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Season Review: Girls’ indoor track regained its footing

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The Panthers during a Dec. 13 meet. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Through their first three meets, the Panthers sat at 0-3 with losses to Hingham (87-17), Duxbury (54-46) and Plymouth North (67-33).

After a rocky start, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ indoor track team regained its footing to finish the season strong.

Through their first three meets, the Panthers sat at 0-3 with losses to Hingham (87-17), Duxbury (54-46) and Plymouth North (67-33).

“The Patriot League is an extremely competitive league with some enormously talented athletes,” W-H head coach Steve George said. “We faced the very best teams during those first [three] weeks. While we kept it close with most, we had some key athletes go down with injuries.”

Reinforcements would be on their way, however, and in the Panthers’ fourth meet of the season Jan. 24, they scored a nail-biting 51-49 victory over Silver Lake.

Trailing by three with one event to go – the 4×400 relay – the Panthers’ crew stepped to the line. Coincidentally, W-H was missing three of its four runners who had competed on the team all season long, leaving junior Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue as the only one who had previously done the event. So, the Panthers went with a next man up approach, inserting senior Julia Cosgrave and sophomores Victoria Boss and Courtney Woodward into the lineup.

The tandem finished the course in 4:39.56, besting Silver Lake by nearly 13 ticks to lift the Panthers to victory.

The girls then carried that momentum into the final meet of the season, two weeks later, tying Pembroke, 49-49, to cap off the winter at 1-3-1. The Panthers were led by first-place finishes from DiMascio-Donohue (55-meter hurdles, 10.17), junior Allison Bartlett (long jump, 15-foot-2), junior Maeve McDonough (2-mile run, 13:16.77), freshman Isabelle Amado (600-meter dash, 1:52.16) and senior captain Nicole Norve (1-mile run, 5:26.63).

It was one of many top-place finishes for the Adams State-bound Norve, who was tabbed as the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star. Norve also represented the Panthers in the Division 3 All-State meet, where she placed 10th in the 1,000-meter run (3:09.28) and 12th in the 1-mile run (5:26.81).

“Nicole has literally led by example during her four years at Whitman-Hanson,” George said. “I recall as a freshman cross country runner we saw that she was talented and invited her to run at the Martha’s Vineyard Invitational. She initially declined, I think feeling a bit uneasy as the only freshman entry. But she ended up running that meet and since then has worked tirelessly to improve. It’s as simple as – she loves running.”

Norve was one of a few runners who impressed George this season.

“I would have to say seniors Julia Cosgrave and Camryn Boyce were as consistent as it gets,” George explained. “Each could be counted on to participate and score in multiple events each week. Maeve McDonough has really worked hard to become a very good distance runner.”

George added he was pleasantly surprised with a handful of freshmen who burst onto the scene this season as well.

“Isabelle Amado, Hailey Minicucci, Alaina Mutascio and Emma Rogers all showed some real ability in multiple events and should make an impact over the next three years,” George said.

Next up for many the girls is the spring campaign.

“Many of our kids run all year long and our between-season goal is just to get them rested so they can be healthy going into the outdoor season,” George said.

Season Review: Battling through a tough season

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The Panthers during a Jan. 17 game against Hanover. / Photo by: Sue Moss

One season after posting a single win, the Panthers raised that number to eight, as they just narrowly missed out on the tournament by two points with an 8-10-2 record.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team knew it could improve, and a fixation on its vision fueled its turnaround this winter.

One season after posting a single win, the Panthers raised that number to eight, as they just narrowly missed out on the tournament by two points with an 8-10-2 record. W-H head coach Chris Googins said the success had nothing to do with anything he tweaked, but was largely in part due to what his returning juniors and seniors set out to accomplish.

“It has a lot has to do with the players that came back,” Googins said of the turnaround. “The core group that came back from last year were very serious about improving and they showed that in the offseason. A lot of the kids played summer hockey, a lot of the kids played fall hockey and I think they saw the fruits of their labor of putting in that extra work.”

Through their first 10 games, the Panthers sat at 6-3-1, highlighted by a 1-1 tie against Duxbury, a pair of wins – 7-3 and 4-2 – over Abington and a 3-1 triumph over Silver Lake. All those teams would go on to make the tournament, but W-H would not, as some of the aspects that you can’t control in sports caught up to it.

“It’s pretty evident that three kids went down with significant injuries [and] along with any other team, we had a bout of the flu,” Googins explained. “At times, there were kids playing that weren’t used to playing so much. We had a lot of key players out.”

At one point, the Panthers were dealing with a pair of broken wrists. Senior defenseman Ryan Lincoln had one of those, and he even returned with a week remaining and a cast on to try and salvage the Panthers’ playoff chances.

“Ryan Lincoln [is a] high-character [kid],” Googins said. “He’s just a tough kid who said I want to come back, got cleared and really couldn’t even shoot the puck, but it showed he wanted to come back, and he was a kid that was out for a while that we needed.”

Kevin Willis was another key defenseman out of the equation after suffering a torn ACL toward the latter half of the season.

“You’re talking two of your top four defensemen out,” Googins said. “It hurt.”

Sophomore Chris Stoddard, who was tied for fifth on the team with nine points through 12 games, would also be sidelined for the final three weeks.

But, despite the injuries, there was no lack of drive from the Panthers, especially out of their elder statesmen.

“The best thing that stands out was the group of seniors that every night just gave their best effort, they really did,” Googins said. “I don’t think it was one particular game or one shift. Just every night it seemed like whatever seniors were in the lineup, they would just almost be like assistant coaches and help out. They were just there to get the kids fired up, and I appreciated that. It was such a pleasure to come to the rink every day. It really was, based upon those kids.”

It is certainly a unit – led by captain Ryan Sawtelle and assistant captains Korey Howard and Alex Uva – Googins will have tough time replacing.

Howard (18 goals, 10 assists) and Uva (9 goals, 16 assists), both of whom were Patriot League All-Stars, paced the team in points. But, ranking behind them were junior Ed Scriven (11 goals, 11 assists), sophomore Adam Solari (8 goals, 11 assists) and junior Owen Manning (7 goals, 6 assists). Sophomore goalie R.J. Flynn, who posted a 3.22 GAA in limited action, is likely to take over the reins from senior Ricky Welch. Freshmen Jack Allen, Josh Pike and Kevin Willis also form a solid nucleus set to return inside the blue line.

“I’m very optimistic of the returning players,” Googins said. “What they need to understand is that they need to take a couple months off from the game, but then you have go to start to re-fire the engines up again.”

Season Review: Boys’ indoor track made strides

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The Panthers during a Dec. 13 meet. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers, who finished the season at 2-3, owned wins over Duxbury (55-45) and Silver Lake (54-45) and were clipped by Hingham (57-43) and Pembroke (57-41).

Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ indoor track head coach Mike Driscoll is pleased with the effort put forth by his team this winter.

The Panthers, who finished the season at 2-3, owned wins over Duxbury (55-45) and Silver Lake (54-45) and were clipped by Hingham (57-43) and Pembroke (57-41).

“With the exception of the Plymouth North meet (70-30 loss), who were the [league] champions, we hung with some really good teams,” Driscoll explained. “We beat Duxbury, we beat Silver Lake, and Duxbury is a really good track team. We got within two events of beating Hingham, which we haven’t done in a long time.

“These kids worked really hard. We had a small senior class with only six seniors, but four of them are state-level competitors. I’m happy with the young kids, I’m happy with the older kids, we had a lot of freshmen, we had a lot of new kids this year, so the numbers are good.”

The four Panthers to crack the Division 3 All-State meet, which was held Feb. 18 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, were senior captains Brian Edwards and Andrew Newman (Patriot League All-Star) and classmates Brett Holmes (Patriot League All-Star) and Jack Ryan (Patriot League All-Star).

Edwards finished the contest tying his career-best of a 6-foot high jump, which was good for eighth place and a medal.

“Brian is just a natural high jumper,” Driscoll said. “That’s his event, it’s been his event since he was a freshman and it’s just a natural event for him. He can get up over that bar at six feet like it’s nothing and it’s pretty fun to watch.”

Newman also medaled with a seventh-place finish in the 2-mile run at 10:08.66.

“Andrew is one of the examples of a kid that if you just stick with something, you’re gonna be good at it,” Driscoll said. “Andrew came in as a freshman and he was maybe a little below average. And now with all the hard work he’s put into this program, and into himself and running, he’s an above-average runner now and he’s earned everything.”

Holmes and Ryan missed out on medals in the long jump and 1,000-meter run, respectively.

The Panthers were also bolstered this season by the addition of indoor track newbie and the progression of a seasoned veteran.

“[Junior] Billy Martell had a great year for us, his first year doing winter track, in the 300 meters and our 4×200 team,” Driscoll said. “And then senior Joey Coletti had another spectacular year in the 600 meters and 4×400 for us.”

Driscoll said Coletti was the biggest surprise of the winter.

“I wasn’t sure what we were gonna get out of him,” Driscoll said. “I knew he was a senior, [but] he really bought into the team this year and bought into the running, and I think he had an outstanding year for us.”

Coletti was a leg on the 4×400 relay team, along with sophomore Kyle O’Brien, Ryan and senior Andrew Tassey, that finished in 3:51.62 to help the Panthers edge Duxbury on Dec. 19.

“I think that was our best meet,” Driscoll said. “Beating that team with a lot of depth. We really, really ran well and jumped spectacular that night. We had to hit all our marks and all our spots and we did that night.”

Driscoll said he hopes to continue to develop the indoor track program by attracting more student-athletes over the offseason.

“We’d love to have every kid come out for track, but we get kids need rest after their fall seasons,” Driscoll said. “We just really want to build the program back to where it was.”

Season Review: Youth takes control on wrestling mats

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The Panthers during a Jan. 3 meet against Plymouth South. / Photo by: Sue Moss

One season after boasting a core of six seniors – three of which competed in the Division 2 state tournament – the Panthers had an infusion of young talent this winter.

The 2017-18 campaign served as a bridge year for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team, which finished the winter at 7-13.

One season after boasting a core of six seniors – three of which competed in the Division 2 state tournament – the Panthers had an infusion of young talent this winter. Not only did they boast 10 freshmen and eight sophomores on their roster, but a significant number of them ended up playing large roles.

For starters, sophomore Steve Brooks (152 pounds) seized the most of his opportunity, racking up a team-leading 19 wins, after just three the year prior. Freshman Matt Butler (126) also took his opportunity by storm, ranking second on the team with 16 victories to conclude his inaugural campaign. Second-year Panthers wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz admitted he wasn’t expecting much out of either at the outset of the year.

“We really had two big surprises this season,” Rabinovitz said. “First is freshman Matt Butler. Matt placed in three tournaments this year. The second surprise is sophomore Steve Brooks, [who also] placed in three tournaments for us. Steve proved that offseason wrestling really works.” Screen Shot 2018-02-24 at 12.02.00 PM

Also, bursting onto the scene for W-H were freshmen Damari Goldsmith-Greene (132), Theo Kamperides (113) and Myles McInnis (106).

“We had a great group of freshmen this season and I am looking forward to many of them playing a big role in next year’s team,” Rabinovitz said. “These kids are the future of our program. With another class like these guys next year, we could be a force before too much longer. I really see us winning 75 percent of our dual meets next year, [but] time will tell.”

While the youth movement was evident, the Panthers still received plenty of production out of their two senior captains – Ben Cordingley (138) and Steve Osborne (182). The two combined to win 28 matches and account for 154 of W-H’s points this season.

“Both Ben and Steve have been great leaders for our squad this year,” Rabinovitz said. “Ben was a four-year wrestler and was very consistent this year winning some big matches for us.

“Steve was a very vocal leader always putting the team ahead of himself and his leadership was very much appreciated. Steve was a three-year wrestler for us. Both Ben and Steve led by example throughout the season.”

For the Panthers as a team, they began the season at 4-5 after a 45-36 victory over Duxbury on Jan. 10, before dropping to 5-12 with one meet remaining. And in that final tri-meet Feb 3, the Panthers went 2-1 with wins over Norwood (46-36) and Everett (30-24) to cap the season off on the right note.

Rabinovitz said that despite the team falling a bit short of his expectation, which was at least 10 wins, he is looking for his players to remain driven.

“Offseason wrestling is a critical part of our growth as a wrestling program,” Rabinovitz said. “All of the kids are encouraged to participate in offseason wrestling or play another high school sport.”

Season Review: ‘Getting closer’: Panther football focusing on growth beyond scoreboard

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The Panthers run out onto the field Oct. 13 for their game against Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

For the third straight season the Panthers boasted a 7-4 record and made a trip to the postseason, falling in the first round.

The direction of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team continues to trend upward as it heads into the offseason.

For the third straight season the Panthers boasted a 7-4 record and made a trip to the postseason, falling in the first round.

“I told them, ‘We’re not going to focus on the last game, we’re going to focus on the seven wins that they had and they showed improvements,’” W-H head coach Mike Driscoll said. “We’re getting closer.’’

That last game Driscoll is referring to is the Panthers’ 23-12 loss to Abington on Thanksgiving — which for the first time all season, W-H didn’t hold a lead.

Although it may appear the team is stuck in neutral, it certainty is not. In W-H’s losses last season, it wasn’t always competitive as one came by over 30 points and two were dealt to it by 20 or more points. The other came by 11 points. The Panthers lost all four games by a combined 91 points, a number that dropped significantly this fall.

This season, in their Week 3, 23-9, defeat against Duxbury — a game in which W-H held a brief lead (7-0) — it was a six-minute span in a game that spiraled out of control for the Panthers. Three weeks later, the Panthers were driving on Hingham to win the game, when junior signal caller Ethan Phelps got banged up, forcing him to head to the sidelines, where he watched them fall, 28-21. Against Stoughton in the first round of the playoffs, the Panthers led by nine at halftime, but were held scoreless the rest of the way, resulting in a 30-21 loss. Against Abington, despite not maintaining a single advantage, the Panthers still only trailed by one, 13-12, at halftime.

“We see the improvements,” Driscoll said. “We’re certainly a better football team this year than we were last year. I think we’re moving in the right direction. The season could have been totally different if we could have finished off some of those games.”

The Panthers, despite their inability to close things out in those contests, still flashed grittiness in a few nail-biting wins. In their season opener, it was a late Phelps score in the waning minutes, coupled with a goal-line stand with two seconds remaining, that pushed them over Plymouth South, 23-18. On Oct. 6, Phelps took a QB keeper 60 yards to pay dirt with 50 seconds remaining as the Panthers edged Plymouth North, 28-24.

One constant in W-H’s comebacks was Phelps, who was one of several then-sophomores to assume significant roles for the Panthers last fall. In his second campaign under center, Phelps rushed for over 1,400 yards yet again and found the end zone 18 times. However, it was his enhanced passing game that made him more of a threat this season as his completion percentage rose nearly two percent and his touchdowns doubled to 14 as he passed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight season.

GAINING GROUND: Wide receiver Brett Holmes runs the ball vs. Abington in the Panthers’ 23-12 Thanksgiving game loss. He notched four catches for 21 yards and a touchdown. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“He worked hard to become a better passer, and he’d like to throw the ball every down, [but] we like to run it first,” Driscoll said. “He’s got that it-factor and he can take it to the house from anywhere on the field. The thing with Ethan is he’ll continue to work at it and get better and we’ll have our talk and see what he needs to improve on, but he’s just a very talented young man.”

On the receiving end of 46 percent of Phelps’ completions were fellow juniors Jacob Nixon and Rian Schwede as the two combined for 42 receptions, 511 yards and five scores. Out of the backfield, juniors Brendan Frawley (78 carries for 447 yards, 2 TDs) and Mike Connors (80 carries for 484 yards, 3 TDs) put forth solid seasons. Connors also spearheaded the Panthers’ defense with his team-leading 104 tackles, a number he nearly doubled from last season.

“Mike Connors is on another planet,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll also noted he was pleasantly impressed with the play of junior linemen Quinn Sweeney, who led the team in sacks, and Ryan Trongone.

“Quinn Sweeney started every game for us at right tackle, [and] we weren’t sure if he was going to be able to play offense, but he was fabulous, so wasn’t Ryan Trongone, [a] two-way lineman for us,” Driscoll said. “Two guys who really stepped up to the plate and had great seasons.”

While the junior class garners much of the attention for W-H, Driscoll reiterated it was his senior captains – Hunter Dunn, Riley Holland and Brett Holmes – that kept the club together.

“They work hard, they [lead] by example in school first, in the community and out on the football field,” the seventh-year Panthers head coach said.

Driscoll said despite his club not being where it wants to be just yet, it’s getting close.

“I’m very proud of this team,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way that the seniors handled things and I’m very happy with the way we’re moving.”

Season Review: Depth a saving grace for girls’ soccer amid injuries

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Memembers of the girls’ soccer team celebrate during an Oct. 19 game. / Photo by: Sue Moss

After wrapping up their regular season at 15-1-2, the Panthers were awarded the No. 6 seed in the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament. W-H made quick work of No. 11 Weymouth in the first round with a 6-2 victory, knocked off No. 3 Hingham, 2-1, in the quarterfinal-round, before falling to No. 2 Newton South, 2-1, in the semifinals.

If 2017 taught us anything about the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team, it affirmed what many already knew. It’s deep and it’s brimming with talent.

The Panthers were dealt a major blow before they even embarked on the new season — they were going to be without All-American Taylor Kofton after the senior midfielder suffered a torn ACL over the summer.

Not only were the Panthers sans Kofton, but they opened the season down starting goaltender Skylar Kuzmich, who missed all of the preseason, for the first game and starting senior midfielder Katie Korzec for the first two weeks. Before Korzec even found her way back, W-H was handed another major blow when Betty Blake went down with a torn ACL against Plymouth South, ultimately ending her season.

W-H, despite the rash of injuries, opened the year at 6-0 with key wins over Silver Lake, Pembroke and Hingham. The Panthers’ 22-year head coach David Floeck said the first six games of the season taught him a great deal.

“We said we have more depth on this team than we necessarily thought we had and kids have really stepped up,” Floeck said. “Those first couple of weeks really gave us the impression this team could do something really special, especially as those other pieces came back from injuries.”

Floeck said one key to the Panthers’ success is they don’t focus on what they don’t have, rather what they do, and with every injury came an opportunity for someone else.

“In the long run, I think we’re better off [with] these experiences in a sense that we had some younger players I would tell you that I didn’t project to play as significant a role at that level until next year,” he said. “Maybe their junior year, but they had to do that earlier. So, they really grew faster this year than we expected and I think that bodes well for us moving forward.”

The Panthers’ depth continued to shine as the season wore on, and in their 10th game, a 2-0 win over Quincy, they punched their 18th consecutive ticket to the postseason.

“We’re fortunate that we have a number of good players and sometimes I think people who don’t know our team real well may focus on a couple players who get the headlines,” Floeck said. “We’re very fortunate to have a number of talented players.”

After wrapping up their regular season at 15-1-2, the Panthers were awarded the No. 6 seed in the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament. W-H made quick work of No. 11 Weymouth in the first round with a 6-2 victory, knocked off No. 3 Hingham, 2-1, in the quarterfinal-round, before falling to No. 2 Newton South, 2-1, in the semifinals.

With four minutes remaining and W-H, which lost junior defender Olivia Johnson just 15 minutes in to a broken wrist, clinging to a 1-0 lead, Panthers All-American Lauren Bonavita tore her hamstring, an injury that she played though. Regardless, shortly thereafter the Lions, on their first shot of the second half, knotted the score at 1-1 with less than a minute remaining. In overtime, Newton South won it with a header.

“It was a tough one to take, because we really felt like we played well enough to win, but sometimes the ball bounces that way,” Floeck said.

While the Panthers’ depth shone bright this season with sophomores Alexis Billings, Riley Bina, Anika Floeck, Delaney Hall and Samantha Perkins, taking significant leaps forward, the impact of their senior class was ultimately the motor that powered them forward. It was a group of girls that helped guide W-H to a 77-6-7 record and two South Sectional titles over four seasons.

“When you play an 18-game regular season and they’re winning almost 80 games in four years, that speaks to the level that they have and they’ve done it consistently,” Floeck said. “We want to maintain a level of consistency and the senior class has certainty brought that to us.”

Spearheading that senior class was Bonavita – who ends her career as the school’s all-time leading goal scorer with 113 after a 43-goal campaign.

“We’ve never had anyone who has had an offensive season like the one Lauren had,” Floeck said.

“With all the great players coming through here, her’s ranks as one of the most incredible seasons of any player.”

Floeck said that despite the Panthers falling short of their team goal of a state title, he couldn’t be more satisfied with what they were able to accomplish, and the way they went about doing it.

“They were not only great on the field, they were great off the field,” he said. “They were great ambassadors of the game of soccer and representatives of Whitman-Hanson. They played great, they got better as the year went on and I think that’s really a testimony to their hard work and their commitment to it.”

Season Review: X-Country stand-outs set bar for future

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Seniors Andrew Newman and Nicole Norve were standouts this cross country season at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

Another cross country season has crossed the finish line at Whitman-Hanson Regional High. 

Andrew Newman led the way for the boys’ team, which wound up with a 4-3 record. The senior was unbeatable in his first five meets, as he raced to first-place finishes in every single one. He also set four personal records throughout the fall. Steve George, who serves as the head coach for both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams, said Newman is self-motivated, extremely hard working and just loves to run. 

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Andrew Newman / Photo by: Sue Moss

“Andrew’s consistent improvement is a result of his effort over and above what we ask for,” George said. With high school runners, we’d ordinarily see a drop off in performance given the number of miles a runner like Andrew logs each week. We have not seen that in Andrew. He thrives on high mileage.”

Not only did Newman have a season to remember, many of his teammates did as well. Fellow senior captain Jack Ryan finished the fall boasting seven top-five finishes and sophomore Adam Solari improved on his numbers significantly from a year ago, as did classmate Brandon Hager. Freshman newcomers Liam Cafferty, Theo Kamperides, Chris MacDonald and Aiden O’Brien were all welcome sights as well.

Cafferty and Kamperdies ended the season as two of the Panthers’ top-five runners.

“The only rest they’ve had, if you can call it rest, is when they run a shorter distance in the invitational meets,” George said. “Otherwise, they do every workout, every day and it’s paid off for them.”

George said his club’s biggest strength over the past few months was the leadership it received from its captains Alex Uva and Ryan.

“They provide examples of achieving results through determination and effort,”George said. “Coaches provide instruction and structure, but high school athletes are motivated best by their peers and in cross country we have some very good ones in those seniors.”

GIRLS RACE TO 3-4 MARK

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Nicole Norve / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ team, which finished at 3-4, was in a lot of close meets, as three of its losses came by 15 or fewer points. One runner who stood out from the rest was Nicole Norve. The senior captain hustled to a first-place finish in the Panthers’ first five races. Her second-place outings came against Plymouth North on Oct. 17 when she crossed the finish line one second out of the top spot, and on Oct. 24 against Plymouth South when she lost to eventual league MVP Jillian Callaghan by 17 ticks. George said Norve is as fierce as a competitor as there gets.

“She wants to improve every time out and loves a challenge,” George said. “Nicole’s success may stem from the fact that she is strong enough to run hard virtually every day, recover, and do it again the next.”

But it takes more than one runner to be competitive, and W-H had no problem with that. Seniors Julia Cosgrave and Camryn Boyce were about were steady presences all season.

“Julia and Camryn were consistent 2/3 for the team this year,” George said. “I’ll miss both of them next year certainly.”

Coming into the season, one of George’s goals was to have his runners achieve their own milestones, and that came to fruition. Sixteen of the 20 girls established personal records with two of the remaining four out much of the season with injury.

As the Panthers look toward next autumn – when this wave of juniors will be looked upon to carry the load – there is a lot to be excited about.

“Maeve Rooney has steadily improved in each of her three years, while Maeve McDonough has moved into our top 5 with an improvement of three minutes over last year,” George explained. “Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue, an indoor and outdoor sprinter/hurdler who joined cross country this year, scored in nearly every meet this fall.”

Season Review: Young volleyball team impresses

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Halle Julian (No. 42), Audrey Fuller (No. 22) and Amanda Anderson (No. 15). / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball, despite finishing the season with a 4-17 record, made significant strides this year.

Sometimes success doesn’t just show up in the win column.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball, despite finishing the season with a 4-17 record, made significant strides this year.

W-H came into the year with a tall task – trying to make up for the production it lost via the departure of a seven-player senior class – headlined by captains Jordyn Keith, Sophie O’Brien and Chloe Roberts – who played an integral part in helping the program reach the tournament in back-to-back seasons.

With that many seniors on the roster last season, that meant playing time for the younger players was scarce. Four players who would turn into regulars on the court this fall had little to no experience as the varsity rank.

Junior Allison Hanlon, and sophomores Olivia Martin and Ella Sweeney were all previously penned on the JV roster. Sophomore Alexis Connolly had just 15 sets of varsity experience under her belt. This season, Sweeney was in action for 74 sets, which was tied for the second-most on the team, as Hanlon and Martin played 66 and 59, respectively. Connolly saw her time on the court rise to 52 sets.

The growing pains, however, were evident, as the Panthers went nearly a month without a single win. But, they never lost faith.

“We were able to stay up despite how many losses we took,” first-year Panthers head coach Ashley Balbian said. “But, I think the team really worked together. The chemistry between the girls, especially between the really young girls and the seniors, I think that was definitely our strength in just trying to keep the energy up, fight for every point.”

After a loss to Quincy on Oct. 25 dropped W-H to 2-17 with senior night against Middleboro in less than 24 hours, Balbian said there was an instant shift in the mentality of her squad.

“I think a lot of what changed is kind of a change in our mindset about seniors thinking like this is our last two games we’re going to put it all out there,” she said. “Then for the underclassmen to come in and think, look we want to do this for the seniors. [We’re] putting our effort in for the seniors the last two games, but also realizing we’re it next year, this is it, so we have to step it up.”

After celebrating the storied careers of their seniors, the Panthers downed the Sachems in four sets, 3-1. Senior Halle Julian led the club with 18 kills and classmate Tori Perry shined with 40 assists. Two days later, they finished off Bridgewater-Raynham in another four-set affair, 3-1.

The recent success left Balbian thinking a few things. “I wish we had five more games,” she said. “I had felt we finally hit a lot of the goals we were working towards all season, and then just as we hit that stride the season [is] over.”

But, there is no denying that finishing your campaign on a two-game winning streak must build some assurance about the future.

“It was huge boost in confidence, especially for the girls that are younger on the team and were getting more time on the court, and they feel a little more prepared coming in with the seniors leaving next year,” Balbian said.

As they look ahead to next season, the Panthers will be tasked with replacing the leadership and production from departing seniors Madison Adams, Amanda Anderson, Cathryn Johnson, Julian and Perry, all of whom left their stamp on the program, according to Balbian.

“I think that they have left such an impression on the younger players, like really kept a high standard on the team,” Balbian said.

For W-H, despite the struggles, the team should come into its own in the not so distant future.

“A lot of them came into new positions, especially towards the second half of the season,” Balbian said. “They kind of found what works for them. Maybe they decided I want to be a libero or I want to be a setter or I want to play front row, and they kind of found where they fit on the court. It makes me already excited for tryouts next season.”

Season Review: Boys’ soccer rises to meet challenge

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The Panthers after a Nov. 4 win over Catholic Memorial in the opening round of the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team – under the watch of first-year head coach Dave Leahy – qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2014.

At the outset of the season, first-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy acknowledged there were challenges ahead.

“I am looking for our players to face the multiple challenges each game throws at us in a positive, unified effort. If we can stay together as a family throughout the first two weeks, we will be able to face any challenge going forwardtogether,” he said.

The Panthers entered the new year trying to put a wretched one-win 2016 campaign in the rearview mirror.

W-H opened 2017 with a 3-2 loss to Silver Lake, and eventually finished out its first week of play at 0-3. It was tough, but the Panthers remained confident they had what it took to be successful.

In their second week of action, the Panthers had turned the corner. It started with a 3-2 win on the road against Plymouth South and carried over to a 3-0 victory over Plymouth North three days later.

“We started to believe and we kept pushing forward each day after that,” Leahy said. “We had some setbacks but it was never for too long. We had a few bad halves, but never a bad game. We kept learning and improving.”

W-H, driven by a sheer desire to succeed, would then go on to claim victories in eight out its next 13 games to cap off the regular season at 10-7-1. In the midst of the Panthers’ surge, a 2-1 triumph over Quincy qualified them for the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament for the first time since 2014. Leahy said it was just a case of getting his team to buy into the fact it could be successful.

“For whatever reasons the team had been unlucky for a few seasons, and as a result we had learned that we were typically on the losing end at the end of the game,” he said. “So, getting this belief changed for us was the biggest.” In the preliminary round of the tournament, No. 13 W-H downed No. 21 Catholic Memorial, 2-1, in game that was decided with penalty kicks.

However, in the next round, the Panthers’ run came to an end at the hands of Oliver Ames, 4-0.

“The biggest advantage was playoff experience,” Leahy said. “They wanted to jump out early and try and end the game quickly. And they succeeded in doing so.”

While postseason maturity may have worked against W-H this November, the script may be flipped next time around. The Panthers will have an abundance of young talent back in the fold next season, which includes four of their top-five goal scorers in sophomores Jason Brodeur and Adam Milewski, and freshmen Joel Arsenault and Brendan Nehiley.”

The majority of teams that win championships were in the playoffs in prior years,” Leahy said. “So, playoff experience is integral to a successful program.”

As for departures, W-H will lose 11 seniors – headlined by captains Kyle Nehiley, Anthony Pasciuto and Cameron Rogers. Their shoes won’t be easy to fill.

“They came into preseason motivated,” Leahy said. “They worked hard in the offseason and were ready to play hard this summer. Each day they all worked hard to improve and their efforts were noticed by our underclassmen. They took their role seriously and led with courage. They were outstanding for us.”

As the Panthers embark on the offseason, there is a lot more clarity now then there was just a few short months ago.

“I am extremely proud,” Leahy said. “This team had to learn a lot and do it quickly together. They came together and worked hard for each other and kept pushing forward. It was a fun ride.”

Season Review: Golf stays on course: Panthers put forth another solid season

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High golf team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team qualified for the state tournament for the fifth time in the past seven years this season.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ golf team turned in another steady campaign on the course this fall.

Under the watch of head coach Brian Dempsey, the Panthers posted a 9-8 record and qualified for the state tournament for the fifth time in the past seven years.

In the Division 2 South (Cape & Islands) Sectional qualifying round – held at Easton Country Club on Oct. 24 – W-H was represented by seniors Tommy Bombardier, JP Drier (captain), Nick Duffy and Anthony Palmacci, junior Owen Manning (captain) and sophomore Matt Korzec.

The Panthers shot a 336 as a team, which was good for ninth. Manning was W-H’s top performer as he carded a 79 and missed the state tournament by one stroke.

“Every year, the team’s main goal is to quality for the state tournament, which puts us in a position to give six of our players a chance to move on to the state finals,” Dempsey explained. “I definitely consider this year a success – entering this year, our team was pretty much unknown around the league, and in my opinion, was probably written off. Though we had a slow start, we not only found our identity, but shocked a few teams.”

Shocked a few teams is right — on Oct. 11, with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the Panthers downed Duxbury by a final score of 232-241. The triumph was the their first ever over the Dragons. Dempsey said going into that match his team’s mindset was to play smart, consistent golf.

“I can’t remember a time where I was as excited for the guys on the team than I was for them this year after upsetting Duxbury,” Dempsey said. “You can’t strategize or plan for things to happen in golf like you can in most other sports, but on that day, it was as if we executed our game plan perfectly, which is why, as a whole team, we were able to beat Duxbury for the first time; everyone did their part, and everyone earned the win.”

In the victory, Palmacci scored a 1-over-par and Manning, who was paired with him for the match, shot a 2-over par to help set the tone.

Just a week prior, the Panthers took a tough Hingham team down to the wire before falling, 223-230.

However, it wasn’t always easy sledding this autumn for the Panthers who sat at 1-3 after a 261-266 loss to Plymouth South on Sept 14. Dempsey said he believes strength of schedule played into the Panthers’ struggles as their first three losses came to Silver Lake (231-239), Hingham (256-279) and Plymouth South, all of which ended the season with winning records.

But following that Plymouth South defeat, W-H turned a corner, and turned it the next day by downing East Bridgewater, 263-312. The victory propelled them to wins in five of their next eight matches which pulled them above .500 at 7-6 as a bevy of players began to step up. One player who was a pivotal part in the Panthers’ success this fall was Manning, who was their top golfer. Dempsey said Manning is a true role model on and off the field and he is excited to have him back in the fold next season.

“His approach to the game is so calm and methodic, which is what allows him to play so consistently throughout the season,” Dempsey, who will lose nine seniors off this team’s roster, explained. “He has improved so much from where he was last year as not only a player, but as a teammate and leader as well. What I appreciate about Owen so much is his ability to remain calm throughout his round and to be able to focus on the next hole.”

As the Panthers head into the offseason, one thing is certain: they’re in a good spot.

“I’m very proud of the recent success of the program,” Dempsey said. “I give all the credit to the leadership on the team each year. The commitment of players to the sport continues to grow every year.”