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Season Preview: Senior-laden boys’ hockey team returns the bulk of its core

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Goalie Bobby Siders in the Panthers’ season opener against Pembroke. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ hockey team is looking to be even better than last season’s tournament team.

There seems to be a different feeling surrounding the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team entering this season than in years past.

The Panthers are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2013 and return a bulk of their core, putting them in prime position to make another run to the postseason.

“The goal is to try to be as competitive — if not even more competitive — than the previous year,” said head coach Chris Googins, who enters his 10th season overall leading the Panthers. “So, let’s try to close out some of those games that we maybe couldn’t close out or couldn’t play three periods, let‘s try to do that and I think good things will happen. Overall, you need to play your 16th game like your third game. Just be consistent.”

The Panthers welcome back five of their top six forwards, all three goaltenders and a some key defensemen, which should help them with that consistency.

Senior Chris Stoddard will don the C on his jersey and center the first line this season, on the heels a 23-point (13 goals, 10 assists) junior campaign.

“He played a high level in the offseason and had a really good fall,” Googins said. “He’s just elevated his game to another level, in regards to his hockey IQ — his decision making. I expect big things out of him.”

The Panthers’ leading scorer with 10 goals and 14 assists last winter, senior assistant captain Adam Solari is also back in the fold on the first line.

“Another kid who worked so hard in the offseason and still has a very bright and optimistic senior year,” Googins said. “I think he can have a breakout year.”

Senior Eddie Collins rounds out the top line at left wing.

“He had a great offseason,” Googins said. “I expect big things from him, too.”

Googins pointed to his club’s depth last season and his ability to roll out three lines as a key reason it was able to sustain its level of play. He said he fully expects to be able to do the same this season with a third line likely featuring juniors Zach Either and Josh Pike along with freshman Matt Solari.

The second line will be made up of senior Calvin Cooper centering classmate John Hagan and sophomore John Ward, the Panthers’ only top six forward who is not a senior.

“They could be the difference, if they can just really show off some of their offensive abilities and take care of business in their own end,” Googins said. “I think we could really be in good shape. There’s some talent there.”

There’s also some talent in net, where they return both junior Bobby Siders and sophomore Erik Dean. Siders saw a majority of the action last winter and flourished, holding Division 1 state champion Duxbury to three goals over six periods of action and winning consecutive do-or-die games down the stretch. But Googins said he’s like what he’s seen from Dean early on, and the job between the pipes may be fluid throughout the year.

“I’m not ruling out every other game or maybe the hot hand staying in there,” Googins said. “Either one could happen.”

Senior assistant captain Reed Watson, juniors Jack Allen, Mike Savicke, Kevin Willis and sophomore Sean Doucette form a strong nucleus on the blue line.

“Having a good core at each position will hopefully make us competitive every night,” Googins said. “I don’t think we have a major weakness on our team. I think we have a good, solid base at every position.”

Googins said the Panthers’ strength this winter is their leadership.

“Even though there’s three captains, I consider there to be at least five to seven captains,” Googins said. “There’s a number of kids I could lean on to take a role on the team and run with it.”

As for departures, the graduations of Patriot League All-Stars Ed Scriven (11 goals, 12 assists last season) and Owen Manning (six goals, 14 assists last season) leave some holes.

“Along with their solid numbers and the minutes, they were just tremendously great competitors and leaders,” Googins said.

W-H is back in action Saturday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. against Patriot League foe Duxbury at The Bog Ice Arena in Kingston.

“I want to see them adapt to the new systems, but at the same token, we have to play three periods, you can’t play two,” Googins said. “There’s no give-me night in the Patriot League. You might not win every game, but you have to say that you went out there and tried 45 minutes.”

Season Preview: ‘Fed up with losing,’ WHSL searching for winning ways

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W-H captain Emily McDonald. / Photo by: Sue Moss

WHSL is searching a signature win to get it kick-started.

Fifth-year Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey head coach Kevin Marani is a firm believer that winning is contagious.

However, it’s something his squad has done little of over the past two seasons, posting just six victories combined. As WHSL heads into this winter, Marani said he once again believes his squad has the talent to be successful, it’s just about going out and executing.

“They’ve lost enough and they’re fed up,” said Marani, who guided the Panthers to back-to-back tournament appearances in his first two seasons. “They know that they’re a good team, and they know that they’re good players. We just need that signature win — that one signature win that we know we can do. And once that happens — winning is contagious.”

Marani said winning is also mentality he’s constantly trying to instill in his players.

“It’s truly just believing in yourself, like, ‘OK, we’re down a goal, but we’ve been here before, we’re going to win this game,’” he explained. “Not, ‘Oh boy, we’ve been here before, we’re here again, we’re going to lose again.’”

On the ice, it’s about perfecting the basics.

“We work on practice every single practice for 15 minutes of practice and it’s fundamentals, some days they got it, some days they don’t,” Marani explained.

It starts with commitment.

“We made a big thing at the end of last season that we need every girl committed,” Marani said. “Even when we don’t practice, give us 15 to 20 minutes of shooting balls or hockey pucks against the net or a wall or whatever and passing and stick handling. That’s something that I challenged them with.”

Marani said that so far he’s been impressed with what he’s seen.

“We’ve 100 percent seen the hard work they’ve put on in the offseason,” he said. “Now it’s just about execution.”

Senior captain Alyssa Murphy (Kingston) had no problem with execution last season pacing WHSL with 27 goals and 15 assists en route to league all-star status. She’s once again going to be relied upon to shoulder the load on offense. She’ll serve on the first line, alongside junior co-captain Emily McDonald (Whitman) and sophomore Ellie Grady (Kingston).

“Alyssa is everything you want to coach,” Marani said. “Talent-wise, she is right up there with the best in our league. She is a good kid and great leader. She works her butt off and is one of the hardest working kids we have on the team.“

McDonald potted six goals and dished out nine assists last winter.

“She is such a good kid,” Marani said. “She is a great leader and she’s got great skill. She’s worked on her shot, she’s worked on her shot. We’re looking from big things from Emily. I think she’s going to have a breakthrough season.”

Sophomores Abby Powers and Lilly Ulvila, both of whom are from Kingston, combined for 10 goals and 11 assists last winter and have improved immensely, according to Marani.

Junior Caleigh Tompkins (Kingston) anchor the blue line with freshman Kendyl Peterson (Kingston).

Peterson is one of a few freshmen that are expected to contribute right away. Shay Kelleher and Casandra Martin will see significant ice time at forward.

Junior Kat Gilbert (Halifax) returns in net after turning away 481 shots last season.

“She is motivated, into it and you can see the difference,” Marani said. “She seems like she is very concentrated. When she is engaged, she is one of the best goalies in our league.”

Marani is setting the bar once again this season.

“This is probably the deepest team I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Marani said. “If we don’t make the state tournament this year, it would be a disappointment. I expect 100 percent to make the state tournament.”

WHSL returns to the ice Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7:45 p.m. against Bishop Stang at Rockland Ice Rink.

“I’m looking forward to this season,” said the coach. “We’re so close. I’m just hoping that everything clicks. We need that one signature win to get that confidence so the girls know we’re good.”

Season Review: Football team shows strength in adversity

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Quarterback Jason Murphy runs away from the Hingham defender. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers lost their starting quarterback in the first game of the season en route to a 2-10 campaign.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team came out strong in it its season opener, putting up 21 points in the first half against Concord-Carlisle.

Then, the Panthers lost their starting quarterback, sophomore Conor Meehan, later in the game to a season-ending injury, throwing an immediate wrench into their plans.

“That was huge,” said ninth-year head coach Mike Driscoll. “We come out in that first game on fire and played exceptional, so now when he goes down, we had to move receivers to running back and a running back to quarterback. It was a challenge.”

It was the second straight year Driscoll lost his starting signal-caller.

“We had the eye in the system, so it definitely helped us a little bit,” Driscoll explained.

The injury to Meehan thrust junior Jason Murphy under center, a position he had experience playing, but he came into the season prepared to be W-H’s lead running back.

“Jason is a runner type, which we’ve had, we’ve had runners at quarterbacks recently, and Conor was a passer who could also run,” Driscoll said. “Conor was more of a dual threat, so teams started playing us a little different. We had to change our style back for a running quarterback and completing some short stuff.”

The Panthers dropped their opener and following two games, before the offense finally clicked, as they routed Silver Lake, 34-14, and ran past Plymouth North, 35-14. However, those were their only two wins, as they finished the year 2-10.

“We prepared every week — the will to win was there every week,” Driscoll said. “They prepared like they wanted to win and sometimes it’s tough — you got to maintain the mental side of things. It just wasn’t one of those seasons where things went our way.”

Murphy ended up being tabbed a league all-star for his play at safety and on offense.

“Jason is a great player,” Driscoll said. “He knows how to play the game, he’s physical and he’s a great student — which is huge for us.”

Behind Murphy, senior captain C.J. Giuliani rushed for a team-high 689 yards. Also a starting linebacker, he recorded 65 tackles and five sacks en route to league all-star status.

“C.J. was the heart and soul of our football team — both sides of the ball,” Driscoll said. “He’s a great player, student of the game, and a tough, hard-nose, gritty football player.”

Another two-way player, senior Devin Coulstring was named a league all-star. The Panthers starting fullback, Coulstring helped pave the way for a rushing attack than ran for 141 yards a game. At cornerback, he tallied 12 pass breakups.

“I talked to him about how impressed I was with him,” Driscoll said. “He worked hard and waited his time out behind some really good players he had a great year for us.”

Starting center Declan Meehan was also key in the run game. The senior started on the defensive line as well and was named a Patriot League All-Star.

“I’m so happy for him,” Driscoll said. “He’s someone who works really hard and linemen don’t always get recognized, but he’s in there playing both ways for us and really grinding it out for us every week.”

With Meehan and Murphy keying the Panthers’ returnees next fall, they also return a steady diet out of the backfield, which includes the likes of: sophomore Will Stafford and junior Nik Dolan.

“It’s a great core coming back,” said the coach. “We have up to seven or eight guys that started on that defense this year and that’s same on offense. The kids are already in the weight room.”

Whitman-Hanson Express Postseason Accolades: Fall Sports

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Athletes of the Season

Boys’ cross country: Theo Kamperides | Junior – The junior was the Panthers’ top runner this fall, placing first overall in seven of eight Patriot League dual meets. Selected as the Patriot League Keenan Division’s MVP, Kamperides earned a spot in the Division 1 Championship meet and finished the season with a personal best time of 15:50.

 

Girls’ cross country: Myah Kamperides | Sophomore – In her first year running cross country, the sophomore placed first overall in eight of nine meets during the regular season en route to league all-star status. Kamperides posted a personal best time of 19:32.

 

 

Field hockey: Maddy Tassey | Senior – The senior captain potted a team-high 4 goals, while adding three assists for a total of seven points on the season. Tassey scored with three minutes remaining on Sept. 25 to give the Panthers a 3-2 win over Plymouth South for their first victory of the season.

 

 

Football: C.J. Giuliani | Senior – A Patriot League All-Star, Giuliani was a two-way starter for the Panthers. The senior captain rushed for 689 yards out of the backfield, while posting 68 tackles and five sacks on defense.

 

 

Boys’ golf: Aidan Miller | Junior – The junior represented the Panthers in the Div. 2 state finals, where he finished 51st out of 102 golfers. In three of W-H’s four wins, Miller was its low scorer. 

 

 

Boys’ soccer: Jason Brodeur | Senior – A two-year captain, Brodeur was selected as a Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star. The forward led the Panthers in goals each of the past two seasons and netted a career-high 17 this fall. He will play at Endicott.

 

 

Girls’ soccer: Olivia Borgen | Sophomore – The sophomore was both a first-team EMass selection and Patriot League All-Star. A midfielder, Borgen paced the 16-win Panthers with 22 goals and 13 assists, bringing her career totals to 30 goals and 17 assists.

 

 

Girls’ volleyball: Lily Welch | Sophomore – Voted as the team’s Rookie of the Year, Welch posted 89 kills, 57 solo blocks, 13 kills and five aces in her first campaign on the varsity club. She garnered 19 kills and a team-high five solo blocks in the Panthers’ first-round tournament match against Durfee.

 

Coach of the Season

Girls’ volleyball: Samantha Richner – The Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum took over the reins of the girls’ volleyball team this fall and led it to the tournament for the first time since 2016. The Panthers finished the season with a 12-9 record. Richner said after the year: “I am very pleased with the way the season played out. The team and I set a goal at the beginning of the season, which was to make tournament, and we were able to achieve that.”

 

*All photos by Sue Moss

Welcome to the club: Josh Rice joins his dad in Eastern Nazarene’s 1,000-point club

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Josh Rice (left) and his father Jon after the game. / Courtesy photo

Josh and Jon Rice become the first father-son duo in Eastern Nazarene College history to both score 1,000 points.

There was already plenty to celebrate.

Friday, Nov. 22 was both Jon Rice and his wife Nancy’s birthday. Their son Josh gave them a memorable present — at the place they first met.

Josh, a senior swingman on Eastern Nazarene’s men’s basketball team and 2016 Whitman-Hanson Regional High graduate, entered his game that night against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on the verge of school history. He needed 14 points to join his dad in the college’s 1,000-point club — and to become the first father-son duo in program history to do it.

After hitting four quick 3-pointers, Josh was just two points away. Then, with 5:17 left in the first half, he got a screen, a pass from his teammate Noah Cheney, spotted up from the top of the key and connected on another one from beyond the arc. This one, pushed him over the 1,000-point mark.

“I definitely don’t think I could have asked for a better present,” said his father Jon, who ranks 18th all-time on Eastern Nazarene men’s basketball’s scoring list with 1,226 points that he scored from 1986-90. “And to do it at my alma mater — I’m so proud of Josh.”

Said Josh: “I’m definitely proud of it, especially since it’s the same school that my dad went to. He’s a big reason I went here. It‘s nice for us to have and be able to share that forever together. It was a great feeling — especially for him to be there.”

And it was appropriate for Josh, a Hanson native, to reach the milestone with a 3-pointer. He’s connected on 199 of them so far during his college career.

Josh said his father molded him into the shooter he is today.

“He didn’t let me shoot threes until I was in high school,” Josh said. “He taught me how to shoot, the form, everything.”

Jon coached his son in town and AAU basketball from fourth grade until his sophomore year of high school. Josh credits his father for helping foster him with a love for the game.

“My dad loves sports, especially basketball,” Josh said. “His history at ENC and his passion and his love and knowledge of the game really grew that passion in me.”

It began when Josh was in elementary school and his father Jon was the head boys’ basketball coach at Hingham High.

“I would bring him with me to practices and games,” the elder Rice said. “There was one time, I remember coaching a game in Weymouth and we had just enough seats for everybody on the team and the last seat was for the water cooler. Josh was in second or third grade at the time. There was one of those big, heavy water coolers, and he was like, ‘Well, dad said I could sit on the bench this game, so I’m just going to move this water cooler.’

“So, he attempts to move the water cooler and it falls over and it floods the court, so that was certainly an everlasting memory.”

Jon eventually gave up his spot on the Hingham bench so he could coach his son.

“It was one of the toughest decisions I had to make,” Jon said. “It was hard, but I don’t regret a second of it. I cherish the memories I have coaching Josh and my other two boys, as well.”

But the memories that stick out to Josh occurred in the driveway, where he and his younger brother Tyler, a former starter on the W-H basketball team, who graduated in 2018, played against their youngest brother Ben, who is a senior on the Panthers now, and their father.

“I just remember how intense those games would be going down the stretch, being like 20-20 and the first to 21 wins,” Josh recalled. “Losing to my brother and my dad motivated me to work even harder.”

It’s what happened after the game when no one was watching that defines Josh’s work ethic.

“The next day, I’d be out working on the shot I missed in those games,” Josh said. “Those games were so valuable growing up. We all wanted to win so badly.”

Josh entered this season just 40 points away from the 1,000-point mark. His offseason was rigorous, but typical. 

“I would work out wherever I could,” Josh explained. “When Whitman-Hanson was open, I’d get in there when I could, I’d drive up some nights to ENC. I also work at the YMCA in Hanover, as a camp counselor, so I’d go early and get a workout in, and then after my shift was up I’d get shots up.”

His drive, determination, and prowess on the court are a few aspects of Josh that stick out to ENC head men’s basketball coach Scott Polsgrove. They explain why he’s a captain for the Lions.

“He’s a great leader for us,” Polsgrove said. “His teammates all know that he cares about them, and he’s a fun, loving, player who has an infectious attitude and energy about him that draws people to him. We rely on him heavily.”

While Josh finishes his ENC career, he’ll forever have a memory in the college both he and his father called home.

“I’ll be able to take my kids to an ENC game one day and say, ‘That’s your grandfather and that’s me,’” Josh said.

W-H football gobbled up by Abington

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Junior Nik Dolan. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team dropped its 109th Thanksgiving Day game with Abington, 27-14.

For Abington High football head coach Jim Kelilher, there is no bigger game than Thanksgiving.

This is his 52nd season as a part of the Green Wave’s Turkey Day game against Whitman-Hanson. The rivalry turned 109 this season.

So, despite punching their ticket to the Div. 7 Super Bowl, there was no way Kelliher was going to sit his starters, as some other Super Bowl-bound coaches did across the state. He had too much respect for the rivalry.

“It’s a football game and we play our starters each and every Friday or Saturday,” Kelliher said. “We weren’t going to do any different today. You’ll remember this one (game) the most.”

And the Green Wave’s starters shone. Senior captain Will Klein scored two of his three touchdowns in the second quarter to give the Green Wave a 14-0 lead en route to a 27-14 victory.

A 57-yard pitch and catch from Colby Augusta to Drew Donovan pushed the Abington (10-2) lead to 21-0 before the half. For a team that lost its starting quarterback in its first game of the season, the Panthers (2-10) proved to be scrappy, pulling within 21-7 right before halftime on a 60-yard touchdown run by Nik Dolan.

Klein was just too much, though, scoring his third touchdown of the game in the third, ballooning Abington’s advantage to 27-7. W-H countered late with a 40-yard strike from Andrew Cloutman to senior Colby Garden, but it wasn’t enough.

W-H still leads the all-time series with Abington, 60-46-3.

Season Review: Panther boys’ soccer team has a rebound year

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Brendan Nehiley battles for the ball during the Panthers’ game against Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers made the tournament for the second time in three years.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team set out to put a disappointing four-win campaign last fall behind it, and it did just that.

The Panthers went 10-8-2, earning a berth in the Div. 2 South tournament for the second time in three years. The Panthers, entered as the 11th seed, and fell to Bishop Feehan, 2-1, in the first round.

“This was a good year for us, and I am proud of the whole program because we seemed to have a lot of fun this season and we learned more as a result,” said third-year W-H head coach Dave Leahy.

The loss to the Shamrocks put a punctuation mark on the careers of Jason Brodeur and Stevie Kelly. Both were league all-stars and two-year captains.

A forward headed to Endicott College, Brodeur paced the Panthers with 17 goals.

“Jason came into this season having improved a great deal,” Leahy said. “He had a good overall season, but I think he started to play his best soccer toward the end of the season, and this is exactly what every leader should do. Jason grew as a leader and he was a great example for us all.”

Kelly, who was also a league all-star last season, anchored the defense and was tabbed to the EMass all-state team.

“He managed to improve even more this year,” Leahy said. “Halfway through the season, he really started to take on his leadership role and pushed his teammates to be their best, by being just a great example of how to work hard everyday, 24/7. Stevie showed this program what hard work can do for you.”

Another prime example of what hard work can do for you is senior goaltender Andrew Sullivan, who looked like a different player this past fall. He turned the goaltending position from an Achilles heel last autumn to a strength this season.  After a strong start to the year, Leahy couldn’t overlook what he was doing, so he made him a captain.

“Sully had one of the best turn around seasons I have been a part of coaching,” Leahy said. “He worked as hard as he could immediately following last year‘s season, all the way until last week. He gained confidence from this work and he became an outstanding example for his teammates and the whole program.”

The transfer back to W-H of juniors Joel Arsenault and Peyton Collins had an immense impact on the Panthers’ season as well. Arsenault had five goals and two assists, while Collins had four goals and a co-team-high seven assists, before his season was cut short due to an injury on Oct. 7 against Marshfield.

“Peyton didn‘t skip a beat, and he basically joined the coaching staff the rest of the way,” Leahy said. “What a great leader and future coach Peyton is.”

Leahy knew not having Collins on the field was going to challenge his team, which responded by winning its next game, 1-0, at Martha’s Vineyard.

“It was a character test for us and we came away with a victory and important belief,” Leahy said. “That allowed us to have success against Duxbury (2-0 win), Hingham (1-1 tie) and come very close to beating Bishop Feehan.”

With Arsenault and Collins, both of whom can play midfield and forward, headlining the returning players next fall, along with junior midfielder Brendan Nehiley (seven goals, seven assists) and sophomore center back Alex Chichlowski, Leahy is optimistic for what the future holds.

“The outlook of the program is to get back to the playoffs again next season,” said the coach. “Keep learning and keep getting better.”

Q&A with new W-H gymnastics coach Alison Vance

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The Whitman-Hanson Regional High gymnastics team has a new coach. Alison Vance will take over the reins of the team this winter.

The Express caught up with Vance to get her outlook on the state of the program and find out how she aims to build it up.

Q: For those who don’t know, what’s your connection to the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District?

A: “I have been a seventh grade math teacher for 16 years at Whitman Middle School.”

Q: What’s your background in gymnastics?

A: “I was a former competitive and high school gymnast. I coached recreational gymnastics for six years, and I was the coach of the Excel competition teams at Mass Gymnastics Center in Pembroke for the previous 13 years.”

Q: What makes this new role a good fit for you?

A: “I am finally at a place in my life where I can dedicate the amount of time needed to coach this program. I stepped down from coaching the Excel teams last June. My twin daughters are 10 and can understand why I might be out of the house several nights a week. My husband is super supportive and able to help bring our daughters to their various activities while I am coaching. I am ready to take on this new challenge.”

Q: What do you feel like you bring to this program?

A: “I bring a lot of gymnastics coaching experience to this program. I also bring a lot of experience with building strong and supportive relationships with my students/gymnasts.”

Q: Participation is obviously a concern in gymnastics. How do you hope to grow the sport at W-H?

A: “This is a relatively new program for W-H and we have struggled to get students to participate. We have sent emails, posted on social media, made announcements at school, etc. One of the challenges is that there are not any gymnastics studios in the two towns to recruit kids from. We have to spread the word to the several different gyms in the South Shore area. Also, not all gymnastics studios are supportive of their gymnasts participating in high school gymnastics, which is a real shame. We are hoping that more students will get involved now that I am able to spread the word at Whitman Middle School.

“I have several close colleagues at Hanson Middle School that I am hoping to spread the word for us as well. I am hopeful that girls with gymnastics, cheerleading, tumbling or dancing experience will see how our team is improving each year and want to join us next year.”

Q: What are your short-term goals for the program?

A: “With such a small and young team, I am hoping that this is a year for us to spread the word about the program and encourage other girls with gymnastics experience to get involved going forward. I am hopeful that they will see the progress we are making in our league and want to join us in the future. For this year, I am hoping the veteran girls improve upon their scores from last year. For the freshmen, I want to see them become familiar with the very different rules of high school gymnastics and get as much competition experience as possible.”

Q: Five years from now, where do you want this program to be?

A: “Five years from now I would like to see this team have as many members as some of the other south shore teams. I would like us to be competitive in our league and be able to bring some gymnasts to the state individuals. I plan on sticking around as the coach for a long time, so I am hoping that will help make a difference, too.”

Season Review: For cross country teams, it was a ‘memorable’ season

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There was no mincing words when head coach Steve George reflected on this past fall for both the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ and girls’ cross country teams.

“This has been my most memorable season thus far at Whitman-Hanson, and I can’t say enough about this great group of coaches and kids,” said the sixth-year head coach.

It began before the first meet.

“Starting this season with my coaching dream team of Steve Schlicting and Kim Coletti got things off on the right foot,” George said.

BOYS’ TEAM

Theo Kamperides leads the pack. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ team posted a 6-3 record — highlighted by wins over Plymouth South (25-34), Plymouth North (26-30) and Scituate (22-39) — during the dual-meet season, which was followed by a first-place finish at the Patriot League meet.

The leap of the junior Theo Kamperides to stardom and improvements from the rest of the Panthers’ pack were pivotal.

Kamperides posted a season to remember, culminating in a 66th-place (out of 181 runners) finish in the Div. 1 Championship meet. Kamperides finished in first place in all but one dual meet and was tabbed the Patriot League Keenan Division’s MVP.

“Theo had a remarkable season,” George said of Kamperides, who owns a personal best time of 15:50. “He is a hard-working, dedicated athlete and brings it every time out.”

Senior captains Brandon Hager and Adam Solari, junior Liam Cafferty and sophomore Nathan Tassey were also named league all-stars.

Hager had a personal best time of 16:45.

“When he arrived four years ago, his running mechanics were — by his own admission dismal,” George said. “Brandon worked on his form and worked hard. He perfected it over the past year and it has paid off.”

Tassey had a top time of 16:53 in his first season on the team.

“I am happy he chose cross country,” George said. “He is a gifted runner with an incredible attitude and a great sense of humor. He keeps us all laughing on the road. He has also remained healthy all season despite this being his first exposure to high mileage.”

Cafferty’s best time was 17:02.

“Liam, It didn‘t start off well for [him] with blistering that kept him out of action for a couple of weeks, but he turned it on when he got back,” George said. “Another kid with an outstanding attitude and dedication to the team. He has been a major contributor since his first day as a freshman.”

Solari, known more for his prowess on the ice, put together a productive campaign, finishing one second off of Cafferty’s time at 17:03.

“He has extraordinary leadership skills,” George said. “He has never let us down in any competition and always rises to the occasion at big meets. His incredible effort at the Patriot League meet put us over the top and he ran a great race at EMass.”

George said while he’s excited for the short-term future of the program, he has some concerns down the road.

“My philosophy has always been to encourage kids to participate in something, whether it be another sport or drama, band, robotics, anything; but be involved and take advantage of these opportunities,” he said. “I’ve got to somehow get the message out that running in general has a positive impact in every aspect of life. I‘ve experienced that on a personal and familial level and we are planning some projects to promote our sport and get more kids involved.”

GIRLS’ TEAM

Sophomore Myah Kamperides. / Photo by: Sue Moss

While the postseason success wasn’t there for the girls’ team, it exceeded George’s expectations, posting a 4-5 record for its best mark in four years.

“Going into the season, I anticipated a drop off from last year, but with the addition of Myah Kamperides and Bryn Miller, and an outstanding season from Anna Flynn, the ladies fared well overall,” George said.

Like her cousin, Myah, a sophomore, posted wins in seven of her eight dual meets en route to being named a league all-star, in her first year on the team after playing soccer as a freshman. Myah finished the season with a personal best time of 19:32.

“We thought Myah would be a major factor this year but had no way of knowing just how good she could be,” George said. “Myah exceeded expectations. Myah’s success came as a result of hard work, training with the boys’ squad several times per week and staying healthy throughout the season.”

Also an ex-soccer player, Miller, a junior, posted a top time of 21:11 in her first year on the team.

“Bryn is a bit of a worrier and that should ease as she gains confidence,” George said. “She has enormous potential, paired with a desire to improve. She doesn’t know how good she can be.”

Just a sophomore, Flynn ended the season with a personal best time of 21:19.

“Anna is probably our most fit athlete,” George said. “She works hard in the weight room and has increased her strength tremendously. She improved her time by over five minutes since last year and will drop a couple more before she’s through.”

Senior captain Tori Boss, senior Niki Kamperides, senior captain Tori Carleton and sophomore Sarah Boulger rounded out the Panthers’ top seven.

George said he’s already begun planning for next season.

“I’d love running at Martha‘s Vineyard in early September, but in retrospect our goals would have been better served had we run the Coaches Invitational in November and been more prepared for EMass,” he said. “We’ll be back, stronger and faster in 2020.”

Season Review: Girls’ volleyball soars under first-year head coach

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers made the tournament for the first time since 2016.

First-year head coach Samantha Richner and her Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball squad came into the fall on a mission. 

“The team and I set a goal at the beginning of the season, which was to make tournament,” Richner said. 

It was certainly an aggressive goal, considering the program hadn’t experienced a postseason berth since 2016 and graduated most of its starting unit from an eight-win 2018 campaign, to boot. But the Panthers knew what they were capable of, and they were right, punching their postseason ticket with five games to spare in the regular season with a 3-2 win over Plymouth North. 

W-H entered the Div. 1 South tournament seeded 11th, which meant a trip to Durfee to take on the seventh-seeded Hilltoppers in the first round. 

The Panthers rallied from one-set deficits twice, but were ultimately unable to put Durfee away in the fifth set, falling, 15-13. Richner’s had a simple message to her team, which finished the season 12-9, after the loss. 

“I basically said that no one’s head should be hung, and that they have so much to be proud of,” she recalled. “They truly played their hearts out, and it was an accomplishment just making it to tournament.”

Sophomore hitter Lily Welch (89 kills, 57 solo blocks, 13 block assists and five aces this season) nearly willed the Panthers to victory, posting a team-high five solo blocks and 19 kills, including a dominating stretch in the fourth set to rally the Panthers out of a hole.

“Lily is a phenomenal athlete, and she stepped up for us big that night,” Richner said. “I am so excited to be able to work with Lily these next two seasons, and to be able to watch her grow and develop as an athlete.”

In the back, senior captain and libero Maya Faich (244 digs and 19 aces this season) also put forth a valiant effort in the loss, notching 15 digs and three aces. Faich was named a league all-star and the team’s MVP.

“Maya is leaving huge shoes to fill,” said Richner, whose team began the season 9-4. “She is an amazing girl both on and off the court. I am not sure if we will be able to replace her anytime soon.”

Senior two-year captain and hitter Lexi Connolly (165 digs, 49 kills and 39 aces this season) is also leaving some pretty big shoes to fill. 

“Lexi was a great player to have on the court,” Richner said. “She played both front and back row, which was unique to our team.”

Senior setter Liv Martin (34 digs and 29 kills this season) is another two-year captain, who shouldered a big load this season. 

“Liv was an amazing player to have on the team,” Richner said. “Her dedication, motivation and attitude was something special.”

Sophomore hitter Abby Martin (94 kills and 40 solo blocks this season) and junior setter Sophia Berardinelli (248 assists, 22 aces and 14 kills this season) were also crucial to the Panthers’ success. 

“Abby was one of our strongest hitters; we are so fortunate to have her for another two years,” Richner said. “Sophia is an unbelievable setter, who can also play back row and hit; she is an unbelievable all-around player.”

And with those two, along with Welch, headlining the players set to return, Richner can’t help but be optimistic about the direction of the club. 

“The future of the program is looking bright,” said the coach. “We have a lot of strong players coming back, as well as potential talent from the JV and freshman teams.”