Wicked Local Sports News
Swimming: Newton tops ‘Cudas in finale
Aug 21st
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Despite finishing third in the league and the championship meet, the Walpole Swim Team still has to be reckoned with.
North American Soccer Camps in Norfolk
Aug 6th
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Soccer coaches from the United Kingdom will run a series of youth soccer education programs this month at the Pond Street Fields in Norfolk
Nationally known North American Soccer Camps, which touts “strengths-based coaching,” will run two programs for different age groups the week of Aug. 23-27.
NASC program has an excellent reputation for youth soccer instruction. Coaches are semi-professional, college-level soccer players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which allows the opportunity to learn and experience not just soccer, but a different culture.
These sessions are aimed at the youngest soccer players and feature developmentally-appropriate games and fun drills. The camp is open to youth everywhere, not just Norfolk residents. Shinguard and a water bottle are required. All campers receive a ball and T-shirt.
Play S.A.F.E. teaches beginner techniques and tactical decision-making
The sessions and fees are:
• Play S.A.F.E. for 3- and 4-year-olds, 4-5:30 p.m. daily, fee $75.
• Play S.A.F.E. for 5- to 6-year-olds, 5:30-7 p.m. daily, fee $75.
Register online at www.NASC.com. For more information, contact the camp's host -Norfolk Lions Youth Soccer at norfolklionssoccer@verizon.net
Travel softball: Rebeling in success
Aug 6th
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The Walpole U14 A team, the Junior Rebels, may not have won either the league championship or the formidable Sharon Tournament this summer, but the squad certainly sent out a message to the rest of the state that Walpole has one of the top softball teams in the state and this group of young ladies will bear watching over its next three or four years at Walpole High School.
Despite playing in one of the state’s tougher leagues and in a tournament filled with select club teams, the local tow team finished the year with a 20-5-1 record and appearances in both the Hockomock League and Sharon Tournament championship games.
They lost the league championship game Thursday, 5-4, in a 10-inning duel with Dedham, and were topped 2-1 in the tournament title game by the Boston Bandits.
The locals accomplished this despite having to play nine games in five days and without one of the area’s top fielding and hitting shortstops at this level, Bridget Nicholson.<br …
Babe Ruth: Walpole edged by Stoughton in title game, 5-2
Aug 6th
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It took no time at all for Stoughton to see how determined the Walpole 15-year-old Babe Ruth team was to win the Hockomock League title last Thursday evening in the championship game at Eldracher Field.
It was the second inning when 250-lb. first baseman Rick Ordway was given the green light to steal second base after leading off the frame with a base hit.
With Ordway bearing down on him Stoughton’s second baseman did his best to try to both get the out and get out of his way, succeeding only in the latter endeavor.
The 15’s uncharacteristically committed critical errors that allowed Stoughton to get the upper hand despite an excellent pitching performance by Brendan Donovan, but the determination showed as Walpole stubbornly shook off each miscue and hung in for a 5-2 loss.
Reaching the championship game was also just one more sign of Walpole Babe Ruth’s resurgence over the last couple of years.
Following …
Let there be Lights! Turco Field set for night games
Aug 6th
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English writer John Heywood once said that “many hands make light work,” and the adage is more than apt for the town of Walpole which, ironically, just completed literal light work.
While other communities seeking turf fields and lighted stadiums often got huge assistance from outside, such as major government grants and funding provided by professional sports programs, the small town of Walpole used the many hands – and donations – from numerous sports organizations, businesses, and individuals in Walpole to make it happen.
The installation of lights at Turco Field, which was just completed last week, came a lot sooner than expected thanks to those many hands, especially the big helping hand recently offered by Walpole Cooperative Bank, which has a long history of supporting various town projects.
While proponents of lights – who have been advocating for them for decades – had expected they’d probably have to wait another couple of years to see Friday night games …
WHS fall preseason practice schedules set
Aug 6th
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WHS fall preseason practice schedules set
Aug 6th
Read the entire article on the Wicked Local Walpole website:
Walpole Summer Swim Team 2010 undefeated
Jul 29th
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Summer 2010 has proven to be hot, but no place is hotter than the Center Pool these days!
The Walpole Swim Team led by Cheryl Cavanaugh is undefeated in their first five swim meets and hopes to lead the league by the end of July. So far, the swim team has defeated Canton 297 to 166, Millis (new to the league) 241 to 86. The following week they defeated Needham 213 to 105, Medfield 242 to 29, and Dedham 249 to 159.
Results of the Canton meet:
1st place fly: Colleen McDonald, Andrew Gubanov, Kelly Fogarty, Bobby Burke, Danielle Sauve, and Jenna Harrop. 2nd place fly: Ryan Campbell, Caitlin Korsak, Catherine Erwin, Andrew Drogan, and Liam Flaherty. 3rd place fly: David Conroy, Sam Lynch, Leah Erwin, and Erin Myers.
1st place free: Andrew Gubanov, Bobby Burke, Jessica Sauve, Sam Pomer, and Matt Vandini. 2nd place free: Anna Smith, Tyler Ahmed, Collleen McDonald, Kyle Barry, Kelly Fogarty, Nicole Sauve, Shane Kelley, and Courtney Pomer. 3rd place free: Lindsay Ahmed and Joe Burke.
1st place breast: Bridget Abril, Matt Ferraro, Caroline Gilmore, Robert Erwin, Kirsten Wade, Tim McDonald Jessica Sauve, Shane …
Field known as ‘Porker Pen’ being revitalized
Jul 29th
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It’s been a long time since the winningest field hockey program (10 state titles) in the history of Massachusetts had a first class field to play on, but come this fall, that is about to chance.
Known for years as “the Porker Pen,” the upper field behind Walpole High School was finally slated for revitalization, which is currently taking place this summer.
One of the biggest problems the field had was being built on the hill, being fenced in so closely that the goalie nets could not be rotated as is usually done on grass fields. Rotation, on soccer and field hockey fields, allows the area on the field that gets the most activity – the goal mouth – a chance to breathe and re-grow the grass.
Unfortunately, this was not possible by the configuration of the Pen; there was not enough room to shift the playing area and allow the goalmouth a chance to revitalize itself.
Funding was made available, however, to take up the sod, re-grade and fill the area, and plant …
American Legion Post 104 season ends with 11-10 loss to New Bedford
Jul 29th
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Entering the season, many people weren’t sure what to make of the Walpole American Legion Post 104 baseball team’s fortunes.
A program that has been a postseason regular and finished second in the state in 2008 missed the playoffs a year ago, and Walpole High, where the squad gets the bulk of its roster from, was absent from the playoffs for just the second time in the past 32 seasons under coach Bill Tompkins.
Armed with a veteran pitching staff, however, Post 104 got back to the top of District 6 West for its third regular season title in four years and into the South sectionals, where they narrowly missed earning a third State Final Eight berth in the four years, falling 11-10 last Wednesday to host New Bedford Post 1 in Bracket B while attempting to force a decisive game in the four-team double elimination tournament.
Walpole got itself in an 11-2 hole, but scored six times in the seventh to make a game of it as Troy Salvatore and Chris Ferro each knocked in a pair to help fuel the rally. The score remained 11-8 entering …
Field hockey camp continues to thrive
Jul 29th
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Once again, Walpole has enjoyed the annual summer Porker field hockey camp, which got its start under retired Hall of Fame coach Penny Calf and continues to thrive under current Walpole High Head Coach Marianne Murphy, who took the camp over 11 years ago when Calf stepped down as Porker head coach.
Numbers were down a little from last year, but not by much, an impressive feat based on the facts that the camp still is almost mainly comprised of Walpole residents (although they don’t necessarily have to be) and that the nation is still in an economic downturn.
This year’s camp brought out 118 eager young ladies, four from out of town, who spent over a week on Turco Field learning techniques from current and former Porkers, many of them now Div. 1 intercollegiate stars, playing supervised and referred games and participating in skills contests that not only offered gold, silver and bronze medals to the most polished, but also gave coaches, parents and fans a glimpse at future high school field …
Baseball: Post 104 beats Foxboro, 5-3, plays Wednesday
Jul 22nd
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The Bee Gees have nothing on Post 104.
The boys of the local American Legion baseball team are stayin’ alive in the playoffs, thanks to today’s outstanding effort by pitcher Eric Fallon, backboned by the clutch hitting of Matt Lavanchy, Cam Hanley, Dan King and Steve King.
With their postseason backs to the wall as a result of Sunday night’s 13-3 loss to Hingham, the locals returned to Walsh Field in New Bedford to battle District 6 West rival Foxboro, also with one loss, for the right to move on.
Foxboro pulled ahead 2-1 in the top of the second, and it stayed that way until Walpole tied it at two in the bottom of the fifth on doubles by Lavanchy and Hanley.
Walpole pulled ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth but Foxboro tied again in the top of the seventh. The locals iced the win with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, when brothers Dan and Steve King had back-to-back …
