The Hawk Staff

After an exciting season of winter sports, Hanover High has two state champions and many strong performances in the books.

Boys hockey, ranked third in the state, captured the Division 3 state title with a 5-3 win over top-seeded Marlboro at the TD Garden on March 20. They started the playoffs March 5 with a 5-0 win over Old Rochester Regional High School, ranked 30th. Next they overpowered 13th seeded Dracut with an 8-0 win on March 8. For the round of 8 on March 12, Hanover topped 6th-ranked Medway 2-1. In the semifinals on March 15, the Hawks beat second-seed Scituate 2-1. The team rallied behind the slogan “unfinished business.” Their last trip to the Garden was cancelled due to COVID in March 2020; they were declared co-state champions but wanted the full Garden experience this time. And they got it, in front of a huge cheering section of fans.

Sophomore Anthony Mann earned the first wrestling state title in school history at the Division 3 tournament Feb. 18-19. He won his title match in the 138 lb weight class with a pin early in the third period. Mann and senior Garrett Arnold both advanced to All-States on Feb. 25-26. Mann lost in the quarterfinals and Arnold lost a tough match in the first round.

Boys basketball and girls hockey qualified for the tournament but fell in the early rounds.

Boys basketball, ranked 20th with a record of 9-11, kicked things off with a home win over Advanced Math & Science Academy on March 1. The Hawks beat AMSA, ranked 45th, by a score of 66-28. The team then faced 13th seeded Oakmont on March 4, failing to advance after a 65-55 loss.

Girls hockey, ranked 31st, lost a gutsy first-round matchup against second-seeded Braintree High School on March 3. The team fell 2-1 with a goal scored by Abigail Hanna. This was the team’s first solo season after pairing with Cohasset in the past, and they finished with an impressive 8-8-2 regular-season record.

Other HHS teams recorded some strong performances to round out their seasons.

For indoor track, HHS sent several athletes to the the Division 4 state finals at the Reggie Lewis Center on Feb. 17. Freshman Hannah Geary finished fifth in the 1000 meter run, sophomore Sophia Foley finished 11th in the mile, and junior Jillian Farrell was 19th in the two mile. The 4×800 relay featuring Geary, Foley, junior Anna Mahoney and sophomore Ayla McDermod finished 14th. Sophomore Marvin Felix earned 8th place in the 55 meter dash.

In gymnastics, HHS finished fourth in the Patriot League championship on Feb. 13. Meghan DeRice, a junior, placed 4th in the individual vault and floor competitions. Freshman Emma Lyons tied for 5th on the bars and sophomore Morgan Sullivan earned 2nd place for floor.

The swim and dive team, which competes with Marshfield, sent senior Caris Mann to the state championship in two individual events: the 200 IM and 100m breaststroke. Mann earned personal records in both events and 10th place for the breaststroke. The 400 freestyle relay, which Mann also competed in, finished 14th. Overall, the girls finished 18th out of 41 teams.

The HHS Dance Team travelled to Worcester Tech High School on March 5 to compete in the 2022 MSAA State Dance Tournament. 

While the girls basketball team fell short of making the tournament, they were led by top scorers Dani Tilden and McKalah Gaine, both seniors who were also named Patriot League All-Stars. Senior Caroline Moody earned the Sportsmanship Award and senior Rachel Meehan won Scholar Athlete.

According to athletic director Mr. Hutchison, students participating in sports this winter season earned an average grade point average of 3.8.  This impressive achievement includes each winter program, including every level of each sport, earning MIAA Academic Excellence Awards with the highest level of awards earned by the girls’ swim and dive team and dance team. 

Wrestling photos courtesy of Mrs. Arnold

Girls Hockey photos

More boys hockey photos