The middle of October tends to be a stressful time, especially for student-athletes. Between schoolwork, homecoming festivities, and – for seniors – college applications, student-athletes are also under the pressure of trying to advance to the state tournament. The week ahead will give many teams the opportunity to advance to the postseason. Here is a look at the sixth week of results for ORR athletics.
Boys and Girls Cross Country: As the postseason for cross country is a divisional race, the Bulldogs do not need to worry about qualifying. This week, the boys and girls took place in a tri-meet against Seekonk and Apponequet. The girls won both meets, keeping their undefeated season going. Sammie Barrett was the top finisher in both races, running a 21:37 5K. The girls placed five runners in the top 6, with other impressive performances by sophomore Emily Josephson (21:44) and Paige Santos (22:09). The boys won their meet against Apponequet, taking the top 4 spots, but unfortunately lost to powerhouse Seekonk. Though Mike Wyman set a new course record at Apponequet with a time of 16:09, Seekonk took spots 2,3, and 5-10 to hand the boys their first loss of the season.
Volleyball: The girls’ volleyball team will not be able to qualify for the state tournament, as there are not enough games left in their season to attain a .500 average. The girls came the closest they have all year to winning a game, winning 2 sets against Wareham High School. Unfortunately, the girls were not able to win the third set, and lost the hard-fought game 3-2. With another loss against Fairhaven (3-0) later in the week, the girls have yet to win a game.
Football: Coming off of a bye week, the boys had a long rest before their toughest competitors of the season: Dighton-Rehoboth High School. The Bulldogs were able to pull out a 35-28 victory over the SCC rival Falcons thanks largely to quarterback Nolan Bergeron, who scored three touchdowns. Richie Phillips added a touchdown of his own, along with 245 rushing yards. Sophomore running back Darien Dumond provided the key play for the Bulldogs when he scored on a 5-yard rush to break a 28-28 tie. The Bulldogs’ running game continues to be their strong suit, and this win proves that the boys have the capabilities to advance to the playoffs, as DR was to be one of the strongest competitors in SCC division.
Golf: The golf team clinched their playoff berth this week, winning two of their final three regular season matchups. Although they lost early in the week to Seekonk, 133-122, they rebounded with a win over Bourne with a score of 145-121. Nic Suprenant led the boys with a 3-over-par 38, while Jackson Mitchell shot a 40. The boys ended their week with a big win over Fairhaven, winning 138-100. Jacob Durocher and Zach Peterson each shot 41s to lead ORR to victory in their final regular season matchup. The boys will compete at the SCC Tournament and then, later in the season, at the state preliminaries in Dennis.
Boys’ Soccer: The boys are another team that does not need to worry about their playoff chances, as they clinched their postseason spot in a decisive win over Wareham High School earlier this week. The boys won 6-3, with goals from Robby Magee, Jack Smith, Mason DaSilva, Alden Truesdale, Shane DeSousa, and Alex Sousa. The boys, who started the season at a dismal 0-2-1, found their stride and were able to go 8-0-2 since to lead themselves to the state tournament.
Girls’ Soccer: The girls’ soccer team had less of a dramatic week than the boys’ team, as they had already clinched a playoff spot. The girls won both of their games this week, one against Wareham and one against Fairhaven. In the Wareham game, the sophomore Sarah Beaulieu led the way with two goals, while classmate Amy Bichajian had a goal and an assist. Senior transfer Abby Adams scored the only other goal of the game to clinch a 4-0 victory. The girls would later win against Fairhaven, 2-0.
Field Hockey: The field hockey team also does not need to worry about their postseason qualifying, as they qualified early on in the season. This week, however, determined the SCC Championship, as the girls faced off against Apponequet High School, whom they had previously lost to earlier this season. If the Lady Bulldogs were able to beat the Lady Lakers, they would get a share of the SCC crown. However, the girls lost in a hard-fought 2-0 game, meaning Apponequet clinched their second straight SCC title.
Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of October 13:
Football: (5-0-0) (5-0-0) Field Hockey: (9-3-2) (9-2-1) Girls’ Soccer: (9-1-4) (9-1-4) Boys’ Soccer: (9-2-4) (7-2-4) Golf: (10-6-0) (10-6-0) Volleyball (0-15-0) (0-15-0) Boys’ Cross Country (3-1-0) (3-1-0) Girls’ Cross Country: (4-0-0) (4-0-0)
By Michael Kassabian