It’s been a crazy year of girls hockey in the Bay State Conference Herget Division, so it’s only fitting that a contest between Norwood and Walpole rife with implications for as many as five teams ended in crazy fashion last night at Iorio Arena.

With the game tied, 1-1, late in the third period, Walpole’s Kelsey Cosby was pulled down, drawing a penalty with 1:26 remaining. Rebels coach Joe Verdeber had something in mind and let his team know what his plan was…

Read the rest on the Boston Herald’s Blog section

Walpole High School’s Green Team is exploring a new venture.  The group has decided to take part in the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Drive.  This idea was a collaborative effort that was chosen by the team from a list of other projects.  It was chosen because it was for a good cause:  recycled shoes collected from the drive are made into sport surfaces for people of all ages to play on.  This project is not only good for the environment, which is obviously what the Green Team is concerned with, but it is also helping to improve people’s lives through sports.  It should give everyone, even less advantaged people, the chance to take part in sports no matter their economic circumstances.

This project was brought to the Green Team’s attention by their mentor, Special Education teacher Mrs. Karen Baumgartner.  A participant of the Green Team, senior Jami Woodworth, explained that Baumgartner “usually surfs the Internet for projects.  Sometimes we (the students) think up a general theme and pick projects specifically.”  The group loved this idea so much that they decided to go along with it.  The fact that Baumgartner found this idea online shows that anyone can do good for the world easily if they use the resources around them.  It is also easy for high school students to participate in, since most people have old sneakers that they do not use or that do not fit them anymore.

Many students are excited about the sneaker drive.  There are bins outside the nurse’s office in the lobby, and they are already very full.  The Green Team is always looking for more donations, however, so students should remember to bring in their old sneakers from now until February 11, when the sneaker drive ends.   Not only will students be getting rid of old sneakers and creating less clutter in their closets, but students will also be helping the less fortunate and the environment.  What could be better than that?

Read “Green Team Needs Your Shoes” on the whstherebellion.com website

… by his Big Brother, and by getting into Milton Academy, where he is a sophomore. Norman helped show him that sports were a good thing, and Bright has tried soccer, basketball, tennis, lacrosse and wrestling. The last couple of years he has played …

Read \\\\\\\”Gifts of Hope: Big, Little Brothers look up to each other\\\\\\\” on the Topix.com website

By Erin Nee

Class of 2011

On Tuesday January 26, the varsity boys Basketball team suffered a close loss to Natick; 66-75. Despite Junior Mike Tempesta’s eighteen points- leading all Walpole scorers- the team could not stop Natick’s strong offense. 

Seniors Tariq Tate, Anthony Conway with juniors Mike Tempesta, Tim Gallivan; and Sophomore Tom Donnelen started off the game strong for Walpole.  The Rebels took the lead with a quick five point run in the first quarter and continued to stay ahead finishing the quarter with a three point lead.  Natick was strong on the three point line; however, Walpole stayed in the game due to their ability to score from the foul line.  At half time Natick had taken the lead; 32-35.

Walpole started to fall behind in the second half- a trend that continued for the rest of the game.  Although Walpole gave Natick an eleven point lead in the third quarter they continued to fight and closed the gap quickly in the fourth. Each team committed a large amount of fouls and Walpole used these shots to their advantage; although, their consistency on the foul line did not provide Walpole with a substantial lead and the teams were only separated by a few points.  Freshman Johnny Adams drew a technical from Natick, but was unsuccessful in closing Natick’s two point lead.  With twenty seconds left in the game Gallivan was fouled on the floor and was given a one-and-one foul shot situation.   Gallivan forced a tie effortlessly sinking both of his foul shots.   

With the score resting at 60-60 Walpole forced Natick into overtime.  With four minutes on the clock Walpole would have to not only continue to make their shots, but also stop the equally strong Natick offense. In the first two minutes it was clear that Walpole was falling behind, but the win was not out of reach. Unfortunately, the Rebels could not keep up with Natick’s increasing score and gave Natick a large lead that left Walpole nine points behind giving Natick the win; 66-75.  The Rebels continue to enter each game strong but cannot finish with a win, but with a young team Walpole seems to have a promising line up for next season.

Read “Boys Basketball fails to finish against Natick” on the whstherebellion.com website

Sean Ford

As witnessed on this very website, the high schools in town have a very active sports schedule. Both Walpole High and the Aggie have multiple games, spread across multiple sports, scheduled per day, so the opportunity to watch a great game in town has never been better.

For the most part, the stands at a youth or high school sporting event tends to be filled with parents, siblings, grandparents, and for the high school sports, other students or friends. What I would propose is that you do not have to have a player in the game to enjoy watching it and cheering on the local team.

My wife, son, and I recently attended a WHS varsity basketball game. Granted, we were enticed to go to the game because the opposing head coach is my cousin, his team plays very well, and they were right up the street at WHS. From what I had been told, the opposing team has a better than .500 record, while WHS had only won 3 games, putting them well below .500; I fully expected that we would witness a Walpole defeat. Well…

WHS Basketball

WALPOLE PLAYED OUT OF THEIR MINDS! The first half of the game seemed to go the other way, with Walpole struggling to maintain pace with an opposing lead in the double digits. The second half of the game showed a renewed spirit for the Walpole team and the momentum swung to Walpole who took a commanding lead in the 4th quarter. Walpole won the game with some seriously exciting play along with an incredible effort on the floor and off the bench. As pure entertainment, it couldn’t be beat; just a fantastic game.

As a bonus, we were also treated to a half-time game put on by the Walpole Youth Basketball Association. Two travel teams, with surprising talent, battled each other for a 5 minute game of honor.

After consoling my cousin and wishing him luck for the bus ride home, it occurred to me that it had been a great way to spend a Friday evening. At $6 per adult ticket, and $3 for a student ticket, it’s a light hit on the wallet. Pizza was available from a local shop at $2 per slice, a can of soda (I actually prefer the term tonic) or bottle of water was $1, a sports drink was $1.50. A great game, cold drinks, and good pizza for 3 of us at less than $30. How can you beat that?

As entertainment, with no one actually playing in the game, you can cheer on the home team and enjoy yourself for short money. In this economic climate, this a viable option with little to no downside. AND… you’re supporting the local high school program. Where is the down side to this? I can’t think of one.

Be sure to check WalpoleSports.org for the latest  WHS and NCAHS schedule. Bring your family, or go alone; you’re sure to see people you recognize, meet some friends, and get caught up in the game. The teams will appreciate your support and you will feel that you are a greater part of the community.

Walpole High School schedule: http://walpolesports.org/high-school-schedules/walpole-high-school/

Norfolk County Agricultural High School (Aggie) schedule: http://walpolesports.org/high-school-schedules/norfolk-county-agricultural-high-school/

UPDATE: I’m adding Tri-County and Xaverian schedules to the site, since so many of our Walpole athletes attend these schools.

Tri-County Tech High School: http://walpolesports.org/high-school-schedules/tri-county-tech-high-school/

Xaverian Brothers High School: http://walpolesports.org/high-school-schedules/xaverian-brothers-high-school/

WATERVILLE, ME With an 84-63 win at Colby College Saturday afternoon at Wadsworth Gymnasium, the second-ranked Amherst College women’s basketball team set program records for longest winning streak and best start to a season.

Read “Amherst Women Set Record; Beat Colby” on the Topix.com website

   When the host Walpole High gymnastics team beat the visiting Brookline Warriors at Paradise Gymnastics 126.2-103.2 Thursday night, it did a lot more than just beat another foe.
   With the win the Rebels put themselves on the cusp of doing what many didn’t think was possible when the season began: a winning record.
   The victory was crucial because it lifted Walpole High’s record to 4-3 with two regular season meets left. Among those meets is the upcoming match at Paradise against Weymouth Friday night (7:00pm), a competition that favors the hosts based on comparative scores.
   A victory over the Wildcats would assure the Rebels of at least five wins, pretty remarkable considering they have gone the season with only nine girls, including a track star (Andrea Zoppo) that had switched over just this year, and have been riddled with injuries and illness throughout the season.
   Among those injuries was a foot fracture sustained by the teams’ resident star athlete, junior Captain Amanda Carney. Without Carney, the team would be hard-pressed to win almost any meet, so she has been gutting …

    “It was the single most stressful meet of my coaching career,” was the description Head Coach Conor Cashman gave of last Thursday’s track meet between the Rebels and the Wildcats of Milton.
   Many events coming down to inches and seconds, the battle was hard-fought on both sides. The Wildcats managed to get wins over both the boys and girls teams in the end, however, with the final scores at 50-36 and 56-30 respectively. The capturing of key upset firsts for Milton allowed them to conquer a rolling Rebel team.
   Sophomore Justin Connolly gave the Rebels a great deal of comfort to start the meet, as he won an uncontested first in the mile with a time of 4:53.8. The Milton milers could not keep up with Connolly, but still managed to grab second and third, giving Walpole a slim one-point lead.
   Although Connolly had given the Rebels some momentum, it was soon countered by the 1000-meter race, which took the entire …

Retired Walpole High School Principal Frank Sambuceti will take over as interim principal at the high school after Alan Bernstein leaves on Feb. 5.

Last week, School Superintendent Lincoln Lynch announced Sambuceti, who was Bernstein’s predecessor at Walpole High from 1996 to 2006, would serve as interim for about a month before he leaves due to a previous commitment to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Current high school Principal Alan Bernstein will be leaving to begin his new job as New England senior education manager for the College Board. Sambuceti begins on Monday, Feb. 8.

 “Dr. Sambuceti has selflessly put his life on hold to assist us during this time of uncertainty. He will assume all duties and authority of said position,” Lynch wrote in an e-mail. “He will provide invaluable leadership during our transition to a permanent appointment for a WHS principal.”

Sambuceti will be paid a daily salary that has yet to be determined, Lynch said.

The superintendent said he considered a handful of candidates, ultimately deciding on the person who would be the “least disruptive” to the high school.

Lynch said he thought about promoting …

   The Walpole High wrestling team failed again to upset Natick Saturday but the Rebels still got to make a huge statement.
   In a solid day of wrestling in a quad meet hosted by powerful Needham, the Rebels were able to tie the Carey Division leading Rockets on their own turf, 34-34.
   Added to a 51-24 win over Braintree Tuesday, as well as a 65-9 crushing of Brookline and a hard-fought 44-22 loss to perennial nemesis Natick in the Saturday quad meet, the Rebels were able to raise their dual meet record to 8-4-1 with five matches left.
   The Rebels still have a shot at scoring a major upset when they host Weymouth next Thursday (7:00pm, Feb. 4) at Walpole High. The Wildcats have been in a duel with Needham for the Bay State Carey title, and is one of the state’s top Div. 1 teams this winter.
   Knotting up the Rockets wasn’t too shabby either, however. Needham was just coming off a great performance at the Belmont Tournament, which the Rockets won a second straight year, as well as their …

The boys Rookie Camp will be held on Thursday, Feb 11, 2010, at Forekicks in Norfolk from 5:30 – 7:00 PM.
The WYLL will be modifying our Rookie Camp this year to include Rookie Coaches. The Rookie Camp will be held on a single night for brand new players who will be playing in the U11, [...]

Read “Boys Rookie Camp to be held on Thursday, 2/11″ on the WYLL website

… ing meals. Encourage extracurricular activities away from home, where use of mobile devices would be impossible, like sports.

Read “Logged on from birth” on the Topix.com website