Massachusetts
Seven Saturday high school sports takeaways, including a 350th win, a 1,000th point, and a goal record – The Boston Globe
Roundups: Boys’ basketball | Girls’ hockey | Girls’ basketball | Boys’ hockey
Top 20 rankings: Boys’ basketball | Girls’ hockey | Girls’ basketball | Boys’ hockey
League standings: Boys’ basketball | Girls’ hockey | Girls’ basketball | Boys’ hockey
▪ Tewksbury’s Tyler Bourgea made significant history in the second period of an 8-0 win over East Catholic (Conn.) when he potted his second goal of the game and 66th of his career, surpassing Ryan Petty’s program record of 65, which had stood since 2015.
Bourgea, a senior captain, owns a career line of 66-77—143, 4 points shy of Petty’s school record of 147.
“He’s a very humble kid,” Tewksbury coach Derek Doherty said. “He just wants to win. He was happy he broke the record, but he said it’s more important we win hockey games. It’s a sign of a good person and a good player.”
▪ Blue Hills senior Tyler Anderson entered Saturday’s game against Blackstone-Millville needing 9 points to reach 1,000 for his career. It took him just one quarter; he finished with 18 points to secure a 74-57 first-round win in the Spartan Holiday Classic.
▪ At the MSTCA Boston Winter Challenge, junior Amar Skeete broke the Catholic Memorial school record in the long jump, leaping 23 feet, 10.5 inches, besting both the indoor and outdoor marks and surpassing his previous career best by a full foot. He is among the top 10 in the nation for the event.
▪ With a 9-0 victory over Westwood, Canton boys’ hockey coach Brian Shuman won his 350th career game behind the bench. Shuman, a Catholic Memorial graduate who played at Bowdoin, is in his 21st season and has led Canton to four state titles (’10, ‘19, ‘20, ‘23), plus two more final appearances, including a loss to Billerica last March.
Cam Dematos, Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake — The junior peppered the net with three goals and an assist in an 11-1 boys’ hockey victory over Nantucket.
Caleb Haynes, Brookline — The junior went full beast mode, piling up 38 points, 10 assists, and 7 steals in an 87-56 win over Portsmouth (N.H.) in the BABC Holiday Classic.
Kingston Maxwell, Abington — The senior powered a 91-67 boys’ basketball win over Nantucket with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Thomas Fish, Danvers — A hat trick and an assist from the senior powered a 9-0 boys’ hockey win over Triton.
Lucey Jean, Hopkinton — The day’s lone four-goal performance belonged to the senior, who was the engine of a 5-1 girls’ hockey win over Wellesley/Lincoln-Sudbury.
▪ Sophomore Aniyjha Morales sank the winning shot at the buzzer as Assabet Valley topped Tahanto, 54-52, to repeat as Assabet Holiday Classic champions in Marlborough.
▪ Third-ranked Methuen/Tewksbury girls’ hockey trailed, 1-0, in the third period before sisters Sammy and Lauren Ryan each delivered a goal and a 2-1 win over Winchester at O’Brien Arena.
▪ Concord-Carlisle emerged from a shootout with Acton-Boxborough to advance to the final of the Battle Road Classic at Hayden Rink.
▪ Hanover rode three goals from MVP Ryan Kisiel, a junior, to the Michael Giordano Christmas Classic title at Murphy Memorial Rink in South Boston. It’s the second tournament win for Hanover this season, following the Jim Gormley Cup at Gallo Arena on Dec. 13.
▪ Senior Jacoby Patterson collected MVP honors with two goals and an assist as Shawsheen won the Lions Tournament with a 3-2 victory over host Chelmsford.
▪ Brothers Luke and Matt Dickson teamed up to give Medfield a championship at the Cape Ann Savings Bank Tournament with a 2-1 win over Gloucester. Both brothers had a goal and an assist, and Luke was named MVP.
▪ St. John’s Prep won the Pete Frates Winter Classic with a clinching goal from senior Christian Coleman, giving the second-ranked Eagles a 3-2 win over No. 3 Pope Francis at Essex Sports Center.
“We play in honor of Pete and Pete’s family, it’s important for us to give our best effort,” St. John’s Prep coach Kristian Hanson said after his team captured its third title in the event, which dates to 2015.
▪ It took a shootout, but Hudson claimed the Mark Bushnoe Tournament title after tying Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley, 4-4. Junior Timmy O’Malley earned MVP honors with a goal and two assists. at the Wallace Civic Center.
▪ Boston Latin left no doubt in the final of the Michael Giordano Christmas Classic, besting Westford 5-0 after junior Angela Wells got things going with two goals and an assist.
Wellesley has a new boys’ lacrosse coach and he’s no stranger to the Raiders’ sidelines. Dave Wainwright, the school’s girls’ soccer coach, will also take over the boys’ lacrosse program from Jim Connolly, who stepped down after eight seasons.
Wainwright began coaching Wellesley girls’ soccer in 2024, a year after winning a second state title with Natick. He also coached boys’ lacrosse at Needham since 2003, winning a state title in his first season. Wainwright is an elementary teacher in the Needham district.
Wellesley went 11-10 last season, falling in the second round of the Division 1 tournament to eventual champion St. John’s Prep.
Caleb Haynes, Brookline, 38
Rolky Brea-Arias, St. Mary’s, 28
Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 28
Yhan Medina, Quincy, 28
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 27
Kayla Dunlap, Natick, 25
Jacob Klass, Beverly, 25
Burke Lombardi, Nantucket, 25
Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 25
Charlie Poehler, Burlington, 25
Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 24
Tyler Staiti, Abington, 23
Abby Broderick, Medfield, 22
Matty Gray, Burlington, 21
Gabe Keskinides, Tewksbury, 21
Julian Ortega, Southeastern, 21
Sofia Wightman Kraus, Hopkinton, 21
Cason Faulk, Bridgewater-Raynham, 20
Jiai Gonzalez, Blue Hills, 20
Gwen Jones, Beverly, 20
Rolky Brea-Arias, St. Mary’s, 23
Katie McMahon, Natick, 16
Colin Cyr, Apponequet, 13
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 11
Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 11
Andrew Braganca, Beverly, 8
Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 8
Henry Svirutnas, Apponequet, 8
Elyza Wagner, Apponequet, 8
Dom Torres, Beverly, 6
Caleb Haynes, Brookline, 10
Duke Cherry, Malden Catholic, 7
Henry Svirutnas, Apponequet, 6
Dom Torres, Beverly, 6
Abby Broderick, Medfield, 5
Ryan Levesque, Apponequet, 5
Cece Levrault, Apponequet, 5
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 5
Jillian Gagnier, Apponequet, 4
Colin McKay, Apponequet, 4
Elyza Wagner, Apponequet, 4
Denai Williams, Natick, 4
Naya Annigeri, Medfield, 8
Caleb Haynes, Brookline, 7
Jillian Gagnier, Apponequet, 5
Denai Williams, Natick, 5
Kayla Dunlap, Natick, 4
Dom Torres, Beverly, 4
Lucey Jean, Hopkinton/Dover-Sherborn, 4
Leah Carlson, Medfield, 3
Michael Cortis, Medway, 3
Jason Drake, Medway, 3
Thomas Fish, Danvers, 3
Ryan Kisiel, Hanover, 3
Matthew McGinty, St. John’s (S), 3
Kody Pokraka, Falmouth, 3
Jackson Ballard, BC High, 2
Nick Beltramini, Whitman-Hanson, 2
Tyler Bourgea, Tewksbury, 2
Matthew Breda, Nauset, 2
Mia Cataruzolo, Milton, 2
Garrett Consigli, Medway, 2
Cam Dematos, Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake, 2
Emma Doucette, St. Mary’s, 2
Ryan Elrick, Canton, 2
Hunter Fucci, Waltham, 2
Brooke Hanley, Duxbury, 2
Chase Harmon, Notre Dame (Hingham), 2
Sean Keenan, BC High, 2
Adam Kornbau, Framingham, 2
Brogan Laverdiere, Norton, 2
Bryan Li, Acton-Boxborough, 2
Cam McKenna, Hingham, 2
Brendan McCarthy, Hingham, 2
Addison Nee, Pembroke, 2
Emma Nee, Pembroke, 2
Jacoby Patterson, Shawsheen, 2
Colin Rogers, Latin Academy, 2
Zoe Sullivan, Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake, 2
Gabby Sundstrom, Duxbury, 2
Maeve Turner, Falmouth, 2
Colin Walsh, Framingham, 2
Angela Wells, Boston Latin, 2
Charlotte Woodford, HPNA, 2
Teddy Shuman, Canton, 4
Max Ryan, BC High, 3
Aoife Bourke, Boston Latin, 2
Michael Conners, Walpole, 2
Coleman Donovan, Latin Academy, 2
Emma Doucette, St. Mary’s, 2
James Gordon, Burlington, 2
Mia Kmiec, HPNA, 2
Adam Kornbau, Framingham, 2
Tyler McHugh, Essex Tech, 2
Phoebe Niese, Boston Latin, 2
Timmy O’Malley, Hudson, 2
Joe Pumphret, Winthrop, 2
Caroline Shearer, Falmouth, 2
Jamie Vallarelli, Taunton, 2
Colin Walsh, Framingham, 2
Nick Denino, Lynn, 52
Jakob Johed, Newton South, 33
Nico Santosuosso, Masconomet, 33
Sydney Foster, Central Catholic, 32
Axel Rydberg, Marlborough, 32
Sophia Luoni, Natick, 28
Ryan Christensen, Whitman-Hanson, 26
Garo Gebeyan, Waltham, 25
Tenley Simmons, Bishop Stang, 19
Luke Pellerin, Taunton, 18
Evan Morey, Danvers, 16
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
Massachusetts
Healey shares plan to limit health insurance cost increases for Massachusetts residents
Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday that the state is spending an additional $250 million to limit premium increases for residents who have insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector.
After Congress let Affordable Care Act tax credits expire at the end of last year, more than 300,000 people in Massachusetts have been facing a potentially steep increase in their health care bills.
The governor’s office said those enrolled in ConnectorCare who make below 400% of the of the federal poverty level, which is $62,600 for an individual or $128,600 for a family of four, will see “little to no premium increases.”
Under the plan, Healey’s office said a 45-year-old couple with two kids in Fall River will see their monthly health insurance costs rise from $166 to $206. Without the new funding, the governor says they would be paying $452 a month.
“While President Trump continues to increase health care costs, we are taking the strongest action in the nation to address them and keep costs as low as possible for families,” Healey said in a statement. “Despite this increased state investment, far too many people will still see their premiums increase because of the White House.”
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to approve a three-year extension of the health care tax credits. While it appears unlikely to pass the Senate, senators have talked about a compromise plan that could include a two-year extension with added reforms. President Trump hasn’t offered a specific health care plan, but said subsidies going to insurance companies should “go to the people” instead.
The $250 million is coming from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, which gets its money from employer medical assistance contributions and financial penalties from residents who violate the state’s health care insurance mandate.
Massachusetts residents can sign up for health insurance coverage or switch their Health Connector plans until Jan. 23 if they want to be covered by Feb. 1.
Massachusetts
Minnesota childcare fraud allegations spark audit request in Massachusetts: ‘Serious risks’
Fraud allegations in Minnesota’s childcare system are prompting two Massachusetts Republican lawmakers to ask the Healey administration to conduct a “top-to-bottom audit” of a Bay State voucher program.
State Reps. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, and Nicholas Boldyga, R-Southwick, say they’re alarmed after seeing national reports of fraud in childcare subsidy programs, pointing specifically to widespread allegations in Minnesota.
Their concerns have prompted them to ask Gov. Maura Healey to direct Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler to “urgently conduct” an audit and review of the Massachusetts Child Care Financial Assistance program to identify any potential fraud and vulnerabilities here.
Child Care Financial Assistance helps low-income families pay for childcare in Massachusetts.
“While Massachusetts has not yet been directly implicated in the same manner, the similarities in program structure, relying on voucher reimbursements to providers for low-income families, raise legitimate questions about whether comparable fraud or waste could be occurring here undetected,” Lombardo and Boldyga wrote in a joint letter to Healey on Wednesday.
“Our Commonwealth invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually in this critical program to support working families and early education,” they added. “We owe it to Massachusetts taxpayers and the families who genuinely need this assistance to ensure every dollar is spent appropriately and reaches its intended purpose.”
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a Herald request for comment on the letter.
Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw has said that Massachusetts is not facing disruption to its $293 million share of federal childcare payments amid a nationwide freeze in response to the Minnesota fraud allegations.
Kershaw has also added that Child Care Financial Assistance is not being impacted, either. The state appropriates funds for the voucher program at the beginning of the fiscal year and then seeks federal reimbursement.
This fiscal year’s funding totals about $1.087 billion for the program, which covered more than 66,000 children in fiscal year 2025, according to a December report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
“Obviously, we are incredibly concerned about families across the country and in Minnesota who may lose access to Child Care Financial Assistance based on acts by the federal government,” Kershaw told Bay State childcare stakeholders on Monday.
Before the new year, the federal Administration for Children and Families froze all funding to Minnesota. All 50 states must now provide additional verification before receiving more funds.
Minnesota Democrats accuse the Trump administration of playing politics and hurting families and children as a result.
This all comes after a video surfaced on YouTube alleging fraud in childcare in Somali communities in Minnesota, to which Kershaw has said none of the allegations have been proven.
The Massachusetts early education and care commissioner noted how there have been similar videos posted in Massachusetts and other states like Ohio, California and Washington.
In their letter to Healey, Lombardo and Boldyga also highlighted how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has responded to the Minnesota allegations by closing loopholes that allowed payments without verifying attendance.
“These developments highlight serious risks in subsidized child care systems across the country,” the Republican lawmakers wrote, “including the potential for misappropriation of taxpayer funds on a massive scale.”
Lawmakers across the country are seeking similar reviews as Lombardo and Boldyga. In Michigan, State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, a Republican, has asked for an audit of a state program that aims to help low-income families afford childcare there.
The Massachusetts audit would zero in on verifying that voucher payments to providers are based on documented child attendance records; cross-checking to detect potential “ghost children” or overbilling; and on-site inspections of voucher-receiving providers to confirm they are operating legitimate childcare programs, among other objectives.
“Such a thorough review would not only safeguard public funds,” Lombardo and Boldyga wrote, “but also strengthen confidence in a program that is vital to thousands of Massachusetts families.”
The Associated Press and Herald wire services contributed to this report.
A Massachusetts police department is mourning the death of one of its own after an officer was struck and killed while attempting to assist a broken-down driver on a highway.
The Uxbridge Police Department has hung black bunting above its main entrance as it receives condolences from across the Bay State following the incident early Wednesday morning.
The crash unfolded at about 12:45 a.m., when the officer was trying to help a motorist in the northbound lanes of Route 146, a main artery in the Worcester County town that borders Rhode Island.
Authorities identified the fallen officer on Wednesday afternoon as Stephen Laporta, 43, of Uxbridge. The Massachusetts State Police is investigating the crash.
“This is a devastating loss for our department and our community,” Police Chief Marc Montminy said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family, loved ones, and fellow officers during this incredibly difficult time.”
Gov. Maura Healey has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all state buildings in honor of LaPorta.
“I am heartbroken over the news of Officer Stephen LaPorta’s passing,” the governor said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “He knew he was headed into a dangerous situation when he responded to the scene of a multi-vehicle crash, but like all of our officers do day in and day out, he put the public’s safety first – and he tragically made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Authorities closed Route 146 for hours after the crash, with investigators working the scene. The icy, frozen road reopened around 10 a.m.
Uxbridge First Holy Night, a community organization, offered its condolences to the department via social media, saying the loss is also felt “across our entire town.”
“Our officers are more than public servants — they are neighbors, friends, parents, children, and family,” the group stated. “When one of our own falls, we all grieve together.”
“Uxbridge is a close-knit community,” it added, “and in moments like this, we lean on one another. May we surround this family and our police department with compassion, strength, and support in the days ahead.”
Police departments from across the region sent cruisers to participate in a procession that accompanied a vehicle carrying LaPorta’s body to a medical examiner’s office before daybreak.
The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association described the officer as a “fallen hero” and the death as “heartbreaking news.”
“Another police officer killed in the line of duty. This time in Uxbridge,” the association stated in a social media post. “The officer was involved in a motor vehicle crash while attempting to assist a motorist on Rte. 146 early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family and the entire Uxbridge Police Department during this incredibly difficult time.”
State Rep. Mike Soter, whose Central Massachusetts district includes Uxbridge, said his “heart sank” when learning of the death.
“This is so close to home,” he said in a Facebook post. “May GOD watch over this officer’s family and his fellow officers today as they need our strength as a community. May the officer’s memory be eternal always!”
In June 2024, the Uxbridge Police Department celebrated LaPorta’s promotion to full-time patrolman.
“He may seem familiar to you all because Ofc. LaPorta has already been actively serving our wonderful town as a full-time Dispatcher and working part-time patrol shifts,” the department stated in a Facebook post. “He has put in the work to switch his role up and come to the patrol side full time! Let’s give him a warm congrats Uxy!”
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