Rebellion Sports

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

Walpole's offense played a key role in their victory over Falmouth.

On Wednesday June 2, the Walpole Rebels Girls Lacrosse Team took on the Falmouth Clippers in ther first round of the MIAA State Tournament.  The Rebels, who finished the regular season with a 15-5 record, began their pursuit of a State Championship with an impressive 12-1 victory over the Clippers.

The first half was dominated by the Rebel offense.  Senior captain Shelby Guisti, along with junior standout Sarah Buckley seemingly scored at will against the struggling Clipper defense.  Both of these Rebel scoring leaders surpassed the hat trick landmark before the end of the half.  Guisti scored two quick goals within three minutes of the starting horn, giving the Rebels an instant edge in momentum and a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard.  Two minutes later, Buckley added a goal to the Rebel lead with a spectacular shot from the left wing that barely snuck by Falmouth goalie Melissa Romiza.  Romiza showcased her skill in the net on the next Rebel possession, making a remarkable save on a shot attempt by Guisti.  Romiza’s save provided the Clippers with a glimpse of momentum, but Guisti forced this momentum to be short-lived, scoring two consecutive goals, giving the Rebels a 5-0 lead.  Buckley responded to Guisti by scoring two quick goals of her own, putting the Rebels ahead 7-0.  It was not until 5:00 remained in the first half that anyone other than Guisti or Buckley scored a goal.  Junior midfielder Kim Walsh, wove her way to the net before firing a shot past the outstretched stick of Romiza, making the score 8-0 in favor of the Rebels.  While the Falmouth defense struggled immensely in the first half, the Rebel defense looked as good as they have all season, shutting down the powerful Falmouth offense.  Senior defensemen Brooke Waite, Alicia Tosone, and Molly Grimes, continued to shut down Falmouth powerful scoring tandem of senior captains Jacqueline Sartell and Amber Morse.  Senior goalie Kayla Cullen shutout the Clippers until the final minute of the first half, when Sartell scored the only Clipper goal of the half.  This lone goal left the score at 8-1 after the first half of play.

With a comfortable lead, the Rebels seemed to focus more intently on their defensive play in the second half.  Merely advancing the ball past midfield became an incredibly challenging task for the Clippers, as junior midfielder Rachel MacMillan forced consecutive turnovers to begin the half.  Cullen held down the Rebel fort in net, stopping every shot she saw in the second half.  Despite the decrease of intensity on the offensive end of the field, Guisti managed to score an impressive goal in the first five minutes in the quarter, leaping above Falmouth defenders before firing a shot past Romiza.  Buckley netted two more goals before the midway point of the quarter, putting the Rebels on top 11-1.  With a 10 goal lead with 10 minutes remaining, it seemed as though Walpole Head Coach Tim Drummey had “called off the dogs”, removing his starters and allowing for his reserves to take over for the remainder of the game.   Junior attack Cecelia Abely, scored the final Rebel goal of the game with seven minutes remaining, putting the Rebels ahead 12-1.  Walpole held Falmouth scoreless for the remainder of the game, making the final score 12-1.

Walpole will take on the Wellesley Raiders on Saturday June 5.  The Rebels suffered two dissapointing losses to the Raiders in the regular season and will certainly be looking for revenge over their Herget rivals.

Read “Girls Lacrosse Starts Playoff Run with a Victory” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

On June 1, the Walpole Rebels Boy Lacrosse Team began their run at the State Championship in an opening round match up against the Dracut Middies.  The Rebels took their first stride in defending their title by overwhelmingly defeating the Middies by a score of 18-4.  This landslide victory proves that the Rebels are not satisfied with merely advancing to the playoffs, but are focused on repeating as State Champions.

The Rebel offense attacked Dracut’s defense from the opening face off.  After only 28 seconds of action, senior Adam Niden scored the first goal of the game, giving Walpole a 1-0 advantage.  Niden would then score again on the Rebels next possession giving him two goals in under two minutes.  Walpole would then double their point total to four, following goals by senior Phil Nash, and junior Kyle Guilbert.  Dracut scored their first goal with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter, leaving the Rebels ahead 4-1 after the first quarter.

As the second quarter began, it became obvious that the Rebels were determined to stop the Middies from gaining any sort of momentum.  Niden raced down the field and through the Dracut defense to score his third goal of the game, putting the Rebels on top 5-1.  Guilbert would then score on a rebound after a great save by Dracut’s goalie.  Guilbert’s goal seemed to demoralize the Middies as it put Walpole ahead by a score of 6-1.  Senior Ryan Izzo proved to be a catalyst in the second quarter, scoring two impressive goals in a three minute span, putting the Rebels on top 8-1.  After a Dracut goal, senior Tim McDonald responded by firing a shot past the Dracut goaltender, putting giving the Rebels a 10-3 lead, a score that would hold until halftime.

A reason for this Rebel dominance was the impressive work by the faceoff men.  Izzo was superb as usual, winning almost every faceoff.  Juniors Donny Delpha and Chris Norberg also showed the Middies that they had some talent as well.

Despite the comfortable Rebel lead, Walpole made it clear that they were the hungrier team in the third quarter.  Guilbert netted two quick goals to put the Rebels up 12-3.  Senior Tim Bailey would then score his first goal of the game, making the score 14-3 in Walpole’s favor.  Following a goal by junior Nick Foley, Dracut would score their fourth goal of the game, making the score 15-4 after three quarters of lacrosse.

Walpole’s fourth quarter performance shut the door on any thoughts of a miraculous Dracut comeback.  Senior Ryan Hourihan scored a goal to put the Rebels ahead 16-4.  Senior PJ Painten, who lost his position at goalie after a devastating knee injury, was limited to play a small number of minutes at attack at the end of the fourth quarter.  In one of the most touching moments of the season, Painten scored a goal to put the Rebels on top 17-4.  Walpole would put another goal on the board, courtesy of Foley, before the final whistle, making the final score a 18-4 victory for the Rebels.

Walpole opened many eyes around the state with this impressive victory in the first round.  The Rebels will look to continue their run for the State Championship on June 4 against the Marblehead Magicians.

Read “Rebel Laxmen Roll Over Dracut in First Round” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

Senior Tim Connors delivers a first inning pitch to Natick.

The Walpole Rebels and Natick Blue and Red squared-off in an important Bay State League game on Thursday, May 13 at Elderacher field. The Rebels were looking for revenge after they lost to Natick 7-5 by a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth in their last game.  Anchored by the superior pitching of senior Tim Connors, the Rebel’s thirst for vengeance was quenched.  

During the first meeting between the two teams, the last hit, the three run homer, was the hardest hit ball of the game [CHOPPY]. In the most recent meeting  on May 13 the hardest hit ball of the game came from Natick’s lead-off hitter Brett Flutie. With a 1-0 count Flutie hit a triple deep in left-center. Flutie then scored on a sacrifice fly to left to give Natick an early 1-0 lead. “The triple by Flutie was on a second pitch fastball.  After the bomb, I started throwing quality pitches and let the defense play behind me,” said Connors. 

The Rebels did not wait long to get the lead back; however, they did not hit the ball as hard as Natick. The Natick pitcher led off the game with a walk on four pitches to sophomore Craig Hanley and proceeded to walk the next three batters to score the first Rebel run.  The Rebels scored two more runs on fielder’s choices before the Blue and Red were able to stop the bleeding. Hence – by the end of the first inning the Rebels went ahead 3-1 without even recording a hit.  

After the first inning both pitchers settled down and the game quickly became a pitchers duel.  Connors kept the Blue and Red guessing by mixing his fastball slider and curveball effectively.  Connors got into a jam in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and no outs, but was able to pitch his way out of it.  Shortstop Matt Lavanchy recorded an out by throwing a runner out at first, but Natick scored their second run on the play to make the game 3-2. Connors struck out the next batter and forced another to pop-out to third base to stop Natick’s last chance of a late inning rally.

Connors finished the ninth inning with relative ease.  After a single by the first batter, Connors buckled down and recorded a ground-ball out and two strikeouts to secure the victory. When asked about the game Connors said, “Our catcher Dan King and I were on the same page the whole game and the offense was able to get enough run support to get the victory.”

The win against Natick was Connors third win of the year and boosted the Rebels record to 7-7 and was a moral booster sending the Rebels into the final six games of the season.  Now they need three wins out of their final six games in order to advance to the playoffs.

Read “Connors Controls Red and Blue” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

The Walpole Rebels faced off against Dedham at the track on Tuesday, May 11. The sun was shining and it wasn’t too hot or too cold; it was a perfect day for running. The Rebels showed off their skills by demolishing the Marauders with a score of 108 to 34 and improving their record to 3-3

As usual, the meet started off with the two mile; however, both the boys and the girls raced together because there was only one Dedham runner. Both the boys and the girls finished came off the track with a nine point lead over the Marauders to start off the meet. The girls swept all three distance events. In the mile junior Brigette Lawton (5:46) senior captain Amanda Waldron (5:51) while junior Elizabeth Jelloe (5:55) took third place for the sweep. In the 800 meter race junior Courtney Shea (2:34) added another win to her repertoire while senior captain Kelly Burke (2:41) and junior Lane Kelleher (2:47) came in right behind Shea.

Sprinting and hurdles also brought in a considerable amount of points for the Rebels. In the 100 hurdles senior captain Erica Hawley (16.1) and freshman Nicole Browne (16.8) took first and second place increasing the lead over Dedham. The Rebels continued to dominate over the Marauders in the 100 meter dash and in the 400 hurdles taking second and third. Sophomore Erin McCarthy (26.9) and junior Caroline Malone (27.9) got first and third scoring six more points for the Rebels. In the 400 meters up incoming freshman Maddie Shea snagged first with a time of 62.1 while Dedham took second and third. 

The field also scored an immense amount of points to contribute to the Rebels’ win. Sophomore Elizabeth Almeda (25’4”) and senior captain Jayce Dold (23’6”) got first and third for shotput. Dold also placed in the javelin throwing 91’1” right behind junior Kristan Papirio who threw 92”8’ to take second. In the discus event freshman Michelle Monahan (71’4”) scored three more points for the Rebels.

In total the Walpole jumpers scored 25 points for their team. Senior captain Erica Hawley took first in two events: the long jump (16’3”) and the high jump (5’0”). Junior Amanda Carney also placed in two events coming in second in the long jump at 16’2 ½” and first in the triple jump (32’). Both of the relay teams- 4×100 and the 4×400- came in first for Walpole as well.  

The overwhelming win over Dedham brought confidence, but the Rebels now have to focus on the post-season and more competitive meets, such as the state relays and the Bay State League Championship meet in Weymouth on May 19, 2010. 

Read “Walpole Demolishes Dedham” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

This week, in an unusual decision, the Walpole Board of Selectmen decided to rescind a previous vote to forbid Walpole homeowners from throwing away more than two 30-gallon trash bags per week.  The limit was intended to save the town between $41,000 and $137,000 per year, money that could be theoretically used to reduce the school budget gap or reduce gaps in other areas of the budget.  It furthermore would have helped save the environment by reducing the amount of unnecessary trash that should instead be recycled by residents.  Selectmen took back the limit one month after voting it into place because they got heavy criticism and heard complaints from angry residents who were upset about the new cap.  A number of residents presented genuine reasons why they need to use more than two trash bags.  Selectmen surrendered to the intense public pressure, and, in effect, undermined their positions by not voting in the best interest of the town and not standing by courageous decisions that may be unpopular.  By taking back the limit, selectmen also have hurt efforts to expand recycling initiatives in this town and save the town money for the school system.

In reversing the trash limit, selectmen stated that they did not want to create what some termed as a “trash police.”  In reality, citizens should be enforcing the trash limits themselves and should do it in the name of supporting their school system through the budget savings.  Walpole residents already have the advantage of not having to pay flat trash fees for all of their bags – having just two bags for free is not only reasonable, but also generous given the difficult economic trouble the town is having and the constant calls from concerned parents to impose trash fees.  Citizens who are upset about the limit should instead look for ways to cut down their trash rather than complain about a system that still gives them what is essentially free curbside trash service.

The decision of selectmen to reverse the initial vote also sets a dangerous precedent for future selectmen and other municipal leaders.  By taking a truly courageous vote and limiting trash output, selectmen showed that they had the courage to take a stand for what is necessary.  They did not take a reactionary step to impose trash fees, but instead they took the more moderate approach to save the town money by respectfully asking some families, definitely not a majority of Walpole, to cut down on their trash.  Most Walpole families remain unaffected.  With the vote reversed, selectmen have shown that they will bow to public pressure when a small group of local residents are upset about an issue.  The selectmen make a lot of decisions, many of which will inevitably be unpopular, but true elected officials need to be able to take votes and stand by those votes.  Elected officials who can not support their own vote are letting the residents down.  Selectmen make mistakes and sometimes take votes without much time to consider the consequences, but they were all willingly elected to the Board of Selectmen with the express knowledge that they would be asked to make such quick-thinking votes under pressure.  Therefore, it is disappointing that our selectmen can not seem to firmly stand behind their votes in this situation.  There will always be public outcry over decisions made by the selectmen – but real leaders are the ones who can take brave votes on issues that a few may find difficult to support.

One only needs to walk through the halls of Walpole High School on a school day to see why more recycling is needed town-wide.  At the same time that class sizes rise because of low funding, students throw away bottles and other products that could and should be recycled.  The school throws away more trash than it needs to.  It is not much different at many homes throughout Walpole.  Many families, simply because of their size, do have to use more than two trash bags.  Perhaps the town can consider imposing a reasonable additional fee to those families every time they go over the limit.  Doing so would still allow the town to save costs while encouraging everyone to do more to recycle and save money.

Ultimately, the town will need to at some point face the complex issue of how to deal with the bloated and ever-increasing trash-related line item in the municipal budget.  Trash removal is a $1.5 million per year operation, coming out of the wallets of Walpole taxpayers and not out of trash fees.  Trash fees have already been rejected multiple times, so a trash limit is not only reasonable but a perfect compromise to cut costs.  Selectmen need to be courageous enough to take a vote in favor of the initiative and should be proud of where they stand.  Anything less is disappointing.

Read “Trash cap vote reversal was a bad decision” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

Junior Kyle Guilbert takes the ball up the field.

The defending state champion Rebels faced off against the Needham Rockets on May 1o with first place in the Bay State Conference on the line.  The Rockets, led by sophomore Mark Riley and senior William Stenberg, proved to be a worthy opponent for the Rebels.  The Rebels showcased the toughness that made them champions in 2009, escaping with a 13-9 victory in one of the biggest games of the season.

The Rebel’s offense aggresively attacked the Rockets net from the opening face off.  Junior Kyle Guilbert scored the first goal of the game on the Rebel’s first possession.  Senior Danny Matthews scored only moments later to put Walpole ahead 2-0.  Riley scored Needham’s first goal, but would be held to a very pedestrian performance.  Junior Adam Niden countered with a pair of goals, silencing the Rocket crowd and giving the Rebels a 4-1 edge.  Stenberg scored with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, but his goal was quickly countered by Guilbert.  At the end of the first quarter, the Rebels remained on top by a score of 5-2.

The second quarter revolved around Senior Captain Ryan Izzo.  Izzo made his presence felt immediately with his speed and physical defense.  It did not take long for Izzo to score in the second quarter, spinning through the Needham defense before firing a shot past Needham’s goaltender.  On the following face off, Izzo assisted Matthews for his second goal of the game, putting Walpole ahead 7-2.  Walpole fans were all left holding their breath for a moment when Junior Chris Norberg went down hard with three minutes remaining in the quarter.  Izzo responded by laying hard hits on every Rocket who came his way.  Following a Needham goal, Izzo found his way to the net again, finishing with another goal, putting the Rebels on top 8-4 at the end of the first half.

The third quarter proved to be a back and forth battle between the top Bay State contenders.  Following a save by Junior Matt Niden, Guilbert took off down the field scoring another goal to give the Rebels a 9-4 advantage.  Adam Niden would add another goal to the Walpole lead, but the Rockets made sure to remind the Rebels that they would not be an easy team to overcome.  The Rockets rattled off three staight goals over a two minute span to narrow the Rebel lead to 10-7.  Izzo and Riley would exchange goals to make the score 11-8 at the end of the third quarter.

The Rebels remained aggresive into the fourth quarter.  Guilbert rifled a shot past the Needham goaltender to give the Rebels a 12-8 lead.  Guilbert would then assist Senior Tim McDonald to put the Rebels on top 12-9.  The Rockets would show one last gasp of life, scoring to cut the Rebel lead to three with only two minutes to play in the game.  This lead would hold until the end of the fourth quarter, improving the Rebels record to 11-2 and giving them temporary control of the Bay State Conference.

The key to the Rebels victory game in the form of defense.  Senior defenseman Peter Bowes held Needham’s weapons in check throughout the game.  Matt Niden made a smooth transition from midfielder to goalie in senior PJ Painten’s absence.  Niden stepped up to the challenge and played a great game in net.  Sophomore Russell Ollis filled the void left by Niden at long stick midfielder, showcasing the Rebel’s young talent that will lead them in the future.  Senior Connor Whittemore made his return to the field, playing a significant role in shutting down the Rocket’s offense.

After a hard fought game, it is apparent that the Rockets have nothing to be ashamed off.  Needham scoring leader Mark Riley said ” We really fell into a whole when we got down 5-1. Unfortunately, we were never able to dig our way out of it”.  When asked about his transition to a starting role from previously coming off the bench, sophomore Russell Ollis said, “The senior leadership on this team really helped me to feel like I have been starting for months. ”

The Rebels will look to improve their record to 12-2 on May 12 against Natick.

Read “Rebels Overcome Rockets to Gain First Place in Bay State Conference” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

A Walpole batter battles during her at bat against Norwood's fierce pitching.

Despite the rainy weather, on Wednesday April, 28, the Walpole Rebels faced the perviously undefeated Newton Noth Tigers at Jean Hayes Cole Field in Newton. Although the weather proved to be difficult the Rebels had a great game, and the surehanded defense backed up Senior Captain Sam Cametti’s strong pitching throughout the seven innings. Junior Victoria Richardson made an unbelievable catch in left field in the first inning, preventing Newton North runners from advancing into scoring position. Although Richardson made a great catch, the Tigers scored early on in the bottom of the first, gaining a one run lead over Walpole. The Rebels shook off the run and showed resiliency  holding the Tigers for the rest of the game.

In the top of the third, with Senior Captain Stephanie Frye on first base, Sophomore Katie Cavaca stepped into the box and delivered an RBI triple. Cavaca’s headsup base running enabled her to steal home on a past ball, giving the Rebels a 2-1 lead. Cavaca and Frye both had a great game getting out five Newton runners attempting to steal. The Rebels maintained their lead for the remainder of the game, despite allowing the Tigers to have runners in scoring position in each of the final four innings.

The highlight of the game came in the sixth inning when the Tigers had bases loaded two outs. North player, Katie Caruso was on third and went for the delayed steal; however, the Rebels stopped another run when Cavaca threw to Frye who threw back to Cavaca to get Caruso at home and end the inning.

  The Tigers proved to be inconsistent at the plate the rest of the game and were not able to take advantage of the opportunities they had to get runners across. The tigers weren’t getting the hits they needed in key situations. They ended up waiting until the final innings to try and make something happen but came up short.  The Tigers proved to be inconsistent at the plate the rest of the game and were not able to take advantage of the opportunities they had to get runners across.

Coach Jim Duffy said,”The girls really did a great job today. They were able to overcome mistakes they made earlier in the season and really put a complete game together.” Coach Duffy put it perfectly. The Rebels were able to learn from and push past the mistakes they made earlier in the season. By playing solid defense and staying strong in tough situations the girls were able to come out victorious.

The Rebels played with more intensity in the long run and handed Newton North their first loss of the season. The Rebels competitive attitudes are going to help them out next week when they face their two toughest competitors, Milton and Norwood.

 

 

 

 

 

Read “Walpole Victory Over Undefeated Newton North 2-1″ on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

Junior Tom Ryan delivers a pitch against Natick.

Despite a few setbacks, Junior Captain Tom Ryan has recently returned to right where he left off last year: at the top of Walpole’s pitching rotation.  In his sophomore year, his first year on the Varsity baseball team, Tom Ryan posted an ERA under two and was heavily relied on to shut down opposing teams and pitch late into games. Recovering from an offseason injury this year, Ryan’s command of his pitches was limited early in the season, and combined with a lack of timely hitting, his record of 2-2 did not look impressive on paper.  However, with more offensive support in the Brookline game on May 3, Ryan is beginning to look like the composed, ace pitcher that the Rebels need to get to the postseason.

In the offseason, Tom Ryan was slowed by shoulder tendonitis.  Eight games into the season Tom Ryan still is not able to throw his fastball as hard as he was able to last year. Instead, Ryan depends on his location and superior off-speed pitches to get batters out.  With each start though, Ryan has been more dominant then the previous start.

After three starts Junior Captain Tom Ryan had already recorded a tw0-hitter in six innings of work in a metal bat game against Mansfield.  In a tough loss against Natick, Ryan threw 140 pitches in a complete game against offensive powerhouse. Ryan kept the Rebels in the game for nine innings until the Natick Red and Blue won the game in the bottom of the ninth when a walk-off homerun gave Natick a 7-5 win.  When asked about his high pitch count Ryan said, “I do not take much stock in pitch count. It doesn’t matter how many pitches you throw as long as you still feel strong.”  Despite this loss, his ability to go nine innings definitely suggests that Ryan is healthy again.      

On Monday, May 3 at Parson’s field Tom Ryan had his most dominant performance of the season.  Although he had only four strikeouts, his fastball had returned with a vengance, and he used it to control the game by forcing batters to swing at tough pitches, subsequently causing many ground balls and pop-ups.  In eight innings of work Ryan held Brookline to just two runs while throwing 138 pitches.  The 7-3 win was the Rebels second in a row and also their second win against a team with a winning record. Ryan complimented the team: “We had a lot of timely hits. The defense played very well and did not make many errors.”  

Four games into the season, the Rebel’s ace Tom Ryan is looking as sharp as he has ever looked.  If the team can continue with the improved offensive production and the error free defense, the Rebels should have no problem winning seven of the next twelve games in order to make the tournament.

Read “Ryan Returns to Form” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

  

Read “Disappointing Loss Against Natick for Girls Track” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

Walpole improved their record to 9-1 with an impressive victory over Brookline.

     Expectations for coach Tim Drummey’s 2010 Girls Lacrosse Team have been incredibly high after a great season last year.  Nine games into the season, Drummey’s girls have reached and even exceeded their preseason prediction.  Posting an 8-1 record, going into Thursday’s game against Brookline, Walpole has proved to yet again be a powerhouse in the Bay State Conference.  The impressive start of the season has excited many who believe that Walpole has the talent to challenge the perennial league champion Wellesley Raiders.  The Rebels continued their impressive start with a dominating victory over Brookline, winning by a score of 18-1. 

     The Rebels started off the game with a bang, sending a message to the Warriors that despite coming off a loss Wellesley, Walpole would be one of the toughest teams they would face all year.   Senior Captain Shelby Guisti scored the first goal of the game within a minute of the starting horn, putting Walpole on top 1-0.  Guisti’s Co-Captain, senior Kristen Morrisey would then score her first goal of the game between a pair of goals by senior Michaela Brady, making the score 4-0.  The Rebel’s relentless offensive attack wove their way through the Brookline defense throughout the first half.  With ten minutes remaining in the first half, Walpole lead by a score of 6-0.  Senior goalie, Kayla Cullen, stopped every shot sent in her direction, proving that Walpole was not a purely offensive team.  Following goals by Guisti and standout juniors, Sarah Buckley and Cecilia Abely, the Rebels lead by a score of 12-0.  Sophomore Hope Kelley ended the first half with a slashing goal, barely beating the clock, putting the Rebels on top 13-0 after one half.

     Brookline showed an admirable tenacity in their approach to the second half of the game.  Despite facing a nearly insurmountable task, Brookline’scoaching staff motivated their girls to improve on their first half performance.  Brookline’s first goal came only one minute into the second half.  It is at this point in the game that Drummey inserted his younger players into the game.  Freshman Michaela Tosone scored to put the Rebels up 14-1.  Not long after, Tosone’s fellow freshman, Erin Richardson, scored a pair of goals, proving that this freshman tandem has a bright future ahead of them on the lacrosse field.  Junior Rachel MacMillan scored the Rebel’s final goal, putting Walpole up by the score of 18-1. 

     This score would hold until the final whistle blew giving the Rebels a 9-1 record on the year.  The Rebels look for their tenth victory on May 5th in Milton.

Read “Girls Lacrosse Continues Hot Start with Victory Over Brookline” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

 Teachers voted on Friday, March 19 for several union concessions that will save the schools $700,000, thereby closing the budget gap from the projected $2.1 million to $1.4 million.  78% of the teachers in the Walpole Teachers Association (WTA) voted in favor of these compromises, which consist of wage and health insurance concessions, as well as a freeze in tuition reimbursement in the upcoming year.  The reduction in health care is the most monetarily significant concession, as it will save the town $500,000.

  Teachers voted in favor of the concessions after receiving a worst-case scenario projection from the school committee announcing that between 45 and 50 teachers would have to be laid off if neither concessions were made nor aid was received.  The projection also called for decreased custodial and secretarial services, elimination of certain electives—including Wood—and reductions of others, foreign language reductions at the middle schools, and significantly increased class sizes.  Before they voted, the teachers were also aware that an agreement was made between the Town Administration and the School Committee that all of the money saved through union concessions would be used to save jobs.

  The concessions made by the teachers will drastically reduce the number of layoffs predicted by the school committee.  Superintendent Lincoln Lynch said that the concessions show that “the teachers are a respectable group willing to sacrifice,” and added that “it’s really a great thing that our teachers were willing to personally sacrifice so that we could maintain a high-performing school district.”

  Additionally, Lynch believes the teachers’ efforts may inspire other groups to make compromises as well.  “I hope it will start the snowball rolling,” he said, “where now perhaps our other unions will fall in line.” If the secretaries and custodians indeed follow suit, an additional $70,000 will be saved. The cafeteria workers will not be asked to give up any more this year due to last year’s sacrifice of accepting a zero pay raise. Non-union members are already making the specified concessions, saving the town $100,000; thus the deficit could be reduced by close to one million dollars through employee concessions, saving nearly half of the original projection of layoffs.

  However, even with all of these concessions, the school committee is left with a sizable budget gap that will have to be made up largely through layoffs.

  Another potential source of assistance to help offset the deficit is any additional federal, state, and local aid to the schools.  The Walpole Public Schools receive 5% of their operating budget from federal aid, 25% from state aid, and 70% from local aid. Walpole was able to save half of the $1 million it received last year from Obama’s federal stimulus package, putting Walpole “in better shape than many of the towns around us who used all of their money last year” said Lynch; however, additional federal stimulus money is not expected this year. Furthermore, Walpole can expect little help from Massachusetts, as the state legislature has warned that it may cut local aid by 4%, which would mean a $400,000 loss for the town of Walpole, of which the schools would have to absorb two-thirds.  This cut in state aid would only augment the schools’ deficit.

  The town could aid the schools by enacting a meals and hotel tax, which would bring in about $200,000 for the Walpole’s schools; however, the measure has yet to be voted on.

  The schools must therefore largely rely on local funding if they wish to save any additional teachers; however, the school committee is not requesting an override to increase taxes to obtain these funds due to the burden that the harsh economic climate is already having on Walpole citizens.  Still, School committee member Nancy Gallivan believes “the majority of help we’re going to get will come from here in Walpole.”

  To ease the number of layoffs, the school committee is also looking into cutting 40% of freshmen sports from the budget. Lynch said “this cut is still up for discussion, but how can you [justify] cutting a classroom teacher and not cutting our sports? Where are our priorities?” Lynch also feels that these sports may be able to sustain themselves through private fundraising. “You can’t really hold a fundraiser to save a teacher,” he said, “but people fundraise all the time for sports.”

  The athletic budget would be even more precarious if new Athletic Director Bill Tompkins hadn’t already reduced the athletic deficit by over $57,000. When he stepped into his post, Walpole High School’s athletic department was in debt by $65,000. Lynch said potentially all freshmen sports would have to be unfunded rather than simply 40% if it hadn’t been for Tompkins’ efforts.

  To counteract the increased class sizes that layoffs will unavoidably bring, several elective classes at the high school will likely be consolidated or even eliminated so that teachers will have more available periods to teach academic classes, thereby keeping academic class sizes lower.

  Final budget decisions cannot be made until May 1, when the School Committee knows how much aid, concessions, and revenue it will receive.  All untenured teachers have already been given pink slips notifying them that their position within the Walpole Public Schools is still uncertain for next year, and they will be informed before the end of the school year whether or not they will be returning.

  Superintendent Lynch had called the initial budget projection the “most damaging budget projection in his 23 years of education;” however, the concessions made by teachers have already greatly tempered the grim predictions of the forecast. Still, the Walpole Public Schools stand a lot to lose in the upcoming year, and Superintendent Lynch foresees more difficult years ahead. Uncertainty hangs in the air as teachers, students, faculty, and parents await decisions that will determine layoffs, class sizes, and athletic and elective cuts.

Read “Union Concessions Reduce Budget Deficit” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

Read “Confederate Flag: Appropriate for Walpole High?” on the whstherebellion.com website