Belmont’s Butte Powers To State Div. 2 Championship in 50 Free Sprint

Photo: Belmont High’s Sophia Butte with her Middlesex League champions banner from 2017 which she finally received in September.

In her final high school meet, Belmont High’s Sophie Butte goes out a state champion as the senior co-captain out-touched the two co-favorites to capture the 50-yard freestyle sprint at the MIAA State Division 2 Swimming and Diving Championships held at Harvard on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Seeded third, Butte completed the up-and-back race at Harvard’s Blodgett Pool in 24.59 seconds to edge out Wellesley High’s junior Nellie Thompson (24.68 ) and number-one seed Reading Memorial High’s senior Alana Loughman (24.79) to win the title in the “splash and dash.” Butte took more than 2/10th of a second off her time (24.80) finishing third in the North Sectionals last week at MIT.

After winning the 50, Butte returned to the pool to finish fourth in the 100-yard freestyle in 54.40, showing the best improvement over her seeding time of 55.08 of all the finalist. 

Just as impressive as the 50 individual was, Butte topped her effort in the first event of the day, the 200-yard medley relay (with teammates Angela Li, Luisa November and Samantha Fogel) where she anchored the Marauders home swimming the final 50-yard leg in 24.19, the fastest sprint time during the meet, as she overtook two teams to take eighth in 1:57.14.

Butte ended her night leading off the 400 free relay (with Chloe Park, Anna Bauerle and Li) with a 55.13 split to set the team up to finish seventh, the Marauders best relay performance. 

Co-captain Li was also a two-time scorer in individual events. She stayed in contention for third in the 200 individual medley until the final 50, finishing in fourth in 2:14.42. She would come back to repeat in fourth in a Belmont specialty, the 100 breaststroke, nearly catching Natick’s Helen Zhao in the run in only to be out touched, 1:10.20 to 1:10.21. Alicia Lugovskoy (1:12.27) and Katarina Chen (1:12.61) gave Belmont three in the top 10 as they finish 9th and 10th.

The team of Park, Meredith Chasse, Lugovskoy and Mayura Thomas took 10th (1:47.43) in the 200 free relay. 

Belmont’s trio of sophomore divers showed promise through the rounds as Marina Cataldo (359.25), Sophie Cormier (359.05) and Sarah Firth (345.85) finished in 12th, 13th, and 14th. 

Under second-year head coach Gretchen Turner, Belmont finished in 7th with 153 points, trailing Reading which won its third consecutive D2 title with 402.5 points.


Belmont Girls’ Soccer Rolls Over Salem In Playoff Opener

Photo: Belmont senior forward Morgan Krauss in action against Salem. (Credit: David Flanagan)

It was over before it started as 7th seed Belmont High Girls Soccer scored four goals in the first 20 minutes in its first-round Division 2 North Sectional game against an overwhelmed 11th ranked Salem High squad, defeating the Witches 11-0 on a blustery cold Saturday afternoon, Nov. 3.

After all was said and done, Belmont (11-4-2) was sparked by senior forward Ella Gagnon who had a five-point night with a hat trick and two assists. Gagnon’s linemates senior Morgan Krauss and junior Marina Karalis each had two goals and an assist. Salem (9-7-3) who play in the Northeastern South League, were just not in the same level of speed or skills as Belmont or likely most suburban schools with strong town programs that provides a constant supply of experienced players. 

It will be a quick turnover for Belmont as the Marauders is scheduled to play second seed and Middlesex League Liberty rivals Winchester (17-1-0) on Monday in Winchester at 4:30 p.m. Belmont has had its hands full with the League champion Sachems, falling 4-0 at Winchester and 5-1 at home.

“We have to worry about (Hannah) Curtin, that’s for sure,” said longtime Belmont head coach of Winchester’s star forward (who is also a champion indoor sprinter). “We’ll probably have to play her man-to-man but then we are playing much better than we have been even just a couple of weeks ago. When we played them here, we had our scoring chances and if we buried them, it would have been a different story.” 

 

Belmont High’s Ski Team Hosts Ski and Snowboard Sale Saturday, Nov. 3

Photo: The Belmont High Ski Team.
The Belmont High School Ski Team will host its annual Ski and Snowboard Sale on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the high school cafeteria, located at 221 Concord Ave.
You will find great deals on new and used skis, snowboards and sports equipment. Rodgers Ski and Sport will have new skis and snowboards. All proceeds raised from the event benefit the high school Ski Team. Folks can drop off used skis, snowboards and sports equipment in good condition between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the high school cafeteria. Sellers will receive 50 percent of their sold items with the other half going to the BHS Ski Team. Credit cards are accepted.

Boo! Tournament Ready, Belmont Field Hockey Welcomes C-C On Halloween In 1st Round

Photo: Seniors on Seniors Night at Belmont High School.

Belmont Field Hockey is only thinking all treats and no rock as the 7th seeded Marauders host 10th ranked Concord Carlisle Regional on Halloween in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 North Sectionals.

The game will have an early start, 2:30 p.m., at Harris Field on Oct. 31.

The Patriots come to town with a 12-4-2 record as runners-up to Weston in the Dual County League, Small School division. Belmont finished the season at 12-4-0, second to Lexington in the Middlesex Liberty division race.

The postseason comes as Belmont has seeming rightened the ship after going through a stretch where the Marauders could not convert their good play into wins. It’s two Lexington league games were relatively even in all aspects except the final score as the Minutemen outpaced Belmont 7-1 over the two games. In its rematch against Winchester (having won the initial encounter, 3-0), Belmont arrived at an empty field and no one to be found. It turned out a scheduling change left Belmont waiting for two hours in the cold before losing 4-2 in a lackluster affair.

But coming down the stretch, it appeared the Marauders had rediscovered its earlier strong form starting the season on a seven-game winning streak that concluded with an outstanding effort against 10-time Division 2 state champs Watertown, outplaying the Raiders on the field (13 penalty corners to 1 and 8 shots to 2) but came out on the wrong end of a 2-0 score.

For longtime head coach Jess Smith, the final two games of the regular season saw an increase in scoring chances while a tweaking of her defense has solidified the backline.

“For the tournament, I wanted a home game and not play a Middlesex League team in the first round,” said Smith. “Playing someone new is helpful for the kid’s mindset because playing someone three times is a nightmare.” 

On Seniors Night, Oct. 24, Belmont concluded the sweep over a nine-win Reading team, handily defeating the Rockets, 3-1. Co-captain forward Morgan Chase scored along with fellow senior left wing Hana Power in the first half followed by junior midfield Katie Guden in the second. The Marauders dominated the middle of the field not allowing the Rockets to use its breakout speed on the counter-attack. Guden produced the play of the game when her “ankle breaker” NBA-style crossover move left a Rocket defender on the turf to the amusement of her teammates (and it must be said to the victim herself).

Reading has played Belmont and Concord Carlisle twice this season, losing 2-1 at Concord and tying the Patriots, 1-1, in the reverse fixture.

“I was really happy how they played against Reading. They were determined to return to how they were playing in the first part of the season,” she said. “They showed up and played the entire 60 minutes.” 

Belmont traveled to Arlington for a late autumn last game to finish off the regular season, coming away with a 5-1 win where Smith was able to bring in bench players and switch around positions. Guden, Power, Lettiere (2) and senior right wing and Chase tallied in the game. 

“They started the game out slow, but by the end, we could have scored a lot more than five goals. I think the kids are starting to feel that they are tournament ready,” said Smith.

Belmont Football Just Short In First Playoff Game, 50-35; Burlington At Home Friday

Photo: Belmont senior RB Rhaki Joseph on the run.

When Danvers’ Matt McCarthy intercepted Belmont’s Avery Arno’s pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown (McCarthy’s fourth time into the end zone) early in the third quarter to make the score 43-6 in favor of the host Falcons in the first round of the Division 3 North football playoffs, it could have easily been the time for the Marauders to pack it in for the night. 

“Ninety-nine out of 100 teams would have walked off the field and thrown in the towel. Ninety-nine out of 100 defenses would have checked out,” said Belmont Head Coach Yann Kumin after the game.

But for Belmont, the night would not end after a half.

“I want to play more football and so do you,” said Kumin as Belmont would score four touchdowns against Danvers’ at times porous defense while the Marauders defense allowed a single sustained scoring drive by the Falcons to erase a blowout and make it a game Falcons had to earn, 50-35. 

“We have never been here before,” said Kumin as Friday’s game was Belmont first-ever playoff game under the MIAA postseason system established four years ago. Every journey is a long road “and this game takes us one step closer to our goal. This [playoff trip] was no small accomplishment and we know in our hearts that we were just two possessions away from winning this game.”

“Be proud of how we got here and we have three more weeks of football left,” he said. 

Belmont (3-5) will now host Middlesex League rival Burlington High (5-3) on Friday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at Harris Field. Burlington was upset by visiting Wayland on Friday in the first round of the Division 4 North sectionals. The Devils (5-3) is led by senior running back Jake Doherty who ran for 346 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Wilmington earlier in October.

It was a classic game of two half with Danvers which raced off to a 5-0 start to the season before losing its star quarterback Brendan Treacy for a pair of games – both losses – to a reported violation of a school policy. The hosts dominated the game with Treacy particularly successful through the air (252 yards, a pair of touchdowns) as the Marauders defensive line held its own against the Falcon’s ground attack. 

Treacy scored from two yards out after a three-minute opening drive. Belmont picked up a first down on an Arno to senior receiver Jared Edwards completion to Belmont’s 40 but the drive stalled on the next set of downs. McCarthy scored his first TD of the night on a 43-yard scamper with two minutes remaining in the first. The Falcon’s third score of the quarter came with some controversy as Danvers receiver Ezra Lombardi shoved Edwards who was in coverage along the right sideline to grab a bomb from Treacy for a 90 yard TD.

Belmont got on the scoreboard on a nifty drive that included one of several unsportsmanlike penalties on Danvers with senior RB Rhaki Joseph taking it 18 yards up the gut with 8:59 remaining in the second quarter. 

But Danvers’ McCarthy would end the Falcons’ final two drives in the first half, the first a 15-yard rushing TD followed by an outstanding 16-yard catch between two Belmont defenders in the corner of the right end zone with 58 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 35-6 at the half. 

“We must be faster in making our adjustments [to what Danvers is doing],” said Kumin. “We went into the half knowing what we had to do and it was successful. We just have to do our [changes] on the fly,” he said.

The overhaul of Belmont’s play calling to an in-your-face attacking offense showed immediate results in the third as Joseph scored his second touchdown (and the two-point conversion) soon to be followed by a 32-yard scamper by senior running back Kilian O’Connell, both assisted by a myriad of penalties.

A failed onside kick late in the third allowed Danvers to work with a short field and they capitalized when running back Jack Strangie scored on a 10-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Despite being down by 29, Belmont’s offense continued to take the game to the Falcons as Joseph powered in from three yards out for his third TD of the night with 7:23 remaining.
Belmont’s defense stopped Danvers on a third and 4 with 2:40 left and the offense steamrolled its way into the end zone as Arno found senior wide receiver Mike Delhome on a 31-yard pass and catch with just less than a minute to play in the game. But offsides on an attempted onside kick ended the night and the playoff run for the Marauders. 
But for Kunin, the game is part of the progress he has seen in the program over the past few years, coming from losing seasons up to where Belmont was four minutes away in its game against Arlington last week from hosting a playoff game. 

“I’m proud of this team. These guys didn’t quit and they wouldn’t let me quit,” he said.

Masquerade Concert, Haunted House At Belmont High This Wednesday, Oct. 24

Photo: The poster for the Masquerade Concert

Preview your costume and get scared as Belmont High School turns into a House of Horrors on Wednesday, Oct. 24, as students get ready to do some pre-Halloween spooookiness.

Need a night of fright this Halloween season? Then come down to the fifth annual Belmont High School Haunted House! This event includes a walk-through spook show and a Halloween activity center for younger guests. The house, constructed and inhabited by the sophomore class, will be open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. There is a $5 admission fee: this year the class is donating all funds to Samaritans, the suicide prevention hotline. 

Right after the Haunted House, the Belmont High School Music Ensembles will hold its yearly Masquerade Benefit Concert which this year will assist the Belmont Food Pantry. The musical groups will be outfitted in their ghoulish best as they present a variety of magical and scary music. 

The concert starts at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. Join in on the fun and wear your own costumes.

While admission is free, a suggested donation of $10 to $25 or nonperishable food items would be appreciated.

Belmont Boosters Plus Belmont Savings Brings In $27K (So Far) On ‘B’ Drive

Photo: “B” Drive: Boosters annual fundraiser.

Going out in teams and pairs, Belmont High athletes took the town for the annual Belmont Booster’s “B” Drive on Sunday, Oct. 14.

And according to Larry Christofori, Boosters president, this year’s fundraiser generated approximately $19,500, which compares favorably to last year’s total of about $17,500. The amount reached allowed the group to achieve a full $7,500 “match-fund” from the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, making the total for the one day event to $27,000. 

Also, Christofori said the historically the Boosters can expect to generate another $4,000-5,000 in mail-in donations, putting the total somewhere in the neighborhood of $32,000.

“Thanks so much to all of you for your help and  who ran an incredibly efficient and tight ship in leading this effort for the Boosters,” said Christofori.

Letter To The Editor: Until There Is Accountability, A ‘No’ Vote On New High School

Photo: A No until accountability

To The Editor:

I am not going to argue whether we need a new school. I am concerned about the people on the committee and our past debacles.

Wellington Elementary School
1. full before it was finished being built.
2. Neighbor Noise issues (as a side the building committee rolled there eyes even thought the residents were correct and the town eventually after finally listening did something about it).
3. Sound proofing – the school was finally fixed this year for the noise between classrooms and it actually caused a new sound issue in the principals office that has to be corrected.
4. It’s made of wood and is already in need of repair.

Trash Dumpsters
For some reason the committees never take this into account. There was an issue at the Burbank. At the Chenery the solution was to line up barrels in the hallways until the fire chief said it was a safety issue

This is the third high school in 75 years I believe. And the in-all-seriousness Bill Lovallo, the chair of the building committee made a comment that this school should last 50 years. Now I am sure it was said with the best of intentions but with proper maintenance and upkeep, shouldn’t a building last more than 50 years?

Speaking of upkeep, what is the maintenance plan for this building? Are estimated costs for the future? For example, what is the boilers life span? Will there be money in replace [them] when the time comes and not let them be fixed with band aids?

Did you know the building committee decided to take down the [White] Field House in front of the hockey rink? The one where just a few years ago people donated to have new lockers put in with name plates? Not to mention the decision was made without consulting the Recreation Department who uses an office there (and to my knowledge had not been told of their new location) or that that building is also use for IT equipment for wiring around the field and rink (sorry I don’t know the technical terms).

Now I completely appreciate the time and effort that the people on these committees make but its the same people committee after committee. Who picks them? The Town Moderator. I am curious if anyone has been turned down from a committee or if truly no one else has asked to be on it. What we need is an actual plumber, HVAC and general contractor on the committee as they know the codes and can pick things up when reviewing plans. To me not having those on the board is irresponsible.

Finally, one of major concerns is the fiscal responsibility of the committee. Once the money is received from the Massachusetts School Building Authority and from the town, the committee has oversight. The committee does have have to answer to anyone else, not the town administrator or the town selectmen. How long has the Wellington been done and the board is still in existence and still spending money (granted it is to correct problems but really, should it have taken this long).

Until I can get assurances that we are not going down the same road we always do, whether we need it or not, I will vote no.

Lisa Boyajian

Letter To The Editor: Where You Learn Matters

Photo: The proposed 7-12 High School.

To the editor:

As a teacher, I’d like to believe that I’m equally effective in every classroom. In reality, the space I teach in matters a lot, and my students don’t have the same quality of experience in a cramped classroom as they do in an airy one. Over the years, I’ve frequently taught in rooms where the seats are bolted to the floor. On a tour this week at Belmont High School, I was disappointed to discover the high school also has a few rooms designed this way. As a veteran history teacher, I can assure you that it is really difficult to foster active learning in rooms where you can’t move the furniture.

When I’ve had the opportunity to teach in more flexible spaces, the difference has been palpable. My favorite room has movable tables that can be brought together to form seminar tables big enough to support the kind of large format documents – broadsides, posters or maps – I love to see students pore over. But the tables can also be subsequently separated into smaller tables for individual or partnered work. The room is flanked by whiteboards, which allow groups to work out problems visually. It’s a joy to teach, and to learn, in this room.

Belmont High School has no spaces conducive to hands-on, project-based learning. Yet studies have confirmed over and again that this is the best way to learn. Our dedicated teachers know this, which is why they send students out into the hallway to use the floor as a table. Still, a noisy hallway is only marginally more conducive to learning than a room with seats bolted to the floor.

Most of us find it hard to concentrate in noisy environments, and few of us learn well by sitting passively. Fortunately, there’s a solution. The need to replace the aging and inadequate high school offers Belmont the opportunity to build a middle and high school with spaces that can change as teaching and learning do, while freeing up more space for hands-on learning at all levels, K-12. The state of Massachusetts agrees this is pedagogically sound and has offered $80 million toward construction costs if Belmont votes to fund the remaining expenses. Please join me Tuesday, Nov. 6 in voting Yes on Question 4.

Mary Lewis

Randolph Street

 

Girls Tourney Bound: Soccer, Field Hockey, Volleyball Earn Tickets To Postseason [VIDEO]

Photo: Belmont High Girls Soccer, pictured below are securing another trip to the Division 2 North playoffs.

It was quite a week for three of Belmont High girls’ fall season teams as each secured playoff spots in the coming state MIAA tournament.

Within a few minutes of each other on Monday, Oct. 8, Girls’ Soccer and Field Hockey punched their tickets to the postseason while Volleyball completed its task on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

After a pair of losses – a heartbreaker, 3-2, at Woburn after leading 2-0 at the half and a 4-0 rout at Winchester – left the team at 2-2-1 early in the season, Girls’ Soccer has rattled off five straight wins including a 3-1 home victory on Columbus Day to see its season extended. While not raking up the goals, the Marauders have been efficient in their games, using senior center forward Ella Gagnon as the cornerstone of the offense with speedsters senior Morgan Krauss and youngster Jenna Thomas (a pair of hat-tricks for the sophomore) creating opportunities on the wings. 

Since clinching the playoffs, Belmont took its revenge on Woburn, defeating the Tanners, 2-1, on Wednesday, Oct. 10 to extend its winning streak to seven and currently in second place in the Middlesex Liberty division with a 9-2-1 record. They will take on Lexington on Tuesday, Oct. 16 before meeting up with league leader Winchester at home on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Field Hockey came into its annual match with perennial Division 2 state champions Watertown on a seven-game winning streak. The night game on Oct. held at Belmont’s Harris Field saw the Marauders come out and controlled the match, dominating possession, especially in the second half, ending the game with 11 shots on goal and a 13 to 1 margin in penalty corners. The one area they didn’t hold an advantage over Watertown was on the scoreboard as the Raiders tallied on both of their two shots of the game in a two-minute stretch in the final five minutes of the first half, defeating the disappointed hosts, 2-0.

To make the playoffs, Belmont had to take a trip to an improving Wakefield High team and came away with a solid 2-0 win with senior co-captain Jordan Lettiere scoring both times to continue her hot stick at the inner forward position.

After reaching the playoffs, Belmont traveled Wednesday, Oct. 10 to the environs of Lexington to battle it out with a very good Minuteman squad. Starting at 6:30 p.m. (on a school night!) on a field – situated on the border of a mosquito-infested swamp – apparently illuminated by mood lights as no one could see the ball. In an evenly fought battle, Lexington took advantage of the not so common “man” advantage when the refs called Belmont’s junior Emma Donahue, the team’s top defender, for a push then sent off junior Katie Guden, the squad’s leader, for not respecting the five-meter space when the ball is restarted. And the Minutemen scored both times as Belmont’s best players were sitting by the scorer’s desk, winning 2-0, as the Marauders had to contend with the odd custom in Lexington of allowing dogs to wander along the sidelines.

Belmont, which defeated Woburn, 8-0, on Friday, Oct. 12 will have its rematch with Lexington on Wednesday, Oct. 17 with the winner in control to capture the Middlesex League Liberty title. This game played during the day, sans the threat of malaria and without mutts on the field. 

After just making the playoffs last year, Volleyball’s goal this year was a return act. And Belmont got there, but even faster than they thought, reaching its 10th win in just 12 games as the Marauders swept Wayland, 3-0, in an out-of-league match on Wednesday, Oct. 10. Led by kill specialist Jane Mahon (who is leading the Middlesex League) , and a pair of three year junior starters; setter Mindee Lai and libero Sophia Estok, Belmont was pushed in each of the three sets including having an 11-0 service run against them in the third to fall behind 21-20. But good digging and returning from the back line as well as a few unforced errors on the part of the Warriors allowed the Marauders to take the win.

After defeating Woburn on Friday, Oct. 12, Belmont, at 11-2,. will host Lexington on Tuesday, Oct. 17.