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Season Review: Boys’ soccer meets challenges

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The boys’ soccer team huddles up. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team was a tough out this season.

Proud.  

It’s what fourth-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy is of his club following this past fall. 

“We faced challenges that no Whitman-Hanson team has ever had to endure, but each and every one of these players met the challenges of this 2020 COVID season,” Leahy said. “We have really turned a corner in our program where we expect to now be in every game. This group further put in the minds of our opponents that facing the Panthers is a very difficult challenge.” 

The Panthers finished the season with a 6-7 record, which included a 2-1 win over Hanover in the first round of the Patriot Cup before falling to Duxbury, 3-2, in double overtime the following game. The Panthers lost four games by just one goal. They were defeated by Duxbury, 2-1, in the regular season, dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker against Hingham in the 77th minute and fell to Marshfield, 2-1. 

“We really enjoyed our schedule in a shortened, uncertain season,” Leahy said. “Every single game was a playoff-like atmosphere. So, if we were going to have a shortened schedule, this was perfect for us to show what we can do and get better.” 

Leahy said his team’s strength was its courage. 

“Our style of soccer we have created at Whitman-Hanson takes a lot of bravery to play correctly against top competition,” said the head coach. “We showed that we are brave enough to play our game against anyone.” 

Senior captains Peyton Collins and Brendan Nehiley set the tone for the Panthers this fall. 

A forward, Nehiley scored a team-high five goals to go along with five assists and was named a Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star. Leahy said Nehiley’s summertime job landscaping played a big part in his success. 

“This grown up maturity and physical strength he gained from this made him ready to help lead our group and be stronger to make a real presence known in each game,” Leahy said. “Brendan put this strength and maturity on display this season. He will be missed.” 

Collins, who returned to the team last year after spending his sophomore season at Boston College High, will also be missed. The midfielder netted four goals and dished out a team-high six assists and was tabbed an EMSCA All-Star.  

“Peyton brings professionalism in how he approaches every single part of our training sessions and our games,” Leahy explained. “His will to compete every second was his best quality he passed on to our team, and his intelligence on the ball will be sorely missed.” 

Junior captain Sean McAlpine anchored the defense in front of the goalkeeping tandem of senior Randy Elfman and junior Ethan Smith. 

“Sean is a natural leader and his communication is second to none at his age,” Leahy said. “Sean and senior captain Dalton Desrocher really delivered this summer holding training sessions that were safe and competitive all summer long. Every other player played a big role in making us such a competitive team this season.”

And McAlpine, along with the likes of Jack Allen (junior midfielder), Alex Chichlowski (junior center back), Wesley Silva Marquez (sophomore striker)  and Jayden Stafford (junior midfielder) should play a big role in making the Panthers a competitive team next season. 

“We needed to go out and prove ourselves each and every game and every practice,” Leahy said. “We hope to carry this chip on our shoulders next season as well.

“We achieved our main goal of staying healthy during this pandemic, and we kept pushing our program to demand respect in this very tough division. Next fall, we start all over again.”

Season Review: Boys’ golf stays the course during shortened season

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The boys’ golf team before its match against North Quincy. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team head coach Brian Dempsey said the shortened season helped build his club’s character.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team was just excited to have a season. 

“We came into this season, first of all, without even knowing if we’d get to play, so I was thrilled to give the kids, especially the seniors, a chance for a season, even if it was abbreviated,” said ninth-year head coach Brian Dempsey. 

The Panthers finished the abbreviated campaign 1-10 and part of that can be attributed to their tough schedule. Due to the pandemic, they squared off against Patriot League Keenan Division foes Duxbury, Hingham, Marshfield, Plymouth North and Silver Lake twice apiece and dropped each match. W-H’s lone win came in a crossover contest against North Quincy (256-272). 

“Of course it’s never easy to have to play all the top contenders of the league in a season, where every match you are considered the underdog, but to an extent, I feel like that helped to lessen the pressure of the season for us,” Dempsey said. “We knew that we were supposed to lose on paper, but we were able to produce some pretty competitive and impressive scores along the way. I think what hurt us most this season is the lack of experience.”

Senior captain Aidan Miller was the Panthers’ only four-year starter and he finished his career strong, as he was named W-H league all-star.

“His consistent and steady play made him our most reliable player by far, but also will leave a huge gap for us next year in the lineup,” Dempsey said. “We will not be able to replace Aidan, but I am so appreciative of everything he stood for and done for our program over the past four years.”

Fellow seniors Graham Stewart and Nick Daly, along with juniors Matt Casarano, Pat McBroom and Chris Ross were also contributors for W-H. 

Dempsey said the Panthers’ strength was their mental approach on the course. 

“Although there were clear moments of frustration and excitement along the way, overall, the team rolled with the highs and lows, appreciating the opportunities and enjoying the chance to fit the season in,” he said. 

Dempsey said despite the Panthers’ record he was pleased with his club this season.

“This year we tried not to put too much pressure on ourselves, knowing that we didn’t have as much experience in matches as previous years; however, we looked at it as somewhat of a challenge to take those opportunities and get the most out of them,” Dempsey said. “This year, I can definitely say that our team is filled with character, potential, and way more talent than our record indicated.”

Season Review: Girls’ cross country ran tough

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The Panthers. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ cross country team finished the season 2-3.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ cross country team, it did what it could with what it had. 

The Panthers had just 19 runners, but were still able to find some success, posting a 2-3 record. 

“Overall, while I was disappointed with the numbers, I was pleased with the performances, effort and attitudes of each member of the team,” said seventh-year head coach Steve George. “As a team, we had only two wins, but almost every girl improved each time out. That adds up to a lot of personal victories.”

W-H beat Plymouth North (19-38) and Duxbury (15-45), but fell to Silver Lake (25-32), Hingham (22-39) and Marshfield (17-46). 

“The level of competition in the Patriot League, especially on the girls’ side, is extremely high,” George explained. “Marshfield, Hingham and Silver Lake were all top 20 teams in the state coming into the season. Our kids competed with each of them and lost, not through lack of effort.”

Junior Myah Kamperides was the Panthers’ top runner, legging out two first-place finishes, a second and a third. Kamperides was named a league all-star for the second straight fall and George said she’s only scratching the surface of her potential.

“Myah had enormous success as a sophomore and faced better competition this year and was still an impact Patriot League runner,” George said. “She loves to run. She loves to compete. But our inability to create a consistent strength training program due to the pandemic hurt Myah as it did all our girls in my opinion. We plan to incorporate a great deal of strength training into Myah’s regimen and now, after her second year of distance running, turn it up a notch to get her ready for what I know will be an incredible senior year.”

An indoor track all-star last season, senior Izzy Amado joined the cross country team this fall and provided a big boost, finishing the year as W-H’s No. 2 runner, while earning league all-star status. 

“I was pleasantly surprised when Isabelle Amado decided to join the team,” George said. “She has been an excellent track-and-field runner over the years and I always felt that could translate to her becoming an outstanding cross country runner.”

George said the high point of the season was their victory over Duxbury on the road, but not just because of the result.

“Our girls took the top six spots for the win, followed by a classy act on the part of Duxbury which gave carnations to our senior girls and cheered our bus as we left,” George said. 

As he looks to the future, George sounds optimistic about his club’s potential.

“I expect Myah to be at the front of the pack again, and she will get some help from [juniors] Anna Flynn and Sara Boulger, who were among our top five most of the season,” George said. “We have some underclassmen with potential certainly, and I was extremely happy with our freshmen who should make an impact in the years to come.”

Preparing to play during a pandemic: Leahy trying to stay ready to hit the court

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Sean Leahy guards his man. / Courtesy photo

Sean Leahy is staying ready to hit the court in the midst of a pandemic.

Sean Leahy has no idea if he’ll get to take the court this year.

Leahy, who hails from Hanson, is a junior on the UMass Dartmouth men’s basketball team. The Corsairs’ season, which was scheduled to begin in November, has already been pushed to Jan. 16. But that’s not definite, as the Little East Conference is set to make a final decision on a winter campaign by Dec. 15, leaving Leahy and the rest of his team in limbo. 

“You don’t know how much work you want to put in if it’s not going to happen, but I mean you still prepare just in case,” Leahy said. 

Most of that preparation is done on his own time via an app with the team only conducting meetings virtually.

“Every three days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we have like a 45-minute workout,” Leahy explained. “It’s all weights and we have running stuff that we have to do.” 

As for on-the court drills, those are far and few between. Leahy estimates he’s picked up a basketball only about 10 times since school began in September. 

“During the summer, I played two or three times a week with friends in town,” Leahy said. “Now, no gyms are really open and high schools won’t let you in.” 

Leahy, a 6-foot-5 forward, is coming off a productive sophomore season, starting 26 games, scoring 8.1 points per game and corralling 6.6 rebounds per game. But with all this time off, he knows he’ll have to knock off some rust when he returns to the hardwood.

“You kind of lose that touch if you don’t play for that long, so I think jumping back into it is going to be tough without playing for six or seven months, like real pickup,” he said. 

The Corsairs finished last season with a 16-11 record, falling to Western Connecticut State University in the Little East championship game. Leahy said this winter, they’re expecting to be the last team standing. 

“We definitely want to win the conference championship, that’s a big one this year,” he said. “We kind of felt like it was our year. I think it was definitely our year, or is gonna be our year. We just gotta stay ready.

Season Review: A championship fall for boys’ cross country

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Led by its league all-stars, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ cross country team won the Patriot League title this season.

As freshmen, Liam Cafferty, Theo Kamperides and Chris MacDonald, all competed in the Patriot League cross country championships.

What was their head coach Steve George thinking watching them run?

“I couldn’t wait until they were seniors, they would be special,” George said. 

They did not disappoint. Now seniors, the trio of league all-stars paced the program to a perfect 5-0 record and its first Patriot League title since 2013.

Kamperides led the way, winning every race during the regular season and was named the League Keenan Division MVP for the second straight season.

“Theo has been consistent in practice, attentive to instruction and gives his full effort 100 percent of the time,” George said. “These traits make him an exemplary student-athlete and I’m absolutely certain of his continued future success.”

Cafferty and MacDonald, along with fellow league all-stars, juniors Gordon Johnson and Nathan Tassey, were clutch all season for W-H, especially against Marshfield. Each finished in the top-10, lifting the Panthers over the previously undefeated Rams in a nail biter, 26-29.

“It was their (Cafferty, MacDonald and Tassey’s) consistency, along with that of Theo and Gordon Johnson that made the difference this year,” George said. 

And with Johnson and Tassey back in the fold next season, George said he’s optimistic the program can sustain its success.

“Gordon Johnson and Nathan Tassey will certainly be among the best in the Patriot League,” George said. “We also are expecting [juniors] Jonny Young and Collin O’Sullivan to continue their improvement. And we have a very good group of freshmen. Just like four years ago, three of those freshmen, Gavin McCarthy, Logan Bourgelas and Shane Johnson, competed in the league championship meet.”

Changes for winter sports

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There are multiple changes to the winter sports season.

The winter sports season is a go — for some teams.

Basketball, ice hockey and gymnastics are set to begin on Dec. 14. Indoor track has been moved to Fall II, while cheerleading and wrestling were pushed back to the spring.

“The news hurts, but was expected,” said Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz. “At this point in time there really is not much that we can do to prepare for the season. I will continue to encourage everyone to step up whatever workouts they are currently doing. If the season does happen, we need to be in top shape going in so that we can work technique right from the start. I’m not sure what will be possible. I will do whatever I can to keep the team informed and ready to go if or when we get the green light.”

Girls’ indoor track head coach Steve George also wasn’t surprised his season was moved. The Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, where his team participates in meets, hasn’t held events since March.

“We’re taking advantage of every opportunity to keep our kids happy, healthy and conditioned though,” George said. “We’ve asked that athletes continue to work independently until then. I’m happy to report that quite a few are doing just that.”

As for the cheerleading team, which also had its fall season postponed, it’s doing what it can to stay together during an unprecedented time.

“Of course, it’s disappointing to hear that we will not be starting our season,” said head coach Alyssa Pietrasik. “We’ve still been meeting and conditioning on Fridays so it has been nice to stay connected and continue building our team community. If you look at it that way — we have all this extra time to build a bond for whenever we can cheer competitively again. When the season does start and things open back up, Whitman-Hanson varsity cheer will be ready.”

Cup full of action

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The regular season has come to a close and the postseason has begun. And with no state tournament to play in, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High athletic teams took their shots at the Patriot Cup.

Boys’ cross country, bolstered by senior captain Theo Kamperides’ (16:49) first-place finish, took first at the Patriot League championships on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Senior captain Liam Cafferty (fifth, 17:40), junior Nathan Tassey (seventh, 17:58) and senior captain Chris MacDonald (ninth, 18:15) finished in the top 10.

Girls’ cross country closed its season with a sixth-place finish at the Patriot League championship on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Junior captain Myah Kamperides paced W-H, finishing ninth overall with a time of 21:01.

Field hockey (2-9-1) shutout Marshfield, 1-0, in the first round of the Patriot Cup on Monday, Nov. 9. Junior forward Olivia Phelps found the back of the net, breaking a scoreless tie five minutes into the third quarter, off a feed from senior captain Lauren Clark. … On Wednesday, W-H’s run came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Silver Lake.

Boys’ soccer (6-7) kicked off cup play with a 2-1 win over Hanover on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Senior captain Brendan Nehiley and junior Jayden Stafford had the Panthers’ goals. … On Thursday, the W-H dropped a heartbreaker to Duxbury, 3-2, in double overtime. Senior captain Peyton Collins had both goals in the loss.

Girls’ soccer (9-2-2) dropped a 3-1 decision to Scituate on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Junior Ava Melia had the lone goal. … The Panthers lived to see another day though, since they were the two seed in the Keenan Division and made the most of it, knocking off Plymouth North, 1-0, in overtime on Saturday. Senior captain Alexis Billings scored the goal off a shot from fellow senior Anna Sullivan. Senior captains Kylee Colcough and Reese Codero combined for the shutout.

Girls’ volleyball (3-10) dominated Pembroke, 3-0, in the first round on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The set scores were: 25-18, 25-16 and 25-16. Juniors Abby Martin and Lily Welch paced the Panthers with six kills apiece. … On Thursday, W-H was knocked out by Plymouth North, 3-0. The set scores were: 21-25, 23-25 and 22-25. Senior captains Caileen Hurley and Sophia Berardinelli were standouts in the defeat.

*Express weekly roundups include scores from Sunday to Sunday. 

New boys’ hockey head coach Peters takes to radio airwaves

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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:

Boys’ cross country races to Patriot League Keenan title

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional high boys’ cross county team clinched its first league title in seven years with a win over Marshfield on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

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.”

Cranberry League proves beneficial for Cook

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With his college baseball season cut short due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Mike Cook got the work he needed from the Cranberry League.

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.”