Here is a look at the eighth week of results in scheduled games for all ORR athletic teams.
Football: The Bulldogs had a tough week and were officially denied a playoff berth due to a 48-20 loss to Seekonk. ORR could neither halt nor match the offensive intensity of Seekonk, as they turned the ball over six times to squander any chance of making a comeback. Quarterback Alex Aruri scored on a one-yard run early in the first quarter to keep the Bulldogs close, but Seekonk’s quarterback Brendan Smith, who threw for seven touchdowns on the night, was simply too explosive for the Bulldog defense to handle and they quickly fell behind. Other scores for the Bulldogs came from Aruri and Ethan Lizotte. Because the boys lost their spot in the playoffs, they have nearly a month’s rest before their final game of the season on Thanksgiving at Apponequet.
Field Hockey: The girls had a tough start to their week, as they suffered a loss to out-of-conference New Bedford 1-0. With just over two minutes remaining, a New Bedford player got the ball past the ORR defense to give New Bedford a late-game lead that they would hold until the end of the game. The girls recovered nicely, however, to defeat Wareham in a 4-0 shutout later in the week. Junior Morgan Middleton led the offense with two goals while Madison Cristaldi and Devyn O’Connor each added a single score apiece.
Boys’ Soccer: The boys’ soccer team added another victory to their conference record this week as they defeated Bourne 2-1. Alex Sousa and Mike Pellegrino each scored for the Bulldogs, with Sousa and Mason DaSilva each notching an assist. However, the boys later suffered a 2-0 loss to out-of-conference Dartmouth. Though the loss was disappointing, it showed how much the team has progressed, particularly the defense, as earlier in the season they lost to Dartmouth 6-1.
Girls’ Soccer: The Lady Bulldogs had a rough week, even though they started it off with a nice 6-0 blowout over Bourne. In the latter part of the week, the girls played their toughest game of the season against Apponequet to decide the SCC Championship, and unfortunately, Apponequet pulled out a 1-0 victory over ORR to secure the title. The girls’ offense could not seem to get the ball past midfield, and even when they did, they could not capitalize due to a strong Apponequet defense. Even though the Lady Bulldogs lost the title, they still have a chance to make a strong run in the state tournament, for which they easily qualified thanks to a strong 13-3-1 record.
Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country: This week, the cross country teams competed in the annual SCC Championship Meet. The girls’ easily clinched the meet title for the fourth straight year, sporting some impressive times across the board. Nina Bourgeois ran the best time for a Lady Bulldog all season with a second-place time of 20:01, with Maddie Meyer right on her tail in third with a 20:21. Freshman Madisen Martin also ran well with a 20:29. The girls’ depth really came through in the meet, which should be an asset for the divisional meet in two weeks. On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs placed third overall, with several runners setting personal bests. Michael Kassabian was ORR’s top finisher in fourth with a 16:52, and senior Mitch Midwood set a lifetime personal best with a fifteenth place finish in 17:41. James Goulart also ran well, nearly cracking the eighteen-minute mark with an 18:02.
Golf: The highlight of the week for ORR athletics was the golf team, who continued their season of excellence by clinching the Division 3 South Sectional title. The boys’ defeated runner-up Martha’s Vineyard by three points to secure the trophy thanks to several great performances. Jackson Mitchell and Jacob Durocher each shot 78s to lead the Bulldogs, with freshmen Jason Gamache and Collin Fitzpatrick each shooting 81 and 84, respectively, to provide some key depth for the Bulldogs. Because the team placed first, they will now advance to the Division 3 Championships in Georgetown to compete for the state title.
Volleyball: The girls closed out their season this week with a 2-3 loss to Bourne to finish with a 7-12 record. Although the Lady Bulldogs failed to qualify for the state tournament, they showed steady improvement over the course of the season, as they started off 1-7 and managed to find their footing in a competitive conference. Hopefully, the girls will be able to qualify for the tournament next year, as the bulk of their varsity starters will be returning.
Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of October 26.
Football: (4-3-0) (4-3-0); Field Hockey: (13-4-1) (12-1-1); Girls’ Soccer: (13-3-1) (12-3-1); Boys’ Soccer: (11-5-2) (11-3-2); Golf: (15-1-0) (15-1-0); Volleyball: (7-12-0) (7-10-0); Boys’ Cross Country: (5-1-0) (5-1-0); Girls’ Cross Country: (6-0-0) (6-0-0).
By Michael Kassabian