Discussing Inclusivity in Belmont with ‘The Laramie Project’ Tuesday

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Photo: Poster for the community dialogue.

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s fall show is “The Laramie Project,” a play written after Matthew Shepard, a gay college student was kidnapped, beaten and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming.

In conjunction with the production, PAC and the Belmont High School Gay Straight Alliance are jointly sponsoring a community conversation examining Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer issues in Belmont.

The conversation, “Progress Since Laramie: A Community Dialogue on Inclusivity,” will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Belmont High School Library.

A panel of community members will offer personal stories and perspective, and then all attendees will be invited to ask questions, share stories or offer thoughts. There will be time for questions and answers, including an opportunity to submit questions anonymously to the group.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is co-sponsored by the Belmont High School Gay Student Alliance and PATRONS.

In addition to the dialogue, there will be a post-show conversation after the performance on Friday, Nov. 6. Director Ezra Flam and members of the cast will join the audience for discussion. This will be open to ticket holders for any performance.

The Laramie Project will run from Nov. 5 through Nov. 7 with all shows at 7 p.m. Tickets are free for BHS Students and Staff; $15 for adults and $10 for non-BHS students. Tickets are on sale at Champion’s Sporting Goods and on-line.

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Belmont High Marching Band Replace Roots Saturday as Jimmy Fallon’s Ensemble

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Photo: The Belmont High Marching Band with Jimmy Fallon at Harvard.

It’s not every Saturday that Cambridge Police will close down a portion of Massachusetts Avenue to let the Belmont High School Marching Band parade past Harvard College.

But on a gloomy Saturday afternoon, Oct. 24, the 100-strong Marauder Marching Band lined up near the intersection of Arrow Street to head up Mass Ave. with a police escort needed to keep the fans at bay.

Oh, did I mention that the Tonight Show’s host Jimmy Fallon was also there?

And while the band sounded top-notch, the thousands of cheering fans who lined the Mass Ave., Holyoke Street and Mt. Auburn Street came to see Fallon – wearing a black bow tie and sunglasses while riding in a chariot and wearing a laurel crown – named the “Emperor of Comedy” by the student social club, the Harvard Lampoon.

The students presented the former Saturday Night Live alum with the Elmer Award for Excellence in Humor along with a large check for 85 cents at the steps of its clubhouse on Bow Street. 

It was there that the band was mentioned, as one of the students told Fallon there was a mix up with the buses and his regular band, The Roots, was playing at the Belmont High football game. (Note: The game was played the night before.)

Performing the Tonight Show theme – arranged for marching band! – along with “Sweet Caroline” and “Final Countdown,” the band smartly followed drum majors Helena Kim, Gillian Tahajian and Eleanor Carlile through the crowds – screaming “Jimmy” all along the route – and the narrow side streets. The parade was halted for a few minutes as a red Mazaratti suddenly blocked the road at Holyoke Center. (It moved.)

Before the show, the band played selections at the courtyard of the Inn at Harvard with many band parents (including the chair of the School Committee).

The Marauders “replaced” The Roots, when the school received a call about a week ago from a former student who had connections with the Lampoon, which was seeking a marching band to lead the parade, said Arto Asadoorian, the district’s arts director.

If the Lampoon would pay for a couple of buses to ferry the kids to Harvard and back, then they could have their music, said Asadoorian, who came to the parade with the receipt. Band Director Paul Ketchen got the group up to speed with the new music, and it was all systems go for Saturday.

For the band, it was a thrill to play before the biggest collective crowd this year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

“It was an out of body experience,” said Carloias, as she stood watching Fallon receiving the Elmer Award. “Everyone was friendly, and we got to take our phones and take photos.”

 

Support BHS Making Strides Team While Supporting Small Businesses

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Photo:

Here’s a chance to shop at local Belmont small businesses while supporting the American Cancer Society.

The following nine merchants are generously offering promotions on certain days to help the Belmont High School’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer team. 

Each will donate a percentage of proceeds or a specified amount on certain days in October to the American Cancer Society through our Making Strides team. 

Last year the team raised more than $15,100, making it the third-ranked team in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides High School Challenge for the metro area. 

Friday, Oct. 23: 15 percent of sales comes to our team at these stores in Belmont Center:

  • A CHOCOLATE DREAM
  • BELLS & WHISTLES
  • BESSIE BLUE
  • CHAMPIONS SPORTING GOODS
  • THIRTY PETAL

Sunday, Oct. 25: 40 percent of sales:

  • NICK’S PLACE II (Belmont Center) from 5 p.m. to 9 .m., either take out or delivery.  

Monday, Oct. 26: 15 percent of sales: 

  • MOOZY’S (near Cushing Square), Food and ice cream

Wednesday, Oct. 28: 15 percent of sales: 

  • BERTUCCI’S at ALEWIFE : 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dine-in, take out or delivery
    You MUST present the coupon (either on your smartphone or as a hard copy)

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Until Oct. 31: 100 percent of sales from:

  • BODY TRIO (yoga, pilates, barre)

Purchase any number of $10 class cards for students. Online click on the “Class Sign Up” button, and buy “Pinkapalooza Class Tickets”  OR In person (21 Alexander Ave.)  OR By telephone 617-489-1319 and make a credit card purchase.

Sports: Field Hockey in Driver’s Seat for League Title After Defeating Winchester

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Photo: Katherine McCarthy’s game-winning goal vs. Lexington.

In a pair of gutsy performances over a 48 hour period, the Belmont High Field Hockey team is out front in the race for its first league divisional title after defeating a tough Lexington squad, 3-2, Monday, Oct. 19 than avenging its loss to Winchester by beating the former league leaders, 2-0, on Harris Field Wednesday night, Oct. 21.

“That was truly amazing, to play two great teams back-to-back and win both,” said Jessica Smith, who has headed the program for the past decade.

With the victories, Belmont (13-2) needs a win in the final game of the regular season at Reading on Friday, Oct. 23 to secure its first Middlesex League Liberty Divison crown.

But for Smith, the best part of the wins were the final whistle.

“I can’t continue to do this,” said Smith, who described the two games as “insane.”

“I have never been this nervous for regular season games in my life!”

Belmont 3, Lexington 2

At Lexington, Belmont would take one-goal leads only to see the Minutemen tie up the match held in Lexington. Belmont was able to apply pressure on Lexington’s back line and midfielders, but could not find the final tip or shot to extend its lead.

While the Marauders’ defense was able to keep the Minutemen in check, they could be overpowered by the size and talent of the Minutemen forwards, including the Minuteman’s standout junior Emily Devine.

Belmont took the lead on the first shot of the game in the third minute as senior co-captain Serena Nally re-directed a shot from junior standout AnnMarie Habelow by Lexington’s freshman goalie Abby Ortyl.

That lead would stand until the midpoint of the half when Brigid Avery scored to tie it up at one. Belmont retook the lead when Habelow, the team’s leading scorer, rocketed a shot from 15 meters that eluded Ortyl with seven minutes remaining in the half.

Lexington pressured early in the second and earned the equalizer through Leah Strohmeyer from in front of the net. But slowly, Belmont’s midfield would begin to dominate play by clogging the passing lanes and intercepting passes.

The game winner came from a scrum in front of Lexington’s net where Katherine McCarthy’s third swipe at the ball proved to be golden.

Up by a single goal, Belmont needed to survive a frantic final minute when Belmont’s defenders somehow kept the ball out of their net with more than half a dozen Minutemen crashing the goal.

“We kept yelling at the official, ‘White foot! White foot!’ said senior defender and co-captain Molly Thayer, to inform the referees that the ball had come off of a Lexington shoe which would give Belmont possession.

A final penalty corner with time expired was cleared securing the emotional victory.

“I think we knew Lexington would be difficult at their home field, so we focused on keeping [players] in front of us and not give them any room,” said Thayer.

Belmont 2, Winchester 0

Wednesday’s game held some significants for Belmont’s players and coaches, as it provided the Marauders the opportunity to avenge a painful loss when Belmont allowed Winchester to score four goals in the final 12 minutes of their earlier game to fall 5-4 after leading 4-1.

While not possessing a star player, Winchester was fast on the ball and played a stubborn defense. It also had the first real tester on Belmont goalie Christine MacLeod as a steady shot hit the post but stayed out.

But Belmont made the most of their opportunities leading to Belmont’s first goal. With Marauders swarming the Sachems’ net, the Winchester goalie covered the ball under her body resulting in a penalty stroke, similar to a penalty kick in soccer. Habelow made no mistake sending the ball high into the back webbing to give Belmont a 1-0 lead.

Winchester kept up the pressure but were not sharp inside the scoring arc, unable to score on several penalty corners, a reversal of their win when they tallied four corners.

Midway through the second half, Belmont got the break they needed. After having an apparent goal called back for coming outside the arc, the Marauders’ co-captain Serena Nally stole the ball off a Winchester stick, turned and took a shot at goal. Standing before the goalie, Kerri Lynch got the tip, and the ball settled in the back of the goal.

While Winchester threatened, Belmont’s backline – Molly Goldberg, Thayer, Lilly Devitt, Sophie Stafford and sweeper Julia Chase – withstood each attack, allowing MacLeod to earn her tenth shutout of her first varsity season.

“This was a real team effort,” said Smith, noting that while not playing at their best, the players worked together as a unit defensively and were always looking to combine passes on offense.

A win at Reading, which Belmont defeated 5-0 earlier in the season, could see Belmont secure a top seed in the coming Div. 1 sectional as well as a banner to hang on the Wenner Field House wall.

Sports: Belmont Football Defeat Winchester, 35-28, Behind Johnson’s 4 TDs [VIDEO]

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Photo: Belmont High Mekhai Johnson literally carrying defenders on his run against Winchester.

Belmont High’s Mekhai Johnson proved this weekend once again why he’s one of the best running backs in MIAA Division 3 as the senior scored four touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 250 yards to lead the Marauders past host Winchester, 35-28, on a crisp, sunny Saturday morning, Oct. 17.

The win was Belmont’s first Middlesex League victory in more than three years.

“The offensive line opened a lot of holes up. Then when [I] got past the line of scrimmage on the second level, I just took off,” said Johnson, who ran for touchdowns of 3, 36, 80 and 23 yards.

(Video courtesy Marauders Media)

Johnson’s running effectiveness allowed junior quarterback Cal Christofori to find his senior receiving corp of Joseph Shaughnessy, Justin Wagner and Grant Gilbert on critical long yardage downs.

“Everybody just coming up and making big plays at big moments,” said Belmont Head Coach Yann Kumin, who saw his team’s record go to 2-4.

“We wanted to establish the run because then we knew we could get things going with Joe Shaughnessy … and we were excited about what he did for us catching a huge touchdown in the [fourth] quarter,” Kumin said.

“This was a great Middlesex League win,” he said.

It was an eight-yard pass from Christofori to Shaughnessy that put Belmont up 35-21 with 3:12 remaining in the game that proved the game winner as Winchester came back to score its touchdown in just over a minute to cut the margin to 35-28. 

The game showcased Belmont at its best, controlling the ball and demonstrating a defense that did not allow a single same breaking run or pass from the Sachems. 

Belmont took the opening kickoff and took nine minutes off the clock to travel 72 yards downfield to set up Johnson’s first score, the three-yard run off left tackle. The big plays were a pair of Christofori to Shaughnessy hook-ups for 12 and 21 yards, the last one coming on a fourth down and 4 at the 28. The missed point after gave Belmont a 6-0 lead.

The Marauder defense stepped up on Winchester’s first drive as junior defensive back Kevin Martin intercepted sophomore QB Liam Fitzpatrick’s pass on Belmont’s 25-yard line. On the next play, Gilbert took a Christofori pass and slipped by two Winchester defenders to rumble 39 yards to the Winchester 25. Two plays later, Johnson took a pitch and ran right 36 yards to give Belmont a 13-0 lead.

Belmont’s first offensive play after Winchester scored on a Fitzpatrick pass, Johnson took a handoff and steamrolled through a hole made by his offensive line to outrun untouched by the Sachem defense for 80 yards to give the Marauders a 20-7 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the first half. 

But Winchester got within 6 points as they scored with 31 seconds left in the second quarter.

Early in the third quarter, just as it appeared that Belmont’s improving defense was ready to stop Winchester on a fourth down play, Fitzpatrick’s deflected pass landed into the hands of receiver Sam Curtin who skipped 33-yards for the touchdown, giving Winchester the lead 21-20. 

But Kumin said after the Sachem touchdown, the team did not allow the fluck play alter its positive approach to the game.

“It’s a testament to our players that they shook it off,” said Kumin. 

Back on offense, Belmont converted a fourth and one yard (on Christofori’s two-yard plunge) before Johnson securing his fourth touchdown on the 38-yard rumble down the right side with 3 minutes remaining in the third. Christofori’s found Gilbert on the two-point conversion to give Belmont a 28-21 lead.

Belmont’s defense now stepped up behind the big men in the middle – led by Justin Aroyan and Lowell Haska – who plugged the running lanes and forced Fitzpatrick to hurry his throws, forcing Winchester to punt on Belmont’s 40 with 10 minutes left in the game.

“We told the defense they had to step up as we did against Woburn (a hard-fought 18-15 loss) rallying to the football and make tackles. And we did that making a couple of big stops, a big interception from Martin.” 

Belmont would give the ball back to Winchester, but the Sachems could not make first down. The Marauders benefited from a weak Sachems’ punt to start its game-winning drive at the 43. The big play in the drive was Wagner’s catch from Christofori for 15 yards on a third and 12 from the 45, which prompted the big receiver to give a “Gronk” first down pose. 

Kumin had high praise for the offensive line that had its hands full last week against Reading. 

“We are starting three sophomores right in the middle (the guards and center) in Andrew Mazzone, Dennis Crowley, and Ryan Noone. We are excited about those guys on the interior line with Haska and Chris Piccione stepping up and taking care of business as bookend tackles.” 

“O-linemen are always a little bit weird, and those five guys are definitely that. But they’re weird together and weird in the right way,” he said. 

Belmont returns to Harris Field on Friday when the welcome Lexington which is seeking its first win of the season.

Annual Belmont Boosters Fund Drive This Sunday

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Photo: “B” there.

On Sunday, Oct. 18 from around noon to 2 p.m., Belmont High’s student-athletes will be traveling around town knocking on doors in support of Belmont Booster’s annual fund drive.

The students will be seeking donations in exchange for your very own “B” decal – a snazzy item, indeed.

The fund drive helps the Boosters’ mission to provide funding for items that are outside the athletic budgets. The Boosters have contributed $170,000 in the past six years towards the purchases and improvements of new football and softball scoreboards, the wrestling clock, the Hockey Rink P.A. systems, new trophy cases, Belmont Marauders club car, coaches training and equipment, Marauder spirit flags, the 2014 renovation of White’s field house, the 2015 renovation of the Fitness room and 2015 installation of new flooring for the Wenner field house.

Annually the Boosters provide the jackets awarded at the seasonal athletic awards nights, championship banners in the field house and the team captain leadership program.

Limited Number of Tickets Remain for Annual BHS PAC ‘Broadway Night’

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Photo: The dancers performing to “King of New York” for Newsies.

It’s a touch of the Great White Way in Belmont as the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company presents “Broadway Night,” its annual musical theater showcase on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. in the high school’s Little Theater.

But you need to get your tickets asap as the performances easily sell out.

Students perform classic show tunes and contemporary work from new musical theater composers (such as Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx from “Avenue Q”) in an evening of song, (dance and storytelling. 

This year’s production features 20 solo, duet and group numbers, including a dance number to “King of New York” from “Newsies,” staged by “Anything Goes” choreographer, Jenny Lifson.

Tickets are $5 students, $12 adults and are on sale tickets at Champions in Belmont Center or online Buy Tickets.

Sports: Girls’ Swimming Powers Past Minutemen as Rockets Await

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Photo: Belmont High senior swimmers and divers.

For the seniors on Belmont High’s Girls’ Swimming and Diving team, the past three meets with the Lexington High Minutemen have been heartbreakers (twice), exhilarating (last year) and always close in determining which team would win the Middlesex League title.

But for those seniors, this season’s confrontation held at Belmont’s Higgenbottom Pool on Wednesday, Oct. 14, would be an outlier as the Marauders scored often and early to easily power past the visiting Minutemen on Senior’s Day.

While the final score was 88-87, the officials stopped tallying Belmont’s score with three events remaining.

“We have a good solid team,” said Ev Crosscup, Belmont’s head coach who has been coping with a serious lung infection over the past five weeks. 

“We are continuing to work hard and don’t let down. I’m not concerned that we are peaking too soon. We should be OK going into the sectionals and state championships.” 

In two weeks, Belmont will host a red-hot Reading High Rockets, which is returning to its past prominence when it won multiple league titles.

“That will be difficult,” said Crosscup. “They have a ton of good freshmen and are also quite solid in every stroke. It should be a very competitive, exciting meet.” 

Shining for the Marauders was, predictably, senior star and co-captain Jessica Blake-West who broke Belmont’s long-standing 50-yard freestyle pool record with a blistering 24.57 seconds, one of four events that Blake-West dominated individually or as part of a team.

The four-year starter, who Crosscup called one of the best overall swimmers in the state, also took first in her specialty, the 100 butterfly in 57.34 (eight seconds faster than the field) in which she is defending Div. 2 state champion.

Blake-West started the meet joining freshman Sophie Butte, sophomore Alison Sawyer and freshman find Nicole Kalavantis to win the 200 medley relay, dipping under two minutes in 1 minute, 59.31 seconds, while later teaming up with Sawyer, Solvay Metelmann (who finished second in both the 50 free and the 100 backstroke) and Julia Bozkurtain to capture the 200 free relay. 

Joining Blake-West with multiple wins was Kalavantis, who took first in the 200 (2:05.50) and 500 free (5:36.78) where she led a Marauder sweep with senior co-captain Sara Noorouzi (second) and junior Allie Beecroft (third). 

Capturing firsts included senior co-captain Emily Quinn in her specialty, the 100 breaststroke, in 1:11.71 and junior Molly Thomas whose 1:06.88 in the 100 back qualified her for the state championships. 

Over at diving, senior Cynthia Kelsey treated the meet with a perfect score of 10 (out of three judges) in her first of six dives to win the competition.

At the midpoint of the meet, seniors from both teams received roses and balloons and Crosscup’s speech about fleas didn’t go over as well as expected. But the girls joined him in reciting a quote from one of their coach’s favorite speakers, UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

“Strive each day to make it your masterpiece.” 

 

Sports: With Head Coach Ailing; Captains and Asst. Coach Lead Girls’ Swimming

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Photo: Belmont High Girls’ Swimming Head Coach Ev Crosscup and his assistant, Gretchen Turner. 

The water in Belmont High School’s Higgenbottom Pool was churning from six lanes of swimmers powering over the 25-meter course as teammates urge the backstrokers on as they prepare to reach for the wall. 

While the meet between Belmont and Burlington high schools was determined several races before – the Marauders piled up the points early and often – Belmont High’s venerable head coach Ev Crosscup began gathering up his belongs and started slowly for the exit. 

But Crosscup’s action was not due to the score.

“I’ve run out of gas,” Crosscup said as he pulled his alway present baseball cap over his eyes, apologizing that he’s unable to stay longer to speak about his team. Sitting on a bench on the pool’s edge, Crosscup’s eyes mostly stares downward even as his team wins another meet.

In a season the Marauders is one of the favorites to win a first state championship – Belmont has been runners-up in the past two Div. 2 title meets – and defend its Middlesex League title, the team’s long-time coach is struggling with a lingering illness in his lungs that hospitalized him for six days in September.

Today, the two-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic Swimming Coach of the Year undergoes continuing painful treatments stripping him of his strength and ability to sit in the humid pool enclosure.

“I was stubborn, a very male reaction to being sick. I thought I could ignore it, and it would go away,” said Crosscup, who has known many of the Marauders since they first tried out as kindergarteners on the Belmont Aquatics Team he coached.

With Crosscup’s daily coaching limited, leading the team in practice and motivating it towards a goal of a state title has been taken up by the Marauders’ four senior co-captains and it’s second-year assistant coach, Gretchen Turner.

For Sarah Stewart, a senior co-captain and relay specialist, the absence of Crosscup – a tall, lanky New Englander who doesn’t need to raise his voice to be heard and who’s exceedingly polite and proper – is felt by the entire team.

“[Crosscup] has been missing every day but we hear from him so even though he’s not physically here, we know he’s with us,” said Stewart.

For Stewart and her fellow captains, “there are situations that we know, ‘no, you can’t [reduce the time for each lap of the pool], you have to push more, Ev would want you to do that’.” 

And it is the seniors and juniors, who have spent time with Crosscup, who have taken to conveying that respect for hard work to a large number of freshmen and sophomores swimming beside them, she said. 

“There’s an unspoken commitment that we have to each other, that motivates us,” she said.

So far, the season has seen Belmont put up solid results, staying with Division 1 powers Chelmsford and Andover while dominating the league schedule. And much the credit for putting all the pieces in the correct order has fallen onto Crosscup’s assistant, Gretchen Turner. 

“This year, [Turner] definitely stepped up,” said Stewart.

Turner grew up in a swimming family in Littleton and swam for the Acton-Boxborough Town Swim Team under legionary coach Jeff Johnson (who also coaches the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School Girls’ team) since she was four. 

Recruited to play soccer at Niagara University, she would see the swimmers head off for 5:30 a.m. practice “and I really missed that.” Deciding she didn’t like high-level soccer but loved the water, Turner was able to swim competitive breaststroke for her four years with the Purple Eagles graduating in 2003. 

After college, Turner had helped Johnson with the club program and worked with her family’s swimming lessons business when she learned from her sister, Belmont High School Assistant Principal Sherri Turner, that a position opened with Crosscut and immediately got her an interview. 

“Ev and I hit it off immediately,” said Turner. 

While Turner has all but taken the reins of the program due to Crosscup’s illness, it’s not as if she has been thrown into the deep in the pool, struggling to meet the challenge of running the team. 

“Crosscup did such a great job last year preparing me for this, not knowing this was going to happen,” said Turner, allowing her to set the practices, arranging the lineups for the contests, and once when he was away last year, to run an entire meet by herself. 

“There are still things that I’m learning that I’ve missed, but I’m so thankful he stepped aside and pushed me last year,” Turner said. 

Turner admits there is added pressure on her with the program’s successes over the past three years 

“I don’t want to let them down with the expectations for the season what the girls want to get out of it. Every minute of every day, I’m thinking of them and where they want to go,” she said.

And that journey, all hope, will end next month with the girls celebrating in Harvard’s Blodgett Pool with a state championship trophy. 

Stewart said since the first day of trials, “our goal is to win states. We choose that goal last April at the captain’s meeting. We’ve put that in the heads of the new kids who made the team.”

And now they want to dedicate their goal to Ev.

“We want to prove to [Crosscup] that our aim will be achieved and met,” said Stewart.

Sports: Field Hockey Back on Winning Track with 7-0 Shutout of Arlington

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Photo: Belmont’s Kate McCarthy skies for a shot against Arlington.

After its hard-fought loss to powerhouse Watertown this past Thursday, Belmont Field Hockey headed back to its home on Harris Field to begin the home stretch of its season with a Columbus Day matinee against Arlington. 

And the Marauders reestablished its impressive scoring touch with a workman-like 7-0 defeat of the SpyPonders as the team prepares for two important match-ups with league rivals; one just above them in the standings and the other just behind.

Monday, senior forward Kate McCarthy and co-captain Serena Nalley hit for a pair of goals each while Kerri Lynch and freshman Morgan Chase (along with two assists) each scored while junior leader AnnMarie Habelow has a goal and an assist as defenders Julia Lynch and Molly Goldberg each tallied two assists. 

Next Monday, Belmont (10-2-0) will visit Lexington (9-3-1), which is undefeated at home in the rematch of the Marauder’s 2-0 win in September. Belmont will seek to avenge its only other defeat of the season when Winchester (10-2-0) comes to Harris Field on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Belmont was leading 4-1 midway through the second half before allowing four goals in 12 minutes to lose 5-4. The Winchester game will also be Senior’s Night.

 “We are trying to improve every one of our skills,” said Head Coach Jessie Smith. “Our defense has really picked up recently. 

Smith said what they took away from the Watertown match, a 4-0 defeat (1-0 at the half) against the six-time consecutive Div. 2 state champions was to keep its work rate high even if the score is 7-0.

“We need to know that it’s always important to continue to look for the pass, to make them more automatic. That will happen by practicing it in each game,” said Smith.