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Natick

Upset-minded Knights can't hold on

NATICK — Senior Colby LeBlanc threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for a third, as 7th-seeded Natick High rallied in the fourth quarter for a 31-21 win over 10th-seeded North Andover Friday night in the Round of 16 in the Division 2 State Tournament.
The Scarlet Knights (now 3-6), winners of two straight coming into the tournament, overcame a pair of costly turnovers and the loss of starting running back Jack Ferullo to injury in the first half, to lead 14-10 after three quarters.
But the Red Hawks (8-1) wore down the North Andover defense and scored on all three of their fourth-quarter possessions.
North Andover quarterback Jack O'Connell had a strong game, completing 21 of 29 passes for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In the second quarter, the tide began to turn. The Knights had a back-breaking fumble on the Natick 1 and an interception led to a Natick field goal on the final play of the first half.
North Andover coach John Dubzinski said, "I thought the turning point was that fumble down at the 1-yard line. That was big."
North Andover was able to retake the lead, 14-10, late in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by O'Connell. The run capped a nine-play, 64-yard yard scoring drive, the Scarlet Knights' fifth drive of eight plays or more in the game.
But the lead was short-lived. It took LeBlanc just three pass plays to move his team 72 yards, the last 49 nine coming on a sensational pass play to Jayson Little (5 catches, 136 yards, 2 TDs). LeBlanc hit the senior captain in-stride on a fly pattern down the right sideline to give the Red Hawks the lead, 17-14.
It was the start of what would be a wild fourth quarter.
With Ferullo sidelined, Dubzinski turned to sophomore Zach Wolinski to take over as the lead back. Wolinski responded with 60 yards on 12 carries.
"He had never played there before but he was willing to step up and he ran well," said Dubzinski.
With Wolinski carrying the load, North Andover drove downfield mid-way through the final quarter and looked ready to re-take the lead. But on fourth and inches from the Natick 38, the Knights were stopped for a 2-yard loss.
"When it came down to it, they made the big plays and we didn't," said Dubzinski. 
A 41-yard run by Nizayah Montas (7 carries, 82 yards) set up an 8-yard touchdown run by LeBlanc and Natick seemed to be in command, 24-14, with just 3:37 left to play.
O'Connell and the Scarlet Knights had plenty of fight left in them, though, putting together a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Using just 1:26 off the clock, O'Connell completed 8 of 10 passes and capped the drive with a 4-yard scoring strike to D'Andre King to cut the lead to 24-21.
With 2:02 remaining, North Andover attempted an onside kick, but it failed to go the required 10 yards and Natick took over. A 36-yard touchdown run by Montas put an exclamation point on the win.
Before wearing down in the fourth quarter, the North Andover defense played an excellent game, holding the high-powered Natick offense in check. The Scarlet Hawks wouldn't get their first 1st down until their third possession.
In the meantime, North Andover grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, on an 8-yard touchdown pass from O'Connell Brendan Regan, who worked his way open on the back line of the end zone.
Natick tied the game early in the second quarter on a 37-yard touchdown pass from LeBlanc to Little.
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Football, 11/05/21 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Natick 52, Andover 37

ANDOVER – After an 80-minute bus ride from Natick early Tuesday morning, the Red Hawks were ready for prime time much earlier than their hosts – none of whom had to drive farther than across town.

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Girls Basketball, 12/31/19 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Andover takes out Natick

 

The Andover field hockey team is back in the Division 1 North final, where it's been nine of the last 10 years, following a 1-0 victory over a strong Natick club. Sydney Gregory scored the lone goal on a corner with an assist to Hanna Medwar and Paige Gillette made seven saves in goal.

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Field Hockey, 11/04/19 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Double-OT win sends Andover to North final

Sydney Gregory took the ball in from the right side and slid it across to Hanna Medwar, who buried the goal that gave No. 8 Andover a thrilling 2-1 double-overtime victory over No. 4 Natick in the Division 1 North semifinals on Thursday.

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Field Hockey, 11/08/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Haverhill finishes 3rd

 

Haverhill finished third at the Natick duals, winning four straight duals before falling to the host team 51-31 in a meet much closer than the score indicates.

Steven Wise (132), Nick Tejada (145), Sam Prescott (152) and heavyweight Jay Levy were all 5-0 and Ronald Fuller was an impressive 4-1 in a tough 120-pound weight class. The Hillies improved to 9-2 on the year.

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Wrestling, 01/06/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Central girls hold off Natick to win EMass D2 title

NEW BEDFORD — Central Catholic coach Katie Andrade could feel it in the pit of her stomach.
Natick needed to win the final event, the 4x400 relay, and if the Raiders didn’t score, it would be co-champs in the Eastern Mass. Division 2 track meet.
“For awhile, Natick was leading,” said Andrade. “In 2007, I think it was a similar situation and our last leg pulled up lame and didn’t finish. That’s all I was thinking about ... anything can happen.”
What happened, though, is Emily Carmichael, Julia Worden, Julia Jankowski and Victoria Moda placed seventh and Natick ended up third. That was enough for the Raiders to win their third EMass. D2 title in Andrade’s nine years as head coach.
The Central boys rode a familiar game plan to their fifth title in 11 years under Mike Leal.
Use versatile, clutch football talent to show the way then fill in the gaps with distance guys and other multi-sport athletes.
Scholarship football players senior David Onyemem (Bryant defensive back) and junior Brett Edwards (UNH quarterback) helped lead the way as the Raiders, like their football brethren, showed no mercy. They rolled up 92.5 points to cruise past runner-ups North Andover and Woburn with 67 points each.
Carmichael, Nault shine
There were a slew of girl heroes to choose from. Carmichael won the 400 hurdles and Janessa Nault was a double-distance placer.
Andrade said, “Emily was surprising. She’s always been the bridesmaid. It was fitting after graduation Thursday to do it.
“Janessa wasn’t seeded high. Definitely not seeded to place. It was a personal best.”
Nault, one of the school’s top sophomore scholars, was fifth in the 2-mile and ran on the runner-up 4x800 team which “turned it around for us,” said Andrade.
“They ran a personal best by 15 seconds,” she said. “Sarah Freeman ran an excellent lead, which we expect. Every time they were passed, they fought like hell.”
Amanda Fay was only fourth in the shot and she was not pleased. She came back and took second in the javelin with a personal best.
Andrade insisted this was far from a slam dunk.
She said, “This is huge. I really, really didn’t see it coming. We were in good position because of the pole vault and pentathlon (earlier in the week). We had those 15 points coming in. We just had a good day. We scored way more points than we expected.”
The ‘amazing’ Onyemem
Leal, who is also a longtime assistant football coach at his alma mater, called Onyemem “amazing.” He added, “He was the big surprise of the meet.”
The senior went 6-4 for second in the high jump and 43-5 for third in the triple jump. The 43-5 was nearly a two-foot personal best and he only high jumped 6-2 for the first time last week.
A couple other returning starters in football, sophomore defensive back Joe Howshan and junior offensive lineman Ryan Burns, rose to the occasion.
Burns won the discus with a 134-5 heave and Howshan broke his own school record to win the 400 hurdles in 55.55.
Sam Wall starred with a second in the pole vault while Edwards grabbed thirds in the high jump and pentathlon.
More Duffy heroics
North Andover sensation Erick Duffy, coming off one of the great doubles in area history last week, again strutted his stuff.
The Harvard recruit won the pole vault with yet another massive effort (16-0) and took the 110 hurdles in 14.51. Teammate Matthew Manteiga won the long jump.

EMass. Division 2 Boys Meet
Team scores (31 scored): 1. Central Catholic 92.5, 2.tie North Andover and Woburn 67, 4. Marshfield 48
Area placers (top 8 place):
Pole vault: 1. Erick Duffy (NA) 16-0, 2. Sam Wall (CC) 13-6, 3. Jack Perry (NA) 12-0, 4. Pietro Fina (CC) 12-0, 5. Desrosiers (CC) 11-6, 6. Gavin O’Sullivan (NA) 11-6, 8. Trevor Nassar (NA) 10-0; Shot put: 2. Kalvin Guillermo (CC) 50-3, 7. Osho Omoyeni (CC) 44-6; Discus: 1. Ryan Burns (CC) 134-5, 4. Samir Perez (CC) 127-3; Long jump: 1. Matthew Manteiga (NA) 21-2.5, 3. Jon Cooperstein (NA) 20-6.25; Triple jump: 3. David Onyemem (CC) 43-5;
High jump: 2. Onyemem (CC) 6-4, 4. Bret Edwards (CC) 6-0, 6. Connor Grant (NA) 6-0; 110 hurdles: 1. Duffy (NA) 14.51; 100 meters: 7. John Kenney (CC) 11.54, 8. Edward Lundy (CC) 11.67; 4x100 relay: 3. Central (Lundy, Fina, Kenney, Mathias Villafane) 44.00, 6. North Andover (Manteiga, Tyler Glendon, Nassar, Patrick Quinn) 44.45; 400: 8. Noah Olsen (NA) 52.13;
Pentathlon: 3. Edwards (CC) 2,934; 6. Grant (NA) 2,801; 400 hurdles: 1. Joe Howshan (CC) 55.55, 6. Gregory Desrosiers (CC) 57.92; 4x800 relay: 6. North Andover (Stephen Stabile, Brian Voke, Luke DiSalvo, Patrick Kitchen) 8:29.04; 4x400 relay: 2. North Andover (Manteiga, Peter Coufos, Cooperstein, Duffy) 3:27.49, 6. Central (Howshan, Kyle Gildea, Desrosiers, Lukas Blythe) 3:30.74
EMass. Division 2 Girls Meet
Team scores (25 teams): 1. Central Catholic 78, 2. Natick 74, 3. Wellesley 67; 15. North Andover 16
Area placers (top 8 score):
Pole vault: 2. Kate Hasenstab (CC) 9-6, 7. Julia Bonanno (CC) 8-6, 8. Ruth Mahoney (CC) 8-6; Shot put: 4. Amanda Fay (CC) 35-6; Discus: 5. Sarah Brown (CC) 99-5; Javelin: 2. Fay (CC) 113-3, 6. Emily DeMinico (CC) 105-11; Long jump: 4. Emma Martin (NA) 16-8; Triple jump: 3. Julia Worden (CC) 35-0;
High jump: 6. Sarah Lavery (NA) 5-0, 7. Paige Dunleavy (CC) 5-0; Mile: 4. Sarah Freeman (CC) 5:19.94; 4x100 relay: 5. North Andover 50.60; 400: 5. Taylor Crane (NA) 59.58;
400 hurdles: 1. Emily Carmichael (CC) 1:07.41, 3. Grace McDowell 1:08.53; 2-mile: 5. Janessa Nault (CC) 11:47.35; Pentathlon: 5. McDowell (CC) 2,417; 4x400 relay: 7. Central (Carmichael, Julia Worden, Julia Jankowski, Victoria Moda) 4:10.42; 4x800 relay: 2. Central (Freeman, Kathryn Montgomery, Nault, Helen Connolly) 9:50.21


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Girls Track and Field, 05/27/17 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Heavyweight tandem

 

Junior heavyweight Rolando Carrasco won twice and freshman understudy Jaydahrius Levy had a pin as Haverhill won twice and placed third at the Natick duals. Nick Tejada (132) and Matt Coyne (138) were both 3-0 on the day.

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Wrestling, 01/07/17 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Stanley rolls

 

Heavyweight Stanley Alberto remained unbeaten for Lawrence, which won four of five meets at Masconomet, losing only to Div. 2 power Natick. Albert had all pins, including over the Xaverian heavyweight with 17 seconds left in the match while losing 9-0.

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Wrestling, 12/23/16 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Andover clinches first trip to volleyball final since 2005 with dominant victory

TEWKSBURY — For three years, Azita Bakhtyari dreamed of playing in the state championship game, only to finish just short of her goal.

On Thursday night, Bakhtyari and her Andover High teammates made the fantasy a reality, and did so in decisive fashion.

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Girls Volleyball, 11/13/14 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

North Andover repeats as champ

 

 

WORCESTER — A tough week came to a terrific ending for the North Andover wrestling team at WPI last night.

The Scarlet Knights, just days after learning of the arrest and resulting resignation of legendary head coach Dave Castricone, defended their Division 2 dual-meet state title with a stirring 32-25 victory over previously-unbeaten Natick.

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Wrestling, 02/16/11 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
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