10 high school sports takeaways from a Saturday held hostage by Mother's Nature's whims
Advertisement
1. Milestones
We saw a few round numbers Saturday, as Westfield senior
Shea Hurley
notched her 1,000th career strikeout in a quarterfinal matchup with Walpole that was
Emma Paquette
made five saves in a 9-8 Division 4 girls' lacrosse quarterfinal win over Pentucket to reach 200 career stops; and Duxbury senior
Jack Sovik
recorded his 100th career point with an assist in an 11-10 boys' lacrosse loss to Reading in the Division 2 quarterfinals.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
2. Walkoff win
Eighth-seeded Gloucester hung with top-seeded Dighton-Rehoboth for seven-and-a-half innings in the Division 3 softball quarterfinals before
Mia Ribeiro
doubled for the Falcons and
Skye Harrison
drove her home for a 2-1 eight-inning victory.
4. Upset city
Already tied for the lowest seed to reach the softball quarterfinals in any division, No. 10 Greater New Bedford kept its Division 3 run going by taking down No. 2 Norton, 5-0, behind
Advertisement
It wasn't technically an upset, but top-seeded Concord-Carlisle sent
5. Three stars
Emma Horrocks
, Dighton-Rehoboth — The senior catcher scored one of the Falcons' two runs, but she was most dangerous behind the dish, where she threw out six would-be Gloucester base stealers in the extra-inning triumph in the Division 3 quarterfinals.
Chris Houle
, Acton-Boxborough — The sophomore stopped 14 shots, including five in the fourth quarter, to hold off Andover, 12-10, and send the Revolution to their third-straight Division 1 boys' lacrosse semifinal.
Addy Walls
, Hopkinton — The sophomore pitched a two-hit complete game and drove in five runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam that broke open a 12-2 Division 2 quarterfinal win over Westwood.
6. Going, going, gone
In addition to Walls's grand slam for Hopkinton, Westwood's
Bridget Mulkeen
plated both her team's runs with a two-run blast, and Georgetown's
Ellie Barbarick
launched a solo shot, her 15th of the season and 34th of her career, in a 4-3 Division 5 quarterfinal win over Maynard.
7. Daily lacrosse leaderboard
Goals
Jack Peno
, Nauset, 7
Reese Bromby
, Newburyport, 5
Teddy Glynn
, Norwell, 5
Scarlett Mirak
, Concord-Carlisle, 5
Thomas Quirk
, Acton-Boxborough, 4
Avery Tahnk
, Newburyport, 4
Lucy Winthrop
, Ipswich, 4
Nick Casarano
, Reading, 3
Dan Guinee
, Andover, 3
Joey McCarthy
, Norwell, 3
Jake McGuirk
, Norwell, 3
Advertisement
Matt Pantilla
, Norwell, 3
Logan Poulin
, Nauset, 3
Sophie Schiller
, Hanover, 3
Connor Wicken
, Reading, 3
8. Daily strikeout leaderboard
Jillian Macfarlane
, Maynard, 14
Liana Danubio
, Norton, 10
Akira'ley Vasquez
, Greater New Bedford, 10
Edy Latour
, Dighton-Rehoboth, 9
9. College corner
Andrew Middleton
, a former Canton High star who graduated from Dexter Southfield and started his college career with two years at UMass, has entered the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining. The lefthanded pitcher struck out 29 in 11⅔ innings without surrendering a run before undergoing internal brace surgery. He plans to return for the 2026 season.
Entering the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility left. LHP who led the NCAA in K/9 and was second in strikeout percentage for 4 weeks before undergoing internal brace surgery. On rehab path to be back for the 2026 season.
Cell 617-352-3415
— Andrew Middleton (@AMiddles16)
10. QMJHL draft results
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League held its draft Friday and Saturday, and 24 Massachusetts products were selected.
The first off the board was Rivers freshman
Carter Meyer
, who was taken with the 17th pick of the first round by the Quebec Remparts. From Winchester, the 6-foot, 160-pound center posted 70 points, including a NEPSAC-leading 41 goals as a freshman. He was expected to join the US National Team Development Program after impressing at a March evaluation camp.
We have our first American player off the board! The
— QMJHL (@QMJHL)
In the second round, Charlottetown selected Belmont Hill sophomore
Brady Sloper
, from North Andover, a 6-4, 200-pound defenseman.
Paulo Gualberto Jr.
, a 5-10, 170-pound center from Sandwich who plays for Mt. St. Charles Academy, was taken in the third round, 48th overall, by Halifax.
Arlington sophomore defenseman
Kurt Beck
was the first MIAA player selected, going in the third round (56th overall) to the Phoenix Sherbrooke. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound defenseman has also played with the Boston Junior Eagles.
Au choix # 56, le Phoenix repêche le défenseur Kurt Beck du Boston jr Junior Eagles.
— Phœnix de Sherbrooke (@PhoenixSherbroo)
Catholic Memorial freshman
Colin Yandle
was selected in the ninth round, 164th overall, by the Moncton Wildcats. The 5-7, 128-pound defenseman hails from Dorchester and has also played for the Boston Junior Eagles. His uncle,
Keith Yandle
, who also played for Moncton, went on to suit up for 1,109 NHL games for the Coyotes, Rangers, Panthers, and Flyers.
Advertisement
Also selected from Massachusetts: Groton's
Kaiden Donia
, of Townsend, was taken with the 57th selection by Sherbrooke; Rivers's
Sam Pandolfo
, of Winchester, was taken 72nd overall by Quebec; Cushing's
Joseph Covelluzzi
, of Wakefield, was selected 76th by Newfoundland, Dexter Southfield's
Noah Survilas
, of Winthrop, was taken 90th by Moncton; Williston Northampton's
Easton Anello
, of Windsor, was selected 92nd by Cape Breton; Noble's
Justin Lee
, of Newton, was taken 93rd by Chicoutimi; Rivers'
Finnegan Sears
, of Medford, was selected 94th by Saint John; Lovell's
Cooper Campbell
, of Cohasset, was taken 108th by Drummondville; Holden's
Jacoby Palmer
, who plays for Long Island Gulls 15s, was taken 118th by Newfoundland; Mount St. Charles's
Owen Kailher
, of Duxbury, was taken 127th overall by Rimouski, Hillside's
Stephen Pinette
, of Dracut, was selected 140th by Baie-Comeau; NorthStar Christian Academy
Isaac Davis
, of Rockland, was taken 146th by Moncton; Belmont Hill's
David Bosco
, of Winchester, went 168th to Gatineau; Uxbridge's
Caiden Pellegrino
, who plays for the Providence Capitals, went 174th to Cape Breton; Dexter Southfield's
Owen McHale
, of Charlestown, was taken 178th by Chicoutimi; Thayer's
Ty Hymovitz
, of Needham, went 190th to Newfoundland; Boston's
Cameron Holyoke
, who plays for the Chicago Mission, went 200th to Moncton; Nobles'
Kristofer Soja
, of Ludlow, was selected 209th by Cape Breton; and Mount St. Charles's
Gavin Callahan
, of Hull, went 216th to Drummondville.
11. A loss in Belmont
Longtime Belmont hockey coach
James 'Skip' Viglirolo
died at the age of 95 Tuesday. A three-sport athlete at Belmont, he went on to spend more than 50 years working for the town's Department of Public Works.
Advertisement
A member of the MSHSHCA and Belmont High halls of fame, he spent 25 years coaching Marauders hockey after playing at Northeastern and Suffolk. A Korean War veteran, the Belmont ice rink is named in his honor.
The MSHCA mourns the loss of longtime association member & fmr. longtime Belmont HS coach, James 'Skip' Viglirolo. He was recognized for his contributions to hockey in MA & Belmont w/ his name adorning the old Belmont rink. Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends.
— Mass State High School Hockey Coaches Association (@MSHCA1)
Brendan Kurie can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Baseball's split from its past feels more severe than previous shifts, and more observations from Cooperstown
All that said, the current version of this universal push-pull is truly different. In the summer of 2025, baseball is largely unrecognizable to old-time greats and, even worse, today's Hall of Famers increasingly feel estranged from the people who run the game. Analytics and new methods of teaching have removed the endearing layer of tutelage that's always connected the sport. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Through the decades, young players sought help from the all-timers. Twenty-year-old Ted Williams thought he could learn from Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. Yaz thought he could learn from Ted. Jim Rice thought he could learn from Yaz. Advertisement In 2025, few players are encouraged to learn from those who came before. 'We're all Mr. Irrelevent now,' said Related : Baseball owners and front offices have Advertisement There were But in casual chats with dozens over the weekend, I kept hearing about new distance they feel from the game they mastered. Without even asking. When I came upon 79-year-old Rod Carew in the lobby of the Otesaga, he had one question for myself and two other veteran scribes. 'What do you think of the baseball that is being played today?' We delivered our answers to the man who hit .388 in 1977. (Bet his exit velocity was pathetic.) Too many strikeouts, too many pitchers trying to throw 100, pitchers throwing instead of pitching, no bunting, difficulty advancing runners from second to third, few batters changing their approach with two strikes, and few young players tapping into the minds of older stars who used to be pretty darned good. The conversation reminded me of Advertisement 'I was minding my own business, having a cup of coffee, and a young kid came out of the cage and asked about loading and his front foot,' Rice recalled Saturday as he stood under statues of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams in the plaque gallery. 'I didn't know him. He was a catcher. I talked to him about loading up and how to hit line drives and, while we were talking, one of the instructors came over and said 'That's not how we teach it.' I said, 'Did you play?' He said he played Division 1 college . . . OK. 'Here's the thing. These instructors want them to hit everything in the air. I tried to hit line drives. I think line drives are the way to go. The ball doesn't need to go 500 feet to get over the fence. If you hit a two-run homer and it goes 500 feet, you don't get extra runs for the extra 100 feet.' Eddie Murray hit 504 home runs over a 21-year career, and received MVP votes in eight straight seasons with the Orioles after he won Rookie of the Year in 1977. Seth Wenig/Associated Press While Rice and I were talking, Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Barry Larkin, plus two-time All-Star Eric Davis joined the conversation. All great hitters, they echoed the sentiments and experiences. They said they are not encouraged by their old teams to work with young talent. 'I try to talk to young hitters about all the motion they have, loading up at the plate to swing for the fence,' said Murray. 'I think a lot of that exposes them because they have more trouble getting out of the way on the ball thrown up and in, but they don't want to listen.' Advertisement It was largely the same when I spoke with Cal Ripken Jr. and 'I used to get asked if I could have more walks than strikeouts. Nobody does that now,' said Griffey. 'I was at least able to get more hits than strikeouts. Now I see good teams where the top three or four guys in the lineup all have more strikeouts than hits.' Indeed. Of the nine players in Boston's starting lineup for 'And let's talk about those cards inside their hats that tell them where to play guys,' he added. 'We didn't need that. We watched the games. We knew where to play guys.' Ken Griffey Jr. was in Cooperstown over the weekend after he attended All-Star festivities in his new capacity as a photographer. Carson Ming/Getty 'I saw a team positioning players more to the pull side on 0-2 counts,' said Larkin. 'I said, 'Why would you do that? That's moving them in the wrong direction.' And I was told, 'No, we expect guys to try to pull even more with 0-2 counts.' It's just crazy what they're teaching.' 'I don't watch any baseball anymore,' said Kaat. 'Last night at the Phillies party, I was sitting with Larry Bowa, Mike Schmidt, and Ted Simmons, and everyone was saying the same thing. It's the same with my morning coffee buddy, George Brett. It's almost sickening. I have yet to find one former player who thinks the game is great today. There's such a divide. 'I was talking with Tony Oliva and he said that Twins hitters are looking at a [tablet] after every swing they take. It's the same with pitchers. I think we could teach them how to pitch and control their fastball, but nobody asks. I had a nice conversation with Advertisement 'It's over for us,' said Kaat. 'The old-school GMs who knew baseball are gone. The scouts are gone. Ownership has decided this is the way they want to go. We've all become ⋅ Cooperstown-area hotels have concerns that other hotels needn't prioritize in block letters. Dan Shaughnessy/Globe Staff ⋅ You know your hotel is in Cooperstown when the stenciling on the indoor pool door reads, 'No food, drinks, bats, or balls allowed in pool area.' ⋅ Sunday's induction was delayed for about an hour by rain. Dave Parker's son, who looks exactly like his dad (who 'They told me he was too expensive for a singles hitter and I said, 'Yes, but it's a lot of singles,' ' recalled Valentine. 'I told them he was one of the five best players in the world.' Related : I asked Valentine if he's the best athlete in the history of Stamford, Conn. 'No,' he said. 'That would be [former New York Football Giant] Andy Robustelli.' Advertisement Here's Valentine on ⋅ Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred stumbled briefly while giving a speech at Ichiro's Hall party on Saturday night. When the commish stated that Ichiro never played for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, Ichiro said, 'Yes, I did!' A chagrinned Manfred made things worse by blaming the mistake on Wikipedia. Related : ⋅ Albert Pujols, who should be enshrined in the summer of 2028, made his first trip to Cooperstown, ⋅ Ryne Sandberg, the great Cub second baseman, was unable to attend because of a relapse of prostate cancer. Wade Boggs, who was enshrined the same summer as Sandberg and recently 'I think about Ryno every day,' said Boggs. 'It can be overwhelming. I was able to ring that bell, but he hasn't been so lucky.' Boggs and other Hall of Famers have recently been victims of AI social media scams in which they are rumored to be near death from illness. Boggs's family was alarmed by such a report last week, and his wife, Debbie, fielded a call from a television network asking for comment. Sandy Koufax, whose 90th birthday is Dec. 30, made it to the stage on Sunday. Jim McIsaac/Getty ⋅ Carew, ⋅ John Smoltz played golf in Cooperstown on Friday, flew back to Boston to broadcast ⋅ Kaat was on Boston's north shore a couple of weeks ago and played golf with Ray Bourque, Mike Andrews, and Dwight Evans. ⋅ No Rollie Fingers attended a 33rd consecutive induction. Receiving plaques on Sunday were, from left, Billy Wagner, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Willa Allen (widow of late inductee Dick Allen), and Dave Parker II (son of late inductee Dave Parker). Seth Wenig/Associated Press Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
The coach who develops Gloucester's future stars
When lock Arthur Clark made his international debut by starting for England on Saturday in their comprehensive win over the USA, it was a moment of personal pride. But it was also a huge success for his club Gloucester. The 23-year-old has come through the junior ranks at Hartpury College and the Cherry and Whites' academy to now having 40 games under his belt. Next season, he will be one of 14 former academy graduates in the 40-player Gloucester senior squad. Wayne Thompson is the man tasked with finding the next Clark, or Jonny May, or Lewis Ludlow, Louis Rees-Zammit or Freddie Thomas - players who have all come through the club's academy to establish themselves in the first team. A former prop, who played down the M5 motorway at Bristol for 13 years, Thompson was appointed in May 2024 when the club's academy was revamped and expanded. "The academy is one of the key strategies for the club as a whole," Thompson told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. "My remit has been to help bring players through, identify players and ensure the next generation of Gloucester talent, a streamline of players coming through." Gloucester have spent 'wisely' - Skivington The importance of Gloucester's academy has only grown in recent years as the club aims to cut its cloth and become more financially sustainable. Owner Martin St Quinton has said Gloucester's ambition is to financially break even and, as such, their reliance on developing young talent has only increased. Thompson's role as head of academy has, in many ways, never been more important. Even more so in light of wholesale changes made to its structure last summer. As part of the Professional Game Partnership agreed between the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and Rugby Players' Association announced in September, the geographical boundaries for the 10 Premiership clubs' academies were re-drawn. With Worcester and Wasps both no longer in the top flight, the boundaries of Gloucester's patch has spread and now includes Birmingham, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and as far as Shropshire and Oxford, as well as Gloucestershire. The setup for academies across the league has also altered and must encompass three phases - a foundation phase for age 15-16; a development phase for 17-18; and a confirmation phase, otherwise known as the senior academy, for those up to the age of 23. "The key thing for us as a club is having an affinity with the whole catchment now," Thompson said. "You've got a natural affinity with the local area in and around Gloucester but how do we create that cultural connection with those Midland areas, Oxford, Henley? "The more we engage with the community and the academy, through stakeholders - schools, clubs, parents, you'll start to see that grow." 'Starting to see the fruition of work' After hanging up his playing boots in 2013, Thompson spent 10 years working at Hartpury University as the junior academy manager, leading their under-18s programme Rees-Zammit, former scrum-half Stephen Varney and current Gloucester winger Josh Hathaway have all prospered under Thompson's watch during that time. "I'd always had an affiliation with Gloucester, stepping across probably has helped those links with players, and giving them playing opportunity through that Hartpury pathway," Thompson said. "We're starting to see the fruition of that with the players stepping across and up into this Gloucester senior squad and developing in the academy." Of the most recent crop of academy players, in the past year 12 have represented England at under-18, under-19 and under-20 age grades - most notably centre Will Knight, who featured in the recent World Rugby Under-20 Championship, while Caio James and Deian Gwynne represented Wales. This summer, 10 players have moved up from Gloucester's under-18s team to the senior academy - six of whom have come from the new catchment area. Yet Thompson says the real test will be how many players they have named in the England Under-20 Elite Player Pathway squad for 2025-26 when it is announced next month. "It'll be interesting to see how many of the lads that have played in that under-19s, under-18s age group this year get pulled through," Thompson said. "That for me is probably going to be the initial marker for us as an academy as to how far we've come in this last year and how much of an impact this bigger area and the work we've put in has shown through." Director of rugby George Skivington said in May that the talent coming through Gloucester this coming season is as good, if not better, than it ever has been. Thompson agreed he is "extremely excited" by the prospect of the players in the building although the challenge is to ensure they continue to progress forward. "The athletic potential of these lads, it's a different size, shape of your stereotypical Gloucester lads coming through," Thompson said. "How do we make sure that transition in the next two or three years isn't lost? And that we are seeing these lads forming the majority of the Gloucester team in four, five years."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Tottenham player ratings vs Reading: Mohammed Kudus dazzles as Pedro Porro performs
The first game of the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur ended in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Reading. Will Lankshear headed home early in the second-half to give the visitors the lead before Luka Vuskovic swept home a second minutes later. Sam Tabuteau rated Tottenham's players from Berkshire for Standard Sport. Antonin Kinsky 6 Not afraid to invite pressure in possession. But nearly gifted Reading the opening goal when flapping at the ball. His distribution will ensure he's never too far from Frank's thinking, even if Vicario is number one. Pedro Porro 8 The Spaniard was everywhere. Popping up on both flanks and saving Kinsky's blushes with a goalline clearance early on. Brentford ranked fifth for successful open play crosses in the Premier League last season, and Frank will look at Porro, who ranked second for successful crosses, as someone who can fit seamlessly into his system. Cristian Romero 6 Frank was coy on Romero's future at the club in his pre-match comments. The Dane will desperately hope the Argentine stays next season. Kevin Danso 6 A front-footed display, Danso was central to building play from the back. Destiny Udogie 6 Aggressive, attacking performance. Udogie will be key to how Frank wants to play. Rodrigo Bentancur 6 His energy will be the heartbeat of Frank's side. Comfortable in tight spaces, Tottenham need to tie down Bentancur to a new contract. Pape Matar Sarr 6 Had the best chance of the first-half but struggled to get hold of a scrappy affair. Alfie Devine 6 This will be a big pre-season for Devine as he looks to break into the first team. Some neat touches from the youngster, but certainly more to come. Brennan Johnson 5 Relatively anonymous from Tottenham's Europa League final hero. Dominic Solanke 7 Industrious performance from the Tottenham striker. He chased a lot of loose balls, which will have pleased Frank. The Dane wants his strikers to work out of possession. Mikey Moore 7 A busy performance from the teenager, who linked up well with Udogie. Guglielmo Vicario 6 Had nothing much to do as Reading struggled to create opportunities. Djed Spence 5 Caught in possession as Reading looked to hit back after conceding two quickfire goals in the second-half. An impressive campaign last year but he'll do well to oust Porro. Luka Vuskovic 8 The Croatian centre-back's performance was noted for his attacking impact rather than his defensive contributions. The 18-year-old scored and assisted Tottenham's two goals. Micky Van de Ven 6 A clean sheet and minutes in the bag. If Van de Ven can stay fit, there's no reason why Tottenham can't challenge for silverware. Ben Davies 6 Davies has already extended his stay at Tottenham until the end of next season. His experience will be important as the club look to fight on multiple fronts. Yves Bissouma 6 Broke out of pressure well and kept things ticking in the middle of the park. Bissouma's contract expires next summer, and it's unclear whether he figures in Frank's plans. Luca Bergvall 5 Should have been punished when caught in possession inside the area, but the referee waved away Reading's claims for a penalty. Jamie Donley 6 Another academy graduate, it was a solid if unspectacular display from Donley, who shone on loan at Leyton Orient last season. Mohammed Kudus 8 Straight into the action, swinging in the corner from which Lankshear would score before teeing up Vuskovic. Electric on the break, Kudus will be a lot of fun this season. Will Lankshear 7 He had an almost instant impact off the bench as he opened the scoring for Tottenham. Son Heung-Min 5 A quiet performance from Son. It remains to be seen whether he'll stay at the club next season.
