Football stars lead Central to EMass D2 title
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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
Game Statistics:
EMass Division 2 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
