Category Archives: Georgetown

November 15, 2009 · 8:57 pm

Georgetown Girls Are D3 North Soccer Champs

Georgetown trophy pose 11-15-09

Georgetown girls pose with D3 North soccer championship trophy at Manning Field

(Lynn) I didn’t see any hats fly out of the stands but Georgetown’s Nicoline Holland registered three goals – now 20 for the season – in the first half and the Royals soccer girls won the Division 3 North Finals on Sunday afternoon at Manning Field.

Last time I was on Manning Field was November 16, 2008 and it was raw and windy.  Today, it was close to 60 degrees with no wind – beautiful weather.  In that year-ago visit, I saw the Georgetown boys soccer team get eliminated in the D3 North finals by Hamilton-Wenham, 2-1.

It didn’t take long to see that the Georgetown girls would not suffer the same fate versus the Greater Lowell Tech Gryphons.  Way too many quality players on the Georgetown team.  The Royals put numerous passes together throughout this game and controlled the time of possession decisively.

Georgetown displayed plenty of good dribbling, passing, and being available to support teammates in trouble.  Greater Lowell had little or any of that.  This was my first look at Georgetown and I came away most impressed with defender Kelly Chickering – excellent speed and covered a lot of ground.

All three of Nicoline Holland’s goals came from in close.  She headed one in and got a good foot on two others for scores from near the goal.  At least one of them came from a corner kick.

Georgetown pulled Jamie Block out of the goal for the second half and the freshman assisted on goal #4 that Casey Decareau tallied midway through the second half.

Emma Cannon closed out the scoring with under four minutes left.

Convincing win?  No question.  I have no idea how good the three Division 3 teams still standing are, though.

This was Royal 4th year coach Colleen Gibbs first trip to the Division 3 Finals and now she gets to the state semifinals against the South winner.

Does this team have another victory crossing in them??

 

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June 6, 2009 · 8:38 pm

Georgetown Wins Division 3 North Baseball Title vs Newburyport

The scoreboard after the game

The scoreboard after the game

(Lowell)  I was at sunny LeLacheur Park in Lowell and watched Georgetown hang on to defeat Newburyport, 4-3, to gain the North Sectional Championship in Division 3 on Saturday afternoon on June 6th.

This game was tense from beginning to end.  Newburyport ended the game with runners on second and third just a hit or an error away from winning the game.

It somehow made sense that pitcher Andrew Sinkewicz fielded the last grounder and tossed to first baseman Marco Luisi for the final out.  Andrew and Marco were the two difference makers in my opinion.  Andrew pitched a complete game in the biggest game of his life and also drove in what turned out to be the game winning run in the top of the 7th with an infield grounder.  Marco launched two homers (2nd & 6th innings) over the left field fence that were the only runs on the board until the final inning.

The Clippers put plenty of pressure on the Royals with baserunners aplenty.  Only in the fifth did they go quietly.

Ryan O’Connor started for Newburyport and was relieved by Tommy Morris in the 7th.  Except for the two bombs by Marco Luisi, Ryan pitched very well.  He had the misfortune of making the last out of the game which necessitates reminding folks that no one person ever loses a team game.

The coaches involved,  Bill Pettingell(Newburyport) and Mark Rowe(Georgetown),  have known each other for years.  Bill coached Mark and later Mark was on Bill’s coaching staff.  Those facts probably made the victory a little bittersweet for Mark Rowe.

I took quite a few pictures.  Clicking on anything underlined will bring up a picture.

The teams wait for the North Andover/Reading game to end.

Mark Rowe and Bill Pettingell meet with the umpires before the game.

Tyler Stotz, Kyle LeBlanc, Joe Clancy, Matt Mottola, and Kyle McElroy line up during introductions.

Ryan O’Connor pitches for Newburyport and Andrew Sinkewicz pitches for Georgetown.

Marco Luisi mobbed in the second inning and the sixth inning after hitting homers.

Joe Clancy scores Newburyport’s first run in the sixth inning on Tommy Morris’s sacrifice fly.

Mike Ruh scores Georgetown’s 3rd run coming home on Anthony Conte’s triple in the top of the 7th.

Anthony Conte scores the eventual game-winner after Andrew Sinkewicz’s grounder to first in the 7th.

Coach Pettingell gathers his team together before their last at-bats in the bottom of the seventh.

Georgetown celebrates after recording the final out.

Joe Clancy leaves the field unable to score the tying run.

Georgetown celebrates the championship trophy.

The two coaches shake hands afterwards.

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March 9, 2009 · 8:56 pm

Georgetown Girls Lose Finals to Millis – Pictures from the game

Georgetown girls coach Barri Ann Lorenzo looks on during closing minute of the Royals state finals loss to Millis at the BankNorth Garden on March 9th.

Georgetown girls coach Barri Ann Lorenzo looks on during closing minute of the Royals state finals loss to Millis at the BankNorth Garden on March 9th.

(Boston) The Georgetown Royals reached the state finals on this snowy March 9th afternoon but came away with only an appearance in the finals to show for it as they lost to Millis, 60-43.

“It was worth the trip,” said Coach Barri Ann Lorenzo afterwards in the press room.  “But it’s harder without the W at the end of the day. I am very proud of them and equally disappointed with them not in them.”

The Royals actually got off to a nice start as Taryn O’Connell nailed 3’s on her first two shots in the first 1 ½ minutes.  No one knew it then but those were half of the 12 points that G’Town’s all-time scorer would get in the game.

Georgetown, with five busloads of students cheering them on, led 10-8 after one period.  The second quarter was a different story and it was in the first 4 ½ minutes that the Mohawks took control of this game for good.  In thirteen possessions the Royals committed eight turnovers, missed two free throws, and Taryn had a shot blocked.  Meanwhile, Millis started getting production from junior Molly Breen (28 points – career high) and senior Amy Ingraham (20 points).

An Olivia Zitoli layup put Millis in front 11-10 and by the quarters end the lead was up to 29-22.  Breen had ten points in that quarter mostly on layups.

“The answer to #24 (Molly Breen) would have been help defense,” explained Coach Lorenzo.  “We had scouted Millis and knew about them.  We just didn’t defend very well.”  With just one day to practice after reaching the finals on Saturday afternoon you can understand that not only was there limited practice time but certainly a fatigue issue.  “Millis ended up with two days of practice (rest?) and we had one.”

In the third period the Royals put together of string of points (Shannon Hartford layup/Kelli O’Brien jumper/two Taryn free throws) and had narrowed things to 40-35 with 1 ½ minutes remaining.

This was where Molly took this game over.  The last eight points belonged to the 5’11” junior.  She repeatedly found her way to the basket and/or to the free throw line.  This was part of the game where that help defense vanished and when the quarter ended a mountainous 48-33 deficit was in place. 

The Royals could not dent that deficit the rest of the way and by the time the game ended every player on each roster had seen action on the BankNorth Garden floor.

That her team did so well in the tournament (won four games) did not surprise Coach Alonzo.  “I expected us to do well.” 

Georgetown had to have the vision to see the light at the end of the tunnel as they played through 15 losses during the pre-tournament season.  All those losses got them the bottom seed in Division 4 and put them in with the best area Division 4 teams early.  No problem except maybe the close one I saw versus Fenway at Greater Lawrence. 

Coach Alonzo was pleased with the fan support at the Garden.  “It was great because the girls don’t usually get the attention they deserve.”

It was ironic that the G’Town boys had a 14-6 season and had plenty of fan support.  They also were rewarded with a bye in the first round of the tournament and then ended up losing the first game they played.  Therefore, this was a year to follow the boys during the regular season and the girls in the tournament.

I had my camera handy at the Garden.  Anything that is underlined will turn into a picture if you click on it. 

Athletic director Guy Prescott and principal Peter Lucia pose before the game.

Jennifer Donovan and Kelly Gillen prepare to sing the National Anthem.

The Royals line up for the National Anthem.

The opening tip.

Assistant coach Bob Graffum looks on.

Plenty of fans from Georgetown made the trip.

The cheerleaders also performed.

Taryn O’Connell shoots a free throw with Haley Gisonno ready to rebound.

Rachel Sherman gets ready for an inbounds play.

Molly Breen puts in two of her 28 points.

Shannon Hartford studies the situation.

Michelle Reilly with Kelli O’Brien in the background.

Taryn O’Connell scans the floor late in the game.

Taryn, Haley, and Michelle watch from the bench as the game slips away.

Maria DeGenova holds the Division 4 finalist trophy.

The team lines up to receive their medals.

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January 31, 2009 · 12:29 pm

Taryn O’Connell: Worthy of Notice

Georgetown coach BarriAnn Lorenzo with star senior Taryn O'Connell

Georgetown coach BarriAnn Lorenzo with star senior Taryn O'Connell

Taryn O’Connell not only plays under the basket but also “plays under the radar,” according to her basketball coach at Georgetown High School, BarriAnn Lorenzo. 

“In a league with big schools like Masco, North Andover, and Ipswich not much attention is paid to little Georgetown and Taryn O’Connell,” claimed Coach Lorenzo.

The neglect seems unfair since the Royals’ senior has been a four-year starter, has reached 1000 points, and is closing in on an even more impressive stat – 1000 rebounds. 

She is currently in the 900s in rebounds and her 12 per game average could get her to that 1000 mark by the end of this season.  That would put Taryn into the exclusive career quadruple/quadruple club that Ipswich High (UMaine recruit) Amber Smith just entered on January 27th. 

“When you stop and realize that rebounds only come one at a time and points can accumulate one, two, or three at a time you see how significant the 1000 rebound mark is,” explained Coach Alonzo.

Coach Alonzo has coached Taryn for four years.  “She is great at deflecting attention away from herself,” said the coach.  “For us, she is a leader off the court and the stat leader in all the categories on the court.”

Joining the varsity as a freshman, Taryn had ten points and eleven rebounds in her first game.  “I was 5-7 and the taller girls had graduated so I played right away,” said Taryn, recalling the start of a career packed with big numbers.

Those big numbers, through ten games this season, have Taryn with 47 (That’s not a typo!) double/doubles.

You would like to think that there was a highlight game somewhere in that run but Coach Alonzo couldn’t think of one.  “Taryn is always so consistent for us in points (20+ per game) and rebounds (12+ per game) that her numbers don’t fluctuate very much. Her reliability is her trademark.”

Taryn was quick to credit her parents with helping her get ahead in basketball. “My mom offered me the option in 5th grade of joining an AAU team,” she said.  “I accepted and when I started practicing those extra sessions I developed a love for the game.”

She added that her dad was her rebounder when she practiced at night in the summer in the backyard.  “He even landscaped the backyard so that we have a flat surface and put up a nice, glass backboard.”

The Royals qualified for the state tournament last season and hope to again this year despite a possible losing record.  “There is something called the Sullivan Rule,” explained Coach Alonzo. “If 70% of your schedule is against teams from higher divisions then you only have to win 50% of the games with the teams of your division size that you play against.  If we can defeat either Manchester-Essex or Rockport in upcoming games we’ll qualify.”

Next year Taryn expects to be playing basketball in college.  “I’ve been accepted at WPI and I’m waiting to hear from Hobart and Bates,” she said.  “I have talked with the coaches at those places about basketball so there could be opportunities for me.” 

“Taryn started in the post but when she stopped growing taller she realized that she needed to improve her ball-handling and outside shooting if she was going to play in college,” said Coach Lorenzo.  “With hard work she has developed into a 3-point shooter and sometimes will bring the ball up for us.”

Coach Alonzo started an email to me by saying, “I can’t wait to brag about Taryn.”  Now I know why.

(Prepared to appear in The Town Common on February 11th.)

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December 17, 2008 · 2:32 pm

Local Sporting Events: A Gift Waiting to be Opened Year Round

I enjoy watching athletic events all year long and I find them to be a little bit like Christmas. 

A lively crowd abandons TVs and computers for an evening of high school basketball on December 16th at NHS. The Clippers defeated Triton, 63-57

A lively crowd abandons TVs and computers for an evening of high school basketball on December 16th at NHS. The Clippers defeated Triton, 63-57

Sporting events are a natural occasion for participants and family spectators to enjoy special times together.  It is also an enjoyable take for those of us on the outside looking in, to be able to witness this phenomenon.

Those special times are not necessarily celebrating victories but are always opportunities to watch character-building interactions that strike me as very important in the grand scheme of things.

Visit a game and you’ll see players comforted after losses by their parents.  Few words are spoken but the athletes get the message – “Win or lose, we’re here for you.” 

The very fact that parents attend athletic events involving their children is special.  The younger the participants the more likely it is that a child will be looking into the crowd for his/her parents.  Am I the only one who has seen a participating child wave to his family while a game is going on?

It is also nice to see the bonding that goes on within a team during a game and during a season.  I have no doubt that coaches promote the idea of being supportive teammates. 

When a team/teammate is struggling that support is taken to a higher level.  I witnessed this at Georgetown High School on December 15th.  GHS was playing talented Cathedral High of Brighton in a nonleague let’s-see-how-good-we-are boys’ basketball game.  I went to see celebrated GHS sophomore Jaymie Spears play and decided to chart everything he did. Not long into the game, I realized that the talented 5-10 guard was living a nightmare in front of a large audience.  By halftime, he had made just one of fourteen shots.  Discouraged?  You bet he was but during every stoppage of play, I saw teammates and coaches encouraging him.  I wish I could say that things got better in the second half but they didn’t.  He could only hit one of thirteen shots in the second half and his team ended up losing by a point.  However, through it all, his teammates and coaches stayed positive.  I came away believing that the support system in place on Coach Mike Rowinski’s Royals team will enable the young man to move on and that all involved have learned and displayed valuable life lessons in the process.

It doesn’t always happen but two of the area teams (Newburyport girls’ soccer and Amesbury football) rewarded their towns with the gift of their dreams – state championships. 

NHS girls’ soccer is the epitome of a successful program.  A well-run feeder system is in place and surely had plenty to do with winning a second straight state championship this season. Cape Ann League All-Stars will graduate but this has been a team that doesn’t rebuild, it reloads. 

At Amesbury High School, the football program took a turn for the better when the current seniors were freshmen and had an undefeated season.  Those freshmen moved on to the varsity the next season and were the nucleus of a team that wiped out Martha’s Vineyard and won Amesbury’s first Super Bowl ever. 

For me the beauty of attending officiated local sports is that I never attend knowing the outcome in advance – kind of like unwrapping a Christmas present.  Predictably, interesting things will unfold. 

The only “danger” in attending a local sporting event is that one game may not be enough for you.  Before long, you’re turning off the TV or computer and heading out to take in some real action on a regular basis.

(To be published in The Town Common on December 24th)

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December 5, 2008 · 12:48 pm

Georgetown Soccer Rides “do-or-die” to Division 3 North Finals

In a time of cliché overkill, the phrase “do-or-die” is overused and often abused. 

However, write about the 2008 season of the Georgetown boys’ soccer team and the phrase fits perfectly.

This team was a very unimpressive 3-7-4 after coming off 4-0 losses to both Masco and Wilmington.  With few games left, the success of the season hung in the balance.

GHS coach Ron Comeau with Div 3 North Finals Trophy

GHS coach Ron Comeau with Div 3 North Finals Trophy

 “We knew full well, that with four games left, we couldn’t lose or tie the rest of the way or we wouldn’t make the playoffs,” explained GHS coach Ron Comeau.

And sure enough in the very next game (at Rockport), the Royals were in a 0-0 tie in the last minute.  “We had a 30 MPH wind to our backs and a direct kick from the sidelines,” recalled the Royals eight year coach.  “We had everyone up in the box because we couldn’t afford a tie.  Kyle McKay took the kick and laid it across everyone’s head and curled it into the corner for the game-winner.”

“From that point on we really believed that we could make the playoffs,” said Ron.  “The kids’ confidence seemed to grow and we did qualify for the state’s.”

The GHS coach believes that playing in the strong Cape Ann League is a tremendous plus when it comes to the state tournament.  “Even in losses to the CAL powerhouses like Masco the team gets better and later when you face teams your own size in the tournament you have some advantages.”

The Royals were seeded a distant 14th in the North Division 3 playoffs.  With a 7-7-4 record, they were unlikely to scare too many teams outside of the Cape Ann League.  But after three games in the tournament Georgetown was still standing.  That got them to the North Finals where CAL opponent Hamilton-Wenham beat them 2-1 at windy Manning Field in Lynn on November 16th.

“We had a great run in the tournament,” said Ron.  “Even the loss to Hamilton-Wenham could have gone our way.  In the first half, we hit a crossbar and had another shot glance off the crossbar.  Put us up 2-0 and things might have been different in the second half.”

Coach Comeau was quick to admit that this was the most successful of the eight seasons he’s had at Georgetown.  The team had been in the playoffs before but had never gotten to the North Finals.

Coach Comeau’s personal soccer-playing past is an interesting one.  “I never played soccer growing up.  It was my kids that got me started.  They played and I helped out on their teams.  Then I was their coach and before long I was the Georgetown soccer commissioner.  I took up playing soccer myself by joining an Over-30 league and it was there that I fell in love with the game.  I played for the Georgetown team for eight seasons as a defensive player and a goalkeeper.  Along the way I got state certified to coach at the high school level.”

“It was terrific the way the town supported us during the playoffs,” he added.  “Georgetown is a very nice town to play sports in.” 

( Submitted to The Town Common on December 5th )

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June 2, 2008 · 1:28 am

Georgetown High School Seniors Discuss Sports

Jay Nemeroff and Katherine Falzareno (pictured above) have both been very active high school athletes at Georgetown High School.

Jay played four years of football, three years of wrestling, and two seasons of lacrosse.  Katherine did four years of soccer, two seasons of basketball, and three years of lacrosse.

 “My dad played baseball in high school and rugby in college,” explained Jay.  “He encouraged me at a young age to get involved in sports.”

Katherine’s mother saw the social advantages of sports.  “My mom thought that being in sports would be an easy way for me to meet friends,” said Katherine. 

Katherine made friends and those friendships continued even into her high school summers.  “Team members usually went together to soccer, basketball, or lacrosse camps.”

Jay spent his high school summers working at Camp Rotary in Boxford.  “That kept me from going to any of the football workouts but I stayed in shape at camp.”

Neither found it easy being a student and an athlete in high school.  “It was tough sometimes especially during wrestling season because practices were later,” said Jay.  “You really had to have time management to get schoolwork done.”

Katherine also struggled getting schoolwork completed when practices/games were in the evening.  “I realized that it was important for me to get work done in school before practice.  I sometimes did work during lunch.”

Jay was comfortable relying on his good memory when it came to academic assignments and sports schedules.  “I’m not a big fan of writing things down,” he explained.  He did admit to me that even though he always knew when the bus would leave to go to an away game he wasn’t always aware of the Royals’ opponent until someone on the bus told him.

Katherine believed that there was a pattern to schedules and assignments.  “It is kind of like second nature to remember what needs doing because I’ve been doing it for so long. I did have my own assignment book that I used at times.”

Jay begins at the University of Vermont in the fall and will be majoring in psychology.  Besides the academic opportunities, Jay added that the good skiing at UVM was an influence.  “Skiing wasn’t the deciding factor, I don’t want my parents to get mad at me, but it definitely helped my decision.”

Katherine opted for a small college (Division 3), in a warmer climate, where she could continue with sports – Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina.  “I have been in contact with the soccer and lacrosse coaches there.  They know I’m interested.  I hope to play both sports.  I like the structure that sports give me so I hope to continue playing in college.”

Jay did not plan to try out for any Vermont college teams but expected to stay active.  “It will be kind of weird having a lot of free time.  I expect to get involved in intramurals.  I’ll have to come up with my own structure now.”

(Prepared for The Town Common and likely to appear in that weekly publication in late June or early July.)

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