Girl Ruggers Feted by Town For Historic State Championship

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Photo: Girls Rugby state champions with the Board of Selectmen.

It’s been three months since a group of Belmont High “ruggers” captured the historic first-ever state-sanctioned girls rugby championship in the US on a warm late spring day in Beverly.

This week, the victory was hailed officially by the town as the Board of Selectmen issued a proclamation celebrating the victory at Monday’s board meeting, Sept. 18.

Belmont High School Girls’ Head Coach Kate McCabe and a good number of the players attended the reading of the declaration by Chair Jim Williams, received a nice round of applause and got their photos taken afterward. 

Belmont High School Girls’ Head Coach Kate McCabe and captain Sara Nelson speaking before the Belmont Board of Selectmen.

Sports: Volleyball All Even Over The First Four Games

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Photo: Belmont Volleyball

Belmont High Volleyball is halfway to matching its total number of victories in the 2016 season as it has won two games in the four played so far.

Last week, Belmont beat Stoneham 3-1 (25-5, 23-25, 25-11, 25-14) on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Belmont came out serving strong in the first set with Leah Babroudi bringing the Marauders to 11-0 before Stoneham could side out. Another run of 9 points including 6 aces from Sophia Estok kept the ball rolling. In the second set the Spartans started passing, and with it came an effective offense that won them the set. 

The Marauders were able to adjust their play to take back control and win the last 2 sets. Katrena Daldalian played consistently aggressive all match in her hitting as well as near perfect serving, 20 for 21 with 9 aces. Outside hitters Julia Logan and Gabby Viale also contributed 8 and 3 kills respectively by hitting placement shots. 

On Friday, Sept. 15, Belmont lost to Woburn, 3-1 (25-18, 25-11, 22-25, 25-16). Estok played phenomenal defense, adjusting to hard-line hits from the outside hitters and strong right side attacks. She also led the defense with 25 digs and was also 14 for 14 serving with 2 aces. Babroudi and Daldalian contributed consistent passes on serve receive and Jane Mahon led the offense with 8 kills.

Field Hockey: Perfect Start For Sure: 4 Games, 4 Wins, 4 Shutouts

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Photo: 

After the first two weeks of the season, Belmont High Field Hockey has been, let’s say it, damn near perfect. In four games, the team is undefeated with 19 goals scored, and none conceded. That’s right; not a single ball has gotten by senior goalie Christine MacLeod.

Zero, zilch, nada.

And this from a team that lost nearly its entire back line from last year’s team and a defensive midfielder, AnnMarie Habelow, who is currently playing for Division 1 Louisville.

Not a bad start for Head Coach Jessie Smith’s squad made up of an extensive list of young role players who are jelling on the pitch right from the outset of the first game. 

Belmont will meet its stiffest challenge of the season so far on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. as the Marauders host 3-1 Lexington at Harris Field.

After a blowout of Burlington and two easier games against Stoneham and Woburn, it took Belmont nearly the entire hour to break down Wilmington’s defensive stranglehold as the Tanners placed all its field players in front of the ball when Belmont was attacking. But 

The biggest challenge was reconstructing the three defenders after losing All-Star Julia Chase (now playing at D1 UNH) and three-year varsity starter Molly Goldberg to graduation. Playing center defense is sophomore Emma Donahue who is learning to be a significant presence on the field, stepping up to take away passing lanes and intercepting balls in Belmont’s 1-0 win over a strong Wilmington squad last Monday, Sept. 11. 

Joining Donahue – who is the niece of Watertown’s coaching legend Eileen Donahue – are senior veterans Meri Power and Johnna Crowley who Smith called “a defensive wall” making “great decisions with the ball” in the Wilmington game.

Taking over in center midfield from Habelow is all-star in the making sophomore Katie Guden. Running the offensive, Guden is Smith’s “Energizer Bunny. That kid never stops.”

“She is such a force when moving the ball and her passes [are] outstanding,” said Smith. Joining Guden quarterbacking the team are senior co-captains, Bridget Gardiner and Lillie Devitt. 

“The midfield in general [is] very involved both defensively and offensively. They are critical in all transitions,” said Smith.

Belmont has not lost its scoring punch of the past two years, led by junior Jordan Lettiere who has talled six goals (including a hat-trick in the Marauders’ 5-0 at Stoneham) in three of the four games. Fellow junior Morgan Chase continues from last year being the team’s offensive juggernaut, using her stick handling skills to attack the opposition. It was her goal from an assist from Lettiere in the final three minutes of the Wilmington match.

Alexa Sabatino, the third senior co-captain, junior Hannah Power (each with two goals this season) and several more players are contributing in the opposition’s attacking zone. 

“We are nearly half way to our goal of making the playoffs, once again,” said Smith.

Sports: Belmont Football Edged In Home Opener, 20-14, by Framingham

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Photo: Belmont’s fullback Adam Deese leads running back Tyler Reynolds late in Friday’s game vs. Framingham.

Last Friday night’s home opener for Belmont High football squad had all the appearance of the last second, nail-biting victory for the Marauders. 

With 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter in a 20-14 game, Belmont had driven nearly 90 yards in five minutes to the Framingham High School Flyers 6 yard line and faced a fourth down and one yard to go. 

But senior quarterback George Fitzgerald’s pass skimmed just over the fingertips of his receiver for an incompletion, allowing Framingham to secure its first 2-0 record in more than a decade while Marauders left the field at 0-2, having dropped last week’s season opener, 28-7, against a tough Milton High School team.

“First and foremost, that was a great football game. It was fun to coach in and fun for everyone to watch,” said Belmont’s fourth year Head Coach Yann Kumin.

“We’re not satisfied being on the short end of a close game … with an opportunity to score. We just need not shot ourselves in the foot. We turned the ball over twice in the first half, and one led to a score.” 

Friday night’s game, which began 45 minutes late due to traffic that delayed Framingham arrival to Harris Field, saw Belmont’s defense spring to action with four takeaways including three interceptions of Framingham’s sophomore QB Jack Beverly. Leading the D-backs was senior Joe Viale who came up with a monster game including a pair of picks and a half dozen times breaking up certain completions.

It was Framingham’s ability to strike on special teams that proved the difference in the game as the Flyers were able to gain vital yards on kickoffs and punt returns. The game started with Flyers’ Christian Alicea returned the opening kick to Belmont’s 8-yard line. 

After Belmont’s defense held and took over the ball at the 18, Fitzgerald was sacked on third down and apparently fumbled the ball despite appearing being down in contact with the turf. Flyer junior Chidi Nna recovered the loose ball for a TD after less than three minutes into the game. 

Belmont’s second drive ended on a fumble at midfield but the Marauders to over on Vitale’s first interception. Late in the first quarter, Belmont’s senior Inside Linebacker Caleb Henman picked off Beverly with 1:15 to go. That turnover led to Fitzgerald finding senior wide receiver Jake Pollock who ran 12 yards into the end zone with 10 seconds left to give Belmont the first quarter lead, 7-6.

Framingham regained the lead in the second quarter when it took over the ball deep in Belmont’s territory. The Flyers then employed an offense more associated with rugby than football; placing all 11 offensive players within a five-yard “box,” handing off the ball to the back who would follow the scrum. With its size advantage up front, Framingham pushed its senior running back Isaac Blackman into the end zone. Missing its second two-point conversion, the Flyers led 12-7.

After Belmont’s offense failed to move the ball, the Flyers took over after another good punt return. After Viate knocked down a pair of passes thrown his way, the third time was the charm as Beverly hit junior Jon Lanzo in the corner of the end zone on a fourth-down and ten from the 18 yard line with 13 seconds left in the half. This time the two-point conversion was successful for a 20-7 visitor’s advantage at halftime.

“If we clean up those mistakes in the first half, we would have been in a better position in the second half,” said Kumin.

Belmont’s defense would stiffen and shut out the Flyers in the second half as the Marauders’ offense took the quarter to begin moving with confidence against a strong Framingham defense.

With senior fullback Adam Deese making much in each run against a defense targeting him, Fitzgerald started winging it out and found his senior receiving corp including senior Will Ellet for 12 yards and Pollard who fought off a pair of Framingham backs for a 30-yard touchdown reception midway through the fourth period.

Framingham began the next possession near midfield and drove the ball to Belmont’s 34-yard line when Viale snagged his second INT to give the Marauders the ball with 5:45 to play and 83 yards from pay dirt.

Fitzgerald found Pollard for 10 yards on a third down and Deese gained 15 yards on three plays before senior running back Tyler Reynolds took a pitch 15 yards to the Flyers’ 40 with 3:08 to play.

With Belmont facing a fourth and six from the 35, Fitzgerald got a Flyers lineman to move for a five-yard offsides penalty resulting in Deese plowing one yard for the first down.

A Fitzgerald scamper around the right edge gave Belmont a first and ten from the 16 with 43 seconds remaining. But a completed pass t0 Ellet and runs by Reynolds left Belmont looking at fourth down with 11 seconds remaining.  The rest is history.

“I am so proud of my team. This team can make some noise in the league,” said Kumin. “This is a team that battles back when things aren’t going exactly the way it was supposed to go. They were driven in what they did and executed in big moments. I’m fired up for next Friday.”

Belmont’s next game is Friday, Sept. 22 at Haris Field against Woburn to begin the Middlesex League part of the schedule.

Sports: Trio Of Belmont Teams Shut Out Red Devils In Season Openers

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Photo: Carey Allard on the ball

Three Belmont High School fall sports team opened their 2017 seasons on Thursday, Sept. 7 with impressive shut out victories on the opening day of their campaigns.

Girls Soccer: Belmont 6, Burlington 0

This is a warning for teams in the Middlesex League; don’t get Belmont’s Carey Allard angry. She’ll just score more goals.

That’s what an undermanned Burlington High squad discovered when they attempted to cover and mark the All-Star left forward a bit too aggressively. After being her ankles clipped and body pushed off the ball during the early moments of the first half, the Marauders’ Division 1-commit (she’s heading to UNC-Wilmington next fall) was determined to answer the physical play by punishing the defense.

With Belmont already dominating the game leading 2-0, Allard put her distinctive stamp on the game by scoring a true hat-trick within a 16-minute span, to put the match out of reach by the half.

“[Allard’s] going to score,” said Paul Graham, who has coached the team for the past quarter century.

“When she shoots from the outside like that, there’s no goalie is going to stop her.”

Allard wasn’t finished, scoring her best for last, driving by three defenders and sidestepping a fourth before placing a sharp shot deftly just inside the right post to give Belmont a 6-0 opening day win over Burlington.

“I thought all 23 players played well,” said Graham, using everyone on the bench in the home opener. 

He pointed to midfield co-captain Emma Sass’ mastery of the middle of the pitch leading to Belmont controlling the game. “She’s just so strong, controls the ball well and sees the field so well,” said Graham.

Belmont wasted no time showing its dominance scoring at the one minute mark with senior co-captain Courtney Gray spinning and dropping a shot over the head of the Burlington goaltender and into the net. Ten minutes later, Morgan Krauss doubled the lead with a shot from the right side of the goal. 

Graham also praised his back three of juniors Meagan Tan and Emily Dexter and senior Natalie Marcus-Bauer. “They played superior. They dominated when they got the ball and passed it around,” said Graham.

The true test of Belmont’s potential will come when it goes toe-to-toe with the power teams in the Middlesex League. One of those is Wilmington which the Marauders will battle away from home on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.

Field Hockey: Belmont 9, Burlington 0

Six Marauders scored as Coach Jessica Smith’s field hockey squad opened the flood gates against host Burlington as Belmont seeks its third consecutive Middlesex Liberty Division title.  

“It was a great team effort,” said Smtih, who used each of the 21 players on her roster.

Leading Belmont offensively was sophomore Katie Guden and junior Morgan Chase who ended the night with three points with two goals and an assist, joining Hana Powers who also pocketed a pair. Co-capt. Senior Bridget Gardiner also had three points with a goal and two assists while her fellow captain senior Alexa Sabatino had a goal and an assist. Jordan Lettiere completed the scoring with her first strike of the campaign.

“It was really fun to watch this young team in action. The passing and shots on net were fabulous,” said Smith.

“[Katie] Guden was fantastic. She is a force when moving the ball and her passes were outstanding. Gardiner also played a fabulous game.  The midfield, in general, was very involved both defensively and offensively. They including Lillie Devitt were key in all transitions,” said Smith.

While Belmont lost two Division 1 College players – midfield/sweeper AnnMarie Habelow (Louisville) and defender Julia Chase (UNH) – and a three-year starter on defense (Molly Goldberg) to graduation, it appears Smith has found a solid back row with Meri Hana and Johanna Crowley as fullbacks and sweeper Emma Donahue (niece of Watertown legionary head coach Eileen Donahue) playing in front of veteran goaltender Chrissy MacLeod. 

Boys Soccer: Belmont 3, Burlington 0

Marauder senior goalkeeper Nate Espelin stopped a penalty and earned the 3-0 shutout as Belmont High’s Boys Soccer started the 2017 season beating host Burlington on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 7.

Leading 2-0 ten minutes into the second half, a tripping foul by Belmont’s Kostas Tingos within the penalty area gave the Red Devils the opportunity to half the lead with plenty of time still to play. But like a good poker player, Espelin saw a big time “tell” from the Burlington player as he approached the ball sitting at the 11-meter mark.

“He pointed to the left side of the net like he was going to kick it there. But I guessed that’s where he wanted me to go, so I moved to the right,” said Espelin, who preserved the two goal margin.

During the match, it held the majority of possession and momentum,  Belmont ­– ranked 15th in the Boston Globe pre-season Top 20 poll – jumped into the lead when junior midfielder Seamus Dullaghan tucked in a rebound of a Jake Carson shot with eight minutes left in the first half.

The Marauders doubled its advantage when Andrew Karalis converted a penalty kick four minutes into the second half.

Belmont final score belongs to the highlight reel as Carson scored from beyond 30 meters on a direct free kick midway through the final frame.

Belmont will play its home opener on Friday, Sept. 8 at 3:45 p.m. against Wilmington.

Belmont High Alumnus Wins National Junior Shooting Crown

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Photo: Kevin Bennett in action.

Kevin Bennett, a 2016 Belmont High School graduate, won the Junior National Championship in Standard Pistol at the 2017 USA Shooting National Pistol Championships, held last week at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

In winning the junior title, Bennett finished second overall in the Open Standard Pistol contest earning the silver medal. 

The US Coast Guard Academy sophomore also won a bronze medalist in the Junior Rapid Fire event.

The U.S. Championships determine the top shooters in each event as well as the selection of members of the U.S. National Team. Bennett was the first Coast Guard cadet to compete in the U.S. National Championships in several years.

While at Belmont High, Bennett made his first national team in 2015 when he captured the bronze medal in the Junior Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol.

Belmont High Athletes Selected All-Scholastic, All-Stars; Duffy Honored

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Photo: Belmont Girls’ Rugby.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone who attended or followed Belmont High 2017 spring sports that a fair share of athletes would be recognized with season-ending All-Scholastic Awards by Boston’s two daily newspapers.

Junior Anoush Krafian was honored in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald for her All-State victories in the pentathlon and 100-meter hurdles setting a personal record (14.64 seconds) in the hurdles and a new state record (3,243 points) in the multi-event. Krafian ended the season finishing fifth in the seven-event heptathlon at the New Balance Nationals.

Joining Krafian as a Globe and Herald All-Scholastic was her teammate junior Calvin Perkins who stood out in the 400 meters finishing second in a big PR (48.65 seconds) in the All-States while repeating as Eastern Mass 400 meter Division 3 champion.

Senior Julia Cella, freshman Soleil Tseng, and Krafian were named Herald Track All-Stars as were Aidan Carey, Perkins, Max-Serrano-Wu, Brian Huang and Jason Berger.

Speaking of state champions, junior outside center Rachel Iler-Keniston of Belmont girls’ rugby – the winners of the inaugural state rugby championship – and senior Brendan Walsh of the Boys’ Division 1 semi-finalists (and top public school) were named Boston Globe Rugby All-Scholastics. 

The Globe also named Molly Goldberg, Iler-Keniston, Sara Nelson, Georgia Parsons, Jessica Rosenstein and Gabriella Viale as 2017 Girl All-Stars. Laurent Brabo, Ben Jones, Joe Viale and Walsh were named Boy All-Stars.

Over at the diamond, junior southpaw Nate Espelin was honored as a Boston Globe All-Scholastic for his “dominant in his junior campaign, racking up 92 strikeouts over 63 innings with a 1.33 ERA.” Over at the Herald, senior catcher Cal Christofori was selected for its All-Scholastic team for leading Belmont to its first Middlesex League championship in 26 years and a berth in the Super Eight tournament. The four-year starter finished the season with a .414 batting average and a career hitting average of .417 with 42 RBI.

Christofori, Espelin, and Bryan Goodwin were named Middlesex League Liberty Division All-Stars.

Belmont High baseball ended the season 5th – and the top-ranked Division 2 program – in the Herald’s top 25 Eastern Massachusetts poll and 8th in the final Globe poll. 

Hard-hitting sophomore Drew Bates and standout junior pitcher Christine MacLeod were named Middlesex League Liberty Division Softball All–Stars.

The Bay State Games honored Belmont High junior Emily Duffy as one of six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2017 Future Leaders Scholarship Program.

These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics and leadership roles. Each of the six rising high school seniors will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

Duffy is vice president of her class and has received many academic awards including the Stonehill Book Award. Duffy served an internship at Mass General Hospital and in a Young Marine Biologist Program at New England Aquarium. She is a talented singer as well as a two-sport varsity athlete (soccer and track) and a team captain in track.

After Nearly Two Decades, Harris Field About To Be Media Savvy

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Photo: The pre-hoisted press box at Harris Field in Belmont.

The red single-room structure on a trailer placed hard by the entrance of the Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink looks like one of the popular “tiny” houses that have become all the rage across the country.

But the corrugated steel box with a door and a row of sliding windows wasn’t built with homeowners in mind. Rather, its occupants will be coaches, announcers, and the visiting media during fall and spring sports.

After nearly two decades of waiting, Belmont High’s Harris Field will finally have a press box.

In the next few weeks, the prefab unit will be hoisted to the top of the stands – work has been completed cutting space for the structure to fit into place by contractor Elizabeth Contracting of Westwood – with a completion date of September, coinciding with the start of the football, soccer, and field hockey seasons.

The press box has had a long history, first proposed in 2001 as part of the first renovation of Harris Field. But issues with cost and the need for the structure to include an elevator to comply with the Americans with Disability Act standards place the plans on the back burner. 

Those issues again delayed the press box in 2013 when Harris Field underwent its second renovation. 

Finally, through the efforts of Bill Webster – a long-time member of the Belmont Permanent Building Advisory Committee who has championed the press box since 2001 – the town and community groups and businesses including the Belmont Savings Bank, the Brendan Grant Foundation, the Belmont Boosters and individual contributors came together to raise in 2016 the $240,000 to complete the job. 

Banner(s) Season For Girls’ Rugby, Boys’ Tennis, National Honor for Krafian [VIDEO]

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Photos: Banner day for Belmont Girls’ Rugby.

It’s been a banner 2017 spring season for Belmont High School sports as the school saw three state championships come through the door and some banners ready to be placed on the wall of the Wenner Field House.

Both Girls Rugby and Boys’ Tennis will see 2017 banners go up; rugby’s historic state championship and tennis’ fantastic post-season run defeating three higher-seeded squads to reach the Divison 2 North sectional finals.

On the individual side, junior track star Anoush Krafian not only captured two state championships this month as the All-State Outdoor Track and Field Meet – the 100-meter hurdles and the pentathlon – she extended her exceptional season by placing 4th in the 100 hurdles (14.80 seconds) at the New England Championships in Norwell on June 10 before heading to the New Balance National Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Greensboro, NC last weekend to compete in the multi-event heptathlon.

Against the best high school heptathletes in the nation, Krafian placed fifth in the competition that required her to compete in seven individual track and field events including the sprints, jumping, hurdles, middle distance running and throwing. 

During the meet, Krafian achieved personal bests in three events (shot put, high jump and javelin) as well as her total score of 4,496 points, trailing the winner, Kaitlyn Kirby of Florida, by less than 500 points.

Watch Krafin run the 200 meters at Nationals here. She is running in lane 7. 

Banners have also been hung this school year for Field Hockey (Champions/Middlesex), Girls’ Basketball (Co-champions/Middlesex), Boys’ Golf (Champions/Middlesex) and Baseball (Champions/Middlesex, Super 8 Tournament).

Remembering a Son, Celebrating Fathers at Record-Setting Brendan’s Home Run

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Photo: Brighton’s Rosa Moriello smashes the existing female record to win the 16th Annual Brendan’s Home Run 5K road race held Sunday, June 18.

A new course record was set on the streets of Belmont as nearly 500 participants took part in the 16th Annual Brendan’s Home Run 5K road race that started and finished at Belmont’s Harris Field on Father’s Day, June 18.

“There’s no place I’d rather be on Father’s Day than here,” said Casey Grant, whose son, Brendan, died tragically during a baseball game in June 2001. Money raised by the race supports the Brendan Grant Foundation, created to honor the memory of a multi-sports athlete – wrestling, baseball, and football – who exhibited a true passion for life.

As for the race, Brighton’s Rosa Moriello took apart the previous women’s course record of 17 minutes and 15 seconds set last year by Laura Nagel, finishing in 16:32. 

The 2015 Boston University grad who was recently named to a US national cross country squad said her goal was to “hang tough and see what I could do and try to be close to my road PR.” While she didn’t match her 5K personal best, “I did chase down some boys which is always nice and exciting,” as she prepares for the USTrack and Field-New England 10K Championship in July.

Mitchell Klingler was visiting the Boston-area from Michigan to see his girlfriend when he came across the race on Facebook. Despite having done a great deal of walking while sightseeing in the past few days, “I asked my girlfriend, ‘You care if I run this 5K?’ and she said ‘Go for it,'” said Klingler.

The Albion College graduate put in a surge sometime after the second mile, finishing in 15:10 to take the victory over a strong field.

 “It was definitely a fun race, hot day but fast course,” said Klingler.

“He lucked out and made $500,” said Brian Rogers, the long-time race director.

Complete results can be found here at Cool Running.

The race attracted more than 350 runners and more than a hundred walkers on a warm and humid Sunday morning. The field not only attracted those seeking a fast time going into the summer, but parents and children, residents who make this a yearly Father’s Day tradition and a hoard of children who ran their own quarter mile race.

“This race works on a lot of levels, and that’s the beauty of it,” said Rogers. Saying there is a special glow about the foundation, Rogers said countless people give their time, provide contributions and make contacts all of “which keeps the memory of Brendan alive today.”

Funds raised by the race and other events have provided scholarships to 41 Belmont High School student athletes, said Grant.