Rugby
One year ago, in its first season as a varsity sport, Hanover brought home the inaugural Division 2 State Title. This year, having stormed through the tournament, the team had hoped for the same outcome. But despite a strong season, it was not to be.
The Indians lost to Milton, their opponent in last year’s title game as well at Newton Douth High School on June 23. Hanover took the early lead on a score by Ethan Davis and kept the game close through the first half. But they could not stop third-seeded Milton, who finshed 6-2 on the regular season. Final score was 32-14.
Led by captains Rian Boutin, JT Galvin, Jack Randall and Stephen Zinke, Hanover went 4-2 and earned 4th seed in the tournament. They beat 5th seed Weymouth (4-2-1) in the quarterfinals June 7 by a score of 48-33. In the semifinal June 14, the boys crushed top seed Catholic Memorial, 70-14. Corey Dooley, Cade Frucci, Jack Delahunt and Sam Perkins all scored for Hanover.
Dooley, Perkins, Zinke, Frucci and John Dailey were named League All-Stars. Frucci and Dooley also earned Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic.
Baseball
This powerhouse team, loaded with players who had started for three or four years, hoped to go deep into the Division 3 South tournament. With pitcher Aidan Henderson going 9-0 on the mound, the team finished the regular season 17-3 and took home the Patriot League Fisher Division championship. They were seeded 2nd going into the tourney and scored a first-round bye. But a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to 16th seed Falmouth knocked the team out in the second round.
Henderson, Aaron Boise, Liam Flynn and Andrew Carroll led the team as captains. The Simon brothers drove the offense, with Steve leading the league in batting for the second straight year and Mike taking the number 2 spot. Henderson, Flynn, both Simons and catcher Zach Stone were named league All-Stars. Henderson and the Simon brothers were also named Patriot Ledger All-Scholastics, while Steve received a further nod from the Boston Herald. In addition, Steve Simon was chosen to play in the MBCA Junior Select State All Star Game at Bentley College on June 17.
With Carroll, Mike and Steve Simon, and other underclassmen returning next year, hopes are high for another strong season.
Softball
Led by senior captains Lauren Gelly and Cameron Porzio, the team was a force to reckon with all season. They went 16-4 to earn 6th seed in Division 3 South. Gelly, Maegan Amsler, Caroline Zielinski and Katie Doyle were named Patriot League-Fisher Division All Stars. Zielinski, a consistent standout on the mound with 170 strikeouts on the season, also picked up league MVP. After getting a first-round bye, the team topped 11th seed Medford 3-1 on June 9. They took 3rd seed Middleboro to 10 innings in the sectional quarterfinals on June 12, but lost 3-2.
Amsler, Gelly and Zielinski earned Patriot Ledger All-Scholastics. With Amsler, Zielinski and many others returning next season, we’re sure to see more fight from this team.
Girls Lacrosse
Behind the solid play of goalie Maeve McCarthy and midfielders Sydney Weber, Clare Connolly, Caitlin Park and Caroline Gordon, the team made it to the Division 2 South semifinals. Hanover finished the regular season 13-5 and earned 4th seed. The girls cruised past 13th seed Sacred Heart, 17-4 in the first round, and then topped 5th seeded Sandwich 11-6. But the championship run ended in the semifinals in a tough loss to top-seeded Norwell on June 11. Norwell (16-3) earned their fourth straight trip to the sectional final with a 18-2 win.
Despite the loss, the team showed great improvement from the start of the season to its end. Senior captains Jess Cully and Alyssa Wilcox set a strong example, earning MIAA Educational Athletics Achievement Awards for Leadership. Gordon, McCarthy, Weber and Megan Ross were named League All-Stars. Gordon also received a nod as a Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic.
There arehigh hopes for next season, with a lot of young talent and Cully, Wilcox and Lia Ehlers the only three seniors graduating.
Boys Lacrosse
Last year, the boys lacrosse team made it to the state semifinals of Division 3. This year, after graduating 13 members of that team, Hanover moved to Division 2. The young team struggled with injuries and finished 4-12, earning the 15th seed and a tough first-round tournament matchup against 2nd seed Scituate. In a cold and rainy game June 4, Scituate defeated the Indians 14-6.
Team captains were Neil Calkin, Ben Fein and Chris Greene. Greene was named a Patriot League All-Star.
Pictures from the Patriot Ledger
Boys Tennis
After finishing the regular season 13-5, the squad earned 6th seed in Division 2 South tournament. In their first-round matchup, they beat 11th seed Milton (9-9) 4-1. Nikolas Ginter racked up his 50th win during the match, on his way to becoming a League All-Star and a Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic. A 3-2 loss to 3rd seed Scituate, however, ended their season on June 8.
Captains were Ginter and Evan Suchoff.
Girls Tennis
If you could win matches based on how much fun you were having, Hanover would have been undefeated. Although the team failed to make tournament, there was a strong sense of camaraderie. They may have won only two matches, but they had a lot of fun on the courts together. Team captains were Chloe McKee and Becca Prentice, who was also named a League All-Star.
Outdoor Track
Gillian Kenney continued the legacy of her sister, Niamh, who graduated in 2017. Gillian set the school record in the mile run – twice – this season (5:03.03) and was named Patriot League-Fisher Division MVP. The team sent several athletes to the Division 3 championship meet at North Reading High School on May 26. The boys were represented by mile-runner Chris Pacino, two-miler Nick Courtney, high jumper Jake Laprise and sprinter Garrett Madison. For the girls team, Alyssa Nee competed in the 400 meters and Audrey Wheeler ran the two mile. Nee, Wheeler, Jordanna Laprise and Erin Flynn joined for the 4×800 relay.
Captains were Bryan Hoyt, Nick O’Hara, Kevin Talbot, Jessica Blazo and Olivia Salvas.
Special Awards at HHS Sports Banquet
The recipient of the Athlete of the Year Award is a student who consistently performs at an elite level during his or her season and is integral to the overall success of the team. This year, the winners were Lauren O’Sullivan and Zach Taylor.
The Paragon Award is presented to the HHS senior athlete
that demonstrates excellence in academics, athletics,
leadership, and character. The 2018 winner was Alyssa Wilcox.
The Hawk 