Rebellion Sports

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

The Walpole girls cross country team was taken by surprise on Friday, September 3 when former coach Timothy Giblin announced that another head coaching position was created by the Walpole public school system. Assistant coach Jamie Farrell was the perfect candidate for the job.

Miss Farrell has been assistant coaching for three years and mainly focuses on the junior varsity team, but this year she is concentrating on the girls’ team as a whole and trying to create the best team in school history. With six girls under 22:00 in the road race 5k Miss Farrell has a strong team with a lot of potential and could easily lead the girls to a successful season. Additionally, the team is the biggest it has ever been: 35 girls and growing.

Although the coaching change is welcomed, the veteran runners who have worked with Coach Giblin for four years will have the most trouble with the spontaneous transition. Senior captain Grace Lynch said, “I am happy that Miss Farrell is going to be our new coach; however, I am accustomed to Coach Giblin’s training techniques, strategies, and workouts. I think this change is good, but it is going to take some time to get used to.”

Miss Farrell does not plan to alter the work-outs significantly. She said, “Coach Giblin has set a very good plan for the girls’ team and I don’t plan on deviating from that.” Even though the girls do have a new coach almost all of the workouts- hills, 800 meter intervals, tempo runs- will have times based off of previous workouts that Coach Giblin has devised.

Miss Farrell also holds high expectations for the girls’ team. She said, “I hope the girls’ team finishes one of the top in the state.” With states in mind Miss Farrell is hoping that the girls will work hard enough to obtain a highly competitive state-wide rank and move on to the post-season.

Although the girls will be missing out on Coach Giblin’s motivation, skills, and life lessons Coach Farrell brings new ideas and fresh tactics. Adding to the coaching staff allows more attention to be focused on the junior varsity team and implementing new assistant coaches also creates a better athlete to coach ratio. Both of the new assistant coaches, Kevin Butera and Philip Gingrass, both ran for Walpole High School and graduated in 2005. Coach Butera is mainly working with sprinters while Coach Gingrass is spending most of his team with the junior varsity team. The girls consider the coaching change a positive thing and are looking forward to a new season, new beginnings, and a new head coach.

The Walpole girls cross country team was taken by surprise on Friday, September 3 when former coach Timothy Giblin announced that another head coaching position was created by the Walpole public school system. Assistant coach Jamie Farrell was the perfect candidate for the job.

Miss Farrell has been assistant coaching for three years and mainly focuses on the junior varsity team, but this year she is concentrating on the girls’ team as a whole and trying to create the best team in school history. With six girls under 22:00 in the road race 5k Miss Farrell has a strong team with a lot of potential and could easily lead the girls to a successful season. Additionally, the team is the biggest it has ever been: 35 girls and growing.

Although the coaching change is welcomed, the veteran runners who have worked with Coach Giblin for four years will have the most trouble with the spontaneous transition. Senior captain Grace Lynch said, “I am happy that Miss Farrell is going to be our new coach; however, I am accustomed to Coach Giblin’s training techniques, strategies, and workouts. I think this change is good, but it is going to take some time to get used to.”

Miss Farrell does not plan to alter the work-outs significantly. She said, “Coach Giblin has set a very good plan for the girls’ team and I don’t plan on deviating from that.” Even though the girls do have a new coach almost all of the workouts- hills, 800 meter intervals, tempo runs- will have times based off of previous workouts that Coach Giblin has devised.

Miss Farrell also holds high expectations for the girls’ team. She said, “I hope the girls’ team finishes one of the top in the state.” With states in mind Miss Farrell is hoping that the girls will work hard enough to obtain a highly competitive state-wide rank and move on to the post-season.

Although the girls will be missing out on Coach Giblin’s motivation, skills, and life lessons Coach Farrell brings new ideas and fresh tactics. Adding to the coaching staff allows more attention to be focused on the junior varsity team and implementing new assistant coaches also creates a better athlete to coach ratio. Both of the new assistant coaches, Kevin Butera and Philip Gingrass, both ran for Walpole High School and graduated in 2005. Coach Butera is mainly working with sprinters while Coach Gingrass is spending most of his time with the junior varsity team. Overall, the girls consider the coaching change a positive thing and are looking forward to a new season, new beginnings, and a new head coach.

Read “Farrell Takes Over as New Head Girls’ Coach” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

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On Saturday September 11, the Field Hockey Team traveled to Weston to play a non-league game against one of their biggest competitors. Weston has been a very challenging game in previous years, sometimes resulting in the only loss or tie of the season for Walpole. Last year, the Wildcats and the Porkers tied, so this year the Porkers were looking for a win.

The game started with Weston getting into Walpole’s defensive end very quickly. Junior goalie Katie Kelley quickly cleared the ball and for the majority of the half the ball stayed in Walpole’s offensive end. The only problem was that nobody could put the ball in the goal. Junior Meghan Murphy took a stroke, which is very unusual, but the shot was missed. The first half ended with a score of 0-0, but the Porkers seemed to be controlling the game.

The second half began and fans from both Walpole and Weston were eager to see who was going to win the game, or if there would be another tie like last year; but the Porkers were not going to settle with a tie. Finally senior Hannah Feeley scored the first goal of the game, unassisted. In the first corner of the second half senior Lauren Whitmore scored again and senior Caroline Malone followed their lead with another unassisted goal. The final score of the game was 3-0, Walpole with the win.

The Porkers defense didn’t allow Weston to get many chances to shoot on goal. The ball stayed in the Weston end for majority of the game, and it was just a matter of time before the Porkers would put the ball in the net. After winning what may have been their toughest game of the season, the Porkers have high hopes for this year and will have to continue to play their hardest as they face Milton and Wellesley in upcoming games.

Read “Porkers Win Showdown Against Wildcats” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

The start of the 5K race. (Photo Courtesy of Walpole Recreation Department)

The hustle and bustle of the 37^th Annual Walpole Labor Day Road Race started early when the Walpole cross country team and parent volunteers arrived at 7:30 a.m. to set-up all of the tents, tables, and donated items for the race and subsequent raffle. Going into the 37^th year, the Walpole Road Race has become one of the oldest traditions in the town. Countless members of the community volunteer each year, and many even run in the races. Between the fans, the volunteers, and the runners, the Walpole Labor Day Road Race brought the community together for an extremely unique and successful event.

With 650 runners, the Herb Lewis Memorial and John D. Murphy & Co. 10K Race and the “Walpole Ed” 5K Race and Walk were a huge success. The number of runners came close to tying last year’s record (676) for the most participants in the road race ever. In particular, Walpole residents showed a lot of support and enthusiasm in the race. Cross country top runner junior Zach Ganshirt blew away the competition in the 5K with a first place time of 16:40. With 293 Walpole participants in the 5K race alone, the Walpole pride soared. On the girls side, cross country seniors Courtney Shea (20:27) and Brigette Lawton (21:06) finished second and third overall for the women. Among the cross country team, senior Zach Bannon (17:37) and junior Chris Conley (17:39) finished first and second for their age group. For the girls, seniors Liz Jelloe (21:11), Jocelyn Lydon (21:21) and Kathryn Russo (21:33) finished first, second, and third in their age group. Cross country head coaches Tim Giblin and Jamie Farrell were pleased with the effort and performances of their teams and are excited for the new season.

At the end of the race, runners, spectators, and volunteers were able to enjoy the donated food, raffles, and auctions. Likewise, the medal ceremony, presented by “Walpole Ed” and Jim Erker, was greatly enjoyed by the citizens and community members of Walpole and the surrounding towns. Although the exact amount of money raised has yet to be determined, the monetary value is approximated at $15,000. The Walpole Cross Country and Track and Field Boosters Club will use this money in the future for banquets, coaches’ stipends, equipment, buses, and uniforms. The road race is the booster’s main fundraiser for the year and should support all three seasons of boys and girls running. Overall, the overwhelming success and community involvement made for a positive experience.

Read “Rebel Pride Surges at 37th Annual Walpole Road Race” on the whstherebellion.com website

From the WHSTheRebellion.com website:

  Walpole High Field Hockey had their first game of the season on Tuesday, September 7 against Braintree. After many preseason practices and scrimmages against Canton and Watertown in the past weeks, the Porkers took the field and were ready to win.

  Within the first ten minutes of the game, senior Caroline Malone scored two goals while teammates Lauren Whitmore, senior, and junior Meaghan Murphy followed with goals of their own. The Porkers were dominating the game and it showed as everyone was energetic and excited. Freshmen Brooke Matherson and Caroline Feeley scored their first goals of their high school career towards the end of the first half. A corner was called as time ran out and Feeley added another goal. This ended the half with a score of 7-0, Porkers on top.  

  Everyone was on their feet cheering for their new teammates during the second half, as everyone got a chance to play different positions than usual because Braintree only had one shot on net. Senior Mollie McLaughlin scored with six minutes left in the game, making the final score 8-0 Walpole.

  This season looks very promising for the Porkers if they keep their composure for upcoming games that will prove to be more of a challenge, like Weston and Wellesley. Judging by this win, the Porkers have taken the first step to say that they are a cut above the rest and to continue their success for another year.

Read “Porkers Open Season with Win” 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