Boston, MA

Friday’s high school scores and highlights

Published

1 year ago

September 30, 2023

Press Room

Friday’s high school scores and highlights

SCHOOL ROUNDUP

FIELD HOCKEY

Maggie Monaghan scored twice for Medway in a 4-0 Tri-Valley League win over Holliston. … Avery Hadfield buried a hat trick to power Dover-Sherborn to a 3-1 win over Westwood.

Senior captain Kate Harrison finished with two goals, while junior Caroline Pitts (goal, two assists) aided Chelmsford in a 4-0 win over Merrimack Valley Conference foe Haverhill.

Ava Vadgama struck for two goals as Lincoln-Sudbury coasted to a 7-0 Dual County League victory over Newton South.

Emily Barbosa led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Rhyan Pitari netted a pair of goals to lead Methuen (5-2-1) during a 6-0 shutout of nonleague opponent Greater Lowell. … Ava Meehan registered a goal and an assist for Bishop Feehan in a 3-2 win over Needham. … Shea Larkee buried a hat trick to propel Norwood past Braintree, 3-0.

BOYS SOCCER

In a Catholic Central League tilt, Caleb Green sniped four goals to propel Cardinal Spellman during a 9-1 romp of Cathedral/Cristo Rey.

AJ Forte (two goals, assist) and Luke Murray (three assists) paced the Peabody (3-2-2) attack in a 5-0 Northeastern Conference win over Danvers.

Kaiky Araujo chipped the goalkeeper to get the winning score for Rockland (7-0), capping off Joao Faria’s two goal performance in a 3-2 victory over South Shore League rival Abington.

Joey Carney banged in two goals for Oliver Ames (5-2-1) in a 4-2 Hockomock League win against North Attleboro.

Nate Oliveira and Mason Deneault scored a goal and dished an assist each to help Somerset Berkley (4-1-2) edged Durfee 4-3 in a nonleague clash. … Mehdi Khemmich provided an assist and later hammered the ball into the corner of the net from 30 yards away to lift St. Mary’s (Lynn) (6-0-2) to a 2-1 win over Malden Catholic. … Aiden Richards (two goals) and Colin MacPherson (goal) got on the scoresheet for Hanover (4-2-2) in a 3-2 win against Milton.

GIRLS SOCCER

Katherine Ramirez (two goals, assist) and Tahira Johnson (two goals) paced things offensively for Cathedral in a 5-1 nonleague win against TechBoston. … Megan Jakubicka recorded two goals as Sandwich (5-2-1) downed Mashpee, 5-0.

Aly Fernandez found the net twice and dished an assist, and Olivia Dunham supplied two assists as Mansfield topped Milford 5-1 in Hockomock League play. … Anya Zub tallied two goals and an assist as Franklin earned a 4-1 comeback win over Canton.

In the South Shore League, Holly Panttila sniped two goals as Norwell (9-1) cruised to a 6-1 victory over rival Cohasset. … Fallon Ryan finished with two goals and an assist for Hull (6-2-0) in a 3-1 win over East Bridgewater.

Madison Botta, Lilliana Hernandez and Veronica Ortega scored two goals apiece as Saugus (6-2) pulled away for a 7-0 victory over Winthrop in Northeastern Conference action.

Ciarra Terry notched a goal and an assist as Monomoy beat Sturgis East 3-1 in the Cape and Islands League.

Kiersten Higgins hit the back of the net and distributed two assists for North Reading in a 5-0 Cape Ann League win against Rockport.

VOLLEYBALL

Clare Kavolius had 28 assists, mainly finding Sarah Hilliard (15 kills, two aces) and Claire O’Rourke (14 kills, three aces) as Oliver Ames swept North Attleboro 3-0 in Hockomock League action. … Fiona Bailey accrued 21 kills, and Cece Kilroy tallied 15 kills as King Philip (5-3) defeated Sharon, 3-2.

Chloe Marrero grounded 10 kills, while Yahely Gomez had 24 assists as Nantucket downed Sturgis West 3-0 in Cape and Islands League play.

Ella Quin and Nyrah Joseph floored six kills each for Billerica (7-3) in a 3-0 Merrimack Valley Conference win over Dracut. … Sowoll Lee supplied 25 assists, and Jessie Wang scattered 11 kills as Andover (8-1) upended Methuen, 3-0. … Nicolette Licare put up 35 assists, and Julie Hall had 15 kills as Central Catholic (3-6) outlasted Chelmsford, 3-2.

Ava Day registered seven aces and four digs, while Gabby Campbell finished with 14 kills and seven aces as Hamilton-Wenham (7-3) defeated Georgetown 3-1 in a Cape Ann League matchup. … Tess O’Flynn racked up 17 assists, six aces and three digs as Ipswich rolled to a 3-0 victory over Pentucket.

Freshman Lucia Longstreet Lipson’s four-point serving run in the third set sealed a 3-0 win for BB&N (4-1) against Nobles in the Independent School League.

Zoey Calitri recorded nine kills, while Olivia Foley tallied seven blocks as Newburyport (8-4) topped Essex Tech 3-1 in a nonleague game. … Tia MacVarish posted five kills, five assists and an ace, while Tess Madden poured in 10 aces as Hanover bested Abington, 3-0. … Caroline Gray did a little bit of everything with 16 assists, seven kills and seven aces, and Bailey Kelly and Brooke Steele chipped in with four kills each for Whitman-Hanson (7-2) in a 3-0 win over Rockland. … Mariah Eaton led the charge offensively with 19 kills and four blocks, and Ellen Swanson spearheaded the defense with 27 digs and nine aces as Dennis-Yarmouth (6-4) came back from an 0-2 deficit to edge Plymouth South, 3-2.

BASEBALL

Malden Catholic has hired former MLB coach David Valdez as its new head baseball coach. Valdez spent several years coaching in Major League Baseball as a hitting coach, international player’s assistant and most recently as a player development coach in the Milwaukee Brewers system. In prior years, he was named Manager of the Year after his club finished as Division Champions in the Piedmont Collegiate Summer League in Richmond, VA and had a six-year stint as Manager for the Men’s Baseball team at Bunker Hill Community College.

“I have wanted to be a part of the MC baseball program for a long time and I’m extremely

excited about having the opportunity to work with the Lancers.” Valdez said. “I am confident

that we will make extraordinary things happen on the diamond and bring back the baseball

performance that MC enjoyed in its rich history to the Catholic Conference.”

GOLF

Chris Marsciano and Liam Shepherd shot an even par 35 each as Norwell defeated Abington 145-140 in a South Shore League matchup.

SCORES

GOLF

Hamilton-Wenham 135, Ipswich 100

Norwell 145, Abington 140

FIELD HOCKEY

Barnstable 2, Scituate 0

Bishop Feehan 3, Needham 2

Chelmsford 4, Haverhill 0

Dexter Southfield 1, Thayer 0

Dover-Sherborn 3, Westwood 1

Gloucester 2, Swampscott 1

Lincoln-Sudbury 7, Newton South 0

Lowell 3, Malden 1

Lynnfield 3, North Andover 2

Malden Catholic 4, Hamilton-Wenham 0

Methuen 6, Greater Lowell 0

Medway 4, Holliston 0

Nantucket 4, Sturgis East 0

Norwood 3, Braintree 0

Notre Dame (H) 2, Pembroke 0

Oliver Ames 3, North Attleboro 1

Rockport 5, Northeast 0

Wellesley 3, Wayland 1

Weston 5, Bedford 1

BOYS SOCCER

Attleboro 1, Foxboro 0

Boston International 2, Latin Academy 1

Cardinal Spellman 9, Cathedral/Cristo Rey 1

Catholic Memorial 1, O’Bryant 1

Dartmouth 4, Apponequet 0

Hanover 3, Milton 2

Masconomet 1, Beverly 0

Northeast 6, Lowell Catholic 1

Norwell 1, Cohasset 0

Oliver Ames 4, North Attleboro 2

Peabody 5, Danvers 0

Rockland 3, Abington 2

Sandwich 4, Mashpee 0

St. Mary’s (L) 2, Malden Catholic 1

Somerset Berkley 4, Durfee 3

GIRLS SOCCER

Abington 6, Rockland 0

Blue Hills 0, Holbrook 0

Cathedral 5, Tech Boston 1

Dover-Sherborn 0, Needham 0

Franklin 4, Canton 1

Greater New Bedford 5, Southeastern 0

Hull 3, East Bridgewater 1

Mansfield 5, Milford 1

Marblehead 6, Peabody 0

Melrose 3, Wilmington 1

Monomoy 3, Sturgis East 1

Natick 2, Andover 0

Nauset 6, Dennis-Yarmouth 0

North Reading 5, Rockport 0

Norwell 6, Cohasset 1

Reading 5, Rockport 0

Sandwich 5, Mashpee 0

Saugus 7, Winthrop 0

SWIMMING

Andover 100, Lowell 59

Brookline 96, Natick 82

Needham 105.5, Acton-Boxboro 78.5

Wellesley 99, Milton 87

VOLLEYBALL

Andover 3, Methuen 0

Billerica 3, Dracut 0

Boston Latin 3, Newton South 0

Brockton 3, New Mission 2

BB&N 3, Nobles 0

Carver 3, Rising Tide 0

Central Catholic 3, Chelmsford 2

Dennis-Yarmouth 3, Plymouth South 2

Durfee 3, Dighton-Rehoboth 0

East Boston 3, TechBoston 1

Fontbonne 3, Charlestown 0

Hamilton-Wenham 3, Georgetown 1

Hanover 3, Abington 0

Hingham 3, Quincy 0

Holliston 3, Millis 1

Ipswich 3, Pentucket 0

King Philip 3, Sharon 2

Madison Park 3, Boston English 0

Nantucket 3, Sturgis West 0

Newburyport 3, Essex Tech 1

Newton North 3, Lincoln-Sudbury 0

Notre Dame (T) 3, Marblehead 0

O’Bryant 3, Latin Academy 0

Oliver Ames 3, North Attleboro 0

Reading 3, Lynnfield 0

Silver Lake 3, East Bridgewater 1

Triton 3, North Reading 2

Westwood 3, Medway 2

Whitman-Hanson 3, Rockland 0

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Boston, MA

Boston City Councilor will introduce

Published

4 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

BOSTON – It could cost you more to get a soda soon. The Boston City Council is proposing a tax on sugary drinks, saying the money on unhealthy beverages can be put to good use.

A benefit for public health?

“I’ve heard from a lot of residents in my district who are supportive of a tax on sugary beverages, but they want to make sure that these funds are used for public health,” said City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who is introducing the “Sugar Tax,” modeled on Philadelphia and Seattle. She said it’s a great way to introduce and fund health initiatives and slowly improve public health.

A study from Boston University found that cities that implemented a tax on sugary drinks saw a 33% decrease in sales.

“What it does is it creates an environment where we are discouraging the use of something that we know, over time, causes cancer, causes diet-related diseases, causes obesity and other diet-related illnesses,” she said.

Soda drinkers say no to “Sugar Tax”

Soda drinkers don’t see the benefit.

Delaney Doidge stopped by the store to get a mid-day pick-me-up on Tuesday.

“I wasn’t planning on getting anything, but we needed toilet paper, and I wanted a Diet Coke, so I got a Diet Coke,” she said, adding that a tax on sugary drinks is an overreach, forcing her to ask: What’s next?

“Then we’d have to tax everything else that brings people enjoyment,” Doidge said. “If somebody wants a sweet treat, they deserve it, no tax.”

Store owners said they’re worried about how an additional tax would impact their businesses.

Durkan plans to bring the tax idea before the City Council on Wednesday to start the conversation about what rates would look like.

Massachusetts considered a similar tax in 2017.

Logan Hall

Logan Hall is an Emmy award-winning reporter who joined WBZ-TV in November 2024.

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Boston, MA

Patience over panic: Kristaps Porzingis and the Celtics struggles

Published

12 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Patience over panic: Kristaps Porzingis and the Celtics struggles

The Celtics aren’t playing great basketball. Coincidence or not, this stretch has coincided with the return and reintegration of Kristaps Porzingis. In 23 games without the big man, Boston has a record of 19-4—with him in the lineup, that falls to a much less flattering 9-7 record.

This has put his value on trial, and opened the door to discussions about whether a move to the bench could be helpful for everyone involved. It’s not a crazy idea by any means, but it’s shortsighted and an oversimplification of why the team has struggled of late.

While Kristaps attempts to slide back into his role, there’s an adjustment period that the team naturally has to go through. That’s roughly 13 shots per game being taken from the collective and handed to one individual. It’s a shift that can impact that entire rotation, but it’s also not unfamiliar to the team—by now, they’re used to the cycle of Porzingis’ absence and return.

KP hasn’t been the same game-breaking player that we’ve come to know, but he’s not that far off. He isn’t hunting shots outside of the flow of the offense, and the coaching staff isn’t force-feeding him either.

This table shows a comparison in the volume and efficiency of Kristaps’ most used play types from the past two seasons. Across the board, the possessions per game have remained very similar, while the efficiency has taken a step back.

He’s shooting below the standard he established for himself during the championship run, but the accuracy should come around as he gets more comfortable and confident in his movements post-injury. Porzingis opened up about this after a win over the Nuggets, sharing his progress.

“80-85%. I still have a little bit to go.” Porzingis said. “I know that moment is coming when everything will start clicking, and I’ll play really high-level basketball.”

In theory, sending KP to the bench would allow him to face easier matchups and build his conditioning back up. On a similar note, he and the starters have a troubling -8.9 net rating. With that said, abandoning this unit so quickly is an overreaction and works against the purpose of the regular season.

It may require patience, but we’re talking about a starting lineup that had a +17.3 net rating over seven playoff games together. Long term, it’s more valuable to let them figure it out, rather than opt for a temporary fix.

It can’t be ignored that the Celtics are also getting hit by a wrecking ball of poor shooting luck in his minutes. Opponents are hitting 33.78% of their three-pointers with him on the bench, compared to a ridiculously efficient 41.78% when he’s on the court. To make matters worse, Boston is converting 37.21% of their own 3’s without KP, and just 32.95% with him.

Overall, there’s a -8.83% differential between team and opponent 3PT efficiency with Porzingis in the game. This is simply unsustainable, and it’s due for positive regression eventually.

Despite his individual offensive struggles, Porzingis has been elite as a rim protector. Among 255 players who have defended at least 75 shots within 6 feet of the basket, he has the best defensive field goal percentage in the NBA at 41.2%. Players are shooting 20.9% worse than expected when facing Kristaps at the rim.

Boston is intentional about which shooters they’re willing to leave open and when to funnel drives toward Porzingis. Teams are often avoiding these drives, and accepting open looks from mediocre shooters—recently, with great success. Both of these factors play into the stark difference in opponent 3PT%.

The numbers paint a disappointing picture, but from a glass-half-full perspective, there’s plenty of room for positive regression. Last season, the starting lineup shot 39.31% from beyond the arc and limited opponents to 36.75%. This year, they’ve struggled, shooting just 27.61% themselves, while opponents are converting at an absurd 46.55%.

Ultimately, the Celtics’ struggles seem more like a temporary blip, fueled by frustrating shooting luck and a slow return to form for Kristaps, rather than a reason to panic. The core of this team has already proven their ability to perform together at a high level, and sticking with the current configuration gives them the best chance to break out of the slump.

Allowing Porzingis to round into shape and cranking up the defensive intensity should help offset some of the shooting woes. As Porzingis eloquently put it, “with this kind of talent in this locker room, it’s impossible that we don’t start playing better basketball.” When water finds its level, the game will start to look easy again.

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Boston, MA

Frigid wind chill temperatures today

Published

19 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

The wind is back. And no one is happy.

Well, at least it won’t be 10 days of it. Instead, you’ll have to settle for two, with occasional gusts to 35-40 mph. Not nearly as intense as the last go-round, but still enough to produce wind chills in the single digits and teens through Wednesday. Thursday the winds are much lighter, but even with a slight breeze, we may see wind chills near zero in the morning.

The pattern remains active, but we’ll have to wait a few days until our next batch of precipitation. And with temperatures warming, it looks like rain by Saturday afternoon. We’ll rise into the 40s through Sunday, then feel the full weight of the polar vortex early next week.

Yes, you read that right. The spin, the hype, and definitely the cold, are back. Much of the country will plunge into the deep freeze. The question remains whether we’ll spin up a storm early next week. Jury is still out on that, but we’re certain this will be the coldest airmass of the season.

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