Greg Sullivan Herald News Staff Reporter

SOMERSET – Somerset Berkley and Durfee were teammates as well as foes on Friday at Jim Sullivan Field.

Players from both teams wore identical baseball caps. The caps, manufactured by Penny Pockets of Fall River, are replicas of the baseball caps worn by the Stoneman Douglas High School baseball team in Florida. Just as the Boston Red Sox did for their spring training opener last month, Somerset Berkley and Durfee wore the caps to honor the memory of 17 students killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at Stoneham Douglas and to show support for all those affected by the tragedy.

William Aguiar, a retired high school guidance counselor in town and now principal at the Somerset Berkley Community School, conceived the idea for the Raiders to wear SD caps for SBR’s home opener. SBR coach Dennis Almeida and the school administration embraced the idea. Durfee enthusiastically joined in the event.

Aguiar was vacationing in Florida at the time of the shootings and was moved by the Red Sox’s gesture. With the teams standing along the base lines before Friday’s game, Aguiar spoke briefly.

“The student-athletes of both Somerset Berkley High School and Durfee High School would like to show their respect and their concern for their fellow student-athletes at Stoneham Douglas High School,” he said.

Penny Pockets is owned by Larry Poulin, a Somerset High School graduate. He manufactured the hats at a discount. Aguiar purchased the caps.