Sports 04-14-2016

WHS sports Years

10 years ago

April 13, 2006

Jarrett Herdt struck nine Georgetown batters en route to tossing a no-hitter for the WHS baseball team in the season-opener for a 5-1 victory for the Vikings. Herdt’s feat was the first no-hitter by a Viking pitcher in recent memory. Freshman Matt Moore led the Winthrop offense with a hit, two walks, two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. Chris Carew had two hits for Winthrop.

The first doubles team of Vasily Mallios and Greg Covelle were the sole winning combination for the WHS boys tennis team in a 4-1 loss in the season-opener to Lynn Classical.

Kathryn Monahan slammed a home run to lead off the ninth inning to give the WHS softball team a dramatic 3-2 victory over Lynn Classical. In a 10-1 win over Mt. Alvernia, WHS pitcher Kristen Finn fanned 15 opponents and allowed just one hit. Monahan gave Finn all the support she would need with a grand slam homer in the first inning.

The WHS boys track team defeated Lynn English 97-25 in the season-opener. Shane Mulkerrin was a double winner in the discus and the triple jump.

20 years ago

April 18, 1996

The WHS tennis team opened the season with a 5-0 win over Lynn Classical. Jack Cimino, Neil Arbuthnot, and Ron Meryman won their singles matches.

The WHS baseball team lost to Lynn Classical by a football-like score of 24-16. Winthrop pounded out 15 hits, led by Jason Calla with three hits, but poor fielding led to some big innings for Classical. WHS head coach Vin Eruzione described his team’s defensive performance as “awful.”

Winthrop pitchers yielded nine walks to pave the way for an 11-3 loss to Lynn Classical for the WHS softball team in the season opener.

Thomas Doherty finished the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:54 to set the pace for 18 Winthrop runners who competed in Monday’s marathon.

30 years ago

April 17, 1986

Despite solid pitching efforts from Larry Thomas and Mike McManus, the WHS baseball team fell to 1-5 on the season with a pair of shutout losses in which Viking hitters could muster only two hits in reach game

40 years ago

April 21, 1976

Coach Barry Rosen’s WHS baseball team dropped an 8-7 decision to Swampscott in the season-opener. Jim Bacigalupo went 3-for-4- with three RBI to pace the Viking attack.

Winthrop’s Chris Tsiotis, who set a single-season scoring record for the Suffolk University basketball team this past season, has been made the captain for the 1976-77 varsity squad.

Former WHS star Kevin Dowd finished as the second leading scorer for the Boston State basketball team this past season with an average of 12.8 points per game.

50 years ago

April 21, 1966

A solo homer by Charlie McDermott provided the winning margin for the WHS baseball team in a 1-0 victory over Amesbury in the season-opener for coach Jim Evans’s squad. Bill Dooley allowed just four hits and fanned 14 enemy batters en route to tossing the shutout.

Steve Lorance set two new WHS home field records in a track meet with Saugus this week, tossing the shotput 49’-1” and the discus 133’-11.”

The annual Little League parade is set for May 1.

60 years ago

April 19, 1956

Winthrop Little League, which will feature a new Minor League program, swings into action this weekend with tryouts for all boys at Veterans Field.

70 years ago

April 18, 1946

The athletic relations between Revere and Winthrop are in danger of being severed in all sports. The football brawl this past Thanksgiving, in which Winthrop center John Magee ended up in the hospital, as well as the poor conditions of the RHS gym for basketball where the players play in freezing temperatures, are the principal reasons why Winthrop may drop Revere from its sports schedule.

Transcript Sports Editor Bob Remer writes that there is no reason why the junior high athletic program, which is so important to the development of a successful high school program, should not be resumed at Winthrop junior high school now that the excuses provided by wartime no longer exist.

110 years ago

April 28, 1906

The young ladies of the Winthrop High basketball team enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Ocean View Hotel to mark the end of their season.

WHS sports roundup

Boys tennis team

nets two victories

The Winthrop High boys tennis team opened its season in high style with a pair of victories over Northeastern Conference rivals this past week.

After the spring snow forced the postponement of the Vikings’ first two matches, coach Marie Doto’s squad finally made it onto the court last Wednesday to take on Swampscott, one of the perennial powers in the Northeastern Conference whose roster includes Matt Jacobs, one of the top players in New England who made it to the finals of the Massachusetts individual state tourney last year.

However, the Vikings proved equal to the challenge and came through with a 3-2 victory over the Big Blue. Senior Mike Norris defeated his Swamspcott counterpart in the number two slot in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, and the Winthrop doubles teams both won their matches.

The first doubles duo of seniors Robbie Miles and Kyle Dalton dispatched their Swampscott rivals, 6-0, 6-1, and the second doubles tandem of freshman Corey Cherico and senior James Forster similarly swept past their Swampscott foes, 6-0, 6-1.

“This was a huge, huge, huge win for us,” said Doto. “We never have had success against Swampscott in the past, so to open our season with a victory over them is just fantastic.”

The Vikings followed-up that win with a triumph over Salem the next day. Senior Jake LaFratta  gave Winthrop its first point of the day with a 6-0, 6-0 whitewashing of his Salem opponent.

The Winthrop doubles teams once again came through, with Miles/Dalton prevailing in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and Cherico/Forster winning 7-5, 6-1.

“Our doubles teams started slowly, but they came on strong to win their matches,” noted Doto, who offered some coaching “guidance” after their more-difficult-than-expected first sets.

Senior captain Noah Hodgkins, who plays at first singles for the Vikings, played well in his match, before falling by a score of 2-6, 4-6. Number two man Norris also dropped his match in straight sets.

Doto and her crew have a busy week ahead. They were set to host Gloucester today (Thursday) and trek to Peabody Wednesday and to Lynn Classical next Thursday.

WHS boys lacrosse

team wins home opener

The Winthrop High boys lacrosse team won its home opener last week, defeating Lynn Classical/English, 6-3. The Vikings were led on offense by first-year player, senior attack Brandon Creador, who reached the back of the Lynn net four times.

Coach Brian Connelly’s squad also received a fine effort from freshman goalie Andrew DiMento, who made seven huge saves.

DiMento also played well in the ensuing contest against a strong team from St. Mary’s of Lynn, making 12 saves. Ennis Plavis scored two goals and added an assist for the Vikings in the 12-4 loss.

Donnelly and his crew will be back in action today (Thursday) at Salem and will host Everett next Thursday.

Girls track team

edges Salem

The Winthrop High girls outdoor track team pulled out what head coach Warren MacPhail termed “an awesome win” against Saugus on Friday thanks to Jillian Kfory’s  comeback leg in the 4 x 400. Jillian trailed by almost 20 yards when she took the baton, but closed the gap to five yards by the time she handed the stick to anchor Heidy Benson, who brought home the victory for the Lady Vikes. Holly Benson and eighth grader Clare Nargi ran the other legs of the exciting relay victory for Winthrop.

Gianna Massa once again was among the top scorers for the Lady Vikings with eight points. Gianna won the shotput with a toss of 30’-7” and placed second in the javelin with a throw of 77’-7”.

Shanel Turransky won the high jump with a leap of 4’-6”. McKenzie Chiudina won the triple jump with a final landing of 28’-6”. Holly Benson won the 800 in a clocking of 2:40. Nina Leone won the two mile in a time of 14:29.

Gabby Hinchion was a triple-point scorer for Winthrop, winning the mile in 7:14, placing second in the discus with a twirl of 65’-6”, and taking second in the 400 low hurdles with a time of 84.0. Gabby received the Milano Award for the week for the most outstanding performance, along with Gianna Massa, who won it last week.

Kim McDuffee placed second in the high jump (4’-4”); Emily McGovern placed second in the 100 dash in 13.9 and in the 200 dash in 29.6; Heidy Benson placed second in the 400 in 66.0; Kelsey Griffiths took a third in the high jump (4’4”); Ashley Miles placed second in the mile in 7.15; and Olivia Rago grabbed second in the 800 in 3:11.

MacPhail and his crew will be back in action Tuesday during the school vacation  week at Danvers.

    From the Press Box sponsored by: MSA MORTGAGE

The Playoffs

By: Jim Lederman

The month of April is playoff time for our local pro teams – the Celtics; let’s add the future MIAA football playoffs for high school football in 2016!

Yes, I’m always thinking football for my favorite team – the Winthrop Vikings! The MIAA football committee voted on Friday to continue the current high school playoffs for 2016. With a vote of the athletic directors and principals across Eastern Mass, the vote 161-105 reaffirms the system that crowns state champs in 6 divisions.

The latest possible merger of the Northeastern Conference, the GBL today has only 4 teams (Everett, Somerville, Malden and Medford).

The merger with the NEC would add two divisions – large and small. The large would pit Everett vs. Peabody, Lynn English vs. Medford and Beverly vs. Malden.

The Vikings with a new football stadium (a new Miller Field) would attract a large crowd for new rivalries.

The new details of a new enlarged Northeastern and the (GBL) old Greater Boston League.

If you are an ex-GLB quarterback like Al Petrilli (Revere High 1970) or perhaps the legendary ex-Everett high school standout Bobby Leo, you can remember the great rivalries like Revere vs. Peabody, or Everett vs. Malden.

The old (GBL) consisted of Everett, Revere, Medford, Peabody, Arlington, Malden, Somerville, Cambridge, Quincy and North Quincy.

Conference will be announced during the year (2016) stay tuned for my column and let’s build new rivalries and equal balance of the large and small. I was told by a Saugus fan on Thanksgiving in 2015, the Saugus Sachems dressed 20 players for their game vs. Peabody (enrollment 1,900 students).

Let the Games Begin!

High School Super Bowls

The goal is for the high school (H.S.) teams to reach the super bowl. The regular season was shortened to seven games, as opposed to 10 or 11 games. The one-month playoff system ends with two teams from that of the six statewide divisions playing for the championships the first Saturday of December.

In 2014, the undefeated (9-0) Vikings own the NEC champions. Coach Sean Driscoll and company played undefeated Cape Ann League champions, the Lynnfield Pioneers. The capacity crowd that filled the old Miller Field gridiron watched a thrilling game.

The Vikings committed six turnovers and lost (35-14) to the Pioneers. The two teams could have played the following week and Winthrop would have won. Lynnfield got smashed by Holliston the next week.

The 2016 Vikings are a favorite to win the 2016 NEC title. The key is the injury jinx that hurt the 2015 Vikings season. Will the Vikings have a play off game at the beautiful Manning Field Complex in Lynn?

Stay tuned and get pumped for another exciting Viking football team. To the seniors on the Vikings – work hard this off-season!

Coach Sean Driscoll says, “Our first goal is to win the NEC title, the second is to beat Revere”!

Behind the Blue Line

The (2015-2016) Viking hockey team (12-7-3) held their annual year-end break up dinner.

Coach Dale Dunbar and his assistant coaches honored the team for another outstanding season.

The dinner held at the Pleasant Park Yacht Club was a huge success. The hockey Boosters Club had another great year. A salute to Kathy Tarantino, Diana August, Stephanie Costin and Cathy Norris for all their hard work! The hardware and awards included: the “Booster Award’ (Unsung Player) was junior net minder Brendan Gill, the Viking Pride Award recipient was junior defenseman Matt Tarantino.

The Alumni Award recipients were junior NEC all-stars Steve Holgerson and soph all-star Henry Brooks. The Mort Buckley Award named in honor of one of the founders of Winthrop hockey – high scoring junior NEC – first team all-star Charlie Page.

The ‘Doc’ Harney Award named in memory of Robert ‘Doc’ Harney was presented to co-captain Michael Norris.

The Winthrop Pro Shop Award winner was all-star co-captain Noah Hodgkins.

The Bill Falasca Award in memory of the legendary coach of the undefeated 1976 state champions was given to Michael Casey.  “Coach Dunbar, Coach Falasca was my mentor and was like a father to me.”

The Tom Keating Memorial Award recipient was given to NEC – first team stellar defenseman, Noah Hodgkins.

The Steve Gennaco Memorial Award was presented by his former teammate – asst. coach Mike Norris, was presented to co-captain Michael Norris.

Captains elect for the (2016-2017) season were captains Charlie Page and assistant captains Matt Tarantino and Gene August.

Coach Dunbar looks forward to another great season at Larsen Rink.

Let the Games Begin!

The Schedule

Archrival Gloucester invades Veterans Field on Wednesday, April 20 for a battle with coach Frank DeMarco’s Viking team.

Vacation week action includes a Lacrosse battle with GBL power – Everett at Miller Field on Thursday, April 21st, and a bigger rivalry game with the Revere Patriots at Miller Field on Wednesday, April 20th at 11 a.m. Coach Matt Serino has another strong Viking team.

The girls Lacrosse team has a ‘vacation week’ battle with the Saugus Sachems for a 10:00 game at Miller Field.

Coach Dave Guffey’s Lady Vikings softball team will play Peabody on Monday, April 25th at home (LL Field) at 4:30.

See you at Miller and the little league diamond to cheer for Viking victories!

Let the Games Begin!

Faces in the Crowd

I spoke with an old college hockey legend. Billy Sears (80-years young) was wearing an AIC hat and also played at Northeastern. The ex-Huskie Hound is still patrolling the beach down ‘The Point’.

I enjoyed bringing back an other ‘Garden Legend’ and tales of his playing in the legendary ‘Boston Garden.’ Can you name the ex-hoopster who hit a long three-pointer to win 7K – yes, seven thousand dollar shot during half time of a Boston Celtics shot?

I recently spoke with the second Winthrop hockey legend that was drafted one year after playing for WHS. Can you name him and the other player from Winthrop drafted by the New York Islanders?

Yes, the hockey season ended in the Boston Garden on Saturday afternoon. Will the Boston Bruins bring back their hockey coach who holds the record for most victories as a Bruin coach? Has anybody remembered the man who decimated the roster of the once “Big Bad Bruins?”

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