Whitman-Hanson Express

You are here: Home / Archives for Sports

Pinning down success: Freshman Goldsmith-Greene impressing on the mats

By

Damari Goldsmith-Greene wrestles his Plymouth South opponent in his 9-5 win Jan. 3. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Freshman Damari Goldsmith-Greene is impressing on the mats this winter.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High freshman wrestler Damari Goldsmith-Greene has been turning some heads with his play on the mat this season.

It was on brisk Wednesday, Jan. 3 evening when W-H hosted and was soundly defeated by Plymouth South, 69-3.

W-H’s lone win of the match came at 132 pounds, courtesy of Goldsmith-Greene, who downed his opposition, 9-5.

It was already the third victory of the winter for Goldsmith-Greene, and while he may be in ninth grade, he is vastly ahead of the game.

Goldsmith-Greene began his career on the mat in sixth grade as a member of Josiah Quincy Upper School’s wrestling team, where he competed for three seasons, before moving at the outset of the 2017-18 school year, which led to him attending W-H.

“I came in not knowing anything and then in seventh and eighth grade it was more of like a learning thing for me,” he said. “Then, when I got here it was kind of different because we all wrestle different, but I knew I just had to work hard and just keep it up.”

W-H wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz said he knew from day one he had something special in Goldsmith- Greene. “He had great takedowns, but his top and bottom is what really needs the work, so he has a lot to learn, he’s a freshman, but he’s willing to learn – he’s going to go very far,” Rabinovitz explained. “He’s come with a lot of experience behind him and pure talent, I think he’s going to be really good over the next three years.”

Not only has Goldsmith-Greene enhanced his own skills, but he’s improved others around him as well.

“Actually, Ben Cordingley at 138 [pounds], they both weighed in at 132 and he has made Ben a better wrestler,” Rabinovitz said. “Damari showed up on the scene and pushed him and actually won the spot at 132 and they’re going to wrestle off one more time before sectionals, so the things that he’s brought to the team are incredible. He really works very hard, very coachable and just a great overall kid.”

Goldsmith-Greene said the biggest hurdle he’s had to overcome since joining the W-H program is just adapting to the system.

“Learning the new moves that they learn,” Goldsmith-Greene said of his toughest challenge since joining the team. “Everyone wrestles differently, that’s basically it, learning new moves.”

In the Panthers’ Jan. 10 meet against Duxbury, Goldsmith-Greene scored another 9-5 victory to help the team edge the Dragons, 45-36. Three days later, he medaled at the 2018 Weymouth Invitational with a sixth-place finish at 132 pounds.

“I just want to work harder and make it to sectionals and states,” Goldsmith-Greene said.

Rabinovitz is looking for the same thing out of Goldsmith-Greene.

“The key is to place in sectionals, go to states, especially as a freshman,” Rabinovitz explained. “Then at every tournament next year he’ll have what’s called paper, so he’ll be at least seeded at every tournament next year, so we’re really looking for him to be in the top-four in sectionals and go to states as a freshman.”

Holland commits to Trinity College

By

Rilley Holland (center) readies to snap the ball during the Panthers’ game against Barnstable. / Photo by: Sue Moss

During Riley Holland’s four seasons on the offensive line, the Panthers’ rushing attack saw an immense amount of success — accumulating 9,339 yards and 102 touchdowns.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior Riley Holland has committed to play football at Trinity College.

“I looked at what school is going to give me the best chance to get a good degree, mixed with the best chance to play high-competitive football and Trinity fit both perfectly for me,” Holland said.

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Holland was a four-year starter on W-H’s offensive line. He spent his first two seasons at left tackle, before shifting over to center, where he was tabbed a two-time Enterprise All-Scholastic. This past Thanksgiving, Holland set a school record with his 44th consecutive start.

During his four seasons on the offensive line, the Panthers’ rushing attack saw an immense amount of success — accumulating 9,339 yards and 102 touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, Holland, who manned a post on the defensive line since his sophomore campaign, totaled 144 tackles and 4.0 sacks over his high school career. Holland, a captain this past season, is also a two-time Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star on the gridiron.

W-H football head coach Mike Driscoll, who just concluded his seventh season at the helm of the program, said Holland is the best all-around lineman he has ever coached.

“Riley brought a toughness to the offensive line and an overall understanding of the scheme [which] was huge on game days,” Driscoll said. “Riley will get to work right away for Trinity and it will not surprise me if he starts next year, he will help them big time.”

At Trinity, Holland will be reunited with former W-H trench-mate Matt Evans, whom he spent two years with on the Panthers’ offensive line.

“Knowing someone there and being able to talk to him about the school and the chances you get was definitely something that I enjoyed throughout the process,” Holland said.

Holland said his best moment playing for W-H, which boasted a 25-19 record during his time there, was on Thanksgiving of his junior season, when the Panthers came roaring back from a three-touchdown deficit to defeat Abington, 29-28.

“Being down 21-0 and coming back to win that game, that was huge,” Holland said.

Trinity, which competes in the New England Small College Athletic Conference of NCAA Division III, finished 8-1 last season.

“I just want to go into camp next summer and compete as early as I can,” Holland said.

Scoreboard debut

By

Freshman Emily McDonald has been logging significant minutes at forward for the Panthers, and Sunday evening at Hobomock Arenas, she collected her first career varsity goal.

PEMBROKE — With a rash of offensive production gone from last season, opportunities have arisen for many younger players on the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey team.

One of those younger players getting the chance to shine is Emily McDonald, a freshman from Whitman. McDonald has been logging significant minutes at forward for the Panthers, and Sunday evening at Hobomock Arenas, she collected her first career varsity goal. 

Whitman freshman Emily McDonald netted first career varsity goal in WHSL’s loss to LaSalle Academy/Moses Brown Sunday, Jan. 7. / Photo by: Sue Moss

With 6:41 remaining in the third period, McDonald, from inside the blue line, blasted a shot on the La Salle Academy/Moses Brown goalie Asia Porter, and it found the back of the net.

“[It felt] good,” McDonald said of her goal.

WHSL head coach Kevin Marani said McDonald had been snakebitten a bit this season – hitting the post on a few chances in a pair of prior games – so he was happy to see her have something to show for her savvy play.

“She’s a smart, smart player,” Marani said. “She’s a good kid, tries hard. It was nice to see her finally break the ice.”

McDonald’s tally was one of three WHSL (0-7) goals in an 8-3 loss to La Salle Academy/Moses Brown (10-0-1).

The first came just 52 seconds into the contest when sophomore defenseman Natalie Nemes (Kingston) worked her way up the boards, to left circle and flicked a shot that beat Porter right over her left shoulder, making it 1-0.

The advantage was WHSL’s first all season.

“It was a nice celebration,” Marani said. “We needed a lead, we deserve it, we work hard.”

Unfortunately for WHSL, it would not last as LA/MB knotted the score at 1-1 with 7:11 remaining in the first period when Alexa Morra blasted a wrist shot past freshman goalie Kat Gilbert (Halifax).

Less than a minute later, LA/MB went ahead 2-1 and that’s where it stood after the opening frame.

The second stanza is where the contest would get away from the Panthers as 41 seconds into it, the visitors pushed ahead 3-1 when Grayson Goolgasian found twine. Tallies by Samantha Marsh and Jennifer Rickard gave LA/MB a four-goal cushion through two periods.

With 6:41 remaining in the final stanza, McDonald’s tally drew WHSL within 6-2.

After another LA/MB goal, WHSL’s Meagan Elwood (Kingston) found the back of the net with 2:31 left, making it 7-3.

However, it took LA/MB 14 seconds to respond as it made it 8-3 and that’s where it would stand.

WHSL will be back on the ice Saturday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. against Haverhill/Pentucket/ North Andover at The Bog Ice Arena in Kingston.

“I think we’re getting it,” WHSL head coach Kevin Marani said. “We had a bunch of breakdowns. They’re trying hard. Today was a good game, they played hard.”

A win for Lori: Panthers erupt for five goals in third period to win one for Sawtelle

By

WINNING FOR LORI: The W-H Panthers wore specially designed memorial jerseys for the Saturday, Jan. 6 Lori Sawtelle Memorial Game. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team played with heavy hearts Saturday.

ROCKLAND – Saturday evening was Lori Sawtelle Night as the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team honored the late mother of its captain, Ryan Sawtelle.

The team broke out its black jerseys and donned an oval “LS” decal on the top right shoulder, all of which were part of the tribute to Lori, who lost her battle with cancer last March. After a brief pre-game announcement to remember Lori while showing support to her family, the puck was set to drop.

On the ice, the Panthers weren’t about to be denied — not on Lori’s night — as they rallied behind their captain and his family for an emotional 6-1 victory over Plymouth North at Rockland Ice Rink.

“We definitely knew what we were playing for tonight and this whole season, too, so it meant a lot,” Sawtelle said.

When W-H (4-3-1, 1-2-1 Patriot League) took the ice for the third period with the score reading 1-1, the feeling in the rink was palpable — it was going to get the job done.

With roughly nine minutes remaining, senior assistant captain Korey Howard (one goal and two assists) made sure that happened by blasting a wrist shot past Plymouth North (3-3-2, 2-1-1) goalie Chris Kearney to push the Panthers in front 2-1.

“We did it,” Howard said of his initial thought after the goal.

Nearly a minute later, with 8:22 remaining, freshman Kevin Willis poked one home, pushing W-H’s lead to 3-1.

Senior assistant captain Alex Uva enhanced W-H’s advantage to 4-1 with 6:39 left, potting one past Kearney.

“It was awesome,” Uva, who said this was the most packed he’s seen the Rockland Ice Rink, explained. “The atmosphere tonight was great and getting that goal in front of all these fans and for Ryan and his family was awesome.”

The Panthers’ offensive onslaught continued as tallies by junior Owen Manning and sophomore Ed Collins capped a five-goal period.

After falling behind 1-0, W-H drew even at the 8:05 mark of the second period as a blast by Sawtelle caused a pair of rebounds, one of which was slapped in by sophomore Chris Stoddard.

“I knew that I wanted to come out strong and show everyone who we are and what we’re going to do tonight,” Sawtelle, who finished the night with three assists, said.

Uva, who ended the contest with a goal and three assists, said his mindset coming into this one was a simple one.

“Get the win for Lori, she was a great person and I’d do anything for the Sawtelle family,” he said.

Sawtelle said the outpouring of support he received from his teammates, coaches and community meant a lot.

“It shows who’s there for me, definitely a lot of support for me and helped me play through this game,” Sawtelle said

The victory also snapped a two-game Panthers losing streak, to boot.

W-H returns to action Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. against Abington at Rockland Ice Rink.

Erin Leahy back on the court

By

Screen Shot 2018-01-11 at 11.21.42 AM

Team quad-captain Erin Leahy (34) is making an impressive comeback from a serious knee injury last year. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball junior captain Erin Leahy has battled back from a torn ACL to be ready for the opener.

Sometimes, amid winning, the adversity overcome to get there can be forgotten.

Last February, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team, which was one win away from making the tournament at the time, hosted Pembroke. W-H was on fire in the early going, up 10-0, with six of those points coming from then-sophomore point guard Erin Leahy.

“In my head, I was thinking she was going to have a career night,” head coach Jenna Olem said as she reflected on the game.

But, things took a turn for the worse for Leahy. After snatching a steal, off the Panthers’ press, Leahy jump cut and went up for a routine layup, but her return down was anything but routine, as she hit the floor awkwardly and immediately went down in pain.

“I knew that something went wrong because I heard it pop,” Leahy said as she reflected on the injury. “I was so scared.”

Olem said the team was in a state of shock when Leahy, who has been struggling with knee problems for a while, went down, but it had to keep pushing forward, even if it was going to be without its floor general.

“When it actually happened, everyone was so focused on winning that clincher that we had to move on quickly and focus on the task at hand,” Olem recalled.

Leahy, with the help of the trainer, made it off the court and headed into the trainer’s office, where she was given ice and crutches, before returning to the sidelines. It was there where she watched her team finish off Pembroke, 63-32, securing its first tournament berth since the 2013-14 season.

With the team and Leahy holding out hope it wasn’t serious, she headed for an MRI a few days later, and the results: a torn left ACL, sidelining her for the rest of the season.

Classmate, friend since kindergarten and familiar face on the basketball court since third grade, Kathryn Dunn, said the news was devastating.     

“I was crushed because that meant I couldn’t play with my partner in crime, as coach [Paul] Carroll has called us since freshman year,” Dunn said.

Leahy, despite the injury, never missed a game or practice, but she knew being stuck on the sidelines wasn’t where she belonged.

“It just upset me so much that I knew I wanted to get back so much sooner than I was predicted,” Leahy said.

Eleven days after season’s end, Leahy underwent surgery.

“They said the earliest I’d come back was nine months, but since everything happened the way that it did, they were thinking a year, so that’s what they put in my head,” she said.

Within a few weeks, Leahy, with that one-year timeline in the back of her mind, began physical therapy, working on her hamstrings and building up strength in her leg.

“I continued it for about six months and it was two days a week for like an hour and a half,” Leahy said.

“So, going to [physical therapy] I worked so hard and I put a lot of time and effort into getting back and I did a lot of the exercises at my house. So, it was really just beating the odds of what they thought I was going to.”

Although Leahy, was kept off the court, there was no keeping her away from the game of basketball and over the summer and fall, she coached the Panthers’ league teams. She said it allowed her to see basketball from a new viewpoint, albeit one she didn’t expect to have an angle from so soon.

“It was cool to see like a coach’s perspective and when playing, I now have a whole new perspective on the game,” Leahy explained.

When Nov. 27 tryouts rolled around, Leahy was ready to go, nearly eight months after surgery. Olem, who said she talked with her frequently over the offseason, said she felt a sense of joy and relief to see Leahy back out there.

“She is a kid that takes no days off,” Olem said. “I was honestly skeptical about having her back right from the get-go, but she cleared all the benchmarks with the doctor and physical therapist and was ready and willing to go full speed since the start of tryouts.”

Leahy said some of the best words of advice she received during the lenghty recovery process actually came from her brother, Sean, who suffered the same injury two years prior.

“He kind of just said that he knows how tough it is, but time can really only heal it and work as hard as I could with [physical therapy],” she said. “It was basically what I had to do with myself and he kind of showed me that with his injury.”

Since returning to action, Leahy, now a junior captain, is a major reason the girls’ basketball team, which sits at 7-1 and is on pace for its best campaign in eight seasons, is enduring such immense success.

“Having her back on the court this year shows that she was the missing link as we made our way towards the tournament without her,” Olem said. “She is so strong and athletic and can do so many different things on the court that it makes us as a team deeper and more versatile.

“Erin continues to grow as a leader and is becoming better every practice and every game. During the first game of the season, we lost Halle [Julian] and Kathryn to injuries. Erin was able to stay calm and even keeled, and the younger kids were able to really look up to her and she was able to hit clutch three in overtime.”

Dunn, who is also a junior captain, echoed Olem’s sentiment.

“Having Erin back this year changes the dynamic of the team because she is a versatile player who can play all positions from point guard to center,” Dunn said. “Her ability to play many positions makes us more flexible as a team.”

The Panthers recently wrapped up a trip to Fort Myers, Florida to compete in a three-game Queen of Palms Tournament. W-H went 3-0 and captured the Emerald Division title and Leahy was tapped to the all-tournament team.

“Now, I just tell her to be honest with me,” Olem said. “If she is sore or feels a tweak she needs to rest, get ice, etc. Besides playing positions one through five for us all year, she is inching towards where she was pre-injury and will end up being better than she was before the injury, but we keep reminding her that she cannot get it all back at once and needs to be patient as she has not played at all over the course of her nine-month long recovery.”

Leahy said the biggest adjustment since returning has been just how different her leg is now, but it’s not a challenge she has to go through alone.

“It’s hard to play like I did before the surgery, but having my team behind my back and everything and, my coaches and they were being so supportive, just makes it a lot easier knowing they understand where I’m at,” she said.

Whether watching Leahy battle for boards, crash the floor in pursuit of a loose ball or slide into the lane for an easy two, know she doesn’t take the game of basketball as a given, not after what went through.

“I don’t really take it for granted anymore because it was taken away from me for so long,” Leahy said. “It’s nice to get back and the fundamentals that I had to start over with again just really made me a stronger player.”

Season Preview: Gymnastics team hits all the marks

By

In its first meet of the season on Dec. 19 against Hingham, Marshfield and Pembroke/Silver Lake, W-H was out-numbered by anywhere from eight to nearly 20 girls per team. On the bars and vault, the Panthers only put up five participants out of a possible six, however that didn’t faze them at all, as they ended the night with a meet-high score of 125.1.

Although it may be small in numbers, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High gymnastics team, which is in its second year, has abundant talent in the areas that matter.

In its first meet of the season on Dec. 19 against Hingham, Marshfield and Pembroke/Silver Lake, W-H was out-numbered by anywhere from eight to nearly 20 girls per team. On the bars and vault, the Panthers only put up five participants out of a possible six, however that didn’t faze them at all, as they ended the night with a meet-high score of 125.1.

The performance gave W-H its first three wins of the season, after finishing last winter at 3-11. Second-year head coach Rachel Sferruzza said it’s certainly a balancing act at times deciding who to send out there, but it doesn’t hinder her team as much as one might think, in fact, it works in its favor more times than not.

“It does help play to advantages where everyone feels included,” Sferruzza said. “I can get everyone up on an event, I can switch some people in and out. We do have enough people where we can switch a few in and out this year, which we didn’t have a lot of that flexibility last year, but in a way, I think it helps. No one is fighting for a spot, everyone is gonna have a spot, so in that way it’s great it keeps a nice even keel, but in other ways it can stress things out because you have to be good, you have to get your routine, you feel like you you’re being depended on.”

While the number of participants, which is up slightly from last season, is out of the club’s control, Sferruzza, who was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for 201617, said she believes one of her team’s biggest strengths is something it does have say over – its attitude.

“What I think helps the growth is that the team is a bunch of really positive, good girls,” Sferruzza said. “It doesn’t have to be girls, it could be guys too, but everyone is really positive and everyone really cheers for each other and they want each other to do well. It’s a very welcoming program and everyone is very approachable.”

Sferruzza said she feels like she’s more than just the head coach of the team.

“I like to think that I’m very approachable and they think of me as a good role model,” she said. “The big sister, someone fun that they can talk to and then they can put any stresses or worries away and bring their positive attitudes into the gym and use that to help them perform their best.”

Sferruzza acknowledged that being the only coach of 14 girls can be a bit of a daunting task, but her two senior captains – Kaileigh Gordon and Kaylee Torpey – make her job a whole lot easier.

“Kaileigh and Kaylee are really great,” Sferruzza said. “They’re both incredible, talented gymnastics [and] they’re both very organized, they’re very bright girls which helps. They’re able to lead the team whether it’s warm-ups, whether its setting up things like fundraising or fun activities like Secret Santa. “But, then when they’re here I can turn to them for anything. If I need them to do administrative work, management, I can do that if I need them to collect the group. So, the girls look at them and they listen to them.”

Along with Gordon and Torpey, Patriot League All-Star on the bars last season – sophomore Sarah Bombardier – will also give W-H a boost this season.

“She does all-around for us and is solid in every meet,” Sferruzza said. “She’s very experienced. She’s able to stay really focused during the meets.”

In the opener, Bombardier notched a 30.35 all-around score, second on the team to senior newcomer Britney Blackstone, who boasted a 34.7. Blackstone, despite being a first-year Panther, is no stranger to gymnastics having competed on a club team.

“She came here with a lot of experience in high-level meets and brought a lot of high-level skills,” Sferruzza said.

W-H will be back in action Friday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Massachusetts Gymnastics Center in Pembroke.

Season Preview: Boys’ indoor track clearing hurdles as it improves

By

Head coach Mike Driscoll has several newcomers on his hands this winter.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ indoor track team looks much improved from last winter.

Why? Well look at the club’s first meet of the season against Hingham. After falling to the Harbormen, 63.5 to 36.5, last December, the Panthers, who finished last season with a 2-3 record, hung tough this time around as they were just edged out, 57-43. Sixth-year head coach Mike Driscoll credits the performances of a few of his seniors — Brian Edwards, Brett Holmes, Andrew Newman and Jack Ryan — as a big reason why they were able to hang around.

“All had outstanding meets,” Driscoll said. “The last couple of years Hingham has really destroyed us, and this year we took them down to the wire. I think we surprised them a little bit. We didn’t win, but we at least proved we’re capable of winning track meets this year.”

On the ground, Ryan, who is one of two Panthers captains, raced to a first-place finish in the 600-meter dash with a time of 1:30.45, and was a member of the 4×400 relay team that also took home first. Newman completed the 2-mile run in 10:35.44, which was nearly 30 seconds better than opponent, for the win.

Edwards, who is also a captain, spearheaded the Panthers’ high jump with a 5-foot-7 leap, which earned him the top spot. Holmes, a senior and first-time indoor track participant, took his talents to the long jump and he shined with a first-place finish courtesy of a 20-foot-10 ½ jump. Both were on the 4×200 relay team as well.

“I would say right now our strength will be our jumps,” Driscoll said. “Brian Edwards is one of the better high jumpers and Brett Holmes came out for indoor season [and] he’s one of the top long jumpers in the state, so those areas will be huge for us.”

Holmes is one of several newcomers Driscoll said he will be relying on to shore up one of club’s weak spots — sprinting.

“We needed to improve in the sprint area,” Driscoll said. “That was a big thing for us last year, we needed to get some more sprinters and depth. We got Brett Homes to come out for winter track for the first time, Billy Martell and Jacob Nixon, three sprinters who we didn’t have last year on the winter team and they’ve been a huge addition to our team.”

The Panthers will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center against Pembroke.

“We want to have a winning season, we think it’s obtainable, it’s going to be tough, but we want to have a winning season and we want to have success every meet, so we measure it on how we improve,” Driscoll said. “Everybody’s different in track, it has an individual aspect to it, but it’s also a team thing, so the individuals are looking to improve to help the team to get a victory.”

Season Preview: W-H boys diving into WHAM swim program

By

The boys will now join the girls as part of the Whitman-Hanson/Middleboro swim team co-op this winter.

Six years back, Whitman-Hanson Regional High partnered with the longstanding Middleboro High girls’ swimming/diving team to form a co-op, and this season they’ve expanded that partnership.

If you’re a boy and attend Whitman-Hanson, you can make a splash in the pool as the school now offers it as a boys’ sport as well.

“I am very excited to have a boys’ team,” W-H head coach Sean Siciliano said. “We are one team – Middleboro and Whitman Hanson. W-H having a boys’ team allows us to increase the numbers for that team and it also gives us depth as a team.”

As a far as meets go, nothing will change. After either the boys or girls square off against their opposition in one event, the next will do the same, and so on until the meet has concluded.

While the sport still gains traction among boys at W-H, two swimmers – junior Nate Manley and freshman Brian Pham – have joined the squad this year from the school. Both come from different backgrounds.

“Manley is a new swimmer, meaning he has never swam competitively, but is very coachable and will be versatile on the team,” Siciliano said. “Then we have Pham, who swims on a club team. At this point he is the fastest kid on the team. He is a great kid great athlete and very receptive to feedback.”

GIRLS’ TEAM

As for the girls’ team, which finished last season at 4-6, Siciliano said he hopes for much of the same success for his swimmers.

Captaining the club from W-H will be senior Phoebe Bonney, who despite nursing a hip injury last season that hindered her in the pool, still had a positive impact.

“She continues to rehab that and we are hoping that we can get her back to full health in the near future,” Siciliano said. “Outside of the pool she is and amazing leader. She is always helping new swimmers, helping us coaches and looking out for what is best for the team.”

Sophomore Madison Navicky, who concluded the year with a co-team-high four medals, was a key contributor in a series of events, including the 200-yard medley relay, 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. Siciliano said her versatility is a huge asset to the team.

“She can swim pretty much anything and she is just fun to have a practice,” he said. “She is an amazing swimmer and an amazing leader and she is so coachable I think that she will be one of the biggest contributors for the girls team this season.”

Anchoring the 1-meter dive will be Sabrina O’Connor, who concluded her campaign last season by scoring 180 points at the South Shore Championships.

“She has started the season out well and should thrive this year as she increases her variety of dives and increases her DD,” Siciliano said.

Others from W-H penned on the roster include freshmen Mariella Crowley, Leah Hutchings and Erin Tilley and sophomore Niki Kamperides.

WHAM will be back in competition on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 4:15 p.m. at Burkland Pool in Middleboro against Randolph.

“I would love to send at least on relay from both the boys’ and the girls’ [team] to states,” Siciliano said. “Last year the boys didn’t make it but the girls did and I think this year they could both make it if we train hard all season.”

One dead in Halifax head-on collision

By

A head-on motor vehicle accident on Route 58 in Halifax Tuesday night left Richard March, 78, of South Meadow Rd, Carver, driver of a 2005 Honda CRV, trapped in his vehicle with serious injuries sustained at approximately 8:46 p.m.  He was transported by med-flight to a hospital in Boston where he died several hours later.

Alec Dowie, 51, of Washington St., Whitman, the operator of the 2018 Dodge Challenger, was transported to South Shore Hospital where he is listed in stable condition.

A landing zone was cleared at Walmart for March, who had been trapped in the Honda CRV. He was airlifted to Boston Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to State Police Media Spokesperson David Procopio.

Halifax Police Chief Theodore Broderick was on scene with investigators for several hours Tuesday night as the State Police Reconstruction and Analysis Team began their investigation in cooperation with Halifax Police.   Firefighters and EMS were seen debriefing in a circle with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, the wreckage just a few feet away.

Remnants of the two mangled vehicles and debris were scattered down Route 58, Monponsett Street, at Palmer Mill Road.  Parts of vehicles and orange spray paint marked lines in the road and were still visible as police returned to the scene Wednesday morning, according to Chief Broderick.

A preliminary investigation by State police suggests at approximately 8:46 p.m. a 2018 Dodge Challenger heading north on Monponsett Street and a 2005  Honda  CRV heading south on Monponsett collided head-on, said Procopio.

Their initial investigations indicate that the driver of the Dodge Challenger did not negotiate the curve at the intersection of Palmer Mill Road and lost control of his vehicle between the southbound and northbound lanes. The investigation is still active and ongoing, said Procopio.

Sgt. Theodore Benner of Halifax Police and the S Procopio told The Express that investigations can take several weeks to determine the cause of the crash.

First responders from Halifax, Plympton, Hanson and the State Police assisted at the scene, and at the landing zone at Walmart following the crash.

Season Preview: Boys’ hockey aiming to fulfill last winter’s promise

By

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team is looking to build off last season’s promise.

After an offseason of hard work, it’s time for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team to hit the ice.

The Panthers, despite skating to a 1-16-3 mark last winter, showed a great deal of promise. That promise was on display during a four-game stretch that began in late January and featured 2-2 draws with Silver Lake and Plymouth North (Div. 2 South Sectional tournament qualifier) and a 1-1 stalemate with Quincy (Div. 2 South Sectional tournament qualifier). Also, mixed in there was a 2-0 nail-biting setback to Duxbury, which cracked the Div. 1 South Sectional tournament. A few returning Panthers boasted key performances in that run.

During that span, Korey Howard had three tallies – two of which came in the Lakers tie –, Luke McVeigh and Alex Uva had a goal apiece and backup goaltender Ricky Welch was key in net during the 2-2 draw against the Blue Eagles.

Welch is one player head coach Chris Googins said he is looking at to rise to the occasion this season as he takes over for 2016-17 captain and team MVP, David Perry, in between the pipes.

“Dave Perry is going to be the toughest to replace and I definitely think returner Rick Welch is up for the challenge to step up and repeat the strong performance of David,” Googins, who is in his second season back at the helm of the Panthers after serving as their head coach from 1997-2003, said.

Welch is going to have a strong nucleus around him – spearheaded by senior captain and defenseman Ryan Sawtelle and assistant captains Howard and Uva.

“All three of them are dedicated to the game, program and are great role models for the younger kids,” Googins said.

Googins went on to add that he feels a majority of his team did what they had to over the past 10 months to get ready for the new season.

“A good portion of the players committed themselves to getting better in the offseason and we’re hoping that this transfers into wins,” Googins said. “Ed Scriven, Owen Manning, Adam Solari, Chris Stoddard and Luke McVeigh will be relied on to help propel the Panthers.”

W-H will be back on the ice Saturday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Bog Ice Arena in Kingston against Patriot League Keenan Division foe Duxbury.

“Right from the first tryout we have tried to up the standards from the most basic drill to a difficult concept,” Googins said. “We need total focus for the entire time you’re on the ice.”