Here is a look at the ninth week of scheduled games for Old Rochester Regional High School spring athletics.
Boys’ Tennis: This week, the boys’ tennis team received the No. 2 seed in the Division 3 South state tournament, and started off their postseason right with a huge 5-0 sweep over No. 15 seed Dedham. Thanks to wins from Owen Sughrue (first singles), Alex Bilodeau (second singles), Sam Pasquill (third singles), Josh Lerman and Maxx Wolski (first doubles), and Stephen Burke and Jahn Pothier (second doubles), the Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals. The boys did not lose a single set in any match, often winning 6-0, 6-0 to absolutely dominate the Dedham team. ORR will now face off against No. 10 seed Sturgis East in the quarterfinals.
Girls’ Tennis: The Lady Bulldogs received the No. 7 seed in the Division 3 South state tournament, and like the boys, knocked out their opening opponent, No. 10 East Bridgewater, in a clean 5-0 shutout. Old Rochester got wins from Julia Nojeim (first singles), Morgan Middleton (second singles), Olivia Bellefeuille (third singles), Emma Collings and Alexis Parker (first doubles), and Sophie Church and Katelyn Bindas (second doubles). With the win, the girls advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face their toughest competition in No. 2 seed Dover-Sherborn.
Track: This week, several of ORR’s track athletes competed in the All-State Meet, where the best athletes around the state in all divisions gather to compete for individual championships. The highlight for the Bulldogs was senior Kevin Saccone, who rushed straight from graduation to Fitchburg to compete. Saccone placed second in the long jump with a leap of 22’3.75” and placed sixth in the hurdles in 14.74 seconds. Saccone qualified for the New England Championships, held in Saco, Maine, in both events. Other participants for ORR came from Zoe Smith (13th in the 100-meter hurdles, 17th in the high jump) and the girls’ 4×800-meter relay, comprised of Nina Bourgeois, Rachel Scheub, Sam Ball, and Madisen Martin, which placed 21st overall.
Boys’ Lacrosse: The boys’ lacrosse team, who received the No. 2 seed in the Division 3 South state tournament, earned two huge wins this week to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. In their opening round, the Bulldogs handily defeated No. 15 seed Cardinal Spellman 18-10. ORR got goals from Ethan Lizotte (with a team-high 8), Landon Goguen (4), Thomas McIntire (2), Patrick Saltmarsh (2), Taylor Hatch, and Chase Cunningham. The win was also significant as it marked the first boys’ lacrosse tournament win in school history. The boys then went on to defeat No. 10 seed Bourne 12-7 in the quarterfinals. There, the Bulldog defense was at its best, with goalie Gerald Lanagan recording 15 saves in net to squander any offensive momentum Bourne could muster. Offensively, ORR was once again led by Lizotte, who scored six goals in the game. The boys will look to continue their run against No. 3 seed Archbishop Williams.
Girls’ Lacrosse: Like the boys’ lacrosse team, the Lady Bulldogs, who received the No. 4 seed in the Division 2 South state tournament, opened up their postseason run with two big wins to advance to the semifinals. The girls defeated No. 13 seed Sacred Heart in their opening round with a massive 18-2 blowout, thanks largely in part to a balanced offensive effort from the Lady Bulldogs. Fourteen different players scored for ORR, with Bailey Truesdale, Maddie Cooney, Sarah Ryan, and Ali Hulsebosch sharing the top scoring spot with two goals apiece. The girls then advanced to face their SCC rival and No. 5 seed Apponequet, whom they shared the SCC championship with this year. Thanks to a strong second half, the girls opened up their 5-4 lead from halftime to defeat the Lady Lakers 15-9. Truesdale led in scoring with four goals. The girls advance to the semifinals, where they will face No. 1 seed Norwell in what will likely be their toughest game of the tournament.
Below are the overall spring team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of June 7.
Baseball: (17-3-0) (14-2-0); Softball: (8-10-0) (8-8-0); Boys’ Track: (6-2-0) (6-2-0); Girls’ Track: (8-0-0) (8-0-0); Boys’ Tennis: (19-1-0) (14-0-0); Girls’ Tennis: (15-5-0) (13-3-0); Boys’ Lacrosse: (17-2-0) (7-1-0); Girls’ Lacrosse: (14-5-1) (7-3-0).
By Michael Kassabian
