Vikings prove to be too much for the Generals
By: Jim Lederman
The Winthrop Vikings won their third consecutive game, defeating the Hamilton-Wenham ‘Generals’ (27-13) on Saturday at Miller Field.
Matt Tarantino rushed for 123 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns. Chris Zuffante (11 for 16-165 yards passing and one touchdown) led the Vikings offense to post 465 total yards.
The Vikings travel to Landry Stadium in Amesbury for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday night. “We dominated the game and posted our best statistics for the season, lauded coach Sean Driscoll. “We have won four in a row on the field,†said Sean.
‘I was disappointed with our penalties, but we have improved every week,†Dan Dellano, Calvin Tufa and Joe Trenouth, played their best games of the season,†said coach Driscoll.
The Vikings opened the scoring early in the first quarter. Fullback Matt Tarentino (5’10-200) raced 63-yards to the Hamilton-Wenham 11-yrad line. Senior AJ Winter (13 for 53) ran in from the 11-yard line for the touchdown. Calvin Tufa kicked the extra points (7-0) Vikings to end the first quarter.
The Vikings stopped the ‘Generals’ on the Winthrop 2 yard line on a big sack by senior Justin Barker. Matt Tarantino capped a long drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Tufa split the uprights (14-0) Vikings to end the first half.
Zach Fisher had a big interception that led to the next Vikings score early in the third quarter.
Chris Zuffante found co-captain Dan Dellano in the flat and the speedy senior hooked up with ‘Zuff’ on a thrilling 81-yard scoring strike. Tufa kicked his 10th consecutive extra point and the Vikings had a (21-0) advantage.
Hunter Ascolillo caught a 7-yard screen pass for the Generals to cut the margin to 21-6.
Matt Tarantino scored on a 30-yard dash to the pylon’ on a run that was great determination. The kick failed and the Vikings led (27-6) on the ensuing kickoff Ascolillo raced 40-yards to pay dirt. The extra point was good and the Viking lead was cut to (27-13).
Zuffante (11 for 55) had three big first down runs and the Vikings left the Miller Field gridiron with their 4th victory of the season and fourth consecutive victory on the field to improve their record to (4-4).
Extra Points
Amesbury lost to Arlington Catholic (34-16) Friday night. Amesbury (2-6) has two Cape Ann victories over Hamilton-Wenham and Georgetown (0-8). Amesbury was a member of the old Northeast Conference. Landry Stadium is an old concrete stadium that has been rebuilt. The Vikings defeated the ‘Indians’ (35-0) in 2013. Plan extra time on your trip up route one and 95 on Friday night. The trip will be the last journey of 2015, a short trip to Della Russo Stadium on the holiday will mark fourth trip of 2015.
Junior Joe Trenouth caught two passes for 30 yards Dan Dellano had two sacks on defense and caught two Zuffante aerials for 94 yards. Zach Fisher had two catches for 16 yards sophomore Devin Pulsifer (number 88) had two receptions for 11 yards.
Jaidon Brown rushed 15 times for 70 yards. The Vikings had 300 yards rushing 165 yards passing – bring on the Revere Patriots!
Doug Santos of Peabody has 17 touchdowns – 104 points ‘Touchdown Tony’ Palmer had 30 touchdowns (195 points) in 1993. ‘Touchdown’ has 30 points on Thanksgiving.
Coach Driscoll is shooting for his 7th wining season in his nine seasons as Viking head coach. Sean is (6-2) vs. Revere and is planning to get the first Viking victory in the new Harry Della Russo Stadium.
Amesbury has scored 112 points in 8 games and allowed 176 points. The Vikings in t heir 4 victories have scored 140 points in their last four victories (35 point average)
Let the Games Begin!
From the Press Box sponsored by: WINTHROP BOOK DEPOT
The Junior Jets
By Jim Lederman
The New York Jets were taking off at Logan Airport on Saturday. On the Miller Field gridiron, a couple of ‘junior Jets’ were taking off also on Saturday afternoon.
The highlight of the Vikings (27-13) victory over Hamilton-Wenham was the running of junior fullback Matt Tarentino and junior quarterback Chris Zuffante.
Tarantino exploded on a 62-yard run early in the first quarter to set up the first Vikings touchdown scored by AJ Winter. The run reminded m e of Joey ‘the Jet’ Murray in 1997. Joey scored 110 points and played at Colby College.
Matt scored two touchdowns to lead the Vikings to their fourth victory of the season and third consecutive. His 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter increased the Vikings to a (14-) halftime advantage.
The Vikings held a (21-6) lead in the fourth quarter when Matt took off and raced 30-yards for his second touchdown of the day. Hamilton-Wenham scored on the ensuing kickoff to cut the Vikings lead to (27-13). Chris Zuffante showed his leadership in the fin al four minutes. Chris running the quarterback keeper picked up three crucial first downs.
Two ‘Jets’ led the Vikings to victory and with three games left on the Winthrop schedule; the Vikings can finish with a (7-4) record after opening with a (0-3) record.
“Matt had a great game on both sides of the ball,†praised coach Sean Driscoll. “Chris is showing great leadership and I look forward to him leading the Vikings to the NEC title in 2016,†said Sean.
Skimming the Sidelines
Danvers shut out the Revere Patriots (6-2) (7-0) to advance to the MIAA semi-final in Division 4 Northeast. Gloucester (7-1) defeated Beverly (5-3) 19-15 to advance to the semi-final and will face Marblehead (7-1) in the semi-final round. Danvers will play Tewksbury (6-1) on Saturday at Tewksbury. The Redmen defeated Salem (37-0).
Marblehead quarterback Garrett Keough has tossed 16 touchdown passes. Peabody defeated Malden (34-19) Doug Santos rushed for 357 yards and scored two touchdowns. The Tanners will play host to Everett (4-4) upset winner over St. John’s Prep (12-7).
The ‘crystal ball’ was (3-1) last week. This week my w inners are:
Marblehead over Gloucester
Tewksbury over Danvers
Beverly over Revere
Winthrop over Amesbury
In non-playoff games last week, Lynn English defeated Cambridge (48-16), Swampscott defeated Newburyport (21-6), the Vikings play host to Newburyport Friday night November 13th at Miller Field. Weston defeated Saugus (35-6).
Captain Phil
The Winthrop high school football family lost another member. Phillip Ratner, WHS class of 1962, passed away last week at the age of 71.
Phil was an outstanding tackle on the (1961) team. He was named the recipient of the prestigious Alexander Memorial Trophy.
Phil went to Cornell University where he studied in the hotel administration program. He was captain of the football team, a two-year all-Ivy League and all-East Selection.
Phil was a free agent with the Miami Dolphins and was injured during the pre-season. Phil was inducted in the Winthrop high school athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Cornell University Hall of Fame in 1997.
Phil resided in Laguna Neguel, California. He leaves his wife Dena, his children Chad, Corey and Ashley. His sister Harriet Rosenberg of Winthrop and many nieces and nephews, including Louis Rosenberg, a tackle on the 1981 WHS super bowl champions.
Lady Vikings Hoop
Coach John Gambale invites hoop players to sign up for the program on Monday, November 9th at 3 p.m. in the Winthrop high school library. The program for the 2015-2016 season is for the freshman, junior varsity and varsity team. 8th graders are encouraged to sign up.
Coach Gambale has been holding a clinic for players on Sunday nights from 5:15 – 6:30 p.m. The program has run the last 5 weeks and will continue this month.
Sunday at the TD Garden, 16 players attended an NBA program for girls called “She Got Game.†16 players attended and watched the Celtics play San Antonio on the ‘Garden’ legendary ‘parquet floor’.
Let the Games Begin!
WHS sports roundup
Girls soccer team finishes season strong
The Winthrop High girls soccer team wrapped up its regular season in fine style, defeating Salem, 5-3, and Mystic Valley, 7-0, as the Lady Vikings prepped for the upcoming state tournament last week.
“Going into the tournament we are in a strong bracket with teams like St. Mary’s, Austin Prep, and our first-round opponent, Lowell Catholic,†said WHS head coach Tracey Martucci. “It’s going to be a battle, but different for us from other years. We have put up a lot of goals this year, so hopefully it will be enough to bring us a victory in the tourney.â€
The Lady Vikings have been bolstered this season by the fine play of their keeper, Â sophomore Kaitlin Singerella, who not only had to step into a spot that had been vacated by a four-year starter (Poli Tsiotis), but further had to assume the reins between the pipes when starter Gianna Massa was lost for the season because of an injury Gianna suffered in the first game of the year.
“Kaitlin has exceeded our expectations and really has put forth her best effort,†said Martucci. “She has really helped us a lot to get us to where we are today.â€
WHS volleyball team opens tourney tonight
The Winthrop High volleyball team, which concluded its regular season with a sterling 15-5 record, will open play in the Division 3 North Sectional of the MIAA state volleyball tournament this evening (Thursday) when the Lady Vikings take on Essex Tech at Saugus High School. The opening serve is set for 7:00.
Winthrop, the fifth seed among the 13 teams in the D-3 North, should have enjoyed a home match against 12th-seeded Essex, but a bad floor board on the WHS court that could not be repaired in time for the game necessitated moving the match to Saugus.
“It would have been nice to play at home in our tourney opener, but Saugus is a nearby, neutral site that will be accessible to the fans of both teams,†said WHS head coach Christy Scott.
The Lady Vikings will be led into the tourney by the duo of senior middle blocker Nina Bartlette and sophomore setter Lacey Scott, the proverbial yin and yang of this WHS squad, who were named to the Northeastern Conference All-Conference team, recognizing them as among the top seven girls in the entire NEC.
In addition, Lady Viking teammates Maddie Fainga’a and Allie Love, both juniors, were selected to the South Division all-star team.
“This was quite an honor for our girls,†said Scott. “I showed up late for the meeting and did not get to vote for the all-conference team, so the girls’  selection shows the high esteem in which they are held by the other coaches in our league.â€
Winthrop won two its final three matches of the season last week, handily defeating NEC rivals Salem and Saugus by 3-0 shutouts, but falling to non-league foe North Reading, 3-1.
In the Salem win (25-14, 25-12, 25-12), Bartlette and Meg Dolan led the Lady Vikings with 10 and eight kills respectively, while Scott accounted for 22 assists as the team’s setter. Bartlette and Scott also served six aces each at their Salem opponents. Fainga’a, Winthrop’s libero (defensive specialist),  made seven digs and Haley Holden was credited with six digs.
The Lady Vikings also had an easy stroll past Saugus two days later, 25-15, 25-17, 25-13. Meg Dolan led Winthrop with seven kills and Scott set 17 assists.
In the season finale Friday at North Reading, Winthrop dropped the first set, 25-18, but came back to tie the match in the second, 25-18. However, they dropped the next two sets (or games), 25-21 and 25-17.
Bartlette dropped 15 kills on the other side of the net, Fainga’a made 12 digs, and Scott was credited with 23 assists.
The lone down note for Winthrop as it enters tourney play will be the absence of all-star Allie Love at her outside hitter post. Allie landed awkwardly during a match two weeks ago and tore an ACL. “The team was devastated by Allie’s injury,†said Scott. “She has been an integral part of our success all season.â€
The Lady Vikings figure to have an easy time tonight against Essex Tech, a team that lost a 3-2 match last week to the same Salem team that Winthrop handily defeated 3-0.
If Winthrop wins tonight, Scott and her crew will advance to play the victor of the match between #4 seed Notre Dame of Tyngsboro vs. #13 Presentation of Mary Academy, a contest that N.D. figures to win handily. A Winthrop vs. N.D. game will be played on either November 9 or 10.
WHS boys, girls soccer teams open tourney play
The Winthrop High boys and girls soccer teams embark on their Journey to the Tourney this week when both teams travel to Lowell Catholic for first round contests of the Division 4 North Sectional of the MIAA state soccer tournament.
Coach Tracey Martucci and the Lady Vikings were set to swing into action yesterday (Wednesday) as the Sun-Transcript was going to press. The Winthrop girls finished the season with an 8-9-1 record and are seeded 13th of the 14 teams in the D-4 North. Lowell Catholic is the fourth seed with a 14-3-1 season mark. The victor will move on to Saturday’s quarterfinal contest and earn the right to face the winner of the Austin Prep vs. St. Mary’s of Lynn match.
On the boys’ side, the match-up with Lowell Catholic today (Thursday) is a case of deja vu all over again for the Vikings, whose last tourney appearance in 2010 resulted in a victory over Lowell Catholic.
“The team has been working hard in practice,†said WHS head coach Kyle Gagin. “We’re close to 100%. The only player who is in doubt is our senior captain and winger, Matt Sennott. Matt currently is out with a concussion and is a huge doubt to play.
“Despite losing a key player like Matt, we have worked with different formations and are shifting players around to find the right starting line-up,†added Gagin. “We’ve also been working on different scenarios which could happen during a game. In addition we have been working on PKs (penalty kicks) just in case the game goes to penalties.
“The guys are all pumped to be back in the tournament for the first time in four years,†continued Gagin. “Overall, the players seem to really be bouncing back from that Saugus loss in our last game of the year. Everyone’s really looking forward to pulling off an upset and bringing home a win.â€
If the Vikings prevail today, their next contest will be Sunday against the winner of the Manchester/Essex vs. Rockport contest.
WHS cross country teams at NEC Meet
The Winthrop High boys and girls cross country teams competed in Saturday’s Northeastern Conference Meet held on the 3.1 mile (5K) course at Bradley Palmer State Park.
The top Lady Viking runner was Camila Miranda-Lov, who came across in 28th place in a time of 23:12. Teammate Nina Leone was right behind in 23:13. Caroline Zuffante (24:34), Fiona MacPhail (26:42), Zara Powell (28:13), and Kim McDuffe (28:20) also competed for the Lady Vikings.
On the boys’ side, freshman Cormac MacPhail was the first Viking runner, grabbing 51st place in a clocking of 20:11. Cormac was followed by teammates Nick Beshire (20:18), Jacob Hain (20:47), Devin Bacon (22:01) and Michelangelo Marcoccio (24:16).