Sunday, May 5, 2019

Weekly Update


On Tuesday night, Dr. Jones and I will have the privilege of attending the Patriot League Scholar Athlete banquet where two of our top student-athletes will be honored.  There are many outstanding student-athletes here at Whitman-Hanson but this year the honor goes to Dorothy DiMascio Donahue and Ryan Trongone.  Dorothy, who is a member of the National Honor Society, has a 4.93 GPA and has a long list of academic awards Including the Spellman Oratorical First Place prize.  She is an outstanding track athlete and was also a member of the state champion cheerleading team earlier in her career.  She will be attending Tufts University in the fall. Ryan has a 4.28 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society.  He takes many AP classes all while playing both football and lacrosse.  He also wrestled and did track earlier in his career.  He will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall.

In a few weeks the class of 2019 will be walking across the stage at graduation and then they are off to their next challenge.  For many of our student athletes that means playing sports in college.  The college search process can be daunting enough but when you add the prospect of trying to play sports it can sometimes feel overwhelming.  Each year the athletic department holds an informational night about the college search process as it relates to athletics.  The program will include details on the recruiting process, what to expect from coaches and recruiters, how to communicate with coaches, the do’s and don’ts for parents and much more.  Each family that attends will receive an informational packet with helpful handouts.  The program will be held this Thursday at 6pm in the small lecture hall at the high school and is open to any sophomore or junior as well as their parents.

Friday night Whitman-Hanson was treated to an inspiring program from the Rolling Celtics a wheelchair basketball team sponsored by Independence Associates.  It was an incredible night watching our students interact with these special athletes.  We all gained an appreciation for the skill and determination of these incredible people who taught us all that we should never let what we cannot do stop us from doing what we CAN do.  One of the highlights of the night was watching our own Sean Farrell score one of the few baskets from Whitman-Hanson students.  Both the boys and girls basketball teams as well as many students and community members were given the opportunity to get in the wheelchair and learn how to play the game.  A special thank you to Bryan Bjorklund and Ryan Macleod for bringing this program to Whitman-Hanson.  To learn more about Independence Associates click here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=OTS8ypCiVrE


Don’t look now but the softball team has won three in a row.  The girls have been working hard and getting better every day and this week they put it all together.  The Panthers completed the sweep of the week with a come from behind 6-4 win against Pembroke on Friday. The game was tied at 3 with the Panthers batting in the bottom of the fifth when Erin Burke singled on a 1-2 count, scoring two runs. The Panthers rallied for 12 hits. Emily McDonald, Abby Cleary, Robin Goyette, and Annie Cook each had two hits for WH. Abigail Cleary pitched a compete for the Panthers  allowing just four runs on nine hits, striking out seven and walking one.
The baseball team bounced back nicely from their first loss of the season by shutting out Pembroke on Friday, 7-0.  Ethan Phelps pitched 6 shutout innings before being relieved by Sean MacKay, who finished the game in his first varsity mound appearance.

The Whitman-Hanson hitting attack was led by senior Will Newell who had 3 hits, while Rian Schwede and Derek Frank each had 2 hits. Tom Marshall, Ethan Phelps, Danny Kent, Mike Cook, and Devin Coulstring also had hits as the Panthers scored 5 runs in the second inning , 1 in the third and 1 in the fourth.

The Panthers are now 8-1 overall and 6-1 in Patriot League play.

The Whitman-Hanson Girls Track and Field (3-1) team lost its first meet of the season to Hingham 85.5-50.5.  First place finishers for the Panthers included FR Olivia Borgen (200 - 26.48), SO Isabelle Amado (800 - 2:34), FR Ava Melia (Mile - 5:54), FR Myah Kamperides (2 Mile - 12:27), SR Captain Allison Bartlett (Hurdles - 16.48), JR Captain Samantha Perkins (Javelin - 110' 3")  and SR Captain Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue (Triple Jump 32' 5").
Whitman Hanson Boys Track and Field team lost to Hingham 102 to 34 this week.  Cullen Poth won the Discus and Shot Put. Shane Schraut won the 400 Hurdles. The 4 x 400 relay team won and posted their fastest time of the year. Also of note Jake Caterer set a school record for 9th graders in the 100m dash 11.84. Jake also tied the school record for 9th grade in the 200M 24.24 at this meet. Whitman Hanson's boys Track and Field team's record is 2 - 2. 

The girls tennis team split a pair this week defeating Quincy 3-2. Junior Abby Pulling won at 2nd singles 6-2,6-4, at 3rd singles Julia Benvie won 6-0,6-0. The second doubles team of Rylie Harlow and Kyla Faghan won 6-2,6-0.   The team also lost to league power Hingham and had their game with Pembroke rained out.  Their record is now 5-4.

The boys tennis team hit a rough patch this week but did have a close one with Quincy before falling 3-2.  First singles Matt Hickey won his match (6-3, 6-2) while second doubles seniors Jared Badger and Nolen Smith won their match (6-3, 7-5).

The girls lacrosse team beat Hull this week, 13-0.  Whitman Hanson played consistently with solid defense and steady offense.  The first half ended with a score of 10 - 0 and the game went to running time.  WH scored three more goals in the second half to end with a score of 13 - 0.  Ava Barry anchored the defense in goal to achieve the shutout with two point blanks saves in the second half.  Scorers were:  Zoe Lydon, 3G, Bryn Miller 2G 1A, Taylor Ross 2G, Jackie Keenan 1G 1A, Brooke Connors 1G 1A, Joli Flamos 1G, Savannah Poirier 1G Katie Mulligan 1G, Sami Whitman 1G and Emily Berthiaume 1A for a total of 9 scorers in the game which is a record number of scorers in a single game for the season. 

The boys lacrosse team dropped a pair this week with the most exciting game being an overtime loss to Rockland who avenged their overtime loss to the Panthers from earlier in the season.  The WH defense led by seniors Ryan Trongone and goalie Mario Troiani (9 saves) was tested all game as they held a disciplined Rockland offense to just three goals in the first half. Four second half penalties put a damper on WH’s momentum, but the Panthers battled to eventually keep the game tied at the end of regulation. After three scoring opportunities early in OT, Rockland finally got their chance off a turnover in transition and capitalized to end the game. Will Polito (7 groundballs) and Griffin Nickerson controlled the face-off X all game winning 15 of 19 face offs. Ryan Downing (4g) led all scorers with four second half goals while senior midfielder Shane Ross (2g, 1a) chipped in with 3 points. Senior attackman Riley White (1g, 1a) went one and one while fellow senior Sean Joanis (1a) had a helper and sophomore Kyle Hamilton (1g) notched a big goal in the second quarter. Senior Mason Gorman (1a) was active all game for the Panthers at both ends of the field and Adam Solari (1g, 5 groundballs) was a force at long-stick middie scoring a beautiful goal in transition during the fourth quarter.  

Here is the week ahead in WH Athletics



No comments:

Post a Comment