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Week 3: Boys’ cross country, girls’ soccer rise to the occasion

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Rain wrought havoc on part of the Week 3 action at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, but it couldn’t stop both the boys’ cross country and girls’ soccer teams from soaring to wins.

Boys’ cross country (3-0) ran past Hingham, 21-34, on Thursday, Oct. 15. Senior captain Theo Kamperides (16:57) and junior Nathan Tassey (17:21) finished first and second overall to pace the Panthers to victory. 

Girls’ cross country (1-2) fell to Hingham, 22-39, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Junior captain Myah Kamperides placed second with a time of 20:48 in the loss. 

Field hockey (0-5) was shut out by Hanover, 2-0, on Thursday, Oct. 15. Senior captain Noelle Cornetta was stout on defense in the defeat.

Boys’ golf (1-8) was upended by Plymouth North, 266-278, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Senior captain Aidan Miller and junior Chris Ross both shot a 44 in the loss. … The next day, W-H was clipped by Duxbury, 228-237. Senior Graham Stewart carded a 3-over par 37 and tied for match medalist in the setback.

Boys’ soccer (2-3) fell to Silver Lake, 3-1, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Senior captain Brendan Nehiley had the W-H goal. … On Friday, Nehiley scored right before the half and Dave Leahy’s club held on for the 1-0 win against Plymouth North. 

Girls’ soccer (4-0-1) scored three second-half goals to top Silver Lake, 5-2, on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Junior Olivia Borgen had two goals in the win, while sophomore Kayla Cassidy, senior Liv Montes and junior Kelsee Wozniak added single tallies. … On Friday, Borgen found the back of the net for her second goal of the night with three minutes remaining to send W-H past Plymouth North, 3-2. Senior captain Alexis Billings also scored, while junior Ava Melia turned in a full 80 minutes on defense.

Girls’ volleyball (1-4) rallied past Silver Lake, 3-1, on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Senior captain Sophia Berardinelli (26 assists) and junior captain Lily Welch (14 kills) led the way for the Panthers. … On Thursday, W-H was swept by Plymouth North, 3-0. The set scores were: 19-25, 23-25 and 14-25. 

*Express weekly roundups include scores from Sunday to Sunday. 

Season Preview: Potential on the volleyball court

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Junior captain Lily Welch. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers return many of their key contributors from last season’s tournament team.

For second-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball head coach Samantha Richner, there are a bevy of reasons this fall feels different than last.

“I do feel more confident and comfortable with the team,” she said. “To me, we feel like a family. I am very excited for this season and the team we have. I think we have great potential.”

In her first year at the helm last season, Richner guided the Panthers to a 12-9 record and their first tournament appearance since 2016. This season, they return many of their key contributors from that postseason run — headlined by junior captain and middle hitter Lily Welch (89 kills, 57 solo blocks, 13 block assists and five aces last season). 

“Lily is a player that I could talk about all day,” Richner said. “She is so gifted and so determined and so dedicated to the sport and to the team.

“All of our front-row players are powerhouses with amazing ability. We plan to use that to our advantage for hitting as well as blocking.”

Senior setters Sophia Berardinelli (248 assists, 22 aces and 14 kills last season) and Caileen Hurley also captain the club.

“Sophia is an all-around athlete and an all-star player,” Richner said. “We are able to put Sophia anywhere on the court and feel confident in her ability.”

“Caileen is a solid player who we all rely on. She is going to leave a big whole in this program when she graduates.”

Junior middle hitter Abby Martin (94 kills and 40 solo blocks last season) is another returnee for the Panthers.

“I am looking forward to watching Abby continue to grow this season,” Richner said. “As a junior and returning varsity player, she is already assuming the role of a leader. Abby, obviously, shines when she is on the court, so it is exciting to have her for two more seasons.”

As for losses, Maya Faich undoubtedly left the biggest void. The Panthers’ team MVP and lone league all-star  last season, Faich led the club with 244 digs from her post at libero. She didn’t go far though, as she’s assumed the reins of the freshmen team this fall. 

“Taking her spot this year is junior Izzy Baker,” Richner explained. “Izzy is a new addition, but you would never know it. Izzy has been so impressive to us all, and she fits right in.”

W-H will be back on the court Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. when it hosts Duxbury.

“Our goal is to play hard and have a successful season, all while staying safe,” Richner said.

Week 2 heats up at W-H

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The fall season is starting to heat up at Whitman-Hanson Regional High. 

Here is a look back on Week 2:

Boys’ cross country (2-0) ran past Plymouth North, 18-41, on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Senior captains Theo Kamperides (15:00) and Liam Cafferty (15:12) finished first and second, respectively. 

Girls’ cross country (1-1) placed four of the top five runners to down Plymouth North, 19-38, on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Junior captain Myah Kamperides led the way with a first-place finish at 18:16, while senior Izzy Amado (2nd, 18:52), junior Anna Flynn (4th, 19:57) and senior captain Bryn Miller (5th, 20:20) finished in the top five. 

Field hockey (0-4) suffered a 2-1 setback to Duxbury on Monday, Oct. 5. Junior Olivia Phelps scored the goal for W-H. … On Wednesday, the Panthers were blanked by Hingham, 3-0. … W-H capped its week with a 3-1 loss on the road against Notre Dame Academy (of Hingham) on Friday. Senior captain Lauren Clark had the goal off assists from Phelps and classmate Lauren Dunn.

Boys’ golf (1-6) was clipped by Silver Lake, 262-267, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Panthers senior captain Aidan Miller led all scorers with a 2-over par 38. … Brian Dempsey’s squad finally got into the win column on Wednesday, topping North Quincy, 256-272, on the strength of a 4-over-par-38 showing from Miller. … On Thursday, W-H lost to Hingham, 250-279, despite junior Pat McBroom carding a 3-over par 39. 

Boys’ soccer (1-2) allowed four second-half goals and fell to Marshfield, 4-0, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. … On Thursday, W-H dropped a heartbreaker to Hingham, 1-0, on a Harbormen goal in the 77th minute.

Girls’ soccer (2-0-1) received goals from junior Kelsee Wozniak and sophomore Kayla Cassidy en route to a 2-1 victory over Marshfield on Tuesday, Oct. 6. … On Thursday, Wozniak found the back of the net with 3:37 remaining, as W-H rallied to tie Hingham, 2-2. Sophomore Ella Nagle had the first Panthers goal. 

Girls’ volleyball (0-3) dropped a nailbiter to Marshfield, 3-2, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The set scores were: 17-25, 25-12, 25-24, 25-27 and 13-15. Junior Abby Martin led W-H with eight kills, while junior captain Lily Welch registered seven. Senior captain Sophia Berardinelli posted six aces and 22 assists. … On Thursday, the Panthers were swept by Hingham, 3-0. Welch paced W-H in kills (five) and blocks (eight).

*Express weekly roundups include scores from Sunday to Sunday. 

Season Preview: Field hockey aiming for deep cup run

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The Panthers. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers are looking to make a deep run in the Patriot Cup tournament.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High field hockey team has its eyes on the cup. The Patriot Cup, that is. 

With no state tournament, the Patriot League teams will end their seasons squaring against one another for some hardware, as they tackle the new format of 7-on-7 field hockey together. 

“We would like to go far in the Patriot League Cup tournament,” said seventh-year W-H head coach Todd Humphrey. “As a team, we need to learn how to adjust to how each team in the Patriot League plays 7-on-7 field hockey. The season is all about live and learn.”

And while the season may have a different look and feel to it — the Panthers are hoping to carry over their momentum from last fall, in which they went 4-5-4 in their last 13 games after starting out the year 0-5-1. But as always there’s room for improvement, especially in the transition game. 

“The faster we can get the ball up the field and set up our offense as a cohesive unit in the opponent’s end will improve our chances in the Patriot League Cup tournament,” Humphrey said. “We have a good team of very athletic girls. Playing in the Patriot League is tough since every team is excellent.”

Junior midfielder Mary Kate Ryan flourished playing in the Patriot League last season en route to being named the Panthers’ lone league all-star. This fall, she’s their top returnee. 

“She has great hands and is able to find open players,” Humphrey said. “Very defensive-minded and good creating turnovers.” 

Seniors Lauren Clark, Noelle Cornetta and Madi Savicke are W-H’s captains for the shortened season.

Clark, a two-year captain, led the Panthers with 10 points last season, scoring a goal and dishing out nine assists.

“Lauren is a solid two-way player,” Humphrey said. “She does her best to create opportunities.  She is always looking to shoot the ball on net. She does a great job at sparking our offense.”

On the other end of the field, Cornetta is the anchor of W-H’s defense along with classmate Skylar Leonard, both of whom are three-year starters. 

“She has really improved her ability to move the ball up the field, which has been helpful in transitioning to 7-on-7,” Humphrey said of Cornetta. 

“[Skylar is] a solid defender, “ Humphrey said. “She is very reliable [and] is good at dealing with pressure situations caused by opposing forwards.”

Savicke also knows quite a few things about pressure situations, as she settles into her third year in between the pipes. She posted a 2.09 goals against average last autumn.

“Madi is at her best handling pressure in the arc,” Humphrey said. “She is great at directing players to where they need to be on defense. She has a heck of a good kick pass to get the ball to our midfielders.”                                        

Seniors Nicole Clack, Delanie MacDonald, Katie Mulligan and Christina Short, juniors Lauren Dunn, Joli Flamos, Maddie Guidaboni, Rosie MacKinnon, Olivia Phelps and Ashley Sawtelle and freshman Paige Cosgrove should all play significant minutes as well, this season.

W-H will be back in action Friday, Oct. 9 at 3:30 p.m. on the road against Notre Dame Academy (of Hingham). 

“We can run up and down the field in a moment’s notice,” Humphrey said. “I have had to shift lines as if I was an ice hockey coach again to keep up with the intense pace.”

Off and running: First week of fall sports in the books

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The first full week of this unprecedented fall athletic season at Whitman-Hanson Regional High is in the books. 

Here is a look back on the action:

Boys’ cross country (1-0) opened its season with a 16-45 victory over Silver Lake on Friday, Oct. 2. W-H senior captain Theo Kamperides finished first overall with a time of 16:51. Fellow senior captain Liam Cafferty (17:55) and junior Nathan Tassey (17:59) finished second and third, respectively. 

Girls’ cross country (0-1) was edged by Silver Lake, 25-32, on Thursday, Oct. 1. Junior captain Myah Kamperides paced the Panthers with a third-place finish at 20:59.

Field hockey (0-1) lost its opener to Silver Lake, 2-1, on Thursday, Oct. 1. Junior forward Lauren Dunn tied the game at 1-1 in the third before the Lakers pulled ahead late in the fourth quarter. 

Boys’ golf (0-4) had a busy week. On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Brian Dempsey’s squad was upended by Marshfield, 251-283. Senior Graham Stewart was a bright spot for W-H in the loss, registering two birdies. … On Wednesday, the Panthers fell to Plymouth North, 249-263. W-H senior captain Aidan Miller tied for match medalist, shooting a 5-over par 39. … The Panthers capped the week with a 232-275 setback against Duxbury on Thursday. Miller shot a 4-over par 40 in the loss. 

Boys’ soccer (1-0) collected a 2-1 win on the road over Duxbury Friday, Oct. 2. Senior captain Peyton Collins had a goal and an assist, while junior Jack Allen had the other tally. 

Girls’ soccer (1-0) blanked Notre Dame Academy (of Hingham), 4-0, to kick off its season on Friday, Oct. 2. Junior Kelsee Wozniak scored twice in the win, while sophomore Kayla Cassidy and junior Lauryn Fostello also had goals. Senior captains Kylee Colclough and Reese Codero combined for the shutout in net. 

Girls’ volleyball (0-1) was swept by Notre Dame Academy (of Hingham), 3-0, on Thursday, Oct. 1. The set scores were: 24-26, 18-25 and 12-25. Juniors Izzy Baker and Abby Martin were standouts in the defeat. 

*Express weekly roundups include scores from Sunday to Sunday.

‘Tis the season: Panther athletes get set to play on a very different field

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The fall sports season starts on Friday, Sept. 18 at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

The wait is almost over.

After nearly six months without high school sports, the fall season is finally set to get underway tomorrow at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

Cross country, field hockey, boys’ golf, soccer and girls’ volleyball will all begin practice. Football and fall cheerleading were moved to February.

“These have been difficult times for all of us, but especially our kids,” said W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers. “I am so excited to see them back with their coaches and teammates. I’m not sure people truly understand how much being part of a team means to our students but I know this will help them deal with these uncertain times.

“Our teachers have been working so hard for the return to school and the same holds true for our coaches. I hope everyone remembers that this is uncharted territory for all of us and we will do the best we can to serve our students the best we can. We will learn as we go and adjust when necessary.”

There are a few major changes coming to some sports. Field hockey will be played 7-on-7 instead of 11-on-11. There will be no throw-ins, slide tackling or heading the ball in soccer.

“This season is most certainly challenging, but we will meet this challenge with a covered smile,” said boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy.

That feeling is universal.

“I’m very excited that we get the chance to play this season,” said girls’ soccer junior Kelsee Wozniak. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge with the new rules, but the fact we even are allowed to play is great.”

Said girls’ volleyball junior Lily Welch: “All of my teammates and I are super excited about having a season. Even though it’s hard under the guidelines, we have all been getting together and training with each other. We have also had the chance to be teachers and work with the incoming freshman and I love that.”

There also won’t be a state tournament, but Wozniak said she’ll have no issue staying motivated playing in the Patriot League.

“We play in a very strong conference with talented teams,” she said. “Our goal is to compete and win our league. That will drive us every day to work very hard as a team.”

Regardless of what this upcoming season will look like or even how it may play out, one thing is certain heading into it.

“I can’t wait to get started,” said boys’ and girls’ cross country head coach Steve George.

No football, cheerleading this fall

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Football and cheerleading have been pushed off from this fall to a “sandwich” season in February.

There won’t be any Friday night lights or Thanksgiving Day football this coming fall.

The MIAA Board of Directors has moved football and fall cheerleading back to the spring in a season it’s calling “Fall II,” that will run from Feb. 22 to April 25. Both are deemed high-risk sports.

“It is the best case scenario for our players and our seniors to get a season in,” said Whitman-Hanson Regional High football head coach Mike Driscoll. “Obviously, we would like life to be normal and have a regular fall season, but that is not the case right now. We will make the best out of the current situation and our guys will be hungry and ready to go come the end of February.”

W-H cheerleading head coach Alyssa Pietrasik also understands the move.

“We are disappointed that we won’t have our fall season, there’s something special and unique about those Friday nights under the lights and the extreme competitiveness of fall cheer,” she said. “But in reality, our day will come when the world is a safer place. Right now we need to buckle down and keep our distance so that we can get to business come February. But I will say that I can’t wait for that day to come.”

The regular fall season, which will include soccer, gymnastics, cross country, field hockey, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ golf, will start on Sept. 18.

The Patriot League will play its games in a bubble, which means schools will only play games against teams in their respective division (Keenan or Fisher). W-H is in the Keenan Division with Duxbury, Marshfield Plymouth North Silver Lake and Quincy. However, there are a few executions: boys’ soccer will face North Quincy, while field hockey and girls soccer’ and girls’ volleyball will play one game against Notre Dame Academy (of Hingham). The league will conclude play with the Patriot Cup, which will end no later than Nov. 20. There won’t be a state tournament.

“This  isn’t really about championships, it’s not about banners in the gym,” said W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers at last Friday’s school committee meeting. “It’s about giving kids participation — allowing them to be part of something.”

Codero commits to Roger Williams for basketball

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Reese Codero dribbles. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Reese Codero will play basketball at Roger Williams next season.

A three-sport varsity contributor at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, rising senior Reese Codero is taking her talents to the next level.

Codero has committed to play basketball at Roger Williams University, a Division III school in Bristol, Rhode Island, that competes in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

“I felt it was a good fit for me because I think I will be able to be successful academically but also challenged at the same time,” said Codero, who is planning to study criminal justice. “I have seen the team play a couple of times [and] I really admire their style. They are a type of team who plays together and not every girl for herself. They compete at a high level and I want to be a part of that.”

This past winter, Codero emerged as the Panthers’ starting point guard helping guide the program to its best regular-season record (14-6) since 2009-10 and first playoff win in eight years. She scored 7.1 ppg and dished out 3.2 apg en route to earning Patriot League All-Star status. And she is fully expecting to elevate her game as she writes the final chapter of her W-H basketball career.

“Before I get to Roger Williams, I am looking to grow not only as a player but as a person as well,” said Codero, who also plays soccer and softball. “I want to work on my game and have my weaknesses become strengths. I plan to keep improving everyday physically and mentally. During the upcoming high school season, I want to help my team compete for a league championship and to get better as a team.”

But before basketball, she’ll take aim at another league title in the fall in net for the girls’ soccer team.

Fall sports delayed until at least mid-September

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Fall sports will be delayed until at least Sept. 14.

It could have been worse.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has pushed back the start of the fall sports season until Sept. 14 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“I think by making this move, it gives us the best opportunity to have a sustained program,” Whitman-Hanson Regional High athletic director Bob Rodgers told WHDH 7 News’ Byron Barnett. “We could come back at the normal date and it could be very likely we’d be out again. It could have a domino affect. I’m pleased with the decision.”

Rodgers also noted the start date is for tryouts and practices, so games may be on hold until mid-October.

“I think we’re going to have a really workable plan,” Rodgers said. “It won’t be normal, it won’t be what we’ve always had. But let’s face it, this is an unprecedented time, nobody has ever gone though this before.”

“I think we’re probably going to shorten the regular season a bit and then there’s been some talks about whether we change the whole playoff format for a year. Maybe we keep it more regional. Maybe we keep it more district-oriented.”

In addition to a shortened season, Rodgers said he’s expecting some other changes, such as having to rely on parents for transportation to and from games, a limit of guests in attendance and likely no Friday night lights.

“There’s going to have to be some compromise,” he said.

Rodgers said he’s also expecting some bumps along the way.

“My biggest concern is the whole start, stop thing,” he said. “Once we get into this, there will be people that will test positive, and it’s a matter of ‘How do we address those positive tests?'”

Rodgers said his message to the athletes is to just stay positive.

“Stay confident that we’re going to make this happen,” Rodgers said. “If we keep these numbers down then we will have sports. We will have school. I think we have to keep doing what we’re doing.”

A new bench boss: Rob Peters takes charge of boys’ hockey

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Rob Peters is the new boys’ hockey coach and he’s no stranger to the Patriot League.

Rob Peters knows firsthand what the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team is capable of after serving as an assistant coach for Scituate the last two seasons. 

Not only did the Panthers go 2-0 against the Sailors last year during league play, but they also ended their season in the Division 2 South quarterfinals. 

“They’re (Whitman-Hanson) well respected, very difficult,” Peters said. “It’s always a dog fight to play Whitman-Hanson.”

Fortunately for Peters, he doesn’t have to worry about playing the Panthers anymore, after they hired him as their next head coach last month. 

“It’s definitely exciting being back behind the bench head coaching and kind of build off of a great, respected program,” Peters said. “I’m definitely excited to be a part of that.”

Peters succeeds Chris Googins, who stepped down to spend more time with his family, and Peters knows he has some big shoes to fill. Googins took the program from a one-win season in 2015 (his first season back in his second stint behind the Panthers bench) to its best campaign in at least 15 years this past winter, going 17-6-1 and earning a trip to the South semifinals. Peters said his philosophy mirrors the program’s current style quite well. 

“I like to coach a very disciplined, defensive-minded-first team, so I like having kids with good characters,” Peters said. “That’s what I saw as an outsider and then when I started to go through the interview process and learn more about Whitman-Hanson and who they are as a school and a community, there’s a lot of similarities with how I live my everyday life. As I went through the interview process, it reassured me that it was going to be a good fit.”

Peters’ duties at Scituate included running the power play, coaching the forwards and leading film sessions. Additionally, he owns and operates his own hockey skill development company. He also worked in community development and branding for the New Jersey Devils organization. 

“I think I’ll be able to add a little more versatility and a little more skill development [to W-H],” Peters said. 

A question for any new W-H boys’ hockey coach should be: How do you keep the program relevant?

“I want to try and have a little more input with their youth program,” Peters said. “I want to really get them excited to play for Whitman-Hanson hockey — kind of build from the bottom up.”

“Year after year, players change but the systems, the character, and everything that comes with the game mentally stays. If we create a family atmosphere, I think we can overcome anything.”

And the Panthers’ are going to have to overcome the graduation of a few key forwards in Patriot League All-Stars Adam Solari (23 goals, 11 assists) and Chris Stoddard (nine goals, 28 assists). However, they will return a league all-star in net, Bobby Siders, and freshman forward standout Matt Solari (18 goals, 14 assists). 

“I want to make the playoffs — that’s a big goal,” Peters said. “They had a really big year last year. We lost some key forwards but I think we are still going to have a great roster and character. I’m excited to see what these guys got. I want to get back in the playoffs — where they were last year.”