Sports
Rising Lax Stars
By Ellen Oliver
Two up and coming lacrosse players spent this summer getting extra practice with the Rising Stars Lacrosse team out of Worcester. Ben Hurley and Casey Elkins, both of whom will be juniors at Nashoba next year, joined the summer team to increase their skills and test them against a higher level of play.
The two participated in a team comprised of local lacrosse players, many of whom the boys will meet as opponents during the regular lacrosse season, but that wasn’t a problem. “We talked, we got along, we all supported each other,” said Hurley. Since many of the players hadn’t played together on a team, the players invested their time off from school with 14 lacrosse practices, before hitting the tournament circuit.
Nashoba Takes on Wolverine Challenge
By Ellen Oliver
A Nashoba-based team was the hands-down winner of the High School Wolverine Challenge held June 16-17 in Spencer, MA. The team included students, faculty, parents and friends from the Nashoba Community competing in the five-mile, muddy obstacle course on Sunday.
New Aquacize Program at Lake Boon
By Ellen Oliver
There’s a new program on the Recreation Department schedule that uses Lake Boon as a fitness location. “A few years ago we started looking at ways to use the beach for more programs,” explained Recreation Director Laura Greenough. “We tried evening yoga, but it was too buggy.”
Greenough said a local aquatics fitness instructor, Yvonne Benelli, got in touch with the Recreation Department about doing a water fitness program at Lake Boon and it fit with Greenough’s objective. “I’m trying to build more adult programs, so this was a nice fit.”
USA Deck Hockey Team Takes Silver
Stow/Nashoba players compete By Ellen Oliver The men’s USA ball hockey team competed in the 2013 World Ball Hockey Federation Championships in Toronto Canada, June 3-9 and took home a silver medal for their efforts. The team had ties to the Nashoba community uniting Steve Kendall, teacher and coach at Nashoba, Matt Gilchrest, a…
NRHS Baseball Represents at States
By Ellen Oliver There are nine players on a baseball team, but during the Division 1 State Championship game on Saturday, Nashoba had trouble with just one member of the Bridgewater-Raynham squad, southpaw pitcher Mike Bruemmel. Bruemmel threw a no-hitter into the eighth inning, until Nashoba’s Jack Sarnoski hit into the gap in centerfield to…
NRHS Baseball Earns First District Title
By Ellen Oliver
On Saturday June 8, the top seeded Nashoba Chieftains baseball team fought, battled, and clawed their way to a 2-1 victory over the Leominster Blue Devils (7-seed) to capture the team’s first ever Central Mass Division 1 title. Over the course of nine innings, Nashoba kept the Blue Devils in check, while their own hitters were kept in line by Leominster, a game scoreless into the fourth, then tied 1-1.
From Nashoba’s perspective, the win couldn’t have been scripted better: Bottom of the ninth, one out, Nashoba at bat with men on the corners. Leominster intentionally walked Nashoba’s lead off hitter, John Militano, to load the bases and bring up pitcher Drew Foster, who does just as much damage at the plate as on the mound. According to Nashoba catcher Dan Cacciatore, that was Leominster’s mistake. “You don’t want Drew up when you have the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning,” he said.
Playoff Action for Nashoba Varsity
By Ellen Oliver
All the Nashoba varsity sports teams made the post season. Read who picked the right time to get hot and who is getting started on their summer vacation.
Unified Track Short, but Sweet Season
By Ellen Oliver
Nashoba’s unified track team had a short, but very sweet season, earning their second league championship. “It was a little bittersweet this year,” explained Coach Matt Ettinger. “We had four meets and three were cancelled due to weather and scheduling issues. One was able to be rescheduled, but we didn’t get the same competition as last year.”
Last year, Nashoba walked away with the first championship title and easily repeated the feat on May 18th for back-to-back wins. “Last year was a nail biter,” said Ettinger. “This year we did really well and won a lot of events.”
Baseball Claims Midland B Title
By Ellen Oliver
The Nashoba Chieftains baseball team took the first step towards their season goal of winning a state title. On May 16, the Chieftains battled Hudson for the rights to the Midland B title. A win for Hudson would have kept the title within their reach, but Nashoba’s 2-0 victory put the title in Nashoba’s hands.
“Every season we want to get to Districts, get a District title, and then go to States,” said Coach Chuck Schoolcraft. “It’s no secret. Every team has the same goals.”
Boys Track Tops Class B Meet
By Ellen Oliver
Nashoba boys track (4-1 in the regular season) blew away the competition in the Class B championship in Shrewsbury on Saturday. The boys’ won with 1124.2 points, far ahead of second place finisher Auburn with 98.3 points. In Lunenburg, the girls’ team (5-0) placed third with 65 points at their Class B meet.
Nashoba had a few off-track obstacles including injuries and prom the night of the event. The meet also caps the number of events each athlete can enter, which usually works in Nashoba’s favor, said boys coach Jim Nosel. “Strategy plays a part for coaches and it evens things out some. There’s not one kid doing a lot,” he said.