Belmont March 99 Yds In Final Minute For Winning TD As Arno Leads Marauders Over Winchester, 32-30

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Photo: Ninety-nine yards later: Belmont High senior Chris Cogliano scores the winning touchdown with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game as Belmont drives the length of the field to beat Winchester, 32-30.

Down by 4 with 2:49 remaining in the contest, Belmont High School’s offense took the field facing the most daunting of asks: drive the length of the football field, 99 yards, to win the game. At the helm for the Marauders’ was junior QB Jayden Arno who, when he came on the field, wasn’t thinking about 100 yards he needed to win it.

“Honestly, on the sideline, all what we were trying to do is get to the 10 yard line to give us some room,” he said.

Arno had been finding his experienced receiver corps throughout the game under the Friday Night Lights at Harris Field. And one of them, senior Chris Cogliano, would prove to be the perfect partnership in the final two minutes.

After an eight-yard carry by junior RB Adrien Gurung gave Arno that breathing room he was hoping for, the two-year starter came out winging it, finding Cogliano on the slant to the 30. But a sack and two incomplete passes had the Marauders facing a fourth down and 10 from the 30 with 54 seconds remaining. Once again. Arno found Cogliano over the middle to the 46 yard line. On second and 10 from the 46, Arno was flushed from the pocket and took off down the left side and scooted to the 33 yard line with 32 seconds remaining.

On the next play, Arno found Cogliano on the right sideline in between two defenders. The senior evaded the inside defender and pushed the deep safety to the side before tip-toeing into the end zone with 15 seconds remaining. The point after touchdown was blocked leaving Winchester only two down but with not many options remaining.

Yet a short kickoff and a strong run back set up Winchester’s outstanding kicker Kieran Corr with a do-able 44 yard attempt with 4 seconds remaining. But while it had the distance, Corr’s kick got caught up in the swirling wind and drifted left.

“That was pretty special because we came together during that drive; the line, receivers, blockers. We didn’t get down on ourselves when they scored twice [in a minute]. We had a great week of practice and knew we had it in us to win the game,” said Arno, who finished the game going 15 for 25 and 263 yards through the air.

After a quick three and out to start the game, Belmont’s defense was to stop Winchester in the red zone where Corr kicked a field goal for an early 3-0 lead. Belmont would finally strike midway in the second after a long drive Arno dove in from the one to give the Marauders a 7-3 lead.

Head coach Brian McCray’s team stands at 2-3 with a visit to Lexington (2-3) under the lights on Friday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.

Winchester would benefit from a pass interference and a hitting a defenseless player to bring the ball to the Belmont 2 where QB/RB Jack Centurelli plunged two yards on the right side for the TD and the lead, 10-7 with three minutes remaining. Belmont could come right back as Arno found Cogliano and senior WR Ben Williams on passes to push the ball to the one where Arno would crash through with one minute remaining in the half for the 14-10 lead.

Belmont would travel through the air on its first drive of the second, calumniating four minutes into the half with an Arno to junior WR Brian Logan along the back of the end zone. Winchester would creep closer with its own drive to cut the lead to 20-16 on Centurelli’s second rushing TD with two minutes remaining in the third.

In the first drive of the fourth quarter, Arno would find Logan on a third and long taking the ball from Belmont’s 32 to Winchester’s 32 then completing a 20 yard completion to Logan before Gurung took the ball then waited, and waited … and waited before exploding up the middle for a 13 yard TD and a 26-16 lead. With nine minutes left, it appeared Belmont would cruise to its second win when Winchester quickly marched down the field when Centurelli found junior Ryan Doucette for the touchdown with 8:03 on the clock and the score 26-23.

Winchester’s kicker Corr was an important factor in getting the ball right back by sending a towering kick with a spin that simply bounced off the Belmont returner and was recovered on the Belmont 12. Centurelli found Jack Costello in the back of the end zone and within 62 seconds, a safe looking lead with now a four point deficit, 30-26, with 7:01 to play.

While Belmont was able to convert one fourth down play, they lost the ball on downs with 4:09 left. But Belmont’s defense stood tall and forced Winchester to punt with under three minutes to play. Then Corr sent a perfect punt that died on the one yard line.

And that’s when the Marauders’ produced the drive of the game.

“This does a lot for team confidence with the comeback,” said Arno. “It will definitely give us a boost of confidence going on the road next week.”

One Book One Belmont Author Susan Orlean Keynote Address Wednesday, Oct 12 at 7PM

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Photo: Susan Orlean

Author Susan Orlean will give the keynote speech on her work, the New York Times bestseller, The Library Book, as part of this year’s One Book One Belmont on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The hybrid event will take place on line or live at a viewing party held at the Beech Street Center.

Registration is required for the Zoom link; register here. People can also attend the event at the viewing party held at the Beech Street Center.

Orlean’s bestseller, The Library Book, is an exploration of the history, power, and future of these endangered institutions, told through the lens of Orlean’s quest to solve a notorious cold case: who set fire to the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986, ultimately destroying 400,000 books? Writing in The Washington Post, Ron Charles urged “Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book…. You can’t help but finish The Library Book and feel grateful that these marvelous places belong to us all.”

It was named one of both The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018, The Washington Post’s Best Books of 2018, and was awarded the California Book Award and Marfield Prize for Arts Writing. Orlean will adapt The Library Book for a forthcoming series with Paramount TV.

Those attending can request a copy of the book here. The audiobook can be requested here.

Thanks to the Newton Free Library, the Friends of the Belmont Public Library and community co-sponsors who make this amazing series of events possible.

What’s Open/Closed On Indigenous Peoples’ Day In Belmont

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Photo: Indigenous Peoples’ Day is Oct. 10.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October – this year Oct. 10 – is a federal holiday and observed by the Town of Belmont celebrating Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. While more than a dozen states observe the holiday, Massachusetts still celebrates Columbus Day, although proposed legislation in the Massachusetts House (H.3191) and Senate (S.2027) that, if passed, would designate the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day.

Curb side trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day due to the holiday.

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices, Belmont Public Library and Belmont Light are closed.
  • US Postal Service will not deliver mail and post offices are closed.
  • Most banks; although branches will be open in some supermarkets.

What’s Opened:

  • Retail stores
  • Coffee shops
  • Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Supermarkets and convenience stores
  • Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

MBTA: Holidays such as Juneteenth, Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, and Veterans Day do not have modified schedules; all services will operate on a regular schedule on these days.

Belmont High Field Hockey On Five Game Tear Highlighted By Shutout Over Lexington

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Photo: Belmont High midfielder Lola Rocci (number 4) in action against Lexington

There’s always a game during the season a team can point where everything comes together: defense, passing and scoring. For the Belmont High Field Hockey squad, that game came on Friday, Sept. 30 when the Marauders’ outclassed a solid Lexington team, 3-0, to earn its first clean sheet of the season and move ever closer to a top playoff spot.

“This is a great confidence builder,” said Belmont Head Coach Jess Smith after a game which her squad dominated all aspects of the game from winning the 50/50 challenges to clogging up the passing lanes and preventing shots on Belmont keeper Julia Herilihy who earned the shut out, the first of two this week as Belmont held Burlington scoreless in a 2-0 victory Thursday, Oct. 6.

The team was especially impressive in their passing game both coming out from the defensive position and on the attack.

“They are learning where each other are on the field and they’re moving to the right places and staying wide. They are trusting each other and it’s really coming together. It’s the best I’ve seen them play,” said Smith after the game.

After an early season bump in the road – that will happen battling three undefeated teams (Watertown, Winchester, Reading) over six days – Belmont High has reached mid-season on a five-game winning streak. The 7-3 Marauders’ are currently ranked 12th in the MIAA state Division 1 standings, its highest ever position in the power ranking era and have matched the number of victories last season.

The Minutemen came to Harris Field on Thursday, Sept. 30 riding their own impressive wave, topping previously unbeaten and top 20-ranked Winchester, 1-0, two days before. Led by sophomore Hannah Ward, the Minutemen attempted to have their star midfielder dictate the middle of the field using her stick skills and speed. But Belmont countered with tight man-on-man coverage that hampered the Minutemen offense.

Belmont found success on the right wing with the Devin Kelleher/Carly Gaziano partnership clicking with passes that caused Lexington trouble through out the match. In the middle of the pitch, freshman midfielder MacKenzie Clark showed her growing confidence in “quarterbacking” the offense in the middle with senior attack Mary Mullan her main target.

It was a stroke of creativity by Clark that broke open the scoring late in the opening quarter. Finding herself heading straight to the goal, rather than striking the ball on the ground, Clark lifted it with a soft flip shot high into the net with 90 seconds remaining in the quarter.

“MacKenzie is figuring out her role on our team and feeling more comfortable there. She’s playing a bigger part in every game with play,” said Smith.

The second 15 minutes was all Marauders as the midfield and defense kept the Minutemen outside the attack zone while opening the field for Belmont’s counters. The Marauders’ second tally was right out of the training field with Kelleher’s cross deep on the right side finding Gaziano rushing in to steer the ball off the post and into the net six minutes into the quarter. Belmont wrapped up the scoring with Gaziano stroking a shot from a scrum out front with 2:44 left in the half.

For the final 30 minutes, Belmont was never challenged with the defense led by senior Alex Townsend holding down the center of the defensive pitch. Smith pointed to the play of midfielder Lola Rocci, “an offensive player who comes back on defense and makes great plays like connecting with Kelleher and Gaziano or make a great run with the ball,” said Smith.

Rocci said that with each game, the players have become more discipline in how they position themselves on the pitch.

“I think we have more awareness in the field. I feel like I know where Devin, MacKenzie and Mary are going to be when I have the ball or when they are looking to pass. And that is making us a better team,” she said.

Once Again, (Special) Town Meeting Will Be A Virtual Affair

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Photo: Mike Widmer, Belmont Town Moderator

While many of the town’s board and committee meetings have returned to in person, the most significant of those will, once again, be held virtually after Belmont Select Board approved a recommendation by Town Moderator Mike Widmer to hold the upcoming Special Town Meeting virtually over the internet.

The three-day meeting is scheduled for Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1.

The reason Widmer said for the continuation of meeting “on-line” was two fold, first pointing to rising numbers of Covid-19 infections returning as the weather turns colder.

According to the website Your Local Epidemiologist, the start of a new Covid wave in Western Europe has begun as hospitalizations are uniformly increasing. “As we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, not only are infections increasing, but so is severe disease,” said the website.

Given the U.S. has mirrored European trends throughout the pandemic, a wave in the U.S. is likely coming. And specifically in Boston, “there are concerning signals with sudden increases in viral wastewater levels.”

With the likely return of virial infections, a large indoor setting with 300 people would prove challenging. Town Meeting would take place for four hours over three days either in the new High School auditorium or at the Chenery Middle School, said Widmer. And while a majority of Town Meeting would be comfortable in this setting, “clearly a fraction of Town Meeting members, particularly those who are seniors and immunocompromised would have some risk,” said Widmer.

And while that population would have a choice to attend a movie or eat at a restaurant, “it’s not fair to tell them to choose to not to meet their civic obligation and not attend Town Meeting.”

“I think the prudent thing to do is to continue to meet virtually. We have been successful with the Town Clerk [Ellen Cushman] in doing this well and professionally and with civil debates,” said Widmer.

Rink Committee Cuts Cost To $32.3M; White Field House Stays, Harris Field Lockers Go

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Photo: The location of the projected new skating rink/athletic complex will be built at the site of the current rink

Forty-eight hours after the Municipal Rink Building Committee’s design team presented an eye-opening $41.4 million price tag for the proposed municipal rink/athletic center, the committee on Friday, Sept. 30, voted to bring to the Belmont Select Board what it believes is a far more palatable request for the 48,000 sq.-ft. facility.

After a crash course by Ted Galante Architect Studio and Owner’s Project Manager CHA in cutting costs and rejiggering calculations, the committee will present at the Monday, Oct. 3 meeting a slimmed down $32.3 million – $32,343,487, to be exact – budget to replace the dilapidated Skip Viglirolo Rink adjacent to Harris Field on Concord Avenue.

“The $41 million cost, as we all concluded, is significantly higher than what we feel we can take to the town. And therefore, we need to do some [value engineering] to get that back to where we want to be, which is in the mid-30s, if possible,” said Building Committee Chair Mark Haley.

The significant changes in the revised budget are twofold: a recalculation of the contingency and escalation reserves as well as a list of value engineering reductions totaling $5 million.

The contingency reserve – that is, money set aside to protect against future unexpected costs that arise because of change orders or unanticipated expenses – has been reduced from $10.2 million to $6.5 million by consolidating two contingency line items into one and reducing the percentage

Another cost saving was found in lowering the percentage reserve for expected price escalation for materials and services, a change promoted by Haley that brought a warning from the design team.

“We can try it,” said Galante. “I think it puts us at risk, but we just have to be very careful about how it’s designed and what path we take for construction,”

After the contingency and escalation recalculations, the base bid construction cost – how much it takes to build the structure as well as the reserves for unanticipated expenses and all “soft” costs – for the rink came in at $38.8 million, which was still more than the top of the range of the initial cost estimate presented in July to the Select Board.

To bring down the projected cost to a more palatable cost, the design team proposed five potential options after conducting a value engineering study.

The option is:

  • The removal of the mezzanine deck. ($1.950 million)
  • Eliminating space for DPW-related storage. ($663,000)
  • Striking out the Harris Field Locker Rooms. ($1.547 million)
  • Delete the removal of the White Field House. ($535,000)
  • Reduce the scope of the parking area ($300,000)

Once presented, the committee voted to approve the programming cuts to reach the $32.3 million threshold.

Although the locker rooms were requested by the school district, committee member and Belmont School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty said Schools Superintendent John Phelan told her the district was in favor of the value engineering reductions if it meant the total project price tag would be seen as more acceptable to the voters.

While five programming components were removed from the projects, they will be an opportunity for these to return later. Committee member Dynelle Long said the project can add a core shell – with foundation walls and supports – where the deleted programming would have been located to preserve the options of future construction.

That future funding could come from an existing pool of money set aside for recreational purposes.

“We should consider whether Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding is a way to pay for the plaza in front of the rink because, in fact, all of those, I believe, are eligible for CPA money,” said Anthony Ferrante, the Recreation Commission’s representative to the Committee.

It’s a question for the town whether that’s how we want to prioritize our CPA funds. But that’s a way of removing costs,” he said.