ESPN

Do it Rockapella!

No, it's not a board game, or a TV show for that matter, but in casting a wide net to the big launch to our site next month, Brendan and I have been putting a couple clicks on the odometer and canvassing the state on an old-fashioned road trip while checking in with a number of communities to get a feel for what high school sports mean to them.

Yesterday, I snapped this shot from a notable destination on our super road trip. Guess where we were -- the title of Master of the Obvious goes to the lucky winner who has the correct answer.

Where do you think we should go next? We'd love to hear your suggestions.

Former St. Thomas More associate head coach Matt Quinn has been named the new boys basketball head coach at Winchendon School.

Quinn takes over for Mike Byrnes, who stepped down this summer after 14 seasons at the helm. Quinn is a 2004 graduate of Bucknell University, where he was a four-year letterwinner and captained the squad his senior year. He is also the son of St. Thomas More head coach Jere Quinn.

More than any other position at the high school level, it's the offensive linemen that seem to come out of nowhere onto the recruiting radar.

We saw it last year with Philips Andover's Bobby Vardaro, who wasn't discovered until the spring of 2009, when he dominated on somebody else's highlight film and a month later committed to Boston College. Even better, Boston College High's Andrew Tallman played just two varsity games in the 2008 season, his junior year, but ended up verbally committing to the University of Miami last summer after displaying remarkable athleticism at a series of camps.

Could Dartmouth High's Andrew Kestenbaum be next? The 6 foot 4, 300-pound senior didn't start on the varsity until last season. But he has a tool you can't teach -- size -- and comes from a respectable program that's put two players in BCS schools in the last three seasons (UConn running back Jordan Todman, and Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch). Also working to his advantage is his ability as a long snapper.

"No offers yet, but they'll come," Kestenbaum told correspondent Roger Brown. "I think in a lot of cases it's just a matter of seeing my senior tape. The [college] coaches say I have good athleticism. BC said I have to work on my footwork, my foot speed.

"New Hampshire, Rhode Island, UMass and Penn State are the schools that have shown the most interest. Mostly letters, emails -- that kind of stuff. Honestly, I like all the schools that I've been to."

Brown has more on Kestenbaum in his blog today.

BB&N rising senior Dan Slavin accomplished his goal on Tuesday.

But the Newton, Mass. native knew entering the second round he’d have to pick up the pace if he was to advance to the match play round of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championships, being held at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Mich.

“I just wanted to make match play,” said Slavin, who shot a second-round 72 to finish at 2-over in stroke play. “Usually, the scores are a bit higher. I thought I’d be good if I had two 74s, but then seeing the scores that were going up on the first day, I knew I’d need to hit around a 72 to be safe.”

After hitting his mark at 72, he lived to play another day and moved on to match play, which begins Wednesday.

“I think I hit the ball well today overall,” Slavin said during a phone interview from his hotel room Tuesday night. “I couldn’t hit a green on the front nine, but I was able to make four birdies on the back nine, so that helped.”

Slavin is set to tee off against Anthony Paolucci of Del Mar, Calif. this morning in match play.

Just missing the cut was Jamison Randall, of Cumberland, R.I., whose hard-luck 149 for the two rounds had him just outside the field of 64.

First came the news that Tyler Beede would be playing in next month’s prestigious Aflac All-American Game at Petco Park. ("I was shocked," he said this past weekend.) This week in East Cobb, Ga., the good times continue to roll.

Beede, an Auburn, Mass., resident, was a key component to the Virginia Canes 16-and-under squad capturing its second straight World Woodbat Association national title Monday. The Canes, one of several teams loaded with Division 1 commits, plated 10 runs in both their semifinal win over the Houston Banditos (10-5) and championship final victory over the Carolina Cubs (10-4).

"It's tremendous," said Beede, who was also on last year's squad. (His birthdate, May 23, allowed him to just make the cut even though he's 17.) "Thankfully, we got back to the same place and ended up winning again. It's a special thing, not many guys can say they've won a national championship, let alone two."

Armed with a fastball that’s topped out at 94 miles per hour and a sharp 12-to-6 curve, the Vanderbilt-bound right-hander was dominant over the 10 days he traveled with the team. In 13 innings, he struck out 22 batters while walking just two, and allowed two runs and six hits.

Massachusetts’ other representative next month at Petco, Dexter School’s John Magliozzi, is another continuing to do good on his hype this summer. Suiting up for the East Cobb (Ga.) Braves along with high school teammate Barrett O’Neill (an Ashland, Mass., resident who has committed to Virginia), he also participated in the national title game.

After some fine-tuning of his mechanics following the high school season, the Florida-bound Magliozzi has seen his velocity come along well, reportedly hitting as high as 96 on his fastball.

"I felt like I was on top of the world," Magliozzi said of his All-American selection.

As for Petco, it will be Magliozzi’s fifth trip to a major-league ballpark, having stepped on the field for games at Fenway Park, Tropicana Field and the Metrodome. He’ll be at Yankee Stadium on July 27 for a workout. The mystique, though, never gets old.

"It’s just nuts, how amazing those places are,” Magliozzi said. “The atmosphere must be crazy with that place full. There’s going to be a lot of people there [in San Diego], and it’s going be awesome to play there with all of the best players."

The other big showing in the WWBA tournament was the surprise run by the New England Ruffnecks’ 17U squad, which advanced all the way to the final 16 last week before losing 2-1 to the Miami-based All-American Prospects, who hadn’t given up a run all tournament.

All week long, the Ruffnecks got solid work from their starting rotation, including Catholic Memorial’s John Gorman, Winnisquam (N.H.) Regional’s Jordan Cote, Tewksbury’s Matt Luppi, and Lincoln-Sudbury’s Carl Anderson and Adam Ravenelle. David St. Lawrence of Pomfret (Conn.) performed well in the closer role, while A.J. Zarozny of St. John’s (Shrewsbury) was solid out of the lead-off spot.

But the play everyone will be talking about is Lincoln-Sudbury’s Ben Smith chasing down a foul ball, going airborne, crashing over a brick wall -- and holding on for the out.

"I didn’t think he had shot at making it, then all of a sudden he’s tailed over the fence,” Walsh said. “It was pretty awesome to see, sacrificing his body for the team."

And if the way guys like Beede, Magliozzi and O’Neill have performed this summer isn’t convincing enough, the Ruffnecks are hoping a showing like this raises the profile of baseball in the Northeast.

"Judging by what people were telling us after that, no Northeast team had ever advanced as far," head coach Greg Brookes said. "I think if we weren’t on the map before, we’re on the map now. Some of those Southern teams admitted to us, when they see a Northeast team on their schedule they think they’re going to walk all over us. I think we changed the thinking of some of the Southern teams."

"Nobody’s really going to sleep on the Northeast anymore," said Anderson. "It just kind of puts us out there, everyone knows we’re competing now. They’ve still got to get ready for us. It’s not just another team from the Northeast."

It’s not often these days you see college athletes making the jump from Division 3 to the top ranks. But with a generous financial aid package from Framingham State, not enough money for the prep school route, and Division 1 coaches encouraging him to bring his grades up, Brockton’s Carlito Weaver decided to gut it out the less-desirable way.

Weaver – a former Big 3 Conference All-Star, Boston Herald All-Scholastic and Shriners Football Classic captain at safety for Brockton High – had the talent to play with the big boys, and excelled both on and off the field this past year for the Rams. In addition to being named the New England Football Conference Rookie of the Year, he made Dean’s List both semesters.

Now, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Weaver is taking his exploits to Division 1 FCS power UMass, where he will be re-united with former Brockton teammate Darren Thellen.

“I applied to UMass Amherst, and upon acceptance I looked into it,” said Weaver, who was a key component to the Boxers’ Division 1 Super Bowl runner-up squad in 2008. “Darren Thellen said I could definitely play on the team up there … I got a tour of the locker room, the football facilities, and I just fell in love with the campus.

"It wasn’t mostly football for me, it was academic. I got accepted into the Isenberg School of Management. It was the best of both worlds.”

Weaver made his decision late last month. Per transfer rules, he will sit out this upcoming season. He’ll most likely compete for starting time as a defensive back in 2011.

Editor's note: This is the first in a recurring series of Q&A's featuring prominent athletes in the area, talking about their talents as well as themselves.

Few high school athletes have as much on their plate this summer as St. John’s Prep two-sport star Pat Connaughton. With an impressive shooting stroke and a fastball that clocks in the low-90s, the 6-foot-5 Arlington resident is all over the place - literally - traveling with both the East Coast Grays summer baseball squad and Middlesex Magic AAU basketball squad.

Connaughton’s next stop is Orlando, for this weekend’s AAU Boys Basketball National Championship tournament, before heading west for next month’s Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. Connaughton took a few minutes out of his busy day to talk to ESPNBoston about his travel, his coaches, his recruiting, and his hometown.

Q: How often are you able to kick up your feet and rest these days?
A: "Mostly once a weekend. I come here to Athletic Evolution [in Woburn] from 9:30 to 3 or 4. A typical day: 9 to 11, I do a two-hour workout that helps me in both sports; then, I’ll get lunch; then, 12 to 1, I’ll throw the baseball; and 1 to 3, I’ll play basketball with a weight vest on."

Q: So you must be drained by the end of the day.
A: "Usually [laughs]. But its good, I like the feeling afterward, so it’s good."

Q: You’ve often been described as a scorer in basketball. Where have you noticed the most improvement in your game this summer?
A: "Probably ball-handling. With my guard play I’ve built more strength and quickness, because of [Athletic Evolution] I’ve gotten a lot stronger, I keep up with more of the guard. I’m quick enough to hang with guards and big enough post them up, then when they stick a big man on me, I’m able to use my quickness to go around them."

Q: Baseball, same question. What are you looking to do to get better?
A: "I play a lot of positions in high school, but in the end I’ll probably be a pitcher. Over the winter, I had a very good basketball season, we got to the Boston Garden, so I didn’t work on my pitching as much. But my velocity got a lot better doing my workouts. I still need to be more consistent on my band work, strengthening my tendons and muscles, I need to be more consistent with that. I’m learning how to pitch … Usually I just throw hard, but now I’m learning how to pitch, use my mechanics and stuff."

Q: Travel-wise, how many miles have you put in so far this summer?
A: "A bunch (laughs). Georgia, I’ve been to Florida already and now I’m going to Florida again on Thursday. Then, I’m in California [Long Beach] at the beginning of August [for the Area Code Games]. I’ve gone all around, Connecticut, Maine, I don’t really know right now [laughs]."

Q: The recruiting process for a two-sport athlete in your situation, it can be time-consuming taking all those phone calls. How often do you find yourself getting stressed?
A: "A little bit. Yesterday was the best case of it. Yesterday, I had a golf tournament with my dad all day [at Juniper Hill Golf Course, in Northborough], did that from 9 to 3. Right after that, I leave to go to a baseball game at 4 [in Arlington], the game starts at 5:45, game’s over at 7:30, then I have basketball practice til 10 [at Babson College], so I go to that. I end up with 14 voicemails from coaches that day, and I have no time to get back to them. I didn’t have time to call them back last night, and I don’t want call wicked late because that’s rude. It’s tough … Some coaches call, it’s pretty tough having to call them back, coaches have a schedule and it’s important for me to take their calls, but I’m not near my phone when I’m playing a sport. It’s tough to keep track of it, but I try my best."

Q: What was Mike Crotty like as a person? (Middlesex Magic founding director Mike Crotty Sr., died last February)
A: "He was great. We had memorial game for him [two months ago, at the Boston Shootout], coach [Mike Crotty Jr.] asked me to give a speech. He was great. The best way to describe him, when you walked into the gym and saw the Middlesex Magic playing, he was the first guy you looked for. Such a like-able guy; he was always up front and would tell you the truth. He would come to the majority of my high school games, and even if he didn’t come he'd call me up before the game and ask me how I was doing, tried to take my mind off the game. He knew I play my best when I’m not thinking and I just go out and play. Last summer, was my first summer with the Magic, we went to Nationals. He had a big impact on how I am as a person on and off the court. On the court, he was serious to the point where he’d be yelling and screaming, getting your attention. Off the court, he was a laid back guy who really cared about all his players."

Q: What do you miss the most about him?
A: "I miss him being around, really ... talking to him. He was a teacher on and off the court. He taught me so much about life and basketball. He always had your attention, everything he said had a purpose. He’d always steer me in the right direction to help me make the right decisions on and off the court."

Q: With that in mind, what has this AAU basketball season meant to you?
A: "It’s meant a lot. In memory of him, we have our “MC” jerseys, we lay it all on the court. My favorite saying Mike always said to me was, 'You’re gonna pass out before you die.' If you get too tired, you’re not going to die from it, you’re going to pass out. I can just go til I … I’ve never passed out, but I’ve always got something left in the tank, you keep digging deeper until the other guy quits. As long as you keep pushing, 90 percent of the time you’ll come out on top."

Q: You’ve seen the exodus of players to prep schools in the NEPSAC. What’s kept you competing in the MIAA?
A: "I love St. John’s Prep as a school. I like the people there, it’s a great school. There’s so many connections through there. My dad always loved it, it’s a big reason why I went to St. John’s. I’m hoping I don’t need to prep a year. It’s good because I like being able to say I’m age appropriate. I don’t mind prep school kids, I like playing against them and they play better competition, but I like being like, 'I did what I did without staying back a year.' It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do."

Q: Where are you leaning towards for college plans?
A: "This will be big for me. Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved North Carolina, so I’m very interested in them obviously. I’m not leaning towards anyone yet. I talked to the baseball coach [Mike Fox] the other day. I want to play basketball in college and pitch, too. Last summer, I got an offer from BC’s baseball coach [Mik Aoki], who’s now the Notre Dame coach. He said if I played basketball at the school I’d pitch, too. I’d probably pitch once a week after basketball practice or a game. Bullpens take half an hour at most, I’d be able to handle that. I’d be pitching when it comes down to it, but I want to take my basketball game to the highest level I can and pitch for that school, too. Scott Forbes, the pitching coach at UNC, said ‘I’ll speak to the basketballl guys for you, too. We know you want to be a basketball player.' Then, he sent me an e-mail saying they’re coming down to watch me at Nationals. That’s really a dream school. When you think of a reach school, that’s a dream school. That’d be a dream. I want to see if I can play in the Big East, ACC, Pac-10, and pitch, too. People keep telling me: ‘You’ll have no social life, blah, blah, blah.' Well, I like sports, so I can find time for other stuff later."

Q: Given what you just said about UNC, how much is that motivating you for Nationals?
A: "A lot. It makes it that much more important to me. I’ve always done good stuff for baseball, it’s always come easier to me, but basketball, I never got my name out quickly. Last summer was my first time at Nationals, getting exposure for the first time, no one really knew about me. I want to take the most of it. My dad always says: 'You may not be this 6-8, gifted, huge kid; you’re a guard. You’ll always be a 6-5 guard that needs to become a better shooter, quicker, but coaches know toughness.' I pretty much use all the talent I have and add toughness. That’s what has helped me succeed so far."

Q: You played football when you first got to St. John’s Prep. How inclined are you to pick up a sport this fall?
A: "Me and my dad always have this conversation. We’ve talked to a bunch of the football coaches, a bunch of my friends who play want me to play. I love playing football, it’s really fun. One of my older cousins talked to me about it. Most likely this will be my last chance ever to play organized football ever again. Really, I’m in the middle, straight up, trying to figure it out. It really depends on what happens. If I commit to a college at the end of the summer, it’s a better possibility that I’ll play. If I don’t, it depends on if I have to do other stuff in the fall in order get colleges to look at me -- having to play in front of them it’d be tough to play football. I don’t worry about getting hurt like everyone assumes, I just don’t know if I’d be able to with time management and everything."

Q: What are the places to be seen in Arlington? Any places to eat?
A: "Definitely, in Arlington Heights, the Blue Ribbon BBQ. The Arlington High School basketball courts, on my nights off I’ll go and shoot with my friends. Papa Gino’s, there’s a bunch of good places, but definitely the Blue Ribbon BBQ. I know there’s others [around the Boston area], but I’ve never seen another one."

Former Boston College High football head coach Jim Cotter passed away this morning at the age of 73, after a long battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Cotter, 73, retired from the Dorchester school in 2004 after 41 seasons leading the program. He guided the Eagles to three MIAA Super Bowls during his tenure -- winning in 1977 and 2000 -- posted a 236-145-17 record for his career, and had six players go on to play in the NFL. In 2006, the newly-unveiled FieldTurf at Viola Stadium, the school's football field, was named in his honor before the Eagles' season-opening home victory over Brockton.

A press release sent out by the school this afternoon said that Cotter "died peacefully in his Quincy home surrounded by his family."

"Caring, compassionate, generous and devoted to helping others, Jim Cotter was everything we would ever hope a student at BC High would turn out to be," school President William Kemeza said in the release.

A little more insight from the release:

Cotter saw football as the ultimate teaching opportunity where he could instill in his players values that would prepare them for life. "A lot of former players have told me that what they learned from us meant a lot to their success," said Cotter. "The importance of hard work, or trying to do something you didn’t think you could do. Setting goals – realistic goals, and having a plan to achieve those goals, has all played a role in their development as outstanding men."

In one of his last public appearances at BC High, an event to celebrate the release of a biography of his life tilted "A True Man for Others," Cotter asked those gathered to join him in a prayer for a former student who had been severely injured in a car accident. "Here he was, his body ravaged by ALS, and he asks us to pray for one of his former players," said Dan Shea of Milton. "He was a completely selfless individual who was an inspiration to us all. There will never be another person like him."

B.C. High spokesman Richard Subrizio said in an e-mail earlier this afternoon that calling hours are set for this Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the school. The funeral, set for this Friday at 10 a.m., will also be at the school.

Cotter, who is in the Massachusetts Football Coaches Hall of Fame, graduated from B.C. High in 1955. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1991.

The story was first reported by the Quincy Patriot-Ledger.

Introducing … A 6-5 defenseman from Fall River, Massachusetts … Scott Barboza.

That was my childhood dream set to the sizzle of Alex Van Halen’s hi-hat (for those of you in high school, ask your parents who that was and then listen to ‘Right Now’). I’d come skating out donned in the six-spoked sweater just like the Providence Bruins did in the age of the immortal Glen Featherstone (for those of you in high school, don’t bother asking your parents who that was).

Obviously, things didn’t work out in that fashion. I grew into the frame of a Chara-like defenseman and I tried hard. Let’s just say it took a while for my coordination skills to catch up with my gangly frame as a youngster.

Despite my J.V. level skill set across a gamut of sports — baseball, track and a touch of basketball as a lad — I knew from before the time I attended Bishop Connolly High in Fall River (the school on Elsbree Street not named Durfee) that I wanted to be involved in sports some way, somehow.

That path took me to Emerson College and, after graduation, to the Taunton Daily Gazette, where I cut my teeth primarily on the local high school sports scene. From there, I took a spin into the world of pro sports, working the last three whirlwind seasons as a member of the Patriots media relations department.

When the opportunity presented itself to join ESPNBoston’s ranks and work with Brendan on this enterprise, I knew my ship had come in. The opportunity to join my passions for writing, video production and sports is truly a dream come true.

Here’s to the great ride ahead.

Brendan's take
One of the easiest decisions of my life came in May, when I was offered the opportunity to hop aboard ESPNBoston.com as one of its high school editors. I’d covered everything in my time with the Boston Globe, from the four major pro teams to New England’s numerous Division 1 colleges, and have even dabbled briefly in police writing.

But for me, nothing beats the thrill of Friday nights under the lights. To players, Friday night games are the ones you lose sleep over. To reporters such as myself, they’re a breath of fresh air, a healthy reminder of the experience of sport at its roots.

Try as I might in the local weight rooms, I’ll never be able to re-live my glory days as the world’s greatest high school football practice hero - I’m a 5 foot 10 power forward; you figure it out - so maybe writing about it is the next-best thing.

The fall athletic season is still more than a month away, but starting today at ESPNBoston.com, we’re working on some extra-credit projects and getting an early start on the school year.

We’re excited to break ground on this blog and offer you the freshest take on Massachusetts high school sports from our co-editors Brendan Hall and Scott Barboza. Not only that, you’ll occasionally hear from our far flung correspondents in this space to get the scoop on what’s happening throughout New England.

Today is just the beginning. Our full site devoted to high school sports, which we will unveil in mid-August, will be a comprehensive multimedia destination without rival. We will provide the same kind of intriguing, in-depth and just plain fun content that you have come to expect from ESPNBoston.com. High school athletics is more than just the contents of a box score, so we’re going to look at the talented individuals who proudly represent their schools and their communities.

Be sure to add us to your favorites and keep checking back as we amp up to the big day.

Class is now in session. Let the games begin.

SHIRLEY – Massachusetts is an all-too-familiar terrain for Chris Slade. But forgive him if he’d never heard of Shirley, a woodsy town of about 7,000 tucked outside of the I-495 loop, before this weekend.

“I didn’t even know this place existed,” Slade laughed. “When they told me, I was like ‘Laverne and…? I mean, Shirley, what are you talking about?’”

But the former Patriots All-Pro was more than happy to be out at Shirley Middle School’s Taylor Field, along with a stacked group of coaches long on NFL experience, to instruct defensive linemen in this weekend’s Football University camp. Now in its second year coming to Massachusetts, FBU makes 30 stops on its annual summer tours, starting in Hawaii and ending in Samoa.

The camps are a bit of a departure from your typical camp or combine. A more hands-on approach is taken with each individual group of line and skill players, focusing more on proper technique and building a higher IQ for the game. You won’t find any stopwatches here.

Slade, who now resides in Atlanta, has a busy plate during the college football season, with his duties as play-by-play man for the University of Virginia. But the call to do these camps during the summer was a no-brainer for Slade, who coaches at about “13 to 15” of these clinics per year.

“I was in franchise business for five years, when I first retired (in 2001). I enjoyed it, but nothing gives me that high like football, you know,” Slade explained. “And when this opportunity came about, I jumped on it. Just getting back involved with football, coaching kids, teaching kids, traveling around the country seeing some of the best high school players to watch some of them play in college. It’s just been a great time.”

A who’s who of experienced NFLers were on hand for the three-day camp, including 49ers great (and four-time Super Bowl champ) Mike Wilson, 22-year NFL offensive line coaching vet Larry Beightol, veteran NFL assistant John Fontes (for you Lions fans, that’s Wayne’s brother), and former first-round draft pick Giovanni Carmazzi.

And they had their share of Division 1-potential prospects to fine-tune, including Malden’s Aaron Semano, Oakmont Regional’s Luke Bakanowsky, Tabor Academy’s Ibrahim Khadar, and Lawrence Academy’s handful of studs that included Mike Orloff, Marcus Grant, Tyler Cardoze, Max Ricci and Anthony Knight.

A step back to teaching the game’s fundamentals was a huge draw for these guys to come out and coach the high schoolers. As Beightol explains, “I think that’s what it’s about, not about seeing who can run fast, jump high, or whatever. All that’s nice, but if you don’t have the fundamentals and the skills for the position you’re playing, you’re not going to be a very good player. It’s that simple.”

Slade echoed those sentiments.

“At the end of the day, can a guy play football? Can he make plays?” he said. “So much emphasis is put on how fast the guy can run the 40, how much he can bench, how high he can jump, and that’s great if you just want to go on numbers. But to find your true football players, you’ve got to find guys that are willing to go the distance for four quarters, have great technique, play with a lot of energy, make a lot of big plays. Those are your football players.”

Lawrence Academy made a clean sweep on awards at the camp. Tyler Cardoze was the offensive line MVP, Boston College commit Max Ricci was the defensive line MVP, and Iowa commit Marcus Grant was the overall MVP for his work at wide receiver and defensive back.

Lawrence Academy’s football program will now be sending two of its seniors off to Iowa City in 2011, as head coach Mike Taylor has confirmed that Spartans quarterback/linebacker Mike Orloff verbally committed to the University of Iowa last night.

The 6 foot 2, 205-pound Orloff, a Danvers native, chose the Hawkeyes over Louisville, his other Division 1 scholarship offer. His top returning wideout, Marcus Grant, committed to the Hawkeyes last May.

Orloff was one of several key components to the Spartans’ perfect season in 2009, in which they averaged more than 40 points per game and captured both the ISL title and a NEPSAC Bowl victory. He totaled 1,561 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns in directing the offense, and recorded 72 tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

Initially projected as an option-style quarterback at the next level, he turned many a head this past season with his jarring open-field hits on the defensive side of the ball. Per our friends at Scouts, Inc.:

Orloff is a dual-threat QB that is a good enough athlete to play another position as possibly a SS/OLB 'tweener on defense. He plays in a multiple spread set where his skills as a runner are accentuated and he displays adequate skills as a passer...He is elusive and athletic enough to keep the play alive and make things happen with his feet when he needs to and is a very effective designated runner. Possesses adequate speed and change-of-direction skills. Is a tough runner and is not afraid to lower his shoulder. Defensively his athleticism is better suited closer to the line of scrimmage...Plays as a high point safety here where he can roam, key the QB and use his instincts and reads to make plays on the ball...Orloff is an athlete with redeeming qualities on both sides of the ball. He has positional versatility and is a competitive prospect.

That now makes it three Spartans in the senior class to commit to BCS schools since May, with Grant and Orloff joining Anthony Knight (North Carolina State).

Correspondent Roger Brown has more on Orloff's commitment on his recruiting blog.

Day 13 brought a thrilling close to this year's Bay State Games, with Sunday's Boys' Scholastic Finals at Marlborough's New England Sports Center.

Courtesy BSG Director of Communications Peter Cohenno:

Gold Medal Game
Southeast 4, Metro 3

The shorthanded Metro squad fought tough against a talented Southeast team, but in the end Southeast got vengeance for their only loss of the tournament, beating Metro, 4-3, in the gold medal game of the 2010 Bay State Games ice hockey tournament.
Ryan Hall (Westwood, Xaverian HS) scored twice and Tim Driscoll (Hingham, Hingham HS) tallied a pair of assists to lead Southeast to victory.

For Metro, Nick Finn (Canton, Boston College HS) had a hand in all three goals, posting two and adding an assist.

Southeast’s Gerard McEleney (Canton, St. Sebastians) slipped a goal past the goalie just over four minutes in to start the scoring.
Hall scored the next two goals giving Southeast a 3-0 lead. On the first tally, he raced ahead of the pack and beat the Metro goalie high, and then the forward broke away shorthanded and found the back of the net.

Metro answered just 38 seconds after the second Hall goal while still on the power play when Finn ripped a wrist shot past the Southeast goaltender.

Patrick Gill (Hingham, Thayer Academy) extended the lead to 4-3 in the second period after a couple penalties on Metro gave Southeast a two-man advantage.

Metro refused to go quietly, however, as Finn and Mike Vecchione (Saugus, Malden Catholic HS) posted back-to-back goals to cut the lead to one.

In the end, Southeast hung on to claim its second consecutive Bay State Games gold medal under head coach Mike Ciarletta.

Bronze Medal Game
Northeast 5, Coastal 2

As has been the case for most of Northeast’s opponents during the 2010 Bay State Summer Games ice hockey tournament, Coastal fell victim to the offensive barrage of the line of Sullivan, Czarnota and Rolli, as Northeast cruised to the bronze medal with a 5-2 win.

Joe Czarnota (Reading, Reading HS) scored four goals while teammates Bryan Sullivan (Burlington, Burlington HS) and Christoper Rolli (Stoneham, Stoneham HS) posted four assists apiece. Sullivan, the tournament’s most outstanding player, also added a goal to bring his point total in the six-game tournament to 32 – 12 goals and 20 assists.

Coastal actually took the early 1-0 lead in the game and played Northeast tight for two periods. It took Coastal more than four minutes to get its first shot on goal, but Ryan Gouveia (Dartmouth, Dartmouth HS) made the best of the opportunity as the sophomore blasted a one-timer into the back of the net from the right face-off circle.

Northeast’s Czarnota redirected a shot from Sullivan between the goalie’s pads to tie the game, 1-1, and with a 5-on-3 advantage early in the second period, Czarnota, standing alone in front of the net, tapped in a pass from Sullivan.

However, Kevin Seely (Berkley, Coyle-Cassidy HS) knotted the game 2-2 on a power play goal midway through the second period, as he squeezed the puck between the goalie’s blocker and the post.

Northeast took advantage of a bad give away by Coastal in its own zone with just a minute remaining in the period, and Czarnota buried a pass from Sullivan. That proved to be the beginning of the end. A minute into the third, Rolli hit Sullivan as he broke to the net, and then Rolli hooked up with Czarnota in front on a nearly identical play just moments later.