Reimello Hyde is ready to start the next chapter of his football career, but not before he plays for Team West in Friday night's CHaD All-Star Game at Saint Anselm College. (Telegraph fille photo by TOM KING)

AMHERST – Beastmode.

That’s pretty much how Reimello Hyde looked during his senior season at Merrimack High School, both in football and lacrosse.

He hopes Team East will discover that when he plays for Team West in Friday night’s annual CHaD East-West High School Football All-Star Game at Saint Anselm College’s Grappone Stadium.

It’s a principle he’s applied to everything he’s done athletically.

Be aggressive.

“I think all sports, really, I think revolve around that,” he said. “I played basketball when I was a kid, then lacrosse, and football being more aggressive and it applies to lacrosse as well.”

There were just a lot of things that stood out about Hyde during his Merrimack career.

“Just his intelligence and his intensity,” Merrimack and Team West head coach Kip Jackson said. “Not just one thing. Even (the other day) he wants to know what every single player on the field is doing, He’s asking for signals for a position he doesn’t even plays, just so he knows what everyone is doing.

“And his intensity – he doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, everybody pays attention.”

Football had a head start vs. lacrosse for Hyde, as he began playing the former when he was 5-years-old and then lacrosse when he was in the third grade.

“Football was definitely my favorite, but I enjoyed lacrosse and got to lead the team a bit,” Hyde said.

What’s his favorite now?

Football is still his answer, which is what he’ll play at Franklin Pierce this coming fall. But at the same time, it depends on the time of year.

“It’s kind of like when I’m in the moment, I guess,” he said. “When I’m playing football, I like football; when I’m playing lacrosse, I like lacrosse.”

He likes lacrosse so much he wants to walk on at Franklin Pierce and has talked to the coaches about it. But he’s spending time this week playing the sport that will take up a lot of time over the next few months.

Make no mistake, Hyde is one heckuva football player, and he really came of age his senior season, at both running back and linebacker. As an opposing player, you didn’t want either Hyde running at you, blocking you, or getting ready to hit or tackle you. Ouch.

“I just kept working out, I guess,” Hyde said. “That’s about it. I think I just got better athletically. I did track in the off-season and I got a little skinnier and moved around better.”

He dropped about 15 pounds, going from about 218 to 202.

It made a huge difference.

“Definitely senior season, I felt a lot quicker than I was the year before,” he said.

What did like better, running back or linebacker?

“Definitely running back,” he said. “I liked scoring touchdowns.”

He hopes to do that at Franklin Pierce, and knows he’s going to a whole new level and will have to take his game there as well.

“In college football, I just hope I can focus up,” he said. “I don’t know how to really explain it. You’re going into something you don’t know, so I just want to be able to adapt well. And I want to adapt slow.”

And soak it all in. But at the same time, he’ll miss Merrimack.

“It’s a little bit quiet, but it’s nice,” he said. “It’s my hometown.”