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Season Preview: Coach has high expectations for 2018 Panther wrestling program

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 The National Wrestling Association has approved a new two piece uniform including compression shirt and fight shorts. / Courtesy photo

Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling coach Gary Rabinovitz is expecting his team to be competitive this season.

As Gary Rabinovitz embarks on his second season at the helm of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team, he is elevating expectations.

“We have a lot of wrestlers with a great deal of varsity experience and also several kids that have been through our youth program,” he said. “Bringing them up to speed will not be as challenging as a brand new wrestler would be.”

Headlining the crop of returning wrestlers ready to hit the mat for another season are senior captains Ben Cordingley (132 pounds last season), Steve Osborne (170) and Logan Scriven (160).

“Ben has been a varsity wrestler for the better part of his first three seasons,” Rabinovitz explained. “Logan is a real tough kid who I expect to win a lot of matches this year. Steve has stepped up and has become a true leader of this Panther squad. After missing his sophomore year, Steve worked really hard to make up for the lost time and I am expecting a great season from him.”

Other key pieces back in the fold for the team Rabinovitz is leaning on for production this season include sophomores Steve Brooks, who competed last winter in the 145-pound weight class, Tyler Cullinan, who saw plenty of action in the 160-pound weight class last season, and Matt Rock, who wrestled in the 120-pound weight class during the 2016-17 campaign. Also, junior Christian Schneider will likely be back in the 195-pound weight class and senior Bryce Lacombe, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, will be the Panthers’ heavyweight – a weight class they were forced to forfeit in every meet last year.

In fact, not only did W-H have to forfeit the heavyweight bouts, but it was also without a body in the 106 and 126-pound weight classes, which put the Panthers, who finished the year at 7-18, down 18 points immediately. However, that may not be an issue this time around.

“At this point it looks like we may be able to fill all 14 weight classes this year,” Rabinovitz said. “I feel we can be a .500 team this year at the very least. If we can fill all 14 weight classes then we are already 18 points ahead of last year to start every match. I like those odds very much.”

Rabinovitz said he feels this team’s biggest strength is its togetherness, which he hopes leads to success.

“By being so close nit as a unit, everyone works really hard together and supports each other,” he said. “Wrestling is not only an individual sport, it is also a team sport. When teammates push each other not only does the individual get better the whole team gets better. I also have to give a great deal of credit to my assistant coaches as they are great coaches and also all were Whitman-Hanson wrestling alumni. They know their role on our team and I am proud to have them on my team.”

Key losses for the Panthers from last season include Jake Filicicchia, Alex O’Roak and John Will, all of whom qualified for the Division 2 state tournament last winter.

W-H opens the season on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. at North Attleboro High School with a quad-meet against North Attleboro, East Providence and Pathfinder.

“The number one thing that I will be looking for from our team in the first couple of weeks is consistency,” Rabinovitz said. “We will work harder than our opponents and also smarter. As long as we can stay strong for a full six-minute match we will be fine.”

Season Review: ‘Getting closer’: Panther football focusing on growth beyond scoreboard

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The Panthers run out onto the field Oct. 13 for their game against Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

For the third straight season the Panthers boasted a 7-4 record and made a trip to the postseason, falling in the first round.

The direction of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team continues to trend upward as it heads into the offseason.

For the third straight season the Panthers boasted a 7-4 record and made a trip to the postseason, falling in the first round.

“I told them, ‘We’re not going to focus on the last game, we’re going to focus on the seven wins that they had and they showed improvements,’” W-H head coach Mike Driscoll said. “We’re getting closer.’’

That last game Driscoll is referring to is the Panthers’ 23-12 loss to Abington on Thanksgiving — which for the first time all season, W-H didn’t hold a lead.

Although it may appear the team is stuck in neutral, it certainty is not. In W-H’s losses last season, it wasn’t always competitive as one came by over 30 points and two were dealt to it by 20 or more points. The other came by 11 points. The Panthers lost all four games by a combined 91 points, a number that dropped significantly this fall.

This season, in their Week 3, 23-9, defeat against Duxbury — a game in which W-H held a brief lead (7-0) — it was a six-minute span in a game that spiraled out of control for the Panthers. Three weeks later, the Panthers were driving on Hingham to win the game, when junior signal caller Ethan Phelps got banged up, forcing him to head to the sidelines, where he watched them fall, 28-21. Against Stoughton in the first round of the playoffs, the Panthers led by nine at halftime, but were held scoreless the rest of the way, resulting in a 30-21 loss. Against Abington, despite not maintaining a single advantage, the Panthers still only trailed by one, 13-12, at halftime.

“We see the improvements,” Driscoll said. “We’re certainly a better football team this year than we were last year. I think we’re moving in the right direction. The season could have been totally different if we could have finished off some of those games.”

The Panthers, despite their inability to close things out in those contests, still flashed grittiness in a few nail-biting wins. In their season opener, it was a late Phelps score in the waning minutes, coupled with a goal-line stand with two seconds remaining, that pushed them over Plymouth South, 23-18. On Oct. 6, Phelps took a QB keeper 60 yards to pay dirt with 50 seconds remaining as the Panthers edged Plymouth North, 28-24.

One constant in W-H’s comebacks was Phelps, who was one of several then-sophomores to assume significant roles for the Panthers last fall. In his second campaign under center, Phelps rushed for over 1,400 yards yet again and found the end zone 18 times. However, it was his enhanced passing game that made him more of a threat this season as his completion percentage rose nearly two percent and his touchdowns doubled to 14 as he passed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight season.

GAINING GROUND: Wide receiver Brett Holmes runs the ball vs. Abington in the Panthers’ 23-12 Thanksgiving game loss. He notched four catches for 21 yards and a touchdown. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“He worked hard to become a better passer, and he’d like to throw the ball every down, [but] we like to run it first,” Driscoll said. “He’s got that it-factor and he can take it to the house from anywhere on the field. The thing with Ethan is he’ll continue to work at it and get better and we’ll have our talk and see what he needs to improve on, but he’s just a very talented young man.”

On the receiving end of 46 percent of Phelps’ completions were fellow juniors Jacob Nixon and Rian Schwede as the two combined for 42 receptions, 511 yards and five scores. Out of the backfield, juniors Brendan Frawley (78 carries for 447 yards, 2 TDs) and Mike Connors (80 carries for 484 yards, 3 TDs) put forth solid seasons. Connors also spearheaded the Panthers’ defense with his team-leading 104 tackles, a number he nearly doubled from last season.

“Mike Connors is on another planet,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll also noted he was pleasantly impressed with the play of junior linemen Quinn Sweeney, who led the team in sacks, and Ryan Trongone.

“Quinn Sweeney started every game for us at right tackle, [and] we weren’t sure if he was going to be able to play offense, but he was fabulous, so wasn’t Ryan Trongone, [a] two-way lineman for us,” Driscoll said. “Two guys who really stepped up to the plate and had great seasons.”

While the junior class garners much of the attention for W-H, Driscoll reiterated it was his senior captains – Hunter Dunn, Riley Holland and Brett Holmes – that kept the club together.

“They work hard, they [lead] by example in school first, in the community and out on the football field,” the seventh-year Panthers head coach said.

Driscoll said despite his club not being where it wants to be just yet, it’s getting close.

“I’m very proud of this team,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way that the seniors handled things and I’m very happy with the way we’re moving.”

Season Review: Depth a saving grace for girls’ soccer amid injuries

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Memembers of the girls’ soccer team celebrate during an Oct. 19 game. / Photo by: Sue Moss

After wrapping up their regular season at 15-1-2, the Panthers were awarded the No. 6 seed in the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament. W-H made quick work of No. 11 Weymouth in the first round with a 6-2 victory, knocked off No. 3 Hingham, 2-1, in the quarterfinal-round, before falling to No. 2 Newton South, 2-1, in the semifinals.

If 2017 taught us anything about the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team, it affirmed what many already knew. It’s deep and it’s brimming with talent.

The Panthers were dealt a major blow before they even embarked on the new season — they were going to be without All-American Taylor Kofton after the senior midfielder suffered a torn ACL over the summer.

Not only were the Panthers sans Kofton, but they opened the season down starting goaltender Skylar Kuzmich, who missed all of the preseason, for the first game and starting senior midfielder Katie Korzec for the first two weeks. Before Korzec even found her way back, W-H was handed another major blow when Betty Blake went down with a torn ACL against Plymouth South, ultimately ending her season.

W-H, despite the rash of injuries, opened the year at 6-0 with key wins over Silver Lake, Pembroke and Hingham. The Panthers’ 22-year head coach David Floeck said the first six games of the season taught him a great deal.

“We said we have more depth on this team than we necessarily thought we had and kids have really stepped up,” Floeck said. “Those first couple of weeks really gave us the impression this team could do something really special, especially as those other pieces came back from injuries.”

Floeck said one key to the Panthers’ success is they don’t focus on what they don’t have, rather what they do, and with every injury came an opportunity for someone else.

“In the long run, I think we’re better off [with] these experiences in a sense that we had some younger players I would tell you that I didn’t project to play as significant a role at that level until next year,” he said. “Maybe their junior year, but they had to do that earlier. So, they really grew faster this year than we expected and I think that bodes well for us moving forward.”

The Panthers’ depth continued to shine as the season wore on, and in their 10th game, a 2-0 win over Quincy, they punched their 18th consecutive ticket to the postseason.

“We’re fortunate that we have a number of good players and sometimes I think people who don’t know our team real well may focus on a couple players who get the headlines,” Floeck said. “We’re very fortunate to have a number of talented players.”

After wrapping up their regular season at 15-1-2, the Panthers were awarded the No. 6 seed in the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament. W-H made quick work of No. 11 Weymouth in the first round with a 6-2 victory, knocked off No. 3 Hingham, 2-1, in the quarterfinal-round, before falling to No. 2 Newton South, 2-1, in the semifinals.

With four minutes remaining and W-H, which lost junior defender Olivia Johnson just 15 minutes in to a broken wrist, clinging to a 1-0 lead, Panthers All-American Lauren Bonavita tore her hamstring, an injury that she played though. Regardless, shortly thereafter the Lions, on their first shot of the second half, knotted the score at 1-1 with less than a minute remaining. In overtime, Newton South won it with a header.

“It was a tough one to take, because we really felt like we played well enough to win, but sometimes the ball bounces that way,” Floeck said.

While the Panthers’ depth shone bright this season with sophomores Alexis Billings, Riley Bina, Anika Floeck, Delaney Hall and Samantha Perkins, taking significant leaps forward, the impact of their senior class was ultimately the motor that powered them forward. It was a group of girls that helped guide W-H to a 77-6-7 record and two South Sectional titles over four seasons.

“When you play an 18-game regular season and they’re winning almost 80 games in four years, that speaks to the level that they have and they’ve done it consistently,” Floeck said. “We want to maintain a level of consistency and the senior class has certainty brought that to us.”

Spearheading that senior class was Bonavita – who ends her career as the school’s all-time leading goal scorer with 113 after a 43-goal campaign.

“We’ve never had anyone who has had an offensive season like the one Lauren had,” Floeck said.

“With all the great players coming through here, her’s ranks as one of the most incredible seasons of any player.”

Floeck said that despite the Panthers falling short of their team goal of a state title, he couldn’t be more satisfied with what they were able to accomplish, and the way they went about doing it.

“They were not only great on the field, they were great off the field,” he said. “They were great ambassadors of the game of soccer and representatives of Whitman-Hanson. They played great, they got better as the year went on and I think that’s really a testimony to their hard work and their commitment to it.”

Holland to start record 44th game

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Riley Holland snaps the ball during an Oct. 13 game against Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior Riley Holland will make a school-record 44th straight start on Thanksgiving against Abington.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High football senior captain Riley Holland is one snap of the pigskin away from making history.

This Thanksgiving, when Holland assumes his post in the heart of the Panthers offensive line — at center — with Green Wave defenders breathing down his neck, he will have started his 44th consecutive game on offense, which is a school record.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for me,” Holland said. “I came in and I never really expected to start as a freshman.”

It was with good reason that Holland didn’t expect to assume an everyday role at the varsity level during his first year of high school, because it was rare a freshman even made the team in the first place. However, Panthers head coach Mike Driscoll said it was during the summer – just a few months before Holland was set to embark on ninth grade – when ‘this kid’ kept showing up to offseason lifting sessions. Driscoll had no idea who it was at the time, but he knew he was going to be on his team.

“I talked to the freshman coach and told him, ‘You’re not going to be able to get him, he’s just too big and strong, he’s going to have to play right away,’” Driscoll said.

Holland spent his first two seasons at left tackle for the Panthers before being shuffled to center – where he would remain throughout his career. Holland said the move was a tough one, but it was necessary to assure his team’s success.

“Having to move inside and learn a new position, blocking schemes from a different point of view of the offense, and everything, that was kind of a big obstacle to get over,” Holland said. “But I had to do it.”

Driscoll described Holland, who makes all the Panthers’ line calls, as more than a just a player on the gridiron.

“He brings a presence about him that the kids know when he’s there, just kind of that coach mentality that they got to be on their game with him, but they respect him,” Driscoll explained. “He’s light when he need to be light, but when Riley’s serious, everybody knows it’s time to get serious. He’s a great leader on and off the field.”

It was that leadership that played an integral role in helping the Panthers engineer a 21-point comeback to shock Abington, 29-28, last Thanksgiving.

“Time after time he was 15, 20, 30 yards down field making blocks down the field, to get us back into that game,” Driscoll said. “He was a huge part of that.”

School record aside, Holland said he has one goal when all is said and done with this Turkey Day.

“I’m the only one left in the program that’s lost on Thanksgiving and I don’t want anyone else to have that feeling,” Holland said.

Season Review: X-Country stand-outs set bar for future

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Seniors Andrew Newman and Nicole Norve were standouts this cross country season at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

Another cross country season has crossed the finish line at Whitman-Hanson Regional High. 

Andrew Newman led the way for the boys’ team, which wound up with a 4-3 record. The senior was unbeatable in his first five meets, as he raced to first-place finishes in every single one. He also set four personal records throughout the fall. Steve George, who serves as the head coach for both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams, said Newman is self-motivated, extremely hard working and just loves to run. 

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Andrew Newman / Photo by: Sue Moss

“Andrew’s consistent improvement is a result of his effort over and above what we ask for,” George said. With high school runners, we’d ordinarily see a drop off in performance given the number of miles a runner like Andrew logs each week. We have not seen that in Andrew. He thrives on high mileage.”

Not only did Newman have a season to remember, many of his teammates did as well. Fellow senior captain Jack Ryan finished the fall boasting seven top-five finishes and sophomore Adam Solari improved on his numbers significantly from a year ago, as did classmate Brandon Hager. Freshman newcomers Liam Cafferty, Theo Kamperides, Chris MacDonald and Aiden O’Brien were all welcome sights as well.

Cafferty and Kamperdies ended the season as two of the Panthers’ top-five runners.

“The only rest they’ve had, if you can call it rest, is when they run a shorter distance in the invitational meets,” George said. “Otherwise, they do every workout, every day and it’s paid off for them.”

George said his club’s biggest strength over the past few months was the leadership it received from its captains Alex Uva and Ryan.

“They provide examples of achieving results through determination and effort,”George said. “Coaches provide instruction and structure, but high school athletes are motivated best by their peers and in cross country we have some very good ones in those seniors.”

GIRLS RACE TO 3-4 MARK

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Nicole Norve / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ team, which finished at 3-4, was in a lot of close meets, as three of its losses came by 15 or fewer points. One runner who stood out from the rest was Nicole Norve. The senior captain hustled to a first-place finish in the Panthers’ first five races. Her second-place outings came against Plymouth North on Oct. 17 when she crossed the finish line one second out of the top spot, and on Oct. 24 against Plymouth South when she lost to eventual league MVP Jillian Callaghan by 17 ticks. George said Norve is as fierce as a competitor as there gets.

“She wants to improve every time out and loves a challenge,” George said. “Nicole’s success may stem from the fact that she is strong enough to run hard virtually every day, recover, and do it again the next.”

But it takes more than one runner to be competitive, and W-H had no problem with that. Seniors Julia Cosgrave and Camryn Boyce were about were steady presences all season.

“Julia and Camryn were consistent 2/3 for the team this year,” George said. “I’ll miss both of them next year certainly.”

Coming into the season, one of George’s goals was to have his runners achieve their own milestones, and that came to fruition. Sixteen of the 20 girls established personal records with two of the remaining four out much of the season with injury.

As the Panthers look toward next autumn – when this wave of juniors will be looked upon to carry the load – there is a lot to be excited about.

“Maeve Rooney has steadily improved in each of her three years, while Maeve McDonough has moved into our top 5 with an improvement of three minutes over last year,” George explained. “Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue, an indoor and outdoor sprinter/hurdler who joined cross country this year, scored in nearly every meet this fall.”

Season Review: Young volleyball team impresses

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Halle Julian (No. 42), Audrey Fuller (No. 22) and Amanda Anderson (No. 15). / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball, despite finishing the season with a 4-17 record, made significant strides this year.

Sometimes success doesn’t just show up in the win column.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball, despite finishing the season with a 4-17 record, made significant strides this year.

W-H came into the year with a tall task – trying to make up for the production it lost via the departure of a seven-player senior class – headlined by captains Jordyn Keith, Sophie O’Brien and Chloe Roberts – who played an integral part in helping the program reach the tournament in back-to-back seasons.

With that many seniors on the roster last season, that meant playing time for the younger players was scarce. Four players who would turn into regulars on the court this fall had little to no experience as the varsity rank.

Junior Allison Hanlon, and sophomores Olivia Martin and Ella Sweeney were all previously penned on the JV roster. Sophomore Alexis Connolly had just 15 sets of varsity experience under her belt. This season, Sweeney was in action for 74 sets, which was tied for the second-most on the team, as Hanlon and Martin played 66 and 59, respectively. Connolly saw her time on the court rise to 52 sets.

The growing pains, however, were evident, as the Panthers went nearly a month without a single win. But, they never lost faith.

“We were able to stay up despite how many losses we took,” first-year Panthers head coach Ashley Balbian said. “But, I think the team really worked together. The chemistry between the girls, especially between the really young girls and the seniors, I think that was definitely our strength in just trying to keep the energy up, fight for every point.”

After a loss to Quincy on Oct. 25 dropped W-H to 2-17 with senior night against Middleboro in less than 24 hours, Balbian said there was an instant shift in the mentality of her squad.

“I think a lot of what changed is kind of a change in our mindset about seniors thinking like this is our last two games we’re going to put it all out there,” she said. “Then for the underclassmen to come in and think, look we want to do this for the seniors. [We’re] putting our effort in for the seniors the last two games, but also realizing we’re it next year, this is it, so we have to step it up.”

After celebrating the storied careers of their seniors, the Panthers downed the Sachems in four sets, 3-1. Senior Halle Julian led the club with 18 kills and classmate Tori Perry shined with 40 assists. Two days later, they finished off Bridgewater-Raynham in another four-set affair, 3-1.

The recent success left Balbian thinking a few things. “I wish we had five more games,” she said. “I had felt we finally hit a lot of the goals we were working towards all season, and then just as we hit that stride the season [is] over.”

But, there is no denying that finishing your campaign on a two-game winning streak must build some assurance about the future.

“It was huge boost in confidence, especially for the girls that are younger on the team and were getting more time on the court, and they feel a little more prepared coming in with the seniors leaving next year,” Balbian said.

As they look ahead to next season, the Panthers will be tasked with replacing the leadership and production from departing seniors Madison Adams, Amanda Anderson, Cathryn Johnson, Julian and Perry, all of whom left their stamp on the program, according to Balbian.

“I think that they have left such an impression on the younger players, like really kept a high standard on the team,” Balbian said.

For W-H, despite the struggles, the team should come into its own in the not so distant future.

“A lot of them came into new positions, especially towards the second half of the season,” Balbian said. “They kind of found what works for them. Maybe they decided I want to be a libero or I want to be a setter or I want to play front row, and they kind of found where they fit on the court. It makes me already excited for tryouts next season.”

Season Review: Boys’ soccer rises to meet challenge

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The Panthers after a Nov. 4 win over Catholic Memorial in the opening round of the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team – under the watch of first-year head coach Dave Leahy – qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2014.

At the outset of the season, first-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy acknowledged there were challenges ahead.

“I am looking for our players to face the multiple challenges each game throws at us in a positive, unified effort. If we can stay together as a family throughout the first two weeks, we will be able to face any challenge going forwardtogether,” he said.

The Panthers entered the new year trying to put a wretched one-win 2016 campaign in the rearview mirror.

W-H opened 2017 with a 3-2 loss to Silver Lake, and eventually finished out its first week of play at 0-3. It was tough, but the Panthers remained confident they had what it took to be successful.

In their second week of action, the Panthers had turned the corner. It started with a 3-2 win on the road against Plymouth South and carried over to a 3-0 victory over Plymouth North three days later.

“We started to believe and we kept pushing forward each day after that,” Leahy said. “We had some setbacks but it was never for too long. We had a few bad halves, but never a bad game. We kept learning and improving.”

W-H, driven by a sheer desire to succeed, would then go on to claim victories in eight out its next 13 games to cap off the regular season at 10-7-1. In the midst of the Panthers’ surge, a 2-1 triumph over Quincy qualified them for the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament for the first time since 2014. Leahy said it was just a case of getting his team to buy into the fact it could be successful.

“For whatever reasons the team had been unlucky for a few seasons, and as a result we had learned that we were typically on the losing end at the end of the game,” he said. “So, getting this belief changed for us was the biggest.” In the preliminary round of the tournament, No. 13 W-H downed No. 21 Catholic Memorial, 2-1, in game that was decided with penalty kicks.

However, in the next round, the Panthers’ run came to an end at the hands of Oliver Ames, 4-0.

“The biggest advantage was playoff experience,” Leahy said. “They wanted to jump out early and try and end the game quickly. And they succeeded in doing so.”

While postseason maturity may have worked against W-H this November, the script may be flipped next time around. The Panthers will have an abundance of young talent back in the fold next season, which includes four of their top-five goal scorers in sophomores Jason Brodeur and Adam Milewski, and freshmen Joel Arsenault and Brendan Nehiley.”

The majority of teams that win championships were in the playoffs in prior years,” Leahy said. “So, playoff experience is integral to a successful program.”

As for departures, W-H will lose 11 seniors – headlined by captains Kyle Nehiley, Anthony Pasciuto and Cameron Rogers. Their shoes won’t be easy to fill.

“They came into preseason motivated,” Leahy said. “They worked hard in the offseason and were ready to play hard this summer. Each day they all worked hard to improve and their efforts were noticed by our underclassmen. They took their role seriously and led with courage. They were outstanding for us.”

As the Panthers embark on the offseason, there is a lot more clarity now then there was just a few short months ago.

“I am extremely proud,” Leahy said. “This team had to learn a lot and do it quickly together. They came together and worked hard for each other and kept pushing forward. It was a fun ride.”

Season Review: Golf stays on course: Panthers put forth another solid season

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High golf team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team qualified for the state tournament for the fifth time in the past seven years this season.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team turned in another steady campaign on the course this fall.

Under the watch of head coach Brian Dempsey, the Panthers posted a 9-8 record and qualified for the state tournament for the fifth time in the past seven years.

In the Division 2 South (Cape & Islands) Sectional qualifying round – held at Easton Country Club on Oct. 24 – W-H was represented by seniors Tommy Bombardier, JP Drier (captain), Nick Duffy and Anthony Palmacci, junior Owen Manning (captain) and sophomore Matt Korzec.

The Panthers shot a 336 as a team, which was good for ninth. Manning was W-H’s top performer as he carded a 79 and missed the state tournament by one stroke.

“Every year, the team’s main goal is to quality for the state tournament, which puts us in a position to give six of our players a chance to move on to the state finals,” Dempsey explained. “I definitely consider this year a success – entering this year, our team was pretty much unknown around the league, and in my opinion, was probably written off. Though we had a slow start, we not only found our identity, but shocked a few teams.”

Shocked a few teams is right — on Oct. 11, with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the Panthers downed Duxbury by a final score of 232-241. The triumph was the their first ever over the Dragons. Dempsey said going into that match his team’s mindset was to play smart, consistent golf.

“I can’t remember a time where I was as excited for the guys on the team than I was for them this year after upsetting Duxbury,” Dempsey said. “You can’t strategize or plan for things to happen in golf like you can in most other sports, but on that day, it was as if we executed our game plan perfectly, which is why, as a whole team, we were able to beat Duxbury for the first time; everyone did their part, and everyone earned the win.”

In the victory, Palmacci scored a 1-over-par and Manning, who was paired with him for the match, shot a 2-over par to help set the tone.

Just a week prior, the Panthers took a tough Hingham team down to the wire before falling, 223-230.

However, it wasn’t always easy sledding this autumn for the Panthers who sat at 1-3 after a 261-266 loss to Plymouth South on Sept 14. Dempsey said he believes strength of schedule played into the Panthers’ struggles as their first three losses came to Silver Lake (231-239), Hingham (256-279) and Plymouth South, all of which ended the season with winning records.

But following that Plymouth South defeat, W-H turned a corner, and turned it the next day by downing East Bridgewater, 263-312. The victory propelled them to wins in five of their next eight matches which pulled them above .500 at 7-6 as a bevy of players began to step up. One player who was a pivotal part in the Panthers’ success this fall was Manning, who was their top golfer. Dempsey said Manning is a true role model on and off the field and he is excited to have him back in the fold next season.

“His approach to the game is so calm and methodic, which is what allows him to play so consistently throughout the season,” Dempsey, who will lose nine seniors off this team’s roster, explained. “He has improved so much from where he was last year as not only a player, but as a teammate and leader as well. What I appreciate about Owen so much is his ability to remain calm throughout his round and to be able to focus on the next hole.”

As the Panthers head into the offseason, one thing is certain: they’re in a good spot.

“I’m very proud of the recent success of the program,” Dempsey said. “I give all the credit to the leadership on the team each year. The commitment of players to the sport continues to grow every year.”

Season Review: Field hockey nets some success

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The Panthers during a 6-2 win over East Bridgewater. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High field hockey team set highs in goals and wins this season.

It was back in 2014 when the Whitman-Hanson Regional High field hockey program was revived after a 30-year hiatus.

W-H head coach Todd Humphrey said he remembers it like it was yesterday.

“I look back at the past and four years ago, it was 28 girls with me in the middle of a grass field trying to figure out field hockey,” Humphrey said. “That’s where we were at.”

The following fall, W-H, which competed at the junior varsity level during its first season back, was granted a varsity team. As expected, it was a struggle for the Panthers who didn’t manage a single victory and scored a mere three goals.

Last season, the program formed a freshman squad as participation numbers boomed to nearly 60. At the varsity rank, W-H battled through its first 17 games without a single win, before fielding a 3-1 victory over East Bridgewater in its final game of the season.

This autumn, the Panthers – led by senior captains Colleen Hughes, Ashley Memmolo and Tina Woodward – roared to new heights. For starters, their win total climbed to six. Humphrey said that despite the challenges his group has faced in the past, it never hung its head, and it paid off.

“It’s just a matter of learning from our mistakes or learning from losing really,” the fourth-year Panthers head coach said. “If you don’t learn from losing then you’ll never know how to win, so I think that’s kind of our philosophy.”

On the field, one aspect W-H honed in on improving was ball movement and it showed as its goal total spiked 11 last season to 30.

“It definitely helped, and how we took care of the offensive zone was big too,” Humphrey said. “The way the girls positioned themselves and we capitalized on scoring chances for sure, a lot better than last year.”

Humphrey said he felt his club’s biggest advantage was its speed, which was on prime display in the Panthers’ final game of the season, an 8-2 win over Norwell on Oct. 27.

“They were flying, everybody was giving everything they had,” he said. “It was really fun to watch the girls play all-out as much as they did. We were flying.”

For Humphrey, despite the result, it was a bittersweet ending as he was forced to say goodbye to his senior class of 15 players. About half of those girls were part of the 28 Humphrey was in the middle of a grass field with trying to learn field hokey a few years ago.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how special that group is,” Humphrey said. “They’ve been with me since the beginning. They shaped [and] molded the entire program and just their positive attitudes and their willing to take risk has elevated our entire program, and I couldn’t be more proud of them and grateful.”

Humphrey said he is highly optimistic for the continued success of the program, which had a record 64 girls in it this fall.

“It depends on the energy you put into it as a coach and as a coaching staff and my players just believing that we can be competitive,” he said. “But we’ve come very, very, very far. It’s going to be a very young varsity team next year, but they’re going to be fun to watch.”

A new year on the pitch

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The Panthers during a September game against Plymouth North, a 3-0 win. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team has bounced back from a one-win 2016 campaign and has qualiefied for the tournament this fall.

What a difference a year can make. For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team, it saw what that difference can be first-hand.

After a 1-16-1 campaign last season, the Panthers now find themselves with a 10-7-1 mark. With that comes a berth in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament for the first time in three years.

The win that qualified them for the tournament was a 2-1 triumph over Quincy on Thursday, Oct. 26. First-year W-H head coach Dave Leahy said his team was a tad jittery going in.

“We were a little bit nervous about making a mistake, but we pulled it together [and] got it done,” Leahy said. “We’re on a mission.”

However, the Panthers have had their fair share of struggles over the past few months, which included starting the season with three straight losses. W-H, despite the record, didn’t hang its head.

“I believe every player that is on this team has sacrificed for each other and for themselves,” Leahy said. “And as far as sticking together, they’ve come together to become a really solid team that can face a lot of adversity.”

When you look at the Panthers on the field, it’s not just the juniors and seniors leading the way, but it’s the underclassman chipping in as well.

“The freshmen on this team, all four of them, have just really given in awesome minutes,” Leahy said. “And they’re scoring goals, they’re defending, getting assists, they’re very unselfish, they’re a great building block for this program and this team currently.”

A prime example of that was in the Panthers’ final regular season match, a 6-1 win over Cardinal Spellman, on Saturday, Oct. 28. Senior Brendan Nehiley may have paced the W-H offensive attack with two goals, but freshman Joel Aresenault and sophomore Jason Broduer each chipped in a tally as well.

In net, Leahy opted to give senior captain and starting goaltender Anthony Pasciuto the afternoon off, and sophomore Andrew Sullivan and junior Griffin Nickerson combined to get the job done.

“Tremendous growth from what I saw in the summer leagues to the preseason to the first game to the last game” Leahy said. “Just every single day there is growth, even in losses, even in wins, it was all growth.”

Leahy, who said he is extremely proud of how far his group has come from June to now, added he doesn’t want the Panthers’ next bout to be their last.

“We’re going to work as hard as possible, have fun in that first game, but we’re going to be working like we can have success every single game we play,” he said.

No. 13 W-H will open the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. when it will host No. 20 Catholic Memorial (5-10-1) in the preliminary round.