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Season Preview: W-H football is looking to surprise some people

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A recent Panthers scrimmage vs. EB. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers enter the new year with a bevy of lost production, but they think they have the answers to fill those shoes.

Nine-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High football head coach Mike Driscoll knows well what his team is tasked with replacing.

That’s seven starters on offense, eight starters on defense and 21 players in total, who produced 2,472 yards of offense, 33 touchdowns, 594 tackles, 21.5 sacks and eight interceptions last fall alone. While the losses are eye-popping, Driscoll said the cover isn’t as bare as it may appear. 

“In all honesty, we have probably eight guys who started games on defense for us and we have another six who started games on defense for us due to injuries or something else that happened during the season,” said Driscoll, whose team finished 8-3 last season. “So we have experience.”

While the offense will likely take some time to develop with the bevy of new faces, Driscoll said the Panthers are going to rely heavily on their defense. W-H held opponents to just over 11 points per game last fall.

“We feel really good about our defense,” Driscoll said. “They’re flying around. We’re quick and we’re going to come at you from all different angles this year.”

The secondary will key the unit with senior captain Tommy George (22 tackles and two interceptions last season) back as a starter at cornerback. Senior Devin Coulstring will start opposite George, while junior Jason Murphy will start at strong safety as will senior Jon Zeidan at free safety. They all have some experience under their belts.

“We have a lot of depth there with those guys back,” Driscoll said. “Jason is one of the better strong safeties in the area.”

Senior returning starters, captain C.J. Guiliani (55 tackles and three sacks last season) and Joseph McStravick (25 tackles last season) headline a strong linebacking core. 

Junior Zach Boisjolie (nine tackles and a sack last season) returns as the starting nose guard and will anchor a new-look defense line that will also feature sophomore Malcom Alcorn-Crowder and seniors Jared Homes and Declan Meehan.

Though, Declan Meehan’s value comes more on the offensive line, where he’s the only returning starter at right guard.

“That’s where we took the biggest hit,” Driscoll said. “We lost four really good linemen. That’s going to be a work in progress.”

Declan’s brother, sophomore Conor Meehan, will man the duties under center.

“He’s got great poise and he’s got one heck of an arm,” Driscoll said. “He’s kind of like our typical quarterbacks that we’ve had, where he’s got great feet but he’s definitely got a great arm and he knows the game very well.”

Conor will have the 6-foot Zeidan, Giulliani (four catches for 37 yards, TD last season) and George as returning targets.

Murphy, who can also play quarterback, will be the bell cow out of the backfield.

“Jason Murphy makes us a better team playing running back, defensive back and returner for us,” Driscoll said. “Jason is dynamic. He’s the fastest player we got. He’s also a weight room warrior. He’s a leader of the team.”

Junior Max Rodri will take over the kicking duties, a role Jake O’Brien handled for the past two seasons.

“He’s a fabulous kicker,” Driscoll said of Rodri. “He worked his tail off in the summer and is kicking them into the endzone on kickoffs already. He’s going to be huge.”

Driscoll said he wouldn’t be surprised at all if it took a few weeks for his team to come into its own.

“We can talk to them about it, but it’s the speed of the game and that they’re going to realize that speed is a lot different than where it is in the scrimmages or practice,” said the coach. “It’s a whole different atmosphere on Friday nights. Once they got to get through that once, I think they’ll be all right.”

The Panthers are scheduled to open their season at home Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. against Concord-Carlisle.

“We want to grow and be competitive in this awesome Patriot League and I think we’re going to surprise some teams as we go along,” said Driscoll. “These guys have a chip on their shoulder. The other teams will look at you a little different, but they’ll find out once the games start that we’re still a pretty good football program.”

Season Preview: Fresh start, new challenges for boys’ golf

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The senior captains. / Photo by: Sue Moss

With many new contributors, the boys will be looking to bounce back from a 6-11 campaign last fall.

The post-Manning era has officially begun for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team.

For the first time in eight years, there isn’t a Manning brother on the roster. Yup, it still feels a little strange for eighth-year W-H head coach Brian Dempsey. First there was Cole (2012-15) and Cam (2012-14) and then the last one to graduate this past June, Owen. A two-year captain and two-year Patriot League All-Star, Owen leaves an immense void on and off the course.

“Owen, along with the entire Manning family, will never fully be able to be replaced,” Dempsey said. “What they did for the program and their teammates is something that I recognize as something special. But as we do each year, we move forward and get excited for the guys we have in front of us.”

W-H will be led by a trio of captains in seniors Ian Brown, Brian Fox and Matt Korzec, as it looks to bounce back from a 6-11 season that resulted in missing the tournament for just the second time in the last six years.

“I’m confident that these guys will be excellent leaders, in part because of what they were able to learn from Owen, along with last year’s co-captain Ed Scriven,” Dempsey said. “I can’t say enough about the veteran leadership on the team and the commitment that each of them has made in the offseason to bettering their skills, while also creating a fun and inviting environment.”

Korzec was in W-H’s top four last season.

“He approaches the game the right way and plays with a lot of integrity,” Dempsey said. “We’re looking to lean on him this year not just for his play but his role as a captain as well – he’s already been stepping up in terms of working with his teammates and, again, helping to create a positive atmosphere for the team overall.”

Junior Aidan Miller often battled it out with Korzec for the team’s No. 2 golfer last fall.

“Aidan has always been a worker on the team – he’s not the loudest kid in the clubhouse, but he’s a solid leader through his actions and work ethic,” Dempsey said “He has always been a consistent golfer, who appreciates and respects the game. I think having him as an upperclassman now will really benefit the team, as he’s always positive and beginning to be a bit more vocal and share some of his knowledge of the game.”

After being cut as a freshman and being utilized as a practice player during his sophomore year, Brown surprised last fall, playing in every match. He’s now viewed as a key contributor heading into this fall.

“Not only has he drastically improved his play each year, but his positive attitude and love for the game is hard to miss,” said Dempsey. “He takes his role as captain and position on the team very seriously and we would not be the same team without him.”

Fox’s golf career follows a similar script as Brown’s. He’s also going to be relied upon heavily.

“[Brian] has put a ton of work into his game over the offseason, and I’ve really been impressed with his improvement so far,” Dempsey said. “On top of that, Brian is a natural leader – he’s caring, understanding, and approachable, but at the same time, has the desire to push himself and his teammates to improve each day.”

Junior Graham Stewart and sophomore Pat McBroom should also chip in significantly this season.

The Panthers open the season Thursday, Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m. at home (Ridder Farm Golf Course) against league opponent Scituate.

“I just want the team to play present as we often say, and enjoy the ride,” Dempsey said. “If you don’t get caught up in what everyone else is doing and focus on what you are doing and where/how you can improve, the rest will work itself out.”

Season Preview: For boys’ soccer, disappointment part of the process

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Jason Brodeur. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers are using a disappointing 2018 campaign as a lesson.

If you don’t fail, you don’t learn.

That saying fits the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team quite well.

Last fall’s 4-14-1 campaign was filled with disappointment — from injuries to the scoreboard. But as disappointing as it was, there were some valuable lessons gained along the way.

“We were ready to do well and possibly make the playoffs two years in a row, but we had a lot of bad luck and we didn’t quite have the maturity and experience as a group to face the adversity the 2018 season threw at us,” said third-year W-H head coach Dave Leahy. “But the players definitely learned from last season and they are now hungrier and more committed than we have been in my time at W-H as a result of going through last year’s season.”

The objective this autumn is to keep heads held high up no matter how tough the going gets.

“The goal this season is being positive and avoiding negativity during training and games,” Leahy said. “We don’t want to disrupt team focus and motivation on and off the field.”

As for talent, the Panthers welcome back plenty of it. Seniors Stevie Kelly and Jason Brodeur both return as captains.

A league all-star last year, Kelly anchors the backline.

“Stevie works harder than most on and off the field,” Leahy said. “He is an excellent two-sport athlete. He gives everything he has to both sports, and the result is an incredibly hard-working, athletic, leader that will do anything for his team.”

Brodeur led the Panthers in scoring last season with nine goals and four assists from his forward position.

“Jason is a great kid,” Leahy said. “He brings a passion to our squad, while also realizing the game at the end of the day is supposed to fun. Jason has worked hard to be better at his strengths and especially working on things he thought he could improve upon.”

With the rash of injuries last season, junior midfielder Dalton Desrocher received extended playing time and took advantage of the opportunity, tallying four goals, and Leahy believes he can be even better.

“Dalton Desrocher was our most improved player last year, and he continues to improve,” Leahy said. “Dalton can play on both sides of the ball at a high level. He is very important to our team.”

Three key cogs to the Panthers’ 2017 tournament team have also come back, one way or another. Senior midfielder Adam Milewski returns from a broken ankle, while junior midfielders Joel Arsenault and Peyton Collins have transferred back to W-H. A healthy junior midfielder Brendan Nehiley, who missed a big chunk of last season with an injury, will also be key.

Goaltending was a bit of an Achilles’ heel last year for W-H, but Leahy said he’s liked what he’s seen so far from senior returner Andrew Sullivan.

“[He] put in a great effort in the offseason to be a better goalie,” said the coach. “He is looking very good thus far. He is a great leader and example for our team.”

The Panthers open the season Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. on the road against Plymouth South.

“I would really like to see team camaraderie being strengthened, team defense being established and team belief being widespread in the first few weeks,” Leahy said. “We hope to make teams feel uncomfortable when they play us.”

Season Preview: Flexibility and depth are strengths for girls’ soccer

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24-year head coach David Floeck. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers made the postseason last fall, but were unable to make the bang they hoped for, bowing out to Hingham, 2-1, in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals, capping the season at 14-2-4.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team, the goal remains the same.

“We want to get better every day and to be playing our best soccer towards the end of the season and hopefully that means we’re in the tournament and we can make some noise in there,” said 24-year W-H head coach David Floeck, whose team hasn’t had a losing season since 1999.

The Panthers made the postseason last fall, but were unable to make the bang they hoped for, bowing out to Hingham, 2-1, in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals, capping the season at 14-2-4.

“Going out in the second round of the tournament, that’s not something we wanted to see happen,” Floeck said.

Finding the back of the net was admittedly a challenge for W-H, which scored a nine-year low 51 goals. Now, with 44 of the goals back, scoring shouldn’t be an issue anymore. The now-sophomore trio of Olivia Borgen (eight goals), Nora Manning (eight goals) and Kelsee Wozniak (team-high 11 goals) netted over half of those tallies last season.

“They’ve worked on the physical part of their game and came back bigger, stronger and faster,” Floeck said. “They certainly have worked on things they needed to work on. We’re extremely impressed with the type of years they had last year, but if they duplicate that, we’d be disappointed because that means they didn’t grow.”

A striker, Wozniak was an EMass first-team selection and earned a spot in the Patriot League All-Star game, and she should be the catalyst of the offense yet again.

“She has the chance to go down as one of the best players we’ve ever had in this program when it’s all said and done,” said Floeck, whose program has churned out All-Americans in three straight seasons. “I don’t know that we’ve identified a ceiling for her yet. She has tremendous potential.”

Senior midfielders Riley Bina (captain), Anika Floeck and junior midfielder Alexis Billings will also be crucial assets to the offense.

Though, question marks do loom, in terms of experience, on the other end of the pitch, with the graduation of defender Olivia Johnson (starter for Endicott College), four-year starting goalie Skylar Kuzmich (starter for Hofstra University) and All-American back Sammy Smith (starter for Boston College), all of whom were captains last fall.

But the Panthers do return some talent back there, in seniors Sam Perkins (league all-star last season), Erin Wood, Courtney Woodward (captain) and sophomore Ava Melia.

In net, there’s a healthy competition going on between juniors Reese Codero and Kylee Colclough.

“They’ve been working with [Skylar Kuzmich] all along and both gotten varsity experience due to injuries or different opportunities,” Floeck said. “We feel pretty good about both of them. If we think both are at the same level, we can split them or they can play different games.”

Floeck said the Panthers’ strengths are their flexibility and depth.

“We have a number of players that play different positions,” said the coach. “We have a number of people who can put the ball in the back of the net, so if teams start to take away one aspect of what we’re doing there’s other players that can take advantage of that. We’ll have six or seven kids on our bench that can come in and score or help us defend.”

W-H opens its campaign at home Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. against league foe Plymouth South.

“We had a couple games that we didn’t perform at our best and it cost us the league championship,” Floeck said. “We’re gonna try to work on that to make sure we don’t have those missteps because we’re in a league where if you go out and lose a game or tie a game you shouldn’t have, it’ll cost you.”

 

Talking Whitman-Hanson athletics with AD Bob Rodgers

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A question and answer with Whitman-Hanson AD Bob Rodgers.

The suspense and unknowns are two aspects of a new year that Whitman-Hanson Regional High athletic director Bob Rodgers can’t get enough.

From state titles to Patriot League championships to major milestones, he’s seen it all in his previous eight years as the school’s AD, and he’s setting a lofty goal for year No. 9.

The Express chatted with Rodgers about what to expect going into the fall.

Q: What gets you most excited for a new year of athletics?

A: “Students grow so much in the offseason, both mentally and physically. It’s exciting to see that improvement and growth. You never know which students will come back and have all-star seasons. It’s also exciting to feel the energy that high school sports brings to the entire school climate.”

Q: What’s your favorite part of the school year and why?

A: “I love it all, each season has its special qualities. My favorite is whatever season we are in. I will admit there is something special about the fall though because everyone is refreshed and excited for the new beginning.”

Q: How do you feel playing a sport benefits students?

A: “The self-discovery students enjoy by playing sports is invaluable. Young people (if those around them will allow it) get the opportunity to navigate adversity and solve problems in a safe environment. I believe this truly helps shape their ability to do the same later in life. All of the personal qualities of work ethic, discipline, dedication, sacrifice, teamwork, loyalty and all of the other components of character are allowed to grow through the high school athletic experience.”

Q: What are the highs and lows of being an AD? 

A: “The highs are all about the kids. Seeing them pursue their goals and enjoy the journey is so rewarding. Knowing they are creating memories they will have for a lifetime is really special. In terms of lows, I don’t really look at it that way. But I will say sometimes the negativity gets me down. When people are highly critical of one of our programs without cause gets me disappointed. Usually that negativity comes from a misinformed place.”

Q: For those who don’t know, what goes into the role of an AD?

A: “It’s a great job and I love it, but the demands are tough. Most ADs work all year and are available seven days a week and often late hours. We handle finance, human resources, scheduling, policy implementation and creation, working with our league and state association, public relations and culture development as well as coaching education and training.”

Q: When you look back on last year, what moment(s) stick out? 

A: “It’s so hard to pick one moment. Truthfully every team is special in its own way and each one has special moments I enjoyed.”

Q: Have there been any improvements in athletics for this upcoming year?

A: “This will be our first full year with the new scoreboard and we are hoping that every team that plays on that field will be using it.”

Q: Are there any teams at W-H that you have your eye on to make a deep postseason run or perhaps surprise some people?

A: “The best part of going into the season is that no one knows how teams will do as so much of it depends on how the kids trained when none of us were looking.”

Q: Are there any dates that fans of W-H athletics should mark down on their calendars for any reason?

A: “That entire first week of games will be a blast.”

Q: What are you hoping to see as the year gets underway?

A: “I hope we break the record for student participation this year once again. We have seen our numbers increases each of the last three years. My dream would be to have every student in the school join a team so they could learn how truly special it is to be on a team.”

Way-too-early fall preview

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A way-too-early fall preview.

At Whitman-Hanson Regional High, fall sports are creeping up, with the cutoff date for signups having just passed.

Here’s your early fall preview:

Boys’ cross country should improve drastically on its 3-5 mark last season. Steve George’s club is returning a heap of talent – led by the fast footed junior, Theo Kamperides, and senior Brandon Hager – both of whom were league all-stars. It doesn’t stop there. The Panthers are returning nine of their top 10 runners. The expectations are high for this group because the talent is there.

Girls’ cross country will return its top runner in senior Tori Boss and its No. 3 runner in senior Niki Kamperides, along with a talent core of underclassmen. The girls should be able to improve on a 3-5 mark last fall.

Field hockey’s emphasis should be on offense, offense, offense. The Panthers pumped in just 14 goals in a tough 2-10-6 campaign last fall. Juniors Delanie MacDonald (five goals last season) and Lauren Clark (three goals last season) are going to have to kick start the offense. Fellow junior Madi Savicke (1.67 GAA last season) returns in net.

Football is setting out to replace almost everyone – its quarterback, running backs, middle linebacker, secondary, two-way linemen, you name it. But, it’s tough to say Mike Driscoll’s squad, still searching for a playoff win, is rebuilding, because how are you supposed to know the talent level of the incoming crop of starters?  There are going to be a lot of positions up for grabs.

Boys’ golf can never be counted out. However, Brian Dempsey’s club is going to have its hands full trying to make up for the production of two-time team MVP and two-time league all-star Owen Manning. Junior Aidan Miller and senior captain-elect Matt Korzec key the returnees.

Boys’ soccer is hoping to put a challenging and “unlucky” 4-14-1 campaign last fall behind it. The Panthers have some momentum coming into the year, having won the final game of the season last fall. There’s a bevy of talent on this club, led by senior captains, forward Jason Brodeur (team-high nine goals last season) and defender Stevie Kelly (the team’s lone league all-star). A healthy Adam Milewski and Brandon Nehiley will also be key.

Girls’ soccer hasn’t missed the tournament since 1999 and don’t expect it to this fall either. Yes, the talented duo on defense of Olivia Johnson (headed to play at Endicott) and Sammy Smith (headed to play at Boston College) and goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich (headed to play at Hofstra) are all gone, but there’s just something about this program that it just doesn’t seem to be affected by graduations. Twenty-seven of the Panthers’ 51 goals last season came off the foot of then-freshmen Olivia Borgen, Nora Manning and Kelsee Wozniak. The trio is primed for a huge season.

Girls’ volleyball is pretty much starting from scratch with W-H alum Samantha Richer taking over the helm. Rising senior captains Olivia Martin (right side hitter), Lexi Connolly (outside hitter), classmate Ella Sweeney (middle hitter) and rising junior Caileen Hurley (setter) key the returnees, but there’s a lot of experience gone.