Belmont’s Grappler Takes First Ever MIAA Girls’ Wrestling State Championship At 106 Lbs [VIDEO]

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Photo: Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov in the first-ever finals of the MIAA D1 State Girls Wrestling Championship at 106 lbs.

When hearing last year there would likely be a separate state tournament for girls’ wrestling, Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov and Craig Janjigian, the team’s head coach, said they knew that if her progression continued in the sport, she would be topping the podium.

“We both said it, that I could win,” said Svistunov.

Svistunov with Belmont High Head Coach Craig Janjigian (left) and assistant Head Coach Andrew McCahill.

One year later, their shared vision came true as Svistunov placed her mark on Belmont High sports history, winning the Division 1 state championship at 106 lbs. at the inaugural MIAA Girls Wrestling tournament.

The 15-year-old sophomore dominated the final against Claire Roney of Wellesley High, shutting out the top seed, 7-0, in the Saturday, Feb. 17 match at Newton South High School.

“It’s a big deal, probably,” said Svistunov, still contemplating what she had done five minutes earlier.

“[Svistunov] got the job done. She dominated this tournement,” said Janjigian, who also brought three male wrestlers to the championships.

Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov won the first-ever MIAA D1 State Girls Wrestling Championship finals at 106 lbs.

Svistunov will next wrestle in the Massachusetts Girls’ All-State tourney in Salem on Saturday, Feb. 20, when the top grapplers from across the three divisions will meet to determine the best wrestlers in each of a dozen weight groups.

It was an impressive run through the tourney for Svistunov, who started early Saturday morning by pinning Jasin Abdella of Leominster in 37 seconds in the opening period. Svistunov would have her most difficult challenge in the semifinals against second seed Abigail Muller, also from Leominster. Muller would go up 2-0 early on a quick counter that landed Svistunov on her back. She would recover and score two points on a reversal just before the period ended. The second (of three 2-minute) period saw Svistunov take down Muller to go up 4-2. And for the next five minutes of the contest, Svistunov would use her weight to secure Muller – who would finish third – to the mat and counter every attempt the increasingly exhausted Leominster wrestler made to escape her opponent’s grasp.

The finals against Roney saw Svistunov being efficient and relentless, going up 4-0 early in the match and never looking back, employing the same punishing ground game she employed with Muller. It may not have been the most action-packed of the finals, but it was certainly the most effective. When the official ended the bout, Svistunov flew into the arms of her coaches and then went to greet her mother mat-side.

“Wonderful!” said Svistunov’s mother after the finals. “If I say anything else, I’ll start crying.”

Belmont High Hoops: Girls’, Boys’ Playoff Bound But A Way To Go Before Tourney Ready

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Photo: Belmont High Senior Co-Capt. Mia Ferrari and sophomore Sophia McClendon vs. Lexington

The good news: Both Belmont varsity basketball teams are playoff bound having secured their 10th win this season.

The flip side: The Marauders Boys’ and Girls’ are not looking, just quite yet, ready to withstand a tournament game much less going on a playoff run in the MIAA Division 1 post season that starts next week.

Case in point: Seniors Night games on Feb. 9 against Lexington that both Marauder teams hosted at the Wenner Field House. It’s certain Belmont’s girls and boys will be meeting similarly skilled squads as Lexington in the playoffs which gave the games a Cassandra quality peering into the future. And while Belmont was able to keep both games outcome within a couple of baskets, the Minutemen demonstrated just a bit more basketball smart to carry off the wins by the final buzzer.

Too much second quarter Sam

In the opener of last weeks doubleheader, the Belmont Boys’ were coming off a 5-2 stretch to earn its 10th victory demolishing Woburn, 59-29. But despite a 10-6 overall record, Belmont’s all important MIAA Power Ranking – which is used to seed the teams in the playoff – was a paltry 41st in which the first 32 teams automatically make the tournament. Teams with a .500 record or better are added to the post season but must win a play-in game against the lowest automatic teams to make the 32-team tourney.

Friday’s matinee game set two teams with nearly identical records. Lexington’s power ranking was 40th and they were seeking its 10th win. The Marauders took advantage of its tall, physical forwards – senior co-Capt.’s Donovan Holway and Gabriel Meyer-Herron with junior Ryan O’Byrne – to get off to a 15-10 first quarter lead.

But the second quarter quickly turned into “Showtime with Sam” as Lexington’s Sam Myerberg had career eight minutes. The sophomore guard started by hitting consecutive 3’s, then going one for two from the free throw line then hit two more treys finishing the quarter with 17 points and 22 for the half to push the Minutemen to a 35-29 lead after the first half. Belmont relied on its big men specifically Meyer-Herron but too many times on the court the Marauders were not executing with quickness allowing Lexington to hold the advantage to the frustration of Head Coach Darren Martinez.

The Minutemen continued their onslaught this time highlighted by senior co-capt. guard Derin Ongur (19 points for the game) who canned two threes and a straight away jumper to increase the lead to 48-31 with three minutes left in the third quarter. While this could have been a good time to think about its next game, Belmont got back in the game as Meyer-Harron and O’Byrne headed inside the paint to score and drag the team to within nine at the end of three, 48-39.

Belmont up the tempo in the fourth and got to the charity stripe three times only ending up missing the six free throws they were awarded. The Marauders kept chipping away, cutting the Minutemen lead to 57-53 with two to play. But a technical foul on a Belmont player gave Lexington four shots from the line and they didn’t miss to put the lead back to eight, 61-53 with 1:05 to play. And when Myerberg hit for a three – he finished with 32 points – on the next time down the court, that was all she wrote as Lexington eased to a 68-63 win.

Stella stellar for Lexington

The nightcap saw Belmont Girls coming into the game on the wrong end of a three game losing streak, seeing them drop to 14th in the power ranking at 10-7, getting uncomfortably close to the 17th ranking which would result in the Marauders missing out on hosting a home game. Facing them was 12-4 Lexington – 8th in the power rankings- squad that defeated Belmont earlier in the season, 48-39.

After the tipoff, the Minutemen showed immediately their skills, using quick cutting runs through the paint to open space against Belmont’s zone defense for easy baskets to lead 9-4 midway through the quarter. But lead by senior capt. Mia Ferrari and sophomore Sophia McClendon, Belmont fought back to where a pair of free throws from junior Brynn Connolly to tie the score at 13 after one.

Belmont came out with purpose and snatched the lead, 18-17 off a junior co-captain Linda Sheng drive with 6:20 to play in the quarter. But just like the boys’ game, a Lexington player took hold of the game in the second quarter and didn’t let go. Junior guard Stella Crinti started with a three pointer, followed by a stop and shot basket, than a layup on the break and then handing out two pitch perfect assist to take the Minutemen from one down to 10 up before a three from finished a 13-0 run to give the Minutemen at 30-18 lead that the visitors would not give up. Belmont through Sheng would cut the lead at the half to 30-23.

If there was a statistic that showed the advantage Lexington brought to the game occurred early in the three quarter when the Minutemen took down five offensive rebounds on two possessions resulting in two baskets, one courtesy of a Crinti turnaround to up the lead back to 12 at midpoint in the quarter. Lexington led by 18 – 48-30 – when McClendon went on her one run with two in close buckets and a three to pull Belmont back to 11 only to see that Crinti player hit a three to give Lexington a 51-37 advantage with six left in the game. But Belmont made it interesting with McClendon and Sheng cutting the lead to 56-47 before – guess who – Crinti putting the knife in any hope of a miracle comeback with a straight away three making the score 59-47 as the Minutemen put this win to bed, going home 63-55 victors.

The Belmont Girls would subsequently loss their remaining three games of the regular season to finish the campaign at 10-10 and likely miss out on holding a playoff game. The Boys’ went 1-1 since the Lexington game – a loss at Winchester before winning against visiting Billerica. They have two games left this week against Westwood and Malden Catholic before the start of the playoffs.

Unbeaten Belmont Girls’ Hockey Prepares For Burlington Rematch By Shutting Down Reading, 1-0

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Photo: Senior co-captain Molly Driscoll has 16 goals this season

The script the Belmont High Girls’ Ice Hockey squad has been following in the 2023-24 season is fairly straight forward: Have Molly score and let Jil do the rest.

That was certainly the case on Wednesday, Feb. 8 when senior co-captain Molly Driscoll scored in the first period and sophomore goalie Jil Costa stopped each of the 44 shots for her 8th shutout of the season as the host Marauders secured a hard-earned 1-0 shutout against the Reading High Rockets in a Middlesex Liberty showdown at John A. Ryan Rink in Watertown.

Wednesday night’s victory gives the Marauders double digit wins this season and they remain the only undefeated team in all divisions of the MIAA at 10-0-3 record.

Driscoll scored her 16th goal of the campaign on a nice pass from line mate sophomore Evey Long less than four minutes into the game. It was up to Costa to stand tall in net in the second period with Belmont playing short handed including nearly two minutes when they were down to three skaters.

“That was a good effort, obviously from [Costa] who turned everything aside,” said first-year Head Coach Brendan Kelleher. “We kind of bent a little late in the second [period] and the third but we didn’t break and she was a big reason why we won letting nothing through.”

Belmont defense, lead by first liners sophomore Thea Monovich and senior co-captain Aislin Devaney, kept the Rocket attackers at bay forcing the wingers to the side boards while using their long reach to poke check Rocket forwards attempts.

“They’re blocking a lot of shots,” Kelleher said. “We kept shots contained to the outside and away from the goal scoring area in the middle.”

Belmont’s next big challenge awaits them in less than 24 hours on Thursday, Feb. 8, as the 14th-ranked Marauders head to Burlington for a rematch against the 5th-ranked Red Devils, a fortnight since the teams battled to an thrilling overtime 2-2 draw.

The Red Devils will host Belmont with an impressive 12-1-2 record, its only lost to Malden Catholic early in the season, a defeat Burlington redressed in beating the Lancers last month.

Belmont sophomore goalie Jil Costa making the save vs. Woburn to keep the game scoreless.

Burlington put on the ice a mix of experience – seven seniors, four of whom Renee Flett, and captains Shea McDonald (the team’s leading scorer with five goals and 11 assists), Katie Hayes, and Mia Lauder who are in their sixth season playing varsity ice hockey – and youth with five middle schoolers playing significant minutes.

On the Belmont side of the ice, the Marauders rely on its first offensive line for its scoring punch with Watertown-native Driscoll – a state all-scholastic in field hockey who is committed to Boston University – centering Belmont senior co-captain Lola Rocci and Long.

Thursday will be a night where a pair of sophomore goaltenders will be key for both teams. Burlington’s Isa Fischer and Belmont’s Costa each are allowing less than a goal a game. In Belmont’s past two games, Costa was a steady presence, shutting down Woburn while giving up a lone goal against Lexington while playing shorthanded five-on-three.

The last time they met, Burlington would take the lead twice through Abby Wojtaszik and McDonald only to see Driscoll come through with a brace, the final tally coming late in the third period. Draped by a pair of defenders, Driscoll sent a laser of a pass back to Rocci who took the shot. While Fischer made the initial stop, the puck rebound in the crease where Driscoll was parked. In true Phil Esposito fashion, the senior buried the puck with 2:59 remaining.

“[All] these games are big this time of year,” said Kelleher. “It could be a lot easier for me and the rest of the coaches to have a few more goals on the board.”

Hoops: Belmont Girls’ Herlihy Adding A Scoring Punch To Marauders’ Offense

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Photo: Belmont High Senior Center Julia Herlihy taking a shot from distance

Julia Herlihy is known for her skills as a goaltender for the field hockey team – a goals-against average of 1.1 and nine shutouts this past season – and in the net for the lacrosse team.

But in recent weeks, Herlihy has proved herself to be an offensive force for Belmont High Girls’ Basketball. In the last two games, the senior center has averaged 13 points, including 11 points, with three buckets from beyond the 3-point line against Arlington. Add four blocks and a slew of rebounds in the first half to help Belmont to a 45-34 victory at the Wenner Field House.

This season, Herlihy has been partnering with sophomore forward Sophia McClendon and fellow senior guard co-captain Mia Ferrari to power Belmont to a 6-2 record (2-2 in the Middlesex League), including winning the Cambridge Legions Classic tourney during the winter break. Against the 11th-ranked (in the Boston Globe top 20 poll) Wakefield High, Herlihy joined McClendon with 15 points to force the game into overtime, where Ferrari hit a critical 3 in the final minute to take down the Warriors, 60-56.

Belmont High’s Sophia McClendon (35) has averaged 15 points in the past two games.

Herlihy said she’s not concentrating on being a scoring threat, “but if the shots there, I’m gonna take it. But I’m also looking to pass to other players.”

Against Arlington, the Marauders punished the SpyPonders for grouping under their basket as four Belmont starters threw up three-pointers. The team’s aggressive defense allowed the Marauders to run off to a 16-5 first-quarter lead. Herlihy continued her long-range scoring with two threes, leading Belmont to a 32-18 advantage at the half. McClendon used her speed to score on a pair of breakaways and an in-close jumper to keep the SpyPonder’s arms distance at 40-27 entering the final eight minutes. The fourth quarter was a pondering affair for both teams, each appearing ready to start the weekend.

Second-year Head Coach Shantell Jeter said the team has come far from last year. “Each game we go out there, we play better. We’re working on communication and pace, and I’m trying to teach them not to allow the other team to dictate their pace. We need to be calm and patient and trust each other.”

“So far this season, it’s been a team effort. We just all been working really hard. And it’s going well so far,” said Herlihy.

Belmont High Teams In A Winning Way As Winter Sports Season Gets Underway

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Photo: 2023-4 Belmont High Girls’ Hockey

After a successful fall in which each team participated in the MIAA tournament, Belmont High begins the winter sports season with

Girls’ Basketball: Belmont High Head Coach Shantell Jeter opened her second campaign with the Marauders thumping Melrose, 68-24, at the Wenner Field House on Dec. 13. Coming off an impressive first-year campaign, Sophomore Sophia McClendon continued her outstanding form, scoring 12 of her game-high 16 points in the first quarter on two 3s and three baskets. Senior captain Mia Ferrari scored in double digits with 10 points, including a pair of 3s. Emily Donahue, Lean Attridge, and Brynn Connolly each contributed 8 points to the lopsided victory. The Marauders (1-0) head to Reading (1-0) to meet the Rockets on Friday, Dec 15.

Belmont High sophomore Sophia McClendon in action.

Girls Hockey: Under the tutelage of new head coach Brendan Kelleher, the newly-created co-op team of Belmont and Watertown high schools started the 2023-4 season with a stellar performance, shutting out hosts Melrose, 3-0, on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Goals were courtesy of seniors Ruby Jones, Allison Caputo and Molly Driscoll while sophomore Jil Costa in goal did an outstanding job replacing four-year starter all-star Bridget Gray.

Boys’ Basketball: In a tight, low-scoring season opener, Belmont took down Melrose, 49-45, at the Wenner. Senior Donovan Holway netted 21 points while leading the Marauders back from a double-digit deficit to squeak through in the final minute. Next up for the Marauders (1-0) is a matchup with Reading (1-0) on Friday, Dec. 15.

Boys’ Hockey: With losing its top defensive line and all-star goal-scoring forward due to graduation, it will be a rebuilding year for the Marauders, which will be playing the next two seasons in Watertown as the town builds a new rink.

The season got underway against Catholic Memorial, ranked fourth in the Boston Globe preseason Top 20. The West Roxbury team proved a real test for the Marauders as the Knights scored a 4-1 win at the Warrior Arena in Brighton. Sophomore Leo Packard scored Belmont’s lone goal, assisted by senior co-captain Adam Bauer, while first-year goalie Ethan Bauer stopped 26 shots. Against Melrose, Adam Bauer collected two points with a goal and an assist on Packard’s second goal of the season to secure a 2-2 tie vs. Melrose. Belmont will be in Watertown to take on the Raiders on Saturday, Dec. 15.

After A Historic Season, Belmont High Head Football Coach McCray Leaves Program

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Photo: Belmont High Head Coach Brian McCray leaves program.

After helming Belmont High School Football to a memorable 2023 season, Head Coach Brian McCray said it was with “mixed emotions” that he submitted his resignation after three seasons as head coach “effective immediately” in an Instagram post dated Friday, Dec. 8,

“After careful consideration and reflection, I believe this decision is in the best interest of my personal and professional development,” said McCray who went 14-17 since joining the program in 2021.

“I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that Belmont High School has provided me during my tenure as head football coach. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the talented student-athletes, dedicated coaching staff, and supportive administration.

Together, we have achieved significant milestones and growth, and I am proud to have been a part of the Belmont High football program.”

“It has been an honor to work with Coach McCray,” said Adam Pritchard, Belmont High’s Athletic Director. “Brian is a dedicated teacher/coach and has been a tremendous leader for our student-athletes and a positive park of Belmont High School and our Belmont community.”

“We are grateful for Brian’s time as varsity football coach and are excited for the future of football at Belmont High School,” said Pritchard.

Finishing this season at 6-4, McCray’s team won the Middlesex League Liberty Division crown – its first Middlesex title since 1965 – defeating division rivals Reading and Woburn for the first time in more than a decade, earning a spot in the Division II state tournament, and routing Watertown on Thanksgiving, 47-0.

Belmont High Football Outclass Watertown, 47-0, In Historic Thanksgiving Day Rout

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Photo: 6-4, 2023 Middlesex Liberty champs, Div. II playoffs and a rout vs Watertown

There would be no mercy on this Thanksgiving Day.

Having suffered three consecutive defeats and more than a decade of beatdowns and indignities – i.e., the taunting and nasty chants at the end of last year’s 21-7 loss at Fenway Park – at the hands of Watertown, this holiday Thursday would see the long overdue payback as the Belmont High Football team annihilated the host Raiders, 47-0, on Victory Field.

Belmont High’s captains (from left): Austin Lasseter (20), Adrien Gurung (1), Ryan Halloran (54), Brian Logan (4), Bryce Hubbard (10) and Jayden Arno (3)

“We’ve been waiting three years for a win against these guys,” said Belmont Head Coach Brian McCray after the game.

“The kids were fantastic. Shout out to all the seniors. They were the pillars of the team and they really wanted it and went out with a win.”

The margin of victory sets a record in the game’s 101-year history, while the 47 points were the most scored by either team since the Raiders put up a record-setting 54 against a winless 2013 Marauders squad. Watertown now leads the series, 50-46-5.

Off to the races: Belmont High’s all-star running back Adrien Gurung on his way to a 62-yard TD run on Thanksgiving.

Played on a glorious late-fall morning, Belmont dominated the Raiders in every aspect of the game, scoring on nearly every offensive possession over the 48 minutes. At the same time, the defense prevented Watertown from entering the red zone – inside Belmont’s 20-yard line – until the game’s final minute.

“The past two years, we lost to Watertown, and they ensured we knew it. So we had to get our revenge,” said Jayden Arno, Belmont’s senior quarterback and co-captain, who threw three touchdowns to three different receivers while scoring on the first play of the second half on a 49-yard quarterback run.

“And we came out. The offensive coordinators did a great job with the plays throughout the season, and we put all of our arsenal into this game, and it worked out.”

Belmont High WR Brian Logan on his way to a 49-yard TD reception from QB Jayden Arno

On the other side of the ball, the defensive line made the day a misery for Watertown’s runners by stuffing the Raiders three times on 4th down in the first half while sacking the quarterback four times and taking the ball away from the Raiders twice on interceptions.

“[Losing to Watertown for three years] provided a lot of motivation for us as a team because all we want to do is win this game and win it for [Belmont]. This is bigger than us. We definitely put all our preparation into this,” said senior linebacker and co-Capt. Ryan Halloran, the stalwart on defense this season.

It didn’t take long for Belmont to strike after the defense stopped Watertown on a fourth and one on the Raiders’ 35. On the first play from scrimmage, Arno found junior Billy Hendrickson alone on the right sideline, where he waltzed in from five yards out. Belmont 7, Watertown 0 after senior co-Capt. Austin Lasseter kicked the conversion.

Belmont High QB Jayden Arno leads the offense vs. Watertown on Thanksgiving.

Given excellent field position at midfield on a failed trick kickoff, the Raiders used a 14-yard pass from QB Anthony Shorter to first-year TE Joe Connors to reach the Belmont 24. But again, Watertown was repealed on third and fourth down and two from the 24. Belmont would start its second drive with a 10-yard gain from senior RB and co-Capt. Adrien Gurung. The next time Belmont’s all-star running back touched the ball, it was to carry the pigskin 62 yards up the gut for Belmont’s second touchdown and a 13-0 lead after a botched PAT.

The Raiders drove to the 50 when the Marauder defense stepped up as senior co-Capt. Bryce Hubbard cut in front of the receiver and made a fingertip interception. On the next play, Arno found senior co-Capt. Brian Logan behind the Watertown defense for a 50-yard pitch and catch touchdown. Belmont 19-0 as the Marauders failed on the try for two.

Soon afterward, Watertown failed to convert a fourth down for the third time. After Lasseter took the ball into Watertown territory at the 49, Gurung repeated his earlier stampede through the Raiders’ middle, this time for 49 yards for a touchdown to give Belmont a 26-0 lead.

After scoring his second touchdown, Gurung and fellow senior Logan pose in the Watertown end zone on Thanksgiving.

Getting the ball back with 1:25 remaining at its 27, Gurung took a screen pass and rambled 57 yards until he was caught on a desperation tackle at the Belmont 27. On a fourth and 11 at the 16 with seven ticks left on the clock, Logan beat his defender into the end zone, but the ball went through his hands as the sun blinded his view. Belmont held a 26-0 lead at the half, scoring four touchdowns on five possessions.

The scoring continued 20 seconds into the third quarter when Arno scampered 49 yards along the right sideline to up the score to 34-0 after he dove in for the two-point conversion. On the next possession, senior RB Jayden Rodriguez punched it in from 2 yards out for a 41-0 lead, and the game reverted to “running time” when the clock only stopped for timeouts and end of quarters.

The scoring concluded in the fourth quarter with Donovan Holway catching a pass on a slant route from 6 yards out, after which the senior “dunked’ the ball over the crossbar, resulting in cheers from his teammates and a personal foul penalty from the refs.

The Thanksgiving dunk: senior WR Donovan Holway celebrates Belmont’s final TD.

In the final five minutes, with reserves getting a chance to clash with the Raider’s varsity, Watertown drove deep into Belmont territory. With two minutes remaining, McCray called back his starters to allow the defense to preserve the shutout. On the final play of the game ball, Belmont’s defense rallied to force a pass that was grounded in front of the receiver.

While Belmont’s assistant coaches put together an offensive and defensive game plan that worked nearly to perfection, McCray praised his group of four-year athletes.

“[The coaches] want to make sure [the team] is in a great position to win, but [the players] are the ones that are the generator of this victory. We’re just the guys calling plays and getting after it, but they’re the ones that really led us, and the senior leadership was just tremendous,” McCray said.

For the first time since 2019, it was only happy emotions for the Belmont players, coaches, and parents on Victory Field. The 2023 season will be remembered for the team winning the Middlesex League Liberty Division crown – its first Middlesex title since 1965 – defeating division rivals Reading and Woburn for the first time in more than a decade, earning a spot in the Division II state tournament, and shutting down rivals Watertown.

“This season meant a lot to me,” said Halloran. “My final year, I want to go with a bang. We definitely did that. We prepared a lot for this game, and everyone worked hard in practice. This game was won in practice. We did a lot to win this game, and it ended up working out great.”

I couldn’t have done it without my senior class,” said Arno. “We all worked hard since sophomore year, especially. And I’m just proud of my teammates,” said Jayden.

As Belmont finally left the field, McCray was seen carrying the Thanksgiving Day game trophy, which will reside for the next year (or two or ten) in the new trophy case outside of the Wenner Field House. It was just that the coach wanted a few days with the silverware.

“I’ll bring it back Monday,” McCray told Belmont’s AD Adam Pritchard.

“I’ll bring it back Monday.”

Second Century Of Gridiron Rivalry Begins As Watertown Hosts Belmont In 101st Thanksgiving Day Contest

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Photo: Belmont High’s QB Jayden Arno (number 3) will lead the Marauders against the Watertown High Raiders on Thanksgiving

The second century of battling for Turkey Day football dominance begins Thursday at Victory Field when the Watertown High School host the Belmont High Marauders in the 101st edition of the Thanksgiving Day game.

Kickoff for this rivalry is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Tickets are $10 at the gate.

The Marauders will be looking for payback for the Fenway game as the Raiders scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to come away with a 21-7 victory, its third consecutive victory.

Belmont (5-4) comes into game as Middlesex League Liberty Division champions – the first league title since 1965 – as a resurgent Marauders led by third year head coach Brian McCray nearly ran the league table to go 4-1, defeating teams such as Woburn and Reading for the first time in more than a decade. Belmont earned a place in the Division 2 playoffs in which a severely depleted Marauders squad – missing its all-star running back, several linebackers and the team’s MVP and kicker due to injuries – was defeated by host Wellesley, 42-0.

Watertown’s season (3-7) has been a lackluster one, losing each of its five Middlesex League Freedom Division matches to finish last in the division. The Raiders appear to found some form coming into the contest on a two-game win streak defeating Arlington Catholic and Greater Lowell in a pair of non-playoff games.

First contested in 1921, Watertown leads the series 50-45-5. The game was cancelled twice, in 1940 due to a snowstorm, and in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What A Week! Belmont Boys Stamps Its Brand Of Soccer On Div. 1 Playoff With Pair Of Upsets; Winchester Next In The Elite 8 On Sunday [VIDEO]

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Photo: Alex Servitopoulos celebrating his winning goal vs.Acton-Boxborough, 3-2

A year ago this week, Belmont High Boys’ Soccer players littered the turf at Franklin High School, having come ever so close to beating a top-ten seed, ruing the many missed chances in a “what if …” moment.

What a difference a year makes.

In a pair of nailbiting playoff matches, the 30th-ranked Marauders defeated third-ranked Acton-Boxborough Regional (3-2) and 14th-seed Natick High (2-1) in the MIAA Division 1 tourney, leaving the winning goals until late in both games, with the second against Natick coming down to the final kick of the game.

“We win pretty, we win ugly, We win with fire, we wind with passion,” said Belmont’s Head Coach Niman Kenkre said after a second emotional game against Natick. “They just refuse to lose. I’ve never been around a group of guys like this.”

“Their spirit, their mental strength to do what we done in both games. It bears out the work that we’ve put in, all the passion, all the love that these guys have for each other. It’s just rewarding for their commitment to the way we play and to each other.”

Belmont (13-5-4) will take its innovative tactics to Middlesex League Liberty rival 11th-seed Winchester (15-1-2) for an Elite Eight contest on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. In their previous matches, the Red and Black defeated the Marauders by identical 2-0 scorelines.

The last time Belmont had gone this deep into the MIAA tournament was in the Div. 2 North championship semifinals when Winchester beat the Marauders, 1-0, on its way to the state title.

The games stood out in their contrasting styles. Against Acton-Boxborough, Belmont excelled in the installment by Kenkre of a patient approach to attacking the opponent, using a combination of short and medium passes or dribbling with the ultimate aim of reaching the opponent’s territory in a superior position.

While most high school teams play long passes up the field with the hope of winning the ball, “we’ve really mastered playing from the back, breaking the field into thirds and building our offense in each third,” said team co-captain Sachil Kenkre after the A-B match which he collected three points on a goal and two assists. “It’s really beautiful soccer, and tonight it paid off.”

“At the start of the season, we were making mistakes left and right, and it was going to be hard to play high school [soccer] like that. But as you saw, it worked, and we beat the three seed,” he said.

“Tonight really validated the style of soccer that we’ve been striving to do all season,” said coach Kenkre.

Belmont 3, Acton-Boxorough 2

At Acton-Boxorough, Belmont’s pressure defense – attacking the Colonials’ backline and midfield with multiple players – allowed the Marauders to be on the front foot for most of the first 40 minutes. A-B had some of its own original set plays as they took the lead with just over three minutes to play, scoring on a corner from a player who came into the box on a deep run.

But the Colonials advantage lasted a mere 24 seconds as Kenkre scored a wonder goal of the season, a long-range blast that beat the outstretched hand of AB goalie Kai Chong into the upper net. Less than a minute later, a Kenkre free kick to the right of the goal found junior Owen Filler sneaking in from the backside, who headed the ball back behind Chong for a 2-1 lead entering halftime.

After the break, Belmont came out on the attack and missed scoring three times, only to see A-B senior Miller Lille lose his marker on a corner and run free for an open header to level the match at 2-2. For the remainder of the half, Belmont’s stylish and stout defending never allowed the home team to set up their long-ball attack.

The Marauders’ pressure on AB’s back line paid off big when they were rewarded a corner with barely five minutes remaining in the game. Kenkre’s corner found senior Alex Servitopoulos, who raised his six-foot frame high above the scrum and headed the ball into the left corner for the game-winner.

“It’s all a flash at this point,” said Servitopoulos. “I saw the ball go in, and everything stopped in my life. I swear I’m speechless.”

Belmont 2, Natick 1 (4-2 in PKs)

In contrast to the A-B match, Thursday’s game on Natick’s fridged field was a grind-it-out affair where tactics were replaced with a close-quarters physical contest. The Red Hawks felt more at home creating chances with long balls crossing the box with attackers missing several good chances with Belmont’s double zero Thomas Borkowski making a pair of outstanding saves in the final minutes of the half.

Natick was rewarded with the lead five minutes after the restart. A Borkowski punch save off a corner went to the feet of Natick’s big central defender Matteo Uyar, who launched a low screamer by Borkowski.

“You know, so many other teams would have packed it in [going down] 1-0. This team would not,” said coach Kendre.

After taking control of the match, Belmont would once again wait until five minutes to the end to score, relying on a first-year coming off the bench. Inserted a few minutes earlier, Lawrence Tu was at the right place at the right time when he corralled a loose ball outside the box to the right of the goal.

“Coach moved me off to attacking midfield, and I got in the box,” said Tu. “Sachil took a corner and it bounced straight to me. I just took a touch and it went in.”

“The whole season, I’ve just been filling in whenever I can. I just wanted to get the job done and I did so I am really happy,” said Tu.

The two 10-minute overtime periods were uneventful – except for two Natick starters who were carried off the pitch after collisions – and the game would be decided via the dreaded penalty kicks. After four converted kicks from 11 meters, Borkowski drilled a shot off the crossbar. But the senior stood tall, stopping the subsequent penalty stretching to his left, and sent the Belmont supporters crazy with a second consecutive save, this one at this feet.

“I knew my team was going to score. Just needed to keep one out and we were good,” said Borkowski.

Up 3-2, senior Samuel Kutsman came to the spot as nonchalance as if he knew the game was about to end. Kutsman’s run-up sent the Natick goalie to the left as he placed the ball into the right corner. All that was left to do was celebrate as Kutsman slid on his knees to the sideline, where his teammates met him as the Belmont supporters took to the field.

“I was confident in my abilities [scoring from the spot],” said Kutsman. “We’ve been practicing pens for five days. I just knew it from the start.”

Coach Kenkre said he was eager to meet that challenge with a one-loss Winchester facing them on Sunday.

“We’re ready. They’ve beaten us twice, but it’s always tough to beat a good team three times. We know how to play us, and we know how to play them. It’s going to be a great match. A Middlesex League team is going to the final four, and I think it will start with the letter B.”

Heartbreak Season: Belmont Volleyball’s Tournament Ends Early As Lincoln-Sudbury Upsets Marauders In Thriller

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Photo: Belmont senior Isabella Radojevic (number 1) led the way for the Marauders vs LB

The playoffs are “heartbreak season in the sporting world … when pain is felt in its most acute form,” David Coggins wrote this month in his “The Contender” website on Substack.

Heartbreak is the only word to describe what occurred in the Wenner Field House Friday evening, Nov. 3. Heartbreak for the players and fans of the Belmont High Girls’ Volleyball, whose season included a historic first Middlesex League Liberty title and a formidable record of 17 wins from 19 matches.

But all the hard work and records are now at the wayside as the 9th-seeded Marauders would take the match vs. Lincoln-Sudbury to five sets but end up losing to the Warriors, 16-14, in the fifth (20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 14-16). And the pain was made only more inflicted after a controversial call at the net at 14 in the fifth set, allowing L-S’s senior Emma Agne to serve an uncontested ace to end what was one of the most thrilling matches either team played this year.

While the Warriors were jumping, ecstatic that they would be facing eight-seed Bishop Feehan, the Belmont team (17-3) was stunned into silence as the players slowly walked back to where their backpacks were located. Only when they stopped to pack up their gear for the final time did the emotions – mostly in tears, some in righteous indignation for the penultimate decision – come out in all its excruciating simplicity.

Teammates held their friends – so they didn’t have to cry alone – coaches, dealing with their disappointment, offered a hand, a thoughtful few words, and parents waiting across the field house with open arms.

Belmont Head Coach Jen Couture was expecting to be tested Friday as it was the first round of the playoffs, and the Marauders were facing one of last year’s Division 1 state finalists, losing to Newton North in the championship match.

“I have nothing but good things to say about Lincoln Sudbury,” she said after the game. “When you enter a tournament game, every team will be really good. They were incredible blockers, probably the best we’ve seen all year,” said Colture of the team coached by Greg Falcone.

“It was still a good game for us. Just not every little thing came out in the way we wanted to,” she said.

L-S’s two-player blocking scheme was immediately effective at the start, especially on Belmont’s senior standout Isabella Radojevic (17 kills, three aces, 15 received serves, four digs), as L-S built a quick 1-5 lead. Every time Belmont would tie or come within a point in the first set, the Warriors would counter with a run of their own, which was the pattern of play all match long.

Belmont’s first lead, 14-13, via a combined block from Sophia Qin and Eva Grant, was short-lived as L-S took it up to 17-19 with the first look of the Warriors’ exciting junior Gabby Pierre (14 kills), who when on the floor with Radojevic produced sparks on the front line.

While Belmont scrapped back to 19-21, the Warriors would take the set on a 4-1 run.

The second set was a nail-biter as Belmont again fell behind 5-10 before sophomore Wuyee Ke concluded a 5-0 run with an ace to pair up the second set at 10. The teams would be tied at 22 when first-year Yekaterina Polina stoned a Warrior kill attempt by herself before Ke made a one-arm dig from the floor, which Radojevic sent cross-court for the winner that sealed the set two serves later at 25-23.

The third set was a carbon copy of the previous as no team held a lead of more than three points. The presence of senior Sonya Ivkovic (11 kills, one solo, one combined block) at the net was the difference maker, whose hitting and blocking allowed Belmont to surge ahead 23-18. But The Warriors would make it tight at 24-22 on a down-the-line smash from junior Joyce Li. But Belmont hung on for the 25-22 win and two sets to one lead.

The fourth set saw Belmont race out in front 8-4, only for L-S to make a 5-1 service run. In a set that saw several long rallies, Belmont would pull ahead 17-13 through sophomore Ella Mizuta, only for Li to give a 17-18 lead with two critical points via combination blocks from Pierre and senior Abby Venis. It did appear a two-point push that gave Belmont a 21-19 was harbingers to come, but Pierre – who was outjumping very one by more than 6 inches if not a foot – who took the set by the throat to tie the sets at two.

It came down to a fifth set sprint to 15, in which L-S took a quick 2-5 lead, but Ivkovic was a presence in the middle and helped push Belmont into the lead at 7-6. While the Warriors would come back to move ahead 8-10, Belmont’s 13 in Ivkovic didn’t show any nervousness as she made a pair of kills, including one off a block that tied the score at 12-12. With Radojevic and Pierre on the court, it came down to which of the six players on each team would make a play. With L-S serving for the match at 13-14, Radojevic pulled out a strong shot that L-S miscued to tie at 14.

Now, the controversy. By winning the point at 14-14, either team would be serving to win the match. Agne smashed a great assist that Hashioka dug off the floor. The save barely cleared the net directly in the path of Venis, who won the point with a kill. Yet it was apparent that the net moved as Venis hit the ball. Did Venis’s hand hit the net, which would have given the point to Belmont, or did the net move by the ball? For a second or two, both teams’ attention was directed to the net judge, who deemed the ball caused the net’s movement, to the dismay of the Marauders in the field house.

Watch the play (at 1:20) here.

After the match, Colture said Lincoln-Sudbury held a surprising advantage during the match, being an overwhelming underdog.

“There is that pressure as the higher seed,” said Colture. “There’s an expectation you have, and the other team has no expectations. They had nothing to lose, and we played like we did have something to lose, and I think that is what happened.”

Thoughts now turn to the future as Belmont loses several key players to graduation.

“We still have a young team, and they’re getting that experience, and there’s so many sophomores out there. There are a lot of young players who like to play at this level. It’s their first time playing in a state tournament game, and there was a little bit of nerves there many of them will be returning next year.

Yet right now, the heartbreak is knowing that the companionship of teammates made on the court during games, in the locker room, and on long bus rides during evening rush hours has come to an end.

“What’s harder than losing is that your time together is done sooner than you thought,” she said.

“Personally, it’s not the pride of needing to get further in the tournament that hurts. Winning earns you more time together. What’s harder than losing is that your time together is done sooner than you thought,” Colture said. “And I think that’s the hardest part for everybody, especially the seniors.”