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Saugus boys steamroll through Hart Soccer Showcase

“We were kind of in a little bit of a of a lull with the last two games, you know,” Groller said. “We had a 1-0 lead on West Ranch that we gave up the lead and then ended up tying 1-1, and then had a 2-0 lead against Hart that we ended up losing. […]

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Saugus boys steamroll through Hart Soccer Showcase

“We were kind of in a little bit of a of a lull with the last two games, you know,” Groller said. “We had a 1-0 lead on West Ranch that we gave up the lead and then ended up tying 1-1, and then had a 2-0 lead against Hart that we ended up losing. So, you know, to come off of those two games and then come out and have such a strong showing is great for this push into the next half of league.” 

Here’s how the other teams from the Santa Clarita Valley fared at the showcase: 

Boys’ soccer 

Saugus forward Lincoln Fritz (9) kicks the ball during the first half of the game against Kennedy during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Lincoln Fritz (9) kicks the ball during the first half of the game against Kennedy during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Santiago Veizaga (11) goes up for a kick against Kennedy during the first half of the game during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Santiago Veizaga (11) goes up for a kick against Kennedy during the first half of the game during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal

Valencia beat Highland, Birmingham and Dos Pueblos by a combined score of 9-2. The game against Dos Pueblos saw Valencia win a nailbiter, 1-0, on a 35-yarder from fullback Dakota Baccelli that head coach Brian Miller said was “a goal worthy of winning any game.” 

The Centurions bested Kennedy, 6-0, before losing to Liberty, 2-0. The final game saw Saugus dominate Taft, 12-0. 

Audrey Smith recorded two goals and two assists, Emily Thompson had a goal and three assists, and Gianna Sandoval and Ashley Pence each scored twice. 

Canyon defeated Flintridge Prep, 1-0, with Benton Watkins scoring for Canyon. Kyle Mora and Johnny Mejia combined for five saves in net for the Cowboys. 

Saugus forward Alec Turner (14) fights for the ball against Kennedy's Erik Carillo (4) during the second half of the game during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Alec Turner (14) fights for the ball against Kennedy’s Erik Carillo (4) during the second half of the game during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Daniel Nilson (8) fights for the ball against Kennedy during the first half of the game during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Daniel Nilson (8) fights for the ball against Kennedy during the first half of the game during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal

Saugus (2-1): Like Hart, the Saugus Centurions won their opener and their final game, but lost the middle one. 

The Hawks started with a 4-0 win over Taft before falling to Flintridge Prep, 2-1. They rebounded with a 5-1 win over Thousand Oaks. 

The Cowboys couldn’t convert in their next two games, falling 2-0 to Van Nuys and 3-0 to San Fernando. Canyon’s keepers combined for 13 saves in those two games. 

Hart (2-1): Two wins were sandwiched around a loss for the Hart Hawks. 

Girls’ soccer 

Saugus midfielder Ivan Grgas (22) heads the ball against Kennedy's Cristofer Morales (17) during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus midfielder Ivan Grgas (22) heads the ball against Kennedy’s Cristofer Morales (17) during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Lincoln Fritz (9) scores a goal during the first half of the game against Kennedy during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Lincoln Fritz (9) scores a goal during the first half of the game against Kennedy during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal

Lorelai Cabrera scored twice in the win over Vaughn. Chloe Miller and Jilliana DiDomenico scored the other goals. 

Boys’ teams played Thursday and Friday, while girls’ teams played on Friday and Saturday. All games were played at either College of the Canyons or Hart High in the second year of the showcase since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It didn’t take long for Saugus boys’ soccer to move on from a couple of negative results to end Foothill League play in 2024. 

Saugus forward Lincoln Fritz (9) scores a goal during the first half of the game against Kennedy during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus forward Lincoln Fritz (9) scores a goal during the first half of the game against Kennedy during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus celebrates the second goal of the game against Kennedy during the second half of the game during Hart's Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus celebrates the second goal of the game against Kennedy during the second half of the game during Hart’s Soccer Showcase at Hart High School on Friday, Dec. 27. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal

No goals were allowed into the Grizzlies’ net after beating Fulton, Vaughn and Grant by a combined score of 20-0. 

“I feel like we were coming off of our last couple games where we were a little bit lacking in our creativity and creating opportunities for us, and so that was our big focus for this tournament,” said Saugus head coach Seth Groller. “And yeah, 19 goals in three games is just phenomenal, but we have it in us and it’s an amazing thing when everything kind of starts working and we start that creativeness.” 

Hart (3-0): Only three goals were scored in the three games involving the Hart Hawks, but all three won a game for Hart. 

Ava Garcia led the way for the Grizzlies with three goals and four assists, but was nearly matched by Aubrey Esqueda’s four goals and two assists, Ava Eilola’s four goals and two assists and Audrey Tait’s four goals and two assists. 

It was the exact response that Groller said he wanted to see after the Centurions were up 2-0 over Hart before conceding five goals unanswered. 

Saugus had tied West Ranch and lost to Hart in its final two league games before the holiday break. 

DiDomenico scored all four in a 4-3 win over Channel Islands. 

Canyon's Robert Mora (6) tries to shield the ball during Friday's game against San Fernando High at Hart High on Dec. 27, 2024. Habeba Mostafa/The Signal.
Canyon’s Robert Mora (6) tries to shield the ball during Friday’s game against San Fernando High at Hart High on Dec. 27, 2024. Habeba Mostafa/The Signal.
Canyon's Karson Spencer (2) runs after a loose ball during Friday's game against San Fernando High at Hart High on Dec. 27, 2024. Habeba Mostafa/The Signal.
Canyon’s Karson Spencer (2) runs after a loose ball during Friday’s game against San Fernando High at Hart High on Dec. 27, 2024. Habeba Mostafa/The Signal.

Marcos Garza, Bryan Barron and Matt Cole got the goals, with assists recorded by Andrew Zamora and Barron, whose goal came on a late free kick to beat El Camino. 

“Overall, the focus for many teams at our showcase is to stay in rhythm and game shape over the holiday season, while having the opportunity to play entire rosters that maybe don’t see as much of the field in league play,” Croft wrote in a text message. “Excited for next year’s showcase.” 

Canyon's Ivan Robles (17) looks to pass to a teammate during Friday's game against San Fernando High at Hart High on Dec. 27, 2024. Habeba Mostafa/The Signal.
Canyon’s Ivan Robles (17) looks to pass to a teammate during Friday’s game against San Fernando High at Hart High on Dec. 27, 2024. Habeba Mostafa/The Signal.

Krystal Hernandez scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Kennedy. 

“Him just putting in that work and just keeping it going, taking the shot — it’s a good feeling, keeps our energy staying high and just keep pushing through,” Fritz said. 

Foothill League games are set to resume on Tuesday. 

Hart’s Makenna Herrick (26) kicks the ball to an open teammate during the Hart Soccer Showcase against Dos Pueblos at the COC upper field on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Hart’s Makenna Herrick (26) kicks the ball to an open teammate during the Hart Soccer Showcase against Dos Pueblos at the COC upper field on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal

Croft said he was able to play every player on the roster in the first two games. He added that the response in the final game was good to see as his players “came out like it was a win-or-go-home game” despite the showcase being a round-robin type with no true tournament winner. 

Canyon (3-0): After shutting out Vaughn in a 4-0 win to open the showcase, the Canyon Cowboys had to fight to finish 3-0. 

The final goal was possibly the highlight of the match, a 30-yard long-range belter from sophomore defender Dante Santamaria that had the whole Saugus bench running to celebrate. 

Playing in the Hart Soccer Showcase in the days following Christmas, the Saugus Centurions steamrolled their way through their three games, winning by a combined score of 19-4. 

Senior Lincoln Fritz had a goal and two assists in that game, including an overhead assist to find fellow senior Santiago Veizaga to put the Centurions ahead in the opening minutes of the second half. Veizaga added an assist when he crossed in a ball from the right wing to find junior Ivan Grgas for the Centurions’ fourth goal. 

The final game saw the Centurions best Kennedy, 5-1, at Hart High after the game was tied 1-1 at the half. 

Valencia’s Kylee Rose (17) kicks the ball toward an open teammate and past Highland players during the Hart Soccer Showcase game held at COC Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Valencia’s Kylee Rose (17) kicks the ball toward an open teammate and past Highland players during the Hart Soccer Showcase game held at COC Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Valencia’s Katelyn Orr (7) kicks the ball toward the goal during the Hart Soccer Showcase game against Highland held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Valencia’s Katelyn Orr (7) kicks the ball toward the goal during the Hart Soccer Showcase game against Highland held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal

Makea Leonard had four goals in the three games while Makeli Leonard had three goals and two assists. 

Valencia’s Gwendalyn Wiercioch (12) (back)and a Highland player fight for the ball during the Hart Soccer Showcase held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Valencia’s Gwendalyn Wiercioch (12) (back)and a Highland player fight for the ball during the Hart Soccer Showcase held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Hart’s Kelly Wieckowski (11) attempts to control the ball as Dos Pueblos players go after it during the Hart Soccer Showcase on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Hart’s Kelly Wieckowski (11) attempts to control the ball as Dos Pueblos players go after it during the Hart Soccer Showcase on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal

Golden Valley (3-0): The Golden Valley Grizzlies upped their unbeaten streak to seven games after going 3-0 at the showcase. 

“Working as a team, finding the space, using the space, movement on and off of the ball, just mainly working together,” Fritz said of what was working in the showcase games. 

Senior Colby McKelvey had a goal and two assists. 

Canyon’s Samantha Lee (7) fights to get control of the ball against a Vaughn player during the Hart Soccer Showcase game held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Canyon’s Samantha Lee (7) fights to get control of the ball against a Vaughn player during the Hart Soccer Showcase game held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Canyon’s Jilliana DiDomenico (22)  seeks out an open teammate during the Hart Soccer Showcase against Vaughn at the COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Canyon’s Jilliana DiDomenico (22) seeks out an open teammate during the Hart Soccer Showcase against Vaughn at the COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal

Kaitlyn Berg and Sofie Fontal each had two goals in the showcase for Valencia. The other goals were scored by Andrea Maya, Sacha Vera, Alyssa Owens and Ella Kirschner. 

Hart took down Thousand Oaks, El Camino Real and Palmdale Aerospace Academy, all by 1-0 scores. 

Canyon’s Samantha Lee (7) kicks the towards the goal against Vaughn during the Hart Soccer Showcase held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Canyon’s Samantha Lee (7) kicks the towards the goal against Vaughn during the Hart Soccer Showcase held at COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Canyon’s Jessica Lyday (13) controls the ball during the Hart Soccer Showcase game against Vaughn at the COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal
Canyon’s Jessica Lyday (13) controls the ball during the Hart Soccer Showcase game against Vaughn at the COC Cougar Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Katherine Quezada/The Signal

Canyon (1-2): A 1-0 win to start off the showcase didn’t last as the Canyon Cowboys lost their next two games. 

Saugus was one of a few Foothill League squads to take part in the showcase. Hart girls’ head coach Brett Croft said it’s a good opportunity for many teams to stay in shape during the two-week holiday break. 

Jadyn Mata had two goals and an assist while Brianna Avila had two goals and an assist. Isabella Ruiz added two assists. 

Valencia (3-0): The Valencia Vikings could be hitting their stride at an opportune time, taking all three games at the showcase to push their winning streak to four. 

High School Sports

District 6 Summit Highlights Progress

1 hour ago CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Community members gathered for a summit hosted by Councilmember Jenni Berz to reflect on progress and priorities in District 6. The event focused on economic development, housing, transportation, and other efforts to improve the quality of life across the district. We spoke to Richard Johnson, Chair of Midtown […]

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District 6 Summit Highlights Progress

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Community members gathered for a summit hosted by Councilmember Jenni Berz to reflect on progress and priorities in District 6.

The event focused on economic development, housing, transportation, and other efforts to improve the quality of life across the district.

We spoke to Richard Johnson, Chair of Midtown Connects, and this is what he had to say about today’s events and Jenni Berz: 

“Well, I’m very pleased that Councilwoman Jenni Berz is carrying on the tradition that Carol Berz had for a number of years. This is, I think, probably the ninth year the summit has been in play. I think it’s probably the first district that’s had this Summit, and the summit, as I say, is just a state of the community.”

The summit brought neighbors, leaders, and city officials together for meaningful dialogue and community connection.

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High School Sports

Six high school takeaways, with New Balance track, coaching moves, college commitments …

Ryan Kyle was named the Gatorade Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year after breaking the state record in the 400-meter hurdles during a Meet of Champions win. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff After a record-breaking outdoor season, Westford Academy’s Ryan Kyle has been named the Gatorade Massachusetts Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year. […]

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Six high school takeaways, with New Balance track, coaching moves, college commitments ...

Ryan Kyle was named the Gatorade Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year after breaking the state record in the 400-meter hurdles during a Meet of Champions win.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

After a record-breaking outdoor season, Westford Academy’s Ryan Kyle has been named the Gatorade Massachusetts Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year. The 6-foot, 185-pound senior, who has committed to Rhode Island, won both the 400-meter and 110 hurdles, as well as the decathlon, at the Division 1 championship, then broke his own state record in the 400 hurdles at the Meet of the Champions, winning in 51.72 seconds.“These last couple years, I’ve learned not to put limits on the times I can run or the achievements I can get,” Kyle said after the Meet of Champions. “Once I beat the state record at the league championships, I knew I could keep climbing.” Kyle went on to finish ninth at New Balance Nationals in the 400 hurdles (52.50). Ryan Kyle of Westford Academy was all smiles after seeing his 110-meter hurdles win displayed on the scoreboard during the Division 1 championship. Barry Chin/Globe Staff“Ryan is the athlete every coach dreams of having: talented, driven and never satisfied,” said Westford coach Philip Archambault. “All are terrific attributes, but his ability to bring others along and make them a critical part of the team is what makes him one to watch.” Kyle, who graduated with a 3.27 GPA, volunteers with the Special Olympics and as a youth football and basketball coach. With one more announcement to be made (girls’ track) the 2024-25 Gatorade winners are:Phillips Andover’s Tam Gavenas (boys’ cross-country), Needham’s Greta Hammer (girls’ cross-country), Milton Academy’s Josh Partal (boys’ soccer), Hopkinton’s Maddie Recupero (girls’ soccer), Needham’s Aidan Williams (football), Newton North’s Sasha Selivan (girls’ volleyball), Bedford’s Alyx Rossi (softball), Austin Prep’s Bradley McCafferty (baseball), CATS Academy’s Jaylen Harrell (boys’ basketball), and Noble & Greenough’s Christina Pham (girls’ basketball).

1. Bay Staters go national

Kyle wasn’t the only Massachusetts track star to shine at the New Balance Nationals last weekend at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

While there were no national champs from the Bay State, there were three runners-up. Gavenas was second in the boys’ two mile in 8:53.71, Marblehead senior Nate Assa placed second in the 5,000 in 14:25.19, and Brookline’s distance medley relay of Theodore Butty, Elijah Sweeney, Harry Flint, Altamo Ashkenasy snagged silver in 9:55.24.

Seven other individuals and four relays turned in top-10 finishes: Catholic Memorial sophomore Amar Skeete of West Roxbury placed third in the boys’ triple jump (50-5.25), Westford junior Abigail Hennessy took third in the girls’ mile (4:34.69), Peabody senior Alessandra Forgiona placed third in the javelin (144-1), Lexington junior Aubrey Deardorf was fifth in the girls’ long jump (19-9), Belmont Hill senior Josiah Gomes, of Dorchester, was sixth in the boys’ discus (188-7), BB&N senior Avery Hart was eighth in the girls’ long jump (19-4.5), Weymouth senior Ainsley Weber was eighth in the javelin (134-8), Lexington junior Ainsley Cuthbertson claimed ninth in the girls’ hammer throw (160-8), and Hopedale junior Ari Levine was ninth in the boys’ shot put (60-6).

The Lexington girls’ 4×800 relay, made up of Callie Glenn, Natalie Bielat, Jane Conrad, and Amelia Whorton, placed fourth in 9:09.84, while Conrad, Glenn, Whorton and Lucy Kontos teamed up to give the Minutewomen a seventh-place finish in the 4-by-mile (20.41.66). The Old Rochester boys’ 4×110 shuttle hurdles relay (Wesner Archelus, Calder Eaton, Malik Washburn, Sebastian Harrigan) placed seventh in 59.88, as did the Boston Jesuit 4-by-mile, with Shamus Larnard, John Wilson, Owen Geagan, and Greg McGrath finishing in 17:29.22.

Other top 20 finishes included Holliston senior Connor Teague in the long jump (18th at 22-6.5), North Reading girls’ shuttle hurdles (14th in 1:06.61), Winchester girls’ distance medley (19th in 12:19.47), Weymouth’s girls’ distance medley (20th in 12:19.50), Danvers senior Kye McClory in the javelin (16th at 173 feet), Hennessy in the 800 (12th in 2:08.22), Acton-Boxborough senior Emerson Gould in the girls’ pole vault (15th in 12-1.5), Lexington junior Franz Schroder in the boys’ hammer throw (29th in 188-1), Weston junior Oscar Torres in the boys’ triple jump (47-4.25), Lincoln-Sudbury senior Gabrielle Pierre in the girls’ triple jump (12th at 39-9.25), Natick junior Chloe Elder in the girls’ 400 (16th in 54.73), Natick’s mixed 4×400 relay (11th in 3:40.32), Lowell’s mixed 4×400 relay (14th in 3:41.29), Natick senior Sydni Chandler in the girls’ heptathlon (14th with 4,100 points), North Reading senior Giuliana Ligor in the 400 hurdles (14th in 1:00.76), Weston junior Solana Varela in the 400 hurdles (18th in 1:00.84), Lowell’s boys’ sprint medley relay (17th in 3:30.38), Haverhill’s Madeline Goncalves in the girls’ shot put (14th at 41-10), Arlington’s Bella Hayes in the girls’ shot put (17th at 41-5), and Peabody’s Alex Jackson in the boys’ discus (12th at 183-10).

In the middle school competition, Charlet Livingston of Boston, who competes for the MetroCobras Track Club, placed sixth in the shot put with a throw of 41-0.5. Other Top 20 middle school finishers included West Roxbury’s Desmond Sullivan, who runs with the FXD Hawks Track Club, taking 15th in the 800 (2:02.94) and 16th in the mile (4:37.66), Millis’s Emma Genovese placed 15th in the mile (5:07.97), Sterling’s Annika Kindorf was 16th in the 800 (2:17.09), and Lexington’s Daniel Sun finished 19th in the shot put (42-8.75).

2. Commitment central

After an incredible career at Medfield, including a Division 3 state championship in 2024 and All-American honors, senior FOGO Johnny Olenik will continue his lacrosse career at Syracuse, owner of 15 national championships, and a Final Four participant in 2025.

Randolph’s Amahn Williams, a rising senior at Tabor Academy, announced his commitment to play football at Central Florida. The 6-foot-5-inch, 280-pound interior offensive lineman had offers from BC, UMass, UConn, Buffalo, Old Dominion, and Sacramento State.

Burlington senior Grace Seaman, the two-time Middlesex League Freedom Division MVP, announced she will play volleyball at Hamilton. The Red Devils’ single-season record holder for aces and kills, Seaman also holds career marks for aces, digs, and kills.

Carver senior Jack Balzarini, a 6-2, 190-pound quarterback, has committed to play football at Hudson Valley Community College. He threw for 2,229 yards and ran for 546 as a senior, totaling 40 touchdowns and throwing for a state-record seven scores in a win over Bourne.

Former Sandwich hockey standout Chris Cotillo, who last played for the Smith Falls Bears in the CCHL, has committed to skate for UMass Dartmouth.

Eldon Terry, a 6-9, 210-pound center who attended Brockton High and CASH in Boston, announced he’ll be leaving Quincy College to play basketball at Concord University, a Division 2 school in West Virginia.

Former Amesbury and Austin Prep baseball standout Jake Harring is transferring from Hofstra to Salve Regina. The 5-7, 155-pound rising sophomore played in 15 games for the Lions.

Patrick Otey, a Westwood resident who just finished his sophomore season at CATS Academy, announced he will be transferring to St. Thomas More (Conn.). A 6-5 guard and the No. 29 recruit in the Class of 2027, he has offers from Providence, Florida State, and Villanova.

Tabor added a pair of recruits with size: 6-9 junior forward Isaac Saas, a rising junior from Beverly, and Billy Stewart, a 6-7 rising junior forward from the Bancroft School who hails from Auburn.

Leshon Crawford, a former football and basketball star at Rockland, will take over the girls’ basketball program at Weymouth. Crawford has served as an assistant at Quincy College and is director of the Level Up Hoops AAU program.

Weymouth is coming off an 0-19 season, but was 20-5 and reached the Division 1 quarterfinals in 2023-24 with Doug Kirby at the helm.

▪ BC High announced that Mark Whitehouse has been promoted to head soccer coach. Whitehouse has coached at the school since 2011, working his way up from freshman assistant. Whitehouse also coaches rugby and teaches math at BC High, which went 7-6-7 in its final season under Billy Ryan.

“I’m truly excited to get started,” Whitehouse said in a statement. ”My goal is to take the next big step with the program —modernizing our style of play and competing to win the state championship.”

Whitehouse played at Long Island and with the Longridge Town Football Club in the English Conference League, and has coached club and youth teams.

“Mark has a clear vision for the soccer program,” said BC High AD Tom Conley in a statement. “I am confident our young men will develop as players and he will help them reach their goals and get them to the next level while becoming better men.”

Ryan retired in May after coaching BC High for 32 years, winning more than 300 games and a state championship.

▪ After 11 seasons, Anthony Palladino is stepping down as the Joseph Case football coach. He will remain the school’s athletic director. Palladino, who played at Bridgewater State, helped turn the Cardinals around, leading them to a South Coast Conference title in 2019, their first in 27 years. Assistant coach Alex Monteiro, also a BSU graduate and assistant coach with the Bears, will serve as Case’s interim head coach for the 2025 season.

▪ After three straight seasons struggling to compete in the Patriot League, Quincy and North Quincy will be combining their hockey programs for the 2025-26 campaign and 16-year North Quincy coach Matt Gibbons will take the helm of the co-op. They will continue to compete in the Fisher Division.

The Presidents and Raiders combined to go 11-29-1 last season, and the last winning record between them was Quincy’s 12-8-2 mark in 2021-22. They’re a combined 27-91-5 since.

▪ Robbie Winter is taking over as the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake girls’ hockey coach. W-H/S-L is coming off an 11-10 record and a Division 1 tournament appearance under Jim Stone.

Winter, who played men’s hockey at Curry, is director of Boston’s Eastern Hockey Federation, the largest club youth hockey league in the country. He has coached the Boston Jr. Terriers U14 Tier 1 team for six years, is a member of the Massachusetts Hockey Board of Directors, and served as girls hockey director of the South Shore Eagles.

“We are excited to welcome coach Winter to our program,” said Whitman-Hanson AD Bob Rodgers in a statement. “His extensive experience in girls hockey and proven track record of player development make him an ideal fit.”

▪ Keith Davie will be taking over as Newton South athletic director after Patricia Gonzalez retired after 11 years in the position. Davie is being promoted from assistant AD and has experience as athletic director at Nyack College.

▪ Richkaard Verrier is the new athletic director at Westwood High. Previously the assistant AD at Needham and Brookline, he also worked for the New England Revolution for five years. He has coached boys’ JV soccer at Milton and Foxborough and played at Curry. He succeeds Matthew Gillis, who announced his retirement earlier this month after 33 years in the school district.

4. ‘Wally’ Seaver Invite adds North tournament

The 14th “Wally” Seaver High School Invitational has a new addition this year, with a North event to be held at St. John’s Prep on Saturday and Sunday, followed by the main event at Mass Premier in Foxborough and The Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton July 26-27. More than 150 teams are slated to compete between the two events.

5. Red Sox hand out scholarships

One hundred public high school graduates from across New England received $1,000 college scholarships the Red Sox Foundation as part of the New England Service Scholarships.

The recipients, 31 of whom are from Massachusetts, will be honored before the Red Sox vs. Blue Jays game Friday at Fenway Park. They were selected for their meaningful impact through local community service.

Malden’s Abigail Lee will receive the inaugural Somers Scholarship, which honors the late Helen Somers, a 1946 Malden graduate and the mother of Fenway Sports Group partner Steve Somers.

The program has provided scholarships to more than 1,900 students since 2010.

6. NFHS teams with RefReps

The National Federation of State High School Associations is entering an exclusive deal with RefReps as its officiating education technology and curriculum partner.

The NFHS, and the MIAA, have previously worked with RefReps, which led to the launch of NFHS Digital, a mobile app for distributing and accessing official rules publications.

“Making this partnership official was an easy decision,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS CEO and a Marblehead High graduate (Class of ’83). “RefReps reimagined the officiating education experience, and it is easy to see the remarkable impact that it has had on the industry. What they have accomplished with their digital platforms and curriculum is reshaping the future of sports as a whole.”


Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.

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High School Sports

Laguna Beach tragedy highlights how rare — and serious — teen driving lesson crashes can be

It was a devastating accident — and a rare one. Last month in Laguna Beach, while a 15-year-old girl was out on a driving lesson with her father, their car rolled through a fence and down an embankment from a closed grocery store parking lot to Coast Highway below. She was seriously injured but expected […]

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Laguna Beach tragedy highlights how rare — and serious — teen driving lesson crashes can be

It was a devastating accident — and a rare one.

Last month in Laguna Beach, while a 15-year-old girl was out on a driving lesson with her father, their car rolled through a fence and down an embankment from a closed grocery store parking lot to Coast Highway below. She was seriously injured but expected to survive.

Her father, a passenger in the car, did not.

The crash appears to have been caused by the teen confusing the gas and brake pedals, Laguna Beach police Lt. Jesse Schmidt said.

Crashes involving teen drivers are not uncommon. In 2022, 12% of all fatal crashes in California involved young drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And nationally, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of unintentional death in 2020 for people ages 15 to 24.

But fatal crashes involving 15-year-old drivers with permits are far less common.

While the Laguna Beach crash stunned the community, such tragedies are unusual — in part because these drivers are typically more cautious. Teens with permits are often freshly familiar with traffic laws, having just passed the written exam. It’s usually their first time behind the wheel, and they’re required to drive with a licensed adult over 25 — often a parent or professional instructor — which adds a layer of supervision not present for fully licensed drivers.

But even with these safeguards, crashes can still happen. And safety officials say that’s exactly why early driver education and calm, intentional practice are so important.

California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Pereyda wasn’t speaking specifically about the Laguna Beach crash, but said routine misjudgments — like confusing the pedals or misreading a gear — can have serious consequences for new drivers.

“They’re basically learning how to drive for the first time,” Pereyda said. “So the more practice they get, the better they get.”

According to finalized California Highway Patrol data, Los Angeles County recorded 818 fatal crashes overall in 2022. Just one involved a 15-year-old driver at fault. In Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, there were zero fatal crashes involving 15-year-olds that year — despite hundreds of fatalities across those regions.

Preliminary 2024 data shows similarly low numbers: one fatal crash each in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, and none in Orange County involving 15-year-old drivers. By comparison, those same counties recorded hundreds of fatal crashes overall in 2024 — including 610 in Los Angeles County, 276 in San Bernardino, 247 in Riverside and 154 in Orange. The data is still under review and may change as it is finalized.

While the data doesn’t confirm whether those 15-year-old drivers held learner’s permits, most legal drivers on the road at that age are typically in that phase of the licensing process.

Pereyda helps lead the CHP’s teen driver safety programs, including Start Smart, a class for teens and their parents that covers basic laws, license restrictions, and common risk factors like inexperience and distractions. Another program, Impact Teen Drivers, brings real stories of fatal crashes to high schools, often through family members of victims.

While some crashes are caused by distractions like phones or loud passengers, others come down to instinct and experience — or a lack thereof. That’s why experts urge families to build confidence gradually.

Driving instructors often recommend that new drivers begin in flat, wide-open parking lots, away from other vehicles, to practice basic skills without added pressure. Once teens are comfortable steering, braking and accelerating, they can move on to light traffic areas under supervision.

Pereyda also recommends starting with lower-powered vehicles and emphasizes the tone parents set in the car.

“Try to be as calm as you can,” he said. “You want them to feel comfortable — but not too comfortable — so that they can learn in a healthy way. And make sure they know the responsibility of driving… your life could be taken or another’s could be taken.”

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College Sports

S Rower Turns Your Smart Trainer Into Smart Rower

 A new company at Eurobike, S Rower, is aiming to turn your existing smart trainer into a smart rower, with its bolt-on attachment that works with pretty much any direct drive smart trainer. The company unveiled itself (and its product) here at Eurobike 2025, with a hardware accessory that takes advantage of the relatively […]

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S Rower Turns Your Smart Trainer Into Smart Rower

A new company at Eurobike, S Rower, is aiming to turn your existing smart trainer into a smart rower, with its bolt-on attachment that works with pretty much any direct drive smart trainer. The company unveiled itself (and its product) here at Eurobike 2025, with a hardware accessory that takes advantage of the relatively universal standards of smart trainers, including both hardware attachment points as well as software control.

I had a chance to briefly look at the two pre-production units they had brought to Eurobike, which were mounted to both an Elite Suito smart trainer, as well as a Tacx NEO 2 smart trainer. What’s notable is that neither of those smart trainers are new or high-end by today’s standards, with the Suito being 7-8 years old, and the Tacx NEO 2 being about the same.

Ok, so starting off with the hardware first. The unit is an aluminum beam, currently as one giant piece. It sounds like for production they’ll likely aim to break it apart into two pieces with some sort of attachment coupling mechanism in the middle, mainly to simplify shipping, but storage as well. In any event, today you’ve got the main beam, and then it attaches to the head-unit component at the top.

Of course you’ve got your seat that rolls along the beam, along with a spot for pedals to be installed.

So, moving upwards towards the smart trainer, we’ve got the S Rower ‘head unit’, or main module. This attaches to your smart trainer via its cassette. It uses a standard bicycle thru-axle to attach to the trainer just like your bike would, except that instead of a chain, it locks onto the cassette’s outer most gear:

Then, inside the S Rower module (the case looking part), there’s a belt drive that connects to a wheel, which in turn connects to the rower handle. Note that it is indeed a belt drive, not a chain drive. Thus, it’s totally silent.

Atop that you see a small display, that’s just a simple tablet placed up there in a groove. You can attach any tablet you want, though I suspect the exact specifics of that little grove will change slightly by the time it ships.

Meanwhile, the tablet is running whatever smart trainer software you want. That’s because the S Rower doesn’t actually care what software you have, since that’s between your app and the smart trainer. Sure, they have a demo application here, in which case it’s using Bluetooth FTMS to control the trainer’s resistance level, but it could be any application.

For example, in chatting with the icTrainer app folks shortly after this, a few booths over, they already support structured workouts for rowing, and they already support every smart trainer on the market (and it costs a mere $29/year). Seems like a pretty obvious future pairing.

But again, that’s the cool part of standards – it doesn’t matter. The S Rower is leveraging cycling axle & cassette standards that work on every direct drive smart trainer ever made. And in turn, whatever app the user ultimately uses for the rowing portion is also leveraging with ANT+ FE-C or Bluetooth FTMS standards that have also been on every smart trainer made in the last 12-15 years. Again, standards are fun.

In any case, on to the most important: pricing and availability. Right now the company is aiming to start delivering products in Q2 2026 (so next spring), and the units will be produced in Italy. The units will be priced at $695USD, though you can pre-order today and there’s a discount down to $520USD.

To me, that seems ($520) incredibly reasonable compared to full blown rowers (normally $1,000 for non-smart integrated ones, such as the Concept 2). If you added the cost of a budget smart trainer ($400), or a secondhand one ($200-$300), you’re still talking substantially less than most smart rower setups (many of which don’t fold away very easily). Assuming the company can manage to deliver on the availability, and most critically, what rowers think of the rowing feel/inertia, I suspect they could be a runaway success.

But as always, time will tell. I suppose we’ll have to see next Eurobike, in late June 2026, whether or not they’ve hit their goals.

With that – thanks for reading!

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High School Sports

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Marshall Manning, the son of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, has put together an impressive highlight reel at quarterback, which I’m sure comes to the surprise of no one. Adding to the impressiveness of the highlight reel is that Marshall hasn’t even played a high school snap yet. He won’t be a freshman until […]

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Marshall Manning, the son of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, has put together an impressive highlight reel at quarterback, which I’m sure comes to the surprise of no one.

Adding to the impressiveness of the highlight reel is that Marshall hasn’t even played a high school snap yet. He won’t be a freshman until the fall.

Manning is in the 2029 recruiting class, and below is a glimpse of the numerous highlights that are on his Hudl page.

Peyton, as we know, played at Tennessee before he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. Marshall’s uncle, Eli Manning, played at Ole Miss and was the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.

Archie Manning, Marshall’s grandfather, was the second overall pick in the 1971 NFL draft out of Ole Miss, while Marshall’s cousin, Arch Manning, currently plays at Texas.

Of course, there is a long ways to go, but this highlight reel is what a future NFL quarterback looks like.

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High School Sports

Guest opinion

Across the state, emergency room nurses like myself have simultaneously been preparing for and dreading this day: Utah has now confirmed its first three measles cases in the current outbreak. There is good reason why even one case of measles triggers a heightened response. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans. […]

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Across the state, emergency room nurses like myself have simultaneously been preparing for and dreading this day: Utah has now confirmed its first three measles cases in the current outbreak.

There is good reason why even one case of measles triggers a heightened response. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans. Prior to the development of the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine, measles hospitalized tens of thousands of U.S. children each year, killed several hundred and wiped the immune memory of many others.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in the year 2000, but the number of outbreaks has increased in recent years. Thus far in 2025, the U.S. has confirmed 1,214 measles cases across 36 states — already more than quadruple the number of cases reported in all of 2024. Sadly, this has resulted in three deaths and 146 hospitalizations, predominantly among children.

Leading scientists warn that measles may again become endemic in the United States if vaccination rates remain the same as they are today. In other words, if nothing changes, we could be looking at a future where parents are unable to take their babies to church, daycare, the doctor, or a local museum without potentially exposing them to measles.

Let’s be clear: these outbreaks are preventable. Disease transmission happens when vaccine coverage drops, and Utah is no exception to this reality.

Courtesy photo

Tricia Bunderson

Ten years ago, over 90% of Utah kindergarteners were adequately immunized. Today, that overall number has dropped to 85.7%, with more granular data showing some concerning trends:

  • Vaccine exemptions in Utah have risen dramatically over the last few years.
  • Online students, although they don’t congregate in public school buildings, now have a vaccine exemption rate of over 50%.
  • Charter schools have roughly double the exemption rate compared to district or private schools.
  • Currently, 11.2% of Utah students are missing their MMR documentation, and exemption rates jump significantly higher in certain pockets and rural areas around the state.
  • There are a number of Utah schools with barely over 50% of students who are adequately immunized. (You can look up your own school’s vaccine coverage on the state immunization dashboard).

These trends create an environment that is ripe for the spread of measles.

Fortunately, kids and adults who have received their MMR vaccine have already put on their proverbial armor. Two doses offer 97% protection against infection, which is truly remarkable.

However, despite such robust vaccine effectiveness, Utah is seeing a drop in vaccination rates. There are many reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and those questions and concerns should be met with compassion and curiosity, not shame or blame.

Many parents are navigating a confusing information landscape, where it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that an increasing number of people are encountering false claims about measles and the MMR vaccine, and more than half of Americans feel uncertain about what to believe.

As persuasive online rumors fuel an atmosphere of distrust, it’s more important than ever to know where to get accurate, reliable medical information. Your pediatrician and other qualified healthcare professionals can answer questions about vaccines, clarify any concerns, and provide guidance based on extensive evidence and years of medical training.

It’s crucial to recognize that those who distort the facts often dress up disinformation in the language of “choice” and “freedom.” But this intentionally warps the conversation. Lies and half-truths that convince good people to reject established knowledge aren’t liberating; they’re fundamentally disempowering. In reality, accurate and trustworthy information creates the foundation of true personal agency.

The current measles outbreak has highlighted how individual choices about vaccines affect the wider community. Every choice to vaccinate — or not — shapes the health of those around us. Vaccines not only protect individuals but also create a shield for vulnerable people who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Maintaining high vaccination rates ensures protection for everyone.

This moment is a wake-up call. We have the tools to stop this outbreak and to prevent future ones. We must seek accurate information, have open conversations with medical professionals, and remember that our choices ripple outward, touching lives far beyond our own. Through vaccination, we have the power to protect our communities and build a future free from the ravages of preventable disease.

Tricia Bunderson is an ER nurse who lives in Lehi.

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