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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.”

Ben Rice set to shoot for a cause

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Ben Rice shoots a 3. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Ben Rice is set to take place in the A Shot for Life Challenge on Aug. 1 and to do so must raise at least $1,000.

Ben Rice hit a team-high 77 3-pointers during his senior season this past winter, helping to lead the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team to a share of the Division 2 state title.

Now, Rice is ready to line up some more shots for an even bigger cause. Rice is one of 16 Massachusetts high school boys’ basketball players selected to take part in the A Shot For Life (ASFL) Challenge, which is scheduled to be held Saturday, Aug. 1 at Starland Sportsplex in Hanover. 

The event is a hybrid of a highly competitive basketball shooting competition and a fundraiser. ASFL is a multi-dimensional organization that raises money for cancer research, empowers athletes to use their abilities and talents for the benefit of others, and inspires hope. Funds raised by the A Shot For Life Challenge benefit the Dr. Curry Research Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. Each participant must raise at least $1,000. 

“After I was chosen I knew how important this event really is,” said Rice, who will play basketball at Connecticut College, this winter. “My goals are to have my fundraising total be well over the minimum of $1,000, to spread awareness about the cause to as many people as possible, and lastly, win the event.”

“Ben was one of the top shooters in the state his senior year and we all know he loves to shoot, so it’s great he can do something he is so passionate about and help so many people,” said W-H boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers. 

It is a competitive selection process to become A Shot For Life shooter, according to ASFL CEO and founder Mike Slonina. 

“We not only scout all prospective shooters closely, but we also interview for people of great character,” stated Slonina in a press release. “The selection process this year was heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and accompanying lockdown. This year more than ever, a player showing initiative and proactively wanting to use their talent for good carried a lot of weight. We are extremely proud of the 2020 roster as we welcome many new players into the A Shot For Life family. All of the participants involved in the A Shot For Life Challenge have committed to spend a significant amount of time and energy to raise money for brain cancer research. Their excitement and willingness to do so speaks volumes about who they are as people off of the court.”

To donate to ASFL for Rice, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/2020-a-shot-for-life-challenge and type his name under the comment section. 

If the event is not able to go off as planned on Aug. 1, Slonina said they have contingency plans. 

“I am most looking forward to being able to compete with some of the best shooters I have ever heard of or played against and hopefully I have a great shooting day,” Rice said. 

Season Review: A championship run for boys’ basketball

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The Panthers celebrate a win at TD Garden. / Photo by: Sue Moss

This season’s boys’ basketball team earned the program’s first-ever state title.

Preparation for the state championship game was underway when Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers heard his phone ring. He had a hunch what it was going to be about.

“We just finished our film session and scouting report and we were about 15 to 20 minutes into the on-court portion of practice when I got the phone call,” Rodgers said. “I stepped out of the gym to take it and walked in and I could see the kids. We all knew it was inevitable.”

The Panthers Div. 2 state title game against Taconic was canceled. While the initial reaction was heartbreaking, Rodgers said it didn’t take long to put it into perspective.

“One thing I told the kids is to look up at the banners in the gym on that boys’ basketball league championship banner, there’s a co-champion in there,” said Rodgers, who wrapped up his 20th year on the Panthers’ bench. “Nobody knows what year it is. It’s such a great accomplishment for the kids to win our first-ever state championship. It’s not going to say co-champions, it’s going to say state champions. That’s what they are.

“We were all pretty confident we were gonna be able to complete it if we were able to play that last game.”

It’s tough to argue with that. The Panthers (25-2) hadn’t lost in nearly two and a half months and were riding a state-best 23-game winning streak.

“When I realized how good of a basketball team we were was when we were at Scituate,” Rodgers said. “Scituate was an outstanding basketball team and we played near flawless basketball and made a big statement (75-45 victory).”

One of many big statements for the Panthers, who knocked off Div. 1 contenders Brockton (75-70) and Mansfield (72-59) to win the Roundball Classic, and capped the season by getting over the hump at TD Garden with an 86-68 rout of Beverly. 

“The accomplishments of the team, to end the season with a win at the TD Garden,” Rodgers said, “so many positives we can take from it.”

The Panthers were buoyed by a balanced attack all season — led by senior captain Stevie Kelly. The Clarion University commit was a stat-sheet stuffer, recording 14 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game en route to being named Patriot League Keenan Division MVP.

“Stevie is a great story,” Rodgers said. “He was cut from the middle-school basketball team and he is somebody who has a tremendous work ethic and if he’s not good at something, he’s going to keep practicing it until he gets better at it. He’s like having another coach on the team. He’s one of the all-time best players that ever played at Whitman-Hanson.”

Many of Kelly’s assists were to fellow senior captain and Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star Ben Rice. Rice, who stands at 6-foot-7, knocked down 77 3-pointers, leading the team with 14.7 ppg to complement 5.9 rpg. 

“He just had such a passion and love for basketball and the basketball gods rewarded him by making him 6-7,” Rodgers said of Rice, who will play at Connecticut College next season. “I think he played his best basketball at the end of the season.”

Juniors Cole LeVangie (11.4 ppg, 5 rpg) and Nate Amado (13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg) were also named Patriot League Keenan Division All-Stars. The captain-elects combined for 99 3-pointers. 

“They’re both incredible, multi-dimensional basketball players,” Rodgers said. “They can shoot it, get to the hole, they can rebound, they can handle it. They both have very similar styles of play. They’re both extremely coachable, very kind and outstanding leaders. I’m really excited about having them as the foundation for trying to continue what we’ve been having going on at Whitman-Hanson for a long time.”

Seniors Tommy Vassil (headed to play at Springfield Commonwealth Academy prep school next year) and John Zeidan were also key parts of the Panthers’ run this season. 

“I consider us to be a character-based program,” Rodgers said. “We try to be the best people we can be. Not perfect people by any means but my kids take pride that they’re role models for the younger kids in the community. They have been through the Whitman-Hanson experience as kids so they recognize the importance they have on the future of Whitman-Hanson basketball and take great pride in it. For me, that’s what makes this program special.”

Googins steps down as W-H boys’ hockey coach

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Whitman-Hanson Regional High is looking for a boys’ hockey coach.

After the program’s best run in at least 15 years, Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey head coach Chris Googins has stepped down.

“This is a huge loss for our school, but I get it,” said W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers. “Not only is Chris a tremendous coach, he is an even better father. His youngest son is playing hockey in college and he simply did not want to miss the opportunity to share that journey with him.”

Googins served six seasons as the boys’ hockey coach in the early 2000s before departing to take over the head coaching responsibilities at Framingham State University. He returned to W-H in 2016, as the Panthers skated to a one-win campaign. This past season, they won 17 games and earned a berth in the Div. 2 South semifinals. 

“Coach Googins touched all the bases as a high school coach,” Rodgers said. “ He taught his players so much more than just hockey and in his final lesson to the boys he showed them that family always comes first. We are fortunate that he will remain with our school in his current teaching position.”

Dealing with a delayed spring sports season at Whitman-Hanson

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The spring sports season is delayed until at least May 4.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ tennis team, optimism was high — and rightfully so — as it looked toward this spring.

The Panthers are set to return all 18 players from last year’s team that won its first tournament game in program history.

Now, the girls’ tennis team, like the rest of the clubs, is grappling with a delayed start to the spring due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We were looking forward to our best season thus far,” said girls’ tennis head coach Sue Sookiasian. “Coach (Sue) Moss and I are keeping the faith that we will be able to have some sort of an abbreviated season.”

This spring is also key for the boys’ lacrosse team, but for the opposite  reason. The Panthers are tasked with making up for the loss of 10 seniors. Five of those seniors combined for 112 goals, one was its Patriot League All-Star starting goaltender and another was a captain on defense.

“It’s definitely tough because I would have liked to get a full season in to develop the younger guys because the majority of starters last year were seniors,”  said boys’ lacrosse head coach Tyler Sabens. “I’m hopeful that we’ll have a spring season even if it’s short.”

If all goes as planned and there are no further setbacks, that short spring season will get underway on May 4 with tryouts. Games will get underway about a week later, according to athletic director Bob Rodgers. 

Baseball skipper Pat Cronin, who started coaching 47 years ago, has never seen anything like this, but he understands the delay is necessary. 

“[I] Feel for the kids, of course,” Cronin said. “The seniors are in their final year and will be unable to ever get back the time missed. While virtually my entire life has been centered about the classroom and athletic fields, missing a season or part of a season is a small price to pay if we can help to save lives.”

Head girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker, who was hired last offseason, is possibly facing his first spring without picking up a stick since he was introduced to the sport back in 1975. 

“The girls are devastated, especially the seniors,” Decker said. “I can tell that there were many players who were very prepared and ready for the season. The captains, Marissa Connell and Riley Bina (sitting at 92 career goals), organized teams for indoor leagues and kept the players motivated.

“Going into my second year, I felt much better prepared. We were hosting a small preseason jamboree, and I was able to set my schedule this year.”

Josh Lopes is set to enter his first spring at the helm of the boys’ tennis team. He doesn’t think the season will actually happen — and if it does — he won’t have a good feeling going in. 

“I don’t know much about the team at all, especially what the experience levels are,” Lopes said. “Quite a few are first-year players. I had met with anyone interested in playing but it does feel like we are going into the season essentially blind. I don’t really know what to expect in terms of ability and players. It was actually part of the excitement for me, thinking about what the possibilities could be.”

Steve George, the girls’ outdoor track head coach, noted it’s frustrating not being able to communicate with his athletes about potential practices and workouts because of a strict MIAA policy that states, “A coach may not directly or indirectly require an athlete to participate in a sport or a training program outside of the MIAA defined sport season.”

“This pandemic has created an immensely frustrating time for me as a coach,” George said. “I’m literally isolated from the athletes, but in addition there are rules placing limitations on what we can discuss or suggest out of season.”

With that said, he is immensely concerned about his athletes getting hurt if the season ends up getting underway.

“I have a growing concern about injury, if and when we do return,” he said. “Accelerating training would increase that likelihood, and the MIAA will proceed with caution to ensure adequate practices take place prior to competition. But many of the athletes will not want to hold back, despite a lengthy period of inactivity and that could be disastrous. My job is to keep them healthy and safe and that is how I intend to proceed.”

Boys’ outdoor track head coach Stephen Schlicting tries to post a tweet each day to keep in touch with his athletes, but he knows it’s not the same as seeing their faces. 

“It seems like a long time since I’ve seen the team,” said Schlicting, who also coaches the boy’s indoor track team. “I’m hoping we have this thing beat by May 4. We had a very good group this past winter, and I’m looking forward to the others who will join and start next month.”

Softball head coach Jordan McDermott has been doing her best to keep her players’ spirits up. 

“I did do a challenge for a week with the girls where I gave them a challenge and they had the option to do something,” McDermott explained. “I loved how I made it not only for the softball girls but for all those who follow my account; it was pretty cool to see other girls from other schools and towns get involved. I go live here and there on my account and try to check in on the student-athletes. My goal is to keep the girls engaged, active and optimistic.”

One thing is certain: each coach is devastated for their senior(s). 

MIAA cancels upcoming state finals; boys’ basketball team named D2 co-state champion

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It was not the way the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team expected its season to end, but it became inevitable.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has canceled this weekend’s state finals amid the current conditions of COVID-19.

W-H was scheduled to play Taconic in the Division 2 state final on Saturday. It was the program’s first-ever state final berth.

As a result of the cancellation, both W-H and Taconic will be named co-state champions.

W-H boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers said he agreed with the MIAA’s unanimous decision.

Rodgers added: “For me, the hardest part of every season as a coach is the final game and final practice. When the realization sets in that you don’t get to coach your seniors ever again, it’s a sick feeling. It has nothing to do with winning and losing.

“Our season started with a disappointing loss, but from that adversity we grew closer as a team and stronger every day. The team was unselfish and had a tenacious work ethic to record the best season in school history ending the year with 23 straight wins and a 25-2 record.”

Kelly points the way for W-H boys’ basketball

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Stevie Kelly slices to the hoop for two. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Stevie Kelly is the floor general for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team.

At the outset of last winter, Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers wasn’t sure who was going to emerge as his team’s starting point guard.

It didn’t take long to figure out. Insert Stevie Kelly, a then-junior coming off a Patriot League All-Star season as a center back in soccer.

“Pretty much our first game (we knew he was our point guard),” Rodgers said. 

Kelly was no stranger to Rodgers, but like most young players — he had some work to do entering the year.  

“I’ve known Stevie since second grade and watched him coming to my camps,” Rodgers said. “I’ve known him his whole life, he’s always been a great athlete, and when he was a freshman and sophomore, I always saw great potential in him, but he had to mature.”

He did and became a Patriot League All-Star on the court in the process, dishing out 136 assists and steering the Panthers to the Div. 2 South semifinals, which included a stunning upset over top-seeded Randolph, a game in which Kelly hit a clutch layup in the final minutes to help seal the victory. 

“I didn’t expect to have as big of a junior season as I had,” Kelly said. “I just went in working hard.”

Said Rodgers: “Stevie is tough as nails. He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever coached. He just competes hard all the time.” 

This season, Kelly, who is now a senior captain, has elevated his game to another level, despite an extended soccer season that culminated with a spot in the EMass All-Star game in late November. 

“After soccer practice, I would come up into the gym and take some of my teammates and if they’re not up here, I’m up here by myself,” Kelly said. 

Rodgers noticed the dedication.  

“He’s improved immensely,” Rodgers said. “His shooting and passing are both better.”

But where Kelly has shown the most growth from last winter is with his communication on the court. 

“Talking is probably the hardest skill to be taught to any basketball player,” Rodgers said. “Stevie was at the point where he could talk about what he was doing and where his game was or his defenders were. Great point guards see it all. We’ve started to see Stevie do that more. The great point guards that we’ve had at Whitman-Hanson are the guys that make everyone around them better.”

Kelly has been doing just that. He posted a triple-double in win over Marshfield on Friday, Jan. 17, scoring 24 points, dishing out 11 assists and corralling 10 rebounds.

“I look to attack first and I try to get by my guy and if someone helps, I’ll just hit Ben Rice or someone in the corner or J.Z. (John Zeidan) down low, but if nobody stops me, I’ll just go to the hoop,” he said. 

 Kelly also had 11 assists in a win over Pembroke earlier in the season on Jan. 8. 

“He’s obviously one of the best in the league at getting to the basket,” said Rice, a fellow senior captain. “He’s quick. He can do a lot of things. He helps me get open because he has really good court vision.”

The Panthers are off to a 10-2 start so far this season, and if they’re going to get where they want, Kelly is going to be key. 

“If you look in the gym at the banners of the South Sectional titles, those teams communicated,” Rodgers said.  “And if Stevie does that, then it becomes contagious and the rest of the guys do that. Out of all the things we try and work on with the team — communication and sharing the ball are the two things we need to do to reach our potential.”

Ben Rice carries on a family hoops legacy

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Ben Rice uncorks a 3-pointer. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Ben Rice is following in his brothers’ and father’s footsteps in taking the court for Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball.

Then there was one.

After dumping in a team-high 13 points in two-plus quarters, helping the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team build a 40-point lead over Pembroke, Ben Rice’s work was done for the night. His older brother Tyler was seated in the top row to watch him. 

“I definitely wanted to play good in front of him,” said Ben, a 6-foot-7 swingman and senior captain for the Panthers. 

Meanwhile, a few miles away in Quincy, their older brother Josh was on his way to a 17-point performance, while connecting on five 3-pointers, pushing Eastern Nazarene College past Becker College.

Basketball is a passion for the Rices, who have been penned on W-H’s varsity roster for parts of seven straight seasons. 

Ben has been in the starting lineup since last year. Josh, who scored his 1,000th career point at ENC in November, was also a two-year starter for W-H before graduating in 2016. Tyler, who graduated in 2018, started his senior season. All have contributed significantly. 

All-Star

Ben tossed in 11.6 points per game and was tabbed a league all-star last winter as the Panthers reached the Division 2 South semifinals. Josh played a major role (14.3 ppg) in the program claiming its first-ever Division 2 South Sectional title and trip to TD Garden his senior year. Tyler helped the program to a pair of Patriot League Kennan Division titles. 

“I’ve never had anything like that since I’ve been here,” said 20-year W-H boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers. “I’ve never seen anything like that — in basketball — anyway. In basketball, I would say the Rice family stands apart.”

It began in the driveway. 

“I still remember how intense our two-on-two games would be,” Josh said. “Me and my brother Tyler would be on the same team and my dad (Jon) and my brother Ben would be on the same team. I think that made us all a lot better and grew us closer. 

“It was cool growing up with two brothers who really were interested in the same things you were interested in. That helped all of us get better.”

Their father Jon, a 1986 W-H graduate, also played basketball for the Panthers and then at ENC. 

“It’s been incredibly remarkable watching them play, especially at my alma mater,” Jon said. “It’s been an incredible investment, but everything we’ve put into it we’ve got back tenfold.” 

A prime example was when Josh and Tyler shared the Garden parquet in 2016. 

“That was really cool — something I’ll never forget,” Jon said. 

As Ben enters the last few months of his senior season, he has his eyes fixated on the prize, just like his brothers did.

“We obviously want to win every time out,” said Ben, who is coming off a 30-point outburst against Hanover on Tuesday, Jan. 21. “We’d love a league championship and to go far in the state tournament.”

As for Jon, it will be a little strange not writing in a full W-H basketball schedule on the calendar next winter.

“Who knows what I’ll be doing this time next year?” joked Jon. 

Season Preview: Boys’ basketball ahead of the game

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The Panthers bench during a scrimmage against Sandwich. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers return most of their production from last season’s 18-7 club.

For Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers, it’s like night and day going into this season compared to last winter.

Last year, the Panthers were tasked with finding a new starting five. This season, they return all of their key pieces from a Div. 2 South semifinals run.

“As a coach, it’s really about staying out of their way and letting them be as good as they are,” said Rodgers, who enters his 20th year at the helm of the boys’ basketball program.

Rodgers said with more experience comes heightened expectations.

“Now we’re veterans, most of the league knows most of the guys on the team — they know who they are and what they can do,” said Rodgers, whose team has qualified for the tournament for 11 straight seasons. “It’s a lot of fun because we’re way further ahead than we ordinarily would be this time of year so a lot of the stuff we’re doing is mostly reviewing. It’s great when you have a veteran team.”

Rodgers said while his starting five is likely going to fluctuate throughout the season, there are a few players almost set in stone, beginning with senior captain Stevie Kelly. The team’s returning MVP, he will once again man the point after averaging about 8.3 ppg and over 130 assists last season.

“Stevie Kelly is tough as nails and is one of the best competitors I’ve ever coached, he just competes hard all the time,” Rodgers said. “His basketball skill level has improved immensely. He shoots it really well and he’s a great passer.”

A 6-foot-7 swingman, senior captain Ben Rice will start after averaging close to 12 ppg and sinking close to 50 three-pointers last season.

“Ben is a great kid to coach, who has such a great demeanor,” Rodgers said. “Everyone on the team loves him. He can shoot it, he’s getting better diving the ball to the whole, he can rebound it and I think defensively he can make a difference with how long he is. He’s a weapon.”

Junior Cole LeVangie is also a weapon with an efficient inside and outside game for the Panthers.

“All Cole LeVangie has done it gotten better,” Rodgers said. “He’s going to be in the mix to start.”

While Rodgers said he expects his club to shoot the ball well from beyond the arc again this season, his team’s strength isn’t something that’s going to be found on the stat sheet.

“They all (the players) genuinely care about each other, they genuinely want their teammates to have success,” said the coach. “They can push each other in practice without other guys getting offended and they can play hard-nosed in practice without somebody feeling like they’re trying to show them up. That intangible of a team’s character, as I look at all the teams I’ve coached over my 30 years of coaching, I always look back and say, ‘Where were we on the character scale?’

“The teams that were high on the character scale always achieved higher than I thought they could. They’ve exceed what they can be. If this team achieve what they can be, sky’s the limit because just what they can be is really good.”

The Panthers return to the court Friday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. on the home against Plymouth North.

“Nothing is ever guaranteed in high school basketball,” Rodgers said. “It’s not played on paper, it’s played on the court. On paper, I like what we are, but we got to go play it on the court.”

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.”