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The following coaches will be honored at the Second Annual Coach of the Year/Student Athlete Banquet on May 30, 2012. Each coach below has been named Coach of the Year by the MIAA for their respective sport:

Robert Mahoney, Notre Dame (Tyngsborough) -- Girls Volleyball
Amelia Davis, Algonquin -- Gymnastics
Kevin Burchill, Braintree -- Girls Ice Hockey
Jack Stoddard, Duxbury -- Boys Golf
Alex Naumann, Everett -- Boys Ice Hockey
Michael Foley, Framingham -- Swim
Fred Jewett, Hingham -- Indoor Track
Jim Leonard, King Philip -- Softball
Phil Maia, Lowell -- Cross Country
David Duffy, Needham -- Football
Frank Carey, North Reading -- Baseball
Rick Kates, Notre Dame (Hingham) -- Outdoor Track
David Gianferante, Notre Dame (Hingham) -- Girls Golf
Kim Penney, Reading -- Girls Basketball
David Curley, Rockport -- Boys Soccer
Ed Scollan, Westford -- Boys Basketball
Leslie Frank, Westwood -- Girls Lacrosse

The Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl is not involved in a game of musical chairs, although it may seem that way.

After being played at Windsor High School in each of the last three years, organizers of the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl announced that the all-star football game between Vermont and New Hampshire would return to Dartmouth College this summer. There's a chance that the game may have to find another home for this year's game, however.

The move to Dartmouth, which is where the majority of the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowls have been played, seemed uncertain after the NCAA banned non-scholastic high school football events from being held at NCAA Division I institutions last year:

13.11.1.10 Nonscholastic Practice or Competition -- Championship Subdivision Football. In championship subdivision football, an institution [including any institutional department (e.g., athletics, recreational/intramural)] shall not host, sponsor or conduct a nonscholastic football practice or competition (e.g., seven-on-seven events) in which football prospective student-athletes participate on its campus or at an off-campus facility regularly used by the institution for practice and/or competition by any of the institution's sport programs.

David Orr, the director of media relations for the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl, said the NCAA rule was passed primarily to prevent 7-on-7 tournaments from being held at NCAA Division I locations, which could give some schools a recruiting advantage.

"They didn't realize it was going to affect all-star football games," Orr said. "I'm not sure everyone [at the NCAA] knew what was built into the motion."

Orr said if the NCAA prevents the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl from being played at Dartmouth, the game will not return to Windsor.

"We couldn't go back to Windsor because their football field was flooded[last year] and can't be played on," Orr said.

The NCAA legislation had the organizers of the inaugural New Hampshire East-West All-Star Game thinking about a new location for that event as well, since it's scheduled to be played at the University of New Hampshire on June 23. UNH received word from the NCAA last week that the East-West game could be played at UNH's Cowell Stadium.

Here is the email UNH received from the NCAA:

Thank you for your patience as we reviewed this case. Based on the documents provided, the AMA staff has determined that this event is permissible. The documents demonstrate that your institution intended to host the event in June 2011 and that the details of the event were substantially agreed-upon by both parties before the August 15, 2011 effective date of the new legislation. Therefore the restriction in NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.11.1.10 does not apply to this event. Please remember that Bylaw 13.11.1.10 will apply to all future non-scholastic events in the sport of football.

“That's encouraging,” Orr said. “But we're still waiting for the official word before we make any announcement.”

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Colchester High School's Lauren Bernard was selected as Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year for girls' soccer when she was a junior. She may have been an even easier selection for the award following her senior season.

It was announced last week that Bernard, a senior forward, was named the state's top girls soccer player for the second consecutive year.

“She’s very strong technically and her left foot is deadly,” Vergennes coach Dwight Irish said. “If she has a little bit of room and she’s anywhere near the goal, she’s going to change the game.”

Bernard collected 24 goals and five assists last fall, when she led Colchester to the Division I quarterfinals. She is a two-time All-American (selected by the National Soccer Coaches' Association of America), a former member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-15 Girls National Team and is currently in the USAF's Under-18 player pool.

Bernard has signed a national letter of intent to play soccer at Boston College.

By winning at the state level, Bernard became a candidate for the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year Award, which will be announced in May.

Previous winner of the award include Brittany Pfaff (2009-10, Rice), Natalie LeClair (2008-09 and 2007-08, Essex), and Emily Milbank (2006-07, CVU).

MCCORMICK, HOLBROOK SELECT SCHOOLS

Former Rice quarterback Christian McCormick and Milton lineman Jamie Holbrook have each decided where they will play football next season.

McCormick, who is currently spending a year of prep school at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., accepted a preferred walk-on spot by the University of New Hampshire. Holbrook signed a national letter of intent to play at Southern Connecticut University.

"What really stood out is the campus reminded me of being at home, but with football," McCormick said. "I'm excited about UNH. I know it's the right place for me."

McCormick was named Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior season, when he threw for 2,619 yards and 37 touchdowns and led Rice to the Division II state championship. He was also Vermont's quarterback in last year's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

McCormick helped Rice win state championships in basketball in his sophomore and senior seasons.

He also had an opportunity to join UNH as a walk-on last year, but opted for a year of prep school instead.

"Neither me or my dad thought I was ready for college academically," he said. "Holy Cross showed some interest and Wagner did too. There were also some Division III schools interested, but I wanted to try and compete at the highest level I can. [UNH] felt like a winning atmosphere."

Holbrook, who plays on both sides of the ball, also looked at UNH and several prep school options before he chose SCSU, a Division II school that competes in the Northeast-10 Conference.

ESSEX WINS SHOWDOWN

Second-period goals by Steve Morse and Steve Jurkiewicz helped the Essex boys' hockey team extend its regular-season unbeaten streak to 29 games (27-0-2) by beating South Burlington 4-2 Saturday in a battle between the state's two best ice hockey teams.

Essex raised its record to to 14-0-1. The Hornets haven't suffered a setback since they lost to Champlain Valley in last year's Division I championship game.

South Burlington, which entered the contest with a 13-game unbeaten streak, fell to 14-2-0.

After Pat Abbott handed Essex a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal, South Burlington responded with goals by Eric Craig and Sam Finkelstein. Essex regained the lead on goals by Morse and Jurkiewicz, and then J.T. Begnoche added an empty-net goal to complete the scoring.

Essex received 17 saves from Pat Campbell. South Burlington's Nathaniel Young stopped 29 shots.

SHOOTING STARS

Winooski point guard Devon Rollins and Lake Region point guard Kylie Atwood each scored the 1,000th point of their varsity careers recently.

Rollins reached 1,000 points when Winooski defeated Northfield, 67-41, on Feb. 1. Atwood tossed in her 1,000th point during Lake Region's 44-32 triumph over BFA-Fairfax on Monday night.

Rollins, a senior, entered the game six points shy of 1,000, and reached the milestone when he connected on a 3-pointer in the first quarter. He finished the game with 22 points.

Atwood needed 16 points against BFA-Fairfax to reach 1,000. She finished with 17, 13 of which came in the second half.

Roger Brown has been reporting on high school sports in New England since 1992. He publishes the New Hampshire Football Report, and covers high school football recruiting in the Northeast for ESPN/Scouts Inc.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association officially announced this morning that they have tapped Medway High School Principal Richard Pearson as its next Associate Executive Director. He will begin July 1 and replace outgoing Deputy Executive Director Bill Gaine, who is set to retire at the end of June.

Here is the MIAA's official release, courtesy of Media Relations director Nathan Bonneau:

Richard L. Pearson, currently principal of Medway High School, has been named Associate Executive Director of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Administrators’ Association (MSSAA). He will assume his new position in June.

He will succeed William N. Gaine Jr., the long time Deputy Executive Director, who will retire on June 30, 2012.

In making the announcement, Richard F. Neal, Executive Director, said, “Richard has been an active member of our two associations for many years and is well informed on the mission, responsibilities and operations of both organizations. The fact that his peers elected him to serve as MSSAA President this year is testimony to the respect he has among the educational community as a leader.”

With the MIAA, Mr. Pearson has served on many committees, including the Tournament Management Committee and Lacrosse Committee, and is currently serving as Chair of the District C Athletic Committee.

Mr. Pearson was named principal at Medway H.S. in August, 2004. Among his many accomplishments in that position was supervising the opening of a new school. He was assistant principal at Foxborough H.S. from June, 2000 to August, 2004.

A musician by education, he holds a Bachelor in Music Education degree from The Ohio State University. He began his teaching career as Band Director in Walpole and later in Medfield. He holds a Masters in Education degree from Bridgewater State College and is currently in the process of completing course work in the doctoral program at Northeastern University.

Mr. Gaine joined the Associations as Assistant Executive Director in October, 1979 and has had major responsibility in the areas of student/athlete health and safety initiatives over the years. He also had executive responsibility for all phases of management for most Association-sponsored sports with current oversight for ice hockey, football and baseball. He was promoted to his present position in 1994.

Mr. Gaine has been the architect and catalyst for the development and growth of the MIAA’s Student Services Program which includes Sportsmanship, Wellness, Leadership, Community Service and Coaches’ Education. The MIAA and Mr. Gaine have been recognized statewide and nationally for creating programming focused on student athletes that enrich their interscholastic experience through a curriculum of educational athletics.

And you wonder why coaches become prematurely gray and develop ulcers?

Just ask Hendricken coach Keith Croft and Chariho coach Mike Kelly.

Each coach reached for something to soothe their stomachs after his team won its respective Super Bowl.

Hendricken retained its Division I title by upsetting previously-undefeated La Salle, 17-14, while Chariho won the Division II title – the first state football championship in school history – by edging Central, 26-25.

How each team won was the stuff of legend.

La Salle led 14-10 with 55 seconds left in regulation when Laionel Cintron caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Brannigan which helped avenge a 39-14 pasting the Hawks suffered at the hands of the Rams in September.

The championship was the eighth in school history for the Hawks. And, ironically, the reception only was Cintron’s 13th of the season for the run-oriented Hawks.

Chariho trailed 25-20 with four minutes left on the clock thanks to a second touchdown run by Central’s Mike Washington. But on the ensuing kickoff, Colton place caught the ball on his two and sprinted 98 yards for arguably the biggest touchdown in Chariho history – one that produced the 26-25 victory.

The other two Super Bowls had less dramatic finishes but were just as important to the respective victors.

Rogers, which at one time dominated Division I, beat Middletown 27-7 for the Division III title while Mount Pleasant captured its second consecutive Division IV Super Bowl title by outlasting Central Falls, 22-13.

Senior Reeyon Watts helped the Vikings avenge a loss in the 2010 Super Bowl to the Islanders by rushing for 170 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.

The title was the first as a coach for Rogers’ alumnus Frank Newsome who played on three Division I Super Bowl teams from 1988-90.

Emmanuel Marsh caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Dunlap and scored on a four-yard run to pace the Kilties.

In addition, Marsh played a solid game at safety – a position he had not played before the Super Bowl because coach Paul Rao felt he would best fit in a Cover-3 defense.

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Until this year, the Glastonbury High School girls' soccer program had always lacked a finishing kick.

Glastonbury had reached the Class LL championship game six times since 1983, and came away second best each time. That all changed when top-seeded Glastonbury defeated 18th-seeded Trumbull 2-1 Friday to win this year's Class LL title.

“I was doing this for all the [Glastonbury] girls who have been here before us,” Glastonbury senior midfielder Liz Otto said. “I'm just so excited we finally got it done.”

Otto gave Glastonbury a 1-0 lead when she headed Kayla Orozco's corner kick into the Trumbull goal with 19:45 to play. The Tomahawks doubled their lead when junior Kristen Dragotta scored with 2:41 left.

Trumbull made things interesting by scoring with 2:23 to play, but the Tomahawks hung on to finish the season with a 17-0-2 record.

In last weekend's other girls soccer championship games No. 2 Avon defeated No. 8 Farmington 2-1 to win the Class L title; No. 1 Northwest Catholic beat No. 2 Granby Memorial 4-0 in the Class M championship game; and No. 5 Immaculate defeated No. 7 Litchfield 3-0 to win the Class S title.

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WORCESTER, Mass. -- This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Sutton High School’s boy’s varsity soccer team, instead, it resulted as season that was capped off by a Division 3 state championship on Friday.

The Sammies took the lead early, and never looked back, as they defeated Eastern Mass. champion Georgetown on Friday, 3-1.

“This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us,” Sutton head coach Michael Elster said. “We lost 10 seniors last year, we had two guys that started last year, a whole new team, [and] they worked hard all season and the most important thing is anyone knows in sports is [that] they came together and played well together.”

Georgetown head coach Chris Difranco added, “We told the guys from the start of the tournament [that] only one team in Division 3 is going to win their last game and we wanted it to be us, [but] it wasn’t."

Sammies sophomore forward Riley Steele recorded the team’s first strike, after he collected a free kick, which bounced off a Georgetown defender before Sutton added their second score literally five minutes later. Justin Rothermich connected on a 12-yard score, which gave the Sammies a comfortable 2-0 lead entering the intermission.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, the whole game no matter what the score was,” Steele said. “We went up, 1-0 [and then] we went up, 2-0, got a little more comfortable.”

In the second half, Georgetown’s goalkeeper Ben Warren struggled to stop a Sutton cross during the opening minutes, which resulted in an own goal, and the Sammies final score of the evening.

“[When we] put that third goal in, we [then] just sat in the drivers seat the rest of the game, we knew we had it at that point,” Steele said.

The Royals offense eventually made up for their keeper’s error late in the second half with a goal by senior Matt Bitchell during the closing minutes, but it wasn’t enough to comeback and tie Sutton.

“They played well. Sometimes we tightened up, and they started controlling the game a little bit, so it got a little nerve racking, but we’d get the momentum back, so I thought it was a gift getting those goals early truly obviously made the difference in the game for us because there were times they were putting pressure on us, so overall, I’m very proud of the guys because they hung in there at times they were under pressure,” Elster said.

Despite the loss, Difranco felt his team fought valiantly, and played a good game too.

“I’m really proud of our guys of how they carried themselves, even being down, 3-0,” said Difranco. “We didn’t give up, but you got to hand it to the other team, they just brought it all day.”

WORCESTER, Mass. -- For the first time in school history, the Dover-Sherborn girls' soccer team was crowned Division 3 state champions on Friday, as the Raiders defeated the Hopedale Blue Raiders, 2-1.

“[It was an] epic season for us from start to finish, and when I mean by start, it started like four years ago,” Dover-Sherborn head coach Dave Wainwright. “It’s just unreal.”

“I thought that they had a great game [plan],” Hopedale’s head coach Patty Armour said. “We lost to a good team, and we were down, 2-0, and we could have easily just folded at that point and they didn’t, they played [until] the last second, we did get another goal, and I was just so happy and proud that [my squad] never gave up.”

After a rather lackluster start, the Raiders offense registered their first strike of the match, as junior Taylor Coutt, one goal, one assist), connected with senior forward Maddie Dunn, who dribbled through the Hopedale defense before depositing the ball in the back of the net. Coutt then added her goal during the opening minutes of the second half, which gave the Raiders a comfortable lead.

“[They’re] the dynamic duo,” said Wainwright. “They got their chemistry over [an] extended period of time [and] wasn’t just like there, they had to work at it, and they did, they worked real hard.”

“For us both to score today, both setting each other up, stringing passes together I think was really good, [and] really what we’ve been pushing for,” said Dunn.

Hopedale added their only goal of the game late in the second half when sophomore Leah Siefring kicked the ball past Dover-Sherborn’s freshman goalie Meghan Hall. However, the Blue Raiders comeback hopes were dashed, as the Raiders defense denied any last minute shots to preserve their final win of the season.

“It was our goal from the very first day of preseason and the fact that we were able to accomplish our goal was just unreal,” said Dunn.

“We wanted to do it for the seniors last year [and] for the seniors this year, everyone deserved it,” said Coutt.

Call it the calm before the storm – a weekend when all Rhode Island high school football teams are idle prior to their annual clashes on Thanksgiving Day.

La Salle enjoys the distinction of being the only team that’s undefeated in league play with a 7-0 record in Division I. As a result, the Rams have clinched the division title and the No. 1 seed in the Division I Tournament which begins on Nov. 29.

The Rams put themselves in that position by beating Cranston East, 35-14, with junior Josh Morris running for touchdowns of 64, 74, 63 and 38 yards.

Hendricken (6-2) clinched second place by beating Barrington, 21-13, as Ryan Brannigan threw a pair of touchdown passes to Lou Falcone and also ran for a third touchdown.

What other two teams will fill out the field is more complicated.

Currently, East Providence and South Kingstown are tied for third place with 4-3 records.

The Townies play arch-rival La Salle on Thanksgiving while the Rebels play winless North Kingstown.

Should EP and SK each win on Thanksgiving and finish 5-3, the Rebels would earn third place by virtue of their 40-12 victory over the Townies (i.e. the first tiebreaker is record in head-to-head competition).

But if the Townies lose and finish 4-4 and the Rebels win, EP would be tied for fourth with Portsmouth which plays a non-league game on Thanksgiving. However, EP defeated the Patriots 26-22 which would earn them fourth place and the last seed in the tournament.

Since Division II is split into two divisions, tournament play began last weekend with Cumberland, Central, Chariho and Westerly prevailing in the quarterfinals.

Cumberland beat Tolman, 13-9, as Ryan Gaumond scored on a one-yard run with 1:21 left on the clock.

Central whipped West Warwick, 27-12, with Mike Washington rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

Chariho outlasted Mount Hope, 28-15, with quarterback Jansen Williamson rushing for two touchdowns and heaving a 70-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Cahoon.

Westerly trumped St. Raphael, 36-22, as Spencer Reed scored on runs of one yard and three yards.

As a result, Cumberland will play at Chariho and Central will play at Westerly in the Nov. 29 semifinals.

Rogers (6-1) has clinched the Division III title and the No. 1 seed in that tournament. The Vikings play a non-league game on Thanksgiving against winless North Kingstown.

Narragansett (5-2) must beat Tiverton on Thanksgiving to clinch second place while Classical (5-3) and Middletown (5-3) are tied for second. But because the Islanders edged the Purple, 27-26, they’ve earned the No. 2 seed for the tournament.

First-place Mount Pleasant has completed its Division IV schedule with a 6-2 record while North Smithfield and Smithfield are tied for second with 5-2 records. But if North Smithfield beats Scituate, the Northmen also would finish 6-2 – and would earn the No. 1 seed by virtue of their 14-12 win over the Kilties.

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TAUNTON, Mass. – When Greater New Bedford Vocational sophomore Josh Edwards played in his first varsity soccer game on Sept. 24 against Case; he scored three goals as the Bears mauled the Cardinals.

All that did was earn him a return ticket to the Bears’ junior varsity team.

But after what Edwards did Sunday night in the Division 1 South section final (his second varsity game), coach Henry Andrade may want to consider which team Edwards should play on next season.

Edwards came off the bench for the first time near the midway point of the second half against 15th-seeded Boston College High and promptly scored to break a 1-1 tie and give the top-seeded Bears the championship – in their first trip to the sectional finals since 1999.

“I wanted him to give one of our players a rest,” explained Andrade. “This was his second varsity game. In his first varsity game he touched the ball three times and scored three goals.

“After that, he went back down to jayvees. This was his first game back with us and he scores the winning goal. He’s fast. He’s physical. He’s a very opportunistic player.”

Good point.

Flavio Carvalho, who’s been superb for the Bears (19-2-1) throughout the tournament, started the play by passing to Felipe Dias deep in the right corner.

Dias, in turn, centered the ball for Edwards in the box and he beat Kevin Zemaitis at 18:34.

“It was a great set-up by my teammates,” Edwards said. “I heard the footsteps (Zemaitis came out to challenge Edwards) and knew I was only going to get one chance at this so I just turned and shot it.

“I’m happy I could help out the team. I wanted to win this thing as much as they did.”

Carvalho, who scored the winning goal in the Bears’ first three tournament games, also had a foot in their first goal of this game.

A senior midfielder, Carvalho lofted a corner kick and Corey Lopes headed it past Zemaitis in the third minute of play.

As the clock wound down, it appeared the Eagles (12-7-4) would go into halftime trailing by one goal. But after a throw-in from deep in the right corner by Marc Monestime, Caleb Long pounced on a loose ball, spun around and knocked it past Luis Carranza with just under a minute remaining.

Carranza only was called on to make just two saves because the Bears put 11 shots on goal as compared with a mere three shots for the Eagles.

“We showed throughout the whole tournament that we have a lot of heart,” said Andrade. “The teams that we played were more physical than us.

“Flavio’s been unbelievable. He’s scored three game-winning goals so far in this tournament and he was a rock again tonight.”

In Andrade’s opinion, Lopes’ goal enabled the Bears to avoid a (no pun intended) rocky start.

“As soon as we scored that first goal, it kind of settled us down,” said Andrade. “Even though they came back and scored, the kids still believed that we could win it.”

That’s exactly what happened as Edwards scored what may prove to be the most improbable goal of his high school career.

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The two top seeds in the Division 3 South boys' soccer bracket, No. 1 Cardinal Spellman and No. 2 Dover-Sherborn, both played up to their seedings Sunday. But, in the eighth round of penalty kicks, a well-placed boot from Spellman senior Robert Studley sent the Cardinals to the state semifinals for the second time in three seasons.

The teams were tied at one after full time and after two extra-time periods, but eventually the Cardinals advanced with a 6-5 advantage on penalties.

Penalty kicks are a tough way to loose any match and Cardinals head coach Mike Gerrish knows that firsthand.

“We lost that way in PK’s last year to Cohassett in the semifinals,” Gerrish said. “We practiced it a lot this year.”

Coming into the match, the Cardinals (22-0-0) had scored a jaw-dropping 102 goals, including 13 in their first three tournament games. But an equally impressive stat is that Dover-Sherborn (19-1-1) had only allowed three goals in 20 matches this season.

Spellman struck first just over a minute into the second half. Chris Morrison drove in a free kick that was won in the air by Studley, then crossed in by Nick DeLuca and headed home by senior Aaron Bailey for a 1-0 lead.

The Raiders almost tied the match on their next possession, but Spellman’s DeLuca was again involved in the action, this time heading away a goal-bound Chris Flight shot.

But there was no chance in stopping the Raiders' next shot.

With a half hour of regulation remaining, D-S senior forward Toby Howe made a brilliant turn atop the Cardinals box and unleashed a shot that found it’s way into the top right corner for the final score of the half.

Howe had a chance to win the game for DS in the first period of extra time, but the post denied him, and the two teams headed into a shootout.

With the teams deadlocked after seven rounds, Spellman took advantage of a Raiders' miss and Studley buried the game-winner.

“I just think we played with so much heart today,” said Gerrish of his team’s performance. “After playing yesterday then coming out playing a team like that today, taking them into double overtime hanging on and winning in PK’s is special.”

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Dover-Sherborn girls' soccer team is heading to the Division 3 state semifinals for the second season in a row after defeating the Norwell Clippers, 1-0. in Sunday's South sectional final played at Bridgewater-Raynham.

Taylor Coutts scored the game's only goal in the 56th minute by smashing the back of the net from close range through a scrum of D-S and Norwell players.

“I was probably on the ground for half that time just waiting for the ball not to hit me, so it could go in over me,” said Coutts about the chaotic build up to her goal. “There were like three shots, they each got deflected but then I popped up and just kind of hit it through.”

Coutts almost doubled the lead moments later as freshman midfielder Abigail Bridge delivered a great cross into the box, but the shot from Coutts sailed just over the crossbar.

D-S (14-5-3) should have been up 1-0 early in the first half. Ellie Melanson was clean through on goal and blasted a powerful shot towards the low far corner, but was denied by the post.

Norwell’s (17-5-1) had their best chance of the game six minutes into the second half. Senior captain Allie DeBenedicts had a beautiful strike whistle just wide of the net on a shot that would have given the Clippers a 1-0 lead.

The Raiders, like they had done in the first half, controlled most of the possession with their five midfielders and were able to see the game out.

D-S will play Georgetown on Tuesday for a chance to reach the state championship.

“The girls want to win a state championship, that’s the goal we have right now,” Raiders head coach Dave Wainwright said. “But we have to take it one game at a time.”

“This is a big deal because this is as far as we got last year,” senior captain Maddie Dunn said. “We’re just striving to beat what we did last year. I think we’re just going to have to up the good work, keep playing our game.”

BOYS' SOCCER
Division 3 North
Georgetown 1, Rockport 0
Lynnfield 6, St. Mary’s 1

GIRLS' SOCCER
Division 2 North
Newburyport 1, Gloucester 0
Stoneham 1, Arlington 0 (OT)

Division 3 North
Georgetown 1, Lynnfield 0
St. Mary’s 3, Watertown 2

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL
Division 1 North
Andover 3, North Andover 0
Central Catholic 3, Reading 0

Division 1 South
Barnstable 3, New Bedford 0
North Attleborough 3, Brockton 0

Division 1 Central-East
Brookline 3, North Quincy 2
Newton North 3, Quincy 0

Division 1 Central-West
Acton-Boxborough 3, Franklin 0
Lincoln-Sudbury 3, Algonquin 0

Division 2 South
Bishop Feehan 3, Dennis-Yarmouth 0
Fairhaven 3, GNB Voke 0

Division 2 Central
Marlborough 3, Westborough 0
Hopkinton 3, Canton 0

Division 3 North
Austin Prep 3, Shawsheen 0
Lynnfield 3, St. Clement 0

In his 41st year at the helm of Plymouth Regional's storied football program – a span that's produced a state-record 334 wins and 18 championships – Chuck Lenahan has surely experienced it all.

Yet it was the manner in which the Bobcats won their most recent matchup that had the gruff-voiced grid coach admitting, “I'm kind of numb.”

It's understandable. Lenahan approved the call for a fourth-quarter fake punt that produced the game-winning touchdown. Plymouth celebrated a 21-14 Division IV semifinal win Nov. 5 against longtime rival Laconia High.

The scenario: Plymouth was forced to punt from its 32-yard line in a 14-all game. The game clock showed less than nine minutes remained in regulation.

Special teams coach Chris Sanborn persuaded Lenahan to fake the punt. The Bobcats desperately needed a spark. Their rushing attack, which generated two lengthy first-half scoring drives capped by Cole Brooker touchdown runs, was stifled after halftime.

Standout senior Taylor Newberry (37 carries for 205 yards) was asked to fake the punt for the first time in his career. It worked out better than even Lenahan could have expected.

Newberry gained the three yards necessary to extend the drive. He also picked up 65 more yards, cutting left-to-right across the field, dodging would-be tacklers, and ultimately celebrating a 68-yard TD run.

“We actually just set that up (in the week leading up to the semifinal). We were 50-50 on it,” Newberry said. “I guess it worked.”

Plymouth – a year removed from missing the playoffs on a three-team tiebreaker – actually plays the role of underdog in the Nov. 12 final.

The second-seeded Bobcats (9-1) travel to Manchester's Gill Stadium for a showdown with No. 1 seed Trinity High (10-0). The Bobcats were stunned at home in Week 4 by the Pioneers, allowing a pair of late-game touchdown passes in a 12-7 loss.

It snapped Plymouth's 40-game home win streak.

“Another week,” Lenahan said. “The kids wanted it bad. What the heck. We might as well take a trip to Manchester.”

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Madison Memorial High School senior Matt McClintock recently won his third Class C cross country title while posting the fastest time in the state in any class. McClintock also won the mid-season Festival of Champions which featured over 600 runners from 60 schools in and out of state. Last spring, he won the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs at the state track and field meet. He’s competing this weekend in the New England meet in North Scituate, R.I. He recently answered questions about his season and running career.

Q: How did you get started running?

A: "I started running in 5th grade on the Madison Junior High XC team. I went to Athens Elementary so what would happen is Athens would practice on it's own and then we would just join the Madison team at meets. Fifth grade was the first year that I could compete in any "real" school sports, and I don't really know what drew me to it, but I decided to try it, and I guess my first race went well. I finished 13th. All my coaches were really happy with it and I guess I've been running ever since."

Q: Who have been your greatest influences?

A: "First and foremost would definitely be my coaches. Mrs. Moulton and Mr. Harper in junior high and Bob and Brandon Hagopian in high school. The person that really inspired me and drove me to get better was definitely coach Bob Hagopian. He's been with me since freshman year, through my wins and losses, and has always found a way to make me better."

Q: At what point did you feel you made a breakthrough in your high school career?

A: "Without a doubt it was after I lost the conference championship last year. I got to cocky and that race showed me that I wasn't invincible, that I wasn’t going to win just because my name was Matt McClintock, but because I wanted it more than the guy in front, beside, or behind me. That race made me love running, because I then had something to prove and something to work for. It re-instilled that love for competition in me. I will remember that race for the rest of my life, and I'm definitely a better runner because of it."

Q: What do you consider your greatest achievements in track and cross country?

A: "Wow, I guess in cross country it would be my three state championships. Since fifth grade my dream was to win a state championship in high school. To have three cross country titles and two titles on the track is just unbelievable to me. In track, my greatest achievement was definitely breaking the Madison High School records for 1,600 and 3,200 meters, probably more so the 3,200 because I was the first Madison kid in history to go under 10 minutes in that event."

Q: Which sport do you prefer?

A: "It really depends on the season. During cross country my favorite sport is cross country. During track it's track. I just love to run and race whether it's on the road, a track, or a trail."

Q: What goals did you set this season and did you reach them?

A: "My first goal for the season was to go undefeated in Maine and three-peat the Class C State Championship. I'm proud to say I met this goal. My next goal was to go under 15 minutes for the 5k I haven't met this goal yet as we've never really had a good day for a championship race, but Saturday at the New England Championships looks to be a good day, and it's a very fast course so we'll see what I can do there.

Q: What is your goal for this week’s New England meet?

A: "My goal here is to win the title, and to go under 15 minutes for the 5K. As I said, before, it's a fast course, and there will be some incredibly strong competition to push me there."

Q: You won several races handily this season. Is it tough competing when you’re not pushed?

A: "I guess that would depend on your definition of competing. A lot of people look at competing as winning. I prefer to look at it in the manner of Steve Prefontaine. If I’m going to win, I want to know that I've done my best. So yes, it's difficult to push myself to fast times, but I always just try to stay focused and not worry about the pain or where my competition is and just get to the finish line as fast as possible."

Q: What do you enjoy most about running?

A: "I love the people that we meet. The type of people you meet at cross country or track events is totally different then you will see in any other sport. At the state meet, I was getting encouraged to reach my sub 16 goal by the coaches and family and teammates of people that I was directly competing against. I'm confident to say that you will not find nicer and more supportive fans at any other high school sports competition."

Q: Do you have any running role models?

A: "I have several running idols, the most prominent would be Steve Prefontaine. I try to live up to the guts and determination that he always showed as a runner. His quote “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" are the words I live by. Another two are Haile Gebrselassie, and Kenenisa Bekele. Both are Ethiopian runners. Gebrselassie is a two-time gold medalist and world record holder. Bekele is the two-time defending Olympic 10,000 meter champion and holds World Records now."

Q: Where will you attend college and why did you choose that particular school?

A: "I will be running for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania next year. I felt very comfortable around the campus and really connected well with Coach Aaron Russell and the entire team at Lock Haven."

Q: What other sports or activities do you enjoy?

A: "I enjoy all sports, but running is my one and only true passion."

Q: What is your training regimen in and out of the season?

A: "Sorry, but I don't like to discuss what my training is, at least not until after the outdoor track season."

Q: Where do you need to improve?

A: "I definitely need to improve on my kicking speed. In order to really be competitive in college I need to be able to win a race in the last 200 Meters if necessary. I feel that as my speed continues to develop in conjunction with my continued endurance training all of my events will improve drastically."

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