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At face value, the La Salle Academy boys’ lacrosse team should have been devastated last spring by graduation when six All-State players – including All-Americans Ryan Poirier (midfield) and Cody O’Donnell (defender) - departed via the cap-and-gown route.

Not quite.

Through games of May 15, the Rams were sitting atop Division I with an 8-0 record and were leading in both goals scored (107) plus goals allowed (48).

Most importantly, the Rams have established themselves as the team to beat in their pursuit of the first state championship since the school added the sport.

Over the previous four seasons, coach Steve O’Donnell’s team posted a combined record of 44-3. But the Rams have lost three times in the finals – in 2008 to North Kingstown, in 2010 to Moses Brown and in 2011 to Hendricken.

But the returning veterans have keyed La Salle’s run to a possible undefeated season.

For example, All-American attack Brady O’Donnell scored five goals in this week’s 12-9 victory over North Kingstown. And in a 7-5 non-league victory over Bishop Guertin, a Division I school from Nashua, N.H., O’Donnell collected a hat trick.

Second Team All-State midfielder Jack Collins fired home seven goals and assisted on another in a 12-8 win over Hendricken.

Senior midfielder Dan Lucchetti scored three goals and assisted on one when La Salle beat the Hawks, 11-7, in the teams’ rematch.

Senior midfielder Sam Ricci added one goal plus four assists in the second win over the Hawks.

Sophomore Peter DeSimone has played well at attack and recorded four goals plus an assist in that 11-7 win over Hendricken.

TOLMAN CLINCHES PENNANT
With three games left in the regular season, Tolman clinched the Division II-Central title on May 15 by blanking Mount Pleasant, 3-0, as Andrew Larson and Carlos Sanabria combined on a six-hitter.

That was the latest in a string of impressive victories for the Tigers (13-3 in league play and 14-3 overall).

Against arch-rival Shea, Sanabria tossed a two-hitter replete with one walk and 12 strikeouts as the Tigers prevailed, 10-0. Sanabria also went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI.

Earlier, Tolman received another solid mound performance from Larson who went the distance on a five-hitter as the Tigers edged Classical, 2-1.

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Cranston West blinked first.

The Division I state baseball champion was clipped, 6-3, by 16-time state champion Hendricken.

That victory enabled the Hawks to remain undefeated and grab sole possession of first place.

Entering the first week in May, Hendricken (10-0) held a three-game lead over the Falcons (7-3).

Tom Pannone was a one-man wrecking crew against the Falcons. Besides striking out 10 he also hit a three-run homer. Pannone picked up where he left off in a 10-5 victory over East Greenwich as he fanned 11in 7 1/3 innings.

Mike King and Reed Gamache personally wrecked Tiverton in 13-0 victory. King tossed a no-hitter replete with six strikeouts while Gamache belted a grand-slam homer.

Pannone again wielded a big bat in an 8-4 win over Mount St. Charles when he smacked a sixth-inning solo homer that snapped a 4-4 tie.

HAWK SKATERS LEAD THE WAY
Not surprisingly Hendricken received the most slots on the All-State boys’ hockey team.

The state-champion Hawks, who ended Mount St. Charles’s run of four consecutive titles, placed goalie Bill Palmer, defenseman Dan Nolte and forward Matt Creamer on the First Team.

Palmer, who was voted MVP honors in the best-of-three finals against Mount, allowed only 13 goals in 15 regular-season games.

Creamer recorded 43 points in 27 overall games. But what was most noteworthy about this honor was that he became one of the very few freshmen ever to be voted First Team accolades.

Defenseman Ben Handanyan and forward Brian Belisle represented Mount on the First Team while forward Bryan Lemos represented La Salle.

TWO LADY RAMS SKATE ON FIRST TEAM
Goalie Holly Scott and freshman forward Meaghan Rickard earned First Team All-State honors for La Salle which captured the Division I state hockey title.

Scott, who was a First Team pick last year, was voted the MVP of the championship series versus Mount St. Charles.

Rickard led the Rams with 17-11-28 totals during the regular season.

Rounding out the First Team are Bay View defender Bethany Fogerty and forward Kiley Colucci plus Mount St. Charles defender Laureen Deguire and forward Brianna Castro.

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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.

BOURNE, Mass. –- Josh O’Toole was the easiest player to spot in the Medway locker room after Sunday’s Division 3-South championship game against Rockland.

O’Toole was the Mustang wearing the plastic cowboy hat with the name “MEDWAY” in capital letters on the front.

Turns out the hat is awarded to the Mustangs’ player of the game – an honor O’Toole earned by scoring 10th-seeded Medway’s first two goals in a 4-1 victory over fifth-seeded Rockland.

“At first we were a little nervous coming in,” O’Toole said referring to the fact Rockland (17-6-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead on John Mulready’s unassisted goal at 10:00 of the first period. “But we knew that they would be tired toward the end because they run two lines and we try to run three most of the time.

“We kind of gained the momentum and kept it going.”

O’Toole tied the game at 3:03 of the second.

Jake O’Rouke won a faceoff to Mike Boldy in Rockland’s end and, after Boldy passed to O’Toole, the sophomore forward snapped a shot by Trevor Trudeau (26 saves).

O’Toole scored what proved to be the game-winner at 6:42.

“Jake O’Rouke shot it from up top and it fell down,” O’Toole said. “I pretty much just whacked it in.”

Ironically, O’Toole’s goals upped his season total to a modest eight. But the fact Medway (18-6-1) held Rockland to a mere 13 shots was perhaps an even bigger factor in the outcome.

“Our game all year has been to play good, solid team defense,” Medway coach Chris Ross said. “I grew up playing for [perennial Rhode Island state champion] Mount St. Charles and I try to bring a little Mount St. Charles to Medway.

“It was my goal to play good team defense the whole season.”

SLOW START
Ross was quick to admit that wasn’t the case in the first period which ended with the Bulldogs leading 1-0.

“I thought we got away from our game of playing good, solid defense especially from our forechecking perspective,” Ross said. “I thought we started getting into a game where we were running around too much with them.

“The game was up-and-down in that first period and I wanted to slow down the pace and hold them in check. But I knew 7 (Kevin Sheehan) and 9 (Mulready) were out there two-thirds of the game."

Sheehan and Mulready each are 100-point career scorers.

“I knew we were in good condition,” Ross added, “and that come the second and third period they were going to start wearing down a little bit.”

Medway then scored what proved to be the proverbial back-breaker at 13:09 of the third when O’Rouke skated across the crease and stuffed a back-hander by Trudeau to give the Mustangs a 3-1 lead.

“All the coaches on the benches turned to each other and looked at each other and sighed because it was a big relief,” Ross said of O’Rouke’s goal.

Tim King then scored into an empty net with 1:43 left in regulation.

NARDUCCI ROCK SOLID
Even though Medway goalie Mike Narducci was called on to make only 12 saves, Ross heaped praise on his junior goalie who’s been a key Mustang all season.

“Mike Narducci is unbelievable,” Ross said. “I think he’s proven he’s one of the best goalies in the state. He’s so solid and I’m so glad we’ve got him coming back next year.”

What made the victory even more satisfying for Ross was that it came in his first season as Medway’s head coach and enabled the Mustangs to venture into unchartered territory.

“The quarterfinals were the farthest we’ve ever been,” Ross said. “They came in as the number one seed. But I thought we had a good chance because we’ve played tough teams all year.”

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.

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Buried amidst the rubble in Central Falls, which long ago filed for bankruptcy and has been under the direction of a state-appointed receiver, has been the fate of the coaches of the city’s lone high school.

To be precise, they’ve given new meaning to the words “volunteer coaches.”

Because of a budget freeze and ongoing contract negotiations between the city and the union representing teachers, Warriors coaches have been guiding their teams sans compensation.

That was true in the fall; it’s carried over to the winter sports season; and barring any change in developments the status will remain quo come the spring.

Ironically, Warrior teams have enjoyed an inordinate amount of success.

Coach Mo Jackson led CF to the Division IV Super Bowl in December.

Coach Rich Sousa took his girls’ volleyball team to the Division II semifinals.

Coach Carl Africo guided the boys’ soccer team to the Division I quarterfinals.

The other falls sports for which coaches weren’t paid are boys’ and girls’ cross country, girls’ soccer and unified volleyball.

CF’s winter sports include boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling, boys’ and girls’ track and unified basketball.

The spring sports slate includes only baseball and softball.

The 63-year-old Jackson, who’s the dean of Warrior coaches, didn’t learn about the lack of funding until midway through the football season.

“I was a little upset,” Jackson was quoted in The Times of Pawtucket. “But I wasn’t going to abandon the kids halfway through the season.

“I don’t know if I had known before the season started if I would have coached. After being here 20 years, I’d like the opportunity to make that decision. But you don’t get into (coaching high school sports) to make a lot of money.”

North Kingstown, to a certain extent, is in a similar position as Central Falls – although the South County town is far from bankruptcy.

However, it has a projected $1.6 million deficit for fiscal year 2013.

As a result, Superintendent Phil Auger is working on proposals that could include cuts that would impact Skipper high school teams.

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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.

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BOSTON -- Mount St. Charles took a 4-2 victory over No. 15 Springfield Cathedral to close out the first day of hockey action at Frozen Fenway on Monday.

Correspondent James Walsh captured the best and brightest from the game in these video highlights:

BOSTON – The nightcap to Monday’s opening night festivities of the Frozen Fenway series featured two of the most respected boys’ hockey programs in their respective states.

In the end, it was a familiar name who lifted Rhode Island powerhouse Mount St. Charles over Springfield Cathedral, 4-2, at Fenway Park.

Junior forward Brian Belisle, with his father and grandfather watching from the bench, tallied a hat trick to lift the Mounties to victory.

“My father played outdoors when he first started,” Mounties coach Dave Belisle said of his father, head coach Bill Belisle. “Even his high school team, when he played for Mount St. Charles, they played outdoors. To be able to come to this venue and not only share it with my father, but with my son and for my son to do so well tonight, this was a wonderful evening.”



Brian scored Mount’s first two goals within a minute span in the first period, giving his team a 2-0 lead. Cathedral (3-3-1) responded with two second-period goals, tying the game.

But Mount (5-2-1) reclaimed the lead before the period was out with Callan Morisseau netting what would be the game-winner with 1:01 remaining in the second.

Belisle netted the insurance marker for the hat trick midway through the third.

“It’s once-in-a-lifetime,” the youngest Belisle said, reflecting on his performance. “Looking around here, it’s just unbelievable.”

MOUNTIES BACK ON TRACK
Although No. 15 Cathedral played at Rhode Island powerhouse Mount’s tournament during vacation week, the teams met for the first time this season at Fenway. The Mounties won that tournament, gaining momentum after being upset in the season’s opening week by Rhody rival La Salle Academy.

With a couple of wins under their belt, the Mounties are starting to play with confidence.

“The first couple of games of the year, we struggled to find our identity,” captain Brian Campbell said. “We came back and won our [Mount St. Charles holiday] tournament and, today, we really picked up our game at the end there.”

The team’s newfound chemisty was evident in their first line, particularly with Campbell and Belisle. Campbell set up Belisle’s first two tallies with tremendous passes, one coming from the left side faceoff dot and the other on the back hand from behind the net back into the slot.

CATHEDRAL OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
To say it’s been a trying year at Springfield Cathedral would be an understatement. The school’s campus was ravaged by June’s tornado, forcing classes to be held at a middle school in Wilbraham.

After enduring so much, Monday’s game was a welcome distraction and a positive spin to the New Year.

“It was so nice of Red Sox and the Fenway group to invite us out here,” Panthers head coach Brian Foley said. “With all the school’s been through, we needed something good to happen to us and this event was just outstanding. We couldn’t be more appreciative of happening the opportunity to play out here.”

Likewise, the determined Panthers showed their resiliency in the second period when Thomas Quinlan and Alex Vincellette scored to knot the score, 2-2.

While the Panthers weren’t able to build momentum into a lead, they showed they could battle back against high competition. It bodes well for team that participated in a Super 8 play-in game last season and returns a young, but veteran core this season.

And you thought the Rhode Island Interscholastic League “tweaked” boys’ basketball last season, when it decided to hold a 16-team tournament that would determine one – repeat, one – state champion?

The RIIL has “tweaked boys’ basketball in so many ways this season that it’s a wonder coaches’ heads don’t spin off their necks.

For starters, the league has eliminated the three division tournaments which had been in existence seemingly since Dr. James Naismith first hung up a peach basket at Springfield College.

Instead, the league will hold one 32-team tournament.

The league still will consist of Division I, II and III and each team will play 18 league games. But points will be awarded which will determine who gets to play in the state tournament.

For example:

• Each Division I victory is worth one point.
• Each Division II victory is worth .8 point.
• Each Division III victory is worth .6 point.

In addition teams in Divisions II and III with the most points will receive one more point as compensation for the disparity in the ratings formula.

Non-league games won’t result in the winning team earning points.

After the whistle blows in the final games of the regular season, the 32 teams with a winning percentage of at least .400 will qualify for the tournament.

Play-in games will be held should more than 32 teams win at least 40 percent of their games. But ties involving teams from different divisions will result in the team from the higher division receiving the higher seed.

Just as noteworthy is the change in venue for the Elite Eight – Providence College’s Alumni Hall - where Friar stars like Jimmy Walker, Ray Flynn, Lenny Wilkins and (when he was a freshman) Ernie DiGregorio lit up the scoreboard.

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

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

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

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

How each team won was the stuff of legend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Cassidy Stankowski of Frontier Regional as its 2011-12 Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year. Stankowski is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Frontier Regional.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Stankowski as Massachusetts’ best high school volleyball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award announced in December.

The 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter led the Red Hawks to a 23-1 record and the Division 3 state title this season. Stankowski recorded 276 kills, 143 digs, 76 service aces and 20 blocks while posting a hitting percentage of .547. A three-time Division 3 first team All-State selection and a four-time Northern League All-Star, she recorded 87 kills, 50 digs and 29 service aces in five postseason matches this fall, including 24 kills and 16 digs in a 3-0 win over Case for the state title.

Stankowski has maintained a 3.68 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally at the Baystate Medical Center, on behalf of a literacy-outreach program and as part of multiple community service initiatives in association with her church.

“Cassidy Stankowski is as dominant a player that I have ever seen at this level,” Melrose High head coach Scott Celli said. “She single-handedly beat Case for the state title.”

Stankowski joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Players of the Year Maura Manley (2010-11, New Bedford High School), Morgan Thatcher (2009-10, Brockton) and Caitlin Barrett (2008-09, Medfield) among the state’s list of former award winners.

Here's a look at the other New England winners:

CONNECTICUT - KYLEY REED, ROCKY HILL
The 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter and opposite led the Terriers to an 18-4 record and the Class M state title this past season. Reed recorded 578 kills, 460 digs, 133 service aces and 31 blocks while posting a hitting percentage of .598. A 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armour First Team All-American selection, Reed was the Class M State Tournament MVP and a three-time Class M First Team All-State selection. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,517 kills, 1,097 digs and 362 service aces.

Reed has maintained a 3.37 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as part of a fundraising campaign to benefit breast cancer research and on behalf of a park beautification project

“Kyley Reed is a kid that raises the level of play of those around her,” said Darien Head Coach Laurie LaRusso. “She is very talented yet doesn’t act better than anyone else. She’s a hard worker, a team player and is coachable with tremendous skill.”

Reed has verbally committed to play volleyball on an athletic scholarship at Rice University beginning in the fall of 2012.

MAINE - BRITTANY BONA, SCARBOROUGH
The 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter recorded 224 kills, 119 digs and 69 service aces this past season while leading the Red Storm (14-3) to the Class A state final. Bona is a two-time First Team All-State selection and was named The Forecaster Fall Athlete of the Year.

Bona has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally delivering food to the needy and assisting special education students at her school.

“She hits the ball well and she serves with power and accuracy,” said Ruth Shaw, head coach of rival Biddeford High. “She also blocks consistently well, and what is most amazing is that she can play the back row like a libero.”

Bona remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

NEW HAMPSHIRE - KELSEY BERRY, HOLLIS/BROOKLINE
The 5-foot-8 senior outside hitter led the Cavaliers to a 20-2 record and the Division I state title this past season. Berry recorded 224 kills, 220 digs, 73 service aces, 21 assists and four blocks while posting a kill percentage of .382. Berry was nearly flawless in the postseason, committing just 13 total errors in the final three matches for a 95.2 percent success rate. A Division I First Team All-State selection, she recorded 17 kills and 15 digs in Hollis Brookline’s 3-1 win over Merrimack in the state title match.

Berry has maintained a 3.91 GPA in the classroom. The president of the Hollis-Brookline High student body, she has volunteered locally as a peer tutor, a youth volleyball and basketball coach, and as part of a fundraising campaign to benefit breast cancer research.

“Kelsey Berry’s a good player,” said Dan Young, head coach of Salem High. “She was their libero last year, their outside this year. She’s solid—a very good passer and a very strong hitter. She’s very consistent, very solid and very tough.”

Berry remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

RHODE ISLAND - KELSEY LACE, MOUNT ST. CHARLES
The 6-foot senior outside hitter recorded 281 kills, 116 digs, 80 service aces and 39 blocks this past season while posting a hitting percentage of .537 and leading the Mounties (17-1) to the Division I state semifinals. The 2011 Rhode Island Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year, Lace recorded double-digit kills in 16 of 18 matches, including 21 kills in a 3-1 loss to Ponaganset in the state semifinals.

Lace has maintained a 3.91 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as an elementary school aide, a peer Spanish tutor and as part of fundraising campaigns to benefit ovarian cancer and autism research.

“Kelsey Lace has a good whip, a big block and can do pretty much everything—even take tickets at the match,” said Scott Reslow, head coach of Toll Gate High. “Kelsey always seemed to be the best player in the gym night in and night out.”

Lace has verbally committed to play volleyball on an athletic scholarship at New York’s University of Saint Rose beginning in the fall of 2012.

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).

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Call it the calm before the proverbial storm as far as Rhode Island Division I football teams were concerned.

First-place La Salle (4-0, 5-1) absorbed its first loss of the season as the Rams bowed, 27-16 to Bridgewater-Raynham in a non-league game Saturday.

As for the three teams that are tied for second place, Hendricken (3-1) and Cranston West (3-1) were idle while East Providence (3-1, 5-1) beat Mount Hope, 36-20, in a non-league game.

That was a good news-bad news scenario as far as the Townies were concerned.

The good news was that quarterback Brandon Peters ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Moreover, it was the second straight impressive game for Peters who ran for two touchdowns and threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Victor Adewusi in a 27-19 win over Cranston East on Oct. 7.

The bad news was that the Townies were penalized an unbelievable 16 times for 128 yards against the Huskies.

But at the mid-point of the season, the best is yet to come.

Following is a list of games that could (should?) have a bearing on who wins the regular-season title and earns the No. 1 seed in November’s tournament:

• October 21 – East Providence at Hendricken.
• October 28 – Cranston West at La Salle and Barrington (3-2) at East Providence.
• November 4 – Cranston West at Hendricken.
• November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) – La Salle at East Providence.

The Hawks (4-1 overall) may have the division’s best running game led by Lou Falcone and Ryan Brannigan.

Heading into the East Providence game, Falcone has carried the ball 52 times for 386 yards (a 7.4-yard average) and eight touchdowns, while Brannigan has ran 55 times for 385 yards (7.0-yard average) and four scores.

Cranston West plays a non-league game Friday at Dennis-Yarmouth and the Dolphins may regret scheduling this contest because the Falcons are still seething after their first loss of the season – 40-7 to South Kingstown.

When all is said and done, that upset could wind up biting the Falcons where it hurts the most.

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At the risk of pilfering a line from Charles Dickens’ immortal novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” the 2010 football season was the best of times and the worst of times for Hendricken High coach Keith Croft.

Croft, who was voted the Schoolboy Sports Coach of the Year by Words Unlimited (the state-wide organization of sports writers, sportscasters and sports publicists), guided the Hawks to their first Division I Super Bowl championship in 15 years – and went undefeated (13-0) in the process (Hendricken edged Portsmouth, 20-17, for the title).

The worst of times occurred on November 6, when his son, Caden (who was born on July 4), underwent surgery to have a shunt implanted in the back of his head – because the infant was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord doesn’t drain properly and creates potentially harmful pressure on the tissues of the brain.

Fortunately for Croft and his wife Kerri, the operation was successful and young Caden may be on the sideline (okay, in the stands) as his dad tries to coach Hendricken to another Super Bowl crown.

If the Hawks do repeat, it will be due in large part to two facts:

• They return a pair of First Team All-State selections in senior wide receiver / defensive back Ryan Brannigan and senior offensive tackle Max Heintzleman.
• They also will suit up 21 seniors, many of whom saw significant playing time last season.

Brannigan invariably figured prominently in all-purpose yardage since he caught 14 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns and also carried the ball 64 times for 327 yards and one score.

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