COLUMN: Losing season not a loss

By Adam Riglian
May 30, 2010
Wareham Courier


There won’t be any postseason in Wareham this spring.
The baseball team’s 1-0 loss to Middleboro confirmed that fact. A postseason berth is the main goal for any high school program, and the most achievable. While a conference title depends on a season’s worth of high-level performances with little margin for error, the qualifying for the sectional tournament requires a team to finish at .500.
Regardless of what they do the rest of the way, the Vikings will finish short of that. But to call the season a failure would be at best an exaggeration and at worst an outright lie.
From the start, the Vikings were hamstrung by lineup inconsistencies, injuries and a case of senioritis. Those woes plagued them throughout the season and there was not much to be done about it.
They had a new coach in David Harrison, one who they were unfamiliar with and one who needed time to get through to his players. It was clear by the end of the season that he had, especially when the Vikings looked like a playoff team in their 5-1 stretch that propelled them into contention.
It’s tough that senior Mike Sullivan couldn’t make it to the tournament in his final season, just as it’s tough that classmate Ryan Vanderstaay had to watch most of the year from the bench with an arm injury and that junior Harry Irving was sidelined midway through the season with a broken foot.
While Sullivan, Vanderstaay and the rest of the seniors have to say goodbye to the program, they are leaving it in able hands. Sophomore Ian Searles has already shown himself to be a more than capable starting pitcher. He certainly has Apponequet’s number, allowing one run to the Lakers over 15 innings this season.
Sophomore Billy Peterson has flashed a strong arm at shortstop and found himself hitting in the three-spot for most of the season. Irving will be back next year, adding power in the cleanup role.
Another sophomore, Tyler Horton, pitched a gem against Old Rochester. When he’s not on the mound, he has played a solid first base in Irving’s absent and has the makings of a good varsity player for the next two seasons.
Sophomore Sean Conway proved to not only be a gamer this season, but showed versatility as well. In the preseason, he was pegged as an outfielder, but ended up taking over and excelling at catcher.
Freshman baseball coach Quirino DoCanto has done a good job with the freshman, already sending Steve Widner up to the varsity level. He didn’t disappoint, hitting a single in his first varsity game on May 21.
A team that started with ten returning senior lettermen and two more senior players, 12 in total, ended up being a development team that did just that. By season’s end, the dedicated seniors were still around, and the young players had progressed enough to give the Vikings a good run.
And that is something that they can all be proud of, tournament or not.

COLUMN: Numbers Game

By Adam Riglian
April 25, 2010
Wareham Courier

Last week, the town of Mansfield dropped a bomb on its high school students.
No sports, no band, no extracurriculars whatsoever.
Essentially, no fun.
Three days later, after the story was widely circulated in Boston and local media, selectmen moved money from the municipal budget and user fees were enacted, saving the program.
Many saw the maneuver to cut sports as a transparent way for the school committee to get extra funds by preying on the town’s emotional attachment to its sports programs. As Mansfield News Sports Editor Mike Hardman aptly put it, “it’s an old story.”
He’s right of course. It is an old story and it’s a play that most people would be happy to see removed from the political playbook. But let’s consider, for the sake of argument, that Mansfield, or any high school for that matter, eliminated extracurricular activities.
What would the results be?
Silver Lake Athletic Director Bill Johnson brings up a great point – “where would they go at 2 o’clock in the afternoon?”
My answer – I don’t know. Johnson said sports keep about 500 to 600 kids, between his school and opposing schools, on campus each day after classes. That doesn’t include the kids that stay at school for band and other activities. I don’t have any science behind this, but to me, if you have 500 teenagers with nothing to do after 2 p.m., a few are bound to get into trouble. As the MIAA notes on its website, after-school activities are the safest option to keep kids out of trouble.
That isn’t the only fun fact the state sanctioning body has on the merits of sport as an extracurricular. Students’ grade point averages improve during the seasons in which they compete in a sport, student-athletes have higher attendance and graduation rates and, most importantly, they are cheap. As the MIAA points out, on average high school sports only account for 1 to 3 percent of the school budget.
Can you logically cut such a successful program to save 1 percent of your budget?
The numbers speak for themselves. According to data from the MIAA, the graduation rate for student athletes is 99.4 percent. The average GPA is 2.98 for student-athletes, 2.17 for non-athletes, and the average test scores in English and algebra were roughly 10 points higher for student-athletes.
Mansfield, well known as one of the most dominating track powers in the state, draws huge numbers of kids out to run every year. I don’t have any numbers to back this up, but I’m willing to bet most of those kids carry their healthy lifestyle with them when they leave high school. That’s part of what Plymouth South AD Scott Fry meant when he told me that he sees coaches as teachers outside of the classroom.
The only thing I ever took out of biology class was a heavy book and a headache, but there is plenty for students to learn on a football field, a track or on a softball diamond. Fry points to life lessons, leadership skills and team building as key to the athletic programs educational success. The MIAA backs up that assertion, stating that 95 percent of corporate officers said they participated in high school athletics.
In this argument, just like in sports, the numbers speak for themselves.

First-half call hurt the cause

By Adam Riglian
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

Posted Dec 05, 2009 @ 11:52 PM

Last update Dec 06, 2009 @ 08:54 AM

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FOXBORO — Snow and controversy overshadowed the game, but Dan Buron wouldn’t make excuses for his team’s Div. 1A Super Bowl defeat against Gloucester, 33-13, on Saturday night.

The Bridgewater-Raynham coach said the better team won, but he was still upset with a dubious decision that had him boiling hot in the freezing cold.

“Believe me, Gloucester is much better than us,” Buron said. “Gloucester deserves to win, but the referees certainly didn’t get their stories straight on that call.”

The call in question came late in the second quarter with the Trojans trailing, 19-7. Quarterback Mike Connolly found Kyle Reid inside the 10-yard line, Reid caught the ball, put two feet on the ground and was stripped, the ball going out of bounds.

The side judge closest to the play ruled it a catch and a fumble, but after a lengthy conference, which carried on for nearly five minutes after the call, the ruling was overturned. Both of the officials who joined the initial judge were much farther away, one coming from across the sideline, 60 yards away from the play.

“The guy on the sideline on our side made the call; he still believes it was a catch,” Buron said, adding that he received three different explanations from the head official as to why the call was overturned, none of which he found satisfactory. “I said (to the initial judge), ‘well how do you let them overrule you.’

“When I asked the officials, they said, ‘that’s not what we’re talking about, that’s not what we’re talking about,’ but then they overruled it. To me there’s no question, there shouldn’t be any question.”

With big games come big venues, and in this case, Buron believes the stadium Jumbotron may have played a role in the referee’s decision-making. There is no replay in high school football like there is in the pros, so any video evidence seen after the initial ruling would normally be rendered moot.

“I firmly believe they looked up at that replay,” Buron said.

The call was crucial, and the Trojans would have had a chance to cut their deficit to one possession, but Buron didn’t pin the whole game on that play.

“We couldn’t stop (Gloucester running back Conor Ressel),” Buron said, calling Ressel, ‘the best football player (he had) seen in a long time.’ “Offensively, we couldn’t get anything going really, couple dropped balls here and there; maybe if we caught those balls it would be a different story.”

The heavy snow didn’t help the Trojans’ passing game, with the normally sure hands of Kevin Bumpus and Neil Harrington clearly affected. The opening series told much of the tale, after two dropped passes, the Trojans dropped the snap for the punt, starting Gloucester off inside the 6-yard line.

Connolly finished 6-of-17 passing despite rarely missing a target. His strong arm and on-the-money throws were belied by the frozen hands of his receivers.

Falling behind quickly, an inability to run the ball on the Fishermen’s defense and being forced to pass in bad weather made an awful mess for Bridgewater-Raynham.

“The weather’s equal for both teams,” Buron said. “They’re just a little bit better than us.”

Still, the clouds that poured snow onto the field at Gillette Stadium did have a silver lining. The season was full of thrills, from the unexpected success to the coin flip that sent them into the playoffs to reaching a Super Bowl, the Trojans overachieved all year. By definition, that’s more than you can ask for.

“Nobody expected us to be here in the preseason,” said Buron. “If you told me we were going to go 9-2 in the season, play Xaverian triple overtime and end with Gillette, I would’ve told you you were crazy.”

Whitman-Hanson soccer standout Sam Mewis verbally commits to UCLA

By Adam Riglian
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Tue Dec 08, 2009, 02:46 AM EST

HANSON - Sam Mewis is one of the best athletes Massachusetts has to offer. It’s true, there’s no doubting it.

And now, after three fantastic years in the midfield at Whitman-Hanson High School, and time spent on the U17 and U20 U.S. women’s national teams, the junior has finally found a college to match her talent and ambition.

Mewis will head west to sunny California, to UCLA, the school she made a verbal commitment to attend in the fall of 2011. The Bruins have one of the top women’s soccer programs in the country, not to mention sunshine, beaches and strong academics.

“The major reason I chose UCLA was because I’ve had the coach (Jillian Ellis) as a national coach before, I really like her style of coaching,” Mewis said. “The girls were really welcoming and nice, it’s California so obviously the weather’s great. It was the right pick for me.”

Mewis said she isn’t certain on her field of study, although her interests currently lie in physical therapy, kinesiology and physical science.

While she has plenty of time to decide, the period between now and Day One of school isn’t exactly a vacation. The regular trials and troubles of a high school student aside, Mewis, a Hanson resident, is currently training for a spot on the U20 U.S. women’s national team, which is headed to Guatemala in January to play in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for July’s U20 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Germany. Her sister Kristie, who currently plays for Boston College, is also training for the squad.

“I think I have more to prove being one of the younger ones,” Mewis said. “I have to work harder at home and try to keep up, because most of the girls are in a college season.

“It’s so exciting, it is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’m so glad I am involved in it.”

Athletically, Mewis counts her time with the Panthers as another one of those “best experiences,” particularly this season, when she, along with a strong supporting cast, won the Div. 1 South Sectional title before bowing out in the state semifinals. Panthers’ coach David Floeck couldn’t say enough about Mewis importance to that run.

“Sam’s great, the soccer stuff aside, I mean obviously anybody who sees her play recognized her talent,” Floeck said. “All of that’s great, but in terms of coaching her, she’s just a phenomenal kid.

“She’s the first one to pick up equipment, she earns the respect of all her teammates ... She has the true mark of leadership, which is to get someone to do what they need to do, without them getting upset when you’re telling them to do it.”

“She’s like having another coach on the field as well, she’ll at different times, during a break, she’ll tell one of the younger players that you want to cut inside on that run or vice versa.

“Her playing ability obviously makes everybody around her better, with that type of skill. It’s amazing the impact she has on the team with her personality and leadership.”

Mewis’ talents and work ethic have done a great deal for the Panthers’ soccer program, which is one of the best in the state. The team’s success this season bodes well for their future, and perhaps a chance to take home a state title.

“It’s definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had with a team,” Mewis said of her high school club. “Socially we were real close, we had no drama. Everyone did such a good job, we worked so hard in practice and everybody wanted to go as far as they could.

“I wish it wasn’t over, I’m doing track right now and it’s kind of said, I miss soccer.”

She may miss it, but it isn’t going anywhere. There will certainly be a lot of soccer in her future. After next season’s high school campaign, and presumably a second World Cup appearance (she played in the U17 Women’s World Cup), she’ll be a Bruin, playing on one of the most competitive teams in women’s college soccer. UCLA has made 13 NCAA tournaments and won nine Pac-10 Championships since the program’s inception in 1993.

“With each team and each different personality, I grow more and I think it keeps me interested and working hard in the sport,” Mewis said.

If things keep to form, it won’t be long before Mewis will be on the full-fledged national team, perhaps even by 2011, when the U.S. women will have the opportunity to travel to Germany for the Women’s World Cup.

Sectional title to world title in two years? Now that would be a feat.

Adam Riglian can be reached at ariglian@enterprisenews.com.

Olivers Ames’ Battista all revved up for Bentley

By Adam Riglian

ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

Posted Dec 11, 2009 @ 01:16 AM

Last update Dec 11, 2009 @ 01:33 AM

BROCKTON — Oliver Ames basketball star Lauren Battista had several college Div. 1 offers on the table, but in the end, the senior went with what she knew. Battista knew that she wanted to go to business school and that the NE-10 was the conference for her. While growing up in Easton had Battista cheering for Stonehill most of her life, Bentley University was ultimately her choice.

“It was definitely a hectic process, going to visit all the schools and trying to impress all the coaches,” Battista said. “I spent a lot of my junior year going around (to different schools).”

There were plenty of factors that led her to choose Bentley over several other schools that were after her. She wanted to compete for a national title, to major in something business-related and to play for a solid coaching staff.

“I think it was a long process,” said Laney Clement-Holbrook, Battista’s coach at Oliver Ames. “I think the fact that they obviously are a program that is of the highest quality helped her decision-making.

“I think she is very respectful of Bentley’s basketball reputation, but I also think it was a good match for her academically.”

Bentley also held one additional bonus over the other schools — a family connection. Battista has had several relatives attend Bentley, which also happened to be the meeting place for her parents.

“They both had a great experience, so they’re excited for me to carry on the family name at Bentley,” Battista said.

While she made one coaching staff very happy with her decision, Battista ultimately had to reject several notable schools, including Boston University, Holy Cross, Northeastern, Siena, Hartford, and of course, her hometown college of Stonehill.

“At first, I thought, ‘If I can go to D1, I should go there,’ but later, I decided to choose the school for the school,” said Battista who elected to play in Div. 2, noting that Bentley is more competitive than many Div. 1 programs.

In the past, the Falcons have taken on, and beaten, higher-division schools, including an exhibition victory earlier this season over the University of New Hampshire.

Choosing against Stonehill was a bit more difficult.

“It was very hard, because I was also being recruited heavily by Stonehill,” Battista said, remarking that the Skyhawks’ coaching staff was understanding of her decision. “It was hard to say no to them. I grew up going to Stonehill games, and watching their rivalry games against Bentley.

“I know it was a tough decision because she has great respect and admiration for (women’s basketball head coach) Trish Brown at Stonehill,” Clement-Holbrook said. “She knew she was going to make one person happy and a lot of people upset.”

With her decision finalized and her letter of intent signed, Battista can now focus on her final season as a Tiger before she joins Jacqui Brugliera of Wachusett and Christian Bakolas of Manchester, N.H., on the floor at Bentley next season.

Last season as a junior guard and forward, Battista averaged 23 points and 11.5 rebounds in her third year as a starter to reach 1,000 career points.

A four-time Enterprise All-Scholastic in both, volleyball and basketball, the six-foot Battista is averaging 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists over her career and is capable of playing all five spots on the floor, although she will be looked to as more of a forward in the collegiate ranks.

“In my estimation, she is probably one of the most balanced players I’ve had the great fortune to coach,” Clement-Holbrook said. “And I’ve coached a number of kids who have been exceptional basketball players.”

Her high school performance to date has been good enough that she should compete as a freshman next season.

“I think I’ll definitely see some minutes my freshman year,” Battista said.

Her ultimate goal with the Falcons is to finish with a degree in a business-related field and battle for a national title.

“It’s definitely a good name to have on a resume when I go and look for jobs after college,” Battista said.

A national title wouldn’t look bad either.

http://www.enterprisenews.com/sports/high_school/x962894926/Olivers-Ames-Battista-all-revved-up-for-Bentley

Boychuk makes presence felt for Bruins

Enterprise, The (Brockton, MA) - Tuesday, October 13, 2009

By Adam Riglian
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

Defenseman Johnny Boychuk was an instant hit in his Bruins' season debut on Monday, both on the ice and up in the stands

Boychuk, filling in for the injured Dennis Wideman, played well in the Bruins' 4-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at TD Garden, eliciting cheers from the crowd after knocking Colorado forward TJ Galiardi to the ice in the first period.

Boychuk skated a total of 17:15 and spent time on the power play and the penalty kill.

"I just tried to keep it short, and get the first one out of the way because you may get nervous if you haven't played in awhile," Boychuk said. "Once that was done, I felt totally comfortable out there."

Originally drafted by the Avalanche in the second round of the 2002 draft, the 25-year-old defenseman came to the Bruins in a trade for center Matt Hendricks in June of 2008.

Boychuk suited up for the Bruins once last season while spending 78 games in Providence where the 25-year-old won the Eddie Shore Award as the American Hockey League's outstanding defenseman with 20 goals and 45 assists in 78 regular season games.

Boychuk's totals led all AHL defensemen and set a Providence Bruins record for points by a defenseman as he finished second on the team in scoring behind Martin St. Pierre.

While Boychuk held his own on Monday against the team that had drafted him, he didn't get much opportunity to show off his scoring touch.

"There was only one time that I could really wind up to take a slapper," he said. "The other couple of times, I was really just trying to get it on net."

"It was OK," Bruins coach Claude Julien said of Boychuk's season debut. "I thought he gave us some good size. He battled well. For his first game, I was pleased with it."

The Bruins fought back from a two goal deficit to knot the score with Colorado, but two late Avalanche goals in the second period sent the B's off on their two-game road trip with another loss.

"Right now, I think we all realize we can be a lot better, mostly because of the decisions that we're making," Julien said, adding that the mistakes his team has made in the beginning of the season were "uncharacteristic."

The Bruins' defense continued to struggle, falling behind early and failing on the penalty kill. Boston has allowed 19 goals in its first five games, averaging nearly four goals a game, which is well above last year's average.

Defensive problems put the Bruins in an immediate hole, with Milan Hejduk and Scott Hannan striking just 37 seconds apart in the opening half of the first period to put Boston down 2-0.

"You've got to get back your identity," Julien said. "We used to be very good at that, and until we can get that straightened out, we're going to have to battle and come from behind all the time. That's what's putting us behind the eight-ball in every game."

Tuukka Rask made his second straight start in goal and while Julien would not elaborate on his goalie selection process, he thought Rask played well.

"Why should we pick on Tuukka and leave the other guys off the hook?" Julien said. "There are some bad mistakes made up front. The poor goaltenders are always the ones that are pointed about because they're the last defense."

Two of the Avalanche's four goals came on the power play, potted by Hejduk and Marek Svatos, and a third came on a David Jones' shorthanded breakaway. The second goal of the night came on a rebound off a slapshot that landed right on the stick of Hannan.

The Bruins did seem in top form during the first comeback, tying the game midway through the second period with Mark Recchi scoring off a behind-the-net pass from Patrice Bergeron and Blake Wheeler knocking a puck out of the air in front of the net off a bullet pass from Michael Ryder.

Zdeno Chara's penalty following Wheeler's goal allowed Colorado to strike back on the power play, with Svatos putting the Avalanche up for good. Michael Ryder scored a late goal to cut the deficit to one, but the Bruins could not find the equalizer as time expired.

Trojans target big turnaround

Enterprise, The (Brockton, MA) - Tuesday, September 8, 2009

By Adam Riglian
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

There's no easy game on the Bridgewater-Raynham High School football schedule this season. The Old Colony League is one of the toughest in the state, a Div. 1 league with Div. 1 talent. But unlike their college brethren, B-R doesn't fill its non-league schedule with Powderpuff U. or Directional State University.

The Trojans open Friday night at defending Div. 2A Super Bowl champion Duxbury, unbeaten a year ago. They follow that up with fellow Div. 1 school Durfee, Div. 1A Super Bowl runner-up Marshfield and then New Bedford.

"We play a very difficult non-league schedule and our league schedule is tough," B-R head coach Dan Buron said. "The thing about our schedule is I can't look on anyone at that schedule and think "That's a win.'"

Their non-league schedule also includes Catholic power Xaverian Brothers and defending, unbeaten Div. 1 Rhode Island Super Bowl champion LaSalle Academy.

The combined record of their opponents from last season is 72-49, a nearly 60 percent win percentage, and it could be even tougher this year, with Durfee unlikely to again go 0-10.

Daunting as it may be, Buron believes his team has the tools to do better than last year's 4-7 record.

"Our goal every year is to win the Old Colony League and we haven't done that in awhile, so we're hoping to do that (this year)," Buron said.

Depth and simplification are two factors Buron looks to as keys to success this season.

The Trojans' offense is led by a strong line and returning quarterback Kevin Bumpus.

"I think we have a lot of depth, especially in the offensive line," Buron said. "We have the ability to throw and run this year, so we can be less one-dimensional than we have in the past."

Running has been the main focus of the Trojans for the past several seasons, but with a line that can give Bumpus some time, the passing game may open up.

That, mixed in with the integration of some shotgun/spread sets, should get more touches for receivers Neil Harrington and Mike Connolly.

The B-R line is anchored by captain Don Sheridan at guard, Ryan Shaw at center and tackle Mike Duran, three of the more experience players on the squad.

"With our experience at quarterback and our offensive line, I think we should be able to do both (pass and run)," Buron said.

Sheridan is a defensive leader as well, anchoring the Trojans' 4-4 defensive formation at middle linebacker. Cornerback Kyle Reid, outside linebacker Jon Palmer and defensive tackle Mike Devin are all playmakers on a speedy defense.

"We have a lot of kids, so I think we can substitute and keep ourselves fresh," Buron said. "I like our team speed on defense."

Buron also wants to make sure he doesn't overload his players with plays and strategy, instead focusing on assignments and execution.

"I think, the last few years, we've done too much and didn't really get good at anything," Buron said. "This year, we are going to pare it down a bit and hope to get good at a few things."