Whitman-Hanson Express

You are here: Home / Archives for Season Review

Season Review: Field hockey ‘D’d up

By

The Panthers gather together during a home game. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Defense was the strength of the Panthers field hockey team this fall.

Defense.

It was the obvious strength of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High field hockey team, which finished the season with a 2-10-6 record.

“The defense had to stop amazing offenses, and they themselves were truly amazing,” fifth-year head coach Todd Humphrey said.

The Panthers surrendered just 32 goals on the season, five of which came in their second meeting with Keenan Division champ Plymouth North. Against the Keenan’s second best team, Duxbury, which qualified for the tournament, W-H held the Dragons to three goals in two games, as opposed to 13 goals in two games last season.

Even Fisher Division champion Scituate had a difficult time finding the back of the net against the Panthers, scoring two goals in two games. As a result of the stout defensive effort night in and night out, seniors Kathryn Dunn and Olivia Sheehan, who is a captain, were tabbed as Patriot League All-Stars.

“They were phenomenal on defense all season,” Humphrey said.

W-H’s backline also featured some youth in first-year varsity sophomores Skylar Leonard and Noelle Cornetta. The duo switched off playing on the right side.

“They are excellent defenders with a bright future,” Humphrey said. “They will be starting next season as right defender and center defender. Look for Victoria Ryan to take over for Olivia at left defender, that spot is crucial to secure and she has the skills to be effective.”

In net, sophomore Madi Savicke put forth a breakout campaign, posting a 1.67 goals against average.

“Madi is good at reading opposing offenses and getting in the right position to make a save,” Humphrey said. “She is also really good and communicates with the defense in front of her as well.”

As good as the Panthers were at stopping opposing offenses, their offense was unable to generate much of anything itself, poking home just 14 goals on the season. Losing senior captain and forward Annika Putur just seven games in, which they were 2-2-3 in, to a torn ACL threw a wrench into the Panthers’ plans. They didn’t win a game in her absence.

“It truly was a turning point in the season,” Humphrey said. “Annika is an incredible ball handler and was a massive contributor to our offense when she was on the field. When she left our line up, we had to reinvent ourselves up front.”

Sophomore Delanie MacDonald provided a silver lining during the team’s offensive woes, scoring a team-high five goals on the fall. Her classmate Lauren Clark had three.

“Delanie was great at positioning herself inside the arc to make a play,” Humphrey said. “Delanie was able to get quick and close shots away from goalies.

“Lauren worked great with Annika and had two goals with her support. She was able to get her other goal hustling on the grass field of Silver Lake.”

Humphrey said despite the impending loss of nine seniors, he firmly believes his club will be competitive next season.

“For the most part, the vacancies will be in the midfielder and forward positions,” he explained. “We do have talented players in the system to fill those spots. Look for the front seven to create more scoring opportunities next season. Defense should be solid. How we transition the ball will determine how well we do overall in the Patriot League.”

Season Review: Girls’ cross country coach aims to restore program dominance

By

The girls’ cross country team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Head coach Steve George is hoping the girls’ cross country team’s record starts to improve.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ cross country head coach Steve George is hopeful the program can be restored to what it once was. A force.

“When I speak with middle school kids and some of the high school kids who have chosen other sports, I’m disappointed only for the fact that I know there are incredibly gifted runners who won’t be joining us and are missing out on opportunities they can’t comprehend as children,” George said.

Over George’s five years at the helm, runners have gone on to compete at the likes of Bentley, John Hopkins, Lehigh, Tufts and West Point, among others.

While winning consecutive Div. 3 EMass titles again (2011 and 2012) is a long shot, being competitive in league play and finishing above .500 isn’t. It was just three years ago the Panthers went 6-2.

“Until we start attracting young women to this sport it will be difficult to compete with rivals Hingham and Duxbury,” George said.

Two years ago the Panthers concluded the fall at 2-6. Last year they were 3-4. This season they went 3-5.

“[It isn’t] for lack of trying on the part of the coaches or the kids that choose to be part of what I believe to be a truly wonderful experience,” George said.

The Panthers’ three wins came over Plymouth North (26-31 on Sept. 26), Silver Lake (20-43 on Oct. 10) and Scituate (18-44 on Oct. 16).

Junior Tori Boss was a standout for the Panthers and their top runner with a top average time of 21:26. Against Scituate she won, and versus Silver Lake she covered the course in 22:08 for a second-place finish.

“This year she trained hard, followed the plan and, not surprisingly, had great results,” George said. “Her athleticism and work ethic have made her our top runner. Tori runs consistently at the front of the pack in every practice and that has carried over into competition.”

Senior captain Maeve McDonough also put fourth her best season yet with an average time of 21:40 to be W-H’s No. 2 runner.

“Maeve showed enormous dedication,” George said. “Maeve loves distance running and consistently runs double-digit long runs which have helped her become a major contributor to the success of the team.”

Junior Niki Kamperides posted a 21:44 average time, a personal best and good for the Panthers’ No. 3 runner.

“Niki made a big jump this year following a freshman year with a knee injury that also slowed her down in her sophomore year but couldn’t keep her out,” George said. “That experience paid off and she has lowered her 5K time by more than five minutes. A strong and athletic runner.”

George said there were no surprises in terms of his top performers.

“On Day 1 we created training groups with what we thought would be our top 10 in group one,” George said. “That group has remained intact the entire season and in the weekly results as well.”

George said the season offered its fair share of excitement.

“We went into the season knowing Hingham, Duxbury, Plymouth North and Plymouth South had some phenomenal runners, so our expectations were not high,” George said. “But our kids’ effort and commitment were rewarded with a good record and some incredible times and finishes.”

Season Review: Boys’ cross country running toward bright future

By

The boys during a Sept. 5 race. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ cross country team will return many of its key runners next season.

If this season was any indication, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ cross country is heading in the right direction.

For the Panthers, despite their 3-5 record, nearly all of their production came from runners who will be back in the fold next fall. The team’s top seven was made up of three juniors, three sophomores and a freshman, with other underclassmen seconds behind.

Sophomore Theo Kamperides was W-H’s top finisher in every race en route to league all-star status. Kamperides, who owned one first-place finish, three second-place finishes and four third-place finishes, posted a personal-best average time of 17:29. 

“Theo is a tireless worker, always wanting to do more,” fifth-year head coach Steve George said. “He doesn’t enjoy days off and always wants to extend his weekly long run which we capped off at 15 miles this fall.”

Kamperides’ first-place finish at 17:44 sparked the Panthers past Scituate, 21-40, Oct. 16. Junior Brandon Hager (17:48) was right behind Kamperides in that race, like he was all season. Hager was W-H’s No. 2 runner with a career-best average time of 17:48.

“[He] has worked diligently to improve his running efficiency and form and it has paid off,” George said. “A quiet leader who leads by example and is very enthusiastic about working to bring back a championship to W-H.”

Rounding out the top three was freshman Evan Jewett, who posted an average time of 17:58.

“[He] arrived with virtually no experience but imitates his more experienced teammates in attitude and effort and has become a valued contributor early on,” George said. “His ability is exceeded only by his desire to improve, and he will.”

W-H’s other two wins came over Pembroke, 24-36, in its season opener and against Silver Lake, 24-37, Oct. 11.

“If one were to look at our race results [they’d] undoubtedly notice that with each successive week nearly all of our runners improved from his previous race,” George said.

While no runners caught George by surprise statistically, he said he’s always surprised when people he hopes will be good leaders become just that.

“Junior Adam Solari and senior Shane Schraut have been terrific captains,” George said. “Each has improved dramatically while mentoring our young runners. They actually do the little things like cleaning up our course following a meet, rather than delegate it to their teammates. As a result, nearly everybody pitches in.”

Schraut will be the Panthers’ only loss from inside their top 10 runners.

“Eight out of our second group (10-20) are either sophomores or freshmen, all of whom are talented runners who will return next year with more experience,” George said. “I am extremely optimistic for our future.”

Season Review: Golf team makes strides

By

The golf team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The golf team finished the season with a 6-11 record.

Although the Whitman-Hanson Regional High golf team failed to meet head coach Brian Dempsey’s goal of qualifying for the tournament, it made strides elsewhere.

For starters, senior captain Owen Manning put forth a career. Along with being named team MVP again and Patriot League All-Star, he qualified for the Div. 2 state finals, where he carded a 7-over par 79 to advance to the Mass Golf Junior Amateur Championship.

“This was definitely Owen’s best season,” the seventh-year head coach said. “He was much more consistent this year, always placing in the top two or three scorers for each match. He’s worked really hard to get here and having missed the cut last year by only one stroke, I know he was hungry to get back and prove himself.”

It was Manning 2-over par 36 that pushed the Panthers, who finished the year 6-11, over Duxbury, 238- 245, and a 3-0 start.“Beating them was a huge morale boost,” Dempsey said. “This gave everyone confidence that they can compete with other teams, even without the experience from year’s prior.”

The morale boost didn’t come from Manning’s showing, but rather came from junior Matt Korzec (2-over), senior Pat Dever (6-over) and junior Ian Brown (7-over) turning in key performances.

Brown continued to shoot well the following match, a 232-239 victory over Plymouth North, with a 3-over. From playing in one match the previous season, Brown took a significant step forward.

“From his change in his swing, to his willingness to step up to lead the team and younger players, Ian was a huge factor for us,” Dempsey said. “I’m really looking forward to see how his game improves even more for next year.”

Korzec shot a 4-over and sophomore Aidan Miller carded a 5-over in the win. Both battled it out all fall for the team’s No. 2 golfer.

“Statistically they didn’t have their best years, but their love for the sport and friendly competition will help them for next year,” Dempsey said.

After the Plymouth North triumph, the Panthers endured a rough patch. It began with a 250-252 loss to Silver Lake and spiraled into dropping 10 of their next 12.

“I think everyone started to realize that the pressure was building to maintain that type of play,” Dempsey said. “Couple that with the frequent bad weather, cancelations, and the fact that we then went on the road to some really difficult courses and teams, and reality kind of hit us hard. They finished strong and played really well against Hingham at South Shore Country Club despite the loss.”

Dempsey said he’s eager to see who steps up for the team next fall.

“I’m looking forward to next year [with] so many unknowns,” Dempsey said. “It will again be a blank canvas for us to figure out who we are and what we need to do. Anyone on the team can be the standout next year.”

Season Review: No-quit mentality: W-H girls’ lacrosse never backed down — and it paid off

By

The Panthers huddle around head coach Dave Rowell on April 30. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ lacrosse team, which started the year at 1-6, cracked the tournament for the fourth time in five seasons this spring.

Heart, resiliency and perseverance were at the forefront of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ lacrosse team’s play this spring.

Sitting at 1-6 with 11 games remaining — the Panthers could only afford to drop three more tilts the rest of the way to make the postseason. That was no issue at all and it was almost like déjà vu for fifth-year head coach Dave Rowell.

“The past two years, we scrimmaged very talented teams in the preseason and started with our league leaders in wins — Scituate, Hingham and Duxbury — in the first half of the season,” he explained. “Both years we started the season in with a 1-6 record and both seasons we fought for a trip to the tournament.”

Even after an 18-1 setback to Duxbury — the defeat that dropped them to 1-6 — Rowell had a feeling that his club would turn the corner.

“I knew with every fiber of my being that we were a good team,” Rowell said. “I saw in that Duxbury game, that I had a team that wouldn’t quit even when we were down 18-0 and they were still trying to score on us. I played everyone in that game so they could each gain experience against the best team in our league.

“We lost the game, but everyone fought for every loose ball and never quit … I always tell them that if we truly want to make tournament, then we have to earn it.”

And earned it the Panthers did by winning eight of their next 11 to make their fourth trip to the Division 1 South Sectional tournament in the past five years. So, what was the key?

“We just had to work that much harder and execute better,” Rowell said. “Every day I encouraged them and focused on our weaknesses. I kept them focused, the captains led by example, and everyone bought in.”

Making the tournament certainly came down to the wire for W-H because after a 14-5 loss to Silver Lake, it had to win out in its final two games, which were on back-to-back days. But, after an 8-6 home victory against Abington, the Panthers clinched in their final game of the regular season with an 8-5 triumph over Hull.

In the Panthers’ last eight regular-season wins, their defense — which was a focal point at outset of the season to improve — allowed just a tick over 5.5 goals a contest.

The defense was led by defenders Cam Boyce and Camille Miller and goalie Kasey Molito (Patriot League All-Star), who set the Panthers’ single-season saves record (268); all were captains.

“Every player I had learned how to play good, legal defense,” Rowell said.

TOURNAMENT RUN

That defensive mindset flowed into the tournament as the No. 17 Panthers held No. 16 Nauset to four goals in a 10-4 road victory.

W-H faced an early 3-0 deficit and was down its center 10 seconds into the game due to a yellow card, but it hadn’t laid down all spring and it wasn’t about to that game either.

“This moment was indicative of our whole season,” Rowell explained. “We don’t panic and we certainly don’t start blaming each other. We collected ourselves and executed what we worked on all year. We came back and never took our foot off of the gas pedal.”

Senior Lauren Bonavita – like she did all season — led the offense with five goals and eight draw controls. Bonavita finished her campaign with 67 goals, which included the 100th of her career.

“Lauren was just awesome,” Rowell said. “She was at every practice and always gave 100 percent. She really became a great lacrosse player, not just a great athlete that played lacrosse.”

However, the Panthers would fall to top-seeded Norte Dame Academy (Hingham), 18-3, in the first round. Regardless, it was one memorable ride.

“I absolutely would say this season was a success,” Rowell said. “If you came to any practice, whether we were winning or losing, the girls were always working hard and still having fun. The most important thing for me is that they get better every day and enjoy the sport. I find that if that is the foundation, wins are a byproduct.”

A LOOK TO FUTURE

As the Panthers turn for next season, they’ll have some holes to fill with the impending departure of eight of 12 starters. However, the return of rising seniors and captain-elects Annika Putur (defense), Samantha Whitman (eight goals, two assists) and Zoe Lydon (30 goals, 23 assists) along with rising junior Riley Bina (29 goals, 21 assists), provides them with a solid core to build around.

“This program keeps getting bigger and better,” Rowell said. “I feel like we always have a next girl up mentality and we will be ready to go in March. Three pillars of our system will always guide us: belief in each other, 100 percent effort every day, every play, and perseverance.”

Season Review: Baseball team turns focus to next spring

By

The Panthers during their tournament game against Nauset. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers have already turned their focus toward next year.

While the 2018 season came to an abrupt ending for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High baseball team, veteran skipper Pat Cronin is not shocked it concluded the way did, and is already thinking ahead.

Seeded third in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament, W-H hosted No. 14 Nauset. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they ran into Warriors ace Stephen Kalinick, who was sidelined for most of the spring, which played in to the Warriors’ then 6-12 record. However, the southpaw didn’t skip a beat, shutting the Panthers out 3-0.

“People saw Nauset’s low seed and had no knowledge of their pitcher, who had had a sore arm during most of the season,” Cronin explained. “He was the reason they had one some big games early in the season, and his injury was the reason they lost their last six in a row.

“I had scouted them and knew he was a possibility. Pitching dominates at all levels; he was a dominating pitcher. He beat us and we beat ourselves on defense and at the plate. Disappointing, yes, but once I saw him, not surprised.”

Cronin added, “Whitman-Hanson is already looking forward to next season.”

So, why the optimism out of Cronin after the Panthers’ second straight campaign in which they finished 15-6, which included a first-round exit in the postseason? That would be because despite the disappointing ending, just to get to 15 wins — 13 of which came in the Patriot League as the Panthers grabbed a share of the Keenan Division title for the second consecutive season — was a success in itself.

On the mound, W-H was without its ace — senior captain James Dolan — for all but 1.2 innings due to tendonitis. Dolan was coming off a season in which he won six games and pitched to the tune of a 0.35 ERA over 40.1 innings en route to Keenan Division MVP honors.

The injury thrust junior captain Rian Schwede into the ace role, granted he pitched like one the year prior, and he collected five wins, held hitters to a .172 average and posted a 1.64 ERA. But, Schwede was going to get his innings regardless, but classmate Ethan Phelps likely wouldn’t have. However, Phelps (also hit .300) did, and hurled 36 of them, going 3-0 with a 1.36 ERA.

“Both are now seasoned veterans,” Cronin said.

Both are also captain-elects, were tabbed league all-stars and are part of seven starters set to return next season.

Along with his 1-2 in the rotation, Cronin will return junior second baseman Mike Cook and freshman short stop Danny Kent up the middle.

Cook ranked second on the team with a .394 average and knocked in a team-high 22 runs; he was also named a league all-star for the second consecutive season and is a captain-elect as well.

“He made some incredible plays at second base, and he hit for average and for power,” Cronin said of Cook. “He was almost impossible to throw out on the bases as well.”

Kent was a diamond in the rough type of find as W-H was in need of a short stop, and he was the one to answer the bell.

“We took a chance when we thought Cook would be better at second instead of short, as we had planned to move him there,” Cronin explained. “Once we saw that Kent was mature enough to handle it, we decided it was worth it to start him this year and then have them both next season together in the middle of the infield. We just let Danny play, encouraged him constantly, and tried to keep the pressure off of him. He was amazing all season. Next season he will be a year older and stronger and should be able to handle varsity pitching a little more. I think he eventually will be a very good hitter.”

Junior Derek Frank is another key returnee next season, but not to his right field post, but rather behind the plate, where he’ll have big shoes to fill. Frank, who hit .291 this season, will take over for Ryan Sawtelle. Sawtelle led the team with a .400 average and was named a league all-star.

“He [leaves a big hole] in many ways,” Cronin said of Sawtelle. “His handling of pitchers was impressive and constantly getting even better as the season went on. Most obvious was his hitting; he became a force this year by shortening his swing and being aggressive from the first pitch.

“He will be tough to replace, but we think Derek Frank will be an excellent replacement next season. Derek is an outstanding receiver himself, but did a great job in right field for us this season.”

Junior Will Newell (four RBIs) and freshman Chris Kenney (five RBIs) are the other two starters back in the fold next season.

As for departures, in addition to Sawtelle and Dolan, Caleb Burke (.294 this season) — who manned the hot corner for the last two springs — and starters Korey Howard (3-0, 1.84 ERA, 19 IP) and Jason Green (3-0, 2.30, 24.1) will be missed.

“To accomplish what they had was really quite remarkable given they did it without their ace,” Cronin said. “They have already changed the way W-H baseball is now thought of. Be proud and enjoy it.”

Season Review: Youth decks diamond this spring for softball

By

Photo by: Sue Moss

The young Panthers softball team finished the year at 7-13.

It was an infusion of youth on the diamond this spring for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High softball team.

On some occasions, the Panthers had as many as six freshmen and sophomores penned into their lineup and manning pivotal positions en route to a 7-13 record.

In all, W-H worked in a half-dozen new starters while junior Kayla Crawford was converted from second base to catcher.

The Panthers did most of their business this spring without their senior captain, top returning bat and ace — all combined into one — Colleen Hughes, who hurt her patella in the third inning of the season opener, which forced her to miss the next 15 games. Hughes, a three-year starter and the team’s MVP and a Patriot League All-Star the last two seasons, entered the spring having hurled 106 of 133.2 innings last season while hitting a team-high .486 with 25 RBIs.

“She was one of the best hitters on the South Shore, in my opinion, over the course of her career,” fifth-year Panthers skipper Jenna Olem said. “No one took the injury harder than [Colleen], but she stayed so positive and became such a strong leader and even a secondary coach at practice and on the bench. She started every game for me up until this year, and picked up pitching her sophomore year out of necessity.”

Hughes returned with four games remaining and hit .467 while manning left field. However, her absence left two glaring needs: innings to be logged and runs to be driven in.

Stepping up on the bump in a big way was freshman Abby Cleary. Cleary tossed 94.1 of W-H’s 125.1 innings and collected five wins. Her finest outing came May 2 on the road against Quincy, as she went the distance and two-hit the Presidents in a 2-1 victory.

 “At first I was going to have [her and Colleen] split starts and go from there, but obviously, a lot more was put on Abby’s plate when Colleen went down,” Olem said. “When she was on and able to limit walks she got herself into a really nice groove.

“Abby has a pretty steady presence on the mound. She was able to get herself out of multiple jams this year which is a good sign going forward. I believe if she can increase her velocity and hit her spots a little better she is going to take a big leap as our ace next year.”

HOT BATS

Shining offensively were most notably senior Hailey Norris and sophomore Victoria Ryan. Both were tabbed league all-stars.

Norris hit a team-high .418, knocked in a team-high 15 runs, crossed the plate a team-high 18 times and led the team with seven steals.

“Hailey Norris has been on the varsity since her sophomore year,” Olem said. “Last year, she solidified her role as our starting third basemen and this year her offense really took off. Her batting average from last year (.200) to this year shows the huge leap she took. She also limited her strike outs from 15 last season to just three all year. Hailey always was capable of hitting for power, but bailed us out consistently this year.”

Ryan hit .382 with 12 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

“She looked real good in the cage from the onset of the season and [I] thought she was going to be able to handle varsity pitching just fine,” Olem said. “She did just that, and I only expect her to improve as she becomes a junior next year.”

Also, proving to be a catalyst for the Panthers’ offense was freshman Reese Codero, who hit at a .377 clip and scored 13 runs. Codero also had 68 putouts from her post at shortstop.

TALENT TELLS

“A lot of the things she does on the field are just from raw athleticism,” Olem said. “Reese improved so much over the season. For anyone, it is an adjustment to catch to varsity pitching and to try to eliminate some bad habits, but she is quite the competitor and chipped away and started to really improve with her approach at the plate (taking pitches that were out of the zone, fouling off 0-2 counts, etc.).

“Defensively, Reese is really solid. I think by the end of her career she will be an all-star and one of best shortstops in league.”

Also, catching Olem’s eye were two of Codero’s classmates — Emily McDonald and Kaitlyn McNaught.

“Emily is also another really athletic kid,” Olem said. “She started in the outfield for us and also got some good experience behind the plate. Her speed on the bases next year, along with Reese, and freshman Kait McNaught (mostly used as a DH), will definitely be a good thing to have.”

COMING BACK

Crawford, who is also set to return next season, was fourth on the team with a .431 on-base percentage.

Olem said the highlight of the season came May 10 against Hingham.

“We were still trying to stay afloat [and] it was a must-win game by my standards,” she explained. “We jumped out to a 1-0 lead [and] then gave up six in the first inning. Our offense couldn’t do anything until the fourth inning when we blew it up. We ended up winning 15-6. Abby didn’t allow a run after the first.”

The resiliency shown set the bar for the future and was a flash of what is to come for the young W-H softball team.

“They definitely showed glimpses of potential and how good they could be when they put it all together,” Olem said. “Whether it was for a few innings or a few games, we did a lot of good things this year despite our record.”

Season Review: Exceeding the expectations: Boys’ basketball found its rhythm in tough season

By

The boys’ basketball team before a Feb. 16 game against Quincy. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team made the tournament for the 10th straight season, won at least 16 games for the sixth straight winter and captured its third straight division crown.

The 2017-18 season didn’t come together the way 18-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball head coach Bob Rodgers was expecting, but it came together in a way that he hadn’t envisioned.

“We were able to accomplish some things that I didn’t think would be on the table for us,” Rodgers said.

The Panthers went 16-5, which marked the sixth straight season in which they won at least 16 games, made the Division 2 South Sectional tournament for their 10th straight campaign and grabbed a share of their third consecutive Patriot League Keenan Division title and fourth in the past five years.

“Winning the league championship with Hingham was really a testament to how hard the kids worked and how they believed even though we hit that tough stretch in the middle of the season,” Rodgers said.

In that tough stretch to which Rodgers referred, were three straight losses to Hingham (71-45), Cardinal Spellman (78-76) and Quincy (55-54) that dropped the Panthers to 5-4. But, they turned it around and rode a 10-game winning streak until Division 1 Bridgewater-Raynham topped them, 60-45, in an exclusion game for W-H. Perhaps W-H’s most impressive victory during the winning streak was a 68-51 triumph at Hingham. The Harbormen had dealt the Panthers their worst regular-season loss (71-45) in more than 10 years four weeks prior.

“I think what really happened at that point was the guys were humbled and realized that nobody is giving Whitman-Hanson anything because it says Whitman-Hanson across your chest, and they started to work harder and we kind of found a way,” Rodgers said. “In reality, because Sean Leahy put the team on his shoulders and was just an immense player that was a difference-maker in a lot of the games, especially that game in Hingham. I told him before that game, ‘If you’re an MVP, if you’re a league MVP, you got to go play like it because the other guy that’s vying for league MVP is on the other team.'”

Leahy poured in a game-high 25 points and retrieved 10 rebounds in the win en route to being tabbed Patriot League Keenan Division MVP.

However, in the playoffs, the sixth-seeded Panthers succumbed to 11th-seeded Nauset, 65-56, in the first round.

“We didn’t shoot it well,” Rodgers said. “We got plenty of shots, but we just didn’t shoot it well. We didn’t have that rhythm of guys that could stick it, so if Sean [Leahy] wasn’t scoring we were going to have difficulty putting points on the board.

“The other thing in that Nauset game [is] we made a couple little runs, but we weren’t able to get stops. We weren’t able to get the big bucket down one end and the get the big stop down the other end.”

Shooting, which had always been a strength of the Panthers over the years, it was an issue all season long, forcing them to form a new identity on offense.

“Jake Hanson-Bartlett shot it well, Cole Lewis shot it well, Bryan Tyrie shot it well, but other than that we really didn’t shoot the basketball well as a team,” Rodgers explained. “That’s unusual for us, that’s unusual for Whitman-Hanson basketball. So, we were able to get to the basket a little more, get some stuff off of our defense, so that was really the biggest difference. We had to score points in ways that we really didn’t do in years past.”

While there was no trip to TD Garden like there had been the previous two seasons for the Panthers, they exceeded what Rodgers had for expectations.

“I thought when we lost [Lucas Franklin, Nikko Raftes and Luke Tamulevich] last year, I knew how important they were to our team,” Rodgers said of his former captains. “We only lost three guys, but that was three-fifths of the starting lineup and they didn’t come out a lot last year.”

The Panthers will once again have a significant number of holes to plug next season with the departures of senior captains and league all-stars Leahy (19.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and Hanson-Bartlett (12.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg), fellow senior and league all-star Josh Genereux (8.7 ppg), and classmates Tyler Rice (5.1 ppg) and Tyrie (5.9 ppg). But, they’re no stranger to that.

“We won’t have a lot of guys that have played a lot of varsity minutes, but we’ll have some,” Rodgers said. “And then we have some good guys in the JV that if they put in their time and get in the weight room and really spend the next month months getting better, I still think we’ll be one of the better teams.”

Season Review: Girls’ hockey improved by the day

By

The Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey team finished the season at 2-18 and had 15 new players on its roster. 

The 2017-18 campaign served as a learning experience for the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey team, which skated to a 2-18 record.

WHSL, which was coming off its first tournament victory since the co-op’s inception in 2014, underwent a complete roster transformation. The Panthers lost 12 players off last season’s roster, which included three of their key defensemen, their lone goaltender and 80 percent of their goal scoring. The departures paved the way for 15 new players, 11 of whom were freshmen, to join the team.

The Panthers, who started the season 0-11, finally broke into the win column with a 3-1 triumph over Scituate on Jan. 27.

“It was a nice feeling for the girls to finally feel the winning situation,” third-year WHSL head coach Kevin Marani said. “They never gave up, at practices they came upbeat, wanted to learn, practice on their skills. If you didn’t know our record, you would have never known we had no wins.”

One of those skills was passing.

“Every practice we worked on passing and we became not a good passing team to a pretty good passing team by the end of the year,” Marani said. “Because we were so young and we started off with such a tough schedule, confidence means a lot. If you don’t have the confidence, no matter how hard you’re working or how hard you practice, it doesn’t go that far. We’re losing three girls, three really good leaders, but three girls, that’s it we’re losing from this team.”

Also, midway through the season, WHSL added a goalie coach to work hand in hand with freshmen netminders Kat Gilbert (Halifax) and Rylee Moran (Whitman). Gilbert entered the season with no experience in between the pipes and Moran had little action herself.

“The improvement of those two girls from just getting that goalie coach were leaps and bounds,” Marani said. “Rylie improved unbelievable. She’s really into it, she really wants to practice. She’s playing goalie over the summer doing a bunch of clinics so she’s only going to go up. At some point, I’d love to be able to play two goalies. Kat’s really into it now and she’s starting to play. Both of them truly were the most improved players on our team.”

WHSL surrendered just 16 goals in a four-game stretch from Feb. 3 to Feb. 16. In that span, the Panthers pulled off a 3-2 win over Plymouth. Marani sees a similarity between that Plymouth team, which went from 0-19-1 last winter to 14-4-3 this season, and his club.

“You can look at Plymouth, they had zero wins last year and they ended up having 14 wins this year,” Marani said. “I feel like we’re the exact same team Plymouth was the year before.”

Manning the blue line was sophomore and Patriot League All-Star Natalie Nemes (Kingston), who led WHSL with 14 goals.

“I believe she is the best player in our league,” Marani said. “When you’re that talented and you’re going through a tough season, she could have got down on her and her teammates, but she never did. She was always cheering on every player, no matter what the ability. She’s just a great, great kid.”

Sophomore Meagan Elwood (Kingston) also provided a much-needed spark for WHSL’s offense, ending her season with 10 goals.

“She’s a pure goal scorer,” Marani said. “She can score, she has a great shot, [and] gets to the net which is what you want. Meagan was huge.”

Freshman Emily McDonald (Whitman) ranked third on the team with three goals.

“In the tryouts, she was pretty good and every game she got better,” Marani said. “Now she’s one of the better players. We expect big things from her next year, absolutely. She’s a very, very smart player, got great hands, strong skating. She’s got all the ability. You could see if by the end of the year, she was carrying the play. She’s a good player, very good player.”

The young WHSL team will be in search of some leadership come next season as it will lose senior captains Shannon Elwood (Kingston) and Colleen Hughes (Hanson) along with classmate Emily Knight (Hanson), all of whom were four-year players.

“We’re losing three girls, three really good leaders,” Marani said.

As for the future, Marani believes his team will only get stronger due to the struggles sustained this winter.

“It’s pretty easy when you start losing to start finger point and start blaming people and there was none of that,” Marani said. “They stayed close-knit, they stayed friends, good teammates. It was a good learning situation for all of them. It was a tough season, but the way that they battled through everything and kept a positive attitude, it’s only going to make them better next year.”

Season Review: Laying the foundation: Girls’ basketball eyes long-term success

By

The Panthers before a Jan. 26 game. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team finished the 2017-18 season with an eight-year best 13-9 record.

Trust the process.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team, that’s the perfect motto.

With a roster that consisted of just two seniors to complement six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen, the Panthers boasted an eight-year best 13-9 record and cracked the tournament for the second straight season. But, back in Division 1 South for the first time since 2012 due to realignment, 11th-seeded W-H bowed out to sixth-seeded Wellesley, 46-37, in the first round.

“The most important goal we start with each year is qualifying for the state tournament,” fifth-year W-H head coach Jenna Olem said. “So, in that aspect we met a very important goal.”

W-H opened the winter red-hot, winning its first seven contests – highlighted by a 67-64 double-overtime season-opening victory over Bridgewater-Raynham, a 60-57 win at Silver Lake and a 3-0 trip to Florida which resulted in a tournament title.

“We got off to a hot start for whatever reason,” Olem said. “[It] could’ve been strength of schedule [or] new players kind of just playing without a conscious.”

But, the return trip home, which began with a 56-38 loss to Duxbury, wasn’t as kind for the Panthers as both B-R (67-47) and Silver Lake (66-52) defeated them comfortably the next time around.

“When you start seeing league teams or teams for a second time, everyone has made adjustments,” Olem said. “Most teams have gotten much better from when you see them in early December.”

But, despite the second-half struggles, the Panthers remained upbeat, improving on the little things. They finally nailed down their 11th win – to clinch a spot in the postseason – with a 51-36 triumph over Pembroke and in their second match against Duxbury, they held the Dragons to 40 points in a four-point loss.

“It was just important to stay focused and stay positive each day,” Olem said. “To play present was also a point of emphasis. No season goes by without having to withstand some adversity.”

The Panthers were often buoyed on both ends of the court by their junior captain and Patriot League All-Star duo of Kathryn Dunn and Erin Leahy.

Dunn averaged a team-high 11.3 points, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals and was second with 5.7 rebounds per game.

“She is our most reliable scorer,” Olem said of Dunn. “Kathryn plays very level-headed. She never gets too high or too low. I think a real underrated aspect of her game is her ability to defend great players and crash the boards. She is such a tough kid and seems to be involved in every play.”

Leahy, whose 2016-17 season came to an abrupt end after she sustained a torn ACL in W-H’s tournament clincher, led the Panthers on the boards, averaging 8.5 and ranked second with 9.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

“To not have played in one basketball game, while most every varsity player plays all offseason, and then come out and play every night and go hard every practice is very admirable,” Olem said. “I think next year, Erin will be able to play much more freely and I have a strong feeling that because she will now be able to work on her entire game over the off-season she will have a great year for us.”

The Panthers also received significant contributions in spurts from freshmen Reese Codero (10 points Dec. 19 vs. North Quincy) and Rylie Harlow (seven points Dec. 21 vs. Hanover), sophomores Brittany Gacicia (nine points Feb. 8 vs. Plymouth North) and Olivia Martin (22 points Feb. 15 vs. Quincy) and juniors Leah Badger (seven second-half points Feb. 6 vs. Pembroke), Anna O’Neill (14 points Jan. 23 vs. Plymouth South) and Olivia Johnson (nine points Jan. 23 vs. Plymouth South).

“I thought everyone made solid progress and jumped up to another level this season,” Olem said.

Olem also lauded her two seniors and quad-captains – Halle Julian and Alyssa Nicholson – for assisting the Panthers’ transition to a significantly younger team than the year prior when they had five seniors.

“Halle and Alyssa are great kids,” Olem said. “They did a great job keeping everyone together and keeping everyone positive all season long.”

Olem said she fully expects the Panthers to take another step forward next winter.

“I think the girls all got a taste of what it means to be a successful team, what it means to work hard, and the importance of doing the little things on the floor,” she said. “In the offseason, I know most of my players play together in summer league, summer tourneys, and fall league as well as on other AAU teams. I expect everyone to take a big jump next year because they had a ton of experience this year.”