By Luke Curran, ’27

Sports Editor

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This year, our Hanover High School winter sports teams outperformed expectations and made historic achievements. Both boys’ basketball and boys’ hockey played for state championships; hockey brought home the crown. In wrestling, junior Emma Leonido earned her second state title, became the school’s first All-State Champion, and finished fifth in New England; seniors Conlan Geary and Peter Clarke won state titles. In indoor track, senior Ben Willis and junior Altonio Royster set records, broke them, and improved them again. Several individual athletes also hit career milestones. For a wrap-up of every winter sports team, read on.

Boys hockey – The team continued its pattern of success, reaching the state finals for the 7th time in 12 years. With an impressive 16-2-2 regular season record, the Hawks earned the Patriot League Fisher Division title and captured the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 tournament. During the exciting season, senior captain Cam Melone scored his 100th career point. In the first Round of tournament play on February 26, the team easily defeated the 32 seed Easthampton 5-0. In the Round of 16 on February 28, they topped 17-seeded Lynnfield 6-1. In the Elite Eights on March 5, they won 4-3 over the 9th-seeded Essex Tech, with Melone netting a hat trick. In the Final Four on March 8, the Hawks beat 5th-seeded Shawsheen Valley Tech 3-1, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period, which punched their ticket to the state title game against the #3-seeded Medfield. On March 15, the Hawks beat Medfield in a 7-5 back-and-forth game, with two unanswered goals in the third period. The Hawks also won state titles in 2022 and 2016, and were celebrated as co-champions when the final was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID.

In addition to Melone, the team was led by captains Shane Mahoney and Henry Phillips, both seniors, and juniors Luke Munroe and Connor Hines. Several players won individual honors this season, highlighted by Melone’s selection as Patriot League MVP. Phillips, Munroe, junior Ryan Kisiel, and junior Shane Fanning were selected as League All-Stars. Mahoney received the League Sportsmanship Award, while senior Flynn Gardner was honored with the Boston Bruins–MIAA Sportsmanship Award. Brody Kiley was recognized as a League Scholar-Athlete.

Girls hockey – The team went 14-6-0 in the regular season and won the Patriot League Fisher Division Team Sportsmanship Award for the second straight year. They earned the 13th seed in the Division 2 tournament, capturing a 2-1 overtime win against No. 20 Walpole in the Round of 32. The season ended in the Round of 16 on March 2, with an 8-3 loss to the 4th-seeded Pembroke.

Senior Leah Toner won the individual League Sportsmanship Award, junior Kiki Carroll was named a League Scholar-Athlete, and league All-Stars were senior Vanessa Federico, junior Allie Condon, sophomore Liv McCormick, and sophomore Caitlin O’Neill. Federico also received the Boston Bruins-MIAA Sportsmanship Award. The team was captained by Toner, Federico, senior Heather McGinnis, and Condon.

Boys basketball – The team packed the gym many nights this winter in their longest tournament run since 2018. They went 19-1 on their way to earning the Patriot League Fisher Division title and top seed in the Division 3 tournament. Senior Captain Ryan Mutschler was named Patriot League MVP. In the Round of 32 on March 1, the team topped #33 Randolph 56-44 at home, and Mutschler scored his 1000th career point. The team hosted 17th-seeded Lynnfield in the Round of 16 on March 4, winning a nail-biter 70-60 and earning another home playoff game. In front of a roaring crowd in a sold-out gym on March 8, the Hawks beat the 8th-seeded Medfield 65-40 to advance to the Final Four. In the semifinal at Emmanuel College on March 10, they defeated #12 Greater Lawrence Tech 46-33 for a chance at the title game. Unfortunately, on March 15 in the title game against #2-seeded Salem, the Hawks fell short of the state title, losing 57-51 in a close, highly contested game.

In addition to Mutschler, seniors Sebastian Brown and Sam Light led the team as captains. Mutschler and Brown were named Patriot League All-Stars along with seniors Cole Madden and Brad Peterson. Light was named a League Scholar-Athlete.

Girls basketball – After going 12-8 on the season, the team was seeded 9th in the Division 3 tournament. Captained by Ava Jones and Haley Ray, both seniors, and junior Sawyer Bradford, the team defeated #41 Lynn Classical 60-26 at home in the Round of 32 on March 1. They then took on the 8th-seeded Pentucket in the Round of 16 on March 3, falling 51-30 to end the season.

The team’s hard work and strong spirit earned them the Patriot League Team Sportsmanship Award, while senior Shannon Murphy received an individual Sportsmanship Award. Bradford and junior Addie Monahan were named League All-Stars, and senior Hope Miller was recognized as a League Scholar-Athlete.

Wrestling – Led by senior captains Peter Clarke, Conlan Geary, and Matt Costello, it was a record-breaking and championship-filled winter. The team went 11-4 and finished second in the Patriot League Fisher Division. Clarke secured his 100th career victory on January 8, while Geary broke the school’s career wins record in December with his 115th victory, surpassing Anthony Mann’s mark of 112. At the Division 3 Sectionals, Geary and Clarke each claimed first in their weight classes, leading the team to a third-place finish out of 16 teams. The success carried into the D3 state meet, where Clarke and Geary were crowned state champions alongside junior Emma Leonido, who regained the title she won in 2024 after missing a year due to injury. All three advanced to All-States, where athletes compete in multiple rounds over two days with others from all divisions and school sizes. Leonido captured HHS’s first-ever All-State Championship; Geary placed second, and Clarke finished fifth. The three advanced to the New England Championships in Providence, R.I., March 6-9, where Leonido finished 5th in her weight class.

Swim & Dive – Both the boys’ and girls’ teams competed with Marshfield this season. The girls captured their third straight Patriot League title and followed it up with a first-place finish at the Patriot League Championship meet. At the league meets, junior McKenzie Gezotis placed first in the 200 medley relay, fourth in 200 freestyle, and first in the 400 freestyle relay. Senior captain Grace Gilligan finished first in one-meter diving, scoring 192. At the Division 1 South Sectional, freshman Anna Tocchio placed third in both the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke and swam on two relays that finished in the top eight, helping the team earn a 10th-place overall finish. The boys went 5-2 on the season, with senior captain Dean Gomes competing in the Division 1 South Sectional in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 medley relay, and 200 freestyle relay.

Gymnastics – Hanover competed this season with Duxbury, gaining three gymnasts and a coach. According to senior captain Natalie Frank, the team was one of the smallest in years, so “our main goal wasn’t to just win competitions, but to build connections with new teammates.” Athletes tried new skills and events throughout the season, cheering each other on regardless of meet scores. Frank was recognized as a Patriot League All-Star in beam, Patriot League Senior Gymnast, and a Patriot Ledger Scholar-Athlete. Fellow senior captain Morgan Curtis received the Patriot Ledger Sportsmanship Award.

Dance – Led by senior captains Alana Cole, Sophia Rowsell, and Addison Goitia, the team performed at halftime during home basketball games. Throughout the season, they perfected several routines and hosted a clinic for youth dancers. The competition squad placed fifth in the Pom division at the MSAA State Championships on February 28 with one of the highest scores in team history. A showcase performance at HHS on March 13 wraps up their season.

Indoor track – Check out the full article about this season, written by a member of the team: https://hhshawks.org/?p=13029

By Luke Curran, ’27

Sports Editor

The fall season of Hanover High sports was one to remember. Every team qualified for post-season tournaments, with all seeded high enough to host home games. All teams earned MIAA Academic Excellence Awards, and the Athletic Department secured the MIAA District 9 Sportsmanship Award. Notably, our Golf Team captured Hanover’s first-ever MIAA Division 2 South Sectional Championship — a historic accomplishment for the school. And Competition Cheer won the state title for the second consecutive year, the first back-to-back titles since 1976.

Read on for more about the outstanding achievements of our fall teams. Photos are courtesy of HHS athletics.

Competition Cheer

This year, our competition cheer team had significant success. Led by senior captains Morgan Curtis and Natalie Frank, the team won the state title for the second straight year, the first back-to-back titles since 1976. In addition, they earned first place at the Pumpkin Patch Invitational on Oct. 18 and the Think Pink Invitational on Oct. 25. They also won the Patriot League Fisher Division Championships on Nov. 6. They placed first at the South Regionals on Nov. 16, earning the grand champion title and achieving the highest score in school history. Finally, they attended States in Worcester on Nov. 22 and won for the second consecutive year.

Golf

The Hanover golf team was the champion this year, posting a 14-3 regular-season record. They won the MIAA D2 South Sectional Championship on Oct. 14, with the team +36 in very challenging conditions and solid scores from their four captains: senior Joe DaCosta (+7, T6), senior Cam Melone (+9, T10), junior Owen Crowley (+9, T10), and senior Cole Madden (+11, T19). This was Hanover’s first sectional Golf title; the team finished second in 2014. The team excelled all season, with Madden carding an 80 (+9) for a T17 finish.

Football

Led by senior captains Brandon Errico, Sebastian Brown, Peter Clarke, and Max Johnson, the team went 5-3 in the regular season and earned the No. 3 seed in the D5 tournament. In the round of 16, they faced the Weston Wildcats on Nov. 17 and won at home, 46-14. They advanced to the round of 8 on Nov. 14 against the No. 6 seed, Archbishop Williams, where their season ended in a close 28-26 home loss. Finally, they played their 59th-year Thanksgiving game on Nov. 27 against Norwell, achieving a blowout win with a final score of 49-8.

Boys Soccer

The boys soccer team also had great success this season, earning the #12 seed and posting a 9-6-3 regular-season record. Senior captains Ryan Mutschler and James McDermond led the team and beat #21 Blackstone Valley RVT 3-0 in the round of 32 on Nov. 4. Following this win, they advanced to the round of 16 on Nov. 8, losing 4-1 to Chicopee.

Volleyball

The girls volleyball team advanced far this season, led by senior captains Tess Madden and Dylan Poirier. They finished the regular season 17-3, with setter Sadie Chadwick recording her 1,000th assist. They entered the MIAA Division 3 round of 32 on Nov. 1 as the #6 seed, facing the #27-seeded Medway and beating them 3-1. They then advanced to the round of 16 at home on Nov. 4, where they lost 3-2 to Newburyport.

Field Hockey

Field hockey posted a 13-3 regular-season record, with senior captains Katie Jones, Jameson Bryan, and Grace Gilligan leading the #7 seed team to a 5-1 win against the #26-seeded North Reading in the round of 32 at the MIAA Division 3 playoffs. On Nov. 4, they advanced to the round of 16 at home against Lynnfield, where they lost 2-0. The team showed dominance this season, finishing as Patriot League Fisher Division champions.

Girls Soccer

This year, the girls’ soccer team, led by senior captains Anna Egan, Maelyn Foley, and Abby Kajunski, dominated in the regular season with a 13-3-2 record. They entered the round of 32 as the #5 seed on Nov. 5 and lost at home to East Bridgewater, 1-0.

Cross Country

The cross-country team performed well this year, with the boys finishing 1-4 and the girls 2-2. The boys’ team was led by captains Leo Galvin, Joe Lynch, Dean Gomes, and Drew Keith, while the girls’ team was led by Sawyer Bradford. At the all-league meet on Oct. 25, Ben Willis finished 18th out of 100 varsity runners and was named league all-star, and runner Mae Evans finished 15th out of 79. In their final meet on Nov. 8 at the Division 2 state tournament, Hanover competed at the challenging Northfield Mountain course, with the top seven boys and girls on the team competing. Seniors Leo Galvin (18:47.2) and Willis (18:50.93), and juniors Bradford (23:50.09) and Hazel Blum (24:16.05) were HHS’ top finishers. The team achieved significant success and strongly represented Hanover this fall.

By Luke Curran

Staff Writer, ’27

The first four weeks of the 2024-2025 NFL season have startled many fans, from contract negotiation standoffs to exhilarating games dragging into overtime. Throughout it all, the New England Patriots have looked to establish themselves above the bottom teams in the league. Under the brand-new leadership of head coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots have entered the season with a completely revamped offense and an even stronger defense.

The team has worked through the off-season to recruit new players, such as securing Drake Maye, the third pick in the NFL draft and the “Quarterback of the future.” With other key additions and better strategic improvements, the Patriots are trying to deliver a promising opening season for fans. The Patriots aim to make a strong statement for the future, with a bright young team ready to perform at the highest level possible.

With a road win against Cincinnati, the Patriots earned their first opening weekend victory since beating Miami at home in 2020. The win was the fourth over Cincinnati in Patriots’ history and shut down criticism from opposing fans.

However, the optimism for the season took a hit in the next three games, with the team falling to 1-3. Although the Patriots have been lackluster in their most recent games, players remain motivated to improve and grow. “I am the biggest team player, if you ever see me on the sideline in a game, I’m the biggest team player,” said star wide receiver Demario Douglas in a Patriots.com interview after the team’s close loss to the Seattle Seahawks in week 2. “Just go out there and play. Whatever coach asks me to do, I’m going to do.”

Ultimately, the New England Patriots have chosen to undertake a slow rebuild during the 2024 season, under the command of Mayo and starting veteran quarterback Jacoby Brisset. While there have been flashes of potential, inconsistency has plagued the overall performance of this new and inexperienced team. The future is bright, but the promise of this season may be dim.