SHARON - Most of the members of the 2009 North Attleboro High School football team were preschoolers when Kyle Van De Giesen was quarterbacking the Red Rocketeers to glory. But that does not mean they are unaware of his importance to the North Attleboro football program, or the significance of his loss.

"It was something we talked about as a team," North Attleboro coach Don Johnson said Saturday. "And his brother Ryan (an assistant coach on Johnson's staff) is such a presence, because he's a young and enthusiastic kid compared to all of us old guys around here. They've really connected with him, so it really hit home."

Kyle Van De Giesen, 29, a captain and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps serving in Afghanistan, was killed in action Monday. The news was devastating to the town in general, and even more so for the closer-knit community of current and former Rocketeers who hold dear the town's football tradition and cherish the memories of those who created and sustained it over the years.

In that sense, it was only fitting that the 2009 Rocketeers honor the memory of Capt. Van De Giesen with a well-played victory -- which they delivered Saturday, a 34-7 triumph over Sharon in Hockomock League play.

"I think they responded well, especially in the first half," said Johnson, whose Rocketeers took the field with "KV" decals and American flag stickers on their helmets to honor their fallen brother. "That was our goal, to get here and take care of business in the first half, and I was very pleased with the way that they did that." North (5-3) built a 28-0 lead over the struggling Eagles (2-6) by halftime. Quarterback Joe Kummer completed seven of 16 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and his successor in the second half, Paul McCarthy, added a 51-yard punt return for a score before the break.

The performance of the first-stringers took on added significance because of other distractions that emerged during the week, Johnson said.

"We were battling the flu," the coach said. "I had seven starters out on Wednesday, not even knowing if they were going to be here today. A ton of kids had to get reps in practice to get them ready to play without knowing who was going to be there. So it was a tough week, and I'm glad to see how they responded."

Kummer completed three of five passes on the first North possession, including a 33-yarder to Dan Johnson on the first play and a 3-yarder to Stephen Sellner for a 7-0 lead (Corey Wynn adding the first of his four kicks) just 3:49 into the game.

McCarthy's punt return for a score came at the end of Sharon's second three-and-out possession, and a third North score in the quarter was barely averted when Wynn's 31-yard field goal attempt was blown wide right by the stiff winds racing across the field from the direction of Lake Massapoag.

Even when Sharon appeared to be on the verge of generating some offense, the disparity in competition sidetracked the efforts. Quarterback Adam Freedman (12 carries, 99 yards) took an option 64 yards to the North 16 just before quarter's end, and the Eagles penetrated to the North 7 before Freedman fumbled at the 8 and Jeremy Roche recovered to end the threat.

It took the Rocketeers 11 plays and 4:44 to cover those 92 yards, with Eric Everton and Brady Shorey ripping off twin 15-yard gains and Kummer covering another 22 before throwing a 23-yard TD pass to Dylan Rayburg with 7:22 left in the half.

North also put together one more sustained scoring drive in the half, a seven-play, 71-yarder. Kummer connected on a 16-yard screen pass to Brett Mastropoll and a 10-yard throw to Sellner, and a 33-yard jaunt by Shorey to the Sharon 9 was followed by a counter to the right by Rayburg for a 28-0 lead.

North had many of its second-stringers in the game when it boosted the lead to 34-0 with 5:34 left in the third quarter. Senior Conor Nugent recovered a fumble at the Sharon 8, and two plays later, McCarthy rambled in from 3 yards out on an option.

The Eagles broke the ice on their last possession, driving 67 yards on eight plays. Looking at third-and-goal at the 1, Freedman ran the option and handed off at the last second to Kevin Rodecker for the score with 1:13 left to play. A source of inspiration for the Rocketeers throughout was the presence of Ryan Van De Giesen on the sidelines. In his first year as an assistant with the North program, Kyle's younger brother (also a former quarterback) was his enthusiastic self on the sidelines, offering non-stop encouragement and keeping the players' spirits high.

"He's an unbelievable kid," Johnson said of Ryan Van De Giesen. "They were both like that as players, too. (Ryan) made a commitment to help us out, and obviously, it's been difficult over the last couple of days. It's great to have him around ... and I think it's great for him to be here and to have other people around him, too."

No doubt, a football family takes care of its own.

The Rocketeers travel to Mansfield, the game tentatively scheduled for Friday night at Alumni Field pending the possibility of a memorial service for Capt. Van De Giesen.

MARK FARINELLA can be reached at 508-236-0315 or at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com.