Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Hello sports fans!

It’s been very impressive to see the tremendous excitement and participation surrounding the local summer basketball leagues in the area. It is safe to say that youth basketball is alive and well and this could only mean that the competition is going to be even better at the high school level. 

All three of the local high school teams have a slew of talent in both the boys and girls teams and many of these kids are playing summer ball as we speak.

The Webster league has been fantastic, and this past week we were able to get a taste of the Dudley-Charlton league (see current issue of The Patriot for related story and photos), and the Auburn boys league.  Still hoping to get to Shrewsbury for the elite girls league, in which several high schools, including Bartlett and Shepherd Hill, are taking part.

It was great to catch both Bartlett and Oxford summer league teams competing in the Auburn league. Both squads promise to be very strong next season. In fact, I will predict early on that they will both make playoff runs if they stay focused and healthy.

Donnie Freeland: Speaking of the Pirates, it was good to see soon- to-be-senior lockdown defender guard Donny Freeland back in action after suffering a season-ending broken pinky at the end of last season. 

Freeland put on a defensive clinic in Oxford’s win over Bartlett when he shut down View Super Team stud Nick Kobel and helped the Central Mass all-star to 1 point. I’m sure Kobel is tired of hearing me bring this up but you have to give Freeland major props for that performance.  It certainly was one of the highlights of last season.

Bartlett Hoops: Bartlett’s entry in the Auburn league looks very strong.  Despite losing co-captains Kobel and DJ Kirby-Thomas, the team has a surplus of talent returning, including senior sharpshooter Matt Huberdault, senior Akeem Belnavis, junior Alex Givens-Perry, junior defensive wiz Evan Anderson, and senior point guard Nick Terranova.  They are going to be solid.

These guys are only going to get better and Belnavis and Givens-Perry could be on the verge of breakout seasons. Both have the ability to take over games if they can stay focused and play turnover- free basketball.

One surprise on the Bartlett summer team is former St. Joseph’s star Jacob Mailloux, who is transferring form St. Johns to Bartlett. The incoming sophomore looks to be close to 6’3” and could give the Indians some much needed depth inside.

Another big man that could also make an impact is sophomore Neil Flanagan, who played well on the junior varsity team last year and has some good inside moves and can score.

Kirsten Doldoorian: It was a great pleasure running into former Oxford High School basketball star Kirsten Doldoorian (2006), who is one of only three girls to score 1000 points in Oxford High School history. She played under her uncle John Doldoorian, who is the current athletic director at Oxford.

Kirsten, who will be featured in next week’s paper, is currently the assistant basketball coach at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. She played her college ball at Franklin Pierce.

Brindley Foundation Baseball: We caught a couple of innings of Brindley’s 11-5 win over Douglas last week at Oxford High School field. It was great to see locals such as Shepherd Hill’s Drew and Brady Ravenelle, Victor Champagne, and even 2012 Bartlett graduate Kobel in action on the diamond.

Champagne looked solid on the mound and looks to be the Rams ace next season.  He and his teammates face Tatnuck this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Oxford High School field.

BHS Sweat & Desire Camp:  Bartlett High School Basketball Head Coach Tony Paranto is running his four-day basketball camp from June 26-29. It’s the thirteenth year that the camp has existed and will take place at Bartlett High School. The camp, which features former high school coaches and college players and coaches, is for boys and girls ages 8-17.

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By Steev Riccardo

What a week for the Oxford High School sports program!

First of all, what else can you say about track star Emily “The Sweet Assassin” Dawidczyk! She dominated the Central Mass championships in three different events and then she went to the state tournament and came in second in the in 200 meters and sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and qualified for the New England tournament.

At the New England Tournament in Saco, Maine, on Saturday, June 9, she came in second in the 200 meters and third in the 100-meter hurdles. The icing on the cake was that not only were both her times personal bests, but she also qualified for the Nationals.  This is truly an incredible feat!

“It was an awesome experience! Just being here with all the top athletes in New England was really cool,” said Dawidczyk. “I ran my best time in both events so it was a great way to end the season. I’m so happy I got this far after all my setbacks last year, I had to prove to myself that I could do it and I did.” She sure did.

We ran into recently graduated Bartlett track and football star Rocco DiStefano this past weekend and he had this to say about “The Sweet Assassin.”

“Emily is one of the fastest runners around.  She is very gifted and just from gift alone you can’t be that fast, she has to work hard and I feel that she works hard at it the same way in soccer and indoor and outdoor track. I am happy for her. I have seen her run the last three years and she keeps getting better. Next year she is going to be blowing everyone out of the water.”

Oxford Pirates: As if “The Sweet Assassin” story wasn’t  enough for Oxford to get excited about, they also have the Central Massachusetts Division 3 baseball championship on their mantle, with an impending trip to Western Mass to compete for the state championship.  Who said the size of the school matters?  Folks, it’s all about heart and desire and the Oxford boys are right up there with the best of them.

What I really love about the Pirates and their coaches is how loose they always are.  They have fun and they play hard and they win and that is why they are in the state tournament.

More Rocco: Rocco DiStefano also competed at the state track tournament this past week and has this say about how his experience went. “It was really nice to get there because you work hard all year.  When you finally get there you are amazed by how many other people are ridiculously fast and gifted and have raw talent.  Once you get out of your foxhole of Webster and SWCL and your district, you are just amazed at what the other districts have in store for you, so just being there is very eye opening. You see that you are not the only fast kid on the block. You are one of many.”

Ricky Spooner: Seeing Bartlett High School quarterback Ricky Spooner throwing passes at the Nichols College football camp last week reiterated what we know already. The soon-to-be junior could be destined for a breakout season next year for the green.

Although Nichols College football coach Kevin Loney kept referring to two local quarterbacks who really impressed him without mentioning any names, it was obvious he was talking about Spooner and Shepherd Hill quarterback Drew Ravenelle.

We are certainly on board with Loney on these two.  Spooner is getting additional praise from yours truly this week as well, not only has he earned his new nickname “The Spoonman” but here’s a first, we have a theme song for the QB as well, none other than Soundgarden’s “Spoonman.” Give me some time and I will either convince Bartlett bandleader Jeffrey Flynn to get the band to learn the tune or we will figure a way to get it on the PA next football season!

Shepherd Hill Tennis Girls: Kudos to the Shepherd Hill girl’s tennis team, which finished their season 14-6 following a loss to Shrewsbury. The team had an excellent season before falling in the districts and look solid for the future with stars like freshman Abbey Packard and junior Callie Mulcahy, the number two and three singles players, returning.

Anthony Wilga: Lastly we have more quotes from the very quotable Mr. DiStefano. This is what Rocco had to say about fellow View Super Teamer Anthony Wilga of Shepherd Hill, who appears to be headed to Nichols in the fall. “Wilga is a mule, he’s hard to take down he’s one of the hardest hitters I ever went against. He has worked throughout his career at football.  The four years that I have played against him there has not been one easy moment between fullback and linebacker. He is going to do well at Nichols. I am happy for him and I wish him the best of luck. I played with him in Pop Warner and he was a beast back then and still is.” Wilga scored 13 touchdowns last season, his last, for the Rams.

Photo From The Vault: This week our photo from the vault features three new grads and one up and coming “bull.”  Recent Bartlett grads Arthur Hackenson, who is off to play football at Springfield College, track star Amy Pancyzk, who is headed to Adelphi University on Long Island, track co-captain Alicia Garamy, who will be attending Assumption College in Worcester, and freshman Anthony “The Bull” Cafferelli, who will be doing great things on the football field for the Indians for the next few years.

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Catherine Heckler, photo of the week

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

This past Sunday, Nicole “The Franchise” Mangaudis walked off the mound for the final time in her orange and black Oxford Pirates uniform, and I guess that is when it hit me just how special high school sports really are.

It may have been a rough turn of life events that led me back to this area and found me hanging out in high school gyms and fields, covering sports after many, many years, but I have to say it has been a tremendous experience. 

Of course, some things have changed, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the competitive spirit that exists in some of these high school kids.  I saw it during football season in Rocco DiStefano and on the hoop court this past winter with Meghan Fornaro, and once again on the baseball diamond with “The Franchise.”

Even though most people know I have those deep down allegiances with my alma-mater Bartlett High School, there is no reason for me not to want to see these kids all succeed, not just on the field but in the classroom. These kids are the future, we need them to carry on tradition and bring their pride with them wherever they may go.

I’ll admit it, watching Nicole Manguadis throw her final pitch and walk off the field this past Sunday in Grafton was sad and it made me feel emotional, but at the same time it made me happy. Her life, just like all the other high schoolers who just graduated, is really just beginning. These kids have so much promise, so much potential, and you know they are going to move on but they will never forget where they came from. I know I never did.
And now back to your regularly scheduled View…

Molly Covill: In an earlier View, we heard Oxford Pirates star pitcher Nicole “The Franchise” Manguadis talk about her rivalry with Shepherd Hill ace pitcher Molly Covill.

This week Covill shared her feelings on her high school rival. “I have known Nicky for a while it’s a friendly rivalry, we like to beat them. It kind of stems from our last coach being from Oxford and she really has gotten a lot better through the years, just to beat her is nice.”

The two played together for several years as members of the Charlton Wildfire, which has produced a surplus of talent over the years.

Shepherd Hill's Shelby Stracher carries a big bat

If you have seen the Shepherd Hill Rams softball team play this year, you probably noticed they have some big bats in that lineup. One of them is sophomore catcher Shelby Stracher, who hits the ball as hard as anybody we have seen at the high school level.

Stracher, who plays for the Rhode Island Thunder Elite team in the off-season, is constantly working to get better.

“When I was younger I grew up playing with older girls and I would play with my sister and I got used to the faster pitching and I had natural power growing up. In the fall I started going to this guy Doug Kemp at Extra Innings in Auburn, and it has made even a bigger difference.”  

It sure has. Interestingly enough, another local underclassman, freshman Evelyn Marquis, who hit well over .400 for the Oxford Pirates this year, also is a frequent Extra Innings visitor.  Take notice youngsters, you want get good, you got to work on your craft.

Webster Summer League: The Webster Summer Basketball League looks like it is going to be a lot of fun to watch.  There was a lot of talent out there on the court this past Thursday and the action will be continued in the weeks to come. If you like hoops and you want to check out some great up and coming talent like Alex Givens-Perry, Brook Packard, and Gigi Guenther, the Bartlett High School courts is the place to be!

View Super Team: In case you missed it we announced the View Super Team last week. We will be talking about and featuring these great young athletes in the next few weeks so stay tuned! The elite crew are Emily Dawidczyk-Oxford junior, Rocco DiStefano-Bartlett senior, Michelle Williams-Oxford senior, Meghan Fornaro-Shepherd Hill, senior Nick Kobel-Bartlett senior, Kyle McKissick-Shepherd Hill senior, Stella Worters-Shepherd Hill sophomore, Nicole Mangaudis-Oxford senior, Arthur Hackenson-Bartlett senior, Lindsay Bond-Bartlett senior, Nick Lemay-Oxford senior, and Anthony Wilga-Shepherd Hill senior. 

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Kayde McCarthy

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

What a great week in sports! With the season winding down and District play in the air, it was all about the Southern Worcester County League outdoor track meet at Auburn last Wednesday.

When the rain wiped out the girls SWCL meet on Tuesday in Fiskdale (Tantasqua Regional), it set up a dream scenario with both the boys and girls events taken place at Auburn High School on Wednesday. It was truly a fantastic afternoon of track and field.

Several of those track competitors at the SWCL meet were seniors, some in their final high school days wearing their school colors.

Kayde McCarthy: In the next few weeks we will pay tribute to the seniors who made this school sports year an outstanding one. One of the those superior seniors who is graduating in the coming weeks is Oxford High School three-sport captain Kayde McCarthy, a true athletic warrior, who was recently awarded, along with boys’ star Nick Lemay, the Central Mass Athletic Director’s Association Award.

McCarthy has had a storied career as a Pirate. She starred and was a captain in field Hockey, basketball, and softball.  In a school with many great female athletes, she is the lone three-sport captain, which is quite an honor.

As far as the award goes she said, “It felt real nice. I put a lot of effort into my sports and it made me happy to be recognized for it and to be one of the top people. Still, I couldn’t believe it.”  We believe it.

McCarthy’s amazing field hockey run started in junior high school as one of the legendary “Super Power Thingies” along with Michelle Williams, Linda Troung, Jenna Mandella, and Lauren Puishys, and culminated with a remarkable 18-0 season this past fall.

As one of the captains on the field hockey team, she admits that she already misses her teammates. They were a tightly knit crew and she says, “it’s sad to leave, I miss playing with them.”

She will continue her field hockey career at Salem State College in the fall, where she will major in Criminal Justice and Biology.

As far as softball goes, she has another close friend that she has been playing with since she was five years old in Nicole “The Franchise” Mangaudis.

“Kayde and I have been friends since we were very little. We have played softball together since we played pee-wee, we are very close, I am going to miss her terribly,” said Mangaudis.

Before leaving Oxford, she still has some unfinished business as the Pirates look to the post season. “Last year we had a good season, this year we have a team that gets along very good, we are very good defensively and pitching, now we have to work on our hitting and we should do well.”

She also has some nice parting words for her coach Jamie Hetherman, “I love playing for him he is very dependable and he is a great coach.”

Bartlett senior track star Kellie Powers

Goodbye High School Seniors: In the next few weeks, we will be paying tribute in the View to the local high school athletes who have made this year very special. The list is long and impressive: Rocco DiStefano, DJ Kirby-Thomas, Arthur Hackenson, Lindsay Bond, Alicia Garamy, Myranda Smith, Amy Pancyzk, Meghan Dwyer, Nick Kobel, Kellie Powers, Nikita Truhanovitch, Brenda Sundara, Nick Lemay, Lauren Puishys, Michelle Williams, Kayde McCarthy, Nicole “The Franchise” Mangaudis, Linda Troung, Molly Covill, Meghan Fornaro, Kyle McKissick, Chris Patrinos, Kaleigh Durkin, Cody Peck, Anthony Wilga, Kevin Leblanc, Emily Mattson, and Maddie Billis for starters!

Seniors Obi Melifonwu and DJ Kirby-Thomas 

Oxford Athletic Awards: Oxford High School had its annual sports banquet last week and gave out three prestigious awards.  Kayde McCarthy and Nick Lemay were presented the Central Mass Athletic Director’s Association Award.  Lauren Puishys and Nick Lemay were given the Oxford High School Coaches Achievement Award.   Cassandra Coleman received the Ernie Boss Award.

Former Bartlett Stars Spotted: A trio of former Bartlett High School female stars were seen checking out the Lady Indians softball game Friday against Quaboag.  Kristen Cameron, Steph Morel, and Indians’ 1000-point scoring hoop star Bryanna Poulin.

OBI: Grafton High School football and track star Obi Melifonwu looked like a man among boys at the SWCL track meet in Auburn. You want to talk about a physical specimen, oh my.  Obi will be playing football for UConn in the fall and there seem to be no limits to how far this young man will go.

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Bartlett's Amy Panczyk with Oxford's Emily Dawidczyk

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

With the high school outdoor track season winding down, we found ourselves in Oxford last week for an important Southern Worcester County League meet between David Prouty, Leicester, Bartlett, and host Oxford.

One of the track stars on hand in Oxford was Bartlett senior Amy Panczyk, who has been having a sensational season for the Indians.

Panczyk, who is off to Adelphi College in Long Island in September, has been running and jumping in style and in the process qualifying for the Districts in the Long Jump and the 100-meter dash, which she calls “a great accomplishment.”

The athletic senior, who is very popular among her teammates and classmates, has been involved in sports at Bartlett since coming to the school as a seventh grader.  She played soccer for three years, was exceptional on the indoor track team, and has reached new heights in outdoor track every campaign.

“Sports has been good for me. It made school more interesting and It made me do better,” said the 18-year old who has spent her entire life living in Webster with her parents Tina and Richard Panczyk and her brothers Rick and Matt.

As far as her college choice goes, she credits her former English teacher Tom Osborn, who left the school this year for an assistant principal position in Rhode Island, with helping her decide which college to attend and says, “he is pretty much the reason I am going to Adelphi.”  

She also enjoyed having Osborn as a teacher in the classroom. “He really opened us up to the other side of literature. He brought books like “Brave New World” back to the curriculum, helping us change our perspectives on the world and politics. It was really good to have him.”

Panczyk is also a big music fan and when she is not listening to her current favorite band Mumford And Sons, she is playing the clarinet and alto sax in the school band under the supervision of one of her other favorite teachers, Jeff Flynn, who she said “is really smart and knowledgeable and lets us play music that we are into.” 

Along with her love and participation in music, she was also on the yearbook staff and served on the stage crew of the theatre club.

Panczyk has her share of fans in the faculty as well. Bartlett girls track coach and teacher Brandy Whitney described Amy as “an amazing student with an amazing personality. She is a wonderful athlete and a great young lady.”

In her last few weeks at Bartlett, Panczyk continues to shine in track and field and is sure to have people smiling when she reaches Adelphi University in the fall.

Bartlett Track Stuff: Christian McManus, who won three events on Thursday said, “I’m doing good, but I am not satisfied” in reference to winning three events at the Oxford meet. How’s that for wanting it?  His teammate and fellow District qualifier Nikita Truhanovitch praised McManus and said, “He has been doing fantastic.”

Nikita didn’t do so bad himself, winning the triple jump and the high jump, and coming in second in the 100-meter hurdles on Thursday as he gets ready to compete in his final SWCL meet today at Tantasqua Regional in Fiskdale.

Others who looked good for Bartlett at the Oxford meet were Nikita’s sister, junior Deanna Truhanovitch, senior Kelly Powers, who came in second overall in the mile and the two-mile run, and the fantastic four-by-100 team of Kayla Sizer, Breanna Beardsley, Ashley Sizer, and none other than the above mentioned Panczyk.

Bartlett 4-by-100 relay team anchored by senior Amy Pancyzk, Kayla Sizer, Ashley Sizer, and Breanna Beardsley

BHS Sweat & Desire Camp:  Bartlett High School basketball head coach Tony Paranto is running his four-day basketball camp from June 26-29. It’s the thirteenth year that the camp has been running and will take place at Bartlett High School. The camp, which features former high school coaches and college players and coaches, is for boys and girls ages 8-17.

Nichols High School Player Development Camp: Nichols College will be hosting the NFL High School Development Program from June 4-7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.p. at the college football field.

Nichols head football coach Kevin Loney will be the site manager for the camp The following local high schools will be participating: Auburn, Bartlett, Bay Path, Northbridge, Oxford, Shepherd Hill, Southbridge, and Tantasqua Regional.

Bartlett head football coach Dane Laboissonniere will also be on hand as an instructor. “The camp is put on by the NFL and the Army National Guard. It is completely free for the kids. There is also a 7-on-7 tournament associated with the camp. The winning team from the camp gets to go to Gillette Stadium and if you win at Gillette you get to represent New England down in Florida in a national 7-on-7 tournaments.”

The NFL High School Player Development program addresses challenges facing high school football programs across the country, focusing primarily on underserved communities.  HSPD serves as a free resource for both high school player and coaches.  The program emphasizes safety and concussion awareness, character development and life skills, and football fundamentals.

"Super Power Thingies" partners in crime Michelle Williams and Lauren Puishys

Michelle Williams:  The undisputed leader of the Oxford Pirates “Super Power Thingies,” field hockey star Michelle Williams will be attending Bryant College in the fall and told me this past week that she plans on being a walk-on at the Division 1 Field Hockey team camp.  We can’t imagine that they will not be delighted having a 32-goal scorer who led her team to an 18-0 season show up out of the blue!

Williams said it will be sad leaving school but at the same time, she is excited “to go to college and start a whole new experience and be grown up finally.”

As for the “Super Power Thingies” who played field hockey together since the eighth grade, she said, “It’s going to be rough leaving them, but we will be seeing each other.”  Linda Tron will be attending Assumption, Kayde McCarthy is headed to Salem State, and Lauren Puishys continues a family tradition and is Worcester Poly Tech bound. All will be playing field hockey in college.

Shepherd Hill Rams hoop star Brooke Packard and her Dad Charlton Middle School Principal Dean Packard

Brooke Packard: We caught up with Shepherd Hill basketball all-star Brooke Packard last week while she was checking out her younger sister Abbey’s moves on the tennis court. Packard, who is only a sophomore at the Hill, and already has a superior hoop game, has been fine-tuning her skills in the AAU with her team “the Frenzy” out of Mt. Holyoke.

Packard praised her former teammate and Central Mass player-of-the-year Meghan Fornaro, called her a “great captain” and said that the Rams “are hoping for an even better season next year.”  She said that she was “very proud” after being named a Central Mass all-star this past year.

For all you up and comers, Packard started playing basketball at five years old and has been playing year around ever since.  Maybe that is why she is regarded as one of the best defenders in Central Mass. The Rams are in fine hands with Abbey leading the way.

Assumption College Indians: The Bartlett trio of Alicia Garamy, Meghan Dwyer, and Kellie Powers are all heading to Assumption College in the fall.  What’s ironic is that three Bartlett boys’ stars, Nick Kobel, Rocco DiStefano, and Arthur “AJ” Hackenson, will be doing the same as they all head to Springfield College in September. Apparently they come and go in threes!

Game(s) Of The Week: It’s always fun when Bartlett and Shepherd Hill get together and that’s the case today as the baseball, softball, and tennis teams all play each other!

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by Steev Riccardo

This past week in our sports travels we made a return visit to Northbridge High School and found an awesome locale to watch three simultaneous sporting events at the same time.

A track meet between Oxford, Auburn, and Northbridge, a softball game between Bartlett and Northbridge and a baseball game between Bartlett and Northbridge were all taking place within viewing distance. It was a high school sports fans dream. 

One minute I could see the Lady Indians’ Megan Dwyer stab a hard grounder at first base, turn to my left and see Luis Caro do the same at shortstop for the baseball diamond for the Bartlett boys, and look right, and lo behold, “The Sweet Assassin” Pirates track star Emily Dawidczyk in mid-air doing the long jump. You might say it doesn’t get much better than this.

At one point the two Indians teams were struggling a little bit so I sought out Pirates girls track star Jordan Orrell before she starting running and we had a good catch-up chat.

“I’d like to have a big ending to my track career. I’m hoping that once Districts come I can be the district champ in the 400”, said the University of Maine-bound senior.

Orrell isn’t sure yet if she will run track at Maine, which is a Division 1 school, but she is sure that she wants to be an athletic trainer and is ready to meet the challenges of a rigorous college schedule.

It was actually track injuries that made her curious and interested in the first place about her career path.  Both she and her “best friend” and fellow Pirate track star Dawidczyk have had to battle back injuries this past season. In fact Dawidczyk was having some issues with her back at this very meet, which slowed her down a bit.

Orrell, in between talking about her plans for Maine, told me that she and Dawidczyk were actually given a nickname by one of the team’s track coaches. “Two years ago when she was a freshmen and I was a sophomore, we both excelled a lot and our coach starting calling us the ‘Wonder Twins,”

Wonder twin number one had high praise for her teammate, “We do everything together, we are best friends, we are a lot alike, and we use each other to get better. Emily is very competitive, she is just naturally good.” 

Speaking of being naturally good, moments after we spoke Orrell competed in the 100-meter dash and came in a respectable second place. 

We also had a chance to see Pirates boys’ stars Senior Izzy Kyei and junior Andrew St. Germain, who have both been making tremendous contributions, do their thing.

Rival Cousins to Anna Maria College: Bartlett three-sport star Lindsay Bond (seen pictured enjoying this column) and her cousin and Shepherd Hill Rams Basketball star Kyle McKissick will both be taking their hoop talents to Anna Maria College in Paxton this fall.

Springfield Bound Kobel Honored: Bartlett three-sport star Nick Kobel, who is heading to Springfield College in the fall, has been awarded the ‘Scholar Athletic Award’ by Channel 3.  Kobel is one of 12 Central Mass athletes to receive this award and will be featured in an upcoming 30-minute segment. 

Webster Basketball League Sign-Ups:  Sign-ups for the Webster Basketball league will take place this Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13. The league is open to all boys from Grade 3 to Grade 12. Bartlett head basketball coach Tony Paranto runs and operates the league and has been doing so for the past 16 years.

BHS Sweat & Desire Camp:  Coach Paranto is also running his three-day Basketball camp from June 26-29. It’s the thirteenth year that the camp has been running and will take place at Bartlett High School. The camp, which features former high school coaches and college players and coaches, is for boy’s ages 8-17.

Rams Tennis Girls: The Shepherd Hill Rams girls tennis team continued to play inspired tennis, defeating Tantasqua 3-2 last Wednesday in Fiskdale.  Abbie Packard won a key singles match and the doubles teams of Sandy Tarasiak and Bri Borus and Chrissy Chevalier and Steph Gallant both emerged victorious. 

The Rams continued their winning ways on Friday with a 4-1 victory over Auburn.  Callie Mulcahy and Packard each won their singles matches while the double teams of Tarasiak/Borus and Chevalier/Gallant also won.  The teams’ number one singles player Maddie Billis lost a hard fought battle against the Rockets ace Jeanelle Wheeler.

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By Steev Riccardo

Despite uncooperative weather last Wednesday, it was great to check out the track meet at Oxford High School.

Oxford hosted the Shepherd Hill Rams and the Quaboag Cougars and the competition was as fierce as usual.  Among the many talented stars on the track that day where Oxford’s junior sensation Emily Dawidczyk, the ‘Sweet Assassin’ as we like to call her, and Shepherd Hill’s sophomore, long distance whiz kid Stella Worters.

We spoke to Pirates coach, Andrew Martin, afterwards and he was pleased with the Oxford girls’ performance defeating the Cougars for their first win of the season, despite losing to the Rams on Wednesday.

“We are starting to come into our own as team,” said Martin, who praised yet another clutch performance from Dawidczyk, who won the 200, long jump, and triple jump in what is becoming commonplace for the junior.

Martin is excited about the girls squad that is led by Dawidczyk and senior star Jordan Orrell and the great supporting cast, which has been coming on.

Sophomore Shelby Stretton, who has been running solidly in both the two-mile and one-mile run, earned high praise from Martin. “She is awesome: She loves to run, she is a pleasure to coach, and she is a pleasure to have on the team.”

The coach also praised junior Anissa White who he said “works hard and is making great strides” as a javelin thrower. “She is consistently coming in first and second at meets.  She is beating people, which is really good.”

Another familiar face that we saw at the meet is Pirates Central Mass Field Hockey star Michelle Williams, who Martin said is “a great athlete, real fast, and great kid.” Williams was talked into joining the track team for the first time as a senior by the Pirates coach Tim Craig.  Martin said that it was a good move and that she has been a great addition to the team.

Overall, with all this talent Martin feels pretty good about the future, “I’m hoping we get even better. If we keep working we will get better. All we require is getting their best effort. I know we had a slow start, but I think things will pick up.

With regard to competing against bigger schools like Shepherd Hill, Martin had these interesting comments. “Its daunting, sometimes it gets a little tough. It’s something that the kids know; they know how many athletes they have. It’s intimidating. However, I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world. If nothing else, it forces us to step up our own game and from that we can make ourselves better as a team.”

Rams Girls Tennis: On Saturday morning, prior to the school’s match-up with the Bartlett Indians, we caught up with Shepherd Hill Rams, first year girl’s tennis coach, Phil Alston. He had some interesting things to say about his team. Alston had been the coach of the Indians boys team for the previous three years, but as an independent trainer he had worked with the likes of Rams number one singles player, Maddie Billis.

“Maddie has been playing number one singles the past three years,” said Alston. “Number one singles is the toughest spot to play in tennis. You always play each school’s quality number one opponent, and she plays those girls every game—and every match she gets better. She cherishes that position, and she thrives on it.”

Billis, who is a great competitor, has been a three-year starter for the Rams and a superb leader, according to Alston.

Junior Callie Mulcahy, “shows a lot of leadership on the court,” according to Alston, and she is the team’s number two singles player. She is joined by freshman Abbey Packard, the team’s third singles player.  The doubles teams are junior Bri Borus/senior co-captain Sandy Tarasiak and Steph Gallant/Chrissy Chevalier. 

The Rams were 3-3 before taking on the Indians this weekend.

We got the Power(s): As in Kelly Powers, the Bartlett Indians track star won both the two-mile and mile run for the Indians at the team’s track meet in Auburn last week. Powers is making a strong case for a district run for the Indians as she seems to get better at every meet.

Girls Softball leaders: Both the Shepherd Hill and Oxford softball teams have players that are racking up nice numbers this season.

Hitting the cover off the ball are the Rams’ Marissa Colby (.539), Cassidy Colby (.455), Samantha Miller (.400), and Molly Covill (.353).  The Pirates have their share of power as well with Sarah Smith leading the way with a .444 average, followed by Jamie Brodeur (.364) and Evelyn Marquis (.346).

Covill is also one of the top pitchers in Central Mass with and ERA of less than two runs a game. The Pirates ace, Nicole Mangaudis, is hanging in there with an Earned Runs Average of around four per game. Incredibly, she continues to pitch in every inning of every game.

Baseball leaders: When the Bartlett Indians lost Tyler Mandeville to injury for the season, they also lost his impressive .535 batting average.  Luis Caro and Evan Anderson were both hitting around .500 at press time for the Indians as well. 

The Pirates have been killing the ball all season with Nick Lemay (.556), Mike Cicero(.526), Cody Stone (.444), and Nick Cardoni (.440) all having huge seasons so far.  At press time Lemay was yet to give up an earned run.

Chris Daniels has been swinging a good bat and leading the Rams with a .350 batting average.

Game Of The Week: Auburn at Oxford Wednesday.

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Oxford's Nicole Mangaudis

By Steev Riccardo

We love to come up with nicknames in the View, “Fornaro Mania,” “The Sweet Assassin,” Anthony “The Bull” Caffarelli, “The Two Headed-Monster”(OK well maybe it was Bartlett football coach Dane Laboissonniere that came up with that one), but one nickname we definitely didn’t come up with that we wish we had is “The Franchise.”

Oxford High School girls softball coach and former Bartlett High School graduate Jamie Hetherman gets all the credit for giving Pirates softball star Nicole Mangaudis “The Franchise” as her moniker-- and rightfully so.

Mangaudis has pitched in every single inning of every single game since her freshmen season for the Pirates. Hello?  Can you say Iron Woman?  If anyone deserves to be called “The Franchise,” it is certainly Mangaudis. She has accomplished a very rare feat for a high school athlete, or an athlete at any level, for that matter.

“Honestly, I think it is the biggest privilege that anyone has ever had. I get to play and pitch in every game and unlike other teams where I would have to play outfield and other positions I get to play the position I have played my entire life,” said Mangaudis.

The senior star followed in the footsteps of her two older sisters, Melissa and Emily, who were also both four-year varsity players for the Pirates.  When asked if she was better than her older sisters she said jokingly, “I can’t say that, they might attack me later.”

Along with having her sisters pave the way for her, she was also enamored with one of Melissa’s teammates, Lindsay Hassett, who she also calls a role model.

“She was amazing, she barely walked anyone, she was always striking people out, she was a great hitter, she was a captain, she had a great attitude and I knew when I came here I wanted to pitch just like her.”

The streak that earned her the nickname “The Franchise” was not easy at first. “When I first started as a freshman it was really difficult. I felt sore at the end of week, my arm was killing me, but as four years have passed I don’t feel any pain at all. It’s really more fun that it is a job.”

Another thing that has made her journey fun is her teammates. One of them is Kayde McCarthy, who she has played with since she was a freshman. She also played with catcher Sara Smith and first basemen Lauren Puishys  for the last three years. The group has tremendous camaraderie together.

This core was part of the team which made a District run last year, winning in the first round. “Making the Districts last year was the highlight of my four-year career. Every inning I went out there with calm, but with a little bit of nerves as well.”

Mangaudis struck out 14 in a tough loss to Narragansett but still walked away feeling good about her team, not to mention that she nearly broke her career record of 16 strikeouts which she accomplished against David Prouty on the highest stage.

This year is going to be a challenge for the Pirates and at 4-4, she knows her team “is going to have to really work for it. We have freshmen in the lineup but I think when we get comfortable and get our play down we will definitely make it to the districts.”

One of the things that Mangaudis has not done but would like to have done is beat Shepherd Hill. She almost did but lost a game that was tied in the last inning 1-1 a couple weeks ago. Turns out that “The Franchise” is good friends with several of players on the Shepherd Hill team, whom she plays summer league ball with, but still would have loved to beat them.

She is also tight with Bartlett’s Lindsay Bond.  “We were really close when we played together and we are still friends.”  The pair are also close with Bond’s cousin Sara McKissick, who is a hoop star with Shepherd Hill.

Mangaudis is not limited to friendships with just the local female athletes. “I have been close with Nick Lemay since grade school, he is a great pitcher. He should definitely play in college.  I am also good friends with Tyler Bostek, an excellent first baseman, a great hitter and athlete.” She also mentioned Matt Rayla, “who is an excellent basketball player” with Shepherd Hill.

When not starring on the diamond and spreading the love with all her friends, Mangaudis is also on Student Council, in the National Honor Society, part of the Best Buddies program, and is ranked in the top ten of her class.

As you might imagine, she is all set and ready to go as far as school goes with plans to attend UMass Amherst in the fall, where she will study nutrition.

“I always wanted to be a dietician and I am very excited to learn about it. I am thinking about trying out for softball, its tough competition there, it’s a big decision I have to make. If I don’t play for the team, I will definitely play intramurals. Softball will definitely be a part of my future.”

Lastly, “The Franchise” paid props to her coach Hetherman. “For the past four years he has been so supportive. When I first came here I wasn’t very comfortable and he was very patient with me. He and Eli Spitz (Assistant Coach) have been very supportive and I want to thank them for everything that they have done for me.”

Hetherman has great praise for Mangaudis. “Nicole has been an awesome player for us, a great captain, a great leader, she led us to the Districts last year.” 

Nicole “The Franchise” Mangaudis is not only a tough competitor, but a class act as well.

Red Paquette:  We recently caught up with Red Paquette, the manager of the Oxford-based Brimley Foundation Senior Babe Ruth baseball. The team plays in the highly competitive  Paul N. Johnson Senior Babe Ruth league in Worcester.  They have been in the league for ten years and have won the championship five out of the last eight years.  They have made the playoffs every year. Some of the locals returning for another year include Bartlett’s Nick Kobel, Shepherd Hill’s Ryan Stearns, Victor Champagne, and Drew Ravenelle, and Oxford stars Cody Stone and Nick Cardoni.

Brimley Foundation will be holding tryouts the first two weekends of May and is open to all the schools in the SWCL.

Stella Worters: Sophomore Shepherd Hill Rams sensation Stella Worters is at it again. She ran a 2:23 in the 800 to lead her team in a tri-school last week in Millbury against Leicester High School and Millbury High School.

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By Steev Riccardo

It was hardly a surprise to anyone that Meghan Fornaro was named the Central Mass high school girls’ basketball player of the year, this past week.

In addition to being named Player of the Year, Fornaro was also named to the Central Mass Super Team along with thirteen of her peers in Central Mass.

The Shepherd Hill star and captain led Central Mass in scoring with a 22.5 scoring average and scored over 1,000 points in her storied career on the Hill.  In her last home game she played the game of a lifetime, hitting 8 three-pointers in route to an amazing 42-point performance.  

Fornaro will be attending the Coast Guard Academy in the fall, where she will continue to dazzle on the basketball court.

More Central Mass All-Stars: Rams junior guard Brooke Packard was an Honorable Mention for the Central Mass girl’s team. Packard, a solid defender and a good scorer, will be back on the court for the Rams next season.

On the boys side, three local players were named honorable mention to the Central Mass Super Team. Bartlett senior Nick Kobel, Shepherd Hill senior Kyle McKissick, and Oxford junior Cody Stone were all selected to represent their schools.   All three had excellent seasons and led their teams into the districts this past year.

Central Mass Track Super Team: “The Sweet Assassin” Emily Dawidczyk of Oxford High School was the lone local track star to be named to the Central Mass Track Super Team.  It was a tremendous honor and feat for the Oxford junior, who continues to perform her magic on the outdoor track team this spring and will be back next year for another round of both indoor and outdoor track for the Pirates

Southern Worcester County League All-Stars: The SWCL also released its all-star selections for the winter sports this week and several athletes from the local three schools were awarded.

Boys Basketball

First Team: Nick Kobel (Bartlett), Kyle McKissick (Shepherd Hill), Matt Rayla (Shepherd Hill).

Second Team: Akeem Belnavis (Bartlett), Alex Givens-Perry (Bartlett), Cody Stone (Oxford), Mike James (Oxford), Donny Treeland (Oxford), Chris Patrinos (Shepherd Hill).

Girls Basketball

First Team: Lindsay Bond (Bartlett), Lauren Puishys (Oxford), Meghan Fornaro (Shepherd Hill), Taylor Daniels (Shepherd Hill).
Second Team: Brooke Packard (Shepherd Hill), Joanna L’Heureax (Shepherd Hill).

Boys Indoor Track

First Team: Nikita Truhanovitch (Bartlett), Rocco DiStefano (Bartlett), Arthur Hackenson (Bartlett), Leo Harmon (Shepherd Hill), Dan Stomski (Shepherd Hill), Elijah Fossas (Shepherd Hill).

Second Team: Scotty Smith (Oxford), Pat Tilly (Shepherd Hill), Jacob Grotton (Shepherd Hill), Jake Jachimczyk (Shepherd Hill). 

Girls Indoor Track
First Team: Emily Dawidczyk (Oxford), Jordan Orrell (Oxford), Alicia Garamy (Bartlett), Stella Worters (Shepherd Hill), Kaleigh Durkin (Shepherd Hill), Katie McCambridge (Shepherd Hill).

Second Team: Kellie Powers (Bartlett), Haley Chamberlin (Shepherd Hill), Emily Thibaud (Shepherd Hill), Juleanna Schultz (Shepherd Hill).

Aiden Kearney in the Marathon: Speaking of track, we ran into Shepherd Hill’s track coach Aiden Kearney, who was taking in some of the Rams baseball game against Oxford High School.  Kearney was excited and ready to run in the Boston Marathon on Monday.  He also raved about how great the Rams track program is doing.  With stars like Leo Harmon and Stella Worters on board, there is no disputing the program’s success.

Parcells Out as Pirates Football Coach: Oxford High School is now looking for a new football coach.  Jeff Parcells is moving on to become the Athletic Director at Sutton High School after three years as the Pirates coach. He was 12-24 during his time with the Pirates.

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Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

With a pair of new coaches in the mix, things are looking up for the Bartlett High School tennis program.

The new Bartlett girls’ tennis coach and former football coach Chris Nasis may be in somewhat unfamiliar territory, but coaching is in his blood. “I think the biggest thing when I took the job was that I understood that we had some really good, talented tennis players.”

Nasis focused on training and getting the girls in shape and the plan is working out well. “I always think that to be better in any sport you play you have to become a good athlete. To do that you got to work out, you’ve good to move. I think that it is a strength that we have had and the kids have been outstanding. In two weeks there has been major improvement. Not too much football style training” he said jokingly,” “but if you want to be better athletes you got to train like an athlete.”

Brenda Sundara

“At first I didn’t enjoy it but now I do because I am in much better shape,” said senior captain Brenda Sundara, who has been with the team since the seventh grade. “We never ran around the court, we never did drills, push-ups, it’s been very beneficial.”

Senior Captain Miranda Smith

Sundara started playing doubles tennis with fellow senior captain Miranda Smith in her sophomore year and they went undefeated as a pair last year.  “Miranda and I have always worked well with each other. I am a little scared to play singles because I have always played doubles, but I am excited for us this season as a team.”

“Now that Brenda and I are both singles players it’s going to be a lot different,” said Smith, “I am a little nervous because I have never played singles before but I have a good feeling about this year. It’s going to be tough because we don’t have Miranda Biron (graduation) and others. We are going to have to work for it but with our coach now I think we have a good chance.” 

Junior Jen Grooms, who is also part of the team’s strong core of players said, “I am looking forward to becoming a better overall player and as a team I would just like us to all support each other and work together.”

Nasis also mentioned Amanda Smith, who attends the Math and Science Academy in Worcester, but is eligible to play for Bartlett because Math and Science does not have a tennis team. “Amanda is a great kid, a hard worker; she has been a real surprise.

"I have been real happy the past two weeks since I took on the challenge.  I feel confident, we have the best of the best here not just on the court but also academically, that just shows you the type of kids we have.” said Nasis.

Bartlett Boys’ Tennis: Van Constantine is returning as the boys coach after being idle the last couple of years and is excited about the team’s possibilities. “So far I am encouraged by what I have seen; we have a lot of veteran players who have at least three years experience on the team.”

Captain James Guyette

The Indians are anchored by a pair of seniors in Captain James Guyette and Matt Moussa, who are set to be the number one and two singles players. Constantine calls the pair “great leaders” and “strong players.”

“We also have a very good third singles player in Jacob Gatto.  He has a couple of years experience in both singles and doubles.  Matt Pepin is paired up with Martin Boersma, who has done very well, he is serving incredibly well and they make a very good doubles team.”

The team also has plenty of depth and youth. “Our second doubles pair has a freshman who is unbelievable, Brent Filgerelski. He is incredible and is teamed up with another junior, Tommy James.  Tommy and Brent have a great chemistry together and that is what you want in a doubles team to keep the consistency there.

“It has been working out well so far. We have some younger players coming up as well”, said Constantine

Guyette feels much better about the team’s chances after having to endure a couple of losing seasons. “I think that we could turn the program around this year and win a few matches.”

His teammate Moussa agreed, “Overall it has been going a lot better this year, the new kids really seem to enjoy tennis. We are more like a family this year. It’s a lot better.”

Nick Lemay: Oxford lefty Nick Lemay started the season with an outstanding 16-strikeout performance against Quaboag and he is one of the main reasons that the Pirates have high hopes this season. Lemay feels very confident about his teammates.  “We played together in town league and we ended up winning the state championship and most of the same guys are on this team.  We have a good nucleus, the kids that came back this year are good hitters, good fielders, good players overall. I think we are going to do really good this year.”

The Pirates got off to a 2-0 with shutout wins over Quaboag and Southbridge in their first two contests.

Oxford Girls Softball: Head Coach Jamie Hetherman is excited about his team’s potential this year coming off a 12-8 season a year ago.

Captain Nicole Mangaudis, who has pitched every inning of every game since her freshmen year and led the Pirates to the Districts last year is back to lead the squad. Hetherman called her an “awesome player and an awesome leader.” He also raved about three-year starter/catcher junior Sara Smith, whom he calls “very athletic and has a good bat, is a great leader.”  Smith hit .400 last year and according to Hetherman “is one of the best catchers in the league.”

Senior centerfielder Katie McCarthy, a three-sport star at Oxford, is also back to anchor the outfield, as is another three-sport star Lauren Puishys. The Pirates also have a couple of freshmen in Callie Andrews and Evelyn Marquis, from whom Hetherman expects great things. He also talked about sophomore third baseman Jamie Brodeur, who was an excellent field hockey player.  

The Pirates split their first two games losing 3-1 to Quaboag and beating Southbridge 12-9 behind a 12-strikeout performance by Mangaudis.

Shepherd Hill Girls Tennis Results: The Shepherd Hill Girls Tennis team lost their opener to Quaboag 3-2 on Thursday in Warren. The doubles teams of Sandy Tarasiak and Bri Borus and Chrissy Chevalier and Stephanie Gallant both emerged victorious in the losing effort.

Bartlett Boys Tennis Loses to Grafton 3-2: The Bartlett Boys lost their home opener to Grafton last Friday. Matt Moussa and the doubles team of Tommy James and Brent Filgerlski were on the winning side. Indians top singles player James Guyette lost a tough match to Grafton’s ace James Milligan.

Bartlett Girls Win Tennis Opener 4-1: Jen Grooms and Amanda Stevens each won long hard-fought singles matches, while the doubles team of Miranda Smith and Indre Naujokiate and Katie King and Kellie Duquette each won their doubles matches.  Indians’ ace Brenda Sundara lost to Sarah McCarthy in her singles match.

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