High School: Amherst
Who's the team to beat in Division I softball this season?
That's the question some were debating before last Friday's game between Essex High School and BFA-St. Albans. Each team entered the contest with a 12-0 record.
Essex seemed to put the argument to rest by posting a 12-0 victory.
Senior Alexis Perry carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and settled for a two-hitter with eight strikeouts. The Hornets scored in every inning.
Essex owned a 15-0 record entering Thursday's game against North Country. It was the team's final regular-season contest.
Perry, who will play softball at Division II Merrimack College, is what separates Essex from the state's other top teams. Through 11 games she had 106 strikeouts in 54 innings, and was batting .591. She has a 45-4 record in her high school career
“She's a hard-worker,” Essex co-head coach Bill O'Neil told the Burlington Free Press earlier this season. “She's not one to just sit on what she's got – she's always looking to get better.”
Perry pitched a perfect game when Essex defeated Middlebury 3-0 on May 12. She struck out 12 and threw 74 pitches in the victory.
Eight of the Hornets' 15 victories have come by shutout. The team has allowed more than one run twice this season – victories over Milton (13-3) and Mt. Abraham (6-2).
Essex won the state title in Perry's freshman season, but dropped 1-0 decisions to Brattleboro in the 2010 and 2011 playoffs. Perry pitched a no-hitter in the loss to Brattleboro last year.
“We are not going to lose to them 1-0 again,” Perry told the Free Press. “This is our year.”
MORE SOFT TOSS
The Burlington softball team hasn't won a postseason game in 15 years – a play-in victory over Rice – but that may change this spring.
Despite suffering back-to-back losses against Milton and Essex, Burlington is 10-5 entering its final regular-season game Thursday (at BFA-St. Albans).
The Seahorses, who do not have a senior on their roster, strung together nine consecutive wins earlier this season.
That's the question some were debating before last Friday's game between Essex High School and BFA-St. Albans. Each team entered the contest with a 12-0 record.
Essex seemed to put the argument to rest by posting a 12-0 victory.
Senior Alexis Perry carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and settled for a two-hitter with eight strikeouts. The Hornets scored in every inning.
Essex owned a 15-0 record entering Thursday's game against North Country. It was the team's final regular-season contest.
Perry, who will play softball at Division II Merrimack College, is what separates Essex from the state's other top teams. Through 11 games she had 106 strikeouts in 54 innings, and was batting .591. She has a 45-4 record in her high school career
“She's a hard-worker,” Essex co-head coach Bill O'Neil told the Burlington Free Press earlier this season. “She's not one to just sit on what she's got – she's always looking to get better.”
Perry pitched a perfect game when Essex defeated Middlebury 3-0 on May 12. She struck out 12 and threw 74 pitches in the victory.
Eight of the Hornets' 15 victories have come by shutout. The team has allowed more than one run twice this season – victories over Milton (13-3) and Mt. Abraham (6-2).
Essex won the state title in Perry's freshman season, but dropped 1-0 decisions to Brattleboro in the 2010 and 2011 playoffs. Perry pitched a no-hitter in the loss to Brattleboro last year.
“We are not going to lose to them 1-0 again,” Perry told the Free Press. “This is our year.”
MORE SOFT TOSS
The Burlington softball team hasn't won a postseason game in 15 years – a play-in victory over Rice – but that may change this spring.
Despite suffering back-to-back losses against Milton and Essex, Burlington is 10-5 entering its final regular-season game Thursday (at BFA-St. Albans).
The Seahorses, who do not have a senior on their roster, strung together nine consecutive wins earlier this season.
Amherst's Mendoker to transfer to UMass
May, 12, 2012
May 12
5:54
PM ET
By
Scott Barboza | ESPNBoston.com
Former Massachusetts Gatorade softball Player of the Year award winner and Amherst-Pelham standout Emma Mendoker is returning home, the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Jim Pignatiello reports today.
After an injury-shortened freshman year at East Carolina, the hurler plans to transfer to UMass-Amherst.
Menoker is recovering from surgery on her pitching arm, after suffering a torn biceps tendon at the start of the season. She will join former Amherst teammate and fellow ESPN Boston All-Stater Quianna Diaz-Patterson (who was recently named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year) with the Minutemen.
After an injury-shortened freshman year at East Carolina, the hurler plans to transfer to UMass-Amherst.
Menoker is recovering from surgery on her pitching arm, after suffering a torn biceps tendon at the start of the season. She will join former Amherst teammate and fellow ESPN Boston All-Stater Quianna Diaz-Patterson (who was recently named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year) with the Minutemen.
BC High returns to top spot in baseball poll
May, 8, 2012
May 8
1:09
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 Baseball poll this afternoon, before Monday's slate of action, and a familiar face returns to the top slot.
BC High came in at No. 1 in the preseason polls, and stayed there until a loss to Lincoln-Sudbury unseated them a few weeks ago. But with Lowell going down to Chelmsford for the second time this season, last Friday, that has paved the way for the Eagles to return to the top spot once again. Lincoln-Sudbury moves to No. 2, while Springfield Cathedral reaches its highest position ever on the countdown, coming in at No. 3 this week on the heels of a 12-1 start. St. John's of Shrewsbury (4) and Walpole (5) round out the top five.
With its win over Lowell, Chelmsford vaults back into the poll at No. 13. Plymouth North (14), Reading (15), Amherst (21), Danvers (23), and Acton-Boxborough (24) also return to the poll following strong weeks.
The lone school making its season debut this week is Coyle-Cassidy, coming in at No. 25 after taking a commanding lead in the Eastern Athletic Conference. Six-foot-five junior righthander Mac Curran has been a gem so far for the Warriors, as correspondent Mike Scandura wrote about last week.
To see the complete poll, CLICK HERE.
And here's how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:
Valley Wheel - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Catholic Conference - 2
Dual County - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Bay State - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Eastern Athletic - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Middlesex - 1
Northeastern - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1
Southern Worcester County - 1
Valley League - 1
NOTE: Monday's results were not reflected in the poll.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
BC High came in at No. 1 in the preseason polls, and stayed there until a loss to Lincoln-Sudbury unseated them a few weeks ago. But with Lowell going down to Chelmsford for the second time this season, last Friday, that has paved the way for the Eagles to return to the top spot once again. Lincoln-Sudbury moves to No. 2, while Springfield Cathedral reaches its highest position ever on the countdown, coming in at No. 3 this week on the heels of a 12-1 start. St. John's of Shrewsbury (4) and Walpole (5) round out the top five.
With its win over Lowell, Chelmsford vaults back into the poll at No. 13. Plymouth North (14), Reading (15), Amherst (21), Danvers (23), and Acton-Boxborough (24) also return to the poll following strong weeks.
The lone school making its season debut this week is Coyle-Cassidy, coming in at No. 25 after taking a commanding lead in the Eastern Athletic Conference. Six-foot-five junior righthander Mac Curran has been a gem so far for the Warriors, as correspondent Mike Scandura wrote about last week.
To see the complete poll, CLICK HERE.
And here's how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:
Valley Wheel - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Catholic Conference - 2
Dual County - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Bay State - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Eastern Athletic - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Middlesex - 1
Northeastern - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1
Southern Worcester County - 1
Valley League - 1
NOTE: Monday's results were not reflected in the poll.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Recap: No. 6 Springfield Cathedral 3, Amherst 0
April, 30, 2012
Apr 30
9:45
PM ET
By John McGuirk | ESPNBoston.com
AMHERST, Mass. -- There are certain aspects within the game of baseball that coaches fear and loath. Among them is giving opposing teams extra outs in an inning.
After begrudgingly watching his infield boot and toss the ball all over the place in yesterday’s Valley League contest against Springfield Cathedral, Amherst head coach Greg Vouros can now relate.
The Hurricanes committed seven errors in all, but the four made in the third inning proved to be a backbreaker. The ever-so-gracious Panthers took full advantage of Amherst's defensive issues during the frame by scoring three times en route to a 3-0 victory at Stan P. Ziomek Diamond.
“I think we’re a little rusty and we’re starting to put some pressure on ourselves,” said Vouros, whose club fell to 7-4. “It was a tough day for our defense which has been a strength for us and it kind of fell apart today, particularly in that third inning.”
While the defense will take much of the heat over this defeat, fingers can also be pointed to the Hurricane offense which was non-existent against Cathedral ace Harrison Paige. The senior put up another brilliant complete game performance, allowing just one hit, walking two and striking out eight. The righthander is now 4-0 and has allowed just one run in 28 innings pitched this season.
“It was another ho-hum performance by him,” quipped Panthers coach Pat Moriarty. “He takes the hill and we are very confident when he does. Harrison throws strikes and keeps our defense in the game."
Amherst junior righty Asher Young also put forth a solid outing in spite having little support behind him. Young went the distance, giving up five hits and no earned runs.
“Asher pitched great and mixed it up well,” Vouros said. “He’s a competitor. He battled throughout and gave us a shot to win. He was accurate, threw strikes and got ahead in the count all game.”
Cathedral, now 10-1 and qualified for the MIAA Division 1 Western Mass. tournament, had an opportunity to grab the lead in the second inning but Young was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam unharmed. The next frame, however, was a different story.
After Young retired the first batter he faced, Tim Danehy and Frank Crinella each reached base on back-to-back errors by shortstop Justin Carey. Mike Krupczak followed with another bouncer to Carey but this time the junior fielded the ball, however his throw to force Crinella at second was a tad late.With still time to get Krupczak at first, Hurricane second baseman Jack Berg-Schrader bounced a throw which skipped past first baseman Mike Walkowicz.
Meanwhile, Danehy -- who had never stopped running -- was sprinting toward the plate. Walkowicz recovered the ball quickly, but his throw home sailed past catcher Jose Cabrera giving Cathedral a 1-0 lead.
The inning continued for the Panthers. With runners on second and third and the infield playing in, sophomore Andrew Noonan chopped a single to center field scoring Crinella and Krupczak giving them a three-run cushion.
"We know we have to get runners moving and get them into scoring position and find ways to get them in," Moriarty said. "We were fortunate enough today, especially with Andrew's big single with two out to do that by putting guys in motion."
As it turned out, that was all Paige and Co. needed. As tough as Young proved to be on the hill, Paige was tougher. The AIC commit threw 104 pitches, displaying a lot of movement and keeping the Hurricanes off-stride throughout.
“He’s been really hitting his spots and that’s what he and I try to focus on the most,” said Noonan, the Panthers’ catcher. “Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff which I felt was the case today, he still got us the win. His curveball was really on today. He didn’t throw a lot of off-speed today but when he did he executed them well, expecially when the count was 0-2 and 1-2.”
After begrudgingly watching his infield boot and toss the ball all over the place in yesterday’s Valley League contest against Springfield Cathedral, Amherst head coach Greg Vouros can now relate.
The Hurricanes committed seven errors in all, but the four made in the third inning proved to be a backbreaker. The ever-so-gracious Panthers took full advantage of Amherst's defensive issues during the frame by scoring three times en route to a 3-0 victory at Stan P. Ziomek Diamond.
“I think we’re a little rusty and we’re starting to put some pressure on ourselves,” said Vouros, whose club fell to 7-4. “It was a tough day for our defense which has been a strength for us and it kind of fell apart today, particularly in that third inning.”
While the defense will take much of the heat over this defeat, fingers can also be pointed to the Hurricane offense which was non-existent against Cathedral ace Harrison Paige. The senior put up another brilliant complete game performance, allowing just one hit, walking two and striking out eight. The righthander is now 4-0 and has allowed just one run in 28 innings pitched this season.
“It was another ho-hum performance by him,” quipped Panthers coach Pat Moriarty. “He takes the hill and we are very confident when he does. Harrison throws strikes and keeps our defense in the game."
Amherst junior righty Asher Young also put forth a solid outing in spite having little support behind him. Young went the distance, giving up five hits and no earned runs.
“Asher pitched great and mixed it up well,” Vouros said. “He’s a competitor. He battled throughout and gave us a shot to win. He was accurate, threw strikes and got ahead in the count all game.”
Cathedral, now 10-1 and qualified for the MIAA Division 1 Western Mass. tournament, had an opportunity to grab the lead in the second inning but Young was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam unharmed. The next frame, however, was a different story.
After Young retired the first batter he faced, Tim Danehy and Frank Crinella each reached base on back-to-back errors by shortstop Justin Carey. Mike Krupczak followed with another bouncer to Carey but this time the junior fielded the ball, however his throw to force Crinella at second was a tad late.With still time to get Krupczak at first, Hurricane second baseman Jack Berg-Schrader bounced a throw which skipped past first baseman Mike Walkowicz.
Meanwhile, Danehy -- who had never stopped running -- was sprinting toward the plate. Walkowicz recovered the ball quickly, but his throw home sailed past catcher Jose Cabrera giving Cathedral a 1-0 lead.
The inning continued for the Panthers. With runners on second and third and the infield playing in, sophomore Andrew Noonan chopped a single to center field scoring Crinella and Krupczak giving them a three-run cushion.
"We know we have to get runners moving and get them into scoring position and find ways to get them in," Moriarty said. "We were fortunate enough today, especially with Andrew's big single with two out to do that by putting guys in motion."
As it turned out, that was all Paige and Co. needed. As tough as Young proved to be on the hill, Paige was tougher. The AIC commit threw 104 pitches, displaying a lot of movement and keeping the Hurricanes off-stride throughout.
“He’s been really hitting his spots and that’s what he and I try to focus on the most,” said Noonan, the Panthers’ catcher. “Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff which I felt was the case today, he still got us the win. His curveball was really on today. He didn’t throw a lot of off-speed today but when he did he executed them well, expecially when the count was 0-2 and 1-2.”
Lowell is new No. 1 in latest baseball poll
April, 23, 2012
Apr 23
3:44
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
With many games being postponed today, we've updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll this afternoon. With BC High's loss to Lincoln-Sudbury last weekend, capped with a thrilling finish, that has cleared the way for Lowell to ascend to the top spot for the first time in poll history. The Raiders' lone blemish on the season is to Chelmsford -- a Top-10 squad in terms of talent, but one which has subsequently fallen out of the poll after a 4-4 start.
St. John's of Shrewsbury has elevated to the No. 2 spot, its highest spot in the poll since reaching No. 1 last May, while BC High falls to No. 4. Walpole (3) and St. John's Prep (5) round out the top five.
Returning to the polls this week are Peabody (18), Westfield (19) and Danvers (23), while Catholic Memorial (15) and Newton South (24) make their season debuts. Chelmsford (previously No. 11), Acton-Boxborough (12), Boston Latin (15), Lexington (19) and Oliver Ames (25) dropped out.
Also of note, a record five teams from the Western Mass. district are represented in the poll this week, with East Longmeadow holding down the No. 8 spot, followed by Minnechaug (10), Springfield Cathedral (12), Amherst (14) and the aforementioned Westfield.
You can view the entire poll by clicking here. Below is how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 4
Valley League - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Dual County - 2
Northeastern - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Middlesex - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
St. John's of Shrewsbury has elevated to the No. 2 spot, its highest spot in the poll since reaching No. 1 last May, while BC High falls to No. 4. Walpole (3) and St. John's Prep (5) round out the top five.
Returning to the polls this week are Peabody (18), Westfield (19) and Danvers (23), while Catholic Memorial (15) and Newton South (24) make their season debuts. Chelmsford (previously No. 11), Acton-Boxborough (12), Boston Latin (15), Lexington (19) and Oliver Ames (25) dropped out.
Also of note, a record five teams from the Western Mass. district are represented in the poll this week, with East Longmeadow holding down the No. 8 spot, followed by Minnechaug (10), Springfield Cathedral (12), Amherst (14) and the aforementioned Westfield.
You can view the entire poll by clicking here. Below is how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 4
Valley League - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Dual County - 2
Northeastern - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Middlesex - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Walpole, SJS, move into Top 5 in baseball poll
April, 17, 2012
Apr 17
10:12
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll last night, following yesterday's slate of games. Most significant among the moves in the poll is that of St. John's (Shrewsbury) and Walpole, which both moved into the top five following strong weeks.
St. John's comes in at No. 3 this week after knocking off St. John's Prep on Friday, and following up with a win yesterday over rival St. Peter-Marian. Walpole, off to a 6-0 start, comes in at No. 4 and is in the top five for the first time in poll history. BC High retains the top spot for the third week in a row. Lowell (2) and Xaverian (5) round out the top five.
New to the poll this week are Amherst (21), Marshfield (22), North Andover (24) and Oliver Ames (25). Malden Catholic, Westfield, Wellesley and Nashoba all dropped out.
Here's a breakdown of this week's poll by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 3
Dual County - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Hockomock - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Middlesex - 2
Valley League - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
St. John's comes in at No. 3 this week after knocking off St. John's Prep on Friday, and following up with a win yesterday over rival St. Peter-Marian. Walpole, off to a 6-0 start, comes in at No. 4 and is in the top five for the first time in poll history. BC High retains the top spot for the third week in a row. Lowell (2) and Xaverian (5) round out the top five.
New to the poll this week are Amherst (21), Marshfield (22), North Andover (24) and Oliver Ames (25). Malden Catholic, Westfield, Wellesley and Nashoba all dropped out.
Here's a breakdown of this week's poll by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 3
Dual County - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Hockomock - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Middlesex - 2
Valley League - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
We're back with another installment of "Roundtable", our weekly takes on the hot topics of the spring season. This week, we discuss who is the best boys' lacrosse goalie in the state; which lefthanded pitchers will make the most noise; the state's best slap hitter; and who had the best individual performance of the season's first two weeks.
Joining us this week are correspondent Bruce Lerch, New England Prep Stars founder and editor Ryan Kilian, MassLive.com producer Ben Larsen, and Brockton Enterprise staff writer John Botelho. Without further ado:
1. BETTER GOALIE –- WELLESLEY’S CONNOR DARCEY OR FOXBOROUGH’S GREG STAMATOV?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Scott Barboza: That's a tough one. In many regards, they're similar players in that they're both not afraid to step up into the play when its warranted. They're not going to just clear and retreat when the opportunity presents itself. Stamatov had one clearing pass to the midfield during the third quarter against Barnstable that was a thing of beauty. And, of course, we all know that Darcey is capable of scoring when he carries the ball past midfield. This all makes no mention of their ability to stop the ball either. Either way you dice it, they're among the very best in a deep field of MIAA goaltenders along with Duxbury's Henry Buonagurio, Concord-Carlisle's Doug Gouchoe and Billerica's D.J. Smith.
Ryan Kilian, New England Prep Stars: Connor Darcey is the best goalie I have seen in New England Public High School lacrosse over the past two years. Darcey is the real deal. He possesses confidence, quickness, and exceptional hand-eye coordination.
The goalie position in Massachusetts in the Class of 2012 is as strong as it has been in many years. Doug Gouchoe of Concord-Carlisle (Air Force), Greg Stamatov of Foxborogh (Villanova), Jared Fong of Weston (Gettysburg), and Miles McCarthy of Catholic Memorial (Williams) are all exceptional athletes with bright futures at the next level and all have a unique set of skills that they bring to the table.
Darcey is also a born leader and that is an essential trait that all great goalies, like the above mentioned, share.
Bruce Lerch, correspondent: Both players have excelled for their respective teams and made a big splash over the summer participating in the Warrior 40 at Harvard Stadium. Both have also drawn the attention of Division colleges, as Darcey is committed to play for Penn State while Stamatov will take his talents to Villanova. Darcey was a key factor in Wellesey's 16-0 regular season a year ago, while Stamatov helped propel Foxborough to its best season ever by reaching the Division 2 semifinals. Darcey was rated eighth in ESPN High School's national goalie rankings back in February, but even if you have the second pick in this draft, you won't come away disappointed as Stamatov was not too far behind at No. 14.
2. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE SO FAR?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall: I think any time you throw a perfect game at any level, you should be highly commended as such. So here’s my kudos to Lynn English’s Ben Bowden, who had a clean sheet for the Bulldogs in their 5-0 win over Marblehead. Bowden struck out 14 in the full seven innings, and got some assistance from the infield behind him late to seal the deal. He is an imposing player to watch at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, equipped with a high-80’s fastball, so it’s hardly the last time we’ll hear from him.
That said, I’m always impressed when a pitcher goes into the triple-digits in pitch count this early in the season – and even moreso when it’s as efficient as Milford’s Jarrod Casey was on April 3. In the Scarlet Hawks’ season-opening 3-1 win over Westborough, the reigning Mid-Wach A MVP and returning ESPNBoston All-Stater threw 125 pitches and struck out 15 batters; he also belted an inside-the-park, two-run homer to give them all the insurance they needed.
John Botelho, Brockton Enterprise: The Bridgewater-Raynham softball team has shown plenty of early fireworks this season. Senior Audrey Dolloff twirled a four-hitter and struck on eight on opening, all while going 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI for the Trojans. Freshman Emily Kurkul has homered in all three games so far. Most recently, Dolloff tossed a no-hitter against Durfee, and her performance might not have even been the best one on the field that day for B-R. Sophomore Madison Shaw went 4-for-4 with two homers, a double and seven RBI as the Trojans cruised.
Ryan Kilian: The best individual performance that I have seen on the lacrosse field so far was Westford Academy attack Jay Drapeau scoring six goals and dishing out one assist in a 12-11 opening day win over Billerica. The sophomore scored the game winner in the fourth quarter and was exceptional dodging from X all afternoon. Drapeau also did this against a very formidable defense led by Tommy McLaughlin (UMass) and one of the state’s best goalies in DJ Smith (UMass).
Ben Larsen, MassLive.com: It would be hard to top this one. Noah Parker, a terrific talent hidden at St. Mary’s of Westfield was perfect in a six-inning game against Pioneer Valley Christian. He threw only 57 pitches, striking out 14. At the plate, he narrowly missed hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Bruce Lerch: On the lacrosse fields, several players have produced nine-goal games in the early going. Kobie Sullivan had seven, nine and eight goals in Fairhaven's first three games. On the girls side, Wayland's Amy Cunningham, Amy also struck for nine against Bedford. But my top effort goes to Masconomet's Jake Gillespie, who potted nine in the Chieftans' second game of the year against a BC High defense that includes a pair of Division 1 recruits.
3. A LEFTHANDED STARTER CAN BE INVALUABLE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. WHICH LEFTIES WILL YOU BE WATCHING THE MOST?
Brendan Hall: The Class of 2012 is littered with Division 1-bound lefties, between Oliver Ames' Ryan O'Shea (Central Michigan), East Longmeadow's Steve Moyers (Rhode Island), Pentucket's Alex Ministeri (Coastal Carolina), Auburn's Connor Fuller (Fordham), Xaverian's Tim Duggan (Fairfield) and Acton-Boxborough's Ryan McDonald (Bryant). One we might be adding to that list in a year's time is Wellesley senior Tim Superko.
Superko is already off to a great start in 2012, with wins in his first two starts in dominant fashion -- 23 strikeouts in 12 innings, an ERA of 0.75, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly four, and a strike percentage of 67. I'm obviously working with a stat system pretty sophisticated for the high school level, but I can assure you Superko could care less. He's a competitor, unafraid to challenge hitters in the middle of the order, but also very coachable. Raiders coach Rob Kane raves about Superko's curveball, and he sets it up well with his heat. From the plate, he's not that bad either; so far he's hitting .500/.562/.786 with five RBI, two triples, seven runs and three stolen bases.
Superko is heading to Philips Andover for a post-graduate year next season. I expect him to have a Division 1 scholarship offer in his lap by this summer's end.
I'd also keep an eye on the aforementioned Ben Bowden from Lynn English. He's got an ideal power pitcher's frame, and if the reports about him topping out at 89 miles per hour in his perfect game are true, then he has a chance to rise quickly on the radar. But to be a reliable starter at this level, you need a quality changeup, and Bowden's is pretty nice.
Boston Latin sophomore Pat Naughton is certainly another one to look out for over the next two years. He fanned 17 Wayland batters in an outing last year as a freshman, and is already off to a good start this year with 14 K's in the Wolfpack's season-opening win over Latin Academy. Also keep an eye on Reading junior Scott Tully, who committed to Notre Dame last February, as well as Malden Catholic junior Joe Velozo.
John Botelho: One of the best lefties in the state hasn't even thrown a pitch yet. Oliver Ames' Ryan O'Shea, a 6-foot-3 southpaw already signed on to play at Central Michigan next year, will take to the mound for the first time next week. Hall of Fame coach Leo Duggan aired on the side of caution as O'Shea was battling shoulder soreness. He has a chance to come back and be the best pitcher on an O-A team that has still gone 3-0 without him in the lineup.
Brockton's Joe Sever has a live arm and features impressive off-speed stuff. The ace of the Boxers' staff this year, he has a chance to catch a lot of eyes with the schedules Bill Maloney's squad plays.
Bridgewater-Raynham features a pair of hard-throwing lefties who should cause problems for hitters throughout the regular season. Senior captains Pat Chalmers and Shane Holmes have more varsity experience than many of the guys they'll square off against this year - Chalmers was pitching on varsity at B-R as a sophomore and Holmes spent his freshman and sophomore years on the varsity squad at East Bridgewater before transferring to B-R as a junior. Chalmers took a no decision in his first start, but struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings. Holmes picked up the first win for the Trojans, a complete-game two-hit 12-strikeout performance against Milton.
Ben Larsen: Undoubtedly, Steve Moyers is the guy to follow. He has been unbelievable in his first three years as the ace of the East Longmeadow rotation and he’s hoping to reach the 30-win plateau for his career, which is no small feat in the short Massachusetts season. That said, Michael Walkowicz of Amherst has been the Cy Young in the early going. In two starts, he has a 17-strikeout, one-hitter and 12 Ks in a loss to Northampton.
Bruce Lerch: I find myself greatly intrigued by the seemingly rubber of Franklin southpaw Tyler Buck. As a junior, Buck tossed multiple gems during the Panthers run to the Div. 1 state championship game, including a 166-pitch effort to upset BC High in last year's D1 South semifinals. After starring for Franklin's Legion team over the summer, I'm interested to see how far the Panthers ace can take them once again.
4. WHAT WILL BE THE MOST COMPETITIVE LEAGUE IN GIRLS' LACROSSE THIS YEAR?
Brendan Hall: I'm going with the Dual County League. Four members of the 10-team league currently sit in our MIAA Top 25 poll, including No. 1 Lincoln-Sudbury. And we're not even including Acton-Boxborough, which began the season as our preseason No. 10 before dropping to 0-5. Talk about a misnomer -- the Colonials' five losses are to No. 1 L-S, No. 5 Needham, No. 6 Notre Dame (Hingham), No. 17 King Philip, and No. 23 Walpole. Also throw in unranked Wayland, which has one of the state's best goalies in Quinnipiac-bound senior Rachel Massicotte.
Let's now throw in the DCL's other three currently-ranked teams -- Concord-Carlisle, Weston and Westford -- and we're talking six teams that can be troublesome. I expect L-S to rise above it all, but the rest of the way down may or may not be a crap shoot.
Bruce Lerch: While most league's across the state in girls lacrosse are fairly top-heavy, I would say that top to bottom, the Middlesex League's large division may have the largest number of competitive teams as all five made the playoffs in 2011. Winchester is annually among the state's top programs and is among the favorites to challenge for the Div. 2 crown once again. Reading went 15-5 before running into state finalist Lincoln-Sudbury. Lexington is a perennial tourney team who, aside from last season, routinely rolls up 15-plus wins a year. Belmont also won 15 games in 2011, and Woburn qualified for the postseason as well. As of the time I am writing this, the five teams hold a combined record of 8-0-1 through the first two weeks of the season.
Ben Larsen: The Valley Wheel in Western Mass. is off to a strong start with no team worse than 2-0, including Agawam on top with four wins already. Perennial power Longmeadow and last year’s upstart Minnechaug are bound to contend with powerful Agawam in this loaded league but don’t count out East Longmeadow and South Hadley from at least making some noise.
5. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH SLAP HITTERS. WHO ARE THE ONES TO PAY ATTENTION TO?
Scott Barboza: I'm looking no further than Mansfield's Bri Chiusano. The Coastal Carolina signee is the most dynamic lead-off hitter in the state and, as she showed earlier this week against King Philip, she also has some pop in the bat while taking a full swing. You have to take pause and applaud anybody who can launch a home run off of Meghan Rico after all.
Bruce Lerch: Bri Chiusano of Mansfield, who showed Tuesday that she can do a bit more than slap by cranking a three-run homer off of King Philip ace and reigning Miss Softball Meghan Rico. A four-year player for the Hornets manning centerfield and batting at the top of the lineup, Chiusano makes life miserable for opposing pitchers with her quick hands and tremendous speed and has an uncanny ability to survey how the defense is playing her and place the ball accordingly. The senior was named to ESPN Boston's preseason All-State team and will play for Coastal Carolina next year.
Ben Larsen: Typically a speedy singles hitter who uses his speed to get on and wreak havoc on the basepaths, Westfield’s Billy Smith got into the power game Monday, blasting a three-run homer in the Bombers’ rout of Belchertown. Smith, who also served as the Westfield football team’s quarterback this past season, has started out slow but is undoubtedly a player to watch moving forward.
6. WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST SURPRISING UPSET OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON?
Brendan Hall: My brethren on the Cape will call me Captain Hindsight with this one, but maybe Dennis-Yarmouth baseball is better than we've given them credit for after knocking off Plymouth North 8-2 on Wednesday. I think it was universally agreed that North, routinely one of the best hitting teams in Division 2, would be the favorite again in the South region even after losing key bats like Matt Walsh. But maybe D-Y should get more notice, with talented players like Matt Montalto, Matt Peterson and Miles Tuohy-Bedford. The Dolphins (2-1) got off to a hot start last season, including coach Paul Funk's 100th win, before coming back to Earth. Can they keep the hot start going this year?
Scott Barboza: If I told you I'd called Reading boys' lacrosse's overtime win over Westford Academy, I'd be lying. The Grey Ghosts entered this season with a lot of attention, particularly with the addition of Alex Eaton, in an already loaded Dual County League and the No. 6 ranking in our preseason Top 25 poll. Meanwhile, Reading was tough to read coming in because the Rockets lost some key cogs from last year's squad. What the Rockets did is prove that they should again challenge for the Middlesex League title.
Bruce Lerch: In boys lacrosse, certainly the most eye-opening result of the early season came when Melrose upset Lexington, 11-6. This is just the fourth year of the Red Raiders program, and in their first three years Melrose went a combined 9-44. Meanwhile, Lexington is an annual state championship and Middlesex League contender and reached the postseason in each of the three years since Melrose started its team. It was certainly a program defining victory for the Red Raiders.
Joining us this week are correspondent Bruce Lerch, New England Prep Stars founder and editor Ryan Kilian, MassLive.com producer Ben Larsen, and Brockton Enterprise staff writer John Botelho. Without further ado:
1. BETTER GOALIE –- WELLESLEY’S CONNOR DARCEY OR FOXBOROUGH’S GREG STAMATOV?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Scott Barboza: That's a tough one. In many regards, they're similar players in that they're both not afraid to step up into the play when its warranted. They're not going to just clear and retreat when the opportunity presents itself. Stamatov had one clearing pass to the midfield during the third quarter against Barnstable that was a thing of beauty. And, of course, we all know that Darcey is capable of scoring when he carries the ball past midfield. This all makes no mention of their ability to stop the ball either. Either way you dice it, they're among the very best in a deep field of MIAA goaltenders along with Duxbury's Henry Buonagurio, Concord-Carlisle's Doug Gouchoe and Billerica's D.J. Smith.
Ryan Kilian, New England Prep Stars: Connor Darcey is the best goalie I have seen in New England Public High School lacrosse over the past two years. Darcey is the real deal. He possesses confidence, quickness, and exceptional hand-eye coordination.
The goalie position in Massachusetts in the Class of 2012 is as strong as it has been in many years. Doug Gouchoe of Concord-Carlisle (Air Force), Greg Stamatov of Foxborogh (Villanova), Jared Fong of Weston (Gettysburg), and Miles McCarthy of Catholic Memorial (Williams) are all exceptional athletes with bright futures at the next level and all have a unique set of skills that they bring to the table.
Darcey is also a born leader and that is an essential trait that all great goalies, like the above mentioned, share.
Bruce Lerch, correspondent: Both players have excelled for their respective teams and made a big splash over the summer participating in the Warrior 40 at Harvard Stadium. Both have also drawn the attention of Division colleges, as Darcey is committed to play for Penn State while Stamatov will take his talents to Villanova. Darcey was a key factor in Wellesey's 16-0 regular season a year ago, while Stamatov helped propel Foxborough to its best season ever by reaching the Division 2 semifinals. Darcey was rated eighth in ESPN High School's national goalie rankings back in February, but even if you have the second pick in this draft, you won't come away disappointed as Stamatov was not too far behind at No. 14.
2. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE SO FAR?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall: I think any time you throw a perfect game at any level, you should be highly commended as such. So here’s my kudos to Lynn English’s Ben Bowden, who had a clean sheet for the Bulldogs in their 5-0 win over Marblehead. Bowden struck out 14 in the full seven innings, and got some assistance from the infield behind him late to seal the deal. He is an imposing player to watch at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, equipped with a high-80’s fastball, so it’s hardly the last time we’ll hear from him.
That said, I’m always impressed when a pitcher goes into the triple-digits in pitch count this early in the season – and even moreso when it’s as efficient as Milford’s Jarrod Casey was on April 3. In the Scarlet Hawks’ season-opening 3-1 win over Westborough, the reigning Mid-Wach A MVP and returning ESPNBoston All-Stater threw 125 pitches and struck out 15 batters; he also belted an inside-the-park, two-run homer to give them all the insurance they needed.
John Botelho, Brockton Enterprise: The Bridgewater-Raynham softball team has shown plenty of early fireworks this season. Senior Audrey Dolloff twirled a four-hitter and struck on eight on opening, all while going 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI for the Trojans. Freshman Emily Kurkul has homered in all three games so far. Most recently, Dolloff tossed a no-hitter against Durfee, and her performance might not have even been the best one on the field that day for B-R. Sophomore Madison Shaw went 4-for-4 with two homers, a double and seven RBI as the Trojans cruised.
Ryan Kilian: The best individual performance that I have seen on the lacrosse field so far was Westford Academy attack Jay Drapeau scoring six goals and dishing out one assist in a 12-11 opening day win over Billerica. The sophomore scored the game winner in the fourth quarter and was exceptional dodging from X all afternoon. Drapeau also did this against a very formidable defense led by Tommy McLaughlin (UMass) and one of the state’s best goalies in DJ Smith (UMass).
Ben Larsen, MassLive.com: It would be hard to top this one. Noah Parker, a terrific talent hidden at St. Mary’s of Westfield was perfect in a six-inning game against Pioneer Valley Christian. He threw only 57 pitches, striking out 14. At the plate, he narrowly missed hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Bruce Lerch: On the lacrosse fields, several players have produced nine-goal games in the early going. Kobie Sullivan had seven, nine and eight goals in Fairhaven's first three games. On the girls side, Wayland's Amy Cunningham, Amy also struck for nine against Bedford. But my top effort goes to Masconomet's Jake Gillespie, who potted nine in the Chieftans' second game of the year against a BC High defense that includes a pair of Division 1 recruits.
3. A LEFTHANDED STARTER CAN BE INVALUABLE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. WHICH LEFTIES WILL YOU BE WATCHING THE MOST?
Brendan Hall: The Class of 2012 is littered with Division 1-bound lefties, between Oliver Ames' Ryan O'Shea (Central Michigan), East Longmeadow's Steve Moyers (Rhode Island), Pentucket's Alex Ministeri (Coastal Carolina), Auburn's Connor Fuller (Fordham), Xaverian's Tim Duggan (Fairfield) and Acton-Boxborough's Ryan McDonald (Bryant). One we might be adding to that list in a year's time is Wellesley senior Tim Superko.
Superko is already off to a great start in 2012, with wins in his first two starts in dominant fashion -- 23 strikeouts in 12 innings, an ERA of 0.75, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly four, and a strike percentage of 67. I'm obviously working with a stat system pretty sophisticated for the high school level, but I can assure you Superko could care less. He's a competitor, unafraid to challenge hitters in the middle of the order, but also very coachable. Raiders coach Rob Kane raves about Superko's curveball, and he sets it up well with his heat. From the plate, he's not that bad either; so far he's hitting .500/.562/.786 with five RBI, two triples, seven runs and three stolen bases.
Superko is heading to Philips Andover for a post-graduate year next season. I expect him to have a Division 1 scholarship offer in his lap by this summer's end.
I'd also keep an eye on the aforementioned Ben Bowden from Lynn English. He's got an ideal power pitcher's frame, and if the reports about him topping out at 89 miles per hour in his perfect game are true, then he has a chance to rise quickly on the radar. But to be a reliable starter at this level, you need a quality changeup, and Bowden's is pretty nice.
Boston Latin sophomore Pat Naughton is certainly another one to look out for over the next two years. He fanned 17 Wayland batters in an outing last year as a freshman, and is already off to a good start this year with 14 K's in the Wolfpack's season-opening win over Latin Academy. Also keep an eye on Reading junior Scott Tully, who committed to Notre Dame last February, as well as Malden Catholic junior Joe Velozo.
John Botelho: One of the best lefties in the state hasn't even thrown a pitch yet. Oliver Ames' Ryan O'Shea, a 6-foot-3 southpaw already signed on to play at Central Michigan next year, will take to the mound for the first time next week. Hall of Fame coach Leo Duggan aired on the side of caution as O'Shea was battling shoulder soreness. He has a chance to come back and be the best pitcher on an O-A team that has still gone 3-0 without him in the lineup.
Brockton's Joe Sever has a live arm and features impressive off-speed stuff. The ace of the Boxers' staff this year, he has a chance to catch a lot of eyes with the schedules Bill Maloney's squad plays.
Bridgewater-Raynham features a pair of hard-throwing lefties who should cause problems for hitters throughout the regular season. Senior captains Pat Chalmers and Shane Holmes have more varsity experience than many of the guys they'll square off against this year - Chalmers was pitching on varsity at B-R as a sophomore and Holmes spent his freshman and sophomore years on the varsity squad at East Bridgewater before transferring to B-R as a junior. Chalmers took a no decision in his first start, but struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings. Holmes picked up the first win for the Trojans, a complete-game two-hit 12-strikeout performance against Milton.
Ben Larsen: Undoubtedly, Steve Moyers is the guy to follow. He has been unbelievable in his first three years as the ace of the East Longmeadow rotation and he’s hoping to reach the 30-win plateau for his career, which is no small feat in the short Massachusetts season. That said, Michael Walkowicz of Amherst has been the Cy Young in the early going. In two starts, he has a 17-strikeout, one-hitter and 12 Ks in a loss to Northampton.
Bruce Lerch: I find myself greatly intrigued by the seemingly rubber of Franklin southpaw Tyler Buck. As a junior, Buck tossed multiple gems during the Panthers run to the Div. 1 state championship game, including a 166-pitch effort to upset BC High in last year's D1 South semifinals. After starring for Franklin's Legion team over the summer, I'm interested to see how far the Panthers ace can take them once again.
4. WHAT WILL BE THE MOST COMPETITIVE LEAGUE IN GIRLS' LACROSSE THIS YEAR?
Brendan Hall: I'm going with the Dual County League. Four members of the 10-team league currently sit in our MIAA Top 25 poll, including No. 1 Lincoln-Sudbury. And we're not even including Acton-Boxborough, which began the season as our preseason No. 10 before dropping to 0-5. Talk about a misnomer -- the Colonials' five losses are to No. 1 L-S, No. 5 Needham, No. 6 Notre Dame (Hingham), No. 17 King Philip, and No. 23 Walpole. Also throw in unranked Wayland, which has one of the state's best goalies in Quinnipiac-bound senior Rachel Massicotte.
Let's now throw in the DCL's other three currently-ranked teams -- Concord-Carlisle, Weston and Westford -- and we're talking six teams that can be troublesome. I expect L-S to rise above it all, but the rest of the way down may or may not be a crap shoot.
Bruce Lerch: While most league's across the state in girls lacrosse are fairly top-heavy, I would say that top to bottom, the Middlesex League's large division may have the largest number of competitive teams as all five made the playoffs in 2011. Winchester is annually among the state's top programs and is among the favorites to challenge for the Div. 2 crown once again. Reading went 15-5 before running into state finalist Lincoln-Sudbury. Lexington is a perennial tourney team who, aside from last season, routinely rolls up 15-plus wins a year. Belmont also won 15 games in 2011, and Woburn qualified for the postseason as well. As of the time I am writing this, the five teams hold a combined record of 8-0-1 through the first two weeks of the season.
Ben Larsen: The Valley Wheel in Western Mass. is off to a strong start with no team worse than 2-0, including Agawam on top with four wins already. Perennial power Longmeadow and last year’s upstart Minnechaug are bound to contend with powerful Agawam in this loaded league but don’t count out East Longmeadow and South Hadley from at least making some noise.
5. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH SLAP HITTERS. WHO ARE THE ONES TO PAY ATTENTION TO?
Scott Barboza: I'm looking no further than Mansfield's Bri Chiusano. The Coastal Carolina signee is the most dynamic lead-off hitter in the state and, as she showed earlier this week against King Philip, she also has some pop in the bat while taking a full swing. You have to take pause and applaud anybody who can launch a home run off of Meghan Rico after all.
Bruce Lerch: Bri Chiusano of Mansfield, who showed Tuesday that she can do a bit more than slap by cranking a three-run homer off of King Philip ace and reigning Miss Softball Meghan Rico. A four-year player for the Hornets manning centerfield and batting at the top of the lineup, Chiusano makes life miserable for opposing pitchers with her quick hands and tremendous speed and has an uncanny ability to survey how the defense is playing her and place the ball accordingly. The senior was named to ESPN Boston's preseason All-State team and will play for Coastal Carolina next year.
Ben Larsen: Typically a speedy singles hitter who uses his speed to get on and wreak havoc on the basepaths, Westfield’s Billy Smith got into the power game Monday, blasting a three-run homer in the Bombers’ rout of Belchertown. Smith, who also served as the Westfield football team’s quarterback this past season, has started out slow but is undoubtedly a player to watch moving forward.
6. WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST SURPRISING UPSET OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON?
Brendan Hall: My brethren on the Cape will call me Captain Hindsight with this one, but maybe Dennis-Yarmouth baseball is better than we've given them credit for after knocking off Plymouth North 8-2 on Wednesday. I think it was universally agreed that North, routinely one of the best hitting teams in Division 2, would be the favorite again in the South region even after losing key bats like Matt Walsh. But maybe D-Y should get more notice, with talented players like Matt Montalto, Matt Peterson and Miles Tuohy-Bedford. The Dolphins (2-1) got off to a hot start last season, including coach Paul Funk's 100th win, before coming back to Earth. Can they keep the hot start going this year?
Scott Barboza: If I told you I'd called Reading boys' lacrosse's overtime win over Westford Academy, I'd be lying. The Grey Ghosts entered this season with a lot of attention, particularly with the addition of Alex Eaton, in an already loaded Dual County League and the No. 6 ranking in our preseason Top 25 poll. Meanwhile, Reading was tough to read coming in because the Rockets lost some key cogs from last year's squad. What the Rockets did is prove that they should again challenge for the Middlesex League title.
Bruce Lerch: In boys lacrosse, certainly the most eye-opening result of the early season came when Melrose upset Lexington, 11-6. This is just the fourth year of the Red Raiders program, and in their first three years Melrose went a combined 9-44. Meanwhile, Lexington is an annual state championship and Middlesex League contender and reached the postseason in each of the three years since Melrose started its team. It was certainly a program defining victory for the Red Raiders.
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 Girls Basketball poll this afternoon, and this week's edition has very minimal movement.
There is no movement in the first nine spots for the first time this season, with Masconomet jumping into the No. 10 spot following Westford's loss to Acton-Boxborough last Friday. Andover retains the top spot, as they have since March 2011, while Reading, Holyoke, Arlington Catholic and Archbishop Williams round out the top five. Amherst, Holy Name, Lynn English and Braintree retain spots six through nine, respectively.
The only new face this week is Falmouth, which enters at No. 24 this week after wrapping up the Atlantic Coast League title with a win over Marshfield last Friday. Previously-unbeaten Nashoba fell from the No. 25 spot after consecutive losses.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.
NOTE: Poll does not reflect Tuesday night's scores.
There is no movement in the first nine spots for the first time this season, with Masconomet jumping into the No. 10 spot following Westford's loss to Acton-Boxborough last Friday. Andover retains the top spot, as they have since March 2011, while Reading, Holyoke, Arlington Catholic and Archbishop Williams round out the top five. Amherst, Holy Name, Lynn English and Braintree retain spots six through nine, respectively.
The only new face this week is Falmouth, which enters at No. 24 this week after wrapping up the Atlantic Coast League title with a win over Marshfield last Friday. Previously-unbeaten Nashoba fell from the No. 25 spot after consecutive losses.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.
NOTE: Poll does not reflect Tuesday night's scores.
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 girls basketball poll, and while there is little movement up to, we've some some new faces at the bottom.
Andover remains firm at No. 1, a spot it has held since the end of last season, while Reading remains at No. 2 following two more blowout wins over Middlesex League opponents. Archbishop Williams and Arlington Catholic flip-flop at the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, after the Bishops handed AC a 21-point loss, while Holyoke remains at No. 5.
Amherst moves back into the Top 10 following its win over West Springfield, while Bishop Feehan falls out of the Top 10 following the Shamrocks' loss to defending Eastern Athletic Conference champ Coyle-Cassidy. Also of note, Billerica moves up nine spots to No. 11 following the Indians' surprising 72-59 win over Merrimack Valley juggernaut Central Catholic.
At the bottom, we have five new teams making their season debuts: Franklin (21), Walpole (22), Marshfield (23), Bedford (10-2) and last year's Division 3 runner-up, Western Mass. powerhouse Lee (25).
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Andover remains firm at No. 1, a spot it has held since the end of last season, while Reading remains at No. 2 following two more blowout wins over Middlesex League opponents. Archbishop Williams and Arlington Catholic flip-flop at the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, after the Bishops handed AC a 21-point loss, while Holyoke remains at No. 5.
Amherst moves back into the Top 10 following its win over West Springfield, while Bishop Feehan falls out of the Top 10 following the Shamrocks' loss to defending Eastern Athletic Conference champ Coyle-Cassidy. Also of note, Billerica moves up nine spots to No. 11 following the Indians' surprising 72-59 win over Merrimack Valley juggernaut Central Catholic.
At the bottom, we have five new teams making their season debuts: Franklin (21), Walpole (22), Marshfield (23), Bedford (10-2) and last year's Division 3 runner-up, Western Mass. powerhouse Lee (25).
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Today, we are releasing the first MIAA Girls Basketball Top 25 poll of the season, and there is probably little surprise at the top spot.
Two-time defending Division 1 state champion Andover -- which spent a grand total of one week outside our No. 1 spot last season -- starts off the 2011-12 campaign as the top dog for the second straight year. The Golden Warriors are led by Boston College-bound guard Nicole Boudreau, the state's reigning Gatorade Player of the Year and ESPN Boston Miss Basketball.
Rounding out the top five are Central Catholic (2), Amherst (3), Reading (4) and Acton-Boxborough (5). You can view the entire poll here.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.
Two-time defending Division 1 state champion Andover -- which spent a grand total of one week outside our No. 1 spot last season -- starts off the 2011-12 campaign as the top dog for the second straight year. The Golden Warriors are led by Boston College-bound guard Nicole Boudreau, the state's reigning Gatorade Player of the Year and ESPN Boston Miss Basketball.
Rounding out the top five are Central Catholic (2), Amherst (3), Reading (4) and Acton-Boxborough (5). You can view the entire poll here.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.
HOW THE CONTENDERS FARED
George Craan, Sr. RB, Concord-Carlisle - Part of a three-headed rushing attack in Friday's 61-14 stomping of Westford, carried 10 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Preston Cooper, Sr. RB, BC High - Ran for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' 32-0 shutout of Marlborough.
Casey DeAndrade, Sr. RB, East Bridgewater - On just four carries, totaled 179 yards and three scores, as the Vikings cruised to a 42-14 defeat of Carver.
Jonathan DiBiaso, Sr. QB, Everett - Threw for 308 yards, and added 55 on the ground, totaling three scores in the No. 1 Crimson Tide's 42-21 win over Xaverian. He is now four touchdown passes off the state's all-time mark of 85.
Sacoy Malone, Sr. RB, Springfield Central - Carried 26 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Eagles' 21-20 upset of Longmeadow.
Matt Montalto, Sr. QB, Dennis-Yarmouth - In the Dolphins' 14-0 shutout of Marshfield, carried 22 times for 148 yards and a touchdown, and also added 82 yards through the air on 6 of 13 passing.
T.J. Norris, Sr. RB, Longmeadow - In the loss to Central, carried 26 times for 170 yards and all three of the Lancers' scores.
Matt O'Keefe, Sr. QB, Duxbury - Was 11 of 20 passing for 191 yards and a touchdown in the Dragons' 21-0 blanking of Scituate.
Melquawn Pinkney, Sr. RB, Putnam - Another week, another monster performance. He carried 31 times for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the Beavers' 56-14 win over Springfield Cathedral. Through six games, he leads the state in rushing yards (1,526) and rushing touchdowns (24).
Charles Ruffin, Sr. RB, King Philip - Carried 23 times for 147 yards and two scores in the Warriors' 19-7 win over North Attleborough.
Cody Titus, Sr. RB, St. Bernard's - Remember our "400 Rule"? Well, this kid just became a contender after rushing for a state-record 436 yards on 34 carries for five touchdowns in the Bernardians' 33-14 win over Littleton. Through six games he's carried 180 times for 1,465 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Brandon Walsh, Sr. QB, North Andover - Totaled five scores, including a 26-yard interception return, in the Knights' 46-0 shutout of Philips Andover.
Don Webber, Sr. WR, Duxbury - Caught seven passes for 109 yards in the Dragons' 21-0 win over Scituate.
ON THE RISE
Drew Burnett, Sr. QB, Needham - Completed 8 of 11 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-14 rout of Milton, but unfortunately that will be his last. He left the game with a broken ankle, and is done for the season.
Jamison Craft, Sr. RB, Gardner - Put in a workmanlike 27 carries for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats' 28-7 win over Tyngsborough.
Tyquan Culbreath, Sr. RB, Concord-Carlisle - In the Patriots' 61-14 thrashing of Westford, gave them a jump early with 130 yards and four scores on just six carries.
Jalen Felix, Sr. WR, Everett - A breakout game to say the least, caught 10 balls for 145 yards and a score in the Tide's 42-21 win over Xaverian.
Greg Heineman, Sr. QB, Minnechaug - In the Falcons' 39-14 win over Agawam, he was 23 of 37 passing for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Vondell Langston, Sr. RB, Everett - Ran for a career-high 203 yards and two scores on 15 carries in the Tide's 42-21 win over Xaverian.
Zack Jackson, Sr. RB, Amherst - Accumulated 282 yards of offense, including 228 on the ground, and two scores in a 44-41 win over Chicopee Comp.
R.J. Noel, Sr. QB, Lowell - Threw for 189 yards and totaled four scores in the Red Raiders' 42-15 rout of Central Catholic.
Mark Riley, Sr. TE, Needham - Hauled in three touchdown passes in the Rockets' 49-14 rout of Milton.
Eddie Sheridan, Jr. RB, Chelmsford - Led the Lions' rushing attack with 145 yards and three scores on 20 carries, in a 48-28 win over Andover.
Jonathan Thomas, Soph. RB, St. John's Prep - Exploded for 235 yards and three scores on 27 carries in the Eagles' 41-20 rout of St. John's (Shrewsbury).
George Craan, Sr. RB, Concord-Carlisle - Part of a three-headed rushing attack in Friday's 61-14 stomping of Westford, carried 10 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Preston Cooper, Sr. RB, BC High - Ran for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' 32-0 shutout of Marlborough.
Casey DeAndrade, Sr. RB, East Bridgewater - On just four carries, totaled 179 yards and three scores, as the Vikings cruised to a 42-14 defeat of Carver.
Jonathan DiBiaso, Sr. QB, Everett - Threw for 308 yards, and added 55 on the ground, totaling three scores in the No. 1 Crimson Tide's 42-21 win over Xaverian. He is now four touchdown passes off the state's all-time mark of 85.
Sacoy Malone, Sr. RB, Springfield Central - Carried 26 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Eagles' 21-20 upset of Longmeadow.
Matt Montalto, Sr. QB, Dennis-Yarmouth - In the Dolphins' 14-0 shutout of Marshfield, carried 22 times for 148 yards and a touchdown, and also added 82 yards through the air on 6 of 13 passing.
T.J. Norris, Sr. RB, Longmeadow - In the loss to Central, carried 26 times for 170 yards and all three of the Lancers' scores.
Matt O'Keefe, Sr. QB, Duxbury - Was 11 of 20 passing for 191 yards and a touchdown in the Dragons' 21-0 blanking of Scituate.
Melquawn Pinkney, Sr. RB, Putnam - Another week, another monster performance. He carried 31 times for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the Beavers' 56-14 win over Springfield Cathedral. Through six games, he leads the state in rushing yards (1,526) and rushing touchdowns (24).
Charles Ruffin, Sr. RB, King Philip - Carried 23 times for 147 yards and two scores in the Warriors' 19-7 win over North Attleborough.
Cody Titus, Sr. RB, St. Bernard's - Remember our "400 Rule"? Well, this kid just became a contender after rushing for a state-record 436 yards on 34 carries for five touchdowns in the Bernardians' 33-14 win over Littleton. Through six games he's carried 180 times for 1,465 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Brandon Walsh, Sr. QB, North Andover - Totaled five scores, including a 26-yard interception return, in the Knights' 46-0 shutout of Philips Andover.
Don Webber, Sr. WR, Duxbury - Caught seven passes for 109 yards in the Dragons' 21-0 win over Scituate.
ON THE RISE
Drew Burnett, Sr. QB, Needham - Completed 8 of 11 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-14 rout of Milton, but unfortunately that will be his last. He left the game with a broken ankle, and is done for the season.
Jamison Craft, Sr. RB, Gardner - Put in a workmanlike 27 carries for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats' 28-7 win over Tyngsborough.
Tyquan Culbreath, Sr. RB, Concord-Carlisle - In the Patriots' 61-14 thrashing of Westford, gave them a jump early with 130 yards and four scores on just six carries.
Jalen Felix, Sr. WR, Everett - A breakout game to say the least, caught 10 balls for 145 yards and a score in the Tide's 42-21 win over Xaverian.
Greg Heineman, Sr. QB, Minnechaug - In the Falcons' 39-14 win over Agawam, he was 23 of 37 passing for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Vondell Langston, Sr. RB, Everett - Ran for a career-high 203 yards and two scores on 15 carries in the Tide's 42-21 win over Xaverian.
Zack Jackson, Sr. RB, Amherst - Accumulated 282 yards of offense, including 228 on the ground, and two scores in a 44-41 win over Chicopee Comp.
R.J. Noel, Sr. QB, Lowell - Threw for 189 yards and totaled four scores in the Red Raiders' 42-15 rout of Central Catholic.
Mark Riley, Sr. TE, Needham - Hauled in three touchdown passes in the Rockets' 49-14 rout of Milton.
Eddie Sheridan, Jr. RB, Chelmsford - Led the Lions' rushing attack with 145 yards and three scores on 20 carries, in a 48-28 win over Andover.
Jonathan Thomas, Soph. RB, St. John's Prep - Exploded for 235 yards and three scores on 27 carries in the Eagles' 41-20 rout of St. John's (Shrewsbury).
Duxbury's Haffey commits to Amherst
July, 20, 2011
7/20/11
4:27
PM ET
By
Scott Barboza | ESPNBoston.com
Duxbury attackman Kane Haffey has committed to Amherst College, joining its 2012 lacrosse recruiting class.
The 2011 graduate led the Dragons to their eighth MIAA state title in the last decade in June and will attend Phillips Exeter Academy in the fall for a postgraduate year.
Haffey was an All-American and an ESPN Boston All-State First-Teamer in his senior season after scoring 43 goals with 18 assists.
"When I was on campus, it was just a great fit," Haffey said. "Academics were always my top priority and it's one of the top Liberal arts colleges in the country. Then, meeting Coach [Jon Thompson] and seeing the facilities, I fell in love with it."
Haffey was also a quarterback on Duxbury's Division 2A Super Bowl championship football squad as well as its hockey team.
The 2011 graduate led the Dragons to their eighth MIAA state title in the last decade in June and will attend Phillips Exeter Academy in the fall for a postgraduate year.
Haffey was an All-American and an ESPN Boston All-State First-Teamer in his senior season after scoring 43 goals with 18 assists.
"When I was on campus, it was just a great fit," Haffey said. "Academics were always my top priority and it's one of the top Liberal arts colleges in the country. Then, meeting Coach [Jon Thompson] and seeing the facilities, I fell in love with it."
Haffey was also a quarterback on Duxbury's Division 2A Super Bowl championship football squad as well as its hockey team.
Courtesy of Bay State Games media relations director Peter Cohenno:
BASKETBALL
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Gold Medal Game
Coastal 106, West 104
Coastal came back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter led by Nelson Baptiste (Falmouth, Falmouth HS) who had 42 points on the way to the gold medal with a 106-104 win over West. Coastal also got 20 and 19 points from Tyler DeMelo (East Freetown, Apponequet) and Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS), respectively. West had three players with 20 points or more including Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) with 23, Phil DePhilips (Orange, Mahar HS) with 22, and Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) with 20.
Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Gold Medal Game
Coastal 58, Southeast 52
Coastal hung on to edge Southeast 58-52 and capture the gold medal. Tony Pires (Carver, Carver HS) led the winners with 17 points and Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) chipped in with 11. Southeast’s Rory Donovan (Canton, Cardinal Spellman HS) netted 14.
Girls Scholastic
Gold Medal Game
West 60, Northeast 50
Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Sabis HS) and Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) both scored 19 points to help West capture the gold medal with a 60-50 victory over Northeast. Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) 20 points was not enough to lift Northeast.
FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Southeast 3, Central 0
Southeast’s Maggie Travers (Scituate, Scituate HS) had a goal and assist to lead her squad over Central, 3-0. Emily McColgan (Walpole, Southfield HS) and Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS) collected the other markers. In net, Carolyn Cook (Medfield, Medfield HS) and Katie Kelley (Walpole, Walpole HS) combined for their third shutout of the tournament.
Coastal 1, West 1
West claimed the bronze medal with a 1-1 tie against Coastal. Emily Medeiros (Wilbraham, Minnechaug Reg. HS) netted the score for West, while Katherine Sypek (Hingham, Notre Dame) tallied the equalizer for Coastal.
Gold Medal Game
Metro 2, Southeast/Coastal 1
Metro took home the gold medal with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Southeast/Coastal. Alexa Baumgartner (Newton, BB&N) and Nicole Woods (Beverly, Beverly HS) netted the scores for the winners. Caroline Feeley (Walpole, Walpole HS) scored Southeast/Coastal’s lone goal.
LACROSSE
Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Bronze Medal Game
Coastal 5, Metro/Southeast 0
The Coastal defense and goalie Ryan King (Lakeville, Apponequet Reg. HS) posted a rare shutout to help their squad to the bronze medal with a 5-0 win over Metro/Southeast. Coastal’s offense was led Brett McAvay, who netted a pair of goals.
Gold Medal Game
Northeast 9, West 4
The Northeast squad took home the gold medal with decisive 9-4 win over West. Brian Walsh (Lowell, Lowell HS) continued his hot streak, by leading Northeast with four goals. In addition, Brendan Gilgun (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) scored two goals and had an assist to help lift Northeast over West.
Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Bronze Medal Game
West 15, Northeast/Central 8
West’s Nicole Beliveau (Westfield, Westfield HS), Alexa Allen (East Longmeadow, East Longmeadow HS) and Alicia Busco (Agawam, Agawam HS) had three goals apiece to pace their squad to the bronze medal with a 15-8 win over Northeast/Central. Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) and Micaela Sanborn (Chelmsford, Chelmsford HS) each had two goals in the losing effort.
Gold Medal Game
Southeast/Coastal 15, Metro 9
Southeast/Coastal captured the gold medal with a 15-9 victory over Metro. Kristen Hickey (Dedham, Ursuline Academy) and Madison Hughes (Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard Reg. HS) had three goals each for the champions. Metro freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) completed a strong debut in Bay State Games with four tallies, and teammate Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Waltham HS) added a pair.
Final Standings
1. Southeast/Coastal
2. Metro
3. West
4. Northeast/Central
BASKETBALL
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Gold Medal Game
Coastal 106, West 104
Coastal came back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter led by Nelson Baptiste (Falmouth, Falmouth HS) who had 42 points on the way to the gold medal with a 106-104 win over West. Coastal also got 20 and 19 points from Tyler DeMelo (East Freetown, Apponequet) and Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS), respectively. West had three players with 20 points or more including Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) with 23, Phil DePhilips (Orange, Mahar HS) with 22, and Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) with 20.
Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Gold Medal Game
Coastal 58, Southeast 52
Coastal hung on to edge Southeast 58-52 and capture the gold medal. Tony Pires (Carver, Carver HS) led the winners with 17 points and Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) chipped in with 11. Southeast’s Rory Donovan (Canton, Cardinal Spellman HS) netted 14.
Girls Scholastic
Gold Medal Game
West 60, Northeast 50
Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Sabis HS) and Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) both scored 19 points to help West capture the gold medal with a 60-50 victory over Northeast. Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) 20 points was not enough to lift Northeast.
FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Southeast 3, Central 0
Southeast’s Maggie Travers (Scituate, Scituate HS) had a goal and assist to lead her squad over Central, 3-0. Emily McColgan (Walpole, Southfield HS) and Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS) collected the other markers. In net, Carolyn Cook (Medfield, Medfield HS) and Katie Kelley (Walpole, Walpole HS) combined for their third shutout of the tournament.
Coastal 1, West 1
West claimed the bronze medal with a 1-1 tie against Coastal. Emily Medeiros (Wilbraham, Minnechaug Reg. HS) netted the score for West, while Katherine Sypek (Hingham, Notre Dame) tallied the equalizer for Coastal.
Gold Medal Game
Metro 2, Southeast/Coastal 1
Metro took home the gold medal with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Southeast/Coastal. Alexa Baumgartner (Newton, BB&N) and Nicole Woods (Beverly, Beverly HS) netted the scores for the winners. Caroline Feeley (Walpole, Walpole HS) scored Southeast/Coastal’s lone goal.
LACROSSE
Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Bronze Medal Game
Coastal 5, Metro/Southeast 0
The Coastal defense and goalie Ryan King (Lakeville, Apponequet Reg. HS) posted a rare shutout to help their squad to the bronze medal with a 5-0 win over Metro/Southeast. Coastal’s offense was led Brett McAvay, who netted a pair of goals.
Gold Medal Game
Northeast 9, West 4
The Northeast squad took home the gold medal with decisive 9-4 win over West. Brian Walsh (Lowell, Lowell HS) continued his hot streak, by leading Northeast with four goals. In addition, Brendan Gilgun (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) scored two goals and had an assist to help lift Northeast over West.
Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Bronze Medal Game
West 15, Northeast/Central 8
West’s Nicole Beliveau (Westfield, Westfield HS), Alexa Allen (East Longmeadow, East Longmeadow HS) and Alicia Busco (Agawam, Agawam HS) had three goals apiece to pace their squad to the bronze medal with a 15-8 win over Northeast/Central. Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) and Micaela Sanborn (Chelmsford, Chelmsford HS) each had two goals in the losing effort.
Gold Medal Game
Southeast/Coastal 15, Metro 9
Southeast/Coastal captured the gold medal with a 15-9 victory over Metro. Kristen Hickey (Dedham, Ursuline Academy) and Madison Hughes (Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard Reg. HS) had three goals each for the champions. Metro freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) completed a strong debut in Bay State Games with four tallies, and teammate Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Waltham HS) added a pair.
Final Standings
1. Southeast/Coastal
2. Metro
3. West
4. Northeast/Central
Courtesy of Bay State Games media relations director Peter Cohenno:
BASKETBALL
Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Southeast 103, Metro 77
Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) poured in 37 points to propel Southeast to a 103-77 win over Metro. Jaleel Moise (Brockton, Brockton HS) and Jon Perez (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) added 20 and 19 points respectively for the winners. Metro had three players in double figures led by Kenny Ramos’s (Mattapan, East Boston HS) 14 points. Adam Zakaria (Arlington, Arlington HS) and Paul Brooles (Arlington, Arlington HS) chipped in with 12 apiece.
Coastal vs Northeast
Coastal declared winner due to a Northeast forfeit.
West 78, Central 54
West ran away with a 78-54 victory over Central. For the winners, Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) led all scorers with 26. Casy White (Easthampton, Easthampton HS) and Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) netted 14 apiece. Central’s Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury HS) paced his squad with 16 points.
Coastal 104, Southeast 97
Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS) tallied 30 points to help Coastal edge Southeast, 104-97, in a fast-paced, offensive battle. Nelson Baptiste (Falmouth, Falmouth HS) contributed to the assault with 22, and Andrew Kenyon (Swansea, Case HS) put up 20. Southeast big man Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) led all scorers with 33. His teammates, Damien Lugay (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) and Jon Perez (Weymouth, Weymouth HS), added 18 and 14 points, respectively.
Northeast vs Central
Central declared winner due to a Northeast forfeit.
West 109, Metro 63
West had two players score more than 20 points as they destroyed Metro 109-63. Metro kept the game tied at 18 through the first quarter. However, West came alive in the second, scoring 36 points, and went into halftime leading 54-33. In the second half, West forward Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) netted 21 of his 23 points and was the game’s leading scorer. West guard Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) added 22 points of his own. Metro’s Mo Magras (Medford, Medford HS) tallied 12 points and led the team in scoring.
Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Metro 65, Southeast 62
Metro defeated Southeast 65-62 in a close game that went down to the final minutes. Metro scored early and had an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Southeast pulled within two at the half. Going into the fourth quarter they were tied at 48. Southeast guards Jonathan Joseph (Brockton, Brockton HS) and Andrew Reardon (North Easton, Oliver Ames HS) combined for seven of the team’s final 13 points. Guard Lutjy Mondesir (Brockton, Brockton HS) led the team with 10 points, while Metro’s Tyler Sullivan (Arlington, Arlington HS) led all scorers with 16 points.
West 65, Northeast 40
West played a balanced game and limited its mistakes in a 65-40 win over Northeast. West forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) scored a team-high 12 points while guard Kamil Stasiowski (Palmer, Palmer HS) added another nine points in the second half. Northeast shooting guard Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) led all scorers with 18 points, 15 of which he scored in the second half.
Coastal 67, Central 46
Coastal’s defense limited Central to five first quarter points on their way to a 67-46 win. Coastal’s defense, anchored by center Owen Murphy (Plymouth, Plymouth North), played strong the entire game and only allowed 12 first half points. Coastal’ offense was led by guard Andrew McGill (West Falmouth, Falmouth), Murphy and forward Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) each scored 12 points. In the second half, Central finally started to find the net, scoring 17 points in each of the final two quarters.
Southeast 76, West 74
Southeast is going for the gold after defeating West, 76-74. Southeast was up 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, though West pulled within three, 27-24, at the half. The game remained tight into the fourth quarter when things really got interesting. With West down and seconds remaining on the clock, forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) drilled a three to send the game into overtime. Despite allowing the game to be tied, Southeast played aggressively in overtime and West found themselves down again with just five seconds remaining. However, there wouldn’t be any miracles this time. West bobbled a pass and the ball went out of bounds. Southeast guard David Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) led all scorers with 28 points, while Crosby scored a team-high 22 points for West.
Central 75, Northeast 26
Guard Isaiah Tatum (Worcester, Holy Name) led all scorers with 16 points as Central beat Northeast, 75-26. Central was ahead 37-17 at the half and never looked back. Central guard Jesse Meresca (Sterling, Wachusett) added another 12 points, while Northeast point guard John King (Swampscott, Swampscott HS) led the team in scoring with 10 points.
Coastal 76, Metro 72
Coastal held off a late charge by Metro to secure a 76-72 win. Coastal’s Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) and Metro’s Matt Woods shared the honor of game’s high scorer with 22 points apiece. Jesse Bunting (Plymouth, Plymouth North) chipped in with 15 for the winners, while Kevin Foley netted 16 in the losing effort.
Girls Scholastic
Reggie Lewis Center – Boston, MA
Northeast 66, Metro 41
Northeast opened up a huge halftime lead and never looked back on the way to a 66-41 decision. Northeast got scoring from its entire roster with Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) tallying the most points with 13. Metro’s Gena Restiano (Revere, Revere HS) notched a game-high 15 points.
West 55, Southeast 42
Forward Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Sabis HS) was the only West player in double figures, netting 14, but her team was still able to come out on top, 55-42. Kayla Corshia (Medway, Medway HS) and Ashley Snyder (Foxboro, Foxboro HS) each scored 12 for Southeast.
Central 81, Coastal 70
In a high-scoring affair, Central hung on for an 81-70 victory over Coastal. The bulk of the winner’s points came from Sammie Battaini (Leominster, St. Bernard's Central Catholic) and Raegan Muhlerin (Baldwinville, Narragansett Reg HS), who dropped 25 and 23, respectively. Coastal’s Jen Rock (Byfield, Triton) nailed five 3-pointers to finish with 21 points, and Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Taunton HS) was in double digits with 13.
FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Metro/Northeast 2, Central 1
Metro/Northeast defeated Central, 2-1, on Saturday morning. Junior Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) scored both of Metro/Northeast’s goals to propel her squad to victory. The lone goal for Central was scored by freshman Justine Sheehan (Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury HS) with an assist from junior Haylie Dolan (West Brookfield, Quaboag Reg. HS).
Southeast 2, West 0
Southeast earned a 2-0, shutout victory against West on Saturday morning. Junior Katy Cronin (Franklin, Franklin HS) broke the game open for Southeast with an unassisted goal. Southeast extended its lead, when sophomore Brenna Spolidoro (Franklin, Franklin HS) scored with an assist from junior Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS). Sophomore Carolyn Cook (Medfield, Medfield HS) and junior Katie Kelley (Walpole, Walpole HS) combined for the shutout in goal for Southeast.
Metro/Northeast 5, Coastal 2
After falling behind by a pair of goals, Metro/Northeast scored five unanswered including two from Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) to upend Coastal, 5-2. Brittany Oliver (Chelmsford, Chelmsford HS), Nicole Woods (Beverly, Beverly HS) and Alexa Baumgartner (Newton, BB&N) each potted a goal. Maggie Johnson (Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard Reg HS) netted both scores for Coastal.
West 2, Central 0
Emiko Barker (Hatfield, Smith Academy) and Emily Medeiros (Wilbraham, Minnechaug Reg. HS) each scored a goal to pace West in its 2-0 win over Central. In net, Sarah Cote (Athol, Athol HS) and Jill Newton (Feeding Hills, Agawam HS) combined for the shutout.
LACROSSE
Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Northeast 10, West 7
Northeast survived a barrage from West to take a 10-7 victory. The undefeated Northeast squad took an early 4-0 lead before West came storming back in the second and third quarters with seven goals to take a 7-5 advantage. Northeast, unaccustomed to trailing, awoke from its slump and scored five unanswered in the fourth quarter to salvage the win and remain undefeated. Brian Walsh (Lowell, Lowell HS) was the top scorer for the winners with three, and Brendan Gilgun (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) and Cole Connolly (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) added two goals apiece. Brady Aitken (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) potted three for West in the losing effort.
Coastal 16, Central 6
Coastal dominated the entire contest on the way to a 16-6 win. James McCleod paced the offense with five goals and Ethan McCullough (Brewster, Nauset Reg. HS) contributed four markers for Coastal.
Coastal 14, Metro/Southeast 7
Coastal took a 10-2 advantage into halftime and never looked back on the way to a 14-7 win. Brett McAvay had an outstanding game for Coastal with seven goals scored. James McCleod added four tallies. Metro/Southeast got four goals and an assist from Ryan McCarthy (Medford, Medford HS). The two teams will play again on Sunday in the bronze medal game.
West 16, Central 2
West earned a berth in the gold medal game Sunday against Northeast with an impressive display against Central that resulted in a 16-2 victory. Junior goalie Tyler Walsh (Northampton, Northampton HS) was the cornerstone in the strong defensive showing. Brady Aitken (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) led the offensive charge with five goals.
Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Metro 18, Northeast/Central 11
Metro routed Northeast/Central, 18-11, in a high-scoring, offensive showcase on Saturday morning. Junior Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Waltham HS) and freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) led the Metro squad to victory with seven and six goals, respectively. Junior Katie McKenna (Danvers, Danvers HS) was the top scorer for Northeast/Central with four goals.
Southeast/Coastal 11, West 6
Southeast/Coastal played tight defense and got balanced scoring to defeat West, 11-6. The winners had four players with two goals including Hope Kelley (E. Walpole, Walpole HS), Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy), Madison Hughes (Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard Reg. HS) and Alexandrea Bergamo (Plymouth, Plymouth North HS). Alexa Allen (East Longmeadow, East Longmeadow HS) had a pair of tallies for West.
Southeast/Coastal 17, Northeast/Central 4
Southeast/Coastal outgunned a gutty Northeast/Central squad, 17-4. Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy) was the game’s high scorer with five goals. Jackie Connors (Ashland, Ashland HS) added three scores, while Megan Kiley (Braintree, Archbishop Williams HS) and Kristen Hickey (Dedham, Ursuline Academy) each chipped in with a pair of tallies. Northeast/Central’s Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) netted three of her teams goals.
Metro 11, West 10
Metro edged out West, 11-10, in a tightly contested match-up in the final game of the day. Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) continued her stellar performance in the tournament with three goals for Metro, and Bridget Wack (Waltham, Waltham HS) and Jordan Sullivan (Malden, Mystic Valley) had a pair of tallies each. West’s Ashley Owen (Westfield, Westfield HS) netted two goals in the losing effort.
BASKETBALL
Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Southeast 103, Metro 77
Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) poured in 37 points to propel Southeast to a 103-77 win over Metro. Jaleel Moise (Brockton, Brockton HS) and Jon Perez (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) added 20 and 19 points respectively for the winners. Metro had three players in double figures led by Kenny Ramos’s (Mattapan, East Boston HS) 14 points. Adam Zakaria (Arlington, Arlington HS) and Paul Brooles (Arlington, Arlington HS) chipped in with 12 apiece.
Coastal vs Northeast
Coastal declared winner due to a Northeast forfeit.
West 78, Central 54
West ran away with a 78-54 victory over Central. For the winners, Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) led all scorers with 26. Casy White (Easthampton, Easthampton HS) and Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) netted 14 apiece. Central’s Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury HS) paced his squad with 16 points.
Coastal 104, Southeast 97
Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS) tallied 30 points to help Coastal edge Southeast, 104-97, in a fast-paced, offensive battle. Nelson Baptiste (Falmouth, Falmouth HS) contributed to the assault with 22, and Andrew Kenyon (Swansea, Case HS) put up 20. Southeast big man Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) led all scorers with 33. His teammates, Damien Lugay (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) and Jon Perez (Weymouth, Weymouth HS), added 18 and 14 points, respectively.
Northeast vs Central
Central declared winner due to a Northeast forfeit.
West 109, Metro 63
West had two players score more than 20 points as they destroyed Metro 109-63. Metro kept the game tied at 18 through the first quarter. However, West came alive in the second, scoring 36 points, and went into halftime leading 54-33. In the second half, West forward Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) netted 21 of his 23 points and was the game’s leading scorer. West guard Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) added 22 points of his own. Metro’s Mo Magras (Medford, Medford HS) tallied 12 points and led the team in scoring.
Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Metro 65, Southeast 62
Metro defeated Southeast 65-62 in a close game that went down to the final minutes. Metro scored early and had an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Southeast pulled within two at the half. Going into the fourth quarter they were tied at 48. Southeast guards Jonathan Joseph (Brockton, Brockton HS) and Andrew Reardon (North Easton, Oliver Ames HS) combined for seven of the team’s final 13 points. Guard Lutjy Mondesir (Brockton, Brockton HS) led the team with 10 points, while Metro’s Tyler Sullivan (Arlington, Arlington HS) led all scorers with 16 points.
West 65, Northeast 40
West played a balanced game and limited its mistakes in a 65-40 win over Northeast. West forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) scored a team-high 12 points while guard Kamil Stasiowski (Palmer, Palmer HS) added another nine points in the second half. Northeast shooting guard Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) led all scorers with 18 points, 15 of which he scored in the second half.
Coastal 67, Central 46
Coastal’s defense limited Central to five first quarter points on their way to a 67-46 win. Coastal’s defense, anchored by center Owen Murphy (Plymouth, Plymouth North), played strong the entire game and only allowed 12 first half points. Coastal’ offense was led by guard Andrew McGill (West Falmouth, Falmouth), Murphy and forward Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) each scored 12 points. In the second half, Central finally started to find the net, scoring 17 points in each of the final two quarters.
Southeast 76, West 74
Southeast is going for the gold after defeating West, 76-74. Southeast was up 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, though West pulled within three, 27-24, at the half. The game remained tight into the fourth quarter when things really got interesting. With West down and seconds remaining on the clock, forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) drilled a three to send the game into overtime. Despite allowing the game to be tied, Southeast played aggressively in overtime and West found themselves down again with just five seconds remaining. However, there wouldn’t be any miracles this time. West bobbled a pass and the ball went out of bounds. Southeast guard David Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) led all scorers with 28 points, while Crosby scored a team-high 22 points for West.
Central 75, Northeast 26
Guard Isaiah Tatum (Worcester, Holy Name) led all scorers with 16 points as Central beat Northeast, 75-26. Central was ahead 37-17 at the half and never looked back. Central guard Jesse Meresca (Sterling, Wachusett) added another 12 points, while Northeast point guard John King (Swampscott, Swampscott HS) led the team in scoring with 10 points.
Coastal 76, Metro 72
Coastal held off a late charge by Metro to secure a 76-72 win. Coastal’s Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) and Metro’s Matt Woods shared the honor of game’s high scorer with 22 points apiece. Jesse Bunting (Plymouth, Plymouth North) chipped in with 15 for the winners, while Kevin Foley netted 16 in the losing effort.
Girls Scholastic
Reggie Lewis Center – Boston, MA
Northeast 66, Metro 41
Northeast opened up a huge halftime lead and never looked back on the way to a 66-41 decision. Northeast got scoring from its entire roster with Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) tallying the most points with 13. Metro’s Gena Restiano (Revere, Revere HS) notched a game-high 15 points.
West 55, Southeast 42
Forward Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Sabis HS) was the only West player in double figures, netting 14, but her team was still able to come out on top, 55-42. Kayla Corshia (Medway, Medway HS) and Ashley Snyder (Foxboro, Foxboro HS) each scored 12 for Southeast.
Central 81, Coastal 70
In a high-scoring affair, Central hung on for an 81-70 victory over Coastal. The bulk of the winner’s points came from Sammie Battaini (Leominster, St. Bernard's Central Catholic) and Raegan Muhlerin (Baldwinville, Narragansett Reg HS), who dropped 25 and 23, respectively. Coastal’s Jen Rock (Byfield, Triton) nailed five 3-pointers to finish with 21 points, and Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Taunton HS) was in double digits with 13.
FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Metro/Northeast 2, Central 1
Metro/Northeast defeated Central, 2-1, on Saturday morning. Junior Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) scored both of Metro/Northeast’s goals to propel her squad to victory. The lone goal for Central was scored by freshman Justine Sheehan (Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury HS) with an assist from junior Haylie Dolan (West Brookfield, Quaboag Reg. HS).
Southeast 2, West 0
Southeast earned a 2-0, shutout victory against West on Saturday morning. Junior Katy Cronin (Franklin, Franklin HS) broke the game open for Southeast with an unassisted goal. Southeast extended its lead, when sophomore Brenna Spolidoro (Franklin, Franklin HS) scored with an assist from junior Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS). Sophomore Carolyn Cook (Medfield, Medfield HS) and junior Katie Kelley (Walpole, Walpole HS) combined for the shutout in goal for Southeast.
Metro/Northeast 5, Coastal 2
After falling behind by a pair of goals, Metro/Northeast scored five unanswered including two from Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) to upend Coastal, 5-2. Brittany Oliver (Chelmsford, Chelmsford HS), Nicole Woods (Beverly, Beverly HS) and Alexa Baumgartner (Newton, BB&N) each potted a goal. Maggie Johnson (Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard Reg HS) netted both scores for Coastal.
West 2, Central 0
Emiko Barker (Hatfield, Smith Academy) and Emily Medeiros (Wilbraham, Minnechaug Reg. HS) each scored a goal to pace West in its 2-0 win over Central. In net, Sarah Cote (Athol, Athol HS) and Jill Newton (Feeding Hills, Agawam HS) combined for the shutout.
LACROSSE
Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Northeast 10, West 7
Northeast survived a barrage from West to take a 10-7 victory. The undefeated Northeast squad took an early 4-0 lead before West came storming back in the second and third quarters with seven goals to take a 7-5 advantage. Northeast, unaccustomed to trailing, awoke from its slump and scored five unanswered in the fourth quarter to salvage the win and remain undefeated. Brian Walsh (Lowell, Lowell HS) was the top scorer for the winners with three, and Brendan Gilgun (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) and Cole Connolly (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) added two goals apiece. Brady Aitken (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) potted three for West in the losing effort.
Coastal 16, Central 6
Coastal dominated the entire contest on the way to a 16-6 win. James McCleod paced the offense with five goals and Ethan McCullough (Brewster, Nauset Reg. HS) contributed four markers for Coastal.
Coastal 14, Metro/Southeast 7
Coastal took a 10-2 advantage into halftime and never looked back on the way to a 14-7 win. Brett McAvay had an outstanding game for Coastal with seven goals scored. James McCleod added four tallies. Metro/Southeast got four goals and an assist from Ryan McCarthy (Medford, Medford HS). The two teams will play again on Sunday in the bronze medal game.
West 16, Central 2
West earned a berth in the gold medal game Sunday against Northeast with an impressive display against Central that resulted in a 16-2 victory. Junior goalie Tyler Walsh (Northampton, Northampton HS) was the cornerstone in the strong defensive showing. Brady Aitken (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) led the offensive charge with five goals.
Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Metro 18, Northeast/Central 11
Metro routed Northeast/Central, 18-11, in a high-scoring, offensive showcase on Saturday morning. Junior Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Waltham HS) and freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) led the Metro squad to victory with seven and six goals, respectively. Junior Katie McKenna (Danvers, Danvers HS) was the top scorer for Northeast/Central with four goals.
Southeast/Coastal 11, West 6
Southeast/Coastal played tight defense and got balanced scoring to defeat West, 11-6. The winners had four players with two goals including Hope Kelley (E. Walpole, Walpole HS), Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy), Madison Hughes (Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard Reg. HS) and Alexandrea Bergamo (Plymouth, Plymouth North HS). Alexa Allen (East Longmeadow, East Longmeadow HS) had a pair of tallies for West.
Southeast/Coastal 17, Northeast/Central 4
Southeast/Coastal outgunned a gutty Northeast/Central squad, 17-4. Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy) was the game’s high scorer with five goals. Jackie Connors (Ashland, Ashland HS) added three scores, while Megan Kiley (Braintree, Archbishop Williams HS) and Kristen Hickey (Dedham, Ursuline Academy) each chipped in with a pair of tallies. Northeast/Central’s Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) netted three of her teams goals.
Metro 11, West 10
Metro edged out West, 11-10, in a tightly contested match-up in the final game of the day. Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) continued her stellar performance in the tournament with three goals for Metro, and Bridget Wack (Waltham, Waltham HS) and Jordan Sullivan (Malden, Mystic Valley) had a pair of tallies each. West’s Ashley Owen (Westfield, Westfield HS) netted two goals in the losing effort.
Courtesy Bay State Games media relations director Peter Cohenno:
BASKETBALL
Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Metro 86, Northeast 75
Central vs Coastal
Results not available
West 91, Southeast 89
West beat Southeast in a nail-biting 91-89 overtime thriller. The game was close throughout with West holding a slim 15-11 lead after the first quarter and an even slimmer 35-34 lead at the half. However, at the end of the fourth quarter West found itself down by one with just a few second left on the clock. With one shot left, Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) drilled a shot at the buzzer to tie the game at 74-74 and send them into overtime. Allen, who led West with 15 points, added another six points in overtime to seal the win. Southeast’s Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) led all scorers with 25 points.
Coastal 100, Metro 91
Coastal drained nine 3-pointers as they defeated Metro 100-91. Coastal jumped out to an early 30-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. By halftime Metro had cut the lead down to 54-47. However, Coastal regained a nine point lead going into the fourth quarter and never looked back. Leading the charge for Coastal was guard Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS) who scored 22 points, 18 of which were in the first half while Andrew Kenyon (Swansea, Case HS) added another 20 points.
West 124, Northeast 85
West had seven players score in double digits as they demolished Northeast, 124-85. Northeast kept the game close in the beginning, and were within three points, 50-47, at the half. However, in the third quarter West erupted for 41 points. West’s Phil DePhilips (Orange, Mahar HS) led the team with 21 points, 10 of which came during the second half explosion. Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) added 19 points for the winners.
Central vs Southeast
Results not available
Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Reggie Lewis Center – Boston, MA
Metro 77, Northeast 48
Metro sailed past Northeast Friday morning with a score of 77-48. Northeast’s Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) netted a game-high 20 points in the victory. His teammate, Jack Jimenez (Salem, Salem Academy Charter), contributed 11 points. Metro’s leading scorer was Tyler Sullivan with 16 points, though Matt Woods was close behind, scoring 15.
Coastal 83, Southeast 76
In one of the tightest games so far in the tournament, Coastal defeated Southeast, 83-76. Coastal’s sophomore guard Ryan St. Clair (Easton, Oliver Ames) put up a team-high 22 points. His teammate sophomore guard Tony Pires (Carver, Carver) scored 16 points. Despite being on the losing squad, freshman forward Dave Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) netted a game-high 22 points. His teammate sophomore forward Paul Preziosi (Abington/Hull, Cardinal Spellman HS) contributed 15 points.
West 65, Central 62
West snuck past Central on Friday by a narrow three-point margin, 65-62. Sophomore forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) posted 13 points toward his West squad’s win, while his teammates, freshman Corey Baker (Granby, Granby HS) and sophomore Andy Gifford (Granby, Granby HS) each scored 11 points. Central’s sophomore guard Colin Richey (Upton, Whitinsville Christian) netted a game-high 16 points. His teammate, sophomore guard Mark Deuris (Uxbridge, Uxbridge) contributed 11 points.
Southeast 72, Northeast 48
Southeast defeated Northeast, 72-48, Friday afternoon. Southeast’s freshman guard Dave Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) led the charge, notching 16 points. His teammate, sophomore Ridge Francisque (Brockton, Brockton HS), was close behind with 13 points. Northeast sophomore Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) managed to net a game-high 18 and his teammate, sophomore Jack Jimenez (Salem, Salem Academy Charter), scored 13 points.
Metro vs Central
Results not available.
Coastal vs West
Results not available.
Girls Scholastic
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Southeast 66, Metro 52
Southeast got 15 points from sophomore center Ashley Snyder (Foxboro, Foxboro HS) to help them to victory over Metro, 66-52. Senior guard Katelyn Sousa (Hopkinton, Hopkinton HS) contributed 11 points to the offensive effort. Despite the loss, both sophomore Gena Restiano (Revere, Revere HS) and junior Colleen Kane (Arlington, Arlington HS) managed to put up 11 points each for their Metro squad.
Northeast 68, Central 37
Northeast put on an offensive showcase as they defeated Central, 68-37. They came out hard, outscoring Central 22-8 in the first quarter alone. Senior Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Bishop Fenwick HS) scored a game-high 11 points to propel her team to victory. Her teammate, Nicole Catizone (Woburn, Arlington Catholic HS), contributed nine points to the effort. Central’s leading scorer was Sammie Battaini (Leominster, St. Bernard’s Central Catholic), with seven points.
West 58, Coastal 43
West defeated Central Friday by a 58-43 margin. Junior Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) contributed a game-high 12 points to the win. West sophomore Alyssa Darling (Palmer, Palmer HS) scored 10 points. The leading scorer for the Coastal squad was sophomore Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Taunton HS), who netted 10 points. Her teammate senior Jennifer Rock (Byfield, Triton), scored eight.
Central vs Southeast
Results not available.
West vs Metro
Results not available.
Northeast 73, Coastal 36
Northeast was too strong for an undermanned Coastal squad as they walked away with a 73-36 win. Kaitlyn Lipka (Peabody, Bishop Fenwick HS) led all scorers with 15 and Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) added 12 points for the winners. Coastal’s Rachel Camara (Fall River, Durfee) gave strong effort, collecting 13 points.
FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Metro/Northeast 2, West 1
Whitney Jones (Sudbury, Brooks School) and Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) each scored a goal to help Metro/Northeast edge West, 2-1. Morgan Mazanec (Selburne, Mohawk Trail Reg. HS) collected the lone tally for West.
Southeast 6, Coastal 1
Southeast got goals from six different players to blow past Coastal, 6-1. Katy Cronin (Franklin, Franklin HS), Kayla Garczynski (Norwood, Norwood HS), Meghan Pini (Natick, Natick HS), Meghan Murphy (Walpole, Walpole HS), Emily McColgan (Walpole, Southfield HS), and Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS) each found the net. Meghan Carroll (Mansfield, Mansfield HS) broke up the shutout with a goal for Coastal.
LACROSSE
Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Northeast 14, Metro/Southeast 3
West 10, Coastal 8
Northeast 16, Central 4
Metro/Southeast 11, West 10
Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
West 14, Northeast/Central 6
West was too strong for Northeast/Central as they cruised to an easy 14-6 victory. Nicole Beliveau (Westfield, Westfield HS) notched four goals, Alicia Busco (Agawam, Agawam HS) potted three and Emily Allcroft (Northampton, Northampton HS) tallied a pair to pace the West offense. Northeast/Central’s Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) netted three goals in a losing effort.
Southeast/Coastal 15, Metro 10
Southeast/Coastal’s strong finish helps secure 15-10 win over Metro. After a slow start, Metro pulled within a goal midway through the second half before Southeast/Coastal scored four unanswered goals to come out on top. Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy) led her team with three goals, and four others chipped in with a pair of markers. Freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) was terrific for Metro with six goals.
BASKETBALL
Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Metro 86, Northeast 75
Central vs Coastal
Results not available
West 91, Southeast 89
West beat Southeast in a nail-biting 91-89 overtime thriller. The game was close throughout with West holding a slim 15-11 lead after the first quarter and an even slimmer 35-34 lead at the half. However, at the end of the fourth quarter West found itself down by one with just a few second left on the clock. With one shot left, Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) drilled a shot at the buzzer to tie the game at 74-74 and send them into overtime. Allen, who led West with 15 points, added another six points in overtime to seal the win. Southeast’s Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) led all scorers with 25 points.
Coastal 100, Metro 91
Coastal drained nine 3-pointers as they defeated Metro 100-91. Coastal jumped out to an early 30-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. By halftime Metro had cut the lead down to 54-47. However, Coastal regained a nine point lead going into the fourth quarter and never looked back. Leading the charge for Coastal was guard Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS) who scored 22 points, 18 of which were in the first half while Andrew Kenyon (Swansea, Case HS) added another 20 points.
West 124, Northeast 85
West had seven players score in double digits as they demolished Northeast, 124-85. Northeast kept the game close in the beginning, and were within three points, 50-47, at the half. However, in the third quarter West erupted for 41 points. West’s Phil DePhilips (Orange, Mahar HS) led the team with 21 points, 10 of which came during the second half explosion. Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) added 19 points for the winners.
Central vs Southeast
Results not available
Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Reggie Lewis Center – Boston, MA
Metro 77, Northeast 48
Metro sailed past Northeast Friday morning with a score of 77-48. Northeast’s Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) netted a game-high 20 points in the victory. His teammate, Jack Jimenez (Salem, Salem Academy Charter), contributed 11 points. Metro’s leading scorer was Tyler Sullivan with 16 points, though Matt Woods was close behind, scoring 15.
Coastal 83, Southeast 76
In one of the tightest games so far in the tournament, Coastal defeated Southeast, 83-76. Coastal’s sophomore guard Ryan St. Clair (Easton, Oliver Ames) put up a team-high 22 points. His teammate sophomore guard Tony Pires (Carver, Carver) scored 16 points. Despite being on the losing squad, freshman forward Dave Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) netted a game-high 22 points. His teammate sophomore forward Paul Preziosi (Abington/Hull, Cardinal Spellman HS) contributed 15 points.
West 65, Central 62
West snuck past Central on Friday by a narrow three-point margin, 65-62. Sophomore forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) posted 13 points toward his West squad’s win, while his teammates, freshman Corey Baker (Granby, Granby HS) and sophomore Andy Gifford (Granby, Granby HS) each scored 11 points. Central’s sophomore guard Colin Richey (Upton, Whitinsville Christian) netted a game-high 16 points. His teammate, sophomore guard Mark Deuris (Uxbridge, Uxbridge) contributed 11 points.
Southeast 72, Northeast 48
Southeast defeated Northeast, 72-48, Friday afternoon. Southeast’s freshman guard Dave Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) led the charge, notching 16 points. His teammate, sophomore Ridge Francisque (Brockton, Brockton HS), was close behind with 13 points. Northeast sophomore Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) managed to net a game-high 18 and his teammate, sophomore Jack Jimenez (Salem, Salem Academy Charter), scored 13 points.
Metro vs Central
Results not available.
Coastal vs West
Results not available.
Girls Scholastic
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Southeast 66, Metro 52
Southeast got 15 points from sophomore center Ashley Snyder (Foxboro, Foxboro HS) to help them to victory over Metro, 66-52. Senior guard Katelyn Sousa (Hopkinton, Hopkinton HS) contributed 11 points to the offensive effort. Despite the loss, both sophomore Gena Restiano (Revere, Revere HS) and junior Colleen Kane (Arlington, Arlington HS) managed to put up 11 points each for their Metro squad.
Northeast 68, Central 37
Northeast put on an offensive showcase as they defeated Central, 68-37. They came out hard, outscoring Central 22-8 in the first quarter alone. Senior Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Bishop Fenwick HS) scored a game-high 11 points to propel her team to victory. Her teammate, Nicole Catizone (Woburn, Arlington Catholic HS), contributed nine points to the effort. Central’s leading scorer was Sammie Battaini (Leominster, St. Bernard’s Central Catholic), with seven points.
West 58, Coastal 43
West defeated Central Friday by a 58-43 margin. Junior Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) contributed a game-high 12 points to the win. West sophomore Alyssa Darling (Palmer, Palmer HS) scored 10 points. The leading scorer for the Coastal squad was sophomore Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Taunton HS), who netted 10 points. Her teammate senior Jennifer Rock (Byfield, Triton), scored eight.
Central vs Southeast
Results not available.
West vs Metro
Results not available.
Northeast 73, Coastal 36
Northeast was too strong for an undermanned Coastal squad as they walked away with a 73-36 win. Kaitlyn Lipka (Peabody, Bishop Fenwick HS) led all scorers with 15 and Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) added 12 points for the winners. Coastal’s Rachel Camara (Fall River, Durfee) gave strong effort, collecting 13 points.
FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
Metro/Northeast 2, West 1
Whitney Jones (Sudbury, Brooks School) and Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) each scored a goal to help Metro/Northeast edge West, 2-1. Morgan Mazanec (Selburne, Mohawk Trail Reg. HS) collected the lone tally for West.
Southeast 6, Coastal 1
Southeast got goals from six different players to blow past Coastal, 6-1. Katy Cronin (Franklin, Franklin HS), Kayla Garczynski (Norwood, Norwood HS), Meghan Pini (Natick, Natick HS), Meghan Murphy (Walpole, Walpole HS), Emily McColgan (Walpole, Southfield HS), and Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS) each found the net. Meghan Carroll (Mansfield, Mansfield HS) broke up the shutout with a goal for Coastal.
LACROSSE
Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA
Northeast 14, Metro/Southeast 3
West 10, Coastal 8
Northeast 16, Central 4
Metro/Southeast 11, West 10
Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA
West 14, Northeast/Central 6
West was too strong for Northeast/Central as they cruised to an easy 14-6 victory. Nicole Beliveau (Westfield, Westfield HS) notched four goals, Alicia Busco (Agawam, Agawam HS) potted three and Emily Allcroft (Northampton, Northampton HS) tallied a pair to pace the West offense. Northeast/Central’s Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) netted three goals in a losing effort.
Southeast/Coastal 15, Metro 10
Southeast/Coastal’s strong finish helps secure 15-10 win over Metro. After a slow start, Metro pulled within a goal midway through the second half before Southeast/Coastal scored four unanswered goals to come out on top. Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy) led her team with three goals, and four others chipped in with a pair of markers. Freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) was terrific for Metro with six goals.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott Barboza
Scott Barboza joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools editor/reporter in May 2010. He spent the previous three seasons working in the New England Patriots media relations department after a stint at the Taunton Daily Gazette, where he covered everything from Little League baseball to the Boston Red Sox. The Fall River native is a graduate of Emerson College. He can be reached at sbarboza@espnboston.com.
Brendan Hall
Brendan Hall joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools reporter/editor in May 2010, after four years covering high schools for The Boston Globe. The Westminster, Mass. native also served on the Globe's Bruins beat last season. Hall is a graduate of UMass Amherst. He can be reached at bhall@espnboston.com.
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