High School: Central (R.I.)
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
April, 19, 2012
Apr 19
9:01
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Defending Division I state baseball champion Cranston West has picked up where it left off last season.
Through games of April 18, the Falcons (5-0) were tied for first place with Hendricken in Division 1 Central.
And like any good team, the Falcons are doing it with pitching and hitting.
Just check their last three games:
In other games of note:
Senior forward Jarell Lawson led Central to the state basketball championship, the Knights’ first in 20 years.
Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise when he was named First Team All-State.
Lawson averaged 19 points and 10.9 rebounds for the 19-4 Knights.
Joining Lawson on the First Team are North Kingstown senior center Evan Scott (he averaged 16.7 ppg. and tied the school record with 69 blocked shots); West Warwick senior forward Ryan Lawton (20.1 ppg. and 1.35 rpg.); La Salle junior guard Tom Hunt (18.9 ppg.); and, for the second consecutive year, St. Raphael junior guard Charles Correa (20.4 ppg. and 7.5 assists per game).
Second Team honors were accorded to St. Raphael senior forward Cesar Mejia, Hope senior forward Emmanuel Kargbo, Mount Pleasant sophomore guard Kip Stewart, North Providence senior guard Austin Van Bemmelen, Westerly junior guard Austin Cilley and West Warwick senior guard John Morrison.
WAS SILVA PUSHED OUT THE DOOR?
As is the case with many schools, coaches must apply for their positions on an annual basis regardless of their tenure.
That was the case with Mount Hope head football coach Ron Silva. But in what was anything but a “harmonious meeting,” Silva exited his session with school administrators after confirming he would not apply to remain the Huskies’ coach for the 2012 season.
In five seasons at the helm, Silva compiled a 22-19 record in Division II games and guided the Huskies to the playoffs four times.
Mount Hope advanced to the 2009 Super Bowl where it was blanked, 19-0, by Woonsocket.
Silva indicated he would like to continue coaching and noted he’s already received a few offers.
Through games of April 18, the Falcons (5-0) were tied for first place with Hendricken in Division 1 Central.
And like any good team, the Falcons are doing it with pitching and hitting.
Just check their last three games:
- Rich Reo pitched no-hit ball until the sixth inning – the second time this season he’s lost a no-hitter in the sixth – and Frank Pettinato and Tony Crudale each collected three hits and two RBI in a 7-1 victory over Pilgrim.
- Ryan Long scattered six hits and went the distance as the Falcons edged East Providence, 3-2.
- Rob DeCosta led the last of the seventh with a solo home run which snapped a tie and gave the Falcons a 3-2 triumph over Cranston East.
In other games of note:
- La Salle’s Caleb Gardner went the distance on a three-hitter, striking out 10 in the process, as the Rams beat Lincoln, 3-1. Frank D’Amato’s two-run homer and Jon Lapolla’s solo blast accounted for the Rams’ scoring.
- Kyle Tracey threw only 95 pitches and went nine innings as Cranston East nipped Warwick Vets, 3-2.
- Scituate’s Scott Iacobucci tossed a no-hitter, replete with 11 whiffs and only one walk, as the Spartans blanked Davies, 14-0, in a Division II-North game.
Senior forward Jarell Lawson led Central to the state basketball championship, the Knights’ first in 20 years.
Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise when he was named First Team All-State.
Lawson averaged 19 points and 10.9 rebounds for the 19-4 Knights.
Joining Lawson on the First Team are North Kingstown senior center Evan Scott (he averaged 16.7 ppg. and tied the school record with 69 blocked shots); West Warwick senior forward Ryan Lawton (20.1 ppg. and 1.35 rpg.); La Salle junior guard Tom Hunt (18.9 ppg.); and, for the second consecutive year, St. Raphael junior guard Charles Correa (20.4 ppg. and 7.5 assists per game).
Second Team honors were accorded to St. Raphael senior forward Cesar Mejia, Hope senior forward Emmanuel Kargbo, Mount Pleasant sophomore guard Kip Stewart, North Providence senior guard Austin Van Bemmelen, Westerly junior guard Austin Cilley and West Warwick senior guard John Morrison.
WAS SILVA PUSHED OUT THE DOOR?
As is the case with many schools, coaches must apply for their positions on an annual basis regardless of their tenure.
That was the case with Mount Hope head football coach Ron Silva. But in what was anything but a “harmonious meeting,” Silva exited his session with school administrators after confirming he would not apply to remain the Huskies’ coach for the 2012 season.
In five seasons at the helm, Silva compiled a 22-19 record in Division II games and guided the Huskies to the playoffs four times.
Mount Hope advanced to the 2009 Super Bowl where it was blanked, 19-0, by Woonsocket.
Silva indicated he would like to continue coaching and noted he’s already received a few offers.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
March, 22, 2012
Mar 22
3:23
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
From 1968 through 1992, Central High dominated boys’ basketball in Rhode Island.
Under coaching legends Jim Adams and Don Pastine, the Knights captured 11 of 24 state championships including seven in a row from 1968-75.
Players like Rickey Santos, Marvin Barnes, Mike Hazard and current Providence College head coach Ed Cooley became household names.
But when parochial schools like Hendricken, St. Raphael and La Salle began capitalizing on their ability to draw student-athletes from all over the state, the scales titled in their favor to the point where they annexed 16 of the last 17 titles prior to this season.
Fifth-seeded Central turned the clock back earlier this month when it beat intra-city rival/14th-seeded Hope, 66-59 behind the stellar play of Jerelle Washington.
Washington, a sophomore, tossed in 28 points – 16 in the second half which enabled the Knights to overcome an 11-point deficit and clinch their 12th state title – in the first time they’ve played the Blue Wave for the championship since 1971.
The Knights finished the season with a 19-5 overall record and broke Hope’s eight-game winning streak in the process.
Central beat ninth-seeded Rogers, 54-46, in the semifinals as Daniel Mendez scored 16 points.
The Blue Wave (14-12) advanced to the finals for the first time since 2007 by defeating second-seeded La Salle, 69-65, in overtime.
Manny Kargbo scored five of his overall 24 points at the free throw line in OT to help clinch the victory.
THREE FOR THE COURT
La Salle Academy, Narragansett and Juanita Sanchez captured the Division 1, 2 and 3 girls’ state basketball championships, respectively. But while winning titles is old news for the Rams, it made front-page headlines for the Mariners and Cavaliers.
Narragansett beat Classical, 51-40, for the Division II title – the school’s first in 18 years.
Juanita Sanchez, meanwhile, claimed the Division III crown by defeating defending champion Middletown, 49-36 – the first in the eight-year history of the program.
La Salle, not surprisingly, walked off with its ninth Division I title since the 1998-99 season by outlasting Bay View, 53-49.
Narragansett’s Mercedes Harris earned MVP honors after posting a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds.
The Cavaliers (23-3 overall) won more than eight games for the first time in program history.
D’Asia Allen paced Juanita Sanchez with 18 points, which helped Tyrone Dale win a state title in his first season as the team’s head coach.
The “hook” in the La Salle-Bay View game was that each team finished 18-0 in its respective division (La Salle in I-South and Bay View in I-North).
Davida Dale paced La Salle with 13 points while Vandell Andrade led Bay View with 16.
RAMS CLIMB OVER MOUNT
Maybe Hendricken won’t win a gazillion state hockey championships like Mount St. Charles has over the decades. But the Hawks will cherish their most recent title moreso than most.
Why? One reason being it snapped Mount’s current run of consecutive State Championship Division crowns at four.
Secondly, the Hawks did something few teams have been able to do when they faced Mount in the third and deciding game of a best-of-three series – win that game, in this case, 5-2.
Invariably, when the Mounties drop Game 1, the running joke is they have their opponent just where they want them – in position to be swept over the final two games.
Junior Paul Filipone etched his name into Hendricken sports lore by not only scoring in overtime to give his team a 4-3 victory in Game 1 but he also scored two of the Hawks’ first four goals in Game 3.
Filipone scored once in each of the first two periods while Justin Finan drove a dagger into the Mounties’ collective hearts with a second-period goal which produced a 4-1 lead.
Mount forced a deciding game when Brian Larence made 32 saves to backstop a 3-2 victory.
ON OTHER ICE
Don’t ask why the smallest state in the country has four state hockey tournaments.
Actually, the reason is there’s such a gap between the various schools that it’s a virtual necessity.
Moses Brown copped the Division I crown by sweeping Barrington 6-4 and 4-2.
The Quakers thus ended their hockey affiliation with the Interscholastic League in style because they’ll be playing an independent schedule commencing next season.
Junior Nathan Farrington came up big in the third period of each game by twice scoring two goals. His short-handed goal in Game 2 gave the Quakers a 3-1 lead – a margin they didn’t relinquish.
Coventry retained its Division II championship by sweeping Prout 2-0 and 6-1.
Junior Mike Presola was voted tourney MVP honors after scoring three goals and assisting on two.
During their two-year championship run, the Oakers have compiled a 33-3-0 regular-season record.
“Townie Pride” has taken a blow over the last year as East Providence has been beset with serious financial problems. But the hockey team put those woes on the back burner for a while by nipping Mount Hope, 2-1, in the Game 3 of their Division III championship series.
As a result, the Townies earned their first state hockey title in seven years.
Ryan Barry was named the tournament’s MVP by scoring one goal and assisting on five others.
CHARIHO TRACKS DOWN NATIONAL RECORD
Another of the state’s smaller schools made major waves on the national track scene at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in The Big Apple.
The quartet of Dan Kilcoyne, Bryce Kelley, Jake Kilcoyne and Mike Marsella captured the 4-x-1-mile relay in a national-record time of 17:20.20 – breaking the previous mark by 1.38 seconds.
The Chargers, who’re coached by Bill Haberek, beat out such long-time powers as Shaker High (Latham, N.Y.) and Christian Brothers (Lincroft, N.J.).
Mike Scandura has been covering high school sports, college basketball, football and hockey plus minor league baseball in Rhode Island since the early 1970s. A native of Oswego, N.Y, he’s a member of the Words Unlimited Hall of Fame which is the statewide organization of sportswriters, sportscasters and sports publicists.
Under coaching legends Jim Adams and Don Pastine, the Knights captured 11 of 24 state championships including seven in a row from 1968-75.
Players like Rickey Santos, Marvin Barnes, Mike Hazard and current Providence College head coach Ed Cooley became household names.
But when parochial schools like Hendricken, St. Raphael and La Salle began capitalizing on their ability to draw student-athletes from all over the state, the scales titled in their favor to the point where they annexed 16 of the last 17 titles prior to this season.
Fifth-seeded Central turned the clock back earlier this month when it beat intra-city rival/14th-seeded Hope, 66-59 behind the stellar play of Jerelle Washington.
Washington, a sophomore, tossed in 28 points – 16 in the second half which enabled the Knights to overcome an 11-point deficit and clinch their 12th state title – in the first time they’ve played the Blue Wave for the championship since 1971.
The Knights finished the season with a 19-5 overall record and broke Hope’s eight-game winning streak in the process.
Central beat ninth-seeded Rogers, 54-46, in the semifinals as Daniel Mendez scored 16 points.
The Blue Wave (14-12) advanced to the finals for the first time since 2007 by defeating second-seeded La Salle, 69-65, in overtime.
Manny Kargbo scored five of his overall 24 points at the free throw line in OT to help clinch the victory.
THREE FOR THE COURT
La Salle Academy, Narragansett and Juanita Sanchez captured the Division 1, 2 and 3 girls’ state basketball championships, respectively. But while winning titles is old news for the Rams, it made front-page headlines for the Mariners and Cavaliers.
Narragansett beat Classical, 51-40, for the Division II title – the school’s first in 18 years.
Juanita Sanchez, meanwhile, claimed the Division III crown by defeating defending champion Middletown, 49-36 – the first in the eight-year history of the program.
La Salle, not surprisingly, walked off with its ninth Division I title since the 1998-99 season by outlasting Bay View, 53-49.
Narragansett’s Mercedes Harris earned MVP honors after posting a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds.
The Cavaliers (23-3 overall) won more than eight games for the first time in program history.
D’Asia Allen paced Juanita Sanchez with 18 points, which helped Tyrone Dale win a state title in his first season as the team’s head coach.
The “hook” in the La Salle-Bay View game was that each team finished 18-0 in its respective division (La Salle in I-South and Bay View in I-North).
Davida Dale paced La Salle with 13 points while Vandell Andrade led Bay View with 16.
RAMS CLIMB OVER MOUNT
Maybe Hendricken won’t win a gazillion state hockey championships like Mount St. Charles has over the decades. But the Hawks will cherish their most recent title moreso than most.
Why? One reason being it snapped Mount’s current run of consecutive State Championship Division crowns at four.
Secondly, the Hawks did something few teams have been able to do when they faced Mount in the third and deciding game of a best-of-three series – win that game, in this case, 5-2.
Invariably, when the Mounties drop Game 1, the running joke is they have their opponent just where they want them – in position to be swept over the final two games.
Junior Paul Filipone etched his name into Hendricken sports lore by not only scoring in overtime to give his team a 4-3 victory in Game 1 but he also scored two of the Hawks’ first four goals in Game 3.
Filipone scored once in each of the first two periods while Justin Finan drove a dagger into the Mounties’ collective hearts with a second-period goal which produced a 4-1 lead.
Mount forced a deciding game when Brian Larence made 32 saves to backstop a 3-2 victory.
ON OTHER ICE
Don’t ask why the smallest state in the country has four state hockey tournaments.
Actually, the reason is there’s such a gap between the various schools that it’s a virtual necessity.
Moses Brown copped the Division I crown by sweeping Barrington 6-4 and 4-2.
The Quakers thus ended their hockey affiliation with the Interscholastic League in style because they’ll be playing an independent schedule commencing next season.
Junior Nathan Farrington came up big in the third period of each game by twice scoring two goals. His short-handed goal in Game 2 gave the Quakers a 3-1 lead – a margin they didn’t relinquish.
Coventry retained its Division II championship by sweeping Prout 2-0 and 6-1.
Junior Mike Presola was voted tourney MVP honors after scoring three goals and assisting on two.
During their two-year championship run, the Oakers have compiled a 33-3-0 regular-season record.
“Townie Pride” has taken a blow over the last year as East Providence has been beset with serious financial problems. But the hockey team put those woes on the back burner for a while by nipping Mount Hope, 2-1, in the Game 3 of their Division III championship series.
As a result, the Townies earned their first state hockey title in seven years.
Ryan Barry was named the tournament’s MVP by scoring one goal and assisting on five others.
CHARIHO TRACKS DOWN NATIONAL RECORD
Another of the state’s smaller schools made major waves on the national track scene at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in The Big Apple.
The quartet of Dan Kilcoyne, Bryce Kelley, Jake Kilcoyne and Mike Marsella captured the 4-x-1-mile relay in a national-record time of 17:20.20 – breaking the previous mark by 1.38 seconds.
The Chargers, who’re coached by Bill Haberek, beat out such long-time powers as Shaker High (Latham, N.Y.) and Christian Brothers (Lincroft, N.J.).
Mike Scandura has been covering high school sports, college basketball, football and hockey plus minor league baseball in Rhode Island since the early 1970s. A native of Oswego, N.Y, he’s a member of the Words Unlimited Hall of Fame which is the statewide organization of sportswriters, sportscasters and sports publicists.
In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Kris Dunn of New London High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Connecticut Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Dunn is the second Gatorade Connecticut Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from New London High School.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound senior guard averaged 31.4 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks per game this past season, leading the Whalers (23-3) to the Class LL semifinals. A 2012 McDonald’s All-American Game selection and a 2012 Jordan Brand Classic game invitee, Dunn is the No. 24 ranked recruit in the Class of 2012 as rated by ESPNU.
Dunn has maintained a 3.23 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as an elementary school mentor and tutor and as a youth sports coach.
“Kris Dunn has been a pleasure to coach during his four years as a varsity starter,” said New London Head Coach Craig Parker. “He works extremely hard in the classroom and his passion for basketball is unsurpassed by anyone I’ve known in my 25 years of coaching.”
Dunn has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on an athletic scholarship at Providence College this fall.
Dunn joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Boys Basketball Players of the Year Andre Drummond (2010-11, St. Thomas More), Brandon Sherrod (2009-10, Stratford), Greg DeSantis (2008-09, Notre Dame Catholic), Allan Chaney (2007-08, New London), and Matthew Bryan-Amaning (2006–07, South Kent) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Below are the winners from the other New England states:
RHODE ISLAND: JARELL LAWSON, CENTRAL
The 6-foot-4 senior guard and forward led the Knights to a 19-4 record and the Open State Tournament championship this past season. Lawson averaged 19.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. A unanimous First Team All-Division I selection, Lawson was a Rhode Island Basketball Coaches Association All-Star. He recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the state-title win over Hope High.
Lawson has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth mentor and a youth basketball coach.
“Jarell Lawson can play any position on the floor,” said Jim Champion, head coach at South Kingstown High. “He helped bring the ball up, was a constant threat from the 3-point line and could drive or pull up for a jumper. He also could post down low and score inside. He was very well-rounded.”
Lawson remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: TYLER GENDRON, MERRIMACK
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior forward led the Tomahawks to a 19-6 record and the Division I state title this past season. Gendron averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks per game. Also the state’s 2012 Mr. Basketball as named by the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches Organization, he scored 10 points with nine rebounds in the state title-clinching win over Manchester Central.
Gendron has maintained a 4.03 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of the youth-empowerment Leo Club, as a math tutor and youth basketball coach.
“Tyler Gendron is an excellent player and has been a contributing varsity player since he was a sophomore,” said Jeff Gustavson, head coach at Londonderry High. “He has the versatility to make plays on the perimeter and in the post. When we played him he made some very tough shots to help his team win. We had to give him credit for making those shots when his team was down and they needed him.”
Gendron remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
MAINE: GARET BEAL, JONESPORT-BEALS
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior wing led the Royals to a 19-2 record and the Class D state championship this past season. Beal recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-62, title-clinching victory against Forest Hills High, capturing First Team All-Tournament honors for the second consecutive season. The returning Third Team All-State selection as named by the Bangor Daily News averaged 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.8 steals, 3.6 assists and 1.6 blocks. He shot 61.5 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from 3-point range and 81.2 percent from free throw line.
Beal has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom and serves as a member of his school’s student council. In addition to donating his time on behalf of the National Honor Society, he has volunteered as a positive mentor to elementary school students and as part of both community fundraisers and cleanup efforts.
“Garet is a dream to coach,” said Jonesport-Beals High Head Coach Gordon Faulkingham. “He’s a coach on the floor, the first to practice and the last to leave. He’s too unselfish at times and a great teammate.”
Beal will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
VERMONT: MATT ST. AMOUR, MISSIQUOI VALLEY UNION
The 6-foot-3 junior guard averaged 26.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game this past season, leading the Thunderbirds (11-10) to the Division I state tournament. The two-time Lake Division Player of the Year, St. Amour is a member of the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association Dream Dozen and already holds the school career record for points, with 1,388.
St. Amour has maintained 4.13 GPA in the classroom. Also a soccer standout, he has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs and has raised funds to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“He plays under control and can finish on either side of the basket, and he’s also got great range,” said Peter Quinn, head coach at Vergennes High. “You have to defend him as soon as he gets one or two dribbles over half-court.”
St. Amour will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound senior guard averaged 31.4 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks per game this past season, leading the Whalers (23-3) to the Class LL semifinals. A 2012 McDonald’s All-American Game selection and a 2012 Jordan Brand Classic game invitee, Dunn is the No. 24 ranked recruit in the Class of 2012 as rated by ESPNU.
Dunn has maintained a 3.23 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as an elementary school mentor and tutor and as a youth sports coach.
“Kris Dunn has been a pleasure to coach during his four years as a varsity starter,” said New London Head Coach Craig Parker. “He works extremely hard in the classroom and his passion for basketball is unsurpassed by anyone I’ve known in my 25 years of coaching.”
Dunn has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on an athletic scholarship at Providence College this fall.
Dunn joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Boys Basketball Players of the Year Andre Drummond (2010-11, St. Thomas More), Brandon Sherrod (2009-10, Stratford), Greg DeSantis (2008-09, Notre Dame Catholic), Allan Chaney (2007-08, New London), and Matthew Bryan-Amaning (2006–07, South Kent) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Below are the winners from the other New England states:
RHODE ISLAND: JARELL LAWSON, CENTRAL
The 6-foot-4 senior guard and forward led the Knights to a 19-4 record and the Open State Tournament championship this past season. Lawson averaged 19.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. A unanimous First Team All-Division I selection, Lawson was a Rhode Island Basketball Coaches Association All-Star. He recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the state-title win over Hope High.
Lawson has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth mentor and a youth basketball coach.
“Jarell Lawson can play any position on the floor,” said Jim Champion, head coach at South Kingstown High. “He helped bring the ball up, was a constant threat from the 3-point line and could drive or pull up for a jumper. He also could post down low and score inside. He was very well-rounded.”
Lawson remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: TYLER GENDRON, MERRIMACK
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior forward led the Tomahawks to a 19-6 record and the Division I state title this past season. Gendron averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks per game. Also the state’s 2012 Mr. Basketball as named by the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches Organization, he scored 10 points with nine rebounds in the state title-clinching win over Manchester Central.
Gendron has maintained a 4.03 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of the youth-empowerment Leo Club, as a math tutor and youth basketball coach.
“Tyler Gendron is an excellent player and has been a contributing varsity player since he was a sophomore,” said Jeff Gustavson, head coach at Londonderry High. “He has the versatility to make plays on the perimeter and in the post. When we played him he made some very tough shots to help his team win. We had to give him credit for making those shots when his team was down and they needed him.”
Gendron remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
MAINE: GARET BEAL, JONESPORT-BEALS
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior wing led the Royals to a 19-2 record and the Class D state championship this past season. Beal recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-62, title-clinching victory against Forest Hills High, capturing First Team All-Tournament honors for the second consecutive season. The returning Third Team All-State selection as named by the Bangor Daily News averaged 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.8 steals, 3.6 assists and 1.6 blocks. He shot 61.5 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from 3-point range and 81.2 percent from free throw line.
Beal has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom and serves as a member of his school’s student council. In addition to donating his time on behalf of the National Honor Society, he has volunteered as a positive mentor to elementary school students and as part of both community fundraisers and cleanup efforts.
“Garet is a dream to coach,” said Jonesport-Beals High Head Coach Gordon Faulkingham. “He’s a coach on the floor, the first to practice and the last to leave. He’s too unselfish at times and a great teammate.”
Beal will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
VERMONT: MATT ST. AMOUR, MISSIQUOI VALLEY UNION
The 6-foot-3 junior guard averaged 26.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game this past season, leading the Thunderbirds (11-10) to the Division I state tournament. The two-time Lake Division Player of the Year, St. Amour is a member of the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association Dream Dozen and already holds the school career record for points, with 1,388.
St. Amour has maintained 4.13 GPA in the classroom. Also a soccer standout, he has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs and has raised funds to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“He plays under control and can finish on either side of the basket, and he’s also got great range,” said Peter Quinn, head coach at Vergennes High. “You have to defend him as soon as he gets one or two dribbles over half-court.”
St. Amour will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
February, 9, 2012
Feb 9
3:56
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
At the risk of using a horse-racing metaphor, Cranston West High recorded a “daily double” when Words Unlimited announced its award winners for the 2011 calendar year.
Jeff Diehl, who starred in basketball and baseball, was voted the Schoolboy Athlete of the Year while Falcons baseball coach Rob Malo was voted the Schoolboy Sports Coach of the Year.
Diehl, a senior, led the Falcons to the first-ever Division I basketball championship in school history.
Then, in the spring, he hit .537 with six home runs and 27 RBI as the Falcons compiled a 13-5 regular-season record. His production was a major reason why Cranston West won the Division I state championship.
When June rolled around, Diehl was selected in the 23rd round by the New York Mets.
Malo replaced veteran and eminently successful coach Chuck Jones in 2007 – two years after the Falcons won their first Division I state baseball title since 1975.
The Falcons finished the 2011 season on top of the Division I pile as they spotted North Kingstown a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals and won the next two games to capture the state championship.
On the distaff side, La Salle’s twin sisters Madison and McKenzie Meehan were voted co-Schoolgirl Athletes of the Year while Barrington cross-country coach Annmarie Marino was named the Schoolgirl Sports Coach of the Year.
Last fall, Madison Meehan led the country in assists with 44 while McKenzie led the nation in scoring with 80 goals as the Rams won their fourth consecutive Division I state soccer championship.
Each Meehan also earned All-State honors the previous winter as the Rams annexed their fifth straight state indoor title.
Marino guided the Eagles to both the Class A and State championships. The state title was the first in school history since 1994.
Words Unlimited is the statewide organization of sportswriters, sportscasters and sports publicists.
Jeff Diehl, who starred in basketball and baseball, was voted the Schoolboy Athlete of the Year while Falcons baseball coach Rob Malo was voted the Schoolboy Sports Coach of the Year.
Diehl, a senior, led the Falcons to the first-ever Division I basketball championship in school history.
Then, in the spring, he hit .537 with six home runs and 27 RBI as the Falcons compiled a 13-5 regular-season record. His production was a major reason why Cranston West won the Division I state championship.
When June rolled around, Diehl was selected in the 23rd round by the New York Mets.
Malo replaced veteran and eminently successful coach Chuck Jones in 2007 – two years after the Falcons won their first Division I state baseball title since 1975.
The Falcons finished the 2011 season on top of the Division I pile as they spotted North Kingstown a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals and won the next two games to capture the state championship.
On the distaff side, La Salle’s twin sisters Madison and McKenzie Meehan were voted co-Schoolgirl Athletes of the Year while Barrington cross-country coach Annmarie Marino was named the Schoolgirl Sports Coach of the Year.
Last fall, Madison Meehan led the country in assists with 44 while McKenzie led the nation in scoring with 80 goals as the Rams won their fourth consecutive Division I state soccer championship.
Each Meehan also earned All-State honors the previous winter as the Rams annexed their fifth straight state indoor title.
Marino guided the Eagles to both the Class A and State championships. The state title was the first in school history since 1994.
Words Unlimited is the statewide organization of sportswriters, sportscasters and sports publicists.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
January, 12, 2012
Jan 12
6:53
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Those of a certain age remember the slogan for Timex watches: “They take a licking and keep on ticking.”
The same could be said of the St. Raphael Academy boys’ basketball team.
Defending CIAC Class L champion New London smacked the Saints upside the head last Saturday en route to a 66-55 victory at the CCRI Knight Campus Fieldhouse.
With the memory of that loss still fresh in their minds, the Saints took the floor Tuesday night for a key, early-season game against Central.
The Saints edged the Knights, 57-54, and remained atop the Interscholastic League’s new Power Points Standings with a 6-0 record (SRA is 9-1 overall).
Leading the way was SRA’s 1-2 punch of Charles Correa and Cesar Mejia.
Correa, who struggled to score 15 points against New London, led both teams with 19 points while Mejia chipped in with 18 (before the game, Mejia was honored for having scored his 1000th career point earlier in the season).
Granted, the game was marked by a series of turnovers. But when clutch time rolled around, SRA held Central (5-1, 5-2) to four free throws in the final minute.
Conversely, while the Saints were soaring, perennial state power Hendricken High’s Hawks were floundering. At the moment, the Hawks are 1-4 and rank 33rd in the Power Points standings.
Given the new rules changes imposed for this season, one of which requires a team to win at least 40 percent of its league games to qualify for post-season play, the Hawks could be in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in decades.
The top 32 teams qualify.
Hendricken absorbed a brutal 55-53 loss at the hands of arch-rival La Salle on Jan. 3, which did zero to bolster the team’s confidence.
Among other things, a lack of offense has been the proverbial Achilles’ heel for the Hawks who’ve been minus their top returning player, Lee Messier, who’s been sidelined with a sprained ankle.
The same could be said of the St. Raphael Academy boys’ basketball team.
Defending CIAC Class L champion New London smacked the Saints upside the head last Saturday en route to a 66-55 victory at the CCRI Knight Campus Fieldhouse.
With the memory of that loss still fresh in their minds, the Saints took the floor Tuesday night for a key, early-season game against Central.
The Saints edged the Knights, 57-54, and remained atop the Interscholastic League’s new Power Points Standings with a 6-0 record (SRA is 9-1 overall).
Leading the way was SRA’s 1-2 punch of Charles Correa and Cesar Mejia.
Correa, who struggled to score 15 points against New London, led both teams with 19 points while Mejia chipped in with 18 (before the game, Mejia was honored for having scored his 1000th career point earlier in the season).
Granted, the game was marked by a series of turnovers. But when clutch time rolled around, SRA held Central (5-1, 5-2) to four free throws in the final minute.
Conversely, while the Saints were soaring, perennial state power Hendricken High’s Hawks were floundering. At the moment, the Hawks are 1-4 and rank 33rd in the Power Points standings.
Given the new rules changes imposed for this season, one of which requires a team to win at least 40 percent of its league games to qualify for post-season play, the Hawks could be in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in decades.
The top 32 teams qualify.
Hendricken absorbed a brutal 55-53 loss at the hands of arch-rival La Salle on Jan. 3, which did zero to bolster the team’s confidence.
Among other things, a lack of offense has been the proverbial Achilles’ heel for the Hawks who’ve been minus their top returning player, Lee Messier, who’s been sidelined with a sprained ankle.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
December, 16, 2011
12/16/11
12:55
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
And you wonder why coaches become prematurely gray and develop ulcers?
Just ask Hendricken coach Keith Croft and Chariho coach Mike Kelly.
Each coach reached for something to soothe their stomachs after his team won its respective Super Bowl.
Hendricken retained its Division I title by upsetting previously-undefeated La Salle, 17-14, while Chariho won the Division II title – the first state football championship in school history – by edging Central, 26-25.
How each team won was the stuff of legend.
La Salle led 14-10 with 55 seconds left in regulation when Laionel Cintron caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Brannigan which helped avenge a 39-14 pasting the Hawks suffered at the hands of the Rams in September.
The championship was the eighth in school history for the Hawks. And, ironically, the reception only was Cintron’s 13th of the season for the run-oriented Hawks.
Chariho trailed 25-20 with four minutes left on the clock thanks to a second touchdown run by Central’s Mike Washington. But on the ensuing kickoff, Colton place caught the ball on his two and sprinted 98 yards for arguably the biggest touchdown in Chariho history – one that produced the 26-25 victory.
The other two Super Bowls had less dramatic finishes but were just as important to the respective victors.
Rogers, which at one time dominated Division I, beat Middletown 27-7 for the Division III title while Mount Pleasant captured its second consecutive Division IV Super Bowl title by outlasting Central Falls, 22-13.
Senior Reeyon Watts helped the Vikings avenge a loss in the 2010 Super Bowl to the Islanders by rushing for 170 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.
The title was the first as a coach for Rogers’ alumnus Frank Newsome who played on three Division I Super Bowl teams from 1988-90.
Emmanuel Marsh caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Dunlap and scored on a four-yard run to pace the Kilties.
In addition, Marsh played a solid game at safety – a position he had not played before the Super Bowl because coach Paul Rao felt he would best fit in a Cover-3 defense.
Just ask Hendricken coach Keith Croft and Chariho coach Mike Kelly.
Each coach reached for something to soothe their stomachs after his team won its respective Super Bowl.
Hendricken retained its Division I title by upsetting previously-undefeated La Salle, 17-14, while Chariho won the Division II title – the first state football championship in school history – by edging Central, 26-25.
How each team won was the stuff of legend.
La Salle led 14-10 with 55 seconds left in regulation when Laionel Cintron caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Brannigan which helped avenge a 39-14 pasting the Hawks suffered at the hands of the Rams in September.
The championship was the eighth in school history for the Hawks. And, ironically, the reception only was Cintron’s 13th of the season for the run-oriented Hawks.
Chariho trailed 25-20 with four minutes left on the clock thanks to a second touchdown run by Central’s Mike Washington. But on the ensuing kickoff, Colton place caught the ball on his two and sprinted 98 yards for arguably the biggest touchdown in Chariho history – one that produced the 26-25 victory.
The other two Super Bowls had less dramatic finishes but were just as important to the respective victors.
Rogers, which at one time dominated Division I, beat Middletown 27-7 for the Division III title while Mount Pleasant captured its second consecutive Division IV Super Bowl title by outlasting Central Falls, 22-13.
Senior Reeyon Watts helped the Vikings avenge a loss in the 2010 Super Bowl to the Islanders by rushing for 170 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.
The title was the first as a coach for Rogers’ alumnus Frank Newsome who played on three Division I Super Bowl teams from 1988-90.
Emmanuel Marsh caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Dunlap and scored on a four-yard run to pace the Kilties.
In addition, Marsh played a solid game at safety – a position he had not played before the Super Bowl because coach Paul Rao felt he would best fit in a Cover-3 defense.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
November, 30, 2011
11/30/11
6:50
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
It didn’t require the second coming of Bill Belichick to foresee that two best teams in Division I would meet in the Super Bowl.
After all, La Salle was the only team in the state to finish with an undefeated league record. And Hendricken’s only loss was to the Rams by a 39-14 score way back on Sept. 16.
This dream – and unique – matchup was determined when La Salle routed East Providence, 41-14 and Hendricken emulated the Rams by hanging a 42-14 loss on South Kingstown in the semifinals.
Ironically, in the 39 years that the Rhode Island Interscholastic League has held Super Bowls, the Rams and Hawks have yet to meet in the championship game.
The Hawks will be making their third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl and will get a chance to defend their title due in large part to the play of their defense against the Rebels and the play of quarterback Ryan Brannigan.
After spotting the Rebels a 7-0 lead, on Garrett O’Dowd’s 72-yard punt return, Hendricken slammed the door and held South Kingstown to a paltry four years in total offense in the team’s first four possessions.
Brannigan, meanwhile, scored on a pair of one-yard runs and threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Webb.
The Rams hardly broke a sweat while dispatching the Townies for the second time in six days.
After romping to a 34-13 victory in their annual Thanksgiving Day clash, the Rams bolted to a 34-0 halftime lead which rendered the remaining 24 minutes as football’s equivalent of garbage time.
Josh Morris, who may be the best back in the state, accounted for 117 yards and one touchdown on eight carries, and also caught five passes for 92 yards and three more scores.
Now, check this out.
Since dropping a non-league game to Bridgewater-Raynham, the Rams have reeled off five consecutive victories during which they’ve outscored their opponents by combined margin of 181-61.
After all, La Salle was the only team in the state to finish with an undefeated league record. And Hendricken’s only loss was to the Rams by a 39-14 score way back on Sept. 16.
This dream – and unique – matchup was determined when La Salle routed East Providence, 41-14 and Hendricken emulated the Rams by hanging a 42-14 loss on South Kingstown in the semifinals.
Ironically, in the 39 years that the Rhode Island Interscholastic League has held Super Bowls, the Rams and Hawks have yet to meet in the championship game.
The Hawks will be making their third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl and will get a chance to defend their title due in large part to the play of their defense against the Rebels and the play of quarterback Ryan Brannigan.
After spotting the Rebels a 7-0 lead, on Garrett O’Dowd’s 72-yard punt return, Hendricken slammed the door and held South Kingstown to a paltry four years in total offense in the team’s first four possessions.
Brannigan, meanwhile, scored on a pair of one-yard runs and threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Webb.
The Rams hardly broke a sweat while dispatching the Townies for the second time in six days.
After romping to a 34-13 victory in their annual Thanksgiving Day clash, the Rams bolted to a 34-0 halftime lead which rendered the remaining 24 minutes as football’s equivalent of garbage time.
Josh Morris, who may be the best back in the state, accounted for 117 yards and one touchdown on eight carries, and also caught five passes for 92 yards and three more scores.
Now, check this out.
Since dropping a non-league game to Bridgewater-Raynham, the Rams have reeled off five consecutive victories during which they’ve outscored their opponents by combined margin of 181-61.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
November, 17, 2011
11/17/11
4:03
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Call it the calm before the storm – a weekend when all Rhode Island high school football teams are idle prior to their annual clashes on Thanksgiving Day.
La Salle enjoys the distinction of being the only team that’s undefeated in league play with a 7-0 record in Division I. As a result, the Rams have clinched the division title and the No. 1 seed in the Division I Tournament which begins on Nov. 29.
The Rams put themselves in that position by beating Cranston East, 35-14, with junior Josh Morris running for touchdowns of 64, 74, 63 and 38 yards.
Hendricken (6-2) clinched second place by beating Barrington, 21-13, as Ryan Brannigan threw a pair of touchdown passes to Lou Falcone and also ran for a third touchdown.
What other two teams will fill out the field is more complicated.
Currently, East Providence and South Kingstown are tied for third place with 4-3 records.
The Townies play arch-rival La Salle on Thanksgiving while the Rebels play winless North Kingstown.
Should EP and SK each win on Thanksgiving and finish 5-3, the Rebels would earn third place by virtue of their 40-12 victory over the Townies (i.e. the first tiebreaker is record in head-to-head competition).
But if the Townies lose and finish 4-4 and the Rebels win, EP would be tied for fourth with Portsmouth which plays a non-league game on Thanksgiving. However, EP defeated the Patriots 26-22 which would earn them fourth place and the last seed in the tournament.
Since Division II is split into two divisions, tournament play began last weekend with Cumberland, Central, Chariho and Westerly prevailing in the quarterfinals.
Cumberland beat Tolman, 13-9, as Ryan Gaumond scored on a one-yard run with 1:21 left on the clock.
Central whipped West Warwick, 27-12, with Mike Washington rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Chariho outlasted Mount Hope, 28-15, with quarterback Jansen Williamson rushing for two touchdowns and heaving a 70-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Cahoon.
Westerly trumped St. Raphael, 36-22, as Spencer Reed scored on runs of one yard and three yards.
As a result, Cumberland will play at Chariho and Central will play at Westerly in the Nov. 29 semifinals.
Rogers (6-1) has clinched the Division III title and the No. 1 seed in that tournament. The Vikings play a non-league game on Thanksgiving against winless North Kingstown.
Narragansett (5-2) must beat Tiverton on Thanksgiving to clinch second place while Classical (5-3) and Middletown (5-3) are tied for second. But because the Islanders edged the Purple, 27-26, they’ve earned the No. 2 seed for the tournament.
First-place Mount Pleasant has completed its Division IV schedule with a 6-2 record while North Smithfield and Smithfield are tied for second with 5-2 records. But if North Smithfield beats Scituate, the Northmen also would finish 6-2 – and would earn the No. 1 seed by virtue of their 14-12 win over the Kilties.
La Salle enjoys the distinction of being the only team that’s undefeated in league play with a 7-0 record in Division I. As a result, the Rams have clinched the division title and the No. 1 seed in the Division I Tournament which begins on Nov. 29.
The Rams put themselves in that position by beating Cranston East, 35-14, with junior Josh Morris running for touchdowns of 64, 74, 63 and 38 yards.
Hendricken (6-2) clinched second place by beating Barrington, 21-13, as Ryan Brannigan threw a pair of touchdown passes to Lou Falcone and also ran for a third touchdown.
What other two teams will fill out the field is more complicated.
Currently, East Providence and South Kingstown are tied for third place with 4-3 records.
The Townies play arch-rival La Salle on Thanksgiving while the Rebels play winless North Kingstown.
Should EP and SK each win on Thanksgiving and finish 5-3, the Rebels would earn third place by virtue of their 40-12 victory over the Townies (i.e. the first tiebreaker is record in head-to-head competition).
But if the Townies lose and finish 4-4 and the Rebels win, EP would be tied for fourth with Portsmouth which plays a non-league game on Thanksgiving. However, EP defeated the Patriots 26-22 which would earn them fourth place and the last seed in the tournament.
Since Division II is split into two divisions, tournament play began last weekend with Cumberland, Central, Chariho and Westerly prevailing in the quarterfinals.
Cumberland beat Tolman, 13-9, as Ryan Gaumond scored on a one-yard run with 1:21 left on the clock.
Central whipped West Warwick, 27-12, with Mike Washington rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Chariho outlasted Mount Hope, 28-15, with quarterback Jansen Williamson rushing for two touchdowns and heaving a 70-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Cahoon.
Westerly trumped St. Raphael, 36-22, as Spencer Reed scored on runs of one yard and three yards.
As a result, Cumberland will play at Chariho and Central will play at Westerly in the Nov. 29 semifinals.
Rogers (6-1) has clinched the Division III title and the No. 1 seed in that tournament. The Vikings play a non-league game on Thanksgiving against winless North Kingstown.
Narragansett (5-2) must beat Tiverton on Thanksgiving to clinch second place while Classical (5-3) and Middletown (5-3) are tied for second. But because the Islanders edged the Purple, 27-26, they’ve earned the No. 2 seed for the tournament.
First-place Mount Pleasant has completed its Division IV schedule with a 6-2 record while North Smithfield and Smithfield are tied for second with 5-2 records. But if North Smithfield beats Scituate, the Northmen also would finish 6-2 – and would earn the No. 1 seed by virtue of their 14-12 win over the Kilties.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
November, 2, 2011
11/02/11
6:02
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Is there any sports fan who hasn’t heard that cliché’ “picking up the slack?”
That’s exactly what Division I leader La Salle Academy did on October 28 when the Rams overcame the loss of quarterback Anthony Francis, who was sidelined with an ankle injury, and still throttled playoff contender Cranston West, 30-6.
Junior running back Josh Morris certainly picked up the slack in his teammate’s absence by scoring on touchdown runs of 22 and 51 yards in the first half as the Rams remained on top with a 6-0 record.
La Salle also received a lift from backup quarterback Jack Collins who came off the bench and scored on runs of two yards and one yard.
As a result, La Salle has outscored its six division opponents by a hefty margin of 234-86 and is in position to run the table which would enable coach Geoff Marcone’s team to clinch the division title and the top seed in the upcoming playoffs.
But as is frequently the case, the title and the No. 1 seed won’t be decided until Thanksgiving Day when the Rams play arch-rival East Providence (4-1) in the state’s longest-running series on that holiday.
The Townies ventured to Massachusetts last weekend and were blanked, 26-0, by Foxborough in a non-league game – due in large part to the fact they committed seven turnovers. But the previous weekend, East Providence moved into title contention by beating third-place Hendricken (4-2), 35-14, as quarterback Brandon Peters threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Victor Adewoski and ran for a pair of touchdowns.
Should East Providence and La Salle enter their Thanksgiving game still ranked 1-2 in the standings and if the Townies win which would force a tie, they would earn the No. 1 seed based on the first tiebreaker (record in head-to-head competition).
That’s exactly what Division I leader La Salle Academy did on October 28 when the Rams overcame the loss of quarterback Anthony Francis, who was sidelined with an ankle injury, and still throttled playoff contender Cranston West, 30-6.
Junior running back Josh Morris certainly picked up the slack in his teammate’s absence by scoring on touchdown runs of 22 and 51 yards in the first half as the Rams remained on top with a 6-0 record.
La Salle also received a lift from backup quarterback Jack Collins who came off the bench and scored on runs of two yards and one yard.
As a result, La Salle has outscored its six division opponents by a hefty margin of 234-86 and is in position to run the table which would enable coach Geoff Marcone’s team to clinch the division title and the top seed in the upcoming playoffs.
But as is frequently the case, the title and the No. 1 seed won’t be decided until Thanksgiving Day when the Rams play arch-rival East Providence (4-1) in the state’s longest-running series on that holiday.
The Townies ventured to Massachusetts last weekend and were blanked, 26-0, by Foxborough in a non-league game – due in large part to the fact they committed seven turnovers. But the previous weekend, East Providence moved into title contention by beating third-place Hendricken (4-2), 35-14, as quarterback Brandon Peters threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Victor Adewoski and ran for a pair of touchdowns.
Should East Providence and La Salle enter their Thanksgiving game still ranked 1-2 in the standings and if the Townies win which would force a tie, they would earn the No. 1 seed based on the first tiebreaker (record in head-to-head competition).
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
June, 21, 2011
6/21/11
1:43
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Cranston West’s baseball team picked the right time to unleash an offensive explosion -- in the third and deciding game of the Division I tournament.
The fourth-seeded Falcons were held to three hits by top-seeded North Kingstown in Game 1 of the teams’ best-of-three series which the Skippers won, 5-3.
But in the next two games, the Falcons hung a total of 35 runs on the McCoy Stadium scoreboard to capture their third state championship in the last six years. In the process, Cranston West snapped Hendricken’s run of three consecutive titles.
West’s Matt Pagano, who was voted MVP honors, lit the spark in Game 2 as he homered and drove in a total of six runs as the Falcons prevailed, 17-13.
Then, in the deciding game, Pagano tossed 5 1/3 innings of one-run, seven-hit relief as the Falcons belted the Skippers, 18-7.
West’s triumph prevented the Skippers from winning their first Division I title in 44 years.
Mike Hayden also unloaded on North Kingstown pitching in Game 3 when he hit two homers which drove in four runs.
Among other things, the Falcons prevailed in a trio of deciding games during the tournament and became the only other public school to win a state Division I baseball championship since South Kingstown did so in 2002.
The fourth-seeded Falcons were held to three hits by top-seeded North Kingstown in Game 1 of the teams’ best-of-three series which the Skippers won, 5-3.
But in the next two games, the Falcons hung a total of 35 runs on the McCoy Stadium scoreboard to capture their third state championship in the last six years. In the process, Cranston West snapped Hendricken’s run of three consecutive titles.
West’s Matt Pagano, who was voted MVP honors, lit the spark in Game 2 as he homered and drove in a total of six runs as the Falcons prevailed, 17-13.
Then, in the deciding game, Pagano tossed 5 1/3 innings of one-run, seven-hit relief as the Falcons belted the Skippers, 18-7.
West’s triumph prevented the Skippers from winning their first Division I title in 44 years.
Mike Hayden also unloaded on North Kingstown pitching in Game 3 when he hit two homers which drove in four runs.
Among other things, the Falcons prevailed in a trio of deciding games during the tournament and became the only other public school to win a state Division I baseball championship since South Kingstown did so in 2002.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
June, 1, 2011
6/01/11
2:57
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Prodigy.
That’s the appropriate noun to use when referring to Smithfield High freshman Matt Kuhar – all five-feet, two-inches and 93 pounds of him. Kuhar became only the third freshman in Interscholastic League history to capture the state singles championship when he polished off North Kingstown senior and No. 2 seed Dan Hansen in straight sets – 6-3, 6-3.
The only other freshmen to win state titles are Gordie Ernst in 1982 (Ernst, who initially attended Hendricken before transferring to Cranston East in the fall of 1982, holds the state record with four singles championships) and South Kingstown’s Andy Singer in 2000.
In the process, top-seeded Kuhar extended his dual-match winning streak to 22-0 and beat the more experienced Hansen for a second time this season (albeit their first match was in April). And in that match, Hansen became one of only three players who would win one – repeat, one – set from Kuhar this season.
Kuhar’s combination of groundstrokes and backhands enabled him to win the first set in 30 minutes and break open the second set after building only a 2-1 lead.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for Hansen – and not only because he lost in last year’s finals to Wheeler’s Jessie Frieder.
Hansen on April 20 underwent surgery after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. But after missing just seven matches, he went 8-1 heading into the qualifying round on May 6.
That’s the appropriate noun to use when referring to Smithfield High freshman Matt Kuhar – all five-feet, two-inches and 93 pounds of him. Kuhar became only the third freshman in Interscholastic League history to capture the state singles championship when he polished off North Kingstown senior and No. 2 seed Dan Hansen in straight sets – 6-3, 6-3.
The only other freshmen to win state titles are Gordie Ernst in 1982 (Ernst, who initially attended Hendricken before transferring to Cranston East in the fall of 1982, holds the state record with four singles championships) and South Kingstown’s Andy Singer in 2000.
In the process, top-seeded Kuhar extended his dual-match winning streak to 22-0 and beat the more experienced Hansen for a second time this season (albeit their first match was in April). And in that match, Hansen became one of only three players who would win one – repeat, one – set from Kuhar this season.
Kuhar’s combination of groundstrokes and backhands enabled him to win the first set in 30 minutes and break open the second set after building only a 2-1 lead.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for Hansen – and not only because he lost in last year’s finals to Wheeler’s Jessie Frieder.
Hansen on April 20 underwent surgery after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. But after missing just seven matches, he went 8-1 heading into the qualifying round on May 6.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
May, 19, 2011
5/19/11
2:43
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
All of a sudden, there’s a hole in the East Providence High boys’ hockey program that resembles the Grand Canyon.
Townie alumnus Gregg Amore, who revived a program that barely had a pulse, resigned his position earlier this month, along with his entire staff.
Ironically, his top assistant, Derek Borek, shortly thereafter was named the head coach at East Bay rival Barrington.
Granted, East Providence’s glory days of the 1970s (the Townies won the now-defunct New England championship and the Rhode Island Division I title in 1975) have been long gone. But Amore restored a great deal of respectability while playing in Division III/Met C.
Amore’s teams were 86-70-4 during the regular season and 101-78-4 overall (this includes a 15-8 record in post-season play which the Townies qualified for five times).
EP hit the jackpot in the 2004-05 season as it compiled a 26-0-0 record and captured the Division III state title – the school’s first in hockey in over 30 years.
Amore inherited a program that had only nine – repeat, nine – players. He dressed 25 last season and leaves the program in much better shape than it was when he first draped a whistle around his neck.
Borek, another Townie alumnus, replaces Ken Fogarty who resigned after three seasons on the bench. The Eagles were 14-4-0 in Division I in 2009-10 but fell to 5-12-1 last season.
Townie alumnus Gregg Amore, who revived a program that barely had a pulse, resigned his position earlier this month, along with his entire staff.
Ironically, his top assistant, Derek Borek, shortly thereafter was named the head coach at East Bay rival Barrington.
Granted, East Providence’s glory days of the 1970s (the Townies won the now-defunct New England championship and the Rhode Island Division I title in 1975) have been long gone. But Amore restored a great deal of respectability while playing in Division III/Met C.
Amore’s teams were 86-70-4 during the regular season and 101-78-4 overall (this includes a 15-8 record in post-season play which the Townies qualified for five times).
EP hit the jackpot in the 2004-05 season as it compiled a 26-0-0 record and captured the Division III state title – the school’s first in hockey in over 30 years.
Amore inherited a program that had only nine – repeat, nine – players. He dressed 25 last season and leaves the program in much better shape than it was when he first draped a whistle around his neck.
Borek, another Townie alumnus, replaces Ken Fogarty who resigned after three seasons on the bench. The Eagles were 14-4-0 in Division I in 2009-10 but fell to 5-12-1 last season.
The quality of golfers produced in Rhode Island is completely out of proportion to the Ocean State’s population.
Witness the state’s two latest “phenoms” – Cumberland High senior Jamison Randall and La Salle Academy senior Juliet Vongphoumy.
Randall last summer won three tournaments: the World Series of Junior Golf, the Rhode Island Golfers Junior Championships and the New England Junior Championships which he captured in a sudden-death playoff.
Randall, who gained early acceptance to Old Dominion University (he’s receiving a partial athletic and academic scholarship), has one goal on his mind this season: Win the Rhode Island Interscholastic League State Tournament, after finishing second last year to Barrington’s Jared Adams.
At the recent 29th annual Challenge Cup Championship held at Cranston’s Alpine Country club, Randall finished second to Portsmouth junior Alex Grimes – whom he beat, 2-and-1, in the finals of the 2010 RIGA Juniors.
But in the opinion of Cumberland coach Jim Dickinson, Randall’s best days are ahead of him this season.
Dickinson stated that the fact Randall has been accepted at Old Dominion has allowed him to focus on “simply” playing golf instead of playing to gain admission to a college.
The last clipper to win the state championship was Chris Simmons in 1989.
Vongphoumy is a story all by herself since she’s the daughter of Laotian immigrants and because she stunned the state’s golfing community when, as a freshman in 2008, she captured the state’s 36-hole tournament by two strokes.
Just over a year ago, she became only the second player in who knows how many years to capture three consecutive American Junior Golf Association girls’ tournaments.
No wonder Vongphoumy was offered a full ride by Maryland. She also was recruited by other ACC schools like Duke and Boston College.
Vongphoumy honed her skills last year at Hilton Head Prep School in South Carolina before returning to La Salle for her senior year.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Randall and Vongphoumy could play against each other in the 2011 state tournament.
KNIGHTS CHARGING FORWARD
Unlike the Central High boys’ basketball team, which has won 11 state championships at the Division I level, the baseball team only has won a single state title – in 2006 when the Knights prevailed in the now-defunct Division III.
That drought may be about to change considering the Knights’ success as the Interscholastic League season nears the mid-way point. Coach Dave Hansen’s team leads Division II-Central with a 9-1 record due in large part to a senior-laden team. Central’s talent was on full display in a recent 10-0 romp over division rival Juanita Sanchez when Wailder Luna tossed a one-hit shutout and Manny Melo belted a three-run homer.
Luna entered this week with a 3-0 record in four starts plus a sub-2.00 ERA.
Melo, a senior, doubles as Central’s center fielder as well as the team’s closer.
Ironically, a junior, catcher Johnathan Salcedo is leading the team in batting with a .572 average.
According to Hansen, he wasn’t sure what his team was capable of doing entering this season. But the Knights have been out-hitting teams and have been even more difficult to beat when they play defense.
That was the case in a key 4-1 crossover victory against II-North Woonsocket when Central out-hit the Villa Novans 8-5 (behind Luna), and only committed a respectable two errors.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
Division I-Central leader Hendricken and I-North leader Lincoln hooked up on Monday and the Hawks, who’ve won 16 state championships, beat the Lions, 5-1, as Tom Pannone tossed a three-hitter and also stroked an RBI single.
Cranston West, who also is in contention for the I-Central title, posted a big crossover victory last week against Lincoln – 8-7 as catcher Jeff Diehl (who’s been the object of numerous college and pro scouts’ attention) scored the winning run in the seventh on Alex Moretti’s double.
LIONS, CHARGERS TOUGH IN SOFTBALL
Lincoln and Chariho could be on a collision course for the state Division I softball championship – especially in recent results are any indication.
The Lions, led by All-State pitcher Alyssa McCoart, and Chariho, led by senior co-captains Makalya Clarke and Becky Williams, remained undefeated entering this week in their respective divisions.
Lincoln moved to 9-0 in I-North due to a combination of solid pitching and explosive hitting.
McCoart, who will play here college softball at Central Connecticut State, is 6-0 on the mound and is hitting .654 at the plate.
As a result, Lincoln has outscored its opposition 71-13.
Chariho is 8-0 in I-South after outlasting North Kingstown, 12-10.
Freshman Brianna Cole belted a home run to help pace the Chargers.
LA SALLE STICKMEN PERFECT
La Salle Academy’s boys have staked their claim as the team to beat in Division I.
Coach Steve O’Donnell’s Rams are 4-0 after routing defending state champion Moses Brown, 19-11, and arch-rival Hendricken, 11-1.
The Quakers beat the Rams in overtime in the 2010 finals while the Hawks beat the Rams in the 2009 semifinals.
So, how do you spell La Salle has a score or two to settle?
Long-stick defensemen Vito Capuano, Will Sturgis, Cody O’Connell, Ryan Gallogly and Matt Powers have been keys to La Salle’s success.
LEYS BIDS ADIEU
Middletown, and the Interscholastic League as a whole, lost a superb football coach when Andy Leys announced his retirement effective immediately in order to devote more time to his family.
Under Leys’ guidance, the Islanders posted a combined 33-15 record in Divisions III and IV over the last six years and won the 2010 Division III Super Bowl.
Leys also coached Middletown to the 2006 Division IV Super Bowl crown.
Mike Scandura has been covering high school sports, college basketball, football and hockey, plus minor league baseball in Rhode Island since the early 1970s. A native of Oswego, N.Y. he’s a member of the Words Unlimited Hall of Fame which is the statewide organization of sportswriters, sportscasters and sports publicists.
Witness the state’s two latest “phenoms” – Cumberland High senior Jamison Randall and La Salle Academy senior Juliet Vongphoumy.
Randall last summer won three tournaments: the World Series of Junior Golf, the Rhode Island Golfers Junior Championships and the New England Junior Championships which he captured in a sudden-death playoff.
Randall, who gained early acceptance to Old Dominion University (he’s receiving a partial athletic and academic scholarship), has one goal on his mind this season: Win the Rhode Island Interscholastic League State Tournament, after finishing second last year to Barrington’s Jared Adams.
At the recent 29th annual Challenge Cup Championship held at Cranston’s Alpine Country club, Randall finished second to Portsmouth junior Alex Grimes – whom he beat, 2-and-1, in the finals of the 2010 RIGA Juniors.
But in the opinion of Cumberland coach Jim Dickinson, Randall’s best days are ahead of him this season.
Dickinson stated that the fact Randall has been accepted at Old Dominion has allowed him to focus on “simply” playing golf instead of playing to gain admission to a college.
The last clipper to win the state championship was Chris Simmons in 1989.
Vongphoumy is a story all by herself since she’s the daughter of Laotian immigrants and because she stunned the state’s golfing community when, as a freshman in 2008, she captured the state’s 36-hole tournament by two strokes.
Just over a year ago, she became only the second player in who knows how many years to capture three consecutive American Junior Golf Association girls’ tournaments.
No wonder Vongphoumy was offered a full ride by Maryland. She also was recruited by other ACC schools like Duke and Boston College.
Vongphoumy honed her skills last year at Hilton Head Prep School in South Carolina before returning to La Salle for her senior year.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Randall and Vongphoumy could play against each other in the 2011 state tournament.
KNIGHTS CHARGING FORWARD
Unlike the Central High boys’ basketball team, which has won 11 state championships at the Division I level, the baseball team only has won a single state title – in 2006 when the Knights prevailed in the now-defunct Division III.
That drought may be about to change considering the Knights’ success as the Interscholastic League season nears the mid-way point. Coach Dave Hansen’s team leads Division II-Central with a 9-1 record due in large part to a senior-laden team. Central’s talent was on full display in a recent 10-0 romp over division rival Juanita Sanchez when Wailder Luna tossed a one-hit shutout and Manny Melo belted a three-run homer.
Luna entered this week with a 3-0 record in four starts plus a sub-2.00 ERA.
Melo, a senior, doubles as Central’s center fielder as well as the team’s closer.
Ironically, a junior, catcher Johnathan Salcedo is leading the team in batting with a .572 average.
According to Hansen, he wasn’t sure what his team was capable of doing entering this season. But the Knights have been out-hitting teams and have been even more difficult to beat when they play defense.
That was the case in a key 4-1 crossover victory against II-North Woonsocket when Central out-hit the Villa Novans 8-5 (behind Luna), and only committed a respectable two errors.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
Division I-Central leader Hendricken and I-North leader Lincoln hooked up on Monday and the Hawks, who’ve won 16 state championships, beat the Lions, 5-1, as Tom Pannone tossed a three-hitter and also stroked an RBI single.
Cranston West, who also is in contention for the I-Central title, posted a big crossover victory last week against Lincoln – 8-7 as catcher Jeff Diehl (who’s been the object of numerous college and pro scouts’ attention) scored the winning run in the seventh on Alex Moretti’s double.
LIONS, CHARGERS TOUGH IN SOFTBALL
Lincoln and Chariho could be on a collision course for the state Division I softball championship – especially in recent results are any indication.
The Lions, led by All-State pitcher Alyssa McCoart, and Chariho, led by senior co-captains Makalya Clarke and Becky Williams, remained undefeated entering this week in their respective divisions.
Lincoln moved to 9-0 in I-North due to a combination of solid pitching and explosive hitting.
McCoart, who will play here college softball at Central Connecticut State, is 6-0 on the mound and is hitting .654 at the plate.
As a result, Lincoln has outscored its opposition 71-13.
Chariho is 8-0 in I-South after outlasting North Kingstown, 12-10.
Freshman Brianna Cole belted a home run to help pace the Chargers.
LA SALLE STICKMEN PERFECT
La Salle Academy’s boys have staked their claim as the team to beat in Division I.
Coach Steve O’Donnell’s Rams are 4-0 after routing defending state champion Moses Brown, 19-11, and arch-rival Hendricken, 11-1.
The Quakers beat the Rams in overtime in the 2010 finals while the Hawks beat the Rams in the 2009 semifinals.
So, how do you spell La Salle has a score or two to settle?
Long-stick defensemen Vito Capuano, Will Sturgis, Cody O’Connell, Ryan Gallogly and Matt Powers have been keys to La Salle’s success.
LEYS BIDS ADIEU
Middletown, and the Interscholastic League as a whole, lost a superb football coach when Andy Leys announced his retirement effective immediately in order to devote more time to his family.
Under Leys’ guidance, the Islanders posted a combined 33-15 record in Divisions III and IV over the last six years and won the 2010 Division III Super Bowl.
Leys also coached Middletown to the 2006 Division IV Super Bowl crown.
Mike Scandura has been covering high school sports, college basketball, football and hockey, plus minor league baseball in Rhode Island since the early 1970s. A native of Oswego, N.Y. he’s a member of the Words Unlimited Hall of Fame which is the statewide organization of sportswriters, sportscasters and sports publicists.
New England Roundup: Rhode Island
March, 25, 2011
3/25/11
4:14
PM ET
By Mike Scandura | ESPNBoston.com
Choose your cliché:
The clock struck midnight and Cinderella turned into a pumpkin.
The air went out of the balloon.
The ceiling caved in.
Each of the above is applicable when describing the improbable run tiny Tiverton High made to the finals of the first open boys’ basketball tournament since 1966.
No. 5 seed and long-time Division I power St. Raphael Academy annexed the seventh state championship in school history when it beat No. 11 seed and long-time Division II / Division III member Tiverton, 58-47.
It also prevented the Tigers from writing a “Hoosiers-like” ending to what could have been a Hollywood script.
But, first, credit must be paid to coach Tom Sorrentine’s Saints, who also beat No. 9 North Providence, 66-48 in the semifinals and No. 13 West Warwick, 68-60 in the quarterfinals, and won their first state title since 2002.
Tiverton built a 24-19 halftime lead before SRA rallied behind sophomore point guard Charles Correa, who poured in a game-high 21 points and was voted tourney MVP honors.
Defense also played a key in SRA’s win as the Saints played a box-and-one defense on Gunnar Bjornson, who led the state in scoring. Bjornson did score 15 points but that was 10 below his average. And he was held to zero three-point baskets.
The clock struck midnight and Cinderella turned into a pumpkin.
The air went out of the balloon.
The ceiling caved in.
Each of the above is applicable when describing the improbable run tiny Tiverton High made to the finals of the first open boys’ basketball tournament since 1966.
No. 5 seed and long-time Division I power St. Raphael Academy annexed the seventh state championship in school history when it beat No. 11 seed and long-time Division II / Division III member Tiverton, 58-47.
It also prevented the Tigers from writing a “Hoosiers-like” ending to what could have been a Hollywood script.
But, first, credit must be paid to coach Tom Sorrentine’s Saints, who also beat No. 9 North Providence, 66-48 in the semifinals and No. 13 West Warwick, 68-60 in the quarterfinals, and won their first state title since 2002.
Tiverton built a 24-19 halftime lead before SRA rallied behind sophomore point guard Charles Correa, who poured in a game-high 21 points and was voted tourney MVP honors.
Defense also played a key in SRA’s win as the Saints played a box-and-one defense on Gunnar Bjornson, who led the state in scoring. Bjornson did score 15 points but that was 10 below his average. And he was held to zero three-point baskets.
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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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