Sports 11-12-2015

WHS sports roundup

Volleyball team mixed in state tourney

The Winthrop High volleyball team, which compiled a sterling 15-5 record in the regular season and earned a fifth seed in the Division 3 North Sectional of the MIAA girls volleyball state tournament, dropped an exciting and hard-fought 3-1 decision to fourth-seeded Notre Dame of Tyngsboro in a quarterfinal match Saturday evening on the latter’s home floor.

The final scores of the four games (or sets) — 26-24, 22-25, 27-25, 29-31 — reflected the intensity of the match, as three of the four games went into extra-point sessions.

The Lady Vikings trailed 23-16 in the fourth set, but their never-say-die attitude brought them to the brink of forcing the match into a fifth and deciding game. However, volleyball is a game of inches, and some balls that just missed staying within the lines resulted in N.D. taking the game and the match.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of my team,” said WHS head coach Christy Scott’s. “We fought back in that fourth game and played with incredible heart. It was the best that I’ve ever seen them battle. It was exciting and heartbreaking at the same time and I could not be more proud of how they played against a Notre Dame team that had been undefeated for the past two seasons.”

Nina Bartlette tied her own WHS record with 15 kills, while setter Lacey Scott provided 30 assists to her teammates. Bartlette, Scott, and Meg Dolan served four aces apiece.

Defensively, Lady Viking Maddie Finga’a was immense, flying all over the court to record 31 digs, a school record.

The Lady Vikings previously had earned a 3-0 shutout win in their first round tourney contest with 12th-seeded Essex Tech Thursday evening. That match, scheduled as a home match for Winthrop, was played at Saugus High because of a problem with the floor in the WHS gym.

Winthrop’s straight-set triumph — 25-22, 25-17, 25-20 — was led by Haley Holden with 11 kills. Scott served five aces and Dolan delivered four aces. Scott also provided 23 assists.

The Lady Vikings, who have been without the services of junior all-star Allie Love for the latter part of the season after Allie suffered a torn ligament, also played without her back-up, senior Enisa Bala, who was sidelined with bronchitis for the tourney matches.

Scott called upon sophomore Deanna Pucillo to step into the breach, not only starting her first games ever, but also being called upon to move from her usual middle-hitter position to an outside-hitter spot.

“Deanna did a great job for us in a pressure situation,” said Scott, who also lauded the support from the WHS fandom who made the trek for both contests.

“We had a great season and put Winthrop volleyball on the map,” added the coach, who noted that college scouts were on hand to check out some of her players.

WHS girls soccer

edged in tourney

The Winthrop High girls soccer team came out on the short end of a 5-4 decision decision to Lowell Catholic last week in a first round contest of the Division 4 North Sectional of the MIAA Girls Soccer Tournament.

The Lady Vikings, who finished the regular season with an 8-9-1 record and were seeded 13th of the 14 teams in the D-4 North, came out firing on all cylinders from the opening kickoff, seizing early control of the game from the outset en route to accumulating a 3-0 lead by the end of the first half.

Julia Barachinni got Winthrop on the scoreboard within the first five minutes on a beautiful header from a corner kick delivered by Holly Benson. Three minutes later, Barachinni headed another ball into the back of the Lowell Catholic net, this time with Heidy Benson earning the assist.

Holly Benson then made it a 3-0 Winthrop advantage with a goal at the 26 minute mark. However, before the half would end, the Lady Vikings would suffer a crucial setback when Holly Benson departed with a knee injury which would keep her sidelined the rest of the way. “Up to that that point we had been feeling very confident,” said WHS head coach Tracey Martucci. “But then Holly went down with a knee injury which kept her out for the rest of the game. She is a huge part of our offense and it was a big loss for us.”

Lowell Catholic, which entered the tourney as the fourth seed in the D-4 North with a 14-3-1 record, got back into the game at the 15-minute mark of the second half with two goals just 35 seconds apart, and just two minutes after that, scored again to bring the game back to level at 3-3.

Winthrop seemed to regain the momentum when Lady Viking Francesca Capone quickly responded with a goal to restore Winthrop back into the lead, 4-3. However, Lowell Catholic soon netted the tying tally and then scored the winning marker with six minutes to play for the 5-4 finale.

“At the start of the second half we figured it was 40 minutes until we were going onto the quarterfinals, but it wasn’t in the cards for us,” noted Martucci. “That 40 minutes would prove to be a long and imploding time for us. It was a tough one to take, but in the tournament, it’s anybody’s game.

“However, the girls had a great season and should be proud of what they accomplished,” added Martucci. “I am very proud of all of them and how hard they worked all season.”

Boys soccer drops

6-2 tourney contest

The Winthrop High boys soccer team’s season came to an end with a 6-2 loss at Lowell Catholic last week in a first-round contest of the Division 4 North Sectional of the MIAA Boys Soccer Tournament.

The contest game was closer than the final score might indicate, as both teams had their fair share of chances.

“Unfortunately, they were able to finish theirs and we couldn’t finish ours,” said WHS head coach Kyle Gagin.

The Vikings, who entered the tourney as the 13th and final seed of the D-4 North with a 4-13-1 regular season record, were unable to contain Lowell Catholic’s striker, who scored four goals, despite being marked by the Vikings.

WHS seniors Jacopo Velesi and Mike Norris scored the goals for Winthrop.

“At the end of the day, this was an historic season for the boys’ soccer program and the guys should be really proud of themselves,” noted Gagin, who has assumed the helm of the program, which returned to varsity status this year after it had been a JV-level sport last season. “There’s definitely a lot to look forward to in this program as long as the guys all work hard in the off-season.”

The team’s break-up banquet is set for this Monday at which awards will be presented and the team’s captains for the 2016 season will be named.

From the Press Box sponsored by Winthrop book depot:

High Five to the Lady Vikings

The Lady Vikings volleyball team is in their third varsity season. The Lady Vikings were the number five seed in Division 3 North.

The Lady Vikings won t heir preliminary round defeating Essex Tech (3-0) at Saugus high school. The number four seed Notre Dame of Tyngsboro, ended a very successful season for the Lady Vikings (16-6) in a (3-1) defeat.

Coach Christy Scott has built a very strong program. Coach Scott will lose five seniors Nina Bartlette, Nicole Pucillo, Meg Dolan, Olivia Grillo and Enissa Bala.

Nina was named to the NEC All Star team as a mid blocker. Sophomore setter Lacey Scott and two juniors Maddie Finagh and Allie Love earned all-star selections.

Allie Love tore an ACL a few weeks ago and her loss to the Lady Vikings basketball team is a big blow to new coach John Gambale.

The rise of female athletics at WHS has many athletes playing two sports. Meg Dolan and Nicole Pucillo skate for coach Anthony Martucci’s Lady Bulldogs. Nina is an NEC All-Star hoop player and a Division 1 prospect.

Coach Tracey Martucci’s Lady Vikings soccer team f finished another strong season. The Lady Vikings (8-11-1) lost a (6-4) decision to Lowell Catholic.

The 2014 Lady Vikings reached the North final before losing to Georgetown. The Lady Vikings won three games to reach the finals. A 2-0 victory over archrival St. Mary’s of Lynn was the highlight.

We salute coach Christy Scott and coach Tracey Martucci Lady Viking’s sports are the talk of the North Shore!

Let the Games Begin!

Winthrop Youth Football teams head to Super Bowl

By Stephen Skobeleff

Fun, fundamentals, and the feeling of family are just some of the returns enjoyed by the participating youngsters in the Winthrop Youth Football program. The program consists of five entries competing in The Cape Ann Youth Football League. The youngest squad includes students from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade, while the oldest, the “A” team, is composed of mostly players thirteen years of age. Each player on each team up the line has profited something from the experience of playing in this league. According to several of the coaches involved, there are a variety of takes to be had engaging in the program.

“Actually I hope the players learn two things, discipline and respect. Football is a game that teaches life lessons as well as working with a group. Our hope is that the players can learn these two traits and implement them in their personal and professional lives as they grow older. For most kids, football only lasts maybe till high school and we hope that football teaches them to be responsible and respectful adults,” related Peter Caggiano, head coach of the A unit.

Caggiano has been the mainstay to WYF for quite awhile now. Along with his duties as A team head coach he also plays liaison for Winthrop to the Cape Ann Youth League as the league’s Vice Commissioner, consulting continuously with WYF president, Chris Ferrara.

Ferrara, meanwhile, doubles as this year’s B team head coach. He has been that core group’s main tutor for four years now, following that particular band’s formidable rise through the Winthrop league. There’s been rapid progress for that group, leading to a playoff showing for the second year in a row, as Ferrara’s assessment of the entire league has been exemplified quite nicely by his group.

“The youth football league in the early grades is just getting the kids to come out learn how to play the game the right and safe way and to just have fun. If the kids keep coming back we are doing our job. As the kids get older it gets a bit more competitive but our motto stays the same. Learn the right way to play the game and have fun while doing it. I hope the kids take away from the program a strong knowledge of the game and the basic fundamentals that they can build on. Most of all I hope they take away what it means to be a team or ‘family’. I am constantly preaching that no matter what, they have each other’s back and that ‘count on me’ attitude. Our goal is to graduate players that know the game with a strong understanding of fundamentals so that they will have a smooth transition to high school and be able to pick up what they (the varsity) are trying to accomplish quicker.”

D team head coach, Mark D’Ambrosio, leads the youngest entry, and furthered Ferrara’s ideology while boasting a fantastic season for his mites as well. “The  priority has been on having fun, everyone participating and learning the game. The coaches have made rotations a priority so everyone gets playing time at the introductory level. They have had their fair share of success also, with victories over Newburyport 16-8, Gloucester 28-22 and Amesbury 16-14. Our offense gets more complete every week, as last week vs. Amesbury our boys completed two screen passes, a halfback pass and a few other passes. The kids are working hard, having fun, and doing great.”

That atmosphere grows outside the lines as well, as the WYF league is also an organization where young cheerleaders learn, have fun, and develop. They, too, are an important component to this program, and a part of the family.

New director,  Denise Beshere, stressed this point as she blushed on and on about her girls with enough material to fill a double issue of The Transcript. As director it’s “given me the opportunity to really enjoy watching all the girls get excited to be part of a team.  They set out each week to prepare and support their fellow classmates on the field, win or lose.  They are eager to learn new cheers to bring to game day and new stunts for competition.  It’s amazing to watch their growth and determination throughout the season.   They all strive to be the best that they can be and to watch them shine while preparing for competition is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Each and every cheerleader brings their own special uniqueness to each squad which in turn makes a squad truly what it is.”

Beshere is truly passionate about this aspect of the program as she continued on to mention everyone involved in assisting her individually and then explain, “This part is truly an understatement. The best part of it all is not having just one daughter on the squad it’s like having 60 of them. Best part of my job is to get a hug or have them excited to see me there helping them.”

She also called it “a stepping stone for the JV and Varsity levels,” making progression a definitive theme of the youth cheerleaders. Caggiano took that theme a step further to describe the league overall. “We have had a few lean years, but the last five or so years we have seen an influx of more players, especially on younger teams.” He credits “some very good coaches that have passed their love of football down,” as part of the league’s positive progression.

These Winthrop entrants have been improving each year, so much so that both the A and the B squads will be a party to their division’s Super Bowls this weekend (see accompanying articles as to how they got there).

Super Bowls? Wow! These are indeed exciting times for the young Viking squads and the WYF league. All these teams show a tremendous amount of enthusiasm when they are on the gridiron. So, if you get a chance get out this Sunday and support your future Vikings up in Lynnfield noon till 4:00.

For more information check out www.winthropyouthfootball.com or www.capeannyouthfootball.com

A squad easily defeats Lynnfield

By Stephen Skobeleff

After the B Vikings tussled in a tightly contested playoff game on Saturday in Amesbury, the A squad played in a tightly contested playoff battle in Lynnfield on Sunday as well … for a half … and in score only. In essence, Sunday’s A game was much more comfortable to watch.

The A Vikings led 8 to 0 at halftime. The lone score came on what head coach Peter Caggiano termed a Viking QB dart. QB “Duke” Doherty did the darting, approximately 50 yards to the endzone for the game’s first points. After the two point conversion, another Doherty run, Winthrop had their 8 going into the half.

But to be up only 8 was what the coaches called a disappointment. “We should have been up three scores,” revealed Caggiano. “Penalties were hurting us the entire first half.”

In a way, the Viking victory was payback for a 25-14 loss earlier in the season at the hands of the Pioneers. Going into the rematch Caggiano had said his team needed to limit the mistakes like the ones made in the second half of that earlier game. When it was over he thought they actually made more. So what was the difference?

“We overcame (the mistakes) because we were more physical this time around,” reasoned the coach. “They couldn’t run the ball on us. Our game plan all week was to limit 81 (Nick Baldini)… And he took some heavy hits.”

Baldini tried to run the option a couple of times in the third quarter, but during his second attempt he was sandwiched so hard by Doherty and Alexandre Shabunya that the Vikings believe it may have caused the Pioneer star some back damage.

The heavy hits were coming from every direction, a major reason the coaches weren’t too concerned with only the one score lead at halftime. Nicholas Nowak, Jared Burhoe, Shabunya, and Doherty all helped to keep the Pioneer run game in check while Nicholas Calla played stellar in pass coverage.

The Viking physicality was not limited to the defensive side of the ball either. One Burhoe block in particular still had Caggiano rehashing it a day later. “You could just see that one setting up in slow motion and all you could say was oh my.”

Such blocking was the element that opened up the scoring for the Vikings in the second half. Doherty scored again, this time with the line of scrimmage still on the Viking side of the field. The play was called a two power keep where Doherty just used the blocking in front of him to find the running room to take him the distance. The two point conversion failed, but in the end this wouldn’t matter as Doherty would score yet again soon after.

This third TD scamper was set up when RB, Tyler Desir was used as a lead block. Desir did a great job of sealing the end, freeing Doherty to go untouched to the endzone. A pass completion resulted in a two point conversion and the Vikings were up 22 to 0.

Lynnfield scored late in the fourth to make it 22 to 8 as Caggiano said his team may have let up a bit due to the large lead late. After Winthrop recovered the onside kick, Caggiano was just looking to burn the clock with some power rushing, but from the midfield stripe, Desir took the handoff and flew untouched to the endzone.

The two point conversion attempt failed giving the Vikings a 28 to 8 upper hand. Lynnfield took advantage of one more late let down in Viking coverage converting on a bomb giving them their final 6, and giving the scoreboard a showing of 28-14 as the final. Doherty, as one of the leaders in this team, reminded his squad they can’t ever get too comfortable to the point they’re not playing to the final whistle.

Doherty’s assessment of the game overall, “I feel like this week we could have done better. There were a lot of mistakes, but we are going to fix everything in practice and it’s going to go our way for the super bowl.”

The Super Bowl is correct. The win sets the A Vikings up with a date next Sunday at 2:00 back in Lynnfield, this time to take on Hamilton-Wenham, a matchup Caggiano predicted after the Vikings fell to them earlier in season.

“We know we can play with them. We made a lot of mistakes on defense (that last time),” added the head coach.

Up till November, the Vikings were the only squad who had put up any points against the Generals, 20 of them in a 36-20 loss back in September. The rematch promises to be a good one.

B squad beats Amesbury in a thriller; takes on Newburyport Sunday

By Stephen Skobeleff

“One of the top ten most exciting games I’ve ever been involved in … in any sport,” was the sentiment from one parent after the “B” Vikings finished off the Amesbury Indians in a Cape Ann semi-final game this past weekend in Amesbury. This was not an understatement! For starters, these were two evenly matched teams across the board. They mirrored one another record wise at 4-2-1 after they played each other to an 8-8 tie only two weeks earlier at the same Amesbury venue. This past Saturday, the game again was knotted after four quarters, but it was a playoff game this time around. There was need for a winner to be determined.

Neither team had scored as time expired on regulation play. Defense had been the name of the game as both teams sat on goose eggs. The Vikings D was stronger though, with huge efforts coming from Bobby Hubert, Tyler Rockefeller, Brian Conceicao, all with tackles for losses at some point, Gavin Abbott, who rescued the game late in the fourth quarter with a touchdown saving tackle, and really the whole team. Abbott was so excited by his across the filed heroics later he was making up his own vocabulary to describe it. “It was really pressury I guess you’d call it. Because I was the only one down there.” Like they had accomplished in Amesbury two weeks earlier, the entire Viking D completely shut the Indians down (the only TD that first meeting coming on a punt return) by the time the regulation gun sounded. Amesbury had only two plays of over 20 yards.

“The effort of our defense was unbelievable,” boasted head coach Chris Ferrara. “Amesbury was not able to do a thing on offense. Our kids played very disciplined and worked very hard all week in practice and studying our game film from our previous game against them.”

Meanwhile, the Vikings were able to move the chains a bit more often than their counterpart when they were on offense. Coach Ferrara and his brain trust drew up a sound plan, the bulk of which was built around the backfield motion of RB Hubert. RB Ricky Rosado especially was able to take advantage of the Amesbury key on Hubert as well as his offensive line’s push to open some middle holes, as he was seemingly always one secondary tackle away from breaking open for a touchdown scamper. The combination of the Amesbury D coming up big when they absolutely had to as well as several untimely Viking turnovers were the only reasons the game remained deadlocked through four.

All this added up to overtime. That’s when the fun really happened. A mystery for most fans until it began to play out, the OT rules turned out to be pretty simple.  The ball was placed on the ten yard line and each team would have a one series shot at paydirt.

Going into the OT Ferrara was pumped. “I knew we were going to have four downs from the 10 yard line. We were able to move the ball continuously all day. We just could not sustain a drive due to our own mistakes. I knew we could get ten yards in four downs.”

Amesbury won the toss and elected to defend first. First and goal, Vikings from the ten. QB Austin Daigneault found receiver Conceicao over the middle for five. The quick strike opened up more options for the offense on second down. The option used and what the coach had in mind though were slightly different plays, that somehow happily resulted in the first score of the contest.

Hubert, as he had done several times throughout the morning, motioned right to left. Daigneault took the snap and handed it off to Hubert as he paced by. Hubert continued left, and continued left, and continued left, outracing all defenders to the far pylon and cutting just inside for the Viking TD. Ferrara would later report that it was a great read by Hubert. “The play was designed to go off tackle, where we had most of our success all game. Amesbury did a good job of closing the hole as Bobby turned it up so he bounced it outside and took advantage of their aggressive play off our tackle.”

Oblivious to the fact that the crowd had yet recovered from the anxiety of Hubert’s TD, the referee wasted no time setting the ball for the attempt of the two point conversion. The two point conversion which had been a sore spot for this B squad as an 8-6 loss in Marblehead late in the season would attest, was oh, so important. The fans of this team were well aware of this and that the TD alone might not be enough, so no nerves on the visiting side were at ease just yet. This premonition would prove to be correct as these next two points were vital.

Daigneault dropped back and caught TE Camden Conway fading in the left corner of the endzone. The pass was planted perfectly. Conway hauled it in and smartly shuffled both feet in bounds before momentum took him out. Two points for the Vikings and a sigh of relief from the Winthrop faithful. “I can trust them,” Daigneault said of his receivers. To throw to them is “pretty fun.”

And pretty huge as it would turn out. The Indians would volley. It took Amesbury an extra down, but on a third and five they were able to connect with their own TD pass on a hook route to the right. The edge of seat drama continued seconds later as Amesbury imitated their TD connection with a two point strike in virtually the same spot, the WR making the snag just inside the goal line. The game was knotted again.

Coach Ferrara and the Vikes were given the option as to how they would like to set up the second go around. Ferrara elected to go D to begin, and this time, as they had done for eight regulation quarters before, they held their ground. The D stood for don’t budge, and an Amesbury pass on 4th and seven fell short.

The Vikings were back in action. It only took one play. Still gasping from all frantic action prior, the crowd watched as Daigneault floated a pass seven yards to the right to Ayden Cifuni. Complete to the three where Cifuni then side stepped the defender with a cut inside and waltzed into the endzone for the game winning score. Daigneault on the pass, “From me to Ayden. I was pretty psyched.”

This group of Vikings walked off the field with a playoff win under their belt for the first time. “I don’t know how to explain it,” gushed Rockefeller. “It was more than great. It was amazing. It was all a team effort.” So it is, this Sunday at high noon the B Vikings will take on the Newburyport Clippers in Lynnfield for the Cape Ann B Championship, and a chance to exercise the Clipper demons as well.

Amesbury ends Vikings’ win streak

The Amesbury Indians proved their (2-6) record was deceiving. Amesbury ran wild in a (56-34) victory. The loss for the Vikings (4-5) leaves Winthrop needing two victories to complete a winning season.

The Vikings travel to Newell Stadium in Gloucester Friday night at 7 p.m., the Vikings had to forfeit their October 9th game. The Fishermen (7-2) were shut out (27-0) to the Marblehead Magicians last Friday night in the MIAA playoffs.

“The Gloucester players wanted to beat every team in the league, they are (5-0) we are going up there to play for the championship,” The Vikings are (3-1) said coach Sean Driscoll. “The game gives our players a chance. A victory over the Fishermen and Revere gives the Vikings the championship.”

“We will play a lot better than our game at Amesbury. Their line pushed us all over the field,” said Sean.

The game time temp was 63 degrees on a beautiful night at legendary James Landry Stadium.

Amesbury received the opening kickoff and rolled down the field to score the first touchdown. Quarterback Adam Incontri tossed a 17-yard pass to Dan Welch for a (7-0) lead.

“Super Soph” Jaidon Brown took the ensuing kickoff and raced 80-yards for a touchdown. Calvin Tufa kicked the extra points and a (7-7) tie. The ground game for Amesbury showed their strength and Incontri on a 30-yard quarterback keeper raced up the middle and after one quarter, Amesbury led (14-7).

Jaidon Brown punched in a 7-yard touchdown to tie the score (14-14) after another Tufa kick.

Ryan Foley scored on a 14-yard run for a (21-14) Amesbury advantage.

Jon Gonzales (another “Junior Jet”) exploded with the ensuring kickoff. Gonzo took off on a 84-yard touchdown and the teams headed for the locker room tied up at (21-21).

Jaidon Brown scored on 29-yard score. Tufa split the uprights and the Vikings held a (28-21) lead. Amesbury scored again but the two-point conversion rush failed and at the end of the third quarter; Winthrop had a (28-27) advantage. Amesbury scored 29 points in the final quarter. The Indians rushed for 424 yards and had 24 first downs.

Jon Gonzales hooked u p with Chris Zuffante on a 23-yard strike for the final Winthrop touchdown. The touchdown was the 8th of the season for the junior quarterback.

The football team was at the Veterans Day celebration at Town Hall for the 9th year in a row, reported a proud coach Sean Driscoll.

Skimming the Sidelines

Jon Gonzales (9 for 132) led the Vikings ground game.  Jaidon Brown (6 for 42) and a “spectacular” kick off return.

Justin Barker had 13 tackles. Gonzales 8 tackles 2 for a loss. Zuff was (4 for 13, 56-yards) Amesbury ran 62 plays.

Gloucester beat Revere (36-7), the Patriots lost to Beverly (41-13) to run their record to (6-3). They host Lynn English (4-5) at Della Russo on Friday night.

Stoneham (5-4) and Watertown (6-3) are playing in the Division 4 North championship game. Lynnfield lost to Watertown in the quarterfinals. Danvers and Marblehead are in the Boston Globe top 20.

Crystal Ball

Marblehead over Danvers for the Division 3 North title

Central Catholic over Everett

Revere over Lynn English

Upset Special: Vikings over Gloucester

WHS SPORTS Through The Years

10 years ago

November 10, 2005

The Winthrop High football team tuned up for its showdown for an NEC title and Super Bowl berth this coming week with Danvers by blasting past Salem, 35-13, Saturday at Bertram Field. The winless Witches battled the Vikings to a 13-13 deadlock at the half, but the 8-1 Vikings took control after the intermission. Chris Dalrymple ran for touchdowns of two and 84 yards. Joe McDermott ran back a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. James Fucillo tossed a 21 yard TD pass to Matt Murray.

The WHS girls soccer team defeated Pope John 5-0 in an opening-round contest in the state tourney, but then dropped a 2-1 decision to Weston. Vanessa Caruccio scored two goals for the Lady Vikings in the PJ game. Julie Dowson, Alyssa Martel, and Maria Milano also scored for Winthrop. Martel scored in the Weston tilt.

The WHS boys soccer team dropped a 5-1 decision to St. Mary’s of Lynn in a state tourney contest. The Vikings trailed just 2-1 after a goal by Carlos Mejia, but unsportsmanlike language by a Winthrop player resulted in a  red card from the ref, leaving the Vikings a man short for most of the second half.

20 years ago

November 16, 1995

The Winthrop High football team saw its three-game winning streak come to an end with a 27-7 loss to first-place and Super Bowl-bound Gloucester at Newell Field. The highlight for the Vikings was the running of halfback Paul Ferrara, who eclipsed the 1000-yard rushing mark for the season. The lone Winthrop touchdown came via a nice catch by Jason Calla on a pass from Michael Palmer. Tony Fucillo’s squad is now 5-4 on the season with the season finale set for Thanksgiving Day with Revere.

WHS golfer George McGrath has been named the Northeastern Conference’s Golfer of the Year, the only Viking ever to gain that honor.

Winthrop High soccer goalkeeper Stephen Hale has been named a Northeastern Conference all-star.  Hale made 420 saves this past season, a rate that is three times that of the typical keeper.

30 years ago

November 20, 1985

Fullback Steve Holgersen scored the lone touchdown for the WHS football team in a 16-8 loss to Lynn Classical Saturday. Classical scored the winning TD in the final minute. Tim Frager, Classical’s star running back, ran for 206 yards. Winthrop now is 4-4-1 for the season and will be looking ahead to the annual Turkey Day battle with Revere.

40 years ago

November 19, 1975

The WHS football team won its third game in a  row with a 14-6 triumph at Beverly. Beverly scored a meaningless touchdown with 1:51 left to play, snapping the Vikings’ shutout streak of 120 minutes, 14 seconds of play without allowing a point. Paul Plakias scored both of Winthrop’s touchdowns on runs of 14 and three yards.

50 years ago

November 17, 1965

The WHS football team dropped a 20-8 decision to Class A New Bedford Saturday in the rain and mud. A 17 yard pass from Bob McNeil to Kevin Shields on the final play of the game accounted for the Winthrop score.

60 years ago

November 17, 1955

An 0-5 Winthrop High football team, which had not won a game in two years, shocked Class A Saugus Saturday by a score of 12-7. Capt. Jim Soper tossed a pair of TD passes, one a 50-yarder to Jackie MacDonald and the other an 11-yarder to Tommy Cole. Teddy Conley and Frank Lazzarino made key plays on defense to thwart a late Saugus scoring bid. After the victory, the entire town became aware of the triumph thanks to an impromptu parade through the streets by the exuberant WHS team members and cheerleaders.

70 years ago

November 15, 1945

A 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Milton “Bomber” Neal was the sole highlight for the WHS football team in a 32-7 loss to Melrose Saturday. Winthrop now is 2-5 for the season.

90 years ago

November 21, 1925

Winthrop defeated Marblehead, 7-0, Saturday afternoon at Ingleside Park. The lone touchdown came after a blocked punt. Sanders went over for the touchdown and Racca scored the extra point.

100 years ago

November 20, 1915

Wellesley defeated Winthrop by a decisive score of 24-0. Wellesley’s tackle-around play proved a Chinese puzzle for the Winthrop boys, resulting in many big gains for Wellesley.

More than 400 basketball fans watched the speedy Winthrop White Bears defeat the Cambridge Red Sox, 48-25, at the Winthrop Casino court Tuesday evening. McCarthy and Snow shared the scoring honors for the home five.

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