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Season Preview: Youth movement for girls’ soccer

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Junior Savannah Kamperides vs. Plymouth South. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The defending Division 2 state champs have plenty of new faces around.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team has its work cut out for it in 2022. 

Patriot League All-Stars Olivia Borgen, Ava Melia and Nora Manning have all graduated from last year’s D2 state title team. Borgen (Penn State) and Melia (Bryant) are both playing Division 1 soccer. Melia anchored the backline, while Borgen (team-high 23 goals and 14 assists) and Manning (12 goals and team-high 15 assists) provided some serious firepower up front. 

Senior captain Kayla Cassidy, who is committed to play D1 herself for the University of Cincinnati, was supposed to shoulder even more of the load on offense. Except Cassidy, who pumped in 18 goals last fall (good for second on the team), tore her ACL and is out for the season. 

“That’s big loss,” Floeck said. “That, on top of the senior class that we lost.” 

It doesn’t end there. 

Senior midfielder Madelyn Allen is also expected to miss most of the season due to injury.

There’s more. 

“Between June and July, five of our players suffered season-ending injuries,” Floeck said. “It has been like nothing that I’ve ever seen. We’ve even had some other younger players that have shown well that have suffered some serious injuries that appear to have them out for the season.” 

So who is healthy?

For starters, junior captain Makenna Marshall is and will lead the defense. Marshall has been on varsity since her freshman year. 

“We’re really looking for her to provide that leadership on and off the field,” Floeck said. “She is a tremendous player. She has the respect of all her teammates and she’s been through the biggest games we’ve played in. We’re relying on her to be the leader of the team and for our back line.”

Fellow junior Savannah Kamperides joins her back there.

“Savannah played an important role for us last year so this year we’re looking for her to come back and be strong on the back line,” Floeck said. 

While just juniors, Marshall and Kamperides are elder statesmen on the team, which features just one healthy senior in Ella Nagle. 

“As our lone senior on the field right now we’re counting on her to kind of shoulder some of that load (on offense),” Floeck said. 

Sophomore Maddie Fitzgerald should also play a key role on offense. 

“She played significant time for us last year as a freshman and we’re really counting on her to step up and be a catalyst for our attack,” Floeck said. 

It’s definitely a youth movement for the Panthers. 

“We have some freshmen that are really being thrown into the fire,” Floeck said. “Even our bench is all freshmen and sophomores. Our mantra to get better every day and if you’re doing that hopefully the results are going our way.”

Floeck said he’s excited about the development of his program. 

“We want to make sure we do it the right way,” he said. “We have a great opportunity that we’re not graduating much so if we can develop these players the right way this can really set us up going forward. We understand we’re going to make mistakes or they’re going to be in satiations they’ve never been in but we’re trying to work through that with them. Our league is not forgiving nor is the fact that I’m sure everyone wants to have a shot at us because we have had such success in the league over the years.”

The defending D2 champs are back in action on Thursday, Sept. 15 when they host Plymouth South at 6:30 p.m. 

“We want to see growth,” Floeck said. “We know that there’s going to be growing pains. There are things that we’re used to our teams being able to do that we’re just not there yet and from a coaching staff perspective we have to realize that and be there to support our kids when we put them in some situations like a Whitman-Hanson-Hingham rivalry or Plymouth North or Silver Lake. Everything is an opportunity. We just want to keep a positive attitude and focus on the things that we can control. We’re hoping to get better every day and see where that puts us.”

Season Preview: New boys’ soccer coach stressing fun, resiliency

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The Panthers scrimmage. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Fun is the name of the game.

First-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach Dan Rudolph wants his team to have some fun this fall. 

“They should enjoy practices, they should enjoy game day — just have a positive experience,” said Rudolph, who spent the past five years as Hingham’s JV coach. 

Rudolph also wants his group, which finished 2-14-2 last fall, to play competitive soccer. Part of that is learning from your mistakes, especially in a tough Patriot League. 

“We all agreed on and promised each other that we know we’re going to face adversity this season, playing against some good teams,” Rudolph said. “But we’re a good team too and we all agreed when we do come up against some adversity, we’re going to come out the next day and try to come up with some solutions with some of the things we can improve upon. We’re going to be resilient all season. There’s going to be some challenges, but we’re going to embrace them.”

Rudolph lauded his group of seniors (Andrew Chichlowski, Chase Fostello, Jack Navicky, Manny Osorio, Jackson Preskins and Devin Walsh) for leading the charge in that mindset. 

“We have a great group of senior leaders,” Rudolph said. “I’ve seen leadership from people in all different classes. All these kids are going to make contributions.” 

As for who is going to be contributing to the Panthers’ offense this season, Rudolph said he believes the goal scoring will come from a bevy of sources. 

“We’re a team,” Rudolph said. “We’re going to get goals from a lot of different people.”

Down the other end, sophomore Dillon Galanis takes over in net for Andrew Sullivan. 

W-H is back on the pitch Thursday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. when it visits Plymouth South. 

“We’re a good team,” Rudolph said. “I hope to see exciting, great soccer. I think there’s potential here and we have hard working kids. These guys are going to go hard.

“We already know there’s going to be some tough games but we’re coming out the next day and we’re going to be better. We’re in it for the long haul.” 

Season Preview: Boys’ golf driving for improvement

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team has nine new golfers.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team, the goal is pretty simple this autumn.

“To improve every day,” said head coach Brian Dempsey, now in his 11th year leading the Panthers. “Regardless of wins and losses, we’re really trying to emphasize the advantage that each player has to get better, whether it be getting out on the course, going to the driving range, practicing putting, or even watching instructional videos. It’s cliché, but every day is an opportunity to improve, and with such a short season, we can’t let any of them slip away.”

The Panthers, who went 4-12 last fall, graduated their top golfer in Pat McBroom, but do return some talent in sophomore Cooper Britton, senior captain Harry Chase, classmate Nick Manganiello and junior captain Blake Belcher. Each should find themselves near the top of the leaderboard. 

“Of course, any or all of this could change throughout the season, but we’re confident that this range of players and experience could work to our advantage,” Dempsey said. 

As for newcomers, W-H has plenty. Nine to be exact. They’re also loaded with upperclassmen; of the 16 players on the roster, nine are seniors and five are juniors with just one sophomore and freshman. Dempsey said he believes his squad’s strength will be its leadership. 

“In some ways, upperclassmen are more relaxed and confident, and having graduated a handful of players that played in a majority of our matches last year, we’ll take that approach and hope for the best,” he said. 

W-H tees off its season Thursday, Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m. when it hosts Hanover at Ridder Farm Golf Course. 

“Early on, I really just want to see more confidence from our team,” Dempsey said. “Because golf is such a mental game, there have been several times in the past where players immediately go through the schedule to see where they will win or lose. This year, I’m hoping to see players spend more time on bettering themselves and entering each match knowing that they’ve done all that they can to succeed for that day, that match, and that round.”

Season Preview: Field hockey ‘starting over again’

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Todd Humphrey addresses his team during its scrimmage. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High field hockey team has a new look this season.

Todd Humphrey has a lot of new faces running around at practice. 

“Over half the team has never been on varsity, some are just starting out,” said the seventh-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High head field hockey coach, who graduated 17 seniors off last fall’s first-ever state tournament squad. 

The Panthers, who finished 3-12-2 last season, return just three starters. 

One of them is senior Reagan Heath, who is back in goal. 

“She has been working to improve her skills and is looking to support her team between the pipes this year,” Humphrey said. 

Junior Julia Cosgrove — who netted a two goals and added two assists at forward last season — will switch back to defense. 

“Her stick-handling ability should help us transition the ball from defense to offense,” Humphrey said. 

And sophomore Lillie MacKinnon will run the show at midfield. 

“She has impressive ball handling skills and is great at moving the team up the field,” said the coach. 

But other than that, Humphrey is looking at nine new starters. Two of them will be senior forward Abbie O’Neill and Kate Marino. They’ll captain the team along with Cosgrove. 

“Abbie is all about hustle and making plays, she is tough in front of the net,” Humphrey explained. “Kate is an all around player with a solid plethora of field hockey skills, she is willing to do anything to help the team. Paige is highly skilled and experienced, who really knows the game well. Each captain sincerely values their leadership role and is willing to help their teammates improve.”

Sophomores Ava Ferreira and Brooke Kreckler will join Marino and O’Neill at forward. As for the the midfield, juniors Hannah Battell and Lauren O’Neill will flank MacKinnon, while junior Maddy Geagan and sophomore Brooklyn Uzzell will slide in next to Cosgrove on defense. 

Despite the new look, Humphrey said he doesn’t feel like the Panthers’ lack of experience will necessary be a weakness because a lot of his squad plays multiple varsity sports. 

“The players that are new to field hockey are picking up the game rather quickly,” he said. “They also have demonstrated a desire to improve and really have desire to do well at field hockey.”

W-H is back in action Monday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. in Pembroke. 

“This season we are starting all over again,” Humphrey said. “I am looking forward to watching our players come together as a team and improve their field hockey skills as the season progresses.” 

Season Preview: Football team hoping to compete for a league championship

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Senior captains (left to right): Evan Casey, Maddox Colclough, Cam Burrows and Will Frazier

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team’s head coach has lofty goals as he aims to put it all together in Year No. 2.

Are you ready for some football?

Second-year head coach Zack Botelho and his Whitman-Hanson Regional High squad certainly are. 

“The excitement level is super high,” Botelho said. “We to play physical football and compete for a league championship this year.” 

Whitman-Hanson hasn’t won the Patriot League crown since 2001 (that’s 21 years ago for those keeping track). If it’s going to end that drought this fall, Botelho knows getting off on the right foot is crucial. 

“We want to start strong. We didn’t last year,” Botelho, whose team finished 2-9 last season in his first year at the help said, said. “But just having been in the league for a year, I’ve seen it and am able to game plan better.”

It’s always key when you can return your quarterback, and the Panthers do in senior captain Cam Burrows. 

“He’s been outstanding so far,” Botelho said. “He’s explosive.”

Behind Burrows, the Panthers also bring back senior captain and running back Will Frazier, who will be joined by fellow senior captain Evan Casey and classmate Trevor Googins in the backfield. 

Seniors Pat Dolan, Braden Kain, Sam Pace and Matt Phelps all have some experience under their belts at wide receiver, giving Burrows some solid options to pass to. 

Senior captain Maddox Colclough will anchor the offensive line. He will play both ways up front along with classmates Noah Hopkins and Connor Sottak. 

Casey returns at linebacker, while Phelps, a safety, and cornerbacks Frazier, Googins, Kain and senior Chris Currier hold down the fort in the secondary. 

W-H opens its season Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at home against Pembroke. That will be followed by a tough five-game stretch that features road games against Foxboro (Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.), Rockland (Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.) and Hingham (Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.) before returning home to face Silver Lake (Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.) and Marshfield (Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.). 

You think Botelho will find out what his team is made of after the first month? 

“Definitely,” he said. “We just want to compete for a full four quarters from whistle to whistle.” 

Season Preview: Exciting season in store for wrestling team

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Freshman Charlie Lussier. / Courtesy photo

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team is expecting to be “highly competitive” this season.

There is a lot of optimism surrounding the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team this winter. 

Why, you ask?

“I believe we can fill all 14 weight classes before we get to January,” said sixth-year head coach Gary Rabinovitz. 

That has been problem that has hindered the Panthers’ ability to add to the win column in the past. 

“By doing this with a majority of quality wrestlers the results will be very positive,” Rabinovitz said. 

W-H returns just five wrestlers from last spring’s season, in which they went 6-7. Senior captains Pat Collett and Rocco Ruffini are two of them. 

Collett is in his second year as a captain and his fourth as a starter. He will compete at 145 pounds. 

“Pat brings a great deal of passion to our program and realizes that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” Rabinovitz said.

Ruffini wrestles in the 220-pound weight class. 

“Rocco has really grown as a leader over the past three years and we are looking not only at his vocal leadership but also his technical abilities,” Rabinovitz said. 

Senior Joe Boss (113 pounds) and juniors Maddox Colclough (285) and Aidan Guiliani (132) are also back. Junior Braden Kain is also reruns at 138 pounds after taking last spring off for baseball. 

“All four of these wrestlers wrestle hard every day and believe in their abilities,” Rabinovitz said.

The Panthers also have three newcomers with five to six years of wrestling experience in freshman twins Charlie (106) and Cooper Lussier (152) and sophomore Austin Gamber (126). Gamber came to W-H from North Carolina. 

“I expect that our upperclassmen will help these young men to mold the future of Whitman-Hanson wrestling,” Rabinovitz said. “I truly believe that we have the chemistry to be highly competitive this season and going forward.”

W-H, which opened its season with a clean sweep over Durfeee (64-12), Cambridge Rindge & Latin (44-30) and Sandwich (45-12), is back on the mat Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Sandwich Early Bird tournament.

“We need to wrestle smart and learn both from our success and failures,” Rabinovitz said. “It is going to be a very exciting season, I can guarantee that.” 

Season Preview: 35-game winning streak or not, it’s a clean slate for boys’ basketball

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Senior Amari Jamison is one of the Panthers’ top returnees. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team enters the 2021-22 season riding a 35-game winning streak.

Seven hundred and seventeen days. 

That is how long it has been since the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team lost a game. 

That is right, nearly two years. 

Seriously, its last loss was Dec. 26, 2019. 

After concluding the 2019-2020 campaign with 23 straight wins en route to a share of the Div. 2 state title, W-H went a perfect 12-0 last season and won the Patriot Cup. 

It enters the new year riding a state-best 35-game winning streak. But 22-year head coach Bob Rodgers is all about wiping the slate clean this winter. 

“I don’t look at it as a 35-game winning steak,” Rodgers said. “I look at it as 2020 had a 23-game winning streak and 2021 had a 12-game winning streak and right now 2022 is 0-0. I’m trying to keep it from being a distraction to the kids.”

The Panthers once again have some giant voids to fill. This time it is the graduation of their one-two punch in Patriot League Keenan Division All-Stars Nate Amado and Cole LeVangie. 

Amado dumped in 24.2 point and snagged 9.3 rebounds per game last season en route to being voted the Patriot League Keenan Division MVP. He has moved on to Babson College, where he is second on the team averaging 11.7 ppg.

LeVangie, who scored 13.6 points, grabbed 9.1 rebounds and dished out 8.3 assists per game last season, has fit in quite well at Suffolk. The freshman is posting 9.1 ppg. 

“I think it was very easy to know that when you have Superman and Batman on the floor something good is going to happen,” Rodgers said. 

The Panthers head coach added it will be a team effort to fill their shoes. 

“Right now, we are trying to establish our identity after losing two incredible impact players,” Rodgers said. “This year, the players know they have to count on each other and they may all have to step up a little bit more.”

Fortunately for Rodgers, he didn’t just have two league all-stars last season, he had four. And two of them are back in Amari Jamison and Ryan Vallancourt. 

Vallancourt captains the Panthers. He netted 6.1 points and dished out 4.8 assists per game last season. He will start at shooting guard. 

“We’re extremely lucky to have somebody of his character and his skill level to be leading our team,” Rodgers said. 

Jamison, who will start at small forward, dumped in 9.0 ppg and shot 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. 

“He’s a dynamic player and extremely athletic,” Rodgers said. 

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound senior Malcom Alcorn-Crowder will clog up the middle. He averaged 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last winter. Senior Andrew Guardia will run the point, while classmate Dom Masone will man his post at power forward. 

W-H tips off its season on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 on the road against Patriot League foe Scituate. 

“I want to focus on doing all of the little things that make up a successful basketball team and let the results just kind of fall into place,” Rodgers said. “It’s really easy to fall into the trap of looking at the past successes and trying to live up to state championships, winning streaks, league titles — all of that — and get lost in the idea that those happen because those teams took care of all those little details.”

Season Preview: Girls’ basketball out for revenge

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Senior captain Abby Martin during the Panthers’ scrimmage. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team is once again shooting for a league title.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team is not happy about how last season ended. 

That was with a loss to Hanover in the Patriot Cup final. A week before, W-H was shut out in the fourth quarter and fell to Scituate. 

The Panthers still finished the season with a 9-4 record. Not bad, but not good enough for a team itching to bring the program its first league title since 2010. 

As it sets its sights on the 2021-22 campaign, W-H will have a chance to avenge a few of those late-season losses right away. 

Its first three games of this season are against Scituate, Silver Lake and then Hanover. 

“The girls definitely, at the end of last year, were a little disappointed,” said head coach Mike Costa, who enters his third year on the Panthers bench. “I don’t think we played the way we wanted to and it did kind of left a little sour taste in their mouth.”

So they put in even more work this offseason. 

“They played all spring and summer with their AAU teams,” Costa explained. “They played summer league, they played fall AAU together — something that they haven’t done in the past — to try and build that chemistry on the floor.” 

The Panthers boasted a trio of league all-stars last season in Reese Codero, Rylie Harlow and Abby Martin. 

Codero is now playing at Roger Williams, while Harlow is on Fitchburg State’s roster. However, Martin, a senior captain and forward, is back and that’s good news for the Panthers. 

Martin took over games at times last season. She netted 14 points and snagged 21 rebounds in a win over Marshfield, and pumped in 17 points and corralled nine boards in a statement win over Plymouth North. 

“We relied a lot on her last year — both offensively and defensively,” Costa said. “She kind of carried our team offensively last year. We expect big things from her again this year, especially losing two other starters in Reese and Rylie — everybody has got to pick up the slack, but we’re leaning heavily on Abby to control both ends of the floor.”

Starting point guard Caitlin Leahy (junior) and starting shooting guard Lauren Dunn (senior captain) are also back.

 

Senior captain Lauren Dunn during the Panthers’ scrimmage. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“If you look at any of the good teams, if you have a really good backcourt that can carry you,” Costa said. “Our staff is completely confident in both Caitlin and Lauren and think they’re probably two of the top guards in our league.” 

Costa said Dunn is the Panthers’ best on-ball defender and Leahy is their best passer. 

Senior captain Meg Stone is also back in the middle. Costa said he expects her and Martin to be a force on the glass together. 

“I think it’s going to be tough for teams to match up with our size,” Costa said. “We just look to exploit the matches we’re given any night. We’re versatile that we have multiple people that can score in different ways.”

Freshman Cassidy Briggs, Lillie MacKinnon and Taryn Leonard will give the senior-laden Panthers some youth. 

“They’ve been great additions to the team,” Costa said. “We’re losing so many seniors so we have to start to mold some of these younger players.” 

W-H opens the season Tuesday, Jan. 14 when it hosts Scituate at 6 p.m. 

“We’ll take it game by game and practice by practice and see what happens,” Costa said. “At the end of the day, we’re just going to trust the work we put in and let the chips fall.” 

Season Preview: Cheer team aiming high

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The cheer team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The cheer team is aiming for another state title.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High cheerleading team, this fall has been a long time coming.

“We’ve been waiting for this season for what seems like forever,” said fourth-year head coach Alyssa Pietrasik. “I am so ecstatic to be back with the team, but more importantly I’m ready to work.”

As, too, are the cheerleaders — led by senior captains Jazzy Gomes, Tiffany Joyce and Samantha Sicuranza.

“They each bring unique and different leadership to the team and truly want what is best for the program,” Pietrasik said. “They lead by example and are the first three to put in the extra time and effort to make the team successful.”

To prepare for this autumn, the team spent the the summer reading the book “Wolfpack” by Abby Wambach, which details new rules for athletes to follow in sports.

“In essence, its the idea of crashing through the glass ceiling of old rules and coming forward as your most authentic and true self to better your team,” Pietrasik said. “This season the message is just that. This is a new team and the possibilities are endless. They can achieve any single thing they set their mind to. In a way, our focus is that mindset, the rules and possibilities you create for yourself are more important than anything else.”

On the mat, Pietrasik said her team’s strength is its stunting.

“It is something I’ve been working on with them since for the last few years and this year we really seem to have a well-balanced team for it,” she said. “Mentally, their strength is in their mindset, they are workers, they want to win, and they want to bring back the legacy that is W-H cheerleading. I’m so excited to see where that drive takes them.”

The cheerleaders, who can be spotted cheering on the football team at games, opens their competition season on Saturday, Oct. 23 with the Duxbury Invitational.

“The goal, as always, is to build a team that becomes a family and make lifelong memories as we do it, but this season we also are really gunning for another league and state title,” Pietrasik said. “This team has a hunger for it. They are ready to put in the work.”

Season Preview: Girls’ volleyball on a mission

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The Panthers. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ volleyball team is aiming to make the tournament.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball team’s mission is simple this season.

“Our goal this season is to be successful and have a winning season,” said third-year head coach Samantha Richner, whose club finished 3-10 last fall. “We will achieve that by working hard, day in and day out. We have a dedicated group this season and I am confident they will be successful.”

Senior captain Lily Welch is the engine that powers the Panthers. She led the team with 73 kills and 29 blocks last season.

“Lily has always been an impressive player” Richner said. “She is extremely dedicated to the sport and is constantly improving her game. Lily is strongest in the front row, but is a well-rounded player who plays all the way around the court.”

Middle hitter Abby Martin and right-side hitter Meg Stone, both of whom are seniors, also captain the Panthers.

“When Abby gets a kill, she gets a kill,” Richner said. “Abby’s hits are a line drive, making them very difficult for our opponents to receive. Abby is a beast at the net with not only her strong hits, but her ability to block our opponents.

“This is Meg’s first season back since her injury, but you wouldn’t know it. Meg is a lefty right side, making her a difficult player for our opponents to read.”

So, as you might expect Richner said her team’s strength is its front row.

“We have multiple power house hitters that we can and will be using to our advantage,” she said.

Junior outside hitter Caitlin Leahy and senior libero Izzy Baker are also key returnees.

As for departures, reigning league all-star Sophia Berardinelli, who paced the team with 162 assists, 142 digs and 30 aces, leaves the biggest void. But freshman setter Caroline Gray has made it a seamless transition, according to Richner.

“She has made a seamless transition to our team and we are lucky to have her,” Richner said.

W-H is back in action Friday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. on the road at Marshfield.

“I am just looking forward to watching the girls play this year,” Richner said. “We have a tight-knit group and it is fun to watch them play and interact on the court. They have great potential this season and we are excited to see how far these players can take their talents.”