High School Sports
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. […]

“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


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 (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


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.


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.


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.”

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.

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.


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


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.


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 (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 […]


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.
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. […]

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.
Congrats to #MedLax’s John Olenik (2025, FOGO) on his commitment to @CuseMLAX
#LetsGo @MedfieldAD @NELaxJournal @bostonlaxnet @BostonHeraldHS @Prep_Lacrosse @ILPreps @coachpughlax @GlobeSchools @HometownWeekly @nweitzer7 @toplaxrecruits @tyxanders @BConn63 pic.twitter.com/VdEbDi8wOi
— Medfield HS Lacrosse (@Med_Lax) June 25, 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.
AGTG
pic.twitter.com/BB86xfjnPO
— Amahn Williams (@justamahn) June 16, 2025
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.
— BHSdevilsVBALL (@BHSdevilsVolley) June 26, 2025
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.
JUCO – Hudson Valley Community College pic.twitter.com/AIX0hWzMAy
— Michael Balzarini (@Balza79Michael) June 24, 2025
Former Sandwich hockey standout Chris Cotillo, who last played for the Smith Falls Bears in the CCHL, has committed to skate for UMass Dartmouth.
COMMITMENT ALERT
Bears ‘05 Forward Chris Cardillo has committed to NCAA UMass Dartmouth for the 2025-2026 season.
Congratulations Chris!!
: Chris Uhlig pic.twitter.com/qPvfX5zNW2
— Smiths Falls Bears (@SFBears) June 25, 2025
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.
— Eldon Terry (@Eldon173) June 18, 2025
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.
Excited to announce I will be transferring to Salve Regina University. pic.twitter.com/HBEELmGUs3
— Jake Harring (@jakeharring2024) June 26, 2025
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.
SOPHOMORE Pat Otey just added a ton of value to a hot RWE squad
@otey_patrick pic.twitter.com/zLMHiaTFk7
— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) January 20, 2025
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.
Please join me in WELCOMING 6′-9″ Junior Isaac Saas to the Tabor Basketball Family!
– Coach Willard pic.twitter.com/4QhQfZlSwu
— Tabor Boys Basketball (@TaborHoops) June 25, 2025
Please join me in WELCOMING 6′-7″ Junior Billy Stewart to the Tabor Basketball Family!
– Coach Willard pic.twitter.com/dpUKO6UFhQ
— Tabor Boys Basketball (@TaborHoops) June 25, 2025
3. Coaching carousel
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.
Wildcat Nation please welcome Coach Crawford to the family !!!!! Go Cats …. pic.twitter.com/FtwT6N02Iz
— Rob O’Leary CAA (@wildcatnationAD) June 23, 2025
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.
We are proud to announce Mark Whitehouse as the next Head Varsity Soccer Coach! Coach Whitehouse, who has been a dedicated member of the BC High soccer program since 2011, is also a Math teacher and Head Development Rugby Coach at BC High.https://t.co/1kMI5uApoj pic.twitter.com/RQA7Rm5Bxk
— BC High Athletics (@BChighathletics) June 20, 2025
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.
Our inaugural “NORTH” Event at SJP takes place this upcoming weekend! The new satellite event preludes our annual “MAIN EVENT” in late July.
155 (and counting) HS teams between the 2 events, ready to play and #FightALS. @PF3Foundation
NORTH SCHEDULE: https://t.co/QCsB2OLjK8 pic.twitter.com/zqvXD7dINu
— “Wally” Seaver HS Invitational (@WallyHSInvALS) June 26, 2025
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.