New Englanders have always taken a special pride in their homegrown sports stars.

While the good people in Buffalo may prefer Rob Johnson as their starting signal-caller, ask any Boston native about the Bills' quarterback controversy and he or she will happily furnish you a list of Doug Flutie's accomplishments dating all the way back to his playing days at Natick High School.

Through the good and the bad, fans in this region reserve a special place in their hearts for area athletes.

Given that tradition of appreciation for local talent, there is little doubt as to why Harvard freshman linebacker Dante Balestracci has so quickly become such an endearing presence in these parts.

A product of New Bedford, Mass., Balestracci was tabbed as a can't-miss prospect almost before he played his first high school game.

So far he has lived up to the hype.

At the conclusion of tomorrow's perennial clash with Yale, Balestracci will likely finish the season as the Crimson's leading tackler. If he does, he would be the first Harvard player ever to accomplish the feat as a freshman.

Balestracci already owns the mark for most tackles by a freshman. He surpassed that milestone in last week's contest against Penn.

The good news for New England sports fans is that, since Balestracci is just a freshman, they have three more years to be entertained by watching him play. Given what he has accomplished so far, the prospects for what lies ahead are almost scary.

For those unacquainted with Balestracci's remarkable accomplishments thus far, his is a story of a local boy who has made good.

New Bedford's Favorite Son

After living in Dartmouth, Mass. all his life, Balestracci broke the hearts of his friends and neighbors--not to mention those of the coaches at the local high school--when his family moved to nearby New Bedford the summer before he entered the ninth grade.

Balestracci insists he never dated his school's head cheerleader while he attended New Bedford High, but for all intents and purposes, he was the big man on campus.

Balestracci ended his high school playing career as one of the most celebrated athletes in school history. A standout in football, basketball and baseball, he was the first athlete from New Bedford ever to be named a conference all-star in two sports.

As a sophomore, he led the Whalers' baseball team to the state championship game at Fenway Park, where he homered into the screen above the Green Monster.

On the football field, he dominated on both sides of the ball, performing double-duty as quarterback and safety. In his senior season, he threw for 15 touchdowns while leading the team in tackles (132) and interceptions (5).