College basketball’s March Madness kicked off this past weekend and it did not disappoint — except, perhaps, when it came to your bracket. Going into the first weekend, there were more than 70 million brackets filled out around the world, and after just day two, none of those remained perfect. The teams picked most often to win the championship were Virginia, Villanova, Kansas, and Duke. The first weekend proved to be a historic one.

For the first time in NCAA history, a number 16 team defeated a number 1 ranked team. UMBC defeated Virginia, the favorite to win the whole thing, in the first round. Going into this game, 16th seeds were 0-135 against the top seed. UMBC not only defeated Virginia but absolutely obliterated them, 74-54. Although there weren’t any other upsets as shocking as this one, there were a total of 15 upsets in the first round. Buffalo, seeded 13th, destroyed a popular pick for the championship, 4th seed Arizona, 89-68.  Loyola-Chicago, seeded 11th, topped 6th-seeded Miami on a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Donte Ingram.  Ranked 13, Marshall topped 4th-seeded Wichita St. led by 27 points from their star sharpshooting guard John Elmore. Syracuse’s 11th-seeded zone defense dominated  in a 57-52 victory over 6th-seeded TCU.

The second round included several exciting games: yet another thriller for Loyola-Chicago, a historic comeback from Nevada, an unbelievable shot from Michigan, a blowout by Texas A&M, another top seed biting the dust and a defensive showdown by Syracuse.

In the South region, Loyola-Chicago went on to defeat the 3rd-seeded Tennessee on yet another last-second buzzer-beater, this time by Clayton Custer. With their first two games coming down to the last second, their matchup in the Sweet Sixteen is sure to be one to watch. Loyola-Chicago will take on 7th-seeded Nevada, another Cinderella story. Nevada defeated the 2nd-seeded Cincinnati after trailing by 22 points with only 10 minutes remaining in the game. The South region has now lost its top four seeds: Virginia, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Arizona. Loyola-Chicago and Nevada.

The West region was full of action during the round of 32. The 3rd-seeded Michigan was able to keep its dreams alive thanks to a last second heave by unlikely hero Jordan Poole. The 7th-seeded Texas A&M destroyed number 2 seed North Carolina, 86-65, carried by their big men Tyler Davis and Robert Williams. Xavier, the 1st seed in the West, lost 75-70 to the 9th-seeded Florida State. The West has already lost its top two seeds as the madness continues.

The East region was calm during the second round as all the favorites survived to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The same is true for the Midwest, aside from the Cinderella story  of Syracuse, who defeated a powerful Michigan State team, 56-53.

Some headline match ups of the Sweet Sixteen include Villanova versus West Virginia, both yet to be challenged in March, and Loyola-Chicago against Nevada. This March truly has been nothing but madness as more and more unlikely teams continue to survive and advance.

After their loss in Super Bowl 52, the New England Patriots were looking for ways to get better. This off-season figured to be tough, however, because of the number of players eligible to become free agents. The first move the Patriots made was getting offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to return to the team. After agreeing to terms to become the next head coach for the Indianapolis Colts, McDaniels shocked the football world when he decided to stay with the Patriots.  The team did end up losing defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who became head coach for the Detroit Lions.

The players on the field have changed as well. Malcolm Butler who didn’t play in the Super Bowl, signed with the Tennessee Titans, as did running back Dion Lewis. Danny Amendola joined the Miami Dolphins and left tackle Nate Solder signed with the Giants. All were part of Super Bowl-winning teams and were loved by Patriot Nation.

The acquisitions made by the Patriots were quiet, but still enough to keep them a favorite in the AFC. They traded for defensive line Danny Shelton and defensive back Jason McCourty, twin brother of Devin. To further beef up the defense, the Pats added lineman Adrian Clayborn. These moves should help a Patriots defense that gave up 41 points in the Super Bowl. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots added running back Jeremy Hill and wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson as weapons this year.

The Patriots have been very busy this off-season and, with the draft still to come, there will likely be more moves to improve the team.

The number of students taking part in winter sports was higher this season than it has been in more than a decade, according to HHS Athletic Director Mr. Hutchinson. And while boys hockey and basketball had memorable tournament runs, Hanover athletes excelled in the classroom as well. The average GPA of the winter student-athletes was a 3.70 and all 18 teams earned MIAA Academic Excellence Awards. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches on a great season!

Boys HockeyThe boys hockey team had a promising season right from the start. Led by captains Connor Morris, Zach Taylor, Drew Cratty, and Paul McCabe, the team swept the league with a regular season record of 19-0-1. The top-seeded Indians cruised through the Division 3 South playoffs at Gallo, shutting down every opponent and landing a well-deserved spot in the state championship game. Unfortunately, in this year’s final at the TD Garden, the Indians fell short 2-1 to defending champ Shrewsbury. The team’s final record was 24-1-1 and the league MVP was given to Taylor, the team’s high scorer. Kevin Chandler was outstanding as goalie throughout the season. Cratty won the 2017 Jim Gormley Scholarship Cup.

Under the leadership of Coach Abban, the team’s 14 seniors have had an impressive career. According to the Patriot Ledger,  the Indians went 80-11-7 with a 15-3 mark in the tournament since these players were freshmen in 2014-2015. This group won South Sectional titles in 2016 and 2018, plus a Division 3 state title in 2016.

Boys Basketball

The boys basketball team’s quest for a repeat state championship ended in the Division 2 South semifinals, a bittersweet moment that capped a stellar season. Seeded 5th in the tournament, the squad lost to top seeded Boston Tech, 58-47, on March 7. JP Landry scored 18 points and two-time league MVP Matt Delahunt added 17. But Tech’s offense came out on top.

Coached by Mr. Hannigan, the team went 17-4 in the regular season and finished with an overall record of 19-5. Delahunt scored his 1,000th point and he, Landry, Aaron Boise and Jake McInerney were named Patriot League All-Stars. This was the team’s first season in Division 2 South after winning the D-3 South title last year. The captains were Matt Delahunt, JP Landry, and Aaron Boise. Eight seniors – Landy, Delahunt, Boise, McInerney, Jeremy Openshaw, Liam Flynn, Dan Hamza and Aidan Henderson – are graduating this year. But their legacy, combined with a pool of younger talent, will hopefully keep the program just as competitive.

Girls HockeyThe Cohasset-Hanover girls hockey team fell in the first round of Division 2 action to the Norwood Mustangs, 3-2. Led by captains Alyssa Wilcox, Morgan Lundin, Kate Mccarthy, and Lindsey Beiche, Co-Han was seeded 21st after finishing the regular season 8-8-5. Norwood, the 12th seed, won a hard-fought contest. Hanover’s Jacqui Manning, Anna Tedeschi, and Lily Tobin were named League All-Stars. The Scholar Athlete was granted to Morgan Foley and Lundin was given the Sportsmanship Award.

Girls BasketballAfter graduating several strong senior players last year, the team went through some rebuilding this year. Led by captains Taylor Scott, Lauren Gelly and Bridget O’Connor, the team fell short of qualifying for tournament with a record of 6-14. Scott and Janey Devlin were named Patriot League All-Stars. Though the team will lose its senior captains after this season, the remaining three starters and juniors Devlin, Erin Flynn and Kathryn Fallon will look to be leaders for next season.

Wrestling

Led by captains Rian Boutin, Cade Frucci, and Steve Zinke, Hanover wrestlers formed a joint team with Norwell for a solid season.  They competed with heart and sent several athletes to state competition. 

Though Boutin was sidelined this season with an injury, he and other seniors had memorable careers at HHS. His personal highlight was a gritty overtime win at the Cohasset tournament last year when he cracked open his head during the match.

Gymnastics

Although the team was very young, Hanover gymnastics proved that age did not matter this season. Captains Abby Stone, Julia Leskow, and Kaylee Harris led the team to a league title with a record of 12-0-0. Freshman Kaylene Boutin was an all-around all star, along with sophomore Hannah DeRice on floor, bars, and vault. The team broke the school record score of 136.95, held since 2003. With such young talent, the program will have nowhere to go but up.

Swimming and Diving

Led by captains Nick Jones, Brittney Champagne, Frank Gavin and Chloe McKee, the team sent several athletes to the Division 2 state tournament. Hanover’s top finisher was Lauren O’Sullivan, who placed 5th in one-meter diving. Jones finished 10th in the 100 individual medley. Danielle Taft earned 12th in the 100 free and 13th in the 100 back. Taft also combined with Channing Miller, Kelly Taft and Sarah Gavin in two relays. Next year’s swim captains will be Olivia Reddish, Lauren O’Sullivan, Danny Greene, and Danielle Taft.

Indoor TrackHanover debuted its first indoor track team this year, giving members of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams an opportunity to compete yearround. Indoor track is definitely a unique experience, with a shorter track translating to more laps, and a festive air in the arenas where the meets are held. Led by Coach Barrett, the inaugural team was small and struggled to compete against larger, established teams. Still, the athletes trained hard and built the foundation for future success. Captains were Alyssa Nee and Nick Courtney.

Skiing

Some people may not be aware that HHS has a ski team, but though the squad is small, they have fun on the slopes every winter. The team practices and takes part in weekly meets at Blue Hills, and travels to larger contests at Ragged Mountain three times a year. While the team, led by Coach McRae, did not send any skiiers to tournament, members improved their personal performances throughout the season.

For the third time in five years, the boys hockey team has earned a spot in the Division 3 state championship game. The Indians defeated Swampscott 5-0 March 14 to win the D3 Eastern Mass championship and a trip to the Garden. Manning Morris scored two goals, and Zachary Taylor, Connor Morris and Justin Conforti each added another.  Kevin Chandler had yet another shutout in net . The Indians are hoping for a repeat of 2016, when they took home the state title.

Named top seed in Division 3 South after going 19-0 in the regular season, the Indians  won the Sectional title with a 6-0 win over Rockland March 11.  Led by captains Taylor,  Connor Morris, Drew Cratty and Paul McCabe, the Indians had earlier rolled past 20th seed Ashland, 6-0, and 17th seeded Abington, 9-0. Their only post-season challenge has been a 2-1 win over 8th seeded Bishop Stang in the South Sectional quarterfinals March 5.

The championship game will be played at TD garden on Sunday, March 18. Hanover, which is the only unbeaten team in the state, will face defending champ Shrewsbury.

The boys basketball team’s quest for a repeat state championship ended in the Division 2 South semifinals, a bittersweet moment that capped a stellar season. Seeded 5th in the tournament, lost to top seeded Boston Tech, 58-47, on March 7. JP Landry scored 18 points and two-time league MVP Matt Delahunt added 17. But Tech’s offense came out on top. The squad had advanced to the semifinals  with a gritty win over Foxboro, 58-57, on March 4. A big crowd of supporters had traveled to 4th seed Foxboro to cheer on the Indians, who were powered by 25 points from Landry and a key basket in the closing seconds by  Delahunt. Coached by Mr. Hannigan, the team went 17-4 in the regular season and won the Patriot League Fisher Division.  Delahunt scored his 1,000th point and he, Landry, Aaron Boise and Jake McInerney were named Patriot League All-Stars. This was the team’s first season in Division 2 South after winning the D-3 South title last year .

Check back for updates and a roundup of all HHS winter sports teams!

Since the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics have won four straight games and are playing some of their best basketball of the season. They are averaging 118 points per game while only giving up 103. Kyrie Irving has been leading the Celtics with 27 points per game over the last four. He continues to prove that the Celtics trade for him was a smart deal.

During this winning streak, the Celtics bench has been spectacular, with Marcus Smart back from a hand injury and the emergence of Terry Rozier. Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum both have played well, each scoring double digits at least twice in this four game stretch. Lastly, Al Horford has played tremendously all year and has been doing everything for the Celtics. On a nightly basis, he rebounds the ball well, looks to score and has high assist totals for a big man. I believe the key to this win streak has been the rest that the team got over the break. They also are playing better defense and sharing the ball more on offense.

The next big test for the Celtics comes this Saturday night at 8:30 pm against the Houston Rockets, who have won 14 straight. The last time these two teams faced off, the Celtics won 99-98 after two key turnovers from James Harden. This should be a great matchup on Saturday and it definitely is must -watch NBA basketball.