Sports
Girls Hoops Head to State Finals
By Ellen Oliver
The Nashoba girls basketball team will be playing for the school’s first State Championship after capturing the division title and plowing through the first round of the state bracket.
On Saturday afternoon at Fitchburg State University, Nashoba only needed four minutes to dethrone the current CMass D2 girls’ basketball champs, undefeated Tyngsborough, and claim the crown for themselves. After a game that went into overtime tied 50-50, the Chieftains proved the dominant team, going on a five point scoring run while holding the Tigers to two points.
Nashoba on Ice, Snow, Mats and Track
By Ellen Oliver
Post-season competition continues for a number of Nashoba athletes…
Ice Hockey – Boys
Mike Lengieza wasn’t going to let his teammate Mike Charbonneau have all the fun. After Charbonneau notched a hat trick to give the Chieftains a 3-1 advantage over the Lunenburg Blue Knights in Monday night’s semi-final playoff game, Lengieza added one more to give the Chieftains a 4-1 victory at Marlborough’s New England Sports Center.
Prepping for Playoffs
By Ellen Oliver
With the hockey and basketball teams advancing to the playoffs and wrestling, skiing and indoor track representing at States, the Chieftains are on the quest for more trophies and accolades.
Indoor Track Not Resting on Laurels
By Ellen Oliver
After snatching the Mid-Wach B league titles for both the boys and girls indoor track on February 2, the season remains successful for the Chieftains. “This was a great accomplishment for both teams,” said boys coach Andrew LeBlanc. “The league championship was a goal from the beginning of the season and we are very satisfied with what we accomplished in the regular season.”
The teams only had a few days to bask in the glory of the league title, the first for the girls and back-to-back for the boys, before heading to the District and State meets.
Girls BBall Thrives Despite Illness, Injury
By Ellen Oliver
The Nashoba Chieftains are 13-2, undefeated in their league. “We’re happy,” said Coach Beth McNamara. “I hope we keep it up. It’s hard for the other team to defend all of our kids.” Although she’s happy with success, the coach doesn’t feel like she’s had her whole team in good working order all season. “We had a couple kids injured, a lot of sickness, flu, strep throat; kids were out sick for two or three days. We’ve struggled with that a bit.”
McNamara said the challenges have not just been on the court, but during practice, too. “It’s tough to practice when so many kids are sick.
Sports Round-up: Nearing Post-Season
By Ellen Oliver
Indoor track and wrestling dominate, basketball and hockey knock off foes and swim team shines in their first season.
Buzzer Sounds on Tucker Coaching Era
By Ellen Oliver
On Sunday January 20, the Nashoba Chieftains held their annual football banquet to recognize the accomplishments of the 2012 team and bid farewell to the graduating seniors. This banquet also served as the forum for longtime Head Coach Ken Tucker to announce his retirement as the Chieftain’s coach.
There was no confetti or Gatorade bath for Tucker, but the theme of “going out on top” couldn’t be more obvious, as the Chieftains ended the 2012 season with a second consecutive Super Bowl victory, capping a second consecutive undefeated season.
Boys’ Hoops Creating Winning Legacy
By Ellen Oliver
The Nashoba boys’ basketball team is 8-5 after a battle with Hudson at home on Friday night. The first half was all Nashoba as the Chieftains wiggled out of a back and forth tie to pull ahead 38-28 at the half. The second half looked to be also going Nashoba’s way, until Hudson rallied to bring the score within four points in the closing minutes. Fighting off a suddenly hot Hawk team, Nashoba held on to earn the 82-76 win.
Young Alpine Ski Team Races for Results
By Ellen Oliver
With just two races under their belt, the Nashoba alpine ski team is poised to increase their competitiveness as they enter the slalom portion of the six-race season. “It’s a young crowd,” said Coach Mike Gormley. The boys’ team has six freshmen, the girls’ four, with three seniors total to round out the ranks.
Hockey is Back!
By Ellen Oliver
On January 6, the NHL announced a tentative deal to end the hockey lockout. But the big news on the ice is that the Nashoba Chieftains are 7-1-1. “I’m very happy,” said Coach Steve Kendall. “We didn’t expect to be this good. We expected to be good, but this is great.”