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Erin Leahy back on the court

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Team quad-captain Erin Leahy (34) is making an impressive comeback from a serious knee injury last year. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball junior captain Erin Leahy has battled back from a torn ACL to be ready for the opener.

Sometimes, amid winning, the adversity overcome to get there can be forgotten.

Last February, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team, which was one win away from making the tournament at the time, hosted Pembroke. W-H was on fire in the early going, up 10-0, with six of those points coming from then-sophomore point guard Erin Leahy.

“In my head, I was thinking she was going to have a career night,” head coach Jenna Olem said as she reflected on the game.

But, things took a turn for the worse for Leahy. After snatching a steal, off the Panthers’ press, Leahy jump cut and went up for a routine layup, but her return down was anything but routine, as she hit the floor awkwardly and immediately went down in pain.

“I knew that something went wrong because I heard it pop,” Leahy said as she reflected on the injury. “I was so scared.”

Olem said the team was in a state of shock when Leahy, who has been struggling with knee problems for a while, went down, but it had to keep pushing forward, even if it was going to be without its floor general.

“When it actually happened, everyone was so focused on winning that clincher that we had to move on quickly and focus on the task at hand,” Olem recalled.

Leahy, with the help of the trainer, made it off the court and headed into the trainer’s office, where she was given ice and crutches, before returning to the sidelines. It was there where she watched her team finish off Pembroke, 63-32, securing its first tournament berth since the 2013-14 season.

With the team and Leahy holding out hope it wasn’t serious, she headed for an MRI a few days later, and the results: a torn left ACL, sidelining her for the rest of the season.

Classmate, friend since kindergarten and familiar face on the basketball court since third grade, Kathryn Dunn, said the news was devastating.     

“I was crushed because that meant I couldn’t play with my partner in crime, as coach [Paul] Carroll has called us since freshman year,” Dunn said.

Leahy, despite the injury, never missed a game or practice, but she knew being stuck on the sidelines wasn’t where she belonged.

“It just upset me so much that I knew I wanted to get back so much sooner than I was predicted,” Leahy said.

Eleven days after season’s end, Leahy underwent surgery.

“They said the earliest I’d come back was nine months, but since everything happened the way that it did, they were thinking a year, so that’s what they put in my head,” she said.

Within a few weeks, Leahy, with that one-year timeline in the back of her mind, began physical therapy, working on her hamstrings and building up strength in her leg.

“I continued it for about six months and it was two days a week for like an hour and a half,” Leahy said.

“So, going to [physical therapy] I worked so hard and I put a lot of time and effort into getting back and I did a lot of the exercises at my house. So, it was really just beating the odds of what they thought I was going to.”

Although Leahy, was kept off the court, there was no keeping her away from the game of basketball and over the summer and fall, she coached the Panthers’ league teams. She said it allowed her to see basketball from a new viewpoint, albeit one she didn’t expect to have an angle from so soon.

“It was cool to see like a coach’s perspective and when playing, I now have a whole new perspective on the game,” Leahy explained.

When Nov. 27 tryouts rolled around, Leahy was ready to go, nearly eight months after surgery. Olem, who said she talked with her frequently over the offseason, said she felt a sense of joy and relief to see Leahy back out there.

“She is a kid that takes no days off,” Olem said. “I was honestly skeptical about having her back right from the get-go, but she cleared all the benchmarks with the doctor and physical therapist and was ready and willing to go full speed since the start of tryouts.”

Leahy said some of the best words of advice she received during the lenghty recovery process actually came from her brother, Sean, who suffered the same injury two years prior.

“He kind of just said that he knows how tough it is, but time can really only heal it and work as hard as I could with [physical therapy],” she said. “It was basically what I had to do with myself and he kind of showed me that with his injury.”

Since returning to action, Leahy, now a junior captain, is a major reason the girls’ basketball team, which sits at 7-1 and is on pace for its best campaign in eight seasons, is enduring such immense success.

“Having her back on the court this year shows that she was the missing link as we made our way towards the tournament without her,” Olem said. “She is so strong and athletic and can do so many different things on the court that it makes us as a team deeper and more versatile.

“Erin continues to grow as a leader and is becoming better every practice and every game. During the first game of the season, we lost Halle [Julian] and Kathryn to injuries. Erin was able to stay calm and even keeled, and the younger kids were able to really look up to her and she was able to hit clutch three in overtime.”

Dunn, who is also a junior captain, echoed Olem’s sentiment.

“Having Erin back this year changes the dynamic of the team because she is a versatile player who can play all positions from point guard to center,” Dunn said. “Her ability to play many positions makes us more flexible as a team.”

The Panthers recently wrapped up a trip to Fort Myers, Florida to compete in a three-game Queen of Palms Tournament. W-H went 3-0 and captured the Emerald Division title and Leahy was tapped to the all-tournament team.

“Now, I just tell her to be honest with me,” Olem said. “If she is sore or feels a tweak she needs to rest, get ice, etc. Besides playing positions one through five for us all year, she is inching towards where she was pre-injury and will end up being better than she was before the injury, but we keep reminding her that she cannot get it all back at once and needs to be patient as she has not played at all over the course of her nine-month long recovery.”

Leahy said the biggest adjustment since returning has been just how different her leg is now, but it’s not a challenge she has to go through alone.

“It’s hard to play like I did before the surgery, but having my team behind my back and everything and, my coaches and they were being so supportive, just makes it a lot easier knowing they understand where I’m at,” she said.

Whether watching Leahy battle for boards, crash the floor in pursuit of a loose ball or slide into the lane for an easy two, know she doesn’t take the game of basketball as a given, not after what went through.

“I don’t really take it for granted anymore because it was taken away from me for so long,” Leahy said. “It’s nice to get back and the fundamentals that I had to start over with again just really made me a stronger player.”

Season Preview: Gymnastics team hits all the marks

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In its first meet of the season on Dec. 19 against Hingham, Marshfield and Pembroke/Silver Lake, W-H was out-numbered by anywhere from eight to nearly 20 girls per team. On the bars and vault, the Panthers only put up five participants out of a possible six, however that didn’t faze them at all, as they ended the night with a meet-high score of 125.1.

Although it may be small in numbers, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High gymnastics team, which is in its second year, has abundant talent in the areas that matter.

In its first meet of the season on Dec. 19 against Hingham, Marshfield and Pembroke/Silver Lake, W-H was out-numbered by anywhere from eight to nearly 20 girls per team. On the bars and vault, the Panthers only put up five participants out of a possible six, however that didn’t faze them at all, as they ended the night with a meet-high score of 125.1.

The performance gave W-H its first three wins of the season, after finishing last winter at 3-11. Second-year head coach Rachel Sferruzza said it’s certainly a balancing act at times deciding who to send out there, but it doesn’t hinder her team as much as one might think, in fact, it works in its favor more times than not.

“It does help play to advantages where everyone feels included,” Sferruzza said. “I can get everyone up on an event, I can switch some people in and out. We do have enough people where we can switch a few in and out this year, which we didn’t have a lot of that flexibility last year, but in a way, I think it helps. No one is fighting for a spot, everyone is gonna have a spot, so in that way it’s great it keeps a nice even keel, but in other ways it can stress things out because you have to be good, you have to get your routine, you feel like you you’re being depended on.”

While the number of participants, which is up slightly from last season, is out of the club’s control, Sferruzza, who was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for 201617, said she believes one of her team’s biggest strengths is something it does have say over – its attitude.

“What I think helps the growth is that the team is a bunch of really positive, good girls,” Sferruzza said. “It doesn’t have to be girls, it could be guys too, but everyone is really positive and everyone really cheers for each other and they want each other to do well. It’s a very welcoming program and everyone is very approachable.”

Sferruzza said she feels like she’s more than just the head coach of the team.

“I like to think that I’m very approachable and they think of me as a good role model,” she said. “The big sister, someone fun that they can talk to and then they can put any stresses or worries away and bring their positive attitudes into the gym and use that to help them perform their best.”

Sferruzza acknowledged that being the only coach of 14 girls can be a bit of a daunting task, but her two senior captains – Kaileigh Gordon and Kaylee Torpey – make her job a whole lot easier.

“Kaileigh and Kaylee are really great,” Sferruzza said. “They’re both incredible, talented gymnastics [and] they’re both very organized, they’re very bright girls which helps. They’re able to lead the team whether it’s warm-ups, whether its setting up things like fundraising or fun activities like Secret Santa. “But, then when they’re here I can turn to them for anything. If I need them to do administrative work, management, I can do that if I need them to collect the group. So, the girls look at them and they listen to them.”

Along with Gordon and Torpey, Patriot League All-Star on the bars last season – sophomore Sarah Bombardier – will also give W-H a boost this season.

“She does all-around for us and is solid in every meet,” Sferruzza said. “She’s very experienced. She’s able to stay really focused during the meets.”

In the opener, Bombardier notched a 30.35 all-around score, second on the team to senior newcomer Britney Blackstone, who boasted a 34.7. Blackstone, despite being a first-year Panther, is no stranger to gymnastics having competed on a club team.

“She came here with a lot of experience in high-level meets and brought a lot of high-level skills,” Sferruzza said.

W-H will be back in action Friday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Massachusetts Gymnastics Center in Pembroke.

Season Preview: Boys’ indoor track clearing hurdles as it improves

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Head coach Mike Driscoll has several newcomers on his hands this winter.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ indoor track team looks much improved from last winter.

Why? Well look at the club’s first meet of the season against Hingham. After falling to the Harbormen, 63.5 to 36.5, last December, the Panthers, who finished last season with a 2-3 record, hung tough this time around as they were just edged out, 57-43. Sixth-year head coach Mike Driscoll credits the performances of a few of his seniors — Brian Edwards, Brett Holmes, Andrew Newman and Jack Ryan — as a big reason why they were able to hang around.

“All had outstanding meets,” Driscoll said. “The last couple of years Hingham has really destroyed us, and this year we took them down to the wire. I think we surprised them a little bit. We didn’t win, but we at least proved we’re capable of winning track meets this year.”

On the ground, Ryan, who is one of two Panthers captains, raced to a first-place finish in the 600-meter dash with a time of 1:30.45, and was a member of the 4×400 relay team that also took home first. Newman completed the 2-mile run in 10:35.44, which was nearly 30 seconds better than opponent, for the win.

Edwards, who is also a captain, spearheaded the Panthers’ high jump with a 5-foot-7 leap, which earned him the top spot. Holmes, a senior and first-time indoor track participant, took his talents to the long jump and he shined with a first-place finish courtesy of a 20-foot-10 ½ jump. Both were on the 4×200 relay team as well.

“I would say right now our strength will be our jumps,” Driscoll said. “Brian Edwards is one of the better high jumpers and Brett Holmes came out for indoor season [and] he’s one of the top long jumpers in the state, so those areas will be huge for us.”

Holmes is one of several newcomers Driscoll said he will be relying on to shore up one of club’s weak spots — sprinting.

“We needed to improve in the sprint area,” Driscoll said. “That was a big thing for us last year, we needed to get some more sprinters and depth. We got Brett Homes to come out for winter track for the first time, Billy Martell and Jacob Nixon, three sprinters who we didn’t have last year on the winter team and they’ve been a huge addition to our team.”

The Panthers will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center against Pembroke.

“We want to have a winning season, we think it’s obtainable, it’s going to be tough, but we want to have a winning season and we want to have success every meet, so we measure it on how we improve,” Driscoll said. “Everybody’s different in track, it has an individual aspect to it, but it’s also a team thing, so the individuals are looking to improve to help the team to get a victory.”

Season Preview: W-H boys diving into WHAM swim program

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The boys will now join the girls as part of the Whitman-Hanson/Middleboro swim team co-op this winter.

Six years back, Whitman-Hanson Regional High partnered with the longstanding Middleboro High girls’ swimming/diving team to form a co-op, and this season they’ve expanded that partnership.

If you’re a boy and attend Whitman-Hanson, you can make a splash in the pool as the school now offers it as a boys’ sport as well.

“I am very excited to have a boys’ team,” W-H head coach Sean Siciliano said. “We are one team – Middleboro and Whitman Hanson. W-H having a boys’ team allows us to increase the numbers for that team and it also gives us depth as a team.”

As a far as meets go, nothing will change. After either the boys or girls square off against their opposition in one event, the next will do the same, and so on until the meet has concluded.

While the sport still gains traction among boys at W-H, two swimmers – junior Nate Manley and freshman Brian Pham – have joined the squad this year from the school. Both come from different backgrounds.

“Manley is a new swimmer, meaning he has never swam competitively, but is very coachable and will be versatile on the team,” Siciliano said. “Then we have Pham, who swims on a club team. At this point he is the fastest kid on the team. He is a great kid great athlete and very receptive to feedback.”

GIRLS’ TEAM

As for the girls’ team, which finished last season at 4-6, Siciliano said he hopes for much of the same success for his swimmers.

Captaining the club from W-H will be senior Phoebe Bonney, who despite nursing a hip injury last season that hindered her in the pool, still had a positive impact.

“She continues to rehab that and we are hoping that we can get her back to full health in the near future,” Siciliano said. “Outside of the pool she is and amazing leader. She is always helping new swimmers, helping us coaches and looking out for what is best for the team.”

Sophomore Madison Navicky, who concluded the year with a co-team-high four medals, was a key contributor in a series of events, including the 200-yard medley relay, 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. Siciliano said her versatility is a huge asset to the team.

“She can swim pretty much anything and she is just fun to have a practice,” he said. “She is an amazing swimmer and an amazing leader and she is so coachable I think that she will be one of the biggest contributors for the girls team this season.”

Anchoring the 1-meter dive will be Sabrina O’Connor, who concluded her campaign last season by scoring 180 points at the South Shore Championships.

“She has started the season out well and should thrive this year as she increases her variety of dives and increases her DD,” Siciliano said.

Others from W-H penned on the roster include freshmen Mariella Crowley, Leah Hutchings and Erin Tilley and sophomore Niki Kamperides.

WHAM will be back in competition on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 4:15 p.m. at Burkland Pool in Middleboro against Randolph.

“I would love to send at least on relay from both the boys’ and the girls’ [team] to states,” Siciliano said. “Last year the boys didn’t make it but the girls did and I think this year they could both make it if we train hard all season.”

Season Preview: Boys’ hockey aiming to fulfill last winter’s promise

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team is looking to build off last season’s promise.

After an offseason of hard work, it’s time for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team to hit the ice.

The Panthers, despite skating to a 1-16-3 mark last winter, showed a great deal of promise. That promise was on display during a four-game stretch that began in late January and featured 2-2 draws with Silver Lake and Plymouth North (Div. 2 South Sectional tournament qualifier) and a 1-1 stalemate with Quincy (Div. 2 South Sectional tournament qualifier). Also, mixed in there was a 2-0 nail-biting setback to Duxbury, which cracked the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament. A few returning Panthers boasted key performances in that run.

During that span, Korey Howard had three tallies – two of which came in the Lakers tie –, Luke McVeigh and Alex Uva had a goal apiece and backup goaltender Ricky Welch was key in net during the 2-2 draw against the Blue Eagles.

Welch is one player head coach Chris Googins said he is looking at to rise to the occasion this season as he takes over for 2016-17 captain and team MVP, David Perry, in between the pipes.

“Dave Perry is going to be the toughest to replace and I definitely think returner Rick Welch is up for the challenge to step up and repeat the strong performance of David,” Googins, who is in his second season back at the helm of the Panthers after serving as their head coach from 1997-2003, said.

Welch is going to have a strong nucleus around him – spearheaded by senior captain and defenseman Ryan Sawtelle and assistant captains Howard and Uva.

“All three of them are dedicated to the game, program and are great role models for the younger kids,” Googins said.

Googins went on to add that he feels a majority of his team did what they had to over the past 10 months to get ready for the new season.

“A good portion of the players committed themselves to getting better in the offseason and we’re hoping that this transfers into wins,” Googins said. “Ed Scriven, Owen Manning, Adam Solari, Chris Stoddard and Luke McVeigh will be relied on to help propel the Panthers.”

W-H will be back on the ice Saturday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Bog Ice Arena in Kingston against Patriot League Keenan Division foe Duxbury.

“Right from the first tryout we have tried to up the standards from the most basic drill to a difficult concept,” Googins said. “We need total focus for the entire time you’re on the ice.”

Season Preview: WHSL relying on young players to fill McAleer, Tracy’s skates

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WHSL is now tasked with replacing 80 percent of its offensive production from last winter, its starting goaltender and three of its four starting defensemen.

The Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey team enters the new season with a lot of challenges — some that were inevitable, some that frankly blindsided it — but you won’t hear it making excuses, that’s for sure.

As the final horn blew last March that concluded WHSL’s campaign with a 2-0 loss to Winchester in the first round of the Division 2 state tournament, it would be the last time two of the program’s most decorated players — Mel McAleer and Hannah Tracy — would sport Panthers black and red on the ice again.

McAleer and Tracy, who combined for 194 goals and 142 assists dating back to the Pembroke/Whitman-Hanson co-op, headlined an eight-player senior class that guided WHSL to a 38-19-5 record, back-to-back SEMGHL Northeast crowns and its first tournament win since the co-op’s inception at the outset of the 2014-15 season. WHSL head coach Kevin Marani said the loss of McAleer and Tracy, who both hail from Hanson, serves as a great opportunity for the players on this season’s team.

“I think now they know, well we don’t have Hannah and Mel, if I don’t score we don’t win,” Marani said. “Where if they don’t score last year, Hannah and Mel would score and we’d win.”

OTHER DEPARTURES

On top of the senior class’ departure, two players Marani was going to rely heavily on this season in sophomores and SEMGHL Northeast All-Stars – forward Alyssa Murphy (20 goals and 23 assists in 2016-17) and defenseman Delaney Grace (five goals and 13 assists) – opted not to return to the club, which threw a wrench into the Panthers’ plans.

WHSL is now tasked with replacing 80 percent of its offensive production from last winter, its starting goaltender and three of its four starting defensemen. Regardless of the losses, WHSL does, however, return sophomore defenseman Natalie Nemes, who burst onto the scene last season contributing big minutes for the Panthers en route to being named an SEMGHL Northeast All-Star.

“Even last year with the talent we had on the team, she was our best skater,” Marani said. “From last year into this year it’s just confidence. As a freshman last year, she held back a tiny bit [and] I think this year it’s going to be her coming out party, I really do. I haven’t seen a better defenseman in the three years that I’ve coached on any team I’ve played against.”

Joining Nemes on the WHSL blue line will be sophomore Antonia Driscoll and junior Zoe Lydon (Hanson), both of whom played sparingly last winter. Along with those three, the co-op will need at least one newcomer to solidify herself into a starting role, but who that will be is up in the air at this point.

“We expect a lot, we need a lot from Zoe and Antonia,” Marani said. “Both look like they’ve put in the work, so we need them to step up obviously from not playing much last year to getting into a major role this year. [Also], we just need one freshman to step up and hopefully have four deep and make it a solid defensive corps in front of our freshman goalie.”

That freshman goalie Marani referred is Kat Gilbert, who he said has impressed him thus far. Gilbert is just one of about a dozen freshmen that will take the ice for WHSL this season.

While the team may be young, they still have three seniors – led by captains Shannon Elwood and Colleen Hughes (Hanson). “All of them are leaders, they’re great kids, they’re great academically,” Marani said. “They’re just good kids.”

Another change for WHSL this season is it will be competing in the newly formed girls’ hockey Patriot League, which will offer some enhanced play with the likes of Duxbury, Hingham and Pembroke in it. Not only did the Panthers’ path to a Division title get a bit tougher, but its route to a possible state title down the road did as well, as they have been moved from Division 2 up to Division 1. Regardless, Marani said as long as his club gives it its all, that’s all he can ask for.

“We need to go out and play,” the third-year WHSL head coach said. “The schedule is in front of us and if we win, we win, if we lose, we lose, but as long as we’re all going in the same direction and with one goal, and that is to play our best and to give it our best, then wins and losses are going to be irrelevant.”

WHSL will open its season on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 8:45 p.m. at Hobomock Arenas in Pembroke against Marshfield.

“I truly just want them to go in, play as hard as they can, learn the speed of high school hockey and we’ll grow from there,” Marani said. “We’ll get better every game.”

Season Preview: Girls’ indoor track team focuses on achieving goals

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Head coach Steve George said the strength of his team, which is coming off a 2-3 season in 2016-17, lies it its potential and the abilities of its untested newcomers.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ indoor track team is ready to hit the ground running, and fourth-year head coach Steve George remains focused on growth.

“While victories would be outstanding for us all, we really focus on improvement, getting all our kids to achieve their personal goals and maximize that potential we see,” George said.

George said the strength of his team, which is coming off a 2-3 season in 2016-17, lies it its potential and the abilities of its untested newcomers.

“Nearly half of our student-athletes have never competed in track and field previously,” George said. “Twelve days of practice won’t provide the conditioning or experience they will need to succeed. But we’ll all work unrelentingly until we get there.”

A few of those newcomers George is referring to are freshmen Emma Rogers and Isabelle Amado, both of whom have caught his eye.

“They have the perfect combination of having the ability to compete in multiple events and the willingness to take on the task of [multiple events],” he said.

While there is an influx of young talent, the Panthers are still going to rely heavily on their veterans – spearheaded by senior captains Camryn Boyce, Lillian Perkins-Reisdorf and Nicole Norve.

“All three girls are not only terrific athletes, but first-class leaders when healthy,” George said. “We’ll need them all healthy if we’re going to make an impact.”

With that trio, along with the likes of juniors Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue and Allison Bartlett and sophomore Samantha Perkins near the top of the roster, George said he feels his club will be relatively strong in mid-distance and sprints/hurdles events.

“Right now, I think we have the making of a terrific 4×200 relay team, and I am confident in our 55-meter hurdles and 300 events,” George said. “I’m optimistic in the 1,000 as well. But beyond that we will have to mix and match to find the right combinations.”

However, George noted while his team has the potential to yield a formidable 4×200 relay team, he would like to see an improved performance in that event from last season, along with the shot put. That will come with time as the team finds a way to replace multi-event school record holder Alex Santos, along with Lily Nolan, Olivia Morse and Olivia Reed.

“I’m confident we’ll get there with the young talent on the team, but we may need to tough it out in a couple of meets first,” George said.

The girls will be back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury against Duxbury.

“So much about track is based on the individual performance of each athlete which differentiates it from other sports,” George said. “There are no set plays like football, no assists like basketball and baseball. It’s pretty much youversus the clock.”

Season Preview: Multi-faceted Panther team: Boys’ basketball turns to new leaders for the 2017-18 season

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NEW YEAR, NEW TEAM: Basketball coach Bob Rodgers, center in black T-shirt, talks to his players during a Saturday, Dec. 2 scrimmage vs. Sandwich. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Bob Rodgers is looking for much of the same out of his boys’ basketball team that’s made it to the Div. 2 state semifinals two straight seasons.

After back-to-back trips to the Division 2 state semifinals, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team is gearing up for a new season.

“Each team has its own personality and its own character and from a coach’s perspective, it’s a lot of fun to figure out what’s the best way to motivate them, how to coach them, how to get the most out of them,” said Bob Rodgers, who is entering his 18th year at the helm of the Panthers.

Key losses from last winter’s club are Lucas Franklin, Nikko Raftes and Luke Tamulevich, all of whom were senior captains and pivotal pieces of that team.

“There’s no question that all of those guys have left a legacy in the program, in terms of how hard they wanted to work and how they treated their teammates,” Rodgers said.

Franklin, Raftes and Tamulevich were three of five players penned into starting roles at the outset of last season, as the Panthers were tasked with replacing their entire starting five. This winter, the Panthers will only be replacing three starters, as they return Jacob Hanson-Bartlett and Sean Leahy.

Hanson-Bartlett (179 points and 167 rebounds last season) and Leahy (141 points and 154 rebounds) both flourished as first-year starters en route to many postseason accolades. Not only will both be relied on to be the focal points on the court, but off it as well as both have been tabbed as captains.

“You couldn’t have two better kids, they’re both very humble [and] there’re both team-first guys,” Rodgers said. “Both of them are multi-faceted players, great leaders and good at both ends of the floor.”

As for who will join them as starters is still to be determined at this point. Rodgers said one idea that he is toying with is starting a bigger lineup than in previous seasons.

“This year’s team, we’re a little bit longer than we’ve been in year’s past,” he explained. “We have several kids who are over 6-foot-4 and we could put maybe four of them on the floor at the same time.”

Rodgers said he is also flirting with the idea of playing without a point guard, something he did in 2010.

“We’re looking for a point guard to kind of emerge and right now none of them have shown me that they can talk enough on the floor, they don’t talk to their teammates enough, they don’t communicate, they don’t get us into our offenses like we want to,” Rodgers said. “You need somebody who’s going to be out there commanding on the floor and that’s something that every day in practice we’re hoping to find one of these guys who is going to establish and open their mouth and talk and make sure that their teammates know that we can count on them when they’re on the floor.”

One of the Panthers’ strengths last season was their ability to knock down the 3-pointer, which was fueled by sharp-shooters Raftes and Tamulevich. Rodgers said that despite W-H’s increased size this season, the program is still brimming with excellent shooters who can connect from beyond the arc.

“We’re going to definitely use the three, you can’t win in high school basketball if you don’t hit the 3-pointer, there’s just no question in my mind that you can’t win without it,” Rodgers said. “I think people will realize we’re more balanced then we’ve been in the past.”

The Panthers will open the season at Bridgewater-Raynham on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m.

“I just hope we’re super boring, that’s what I tell my guys all the time, I just want to be boring,” Rodgers said. “I just want to do all the fundamentals right, I want our guys to out-execute the other team and just be working together as a unit better than the other teams that we play.”

Season Preview: Girls’ hoops builds on success

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team will be lead by a pair of senior and junior captains this season.

With a number of key pieces back in the fold, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team is looking to build off its success from last season.

It was a season in which the Panthers boasted 11 wins, their most in five years, and cracked the tournament for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign. However, W-H will have its hands full trying to fill the shoes of four integral pieces from that run in three-year starter and two-year captain Taylor McVeigh, three-year starters and 201617 captains, Sophie O’Brien and Sarah Saccardo, and spot-starter Chloe Roberts, all of whom have graduated.

“In general, they will be a tough unit to replace more for the character, heart and leadership they brought every day than anything else,” fifth-year Panther head coach Jenna Olem said. “Their work ethic and accountability was such a big key to our success.”

But there will be no dwelling on what has been lost, as W-H seems to be in good hands going forward. Captaining this season’s club are juniors Kathryn Dunn and Erin Leahy, and seniors Halle Julian and Alyssa Nicholson.

Dunn, who moved into the starting lineup about a quarter of the way through last season, brings a lot to the table on both ends of the floor.

“She is another player that can play and defend so many positions,” Olem said. “Her ability to get to the basket and finish through contact will be huge for us this year. She never hesitates to hit the floor and consistently make those important hustle, momentumchanging plays for us.”

Leahy pumped in 7.3 points per game, snatched 6.4 rebounds per game and dished out 2.6 assists per game in 17 contests as a starter last season before going down with a torn ACL in early February. She initially wasn’t expected to be back until midseason, but looks good to go, which is a breath of fresh air for the Panthers.

“We will obviously be cautious with her until we feel she is fully ready, but there are no limitations,” Olem said. “Erin’s length, size, athleticism, speed and basketball IQ are what makes her such as special player. Her ability to play and defend all five positions makes it possible for us to flexible with our rotations. Once she starts hitting outside shots with more consistency, it will be very hard for teams to stop her.”

As for Julian and Nicholson, this will be their first season inserted into the starting lineup, and both are expected to contribute big minutes down low.

“Halle [Julian], again, has incredible quickness and athleticism for someone her size,” Olem said. “She is a natural shot blocker and great rebounder.

“Alyssa [Nicholson] has shown she can be a game changer when she is isolated in the post and can score consistently from underneath. She also alters every shot on the defensive end when her hands are up and active on defense.”

As Olem adjusts to her new lineup, she has made a change in the Panthers’ offensive game plan. Over the past couple of seasons a major part of W-H’s offense has been predicated on pounding the ball into the post, which is something the team will be trying to stray from.

“[We are] trying to spread out the offense a little bit with five-out or four-out sets,” Olem explained. “A lot of our offense will come directly off of our fast break, which has looked really good already. We have many players that can play a variety of positions with their length and speed.”

However, something that will not be changing is what W-H prides itself on the most, and that is being a defensiveminded team. Last season the Panthers had the ability to suffocate opposing offenses on any given night, as they allowed just a tick over 43 points per contest, and Olem said she absolutely expects the same level of play on the defensive end of the floor this winter.

“Defense is the most important aspect of our game simply for the fact that defense gives you the opportunity to win every game, especially on nights when the shots aren’t falling” she said. “We continue to have a lot of the same philosophies using different presses, match up trapping zones, and man to man.”

W-H will open the season on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. with a home game against Bridgewater-Raynham.

“While we suffered a heartbreaking loss in the first round of the tournament and it was the end of the seniors great run they put together, I honestly think we are set up for long-term success with the young kids we have in the program that are not only great athletes, but have a lot of basketball experience and high playing IQ,” Olem said.

Keith takes volleyball skills to Curry starting lineup

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W-H alum Jordyn Keith, seen at a recent practice session, earned a starting spot in the season-opener vs. Fisher College on Sept. 1. Her goal for next season is to work on her strength and speed. / Courtesy photo: Curry College Athletic Dept.

Whitman-Hanson alum Jordyn Keith is the only freshman starter on Curry College’s women’s volleyball team.

It was three years ago when members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball team took a trip to Curry College to soak in a few sets as spectators.

One of those on the adventure was then-sophomore Jordyn Keith, who immediately fell in love with the campus. She then went home, did some research, before ultimately applying. After getting in, she soon received an email from new Colonels head coach Bori May, asking her to attend preseason on a tryout basis. After a week of play, she was penned on Curry’s women’s volleyball roster.

As if making the team was not enough excitement for Keith, May tabbed her as a starter ahead of Curry’s season opener against Fisher College on Sept. 1. That was something she never expected.

“Being a freshman starter is a huge accomplishment for me,” Keith said. “I came into the season not knowing if I would even play a single game, and it shocked me when [coach May] told me I would be starting.”

Keith –– the only Colonels freshman starter –– finished the season with 69 kills, 12 assists, 52 service aces and 181 digs to her credit.

Keith said one of the struggles she faced this fall was a position change, something she was no stranger too. As a senior at Whitman-Hanson, she was shifted from outside hitter and defensive specialist to libero, where she flourished, leading the Patriot League in digs and aces. At Curry, the 5-foot-4 Keith saw action as not only a libero, but as an outside hitter and defensive specialist as well.

“I had to adjust to hitting and blocking which isn’t easy, but I’ve improved since I began hitting on the team,” Keith said.

Another struggle Keith endured is just mustering up enough confidence to go out and compete against some of the wily veterans she goes up against. Her solution: try to smile and think positively, no matter what.

“As the only freshman starter, it is difficult to be new to college volleyball and to transition from being a senior in high school, to a freshman again in college where all the older girls are more comfortable and experienced than I am,” she said. “I think about how I am on that court for a reason, and that everyone has bad games. We win and lose as a team.”

Former Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball head coach Josh Gray, who coached Keith for three years on varsity, said he’s seen her grow her game immensely.

“I first met Jordyn in my first season coaching at Whitman-Hanson and from day one of tryouts I knew that she was a special player,” Gray said. “There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to make varsity and that she would contribute from the start. She was so committed and devoted to the sport and did whatever she could to get better every day. “

Gray said Keith’s dedication to her craft has played a major role in the player she is today.

“Jordyn is one of those players who gives everything she has to her team and is willing to do whatever it takes to give her team has a chance to win,” Gray said. “Jordyn’s ability to read the ball and react to it before anyone else is one of her greatest assets on the court because it allows her to make plays others can’t.”

As Keith heads into the offseason, she said she is going to keep doing the things that got her to this point.

“One major goal I have is to work hard for next season,” Keith said. “I am going to start going to the gym more often to stay in shape and to work on becoming stronger and faster on the court.”