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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.” 

Making an NBA mock draft of the last four years of players at Whitman-Hanson Regional High

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In honor of last week’s NBA Draft, the Express made a mock draft of players — both boys and girls — to hit the court for Whitman-Hanson Regional High over the past four years.

1. Orlando Magic — Stevie Kelly, G

The former Patriot League MVP, who fueled the Panthers to the 2019-20 Div. 2 state crown, will add some much-needed toughness to the the Magic’s young backcourt. There isn’t much he can’t do.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder – Nate Amado, G

Also a former Patriot League MVP and crucial part of that Div. 2 state title team, Amado gives the Thunder a player who can score with ease. He’s also a plus-defender.

3. Houston Rockets — Cole LeVangie, G/F 

Houston, you’ve landed a player who has an uncanny feel for the game and is a stat-sheet stuffer. Great scorer, passer and rebounder, who was a three-time Patriot League All-Star and 2020 state champ at W-H. 

4. Sacramento Kings — Abby Martin, F

You can’t go wrong with Martin here. Need a late bucket? She’ll answer the call. Need a key block? She can do that, too. Stretch forward paced the Panthers to their best season ever a few months ago.

5. Detroit Pistons — Ben Rice, F/C

Captain on the Panthers’ state title team and last of three brothers to suit up for W-H, Rice gives the Pistons a lights out three-point shooter, who has great size, and is a great teammate. 

6. Indiana Pacers — Amari Jamison, G

The dynamic and shifty guard can get to the hoop at will. Has great finish around the rim and can also throw it down. Pacers just got some serious athleticism. 

7. Portland Trailblazers —  Lauren Dunn, G

Blazers need a guard and they land one in Dunn at No. 7. Superb three-point shooter who is a lockdown defender. Watch out western conference.

8. New Orleans Pelicans — Kathryn Dunn, G/F 

Just a solid all-round player. Adds a lot of Brandon Ingram-like qualities. Can score inside and out, rebound, defend and shoot. 

9. San Antonio Spurs — Reese Codero, G

With Dejounte Murray possibly on the move, the Spurs have selected their future point guard. Former Patriot League All-Star has excellent court vision and will add some humor to the locker room.

10. Washington Wizards — Ryan Vallancourt, G

The Wizards land their replacement for Bradley Beal, if he does indeed move on. Patriot League All-Star and former captain adds some leadership, shooting and passing to the nation’s capital. 

Picks 11 through 15: 

11. New York Knicks — Olivia Martin, G/F 12. Oklahoma City Thunder — Malcom Alcorn-Crowder, F/C 13. Charlotte Hornets — Erin Leahy, F 14. Cleveland Cavaliers — Meg Stone, F/C 15. Charlotte Hornets — Caity Leahy, G

  • All photos by Sue Moss

Girls’ hoop cruises into Sweet 16

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team is moving on.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball head coach Mike Costa is no stranger to playoff basketball.

He was an assistant coach on the W-H boys’ team when it won back-to-back Div. 2 South Sectional titles in 2016 and ’17.

It’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about what it takes to survive and advance in March.

“As a coach, you’re always worried about how teams are going to start games in the tournament, especially the first round,” Costa said.

And while he may not have been pushing the panic button after No. 28 Longmeadow netted the first basket of the game last night against the fifth-seeded Panthers — that sense of worry was still there.

But those fears adapted slowly as the Panthers (19-2) pumped in the next 16 points to take a commanding lead and never looked back en route to a 52-23 victory over the Lancers (9-13) in the Div. 2 Round of 32. 

“Once they saw the first one go in they kind of relaxed,” Costa said. “I just told them to embrace the moment.”

No one embraced the moment more than their three senior captains: Lauren Dunn, Abby Martin and Meg Stone.

Martin finished the night with a game-high 23 points and 10 boards. Thirteen of those points came in the first half as the Panthers opened up a 27-9 lead at the break.

“She just does what Abby does,” Costa said. “She just impacts the game in so many different ways. She had the hot hand tonight.”

Martin had the hot hand from beyond the arc, but Meg Stone had the hot hands below. She finished the night with 11 rebounds — 6 offensive. The Panthers ripped down 23 offensive rebounds as a team. Dunn had four of those offensive rebounds to go along with 10 points. 

“They’re senior captains, they don’t want to go home,” Costa said. “They’re going to play extremely hard when they’re out there. We were relentless on the glass on our end, the offensive end, which was able to get us some extra possessions that helped us.”

The Panthers will host the winner of today’s No. 12 Newburyport (18-2) and No. 21 Sheppard Hill (16-6) in the Round of 16 on Tuesday. 

“We’re going to need that type of effort the rest of the way,” Costa said. “We’ll see what happens on Tuesday.”

Icing on the cake: WHK Peewee hockey team wins state championship

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The Whitman Hanson Kingston Pewee hockey team is the state champion.

They are the champions — the state champions that is. 

The Whitman Hanson Kingston Pewee A U12 Hawks hockey team wrapped up their season with a 2-1 victory over Burlington to win the Pewee Tier II Small State Championship on Sunday, Feb. 27. 

The Hawks did it in style, too, flying back from a 1-0 deficit with five minutes to play. 

Amari DeJesus of Abington knotted the score at 1-1 with under five minutes remaining off a play set up by Whitman’s Max LaRosa and Collin McLaughlin as well as Hanson’s Shaun Farrell and Sean Sweeney.

Sweeney wasn’t done there. 

Just minutes later, he won the puck at the middle of the ice and split two defenders for the breakaway goal to put WHK up 2-1. That was the difference. 

Hawks goalie Bren Dougherty, also of Hanson, gave up just six goals in five games during WHK’s tournament run. 

“It was an overwhelming feeling when that final buzzer went off and we had achieved our goal,” said WHK head coach Ryan Cole. “Our team has all types of players on it. We have been focusing on that every player has role on a team and that individual skill doesn’t win championships. It is doing the little things that wins championships. This group of young boys and girls was able to understand that and made a dream come true.”

Cheer wins 29th straight Patriot League title

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The cheer team poses after its win. / Courtesy photo

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High cheerleading team won its 29th Patriot League title in a row.

Kayla Crawford won seven Patriot League titles on the mat at Whitman-Hanson Regional High. 

Now the 2012 grad has one as a coach. 

Last Thursday, Feb. 17, the Panthers captured their 29th straight Patriot League title at Duxbury High School. 

“It 100 percent feels better to win as a coach,” Crawford said. “The competition is much tougher now than it was back then. I’m so proud of the girls for hitting their best routine of the season thus far and winning the title again. The girls have been working so hard to keep the streak going.”

Crawford took over the reins of the Panthers in December after Alyssa Pietrasik stepped down because she’s expecting a child. 

“Alyssa has been very helpful getting me adjusted to the coaching position,” Crawford said. “She has kept everything very organized which has made my transition very smooth. She has been very supportive all while giving me space to bond and build my own relationship with the team.”

Next up for W-H is the South regional championship on Sunday, March 6 at Bellingham High. 

“Our goal moving forward is to increase some difficulty in our routine and clean up the little things so our performance is sparkling clean,” Crawford said. 

The Panthers’ rosters consists of: Tiffany Joyce (captain), Brooke Balfe (captain), Leah Cataldo, Emily Diehl, Sheridan Ewell, Isabella Furtado, Bridget Iannone, Sophia Kearns, Jessica LaBonte, Melissa Murray and Kara Sheehan. 

Lussier twins advance to All-States 

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Freshmen twins Charlie and Cooper Lussier have advanced to All-States for wrestling.

The Lussier twins are moving on — to All-States, that is. 

Charlie (106 pounds) and Cooper (152) placed fifth and fourth, respectively, in their weight class to keep their tournament runs alive. 

“The Lussier boys never cease to amaze me as I often overlook the fact that they are still just freshmen,” said W-H head coach Gary Rabinovitz. 

Charlie went 4-2 on the weekend with three pins, while Cooper went 3-2 and also racked up three pins of his own. Their combined record on the season is 66-8. 

The All-State Tournament will take place this Friday and Saturday at Game On Fitchburg. W-H has never had an All-State champion. 

“Both Charlie and Cooper will continue to work harder this week than they did last week to prepare for the All-State Tournament, you can be sure of that,” Rabinovitz said. 

The wait is over: Girls’ basketball wins first league title since 2010

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Senior captain Lauren Dunn celebrates with her teammates after cutting down the net. / Photo by: Nate Rollins

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball program has secured the Patriot League Keenan Division title.

The current Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball seniors were in kindergarten the last time the program had won a league title.

That was 12 years ago.

They ended that drought last night on senior night.

Backed by a dominant defensive effort and offensive contributions from all over the roster, the Panthers cruised past Plymouth North, 55-31, to earn their first Patriot League Keenan Division crown since 2010.

“It feels so amazing,” said senior captain Abby Martin. “I’ve never been happier in my life.”

Said senior captain Lauren Dunn: “We’ve been so close the past couple of years and we finally got it. I’m so happy.”

Senior Kristina Tsiantoulas (10 points) — in her game action back from a torn ACL — got the Panthers rolling early against Plymouth North — the defending league champion — scoring the first four points of the evening to help W-H (17-2, 14-2 Patriot League) build a 23-5 advantage after one.

Freshman Lillie MacKinnon (10 points) nailed a three right before the halftime buzzer to push the Panthers’ lead to 35-16 at the break.

That cushion swelled to 24 at the end of the third quarter and they kept their foot on the gas the rest of the game.

“They’ve wanted this,” said third-year W-H head coach Mike Costa, who owns a 41-13 record since taking the helm. “They know how close they were to getting this last year. I’m extremely proud.”

Senior Rosie MacKinnon paced the Panthers with 11 points and eight rebounds. Senior captain Meg Stone chipped in eight points and corralled six boards in the win.

“Everything we’ve done for the past three years with [coach] Costa all came together,” Stone said. 

W-H is back in action on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. when it takes on Belmont at St. Mary’s (Lynn) to open the Spartan Classic.

“This is great but we still feel like we have a long way to go,” Costa said. “We feel like we have as good a chance as anybody to compete for Division 2.”

Said all three senior captains in unison: “We’re not done yet.”

Champion! Cam Sullivan wins states

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Cam Sullivan at the center of the podium after winning. / Courtesy photo

Cam Sullivan is a state champion. 

The Whitman-Hanson youth wrestler won the USA-MWA K-4 state title at 67-69 pounds last weekend. 

Cam edged his opponent by a 15-5 decision in their round-robin bracket. 

This is Cam’s first year in the Whitman-Hanson Youth program.

“He comes to practice and works hard and has picked up the sport quickly,” said head coach Craig McCormack. “He won the North Attleboro tournament earlier in the year as well in his first tournament experience. He has only gotten better since and all the coaches are very proud of his work ethic and focus on the sport. He brings an infectious attitude to practice and always seems to be enjoying what he does. His teammates all like him and they all have a blast together.”