The high school hockey season isn’t set to begin at Whitman-Hanson Regional High until mid-December, at the earliest.
New Panthers bench boss Rob Peters joined Four Deep Sports Talk Show on Saturday, Nov. 7 to talk W-H hockey and share his background in the game.
Take a listen:
Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ cross country head coach Steve George wasn’t sure what to expect going into last week’s meet against Marshfield with the Patriot League Keenan Division title on the line.
Junior Nathan Tassey, one of the Panthers’ top runners, felt under the weather earlier in the day. George knew they weren’t going to win without him. Marshfield, which is in its first year in the Patriot League, dominated the Atlantic Coast League before it folded, winning the league six times in a row from 2013-18. Then last fall, the Rams went 5-0 playing a Patriot League schedule.
“I was concerned when Marshfield was added to the Patriot League this year, something I advocated for actually,” George said. “Even over the past couple of weeks, each time athletic director Bob Rodgers asked if we were going to win this thing, I never expressed certainty. He however, insisted we would.”
Rodgers was right.
W-H (5-0) placed four of the top six runners and squeaked by Marshfield (4-1), 26-29, to capture the program’s first league championship since 2013.
Senior captain Theo Kamperides took first overall with a time of 16:34, finishing the regular season unbeaten.
“I was really nervous, but that’s normal,” Kamperides said. “I thought we had a chance, and our coaches were very motivational and positive. I’m so proud of my team for winning the league title.”
Said George: “[Theo] is a workhorse. He simply loves running and puts in the time and miles necessary to excel. The adage is it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. Theo is putting that to the test.”
The Panthers seniors. / Courtesy photo
The Rams placed the next two runners before Panthers senior captain Liam Cafferty (4th, 17:04) and Tassey (5th, 17:09) crossed the finish line neck-and-neck.
“I really was concerned when Nathan (Tassey) couldn’t practice on Tuesday, the day before the meet,” George said. “He had some doubts about his ability when he arrived prior to the meet, but that ended when the gun went off.”
Senior captain Chris MacDonald (6th, 17:37) and junior Gordon Johnson (10th, 18:18) rounded out the scoring for W-H.
“Until this season, I was never certain every athlete bought into what we were trying to accomplish and how to get there,” said George, who took over the program in 2014. “With so many fourth-year runners and dedicated captains, it wasn’t just the coaching staff trying to impress the team, it was their peers also. We had three adult coaches and a couple dozen student-athletes coaching as well. I’ve looked forward to this year as the season when we could go wire-to-wire.”
George said he hopes this season’s success will help shine a light on the cross country program moving forward.
“Seeing our athletes, who are a very happy and cohesive group has to have an impact on some of them who may think cross country is worth a try,” George said. “We’ve got room on our teams for anybody interested. I’ve never met a cross country athlete who regretted the decision to run.”
And you don’t have to look any further than Kamperides.
“Joining the cross country team was the best decision of my life,” he said. “The chemistry on this team is like no other. Everyone worked so hard in order to win and they all truly deserve it.”
Mike Cook’s freshman campaign on the diamond at Babson College was cut short in March due to COVID-19. While it was a decision he was expecting, that didn’t make it any easier to handle.
“The entire team was devastated when we heard the college season was canceled,” Cook said. “We started off the year winning two of three games from one of the top teams (College of Trinity) in the nation and were poised to have a special year, building on all of the work we put in during the offseason.”
Cook never got on the field during the Beavers’ first three games. So he knew, he had to find a way to stay sharp. He began the summer simulating live games with local athletes from schools, such as Babson, Harvard and Dartmouth. Then, he got word the Cranberry League was planning to play ball.
“To get the news that there would be a season for the Cranberry was really exciting, everyone was dying to get back on the field to play some ball games,” said Cook, a three-time Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.
Cook joined the Weymouth Shamrocks with a few of his college teammates and the experience was beneficial.
“Being able to put to work and refine the plethora of skills I learned from freshman year fall baseball and winter practices while in games was really gratifying,” Cook said. “I feel like I was also able to really focus on hitting and work out a bunch of bad habits I had developed in my swing during the course of the season and feel really good moving forward, something that only in-game at bats help you figure out.”
Shamrocks general manager Brian Fisher noticed the improvement.
“Mike’s bat really heated up midway through the season and throughout the playoffs,” Fisher said. “His calling card was his defense and [he] was a rock in the infield for us.”
At the plate, Cook hit .306 for the Shamrocks, who fell to the eventual league champions, Braintree White Sox, in the playoffs. In the field, Cook started the season at third base, before he was plugged in at shortstop as an injury replacement.
“We work really hard on the small details at Babson that others sometimes overlook and being able to use the entire summer to nail down my pre-pitch movements, internal clock, and routes to the ball helped me take my game to the next level in the field that I’ve never had in my arsenal before,” Cook said.
And Cook said he’s going to continue to hone in on his skills as he sets his sights on his sophomore campaign.
“I’m working everyday in the gym to get stronger and quicker for when we’re able to get back to game competition,” Cook said. “I approach everyday to make not only myself better, but more importantly to make everyone around me better. I’m overly optimistic about having our season in the spring and I feel like I have to have that mindset, because I’ve worked everyday with the expectation that it will be played since we got sent home last school year.”
Here’s a look back on Week 5:
Boys’ cross country (5-0), led by a first-place finish from senior captain Theo Kamperides (16:34), edged Marshfield, 26-29, on Wednesday, Oct. 28 to capture the Patriot League Keenan Division title for the first time since 2013. Senior captain Liam Cafferty (17:04) placed fourth, junior Nathan Tassey (17:09) came in fifth, while senior captain Chris MacDonald (17:37) came across the finish line sixth.
Girls’ cross country (2-3) fell to Marshfield, 17-46, on Tuesday. Oct. 27. Junior captain Myah Kamperides (20:20) paced W-H with a fourth-place finish.
Field hockey (0-7-1) suffered a 5-1 setback against Plymouth North on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Junior Olivia Phelps had the Panthers’ goal.
Boys’ soccer (4-4) beat Silver Lake, 2-1, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Sophomore Manny Osorio and junior Jack Allen scored for W-H, both coming on assists from senior captain Peyton Collins. Senior Randy Elfman had some key saves late.
Girls’ soccer (7-0-1) shut out Silver Lake, 3-0, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Junior Olivia Borgen scored twice and sophomore Kayla Cassidy added a goal in the win. Senior captains Kylee Colclough and Reese Codero split the duties in net to earn the shutout.
Girls’ volleyball (2-7) opened the week with a 3-0 sweep over Silver Lake on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The set scores were: 25-23, 25-23 and 25-18. Junior captain Lily Welch paced W-H with 10 kills, junior Abby Martin tallied nine, while senior libero Sarah Byers racked up 12 digs. Senior captain Sophia Berardinelli recorded 27 assists, a season-high for the setter. … On Friday, W-H was shut out by Plymouth North, 3-0. The set scores were: 20-25, 22-25 and 5-25. Junior Anna Stone and Byers had 16 serve receives apiece in the loss.
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Rylie Harlow is introduced. / Photo by: Sue Moss
Rylie Harlow is taking her game to the next level.
The Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior has committed to play basketball for Fitchburg State University.
“I did a tour early September, and I pretty much knew right away even before I had visited the campus I wanted to go there,” Harlow said. “When I went to Fitchburg, I loved the campus and I automatically connected with the coach.”
W-H girls’ basketball head coach Mike Costa said the Falcons are getting a player who is constantly working on ways to improve.
“She is extremely coachable and will do whatever it takes to win,” he said. “She has worked so hard on her game and has improved so much since the end of last season.”
Harlow is headed into her fourth year on the varsity team and was elected as a captain for the upcoming season.
“I definitely think that it’s a huge honor,” Harlow said. “I’ve had some great captains and hope to leave my teammates proud.”
Last season, Harlow was a pivotal player for the Panthers, who posted their best regular-season record since 2009-10 and collected their first tournament win in eight years.
“Rylie was our rock last year — just a solid player all around for us,” Costa said. “Rylie doesn’t force anything. She lets the game come to her and gives the games what it needs. Defensively, she turned into our best all around defender and was tasked at guarding the other team’s best offensive player on most nights.”
“Offensively, she didn’t have eye-popping numbers but was known for hitting some big shots when the game was close and on the line.”
The 5-foot-8 Harlow, who recorded 34 steals and averaged 5.1 ppg last season, said her basketball IQ is a big reason for her success on the court.
“Because of my height, I usually ended up having to know the positions of the guards and post players, so I would say that I have to be pretty versatile,” she said.
Harlow said she hopes to have a “somewhat” normal season this winter.
“I feel like as a team we should have a strong season depending on what happens with COVID,” she said.
Here is a look back:
Boys’ cross country (4-0) remained perfect, racing past Duxbury, 16-39, on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Senior captain Theo Kamperides took first overall with a time of 15:24. Senior captain Liam Cafferty (2nd, 15:33), junior Nathan Tassey (3rd, 16:17), senior captain Chris MacDonald (4th, 16:22) and junior Gordon Johnson (6th, 17:07) also scored in the win.
Girls’ cross country (2-2) took the top five places and topped Duxbury, 15-45, on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Junior captain Myah Kamperides won the race with a time of 20:24, while senior Izzy Amado (2nd, 20:48), junior captain Anna Flynn (3rd, 21:22), freshman Sky Bucci-Anderson (4th, 21:58) and senior captain Bryn Miller (5th, 22:06) rounded out the top five.
Field hockey (0-6-1) was shut out by Silver Lake, 2-0, on Tuesday, Oct. 20. … On Thursday, Todd Humphrey’s team picked up its first point of the season, with a 2-2 tie against Duxbury. Senior captain Lauren Clark and junior Olivia Phelps had the Panthers’ goals.
Boys’ golf (1-10) dropped a 233-256 decision to Silver Lake on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Senior captain Aidan Miller shot a 3-over par 37 in the loss. … Then, on Wednesday, Brian Dempsey’s club wrapped up its season with a 224-258 loss to Marshfield. Miller finished his high school career with a birdie putt, to end the day with a 2-over par 36. Junior Pat McBroom shot a 6-over par 40.
Boys’ soccer (3-4) was edged by Duxbury, 2-1, on Monday, Oct. 19. Senior captain Peyton Collins fed junior Jack Allen tying the score at 1-1, before the Dragons scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick in the third quarter. … On Friday, W-H routed North Quincy, 8-0. Senior captain Brendan Nehiley netted a hat trick, while classmate Joel Arsenault had two goals and an assist. Junior Ethan Smith and senior Randy Elfman combined for the shutout in net.
Girls’ soccer (6-0-1) defeated Duxbury, 4-1, on Monday, Oct. 19. Junior Skylar Jordan, sophomore Ella Nagle, junior Olivia Borgen and senior captain Alexis Billings scored in the win. … On Wednesday, David Floeck’s team beat Marshfield, 4-1. Freshman Makenna Marshall snapped a 1-1 tie in the third quarter with a score from 20 yards out. Billings, Borgen and sophomore Kayla Cassidy also scored for W-H.
Girls’ volleyball (1-6) dropped a 3-1 decision to Duxbury on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The set scores were: 12-25, 9-25, 25-18 and 15-25. Junior Abby Martin (seven kills) and Anna Strone (five kills) were standouts in the loss. … The Panthers closed the week with a 3-1 loss to Marshfield. The set scores were: 15-25, 25-17, 12-25 and 17-25.
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The goals are pretty simple this fall for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team.
“Keeping our health is No. 1,” said fourth-year head coach Dave Leahy. “Then improving and having fun are right behind our health.”
Leahy’s messages have resonated since he’s taken the helm of the Panthers, leading them to the tournament in two of the last three seasons, including last fall. There may not be a state tournament to aim for this season, but the philosophy doesn’t waiver.
“To keep building the program, we have to look at how hard we worked in the off-season, and I’d say that as a group this W-H team worked very hard in the offseason,” he said. “Now we just put all that hard work into a team effort and keep improving each day together.”
The departure of League All-Stars and two-year captains, Stevie Kelly and Jason Broduer, left immense voids for W-H. Brodeur, who is now at Endicott College, paced the Panthers with 17 goals last season, while Kelly anchored the defense and was named to the EMass all-state team. Fellow captain and netminder Andrew Sullivan also graduated. The trio has passed the torch to now-seniors Peyton Collins, Dalton Desrocher, Brendan Nehiley and junior Sean McAlpine this fall.
“They all bring great leadership intangibles to the team, and each has something different to add to the group,” Leahy said of his captains this season. “This is an extremely hard time to be a captain, [but] they have been outstanding thus far.”
Senior Randy Elfman has replaced Sullivan in goal.
“Using Sully’s example, Randy worked extremely hard since the end of last fall to make himself into the best goalie he could, and he definitely has improved a lot,” Leahy said. “He looks to have a strong senior season.”
W-H will be back on the pitch Tuesday, Oct. 27 at home against Silver Lake at 4 p.m.
“[We] are a unified team that works hard each and every day,” Leahy said. “I’d like to see this continue.”
Boys’ cross country (3-0) ran past Hingham, 21-34, on Thursday, Oct. 15. Senior captain Theo Kamperides (16:57) and junior Nathan Tassey (17:21) finished first and second overall to pace the Panthers to victory.
Girls’ cross country (1-2) fell to Hingham, 22-39, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Junior captain Myah Kamperides placed second with a time of 20:48 in the loss.
Field hockey (0-5) was shut out by Hanover, 2-0, on Thursday, Oct. 15. Senior captain Noelle Cornetta was stout on defense in the defeat.
Boys’ golf (1-8) was upended by Plymouth North, 266-278, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Senior captain Aidan Miller and junior Chris Ross both shot a 44 in the loss. … The next day, W-H was clipped by Duxbury, 228-237. Senior Graham Stewart carded a 3-over par 37 and tied for match medalist in the setback.
Boys’ soccer (2-3) fell to Silver Lake, 3-1, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Senior captain Brendan Nehiley had the W-H goal. … On Friday, Nehiley scored right before the half and Dave Leahy’s club held on for the 1-0 win against Plymouth North.
Girls’ soccer (4-0-1) scored three second-half goals to top Silver Lake, 5-2, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Junior Olivia Borgen had two goals in the win, while sophomore Kayla Cassidy, senior Liv Montes and junior Kelsee Wozniak added single tallies. … On Friday, Borgen found the back of the net for her second goal of the night with three minutes remaining to send W-H past Plymouth North, 3-2. Senior captain Alexis Billings also scored, while junior Ava Melia turned in a full 80 minutes on defense.
Girls’ volleyball (1-4) rallied past Silver Lake, 3-1, on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Senior captain Sophia Berardinelli (26 assists) and junior captain Lily Welch (14 kills) led the way for the Panthers. … On Thursday, W-H was swept by Plymouth North, 3-0. The set scores were: 19-25, 23-25 and 14-25.
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Junior captain Lily Welch. / Photo by: Sue Moss
For second-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball head coach Samantha Richner, there are a bevy of reasons this fall feels different than last.
“I do feel more confident and comfortable with the team,” she said. “To me, we feel like a family. I am very excited for this season and the team we have. I think we have great potential.”
In her first year at the helm last season, Richner guided the Panthers to a 12-9 record and their first tournament appearance since 2016. This season, they return many of their key contributors from that postseason run — headlined by junior captain and middle hitter Lily Welch (89 kills, 57 solo blocks, 13 block assists and five aces last season).
“Lily is a player that I could talk about all day,” Richner said. “She is so gifted and so determined and so dedicated to the sport and to the team.
“All of our front-row players are powerhouses with amazing ability. We plan to use that to our advantage for hitting as well as blocking.”
Senior setters Sophia Berardinelli (248 assists, 22 aces and 14 kills last season) and Caileen Hurley also captain the club.
“Sophia is an all-around athlete and an all-star player,” Richner said. “We are able to put Sophia anywhere on the court and feel confident in her ability.”
“Caileen is a solid player who we all rely on. She is going to leave a big whole in this program when she graduates.”
Junior middle hitter Abby Martin (94 kills and 40 solo blocks last season) is another returnee for the Panthers.
“I am looking forward to watching Abby continue to grow this season,” Richner said. “As a junior and returning varsity player, she is already assuming the role of a leader. Abby, obviously, shines when she is on the court, so it is exciting to have her for two more seasons.”
As for losses, Maya Faich undoubtedly left the biggest void. The Panthers’ team MVP and lone league all-star last season, Faich led the club with 244 digs from her post at libero. She didn’t go far though, as she’s assumed the reins of the freshmen team this fall.
“Taking her spot this year is junior Izzy Baker,” Richner explained. “Izzy is a new addition, but you would never know it. Izzy has been so impressive to us all, and she fits right in.”
W-H will be back on the court Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. when it hosts Duxbury.
“Our goal is to play hard and have a successful season, all while staying safe,” Richner said.
Here is a look back on Week 2:
Boys’ cross country (2-0) ran past Plymouth North, 18-41, on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Senior captains Theo Kamperides (15:00) and Liam Cafferty (15:12) finished first and second, respectively.
Girls’ cross country (1-1) placed four of the top five runners to down Plymouth North, 19-38, on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Junior captain Myah Kamperides led the way with a first-place finish at 18:16, while senior Izzy Amado (2nd, 18:52), junior Anna Flynn (4th, 19:57) and senior captain Bryn Miller (5th, 20:20) finished in the top five.
Field hockey (0-4) suffered a 2-1 setback to Duxbury on Monday, Oct. 5. Junior Olivia Phelps scored the goal for W-H. … On Wednesday, the Panthers were blanked by Hingham, 3-0. … W-H capped its week with a 3-1 loss on the road against Notre Dame Academy (of Hingham) on Friday. Senior captain Lauren Clark had the goal off assists from Phelps and classmate Lauren Dunn.
Boys’ golf (1-6) was clipped by Silver Lake, 262-267, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Panthers senior captain Aidan Miller led all scorers with a 2-over par 38. … Brian Dempsey’s squad finally got into the win column on Wednesday, topping North Quincy, 256-272, on the strength of a 4-over-par-38 showing from Miller. … On Thursday, W-H lost to Hingham, 250-279, despite junior Pat McBroom carding a 3-over par 39.
Boys’ soccer (1-2) allowed four second-half goals and fell to Marshfield, 4-0, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. … On Thursday, W-H dropped a heartbreaker to Hingham, 1-0, on a Harbormen goal in the 77th minute.
Girls’ soccer (2-0-1) received goals from junior Kelsee Wozniak and sophomore Kayla Cassidy en route to a 2-1 victory over Marshfield on Tuesday, Oct. 6. … On Thursday, Wozniak found the back of the net with 3:37 remaining, as W-H rallied to tie Hingham, 2-2. Sophomore Ella Nagle had the first Panthers goal.
Girls’ volleyball (0-3) dropped a nailbiter to Marshfield, 3-2, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The set scores were: 17-25, 25-12, 25-24, 25-27 and 13-15. Junior Abby Martin led W-H with eight kills, while junior captain Lily Welch registered seven. Senior captain Sophia Berardinelli posted six aces and 22 assists. … On Thursday, the Panthers were swept by Hingham, 3-0. Welch paced W-H in kills (five) and blocks (eight).
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