game of football, I have the opportunity to do it my way.
"When I'm done with football, I'm going to race cars, but not until I'm ready."
Auto racing and the Helliwell name are synonymous in these parts. Bill was born into it. Dad is a legend on the local scene. Big brother Wayne Jr. won the 2008 street stock championship this summer at Lee USA Speedway, and another brother, George, dabbles in the hobby-stock division.
"That car is a Monte Carlo that we bought and worked on together," said Bill of George's race ride. "I thought about racing it with him, but then I figured what happens if I lose a tire and wreck, then I get hurt. I'd really be letting down the football team, and that just wasn't right. I had to give it up, but it was worth it."
A two-year starter, the 6-1, 260-pound Helliwell was a natural to football ... at least when Babaian allowed him to finally get on the field.
Helliwell tried pee-wee ball, but despite running around the neighborhood in plastic bags to sweat off pounds, he never could make the weight.
As an 8th-grader, Helliwell was spotted by Babaian at a Pelham basketball game. He convinced him to play football, but that lasted less than a month.
"Coach threw me off, and I deserved it," he said. "I went in there thinking I was going to knock the older kids around. I didn't know that football was about hard work and dedication."
Babaian never gave up on Helliwell. After all, he hasn't coached too many players his size in 13 years at Pelham.
His mom urged Helliwell to give school one more chance, but the big guy was thinking only of himself when he initiated the comeback.
"Work was just too tough, and I wanted to give it one more try," he said. "I was lucky coach let me back with football. Without football, there's no way I would have made it in school."
The class work, once Helliwell started actually opening the books, came pretty quickly.
So did football.
"I loved it right off the bat," he said. "Immediately, I was addicted to hitting people."
Once eligible as a sophomore, he cracked the starting lineup for the final three games.
He's been entrenched in the trenches, starting at offensive tackle and nose guard/defensive tackle, ever since.
Literally and figuratively, Helliwell is one of the biggest reasons Pelham has rolled off 21 straight victories and stands on the verge of back-to-back championships.
"I can tell you he really hurt us in the regular season game," said St. Thomas coach Rod Wotton, singling out big No. 79 as one of the keys to the championship game. "If we're going to have a chance Saturday, we're going to have to do a better job on him."
A returning All-Division 5 choice, Helliwell is all but a shoo-in again this time around.
From near dropout to honor roll regular and two-time all-stater, it's been quite the ride for Helliwell.
There is still one lap to go, though.
"This is what football and all the work is all about. I can't wait for Saturday," he said. "I love the big crowds, and I tend to play my best in the big games, so I'm ready."
Ready for the checkered flag on a great career, and hopefully with a little bit of racing luck, one more trip to victory lane.
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