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Season Preview: New girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker aiming to continue winning ways

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New girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker is looking to build on the program’s past success– and more.

After spending the past four years as a referee, AC Decker is looking forward to leading the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ lacrosse program this spring.

“I’ve been working on development of goalies,” said Decker, whose spent many years working with the Hingham and Norwell lacrosse programs. “I’ve been involved in growing programs, so it seems like a good fit for me at Whitman-Hanson.”

And the Panthers are certainly a growing program, having made the tournament four out of the past five seasons under the tutelage of former head coach Dave Rowell, despite playing a rigorous Patriot League schedule.

“My goal is to do at least the minimum of what they’ve been doing,” Decker said. “They have a really good base.”

Decker said he’s looking to build on the foundation Rowell poured, while implementing a few of his own tweaks.

“An example (of a tweak) on defense is how to hold the stick,” said the first-year head coach. “They tended to hold the stick straight up or tipped forward, and I want the bottom hand out and the stick tipped backward.

“On offense, everybody can play lefty and righty. They’re more comfortable typically with their right hand. So if they catch the ball in their right hand, heading toward the defender, the defender checks it and they lose the ball and that’s been happening. So I’m really pushing them to use the outside hand, no matter what hand it is.”

Coming off a 10-10 season, which included a tournament win, the Panthers were hit hard by graduation. They lost Kasey Molito (their single-season saves leader) in net, Lauren Bonavita (team-high 67 goals) and defenders Cam Boyce and Camille Miller. Senior captain Annika Putur was their only returning defender, and she’s out for the season with a torn ACL.

Freshman Joli Flamos and junior Marissa Connell are likely to anchor the Panthers on defense. The position behind them, goalie, is a three-way battle between senior Marie Foscaldo, junior Brooke Beauregard and freshman Ava Barry.

While the defense is a bit uncertain, the offense is not. Senior captain and attacker Zoe Lydon (30 goals and 23 assists) and junior midfielder Riley Bina (29 goals and 21 assists) will shoulder the load.

“I see them definitely as key contributors,” Decker said. “We can strike pretty quickly, which is something I focused on. We’ve really worked on where to position yourself. When the transitions have occurred, they’re done it really well.”

Senior captain and attack Samantha Whitman and sophomore midfielder Savannah Poirier should both also contribute on offense as well.

The Panthers will be back in action Thursday, April 4 at 4 p.m. at Hingham.

“I’m looking for the girls to implement 85 percent of what I taught them,” Decker said. “I think we’ll do well with that. We have some pretty competitive teams early on. My goal is to be the best team we can the first day of the playoffs.”

Season Preview: Boys’ tennis team grows

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Courtesy photo

The Panthers have 10 freshmen on the roster this season.

Growing the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ tennis team’s numbers was a universal goal heading into last offseason. So far, so good.

This spring, there were 17 kids, 10 of whom were freshmen, that showed up to tryouts and made the team. There were 10 players in total on the roster last season.

“I was so excited [to see the high turnout] because to me that shows we’re building so much in the program,” said second-year head coach Alyssa Hayes, whose team finished 5-12 last season. “All of the returning players really tried to get new players to come and play.”

Hayes credited the summer tennis program run by Sue Moss, an assistant coach on the girls’ team, for the spike in numbers as well.

“I know that also helps the athletes,” Hayes said. “That helps give them a nice place to play tennis and the hope is they return in the spring.”

With such a young roster comes development.

“The 10 of them (freshmen) are new to tennis or have been playing but this is their first time being on a team for tennis,” Hayes explained. “We’re working on the basics like how to serve, how to hit cross court, how to have the best backhand grip and how to score.”

The upperclassmen are also lending a helping hand and benefiting at the same time.

“It has been really nice to see experienced players work with younger players to get everyone improving,” Hayes said. “Even the experienced players improve from working with the younger players because they bring something new to the team as well.”

For the Panthers, improvement is key this season. They return just two starters with the graduation of five key seniors from last spring.

Junior captain Brian Fox developed into a force for W-H last season. He rallied off four straight victories at one point and played a key role in the Panthers’ three-game winning streak to end the campaign. He moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1.

“He’s been holding that strong so far,” Hayes said. “He’s just so positive, so organized, he really brings consistency. He reminds the kids when practice is or he’s always there getting them stretched and started. He’s a good role model.”

A starter in doubles last season, senior Matt Hickey will be the Panthers No. 2 singles player.

“He has truly stepped up and fought his way into second singles,” Hayes said. “I am looking forward to seeing him play in the new position.”

The other spots are really up for grabs right now.

“We’re still competing, but they’re doing awesome,” Hayes said. “They’re going head to head every practice. I do have a few freshmen that are contending for that top-seven spot, too.”

The Panthers begin the season Monday, April 8 at 4 p.m. at home against Sandwich.

“I just want to build some consistency, to build some good routine” Hayes said. “I think for a lot of them, it’s new. I want to see how they do transferring their skills from practice to matches.”

Season Review: Boys’ basketball courts success

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ basketball team finished the year 18-7, including a pair of playoff wins.

Once again, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team was tasked with replacing its entire starting five at the outset of the season. Once again, it was no problem as the Panthers marched to their 11th straight tournament appearance.

“It sets the foundation for future teams to build on,” said 19-year head coach Bob Rodgers, whose team finished the year 18-7. “It’s now an expectation that we’re gonna make the state tournament.”

However, unlike last season, the Panthers advanced in the tournament, winning their first two games as the eight seed. In the first round of the Div. 2 South playoffs, they knocked off ninth-ranked Dennis-Yarmouth, 60-57, followed by a win over top-seeded Randolph, 60-51, in the quarterfinals.

“I didn’t really know what to expect going into the season,” Rodgers said. “It was really a case of a really balanced team. We didn’t have anyone who scored 15 or 20 points per game. I couldn’t be more happy than what this team accomplished and how we grew from the beginning of the year to where we were at the end.”

In their third trip to the semifinals in the past four seasons, they succumbed to second-ranked New Mission, 79-70, in overtime.

The Panthers were indeed led by a balanced effort on offense with five players contributing 5.5 ppg or more.

“We didn’t have any inside presence, in terms of pounding it into a post player, but we really got to the hoop really well,” Rodgers said. “We had a lot of guys that could drive and knock down the 3 really well.”

The Panthers certainty did knock down the 3 ball really well. After connecting on just 149 triples last season, one that Rodgers coined an apparition, they sunk around 200 this year.

Junior Ben Rice scorer led the 3-point barrage with around 50. He also led the team in scoring with over 11.6 ppg.

“Ben is an absolute gym rat,” Rodgers said. “He’s always in the gym working on his shot. He had steady improvement in his game in terms of becoming a better defender and becoming someone we can rely on to do more than just shoot the ball.”

With an ability to get into the lane for a quick two and knock down a shot from beyond the arc, sophomore Cole LeVangie produced close to 10 ppg, which was good for second on the team.

“He can handle the ball and can shoot it,” Rodgers said. “He’s very unselfish and plays a total team basketball game.”

Junior Stevie Kelly was a sparkplug at the point for the Panthers’ offense, delivering over 130 assists on the season and averaging right around 8.3 ppg.

“He’s just a hard-nosed, tough player who can affect the game on both ends of the court,” Rodgers said. “He’s a terrific defensive player. He’s physically stronger than most guards he goes up against. He was an outstanding player for us this year.”

Rodgers said he knows exactly what he is looking for from his players this offseason.

“It’s going to take the entire group to committing to getting stronger and basically playing the game together, and still improving our shooting and still improving our basketball skill,” said the coach. “It’s going to depend on which guys are bringing guys into the gym with them, not just going into the gym themselves.”

Whitman-Hanson Express Postseason Accolades: Winter Sports

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Athletes of the Season

Boys’ basketball: Stevie Kelly | Junior – From playing sparingly last season, Kelly worked his way up the depth chart and was a force on both ends of the court this winter. The point guard was third on the team in scoring at around 8 ppg and was tops in assists with over 130.

 

 

Girls’ basketball: Kathryn Dunn | Senior – The senior captain finished her Whitman-Hanson career a two-time team MVP and two-time Patriot League All-Star. The 5-foot-9 stretch forward paced the Panthers in points (11.5 ppg), rebounds (8 rpg) and steals (2.2 spg) this season. She will play at Curry.

 

 

Boys’ hockey: Owen Manning | Senior – Selected as both a Shriners and Patriot League All-Star, the forward tallied six goals and tied for the team lead with 14 assists. The senior served as an assistant captain.

 

 

Girls’ hockey: Emily McDonald | Sophomore – The sophomore forward was a staple on WHSL’s first line. A captain-elect, she ranked second on the team with 15 points, courtesy of six goals and nine assists.

 

 

Boys’ indoor track: Brandon Hager | Junior – The Panthers’ top scorer, he set personal bests in the 1,000-meter run (2:50.18) and 1-mile run (4:49.42). At the Patriot League championships, the junior placed second in the 2-mile run and was part of the second-place 4×400 relay team.

 

 

Girls’ indoor track: Ally Bartlett | Senior – The senior captain scored nearly 40 percent of the Panthers’ points this season. The team MVP, Bartlett posted team-bests in the hurdles (9.34 seconds), long jump (15-4) and shot put (26-4.5).

 

 

Wrestling: Damari Goldsmith-Greene | Sophomore – Goldsmith-Greene placed in four tournaments. A South sectional finalist at 138 pounds, he led the team with 120 points and 29 wins. He added seven pins.

 

 

Girls’ swimming/diving: Maddie Navicky | Junior – A three-time South Shore League All-Star and two-time team MVP, Navicky led the co-op in scoring. She was also a sectional and state qualifier.

 

 

Gymnastics: Sarah Bombardier | Junior – The junior earned the co-op’s top score of the season (32.55) and earned a 31.69 all-around meet average.

 

 

Coach of the Season

Boys’ hockey: Chris Googins – In the third season of his second stint with the boys’ hockey team, Googins brought the Panthers to the MIAA tournament for the first time since 2013. Googins said after the season: “It’s happening. Kids are actually taking the sport seriously and realizing that you got to play the game and train for the game year-round if you want to compete.”

 

*All photos by Sue Moss

Season Review: Boys’ hockey team leaves Googins with many reasons to be proud

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Many stepped up this season to push the Panthers to their first tournament appearance since 2013. / Photo by: Sue Moss

After the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team fell to Westwood, 5-1, in the first round of the Division 2 South Sectional tournament, head coach Chris Googins had a simple message for his team.

“I told them, ‘Don’t underestimate what we achieved as a team this year. It was a few years since we’ve been to the tournament. There were a lot of good things that were accomplished this year,’” said the ninth-year coach, in his third season of his second stint with W-H.

A few years is an understatement. It had been since 2013 when the Panthers last made the playoffs. After coming within two points last season, they made it by one point this time around with a 10-9-1 mark.

“The big difference is there was a little bit more depth this year,” Googins said. “There’s some kids that emerged. A lot more depth was the key to it and when we did have injures this year, there were kids that stepped up and filled the voids and we moved on.”

Some games the Panthers were even able to roll out a third line featuring sophomore Josh Pike and juniors Calvin Cooper and Reed Watson.

“It’s the first time in my three years [back] here I can actually say we played at times three lines,” Googins said. “They did a real nice job.”

The Panthers’ top line was where, of course, they received a bulk of their production. Junior Adam Solari paced the Panthers with 10 goals and 14 assists and classmate Chris Stoddard was close behind with 13 goals and 10 assists.

“Adam had a nice season offensively,” Googins said. “When given time and space, he’s pretty creative.

“Chris Stoddard had multiple games with multiple goals. It was to absolute no surprise he could do that. He’s a gritty little kid who has good hockey IQ. He’s a very deceptive player.”

Senior assistant captain and forward Owen Manning was also a playmaker up front, potting six goals and dishing out 14 assists. Along with being one of two Panthers league all-stars, he was selected a Shriners All-Star Classic participant.

Senior captain Ed Scriven (11 goals and 12 assists) started the season on the first line but converted to defense to fill a void. He was also named a league all-star. Behind Scriven, sophomore goalie Bobby Siders, a transfer from Archbishop Williams, emerged as a rock. He held Duxbury, the eventual Division 1 state champion, to three goals over six periods of action and won consecutive do-or-die games down the stretch.

“He was given the opportunity to come in and earn the starting job, which he did,  and for the most part he was steady,” Googins said of Siders.

Googins said he can visualize Whitman-Hanson hockey becoming a contender in the not so distant future. It all starts in the spring.

“The kids are really buying into the importance of how much you have to work in the offseason and getting out of your comfort zone,” he said. “Whether it’s working out or whether it’s trying to play high-level hockey in the offseason to compete with surrounding towns. It’s happening. Kids are actually taking this sport seriously and realizing that you got to play the game and train for the game year-round if you want to compete.”

Season Review: For WHSL, ‘We’re so close’

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WHSL skated to a four-win season. Photo by: Sue Moss

Inconsistency. It was a thorn in the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey team’s side all season.

“We’ll play two really good periods and have one really bad period and every time we had a really bad period, it hurt us,” said fourth-year WHSL head coach Kevin Marani, whose team finished the winter 4-13-2.

The co-op’s youth played a large factor in its inability to string together a full three periods. Fifteen of its 19 skaters were either freshmen or sophomores. They dropped five games by two goals or less. Wins came against Stoughton (twice), Quincy/North Quincy and Shawsheen.

“I said to the girls, ‘We’re so close. Once you start to win, it becomes a habit,’” Marani said. “We had a ton of one-goal games, two-goal games with an empty net.”

The Panthers did make strides from last season, doubling their win total, upping their points total from four to 10 and potting 62 goals as opposed to 31.

Back with WHSL  after playing club hockey last season, junior captain Alyssa Murphy (Kingston) was a force on offense, netting 27 goals and dishing out 15 assists. She was in on 67 percent of the team’s tallies.

“She’s such a good talent,” Marani said. “Her talent speaks for herself. She was very unselfish, all about the team. Everything she does is team first. “

Sophomore Emily McDonald (Whitman) was second on the team with 15 points (6 goals and 9 assists). Not only did she play on the same line as Murphy, but she’ll serve as a captain with her next season as well.

“She’s another great kid,” Marani said. “She’s a leader. She is a quiet girl that leads by example. She is probably the hardest working player on our team. Every practice she is there. She is exactly what we want from every single player. If we had 20 Emily’s we’d be very, very good.”

Surprisingly enough, Marani said the strength of the team was defense. To be strong on defense, you need a steady presence in net, and sophomore Kat Gilbert (Halifax) provided that, turning away 481 shots.

“Kat is becoming a really goalie,” Marani said. “She is one of the better goalies in the league and that is a big part because she was committed. A lot of her issues were concentration.”

Freshmen Lilly Ulvila (Kingston) and Abby Powers (Kingston) provided the Panthers with a look into the future. The two combined for 11 goals and 10 assists.

Marani said he has the same expectations heading into the offseason as he did coming into this year.

“We should make the state tournament next year,” said the coach. “If we don’t, it’s going to be a disappointment.”

Season Review: Boys’ indoor track a ‘dedicated’ team

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The boys’ track team finished 2-3.

In Mike Driscoll’s 20-plus years coaching track at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, this winter’s boys’ team holds a special place in his heart.

Not only is it his last, but it is one of the most dedicated groups he’s coached.

“I was telling some of the coaches that this is one of the hardest working groups we’ve had,” said Driscoll, who is stepping away from track to spend more time with his family. “They never complained and they just went about their business every day and it makes going to practice a lot of fun.”

It’s that sort of attitude that payed off for many of the Panthers.

Senior captain Billy Martell embodied selflessness and hard work. Already one of the best sprinters in the Patriot League, Martell took on the shot put, and flourished.

“At the beginning of the year we circled the shot put and said, ‘I don’t know how we’ll be,’” recalled Driscoll. “He goes, ‘Nah, I’ll be alright.’”

He was alright, finishing sixth at the Patriot League championships with a throw of over 41-feet-1 1/2 inches. Junior Pat Bui was another sprinter who took on the shot put, finishing eighth at the Patriot League championships with a throw of 37-feet-8 inches.

“He had a great season,” said Driscoll. “It was huge for us.”

Senior Kyle O’Brien burst onto the scene for the Panthers, who finished 2-3, posting a career year, capped by a ninth-place performance in the 600-meter run in the Div. 3 championships with a time of 1:28.35.

“He stepped it up,” said Driscoll. “He told us before the year that he was going to have a good year and he really worked his tail off to be good and it was awesome to see. Meet after meet he would get better and better. He was dedicated to his craft.”

Sophomore Theo Kamperides and junior Brandon Hager, two crossovers from cross country, were huge for the Panthers. Kamperides had a pair of wins in the 2-mile run.

“He was a great addition to the winter team,” Driscoll said of Kamperides. “He carried it over from the great pace that he had and he had a really good year. He ran with everybody and never backed down.”

Hager starred in the 1-mile run.

“Brandon had a lot of depth,” Driscoll said. “He’s just kind of tapping the surface of how good he can be as a runner. I really feel like those kids are going to jell in the fall. He works so hard in the races that you just see it in the guys he’s racing like, ‘Oh boy this guy’s not going to go away.’ And he doesn’t. He’s got a lot of depth.”

Driscoll said the highlight of the winter came Jan. 4 in a 51-48 victory over Pembroke, where the 4×200 relay team of Bui, Martell, fellow seniors Sean Kukauskas and Nic Fernandes clinched the win.

“That was a huge win for us,” Driscoll said. “That was a big night for the kids. [Pembroke] is someone we all respect in the track world, and to beat them was a cool thing.”

While Driscoll won’t be back next season, he said he believes the program only get better.

“I think they’re in good shape,” Driscoll said. “I think they’ll continue to grow. I think they’ll continue to get better and the numbers will grow.

“I told all the coaches, ‘I’m always going to be pushing Whitman-Hanson track. It’s in my blood forever and anything I can do to help them I will.’”

Season Review: No quit in girls’ basketball team

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The Panthers before the anthem. / Photo by: Sue Moss

W-H finished the season at 12-10.

Shortly into its first practice, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team was dealt a major blow. Senior co-captain Erin Leahy went down with an injury.

Leahy, who was a Patriot League All-Star last season after missing a chunk of her sophomore campaign with a torn ACL, was expected to be a major contributor. She wouldn’t see the floor all season.

It took the Panthers a few games to find their rhythm, stumbling out of the gate to an 0-2 record. After that second loss, 42-34 to Hingham, sixth-year head coach Jenna Olem remained assured her team would figure it out.

“We’re gonna be better than you think,” she said at the time. “It’s a work in progress.”

She was right. The Panthers locked down wins in their next five games. Two of those wins came in the Hoosac Valley tournament, as the Panthers knocked off the host Hurricanes (this season’s D3 Western Mass champions) and Greenfield (this season’s D3 Western Mass. runner-up).

The Panthers first league test was a matchup against Duxbury, and an Ann O’Neill 3-pointer sent them to victory.

W-H ended league play at 7-7. It had both Plymouth North and Duxbury, in its rematch, on the ropes, but just couldn’t finish them off.

The Panthers capped the season with wins over Abington (44-25) and Rockland (59-53), two tournament teams, to claim the Shawn Cotter Invitational Tournament. The Panthers, who allowed 37.5 points per game during their last six regular-season contests, set out to win at least one in-season tournament this winter and they won both.

In the D1 South tournament, the 11th-seeded Panthers succumbed to sixth-seeded Mansfield in a nail bitter, 45-41, finishing 12-10 on the year.

W-H was paced by the play of senior forward Kathryn Dunn (11.5 ppg , 8 rpg and 3.5 apg) and junior Britany Gacicia (8.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg) this season, both of whom league all-stars. O’Neill, juniors Olivia Martin (third on team with 6.6 ppg) and Hannah Damon (second on team with 2.5 apg) and sophomore Reese Codero all stepped up in spurts.

Jenna Olem out as girls’ basketball and softball head coach at Whitman-Hanson

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Veteran Whitman-Hanson Regional High two-sport head coach Jenna Olem announced yesterday she will not be returning to the school for the upcoming softball campaign and is done coaching the girls’ basketball team as well.

“I am almost overwhelmed from everything I learned from so many different people, about coaching, about relationships, about life,” Olem wrote in a tweet. “Although my time coaching at W-H has come to an end, I am confident I will take all of these experiences with me.”

The reason for her departure can only be speculated, but W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers told the Express she resigned yesterday.

“We appreciate everything Jenna has done for our school, and I enjoyed watching her grow as a coach during her time at Whitman-Hanson,” Rodgers said.

Olem took the reins of both the girls’ basketball and softball teams in the 2013 school year. She had the softball team in the tournament that year, and took the basketball team to the playoffs the following season. Overall, she compiled 120 wins combined as the coach of both sports.

This past season was perhaps her best yet at the helm of the basketball team, taking a team that lost league all-star, co-captain and starting point guard Erin Leahy 15 minutes into the first practice and going 12-10 on the season. The Panthers entered the tournament as the 11 seed and hung with sixth-seeded Mansfield, before falling 45-41.

W-H played the roll of underdog often during Olem’s tenure, but always seemed to thrive. In 2015, her softball team stunned Bridgewater-Raynham (18-2 at the time), 4-1, in the first round.

Coaches from all around took to Twitter in the wake of Olem’s departure:

The softball season gets underway in less than two weeks.

Season Review: Girls’ indoor track team put forth strong effort

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The Panthers set many individual marks.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ indoor track team, the record wasn’t there, but the effort was.

The Panthers, despite an 0-5 mark on the season, did what they could.

“Indoor track is always a tough sell because we train in the cold and there are, admittedly, other options for the student-athletes,” said head coach Steve George. “I couldn’t have been more pleased with their efforts.”

George credited the 0-5 campaign to a lack of depth. The Panthers had nearly 40 participants, which is low compared to the rest of the Patriot League.

“We are rarely shut out in any single event, but while we have one athlete scoring, our opponents have two,” said George, whose team dropped three meets by 18 points or less. “It’s tough to win when you’re outmanned to that degree.”

The Panthers did still have their share of wins, even if they didn’t show up in their record.

“Victories for a team like ours come every week in individual events, so each time we compete there are bright spots,” George said. “We were competitive each week overall.”

Junior Courtney Woodward was one of many bright spots for W-H.

“[She] moved from distance to mid-distance this year and ran the team’s best times in the 300- and 600-meter runs, along with jumping in with our 4×200 and 4×400 at times, [and] was a major contributor,” George said. “The switch to mid-distance, which she suggested following last year’s campaign, was the right move at the right time for both Courtney and the team.”

Just a sophomore, Izzy Amado was a key contributor.

“In my opinion, [she’s] the strongest athlete since Samantha Coletti graduated three years ago,” George said. “Izzy is a very good miler, an extraordinary 1,000-meter runner and closes the gap or extends the lead in incredible fashion in every relay she enters. One of our spring heptathletes.”

Amado’s classmate, Anna Sullivan, was also strong in bevy of events and is another spring track heptathlete.

“[She’s] our top miler and two miler and anchors our 4×400 and 4×800 relays,” George said. “Just a gifted distance runner who impressed in her first indoor season.”

George coined Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue as a ‘senior who can do it all.’

“She can sprint, hurdle, high jump, long jump and run mid-distance and relay events,” George said. “[She] competes in both the indoor pentathlon and spring heptathlon and is a leader in track and in the classroom.”

Senior captain Ally Bartlett was W-H top points getter, scoring nearly 40 percent of the team’s points.

“[She is] the team’s best in hurdles, long jump and shot put,” George said. “Also a pentathlete/heptathlete and team MVP and Commitment Award recipient.”

George said his vision for the program remain unwavered.

“The goal is to increase participation and with more athletes, achieve greater success in competition,” he said. “Our kids are out there spreading the word that track is not all work, it can be a lot of fun, too.

“What I always hear is that kids just don’t want to put in the effort involved in the sport. While that may apply to some, I don’t think it can be universally applied to our students. All I hope for is that kids will try it, then decide. Nearly 50 years ago I did and fell in love with the sport.”