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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

George said the season offered its fair share of excitement.

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

Season Review: Boys’ cross country running toward bright future

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season Review: Golf team makes strides

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The golf team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playoff-bound Panthers: W-H football preps for North Attleboro on Friday

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The offensive line against Silver Lake. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The fifth-seeded W-H football team (5-2) will visit fourth-seeded North Attleboro (5-2) Friday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the Div. 3 South playoffs.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team will attempt to do something Friday it hasn’t done in 17 years. That’s win a playoff game.

It’s been since the 2001 Super Bowl that W-H has found itself on the winning end of a postseason tilt.

It there ever was an opportunity for the Panthers to halt that trend, it would appear this is the one. The senior-laden Panthers (5-2) earned the No. 5 seed in Div. 3 South, drawing No. 4 North Attleboro (5-2) in the process. The two will square off at 7 p.m. at North Attleboro on Friday.

The last meeting between the two teams was two years ago when the Red Rocketeers knocked the Panthers out in the first round, 33-8. Then-sophomores Mike Connors, Jacob Nixon, Ethan Phelps, Rian Schwede and Quinn Sweeney played pivotal roles on that 2016 Panthers team.

That unit then brought the Panthers back to the playoffs last season, where they were ousted in the first round by Stoughton, 30-21.

W-H head coach Mike Driscoll believes it’s time where all that experience pays off.

“I don’t think they’re going to be overwhelmed by the situation,” Driscoll said. “We’ve already played a game at North Attleboro, so that field doesn’t intimidate our kids. They know what to expect. We know when we play the Hockomock we’re going to have to strap it up, and we’re going to have to play a physical game so these kids know what it’s like.”

Driscoll said if he’s learned anything over the past three seasons, all of which featured first-round playoff exits, it’s to not blow the postseason out of proportion.

“We are going to treat it like any other game and prepare the same way we normally prepare as opposed to making a big deal about it,” the eight-year head coach said. “It’s a regular game for us right now. It’s our eighth game on the schedule. That’s the way we’ve approached every week and we’re going to continue the same approach.”

The Red Rocketeers are no stranger to the spotlight, having advanced all the way to the Div. 3 Super Bowl last season, falling just short to St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 35-33. North Attleboro, allowing just a tick under 14 points a game, owns signature victories over King Philip (14-7), Foxboro (34-0) and Canton (14-10); Bishop Feehan (23-19) and Stoughton (21-10) account for its two losses. Senior quarterback Nick Raneri (seven passing and four rushing TDs), senior running back Brendan McHugh (10 rushing TDs) and senior WR Ryan Gaumond (six receiving TDs) power North Attleboro on offense.

“They’re very similar to us,” Driscoll said. “They got a great kicker, they play great ‘D’ and they grind it out on offense.”

The Panthers, allowing just over 10 points a game, have held opponents to 13 points or less in all five of their wins. They’ve posted shutouts twice, including last week against Plymouth North in a 21-0 victory. The Eagles mustered up just 18 yards against the Panthers.

“It was a game where we had the same records (4-2) and we knew that they were physical and we wanted to be physical and we certainty dominated the line of scrimmage and dominated on defense,” Driscoll said.

With a victory Friday, W-H would face the winner of No. 8 Stoughton (3-4) at No. 1 Duxbury (7-0) in the semis.

“We feel like we got a pretty good team and we told the kids after the game the other day we feel like we can beat anybody right now, so whoever’s in our way, we’re going to give it our all,” Driscoll said.

Week 7 sees some conclusion of regular season play

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Week 7 saw the golf team wrap up its season, as football preps for the postseason.

Week 7 of the fall sports season is in the books. In the seven-day span, the golf team wrapped up its campaign, while the football team concluded its first part of the season.

Meanwhile:

Boys’ cross country (3-4) raced past Scituate, 21-40, Tuesday, Oct. 16. Sophomore Theo Kamperides led the way for W-H, which placed eight of the top 10 runners, with a first-place finish at 17:44. Junior Brandon Hager finished second with a time of 17:48.

Girls’ cross country (3-4) also defeated Scituate, 18-44. Leading the pack for W-H, which placed six of the top seven runners, was junior Tori Boss, whose 21:28 time was good for first overall. Senior captain Maeve McDonough posted a 21:47, good enough for second.

Field hockey (2-8-6) opened the week with a 3-0 setback to Plymouth South. … On Wednesday, the Panthers fell to Plymouth North, 5-0. … W-H capped the three-game week with a 2-0 loss to Duxbury on Friday.

Football (5-2) blanked Plymouth North, 21-0, Friday, Oct. 19. Senior captain Ethan Phelps (17 carries for 124 yards) sparked the Panthers with three touchdowns of 19, 25 and 41 yards.

Golf (6-11) dropped a 229-248 decision to Hingham on Monday, Oct. 15. Senior captain Owen Manning shot a 4-over par 39 and classmate Pat Dever carded a 5-over. … The following day, W-H fell to Marshfield, 256280. Junior Matt Korzec contributed a 6-over par. … On Wednesday, in a tri-match, the Panthers edged Pembroke (260-261) but fell to East Bridgewater (255-260). … Brian Dempsey’s club, playing for the fourth straight day, wrapped up the season with a 229-256 loss to Hingham on Thursday. Manning shot a 4-over par 41, while sophomore Graham Stewart shot a 5-over par.

Boys’ soccer (3-12-1), despite goals from senior Nolan Clack, junior captain Jason Brodeur and sophomore Brendan Nehiley, lost to Duxbury by the final score of 7-3 on Tuesday, Oct. 16. …… On Thursday, Dave Leahy’s team was shut out 4-0 by league power Silver Lake. … … W-H fell to Duxbury, 2-1, Saturday. Clack scored the goal.

Girls’ soccer (10-1-3) tied Duxbury, 1-1, Tuesday, Oct. 16. Senior captain Sammy Smith had the W-H tally. …… On Thursday, the Panthers nipped Silver Lake, 2-1. The Panthers struck first just five minutes in on a goal from junior Riley Bina. Knotted at 1 late, junior Erin Wood scored the winner. …. On Saturday, freshman Kelsee Wozniak netted two goals as the Panthers rolled to a 5-1 victory over Rockland. Also scoring for the Panthers were Bina, sophomore Emily Blake and junior Zoe Cox.

Girls’ volleyball (5-10) topped Silver Lake, 3-1, Monday Oct. 15. After dropping the first set 27-25, the Panthers claimed the next three by scores of 25-19, 25-19 and 25-18. Senior Allison Hanlon led the way with 15 kills. …… On Wednesday, Ashley Balbian’s club was swept by Hingham, 3-0. The set scores were 2510, 25-14 and 25-16. Hanlon registered five kills in the loss. …… On Friday, W-H found itself up 2-1 but was unable to close the deal and fell to Marshfield, 3-2. The set scores were 25-20 (W-H), 25-20 (M), 25-19 (WH), 25-23 (M) and 15-10 (M). Senior Erin Leahy had nine kills, Hanlon had seven and junior Ella Sweeney racked up six.

Plays like team spirit: Rian Schwede’s versatility, unselfishness shining for W-H

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Schwede against Duxbury. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Senior captain Rian Schwede has done anything asked of him, and is flourshing in that role.

The general consensus about Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior Rian Schwede is simply stated: He’s as unselfish a player as you can ask for.

His talent blends quite well with his unselfish manner, too, and it hasn’t been more evident than over the last two weeks.

Due to an unforeseen change at quarterback early in the season, the Panthers needed a boost under center, and Schwede, who was on the receiving end of 19 passes for 300 yards and two TDs last season, stepped right in and is now sharing snaps with junior John Zeidan.

Quarterback isn’t completely foreign to Schwede, as he played it throughout youth football, but it’s never easy to accept a position change, albeit a partial one.

“I always love my receiver spot, but it was like second nature when coach told me [to play quarterback],” Schwede said.

But Schwede, who stands at 6-foot-3, isn’t just playing quarterback. He has also been been split out wide and lined up in the backfield, along with starting in the defensive backfield and on special teams and flourishing while doing so.

Over the past two weeks, Schwede’s posted five touchdowns and a two-point conversion rush, while recording an interception.

On some occasions — as in two games ago against Quincy — Schwede will see action at receiver, running back, quarterback, defensive back and placeholder all within the span of a quarter.

Senior kicker Jake O’Brien’s said Schwede’s unselfish attitude is nothing new.

“Since youth football, Rian has played a ton of different positions,” O’Brien said. “He will do anything to help the team be more successful. Rian definitely embodies the unselfish attitude that every football player should strive to have.”

Against the Presidents — a 39-0 shutout victory — Schwede found himself on the receiving end of a 30-yard TD from Zeidan, tossed an 11-yard score to classmate Jacob Nixon and rushed for a 2-yard TD.

The offensive outburst came after the Panthers were held to two touchdowns or less their previous three games.

“Rian has always been one of the leaders, that’s why he’s one of our captains,” W-H football head coach Mike Driscoll said. “He’s doing what Rian does. He’ll do whatever we ask him to do.”

Against Silver Lake last week — a 29-6 victory on senior night – Schwede fired a 57-yard TD to Nixon on a fleaflicker to open the scoring just 16 seconds in. Then, in a 2:06-span in the fourth quarter, he converted a key two-point conversion run to put the Panthers up by two-plus scores, came down with an interception and tossed a 76-yard TD to classmate Ryan Downing.

“Rian’s stepped into that role and he’s flourishing in it,” Driscoll said. “We know he’s got a cannon, and Rian’s done a great job for us.”

Schwede said the biggest adjustment has been studying all of the pages of the Panthers playbook rather than a few.

“The practices, they’ve just been kind of getting to know the whole entire offense, all the runs,” he said. “I was pretty down with all the pass routes and plays, but a majority of the runs I’ve started to learn.”

It’s on to Plymouth North (4-2, 2-2) for Schwede and the Panthers for a key, in terms of potentially hosting a playoff game, Patriot League Keenan Division battle.

“We got to have a real good week of practice and preparation and that’ll be it,” Schwede said.

Week 6 on books

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Girls’ soccer is headed back to the tournament for the 18th straight season.

Week 6 certainly had its high points at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, especially on the pitch as the girls’ soccer team punched its 18th straight trip to the state tournament.

Boys’ cross country (2-4) raced to a 24-37 victory over Silver Lake on Wednesday, Oct. 10. Sophomore Theo Kamperides finished second with a time of 18:05 and junior Brandon Hager finished fourth at 18:35.

Girls’ cross country (2-4) placed six of the top seven runners en route to a 20-43 victory over Silver Lake, Wednesday, Oct. 10. Junior Tori Boss (22:08) finished second, junior Niki Kamperides (22:12) finished third and senior captain Maeve Rooney (22:59) placed fourth.

Field hockey (2-5-6) played to a tie for its fourth game in a row, this time against Hanover, 2-2, Tuesday, Oct. 9. Sophomore Delanie MacDonald and junior Robin Goyette had the goals.

Football (4-2) downed Silver Lake, 29-6, on senior night Friday, Oct. 12. Senior captain Rian Schwede was 7 of 12 in the air for 158 yards and two scores, fellow senior captain Ethan Phelps contributed 10 rushes for 64 yards and a TD and classmate Nate Beath added eight carries for 56 yards and a TD.

Golf (5-6) fell to Duxbury, 242-272, to open the week Tuesday, Oct. 9. Senior captain Owen Manning led the way with a 5-over par 41…. The next day, Brian Dempsey’s club fell to Silver Lake, 242254. Manning led the way once again with a 5-over par.

Boys’ soccer (3-9-1) fell to Quincy, 3-1, Monday, Oct. 8. Senior Nolan Clack had the W-H goal. … Two days later, W-H, despite two goals from Clack, fell to Scituate, 5-2. … On Friday, the Panthers were blanked 3-0 by Plymouth North.

Girls’ soccer (8-1-2) topped Scituate, 1-0, Wednesday, Oct. 10. Freshman Kelsee Wozniak netted the winner off a feed from junior Delaney Hall. … On Friday, W-H qualified for the playoffs with a 3-0 shutout over Plymouth North. Junior Riley Bina scored the first goals, freshman Nora Manning had the second and Hall’s foot accounted for the third. Senior captain Skylar Kuzmich and sophomore Reese Codero combined for the shutout.

Girls’ volleyball (4-8) swept Plymouth North, 3-0, Tuesday, Oct. 9. The set scores were: 25-17, 26-24 and 25-20. Senior captain Nicole Scott registered 16 digs in the win. … On Thursday W-H suffered a 3-1 setback to Duxbury. After winning the first set 25-20, the Panthers dropped the next three by scores of 25-15, 2515 and 25-17. Senior Kylie Gervasio recorded 23 assists in the losing effort.

Gervasio settles into setter role

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Gervasio (front) during a Sept. 14 match with junior captain Olivia Martin peeking over her shoulder. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Kylie Gervasio has found her own on the court and in the school since joining the girls’ volleyball team.

Coming into the season, Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball head coach Ashley Balbian had a question mark penciled in for a key position — setter.

Little did she know that area of concern would be shored up by someone who last played competitively over 2,600 miles away in senior Kylie Gervasio.

Gervasio and her family moved from Whitman to Arizona when she was 10, only to return at the beginning of last year’s school year. Unfortunately for her, their move back occurred after tryouts so she missed the season.

For Gervasio, who played the sport throughout middle school and high school, not competing in nearly two years was tough, but when the season inched closer, she made sure to sharpen her skills.

“When I knew tryouts were coming up, I went out to the beach and volleyball courts with my best friend Jennifer and we practiced because she’s also a volleyball player and she helped me get back into it,” Gervasio said.

Balbian said Gervasio’s positive energy at tryouts caught her eye immediately and blended in with the rest of her returners.

“Even if she shanks a ball she’s still got a smile on her face,” Balbian said. “So right away I was like ‘I know I want her on my team.’”

That positive energy Gervasio and her Panthers teammates convey has made her joining the roster, which consists mostly of girls she had never met prior to tryouts, a seamless transition she said.

“Everybody here is so helpful and sweet,” said Gervasio, who has accumulated 93 assists in 24 sets. “Everyone is so cheerful and excited to play and always pumped up going to games. They made coming on to the team not feel weird.” 

Joining the volleyball team has just provided it with a boost, but its benefited her as well.

“Being new and everything last year, I had trouble making friends,” Gervasio said. “Being on the volleyball team and everything, I’ve never felt more enjoyment in going to school.”

Balbian said the Panthers’ 3-2 victory over Hanover on Sept. 17 (14 assists) and their 3-1 loss to Hingham on Sept. 28 (15 assists) stick out among many strong efforts put forth by Gervasio. Balbian said she expects to see much of the same production from her senior as the season wears on.

“She’s really been a game-changer for us,” Balbian said. “I knew I had one setter coming into the season. I wasn’t sure who was going to be my backup setter so she came in as the backup and now is the starter. I think she really had taken on that leadership role the more comfortable she gets.”

A look back at Week 5

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Week 5 is in the books.

Football and girls’ volleyball both got back into the win column in Week 5, while field hockey continued to play to ties.

Boys’ cross country (1-4) dropped its race to Hingham, 21-40, Tuesday, Oct. 2. Sophomore Theo Kamperides and junior Brandon Hager finished 3-4 for the Panthers.

Girls’ cross country (1-4) also suffered a setback to Hingham, 16-45, Tuesday,Oct. 2. Junior Tori Boss paced W-H with a fifth-place finish at21:37.

Field hockey (2-5-5) opened its week with a 1-1 tie against West Bridgewater on Monday, Oct. 1. Sophomore Delanie MacDonald scored the equalizer late. … On Tuesday, W-H tied Marshfield, 2-2. Trailing 2-0 in the second half, junior Robin Goyette pulled W-H within one, before MacDonald scored the equalizer for the second straight day. … On Thursday, it was the same story, but a different game for the Panthers, who found themselves in a 2-0. Halfway through the second, freshman Lauren Dunn made it 2-1, and then sophomore Lauren Clark drew them even at 2-2 five minutes later.

Football (3-2) picked up a 39-0 shutout win over Quincy on Friday, Oct. 5. Senior captain Rian Schwede caught (30 yards from junior John Zeidan), threw (12 yards to senior captain Jacob Nixon) and rushed (2 yards) for touchdowns. Seniors Nate Beath (2yard rush), Billy Martell (7yard rush) and Ethan Phelps (18-yard rush) also had scores.

Golf (5-4) dropped its Monday, Oct. 1 match to Hanover, 266-276. Senior captain Owen Manning paced the Panthers with an 8-over par 43. … On Wednesday, Brian Dempsey’s club, despite receiving a 5-over par 42 from Manning, fell to Scituate, 267-281. … W-H wrapped up the week with a 250-267 loss to Plymouth North on Friday. Manning shot a 6-over par.

Boys’ soccer (3-6-1) fell to Hingham, 1-0, Monday, Oct. 1. … On Wednesday, the Panthers fell to Quincy, 2-1, on a Presidents goal in the 79th minute. Sophomore Dalton Desrocher had the lone Panther goal. … On Friday, W-H was shutout by Weymouth by a 5-0final.

Girls’ soccer (6-1-2) tied Hingham, 0-0, Monday, Oct. 1. Senior captain Skylar Kuzmich turned away nine shots for the shutout. … The Panthers rebounded for a 5-0 win over Quincy on Wednesday. Freshman Nora Manning scored twice, while senior captain Sammy Smith, sophomore Anna Sullivan and freshman Olivia Borgen added single tallies. … Dave Floeck’s team dropped its first game of the season Friday, 2-0 to Weymouth.

Girls’ volleyball (3-7) was clipped by Pembroke, 3-2, Tuesday, Oct. 2. After winning the first set 25-22, the Panthers dropped the next two by scores of 26-24 and 25-20. W-H rebounded to triumph in the fourth set 25-23 but ran out of steam late and fell in the deciding set 15-13. Senior Kylie Gervasio had 24 assists and classmate Erin Leahy added 15 kills. … On Friday, the Panthers dropped the first set (2-519) but snatched the next three (25-17, 25-15 and 26-24) to best Scituate, 3-1. Sophomore Caileen Hurley had 12 assists and senior Allison Halon totaled eight kills.

Panthers shut out Presidents

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Panthers moved to 3-2 and 1-2 in the Patriot League with their first shutout since 2016 (41-0 vs. Quincy).

Whitman-Hanson Regional High football head coach Mike Driscoll couldn’t have asked for much more out of his team than he received Friday evening.

The Panthers stymied the Presidents offense, forcing them into five turnovers, while giving their defense headaches courtesy of six touchdowns in a dominating 39-0 Patriot League Keenan Division victory at Dennis M. O’Brien Field to snap a two-game losing streak.

“It was pretty good,” Driscoll said of the win. “They worked hard this week and really focused and it all paid off right there.”

W-H (3-2, 1-2) poured in its first 19 points while having the ball for all of 4:30.

Senior captain Rian Schwede shined for W-H receiving (30 yards), passing (11 yards) and rushing for (2 yards) TDs in the rout.

“It’s pretty cool,” Driscoll said of Schwede’s three-TD night. “We did a little experimenting with it. We tried it today and it (Schwede’s versatility) makes us a better team.”

It took the Panthers all of 52 seconds to find pay dirt when senior captain Ethan Phelps (8 carries for 92 yards) took the second play from scrimmage 18 yards for a score.

“Ethan ran great tonight,” Driscoll said. “He had an amazing night. If he can run like that, we’re in good shape.”

The ensuing Quincy (1-4, 1-3) possession was halted when Panthers junior Joe McStravick picked up a fumble to give them possession at the Presidents 40. Two plays later, junior signal-caller John Zeidan connected with Schwede on a 30-yard TD.

On the next Presidents drive, it was Panthers senior Nate Beath wreaking havoc in the backfield. After back-to-back tackles for loss, Beath scooped up a fumble recovery at the Quincy 11 to give W-H prime field position.

“Nate is an amazing athlete,” Driscoll said. “He does anything you ask him to do, so that helps. He’s just a super star when it comes to wanting to do whatever. Most kids wouldn’t want to play the nose, but he’s never questioned it.”

Schwede made sure to capitalize on the opportunity by hitting senior captain Jacob Nixon for an 11-yard score to push the Panthers ahead 19-0 with 10:50 remaining in the second quarter.

A 2-yard TD score from Beath with 2:43 remaining in the first half made it 26-0.

Third-quarter rushing scores from senior Billy Martell (7 yards) and Schwede capped the scoring at 39.

W-H is back in action Friday, Oct. 12 at home for senior night at 7 p.m. against league rival Silver Lake (1-4, 1-3).

“We got to carry this momentum into Silver Lake next week,” Driscoll said. “They’ll be excited, the parents will be excited, but we’ll take it one step at a time. But for now, this one feels pretty good.”