Jones’ 5 TDs Leads Belmont to First Home Win in 2 Years, 41-18, Over Salem

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When the referees signaled the end of the Belmont/Salem football game, the Concord Avenue gate at Belmont’s Harris Field was opened and the hometown fans stormed the field in an explosion of jubilation only a few older Belmont residents could recall occurring at past football games.

Players, coaches, students and parents in the South end zone had reason to celebrate as the Marauders won its first home game in 24 months and the program’s first back-to-back victories in three years.

Under Friday Night Lights, Nov. 7, fans witnessed senior running back Max Jones score five touchdowns as he rushed for an unofficial 261 yards as the Marauders defeated the visiting Witches, 41-16.

“We won last week, (a 34-21 victory over Medford on Halloween) came in with tons of energy this whole week and we used that this game,” Jones told the Belmontonian and Belmont Media Center just before his teammates – who earlier chanted “MVP” and “Lebron” to Jones – drenched the co-captain with a Gatorade bath.

See the entire interview and highlights of Jones’ night here, courtesy of Belmont Marauders Media.

Following senior fullback Bryce Christian the entire night, Jones used his sprinting prowess – Jones finished 7th in the 200 meters at the All-State’s championship in June – to bust long romps over his favorite right side of the offensive line manned by senior center Austin Lutz, junior right guard Justin Arroyan and big man, senior right tackle DeShawn Frederick.

“I have to thank every single [linemen], the wide receivers, everyone who blocked for me,” said Jones.

“I just do the running.”

And Jones’ running ability was on full display during Belmont’s second possession of the ball after Salem tied the score, 6-6, in the first quarter soon after Jones scored his first TD on a 2 yard rush up the middle.

Jones dashed for 23, 14, and 9 yards before unleashing a lightning quick 30 yard sprint to the Salem 2 yard line. His two yard “follow-the-pile” TD, giving Belmont a 13-6 lead early in the second quarter, saw him contribute 78 ground  yards to the drive.

After Salem scored off a Belmont fumble with two minutes remaining until the half, Belmont showed it could gain huge chunks of real estate through the air as sophomore QB Cal Christofori hit senior wide receiver Peter Durkin on a slant pattern for 30 yards to the Salem 35 on Belmont’s first play.

On the next play, Jones took a Christofori handoff to the left and went the distance for his third touchdown with a minute remaining before half time.

Jones had tallied 155 yards in the first half to give Belmont the lead, 20-12, after the first two quarters.

The second half saw Belmont’s at-times “iffy” defense step up when senior defensive lineman and co-captain Nick Ryan recovered a Witches’ fumble at Belmont’s 40 yard line. On a second and 7 from the Salem 30, Jones rushed for his fourth TD going around the right side untouched to up the lead to 27-12.

After the Witches got a bit closer, scoring early in the fourth quarter to shorten the lead to 27-16, Jones took the kickoff for 21 yards to near midfield. Three plays later, junior running back Mekhai Johnson barreled through the defense 44 yards for the touchdown. 

Salem next drive ended when junior defensive back Robby Aiello intercepted Salem QB Jared Nubas with six minutes left in the game. Jones finished his night by going 48 yards – his longest rush of the night – on the right for his fifth TD.

Capping off the game was an interception by Arroyan who had played hard in the trenches for the 44 minutes.

While noting that Jones “had the hot hand and we just kept feeding him the rock,” Belmont’s first year Head Coach Yann Kumin said he was most proud about the entire team’s “desire to play for one another.”

Kumin noted while the defense had “stumbled out of the gate, they sure finished strong.”

Next week, Friday, Nov. 14, Belmont hosts Boston Latin and will finish the season against one-loss Watertown at Harris Field on Thanksgiving Morning.

“Watertown is a great team with a great head coach in John Cacace,” said Kumin. 

“But our focus will be against Boston Latin next week,” Kumin said, noting if the team wins, “that means we’d have a winning streak.”

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‘Scintillating’ Spelling By Young Wordsmiths At This Year’s Bee

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Just like its namesake, the winning team at the 2014 Foundation for Belmont Education’s Spelling Bee “killed it” when it came to correctly spelling words that would stump many adults in the audience.

The Killer Bees – Chenery sixth graders Oliver and Harrison Hees, Loick Marion and Ben Prenderville from teacher Bhuvana Kaushik’s homeroom – capped a successful night by correctly spelling “scintillating” to win the crown over runners-up Chenery Spellers – Will Harkness, Jackson Mann, Maulik Bairathi and Edward Patrick Lee – after both teams survived a near-record 19 rounds of ever challenging words to spell.

“It was stressful,” said Marion who performed most of writing on the white board which was then shown to the judges.

Marion and his teammates took home a $100 savings account from the Belmont Savings Bank and a “star” trophy.

For more than six hours, a multitude of Belmont’s youngest wordsmiths – in teams of two to four – from the town’s four elementary schools and the middle school tackled words ranging from “dog” to “croissant” in the Belmont High School auditorium, cheered on by proud parents taking photos of their spellers.

More than 700 students – a record number – participated in this year’s event, raising $20,000 for the Foundation for Belmont Education. The spellers from the elementary schools were in the non-competitive “swarms” while the wordsmiths from the Chenery Lower School (fifth and sixth grades) were part of the competitive swarms battling to participate in the finals.

Under the smooth direction of long-time MC Greg Stone, the volunteers – pronouncers Laurie Graham and Anne Mahon, time keepers Kevin Cunningham and Anne Lougee along with umpires Suzanne Alcock and Joanna Kaselis Tzouvelis all led by Bee chairs Christa Bauge and Karin Lehr – pulled off the annual feat of patience personified.

The money raised Saturday by the Foundation will support projects initiated and organized by administrators, teachers and staff in the six Belmont public schools.

 

Sports: Football’s Be-Witches-ing Friday Night, Boys’ Soccer Saturday in Chelsea

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One week removed from Halloween, Belmont High School football welcomes a coven of witches as Salem High School swoops to Harris Field tonight, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Salem will be seeking to break into the win column having started the season 0-8, including being shutout in their last three games.

Belmont (1-7) is coming off its first victory in two seasons with its victory over Medford, 35-20, on Halloween.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Belmont’s Boys’ Soccer team will be traveling down Route 16 for a quarterfinal match with hosts Chelsea High School in playoff action in the MIAA Div. 2 North Sectionals. The fifth-seed Marauders (14-3-2) got by North Andover, 1-0, while the fourth-seed Red Devils (15-3-1) defeated Lynn Classical, 1-0, in overtime.

The game kicks off at 4 p.m.

Deadline Looms For Residents Interested Joining School Committee

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Time is growing short for residents who are interested in joining the Belmont School Committee as the deadline for applications to fill the vacancy after Kevin Cunningham resigned last month is Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.

The School Committee and the Selectmen will meet jointly five days later, on Monday, Nov. 17, to hear from and interview candidates before voting to appoint a new member.

The selected appointee will be sworn in by the Town Clerk Ellen Cushman before the School Committee’s meeting on Nov. 18.

Under state law, the appointee’s term only lasts until the next Town Election; in Belmont that occurs in April, 2015. The person elected for that committee seat will serve a two year term, which is the remainder of Cunningham’s tenure.

Those interested in seeking appointment should write a letter of interest that will include:

  • The reasons for seeking the appointment,
  • Expertise, skills and perspectives they will bring to the committee, and
  • Identify the most pressing issues facing the committee, both through the April election and beyond.

Letters should be sent to:

Cathy Grant

Belmont Public Schools

644 Pleasant St.

Belmont, MA 02478

or via email at:

cgrant@belmont.k12.ma.us

Sold in Belmont: To the Manor Born, a Monster Colonial

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A weekly recap of residential properties bought in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 2 Radcliffe Rd. Colonial with Cape-design features (1938), Sold for: $756,625. Listed at $775,000. Living area: 1,887 sq.-ft. 8 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 61 days.

• 20 Wellington Ln. New construction/Colonial inspired (2014), Sold for: $2,350,000. Listed at $2,475,000. Living area: 5,701 sq.-ft. 18 rooms; 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths. On the market: 52 days.

• 26 Alma Ave. #A1. Condominium (1923), Sold for: $356,000. Listed at $379,999. Living area: 970 sq.-ft. 5 rooms; 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 90 days.

• 11 Frederick St. Newly-renovated townhouse condo (1927/2013), Sold for: $699,000. Listed at $729,000. Living area: 1,909 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 98 days.

Sports: Volleyball’s Historic Journey Ends at 6-Foot, 2-Inch Roadblock

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Belmont High School’s Volleyball historic journey ended Tuesday night, Nov. 4 when it ran into a six-foot, two-inch roadblock stationed in the middle of the Arlington Catholic High School court.

The big obstacle Belmont faced was Cougar’s middle blocker “Demi” Fogarty, who did not just possess killer skills in a 72-inch frame but was accompanied by a supporting cast which could hold their own against most teams in the Div. 2 North Sectionals without Demiana situated at the net.

While the Marauders (who arrived 35 minutes late due a bus flub up) kept their spirits high though out the quarterfinal match played in a gym straight from “American Graffiti” – small, old fashioned with squeaky, wooden floors that bounced when you jumped on it – they couldn’t keep the ball from Fogarty’s wide wingspan as the junior swatted away balls and smashed passes for point after point for Arlington Catholic (19-3).

After 45 minutes, Belmont, who entered the tournament as the seventh seed, walked off the court after losing to the second-seed in a three-set sweep (25-13, 25-9, 25-19).

Belmont’s season ends with a record 16 wins (16-6) and a playoff win – a 3-2 victory over Danvers High on Friday, Oct. 31 – the first since 2010.

While Belmont had scouted AC’s first playoff game against Tewksbury and had practiced on double blocking Fogarty, the became quickly evident that the middle hitter was going to be a handful as she slammed an above-the-net kill for the first point of the game.

While Belmont was able to capitalize on some iffy play selection from the Cougars, the home team was also able to set up Fogarty or six-foot sophomore Lena Perez to strike a power shot at the Marauders’ back line.

Senior middle blocker Alexandra Davis‘ kill gave the Marauders’ its final lead in the first game at 6 before AC went on a 12-4 run behind Fogarty and senior libero Danielle Sullivan.

The second set saw senior setter Becki Sandvos contribute with a few nifty kills from a mid court position yet the Cougars were ever present at the net, able to turn back Belmont’s kill attempts or force shots high and out.

“[Senior] Rosy Fitzgerald was extremely consistent and was 20-for-21 hitting with eight kills. She also was 10-for-10 digging and 16-for-18 on serve receive,” said Coutour.

“Senior libero Sam Nelson also had a good game with great passes and was 22 for 22 on serve receive,” the coach said.
“Yvette Kleinbock had our only big serving run early on in the third set” with six straight points to knotted the score up at 12, said Coutour.
But after the Belmont side out, “Fogarty rotated into the front row and we had a hard time getting any momentum back,” said the coach.
The 2014 season will remembered for the eight seniors – Davis, Julia Dexter, Fitzgerald, Kleinbock, Nelson, Yeonjae Park, Sandvos and Julie Yu – who anchored the team to more than a dozen straight set wins and losses to only playoff-bound teams.

 

Cushing Village Returns to Planning Board Tonight as the Developer Speaks Out

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Sixteen months after receiving the go ahead to begin constructing the 167,000 square-foot, multi-use development in the heart of Belmont’s Cushing Square, the developer of Cushing Village will be back before the Belmont Planning Board tonight at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. 

But don’t expect any major announcements from the first appearance by Smith Legacy Partners before a town governmental board since coming to the Board of Selectmen in March. According to documents at the Office of Community Development, the development team will propose four minor design modifications to the Project Plans, approved by the Planning Board in July 2013.

In an email sent to selected residents late last week, Smith Legacy’s principal partner Chris Starr asked residents to show up to the meeting, saying “[w]e hope that you can attend this Planning Board meeting, which is another critical step in making the vision of new quality rental housing and retail space for Cushing Square a reality.”

As noted in the Community Development documents, the “proposed modifications [does not] alter the size of the development or reduce the number of apartments or parking spaces.”

Cushing Village’s emergence before town officials is the first time since September when the Acton-based developer began actively shopping the three-block site to an array of commercial developers to take on Smith Legacy as a partner, or to purchase the future home of 115 residential units, 230 parking spaces and nearly 36,000 square feet of retail at the corner of Trapelo Road and Common Street.

The last time the development came before the town was in March when Smith Legacy requested a month-to-month extension for the closing date for the $850,000 purchase and sale agreement for the municipal parking lot on Trapelo Road.

As part of the agreement, the developer agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty for each month it delayed the purchase. To date, Smith Legacy has paid $100,000 into town coffers.

Despite the delays and uncertain future of his involvement with the project he spent eight years seeking to build his first large-scale development, Starr continues to make optimist statements on the future of the retail/residential project.

“We realize that it is a project with many moving parts and lots of stakeholders to protect, so we understand how important our project execution is to the town. Our work will need to be carefully integrated with the Trapelo Road Redevelopment project that will be active in Cushing Square at the same time as our project,” said Smith as he also introduced members of the development team in the message.

“Soon we will sending out invitations for you to join us for a cup of coffee and meet the team. We think it is important that we keep the channels of communications flowing. I look forward to sitting down with you to discuss your ideas and concerns for the project,” said Smith.

Babysitting Safety Workshop for ‘Tweens’ on Nov. 11

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Every parent wants a babysitter who knows more than just caring with their child for a few hours; they want someone who is prepared to handle the rare emergency that might occur.

Professional Ambulance Center for MEDICS is offering a Safe Sitter® program for students 11 to 14 years old on Veterans Day Tuesday, Nov. 11 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Pro EMC training facility at 31 Smith Place in Cambridge.

Proceeds from the workshop will benefit the Foundation for Belmont Education.

The one-day course Safe Sitter® course is a comprehensive program that teaches adolescents everything they need to know to be safe when they’re home alone, watching younger siblings, or babysitting.

The course includes CPR certification, basic first aid, childcare essentials and behavior management, as well as information on how to be safe while home alone or babysitting.

The program combines full group activities with small group practice sessions, and includes giving students hands-on CPR experience with manikins. The day ends with an hour of testing to ensure kids learned the skills. Testing includes written exams and a hands-on scenario-based test.

To register for the class, please visit www.centerformedics.com, select “Training – Class Schedule” and scroll to the Safe Sitter class listing. You may also access the registration directly at http://proems.enrollware.com/registration/reg-start.aspx?id=523914.

The class accommodates 60 students. Registration closes on Sunday, Nov. 9. 

The cost of the program is $85 and includes all classroom instruction materials, which may be taken home, CPR certification cards, a Safe Sitter ® program certificate of completion and snacks during the program. Students should bring their own lunches and dress in comfortable clothes suitable for sitting and working on the floor.

Photo of the Day: Making the Daily Commute a Bit Better

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Screen Shot 2014-11-06 at 9.54.01 AM

The daily work week crawl through Belmont Center was made a tad more tolerable this morning, Thursday, Nov. 6 by some early holiday cheer in the form of a delightful latte from the staff – Dan Ciper, Mark Fantasia and Rhyan Sullivan braved the traffic – at the Leonard Street Starbucks.

Maybe, just maybe, they’ll decide to do this again before the reconstruction of Belmont Center corrects all the traffic and parking issues.