HHS fall sports teams have shown grit and determination, overcoming injuries and tough opponents, to have memorable seasons. Below is a recap of each team:

Senior Flynn Posts Strong Finish at XC States

Senior Steph Flynn finished 38th out of 178 runners in the All-State Championship held Nov. 21 at Franklin Park. She completed the 5K course in 19:34.07, averaging 6:17.9 per mile. Flynn was the team’s sole qualifier for states after running well at the Eastern Mass. Cross Country Championships held Nov. 14 in Wrentham.

At Wrentham, the Hanover girls team finished 7th out of 23 teams in Division 5 and the boys finished 18th out of 28 teams. Flynn placed seventh in a field of 165 runners with a 5K time of 19:51.8. Freshmen Jordana Laprise, Erin Flynn and Alyssa Nee and senior Joy Replogle finished in the top 55. Nick Courtney finished 47th out of 188 runners with a 5K time of 18:16.1, just missing the chance to qualify for All-states. Juniors Will DeBoer and Nate Collins also had strong performances.

On Halloween, the team competed in the Patriot League Championship Meet at Silver Lake Regional High School. The girls finished 5th overall and the boys finished 9th.

Cheerleaders Celebrate Successful Season

When the Cheerleading squad competed in the MSAA Fall State Competition on Nov. 22, it was the first time the team had made it to the states in almost a decade. While they may not have taken home any prizes from states, just getting to that level was an accomplishment — and a great end to a strong season.

To qualify for states, the team finished third out of 14 teams in the regional competition held Nov. 15 at Whitman-Hanson High School. This came after strong showings at the Braintree High School Fall Cheerleading Invitational on Halloween and a third place finish at the Patriot League Championship on Nov. 8.

Field Hockey Defeated in State Semis

Field hockey overcame a string of tough competitors in its march toward a state title, but could not get past powerhouse Watertown. The Indians lost 5-0 in the state semifinals played under the lights in Canton on Nov. 17. Watertown, which ended the season 17-0 to earn top seed and the eventual D2 North title, entered the game with a 158-game winning streak. Despite strong play by the Indians, led by senior captains Chachi Smigliani, Sam Taylor, Erika Nelson and Brielle Prouty, Watertown’s offense proved too much.

The tough loss ends a remarkable fall for the field hockey team. Their undefeated season earned them the Patriot League Fisher Division title, not to mention Coach Judy Schneider’s 500th! In the first round of the playoffs Nov. 5, the 2nd-seeded Indians rolled over 15th-seeded Bourne 5-0. Then the team fought hard for a 2-1 double overtime win against 10th-seeded Dover-Sherbon on Nov. 8, with the winning goal scored by Senior Sam Taylor. A 1-0 win over 6th-seeded Holliston at home on Nov. 11 clinched the team a spot in the division finals.

A 1-0 win against Cohasset in the D2 South Finals on Nov. 14., landed the team in the state semifinals. Senior Maura Kelly had the winning goal as time was running out in double overtime.

Football Ends Strong Season with Tough Loss

The Indians’ efforts to reach the state title game at Gillette Stadium ended Nov. 13 with a 21-0 loss over Holliston in the D4 South Final. Top-seeded Holliston scored midway through the first quarter and took an 18-0 lead into halftime. It was a tough loss for Hanover, but doesn’t diminish the success they had all season.

After an 8-1 season and their first Patriot League Championship since 2008, the team was seeded third in tournament play. The Indians knocked off sixth-seeded Westwood in the first round, setting up a matchup with second-seeded Foxboro  in the D4 South Semifinals on Nov. 6.

The game, which Athletic Director Scott Hutchinson tweeted was “one for the ages,” was a nail-biting 21-20 victory secured in the final minute. When Foxboro scored a touchdown with 58.4 seconds left, the Indians blocked the game-tying extra point kick to hold onto the win. Senior Brad Rogers scored two touchdowns in the first half, and senior Dimitry LaForest scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown.

The Indians will finish their season with the traditional Thanksgiving Day game against Norwell at home.

Boys Soccer Falls in Quarterfinals

Led by senior captains Jonny Ferrarini and Greg Chiarelli, the team finished the season with a 9-5-4 record and the 10th seed in postseason play. The squad beat 7th-seeded Holliston 2-1 in overtime on Nov. 6 to make it to the D2 South Sectional quarterfinals before being eliminated in a tough 2-0 loss to Norwell on Nov. 8. With a lot of young talent on the team, the Indians can look ahead to a promising season next year.

Girls Soccer Has Tough First-Round Loss

The team lost in the first round of tournament play, ending a season riddled with injuries but full of determination and teamwork. Named 14th seed with a 7-7-2 record, the squad lost their Nov. 5 playoff game to 3rd-seeded Cardinal Spellman 3-1. Led by senior captains Great Barry (goalie), Emma Devine (center back), and Kaleigh Polatta (center back),  the team played an exciting 80 minutes, but couldn’t capitalize on  enough scoring opportunities.  Hopefully, the team coached by Mike Fraser, will come back healthy and strong for next year.

Volleyball Loses in First Round

The team’s tourney run ended Nov. 5 with a nail-biter of a loss against Sandwich. The 12th-seeded Indians played their hearts out as they lost 3-1 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24, 25-12) to 5th-seeded Sandwich, who had the home court advantage and a boisterous crowd in their favor. Seniors Caroline O’Rourke, Kylie Chetwynde and co-captain Emily Hennessy were the team’s top servers throughout the season. The senior talent was rounded out by the setting of co-captain Melanie Armstrong and Alyssa Delahunt, the hitting of Annika Rowland and the defensive play of Emma Hardy. While those experienced players definitely will be missed when they graduate, the remaining Varsity starters, including juniors Meaghan Raab and Hayley McCusker and sophomore Taylor Scott, offer high hopes for next season.

Golfers Have Strong Showing at States

After earning a second consecutive Patriot League Championship and then finishing second at Regionals, the golf team competed in the State Championship at Crumpin-Fox Club.  Luke Smigliani had the best score of the team, which was also represented by Drew Gratty, John Carroll, Charlie Banks, Colin Cleaves and Christian Abbate. Congratulations to the team for a tremendous season!!

When Hanover beat Middleboro 48-14 last Friday, the Indians earned the Patriot League Championship. This was a huge accomplishment for the team since it was their first league title since 2008. It was an important victory since it was against the team that defeated them last year on their own turf for the league title. I would imagine that it feels great as a player to turn the tables and be champions.

Although they have won the league, they are not quite finished yet. Hanover is the number 3 seed in Division 3 and will hope to continue their success into the postseason. The football team has not had the best of times in the playoffs. They have not won a state championship in many years. The Indians haven’t even won a playoff in game in some time, so they should be anxious and ready to go out and win their first post-season game this Friday.

On Friday night at 7:00pm, Hanover takes on 6th-seeded Westwood on our home turf. It is the first home playoff game that the Indians have had in awhile, so a large crowd should be there in support. Let’s hope it’s a first step in the direction of the state title game at Gillette Stadium.

The Boston Celtics are considered one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA this upcoming year. They have a surplus of young, exciting talents along with a head coach who is viewed as one of the best in the league. Last year, the Celtics finished with a 40-42 record and the 7th seed in the playoffs. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers. While it was an early exit, it was still viewed as a success because they exceeded the expectations of many. Most thought that the team wouldn’t win over 25 games, let alone make the playoffs. Now, people know that the Celtics are not a joke anymore.

The Celtics had four draft picks this year, three of which have been signed and will make the team. They added March Madness star RJ Hunter and Louisville starting point guard Terry Rozier; along with athletic forward Jordan Mickey. This summer, they re-signed Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko and brought in Amir Johnson from Toronto. Celtics fans have already seen how Crowder and Jerebko can produce and they hope that they can receive the same from Amir. Another big move that was made was a trade with the NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors. They traded Gerald Wallace for former All Star David Lee. Wallace was nothing more than a bench warmer for Boston, so getting anything in return should be classified as a win. It appears that Lee could compete for a starting role and will most definitely get significant minutes this year.

The Celtics have one of the deepest rosters in the entire league. There are only so many minutes that can go around and there may be an issue with some of the budding young players not getting enough time. This is a good problem to have because a surplus of talent is always better than having a lack of talent. In the backcourt, Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley are all players who are highly capable of starting. Not to mention you have Hunter and Rozier on the bench who also need to see the floor along with 2014 first round draft pick, James Young. These players are all capable of contributing now and there is no way to tell which way head coach Brad Stevens will choose to go; but as a Celtics fan, I have faith in his decision making. We have a similar logjam in the frontcourt. We have Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk, and Jared Sullinger, who all performed very well last year for the Celtics, not to mention the additions of Amir Johnson and David Lee, who look to be as good if not better than the players mentioned above. All five veteran forwards will be fighting for a spot in Stevens’ rotation. Mickey appears to be the odd man out in this situation. He does have age on his side though; he is a young, athletic, forward who will only get better with time.

I am going to make some predictions for the Celtics. First off, I predict that Danny Ainge will address the logjam in the frontcourt and will trade at least one of the players listed above. Next, I predict that the Celtics will finish with about 46-48 wins and make the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. There are many other budding young teams in the East so it should be an exciting race to watch. The Celtics have a talented young core and should be turning some heads as they continue their journey back to title contenders and Banner 18.

Having your team win whenever you attend a sporting event is always the most important thing in every fan’s eyes. But the experience you have at the stadium — the food choices, the view, the general atmosphere — influences how much fun you have at the game. I have been lucky enough to travel to eight different stadiums in my life. As an avid sports fan I can only hope that that number grows but here are my rankings of the best and worst sporting venues I’ve been to.

#8 Continental Airlines Arena- the Prudential Center

I was visited the home of the New Jersey Devils of the NHL in 2006 and then in 2009. The area of East Rutherford is a rural area but the stadium itself is average. Nothing special to it, just an okay stadium but does not stand out in any way from my experiences. Hence why it is ranked last.

#7 Gillette Stadium

As most know, the home of the New England Patriots is located in Foxboro, Massachusetts. It holds a total of 68,756 fans. It is home to the most loyal fans in all of sports, and Patriots games get so exciting and fun that the experience at Gillette is amazing. The problem though  is getting there and leaving. The traffic on the one road to get in and out is awful, taking over three hours all three times I’ve been to Gillette Stadium.

#6 Camden Yards

Located in Baltimore, Maryland,  I traveled to this wonderful home of the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. The area in which Camden Yards in located is beautiful. The inner harbor of Maryland is a great place to walk around before and after games. The seating is nice, as it seems there are not many bad views in the whole park. It’s also located right next to the Baltimore Ravens stadium, so although I did not go in the Ravens stadium, it was a cool experience to see that as well.

#5 Yankee Stadium

In 2009 I was at game one of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. The stadium was massive, energy was electric and my experience was a great one. The seating was very comfortable, food stands cover almost every inch of the stadium and the centerfield scoreboard was enormous. Located in the Bronx, parking was tough but the atmosphere was like nothing I had ever seen at a sporting event: the fans around me were going crazy and so into the game that it made the game even better than it was.

#4 TD Garden

For basketball, the arena holds 18,624 and for hockey it holds 17,565. The Boston Celtics and Bruins have played in the same stadium since 1939. The Garden is very easy to get to as it is a final stop on the T, and  it’s easy to get into and leave. The TD Garden is a very small arena and there is a reason behind that. My experience is that when watching either basketball or hockey games at the garden, you feel as if you are on top of the action. It’s a  great environment for sporting events and one of the best in the NHL and NBA.

#3 Raymond James Stadium 

Located in Tampa, Florida, it is the greatest football stadium I’ve ever been to. It holds 75,000 people and is absolutely amazing. In the south endzone section, there is a 103-foot pirate ship that blasts a loud cannon noise for every Tampa Bay Buccaneer score and first down. The seating is great along with the size of the stadium and how open everything around it is. Lots of parking makes easy access to coming and leaving. The diehard Buccaneers fans make it even more special and the Florida weather definitely helps because warm weather at a football game was not something I was used to. Raymond James Stadium is one of if not the best Stadium in all of the NFL.

#2 Fenway Park

For 103 years the Boston Red Sox have called Fenway Park home and it is the oldest park in Major League Baseball. Its capacity is 37,673 and, to many, it is the greatest ballpark in all of baseball. Its traditional feel makes Fenway  a great place to watch a game. There are things about Fenway I do not like although I love the location, fans, and the environment. But the seating is bad. Some seats are directly in front of poles that support the upper deck seats. Seats are wooded and at times can be very uncomfortable. Despite that downside, I truly do love the park and am very lucky to attend it as much as I do during the baseball season.

#1 Tropicana Field

Though some people argue that this is the worst stadium in all of baseball, it is my favorite sporting stadium of any I’ve been to. The Trop, as it’s nicknamed, is home to the Tampa Bay Rays and is an indoor baseball stadium. Many old time baseball people curse the thought of indoor baseball because it’s not traditionally where baseball is played. Tropicana Field is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and holds 31,042 people. The big thing is Rays’ fans usually don’t show much support at games. They haven’t sold out a game since game 3 of the World Series in 2008 (longest non sellout streak in baseball) and seats are always available at games. That’s why games are so great; you can sit anywhere you want and I mean anywhere. Complaints about the Trop center on the catwalk, which connects to the roof and when lights need to be replaced, maintenance goes up there to fix them. Fly balls hit from batters can hit the catwalk and impact play. I truly believe people dislike and hate the Trop because it’s different, and that’s exactly why I like it. 

Major League Baseball consists of a grueling 162-game schedule that stretches from the middle of April to the end of September. Now that October is upon us, it means postseason baseball is here.

The Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays are currently battling it out for the American League spot in the World Series. From the National League, the Chicago Cubs, who haven’t won a World Series since 1908 — and were predicted in the 1989 movie Back to the Future to finally win the World Series in 2015 — are trying to defeat the New York Mets.

When postseason play began, I predicted that the St. Louis Cardinals  of the National League would meet the American League’s Blue Jays in the World Series. But the Cardinals got knocked out by the long-suffering Cubs. So, even though I got that one wrong, I still believe the Jays will make it to the World Series, get the win, and earn starting pitcher David Price d the 2015 World Series Most Valuable Player.

Somehow we are already more than a month into school, and for some, the fall sports season. The girls volleyball team has been playing hard, one game at a time, with its eye on making the tournament.

Sitting in the stands of Rockland High School on Oct. 2, the RHS Bulldogs, our longtime rivals, had a rallying fan section equipped with all the necessary cheering and vocal power any school needs. Despite the large number of students they had, the Hanover fans that traveled to our neighboring town pushed right back with energy and cheering.

The ball flew through the air, bouncing back from each teams court, and senior Annika Rowland’s “Got it” pierced through the air as she went for the ball, the crowd and court silent after Rockland’s serve. The game was powerful, with a lot of effort  coming off both teams.

Junior Meaghan Raab played phenomenal for the Indians, smiling while being photographed with head coach David Jakub afterward. “The most important part of the game is your team. Without your team you can’t win,” Raab said. “We pulled together as a team, and we won. Coincidence? I think not.” Meaghan confirmed that her mantra on the court is to “play hard, but play smart.”

Emily Hennessy, a senior co-captain with Melanie Armstrong, had nothing but positive remarks on Friday’s fantastic match. “We all worked together and fought for every point even when we were down,” Hennessy said. “Almost every set (of the game) was won or lost by just a couple points.” Emily was not only impressed by the win itself, but also the communication and teamwork. “The Rockland match was the best match we’ve played technically and as a team.”

It was followed up by an exciting win for Hanover against Plymouth South on Monday, Oct. 5, which brought the team’s record to 7-6. With a few more wins, the team has a good chance of earning a spot in postseason play.

After the “Deflategate” scandal and its outcome, Harris Poll released a survey of the most beloved and disliked athletes in professional sports. Lebron James was, oddly, the most beloved and also the most hated athlete. The second most hated? New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

After Deflategate, it seems like, all over social media and some TV and radio stations, people are up in arms about Brady “cheating” again, and not getting a punishment. Most people, outside of New England, have a deep dislike for Brady, one that has shown itself more and more recently. But why?

To us New Englanders, he’s the savior. The legend. As close to a god as a human can get. Four-time Super Bowl winner, with a supermodel wife. He’s never had any run-in with the law, which cannot be said for many other NFL players today. He’s never arrogant, always putting the team first, and buys all of his offensive linemen a gift before the playoffs.

So why do people still hate Tom Brady to the core? I have a theory: people like to hate on the consistent success of somebody other than themselves. For us in New England, we love all the success Brady has brought to us. However, with the Patriots being so successful year in and year out in the NFL, going to six Super Bowls since 2001, it’s almost like no other team has a chance. People cannot, for some reason, attribute the success of a man and his team to hard work, dedication, integrity, and skill. No, of course not, they have to blame the wins on spy cameras and deflated footballs.

So, New Englanders, we have to accept the fact that outside our beautiful region, everybody hates Tom Brady. It’s a fact. But don’t worry, they’ll be hating him for much longer, because we Patriots fans know, Tommy God will be out to win more and more championships. Let’s all go out and hate someone who is actually arrogant, cheating, and self-centered, America. Like A-Rod.

The 2015 Hanover High School boys soccer season is underway. With high expectations, the team is locked and loaded with young and upperclass talent all over the field. Senior captains Jonny Ferrarini and Greg Chiarelli look to take more of a leadership role this season and have been a huge reason for the early success of the team this season. The team’s record is 3-2-1  and the boys have only given up four goals through six games, showing the defense and goal tending are some of the best the league as to offer.

Junior Zach Chase, who played varsity as a freshman, sophomore and now junior, expects big things from his team. “The group of guys we have here is deep and as the season goes on we’re only going to get better playing with one another.”

On Tuesday, they faced off against Division II state championship runner up Hingham High School and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. The tie was a success in my opinion as Hingham has some of the best strikers in Division II and has championship hopes on their mind.

Coached by Mr. Steve Rodday, Hanover boys soccer is set  to have an incredible season. I truly believe the high expectations will be met by all of the great players on this year’s team.