Tag Archives: Ipswich

September 15, 2012 · 8:47 pm

Whittier rallies to defeat Ipswich, 20-18, in overtime football

Wildcat Jesus Sanchez (4) sweeps to the corner for the game-winning, two-point conversion

Henry Sacco scores a nine-yard touchdown for Ipswich in the second quarter.

(Haverhill) If you’re looking for a game with plusses and minuses for both teams, this was the one.

However, in the end it was Whittier coming away with the biggest plus defeating Ipswich in overtime, 20-18, on a lovely Saturday morning/afternoon in Haverhill.

Both teams had been trounced in their openers (Ipswich lost to Pingree 34-7.…Whittier was belted by Stoneham 34-6) and have never played each other before.

Ipswich (0-2) came in with experience (fifteen seniors) while Whittier (1-1) had a roster loaded with underclass athletes.

Ipswich was excellent in the first half getting a 12-0 halftime advantage. Whittier had those two touchdowns back midway through the final quarter and nearly won the game in the last second. A blocked field goal attempt on the final play of regulation sent this one to OT.

In overtime a team gets four downs from the 10 yard line. New this year is that if a team scores, they must go for a two-point conversion.

In their overtime series, Ipswich ran Derek Chamberlain off right tackle three straight times. He reached the two yard line on the first, scored on the second, and was stopped short by Jake McCartney on the two-point conversion try. This put Ipswich up 18-12.

Justin Reyes catches a TD pass from Connor Bradley in overtime

In OT, Whittier fumbled the first snap and fortunately (for them) senior Sam King made the recovery. Next play QB Connor Bradley lofted a “jump ball” pass to leaper Justin Reyes over two defenders to tie the score.

On the game-deciding extra point, sophomore Jesus Sanchez swept right into the corner to win the game for Whittier. (Whittier had tried that same play after their first score in the third quarter and it had been stopped cold.)

Ipswich tallied on two straight possessions in the second quarter. Wingback Henry Sacco finished a 71-yard drive with a score from fifteen yards out for the first touchdown. Derek Chamberlain (eighty-six yards in fourteen carries) ended a 55-yard drive from nine yards rushing over right tackle to give Ipswich a 12-0 advantage.

Watching the two Tiger extra-point attempts I recalled a quote from Ipswich Coach Ted Flaherty in the Ipswich Chronicle – “We do some unusual things on special teams.” No sign of a center anywhere in either attempt. On one try the ball went back to reserve QB Eddie Flaherty and the other to QB Kyle Blomster. Both wanted to pass but a block and a sack ruined the attempts at trickery.

In that first half Whittier spent most of the time on defense. On offense they had a couple of first downs and never seriously threatened to score. They did try a couple of “jump ball” passes to Justin Reyes and Jaylin Deveau but couldn’t connect.

Ipswich failed to capitalize on their first possession in the third quarter and in my opinion this was the turning point in the game.

During that possession the Tigers had a long run (40+ yards) by Derek Chamberlain called back on a hold (Chris McCormack). The Tigers recovered from that setback when Kyle Barber broke loose for 23 yards and Wildcat Brandon Lyons added fifteen yards for a hit out of bounds.

Ipswich was now first and ten from the Whittier 17. They would reach the ten before getting a delay of game penalty and seeing Kyle Blomster’s 4th down pass sail over the head of Nate Glaster.

Jaylin Deveau (behind 83) finishes an 85-yard TD run in the third quarter

Turning point? You bet as Whittier took over and on the first play Jaylin Deveau cut through the line on the right and headed down the sidelines for an electrifying 85-yard score with 2:59 left in the third quarter. The extra point rush attempt by Jesus Sanchez failed but the momentum had swung to the Wildcats.

Next possession, early in the final quarter, Ipswich had Whittier pinned back at midfield with a 4th-and-16. However, defensive back Nate Glaster got caught watching the quarterback (Connor Bradley) as Brandon Lyons raced ten yards behind him. Connor’s pass was on target and Brandon scored easily to tie the score with 6:28 left.

Nate Glaster (hands raised) block extra point attempt

Ralph Francesconi’s kick attempt was blocked by Nate Glaster to keep the score tied at 12.

On their next possession, Tiger Kyle Barber tried (unsuccessfully) to pass instead of punt on fourth down and Whittier was able to take over on their own 46 with four minutes left.

They would get down to the Tiger five before a big defensive play by Andy Connor pushed the Wildcats back to the ten. Ralph Francesconi’s game-winning field goal attempt from there was blocked as time ran out.

Ipswich hosts Triton on Friday night (7PM) while Whittier will travel to Georgetown on Saturday afternoon (1PM).

Connor Bradley (eight of fourteen passes -142 yards) and Brandon Lyons connected on a touchdown pass in the Stoneham loss in the Whittier opener.

The acoustics at Whittier were excellent and the booming voice of Wildcat coach Kevin Bradley was hard to miss. His best material was directed at the officials – “Every time we have you it’s flag city.” He did seem to talk the officials out of a pass interference call in the final quarter.

My GPS is good but when the bridge across from West Newbury to Haverhill is closed things got interesting. I ended up taking a side trip almost to Building 19 to get across the Merrimac River.

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge significantly if you click on them.)

Kyle Blomster hands off to Kyle Barber as Ben ONeil (63) leads the blocking

Jake McCartney (3) stops Derek Chamberlain (40) in two-point overtime try

Nate Glaster nearly scores over Doug Angus

Doug Angus tackles Nate Glaster

Derek Chamberlain (14 carries – 86 yards) breaks loose

Brandon Lyons beats Nate Glaster for a Wildcat TD

Derek Chamberlain scores in overtime

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Filed under Ipswich, Whittier Tech

Tagged as Brandon Lyons, Connor Bradley, Derek Chamberlain, Henry Sacco, Ipswich, Jake McCartney, Jesus Sanchez, Justin Reyes, Nate Glaster, Whittier Tech

November 14, 2010 · 4:15 pm

Ipswich Season Ends 2-0 in D3 North Finals to Weston

(Lynn) In the eighty minute Division 3 North girls soccer final, Weston pressured/dominated (choose your verb) Ipswich for a solid fifty minutes and built up a 2-0 lead that turned out to be the final score on Saturday afternoon.

In weather warm enough (60 degrees) at Manning Field to have some fans shedding clothes (see picture), the Tigers were fortunate to only be down 2-0 after a very persistent Wildcat attack. To say that Ipswich goalie Hannah O’Flynn and the rest of the Ipswich defense were busy is a total understatement.

While Weston came at Ipswich from every angle the Wildcat goalie never touched the ball the entire first half!

Meanwhile Weston had nine corner kicks down the other end during the first half and it was one of those kicks by Madeline Linde that put the Wildcats in front 1-0. My long-range picture shows the Ipswich goalie (Hannah O’Flynn) covering the near post but the ball has somehow gotten beyond her.

Forward Emma Dagres came into the game advertised as Weston’s best. She was accurately estimated from what I saw. Despite personal coverage from Jackie Manchester, the talented junior came very close several times including her first half attempt (in this picture) showing her blocked doorstep shot at Hannah O’Flynn.

Madeline Linde dribbles into scoring position with Courtney Long in hot pursuit.

The only thing that changed in the early going in the second half was that Weston was pressuring at a different goal on the field. Seven minutes into the half Madeline Linde got control of a loose ball in close to the left of the Ipswich goalie and dribbled across the front of the goal for a shot (left foot?) that evaded Hannah.

2-0, early in the second half. I was expecting Weston to get more goals but it didn’t happen thanks to a more do-or-die Ipswich approach. The concern about more Weston goals transferred into the need to get Ipswich goals. And there were a couple of glittering Tiger second half chances that failed. If one of those had been made maybe the outcome could have been different.

The first second-half scoring chance shows a look (see picture) that Thursday’s hero, Bryn Golesworthy, had at a shot right near the Weston goalie.

The second scoring opportunity (see picture) shows Mariah Brockelbank narrowly missing a tip-in as the ball rolls along the goal line.

Weston (15-5-2) moves on to the state semifinals. Ipswich (11-7-4) waits until next year.

Ipswich goalie – Hannah O’Flynn

The biggest change in the 2011 Tigers will be the absence of goalie Hannah O’Flynn. A combination of size, speed, and athletic instincts made her exceptional as the last Ipswich defender.

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Filed under Ipswich, Weston

Tagged as Bryn Golesworthy, Division 3 North girls soccer, Emma Lagres, Hannah O'Flynn, Ipswich, Ipswich girls soccer 2010, Jackie Manchester, Madeline Linde, Mariah Brockelbank, Weston Wildcats

November 9, 2010 · 8:20 pm

Ipswich Soccer Girls Reach Semi-Finals in D3 North With 1-0 Win Over Shawsheen

Courtney Long drills the winning goal past Shawsheen’s flinching Alyssa Martucci in the Ipswich D3 North win at Billerica on Tuesday afternoon.

(Billerica) It was almost a year ago to the day on the same field against the same team. This time, however, there was a different result as the Ipswich girls soccer team eliminated #1 seed Shawsheen, 1-0, to advance to the semi-finals of the Division 3 North tournament.

The #9 seed Tigers (10-6-4) made a goal by Courtney Long in the first half’s drizzly conditions stand up. Shawsheen (15-2-2), from the Commonwealth Athletic League, had a first round bye while Ipswich had to get by St.Mary’s on Sunday to reach this game.

I thought that the Tigers were a step quicker than the Rams most of the afternoon. I never saw any sort of dangerous direct shot at Ipswich goalie Hannah O’Flynn in this contest. In fact, Hannah’s father, Dr. Hugh O’Flynn, had more action than she did as he was on the field with five injured players (by my count) during the game.

I had a good look at Courtney’s first-half goal. Ipswich had been awarded a direct kick. The Rams set up a wall that might have blocked Courtney’s shot (painfully) but as she struck the shot the end girl on the wall (Alyssa Martucci) flinched to the right leaving an opening. (Maybe the shot would have gone in whether she had moved to her right or not.) Anyhow, the ball hit near the right corner at the bottom of the top crossbar and caromed down across the goal-line.

I don’t think that there was another open shot at either goal the rest of the game. Hannah Weagle came close to getting a rebound in front of the Ram net in the second half and later Mary Krathwohl nearly broke through for a good shot.

Samantha Brown blocks a Sabrina Gomes (#7) clear.

One painful moment late was when Samantha Brown ended up with her face in front of a Sabrina Gomes clearing kick. Sabrina was apologetic afterwards.

The Tigers now move on to the semi-final round of the tournament. They will be facing Cape Ann League opponent Lynnfield (#4 seed) at 2:30 PM at Manning (turf) Field in Lynn on Thursday afternoon. These teams split during the regular season with Lynnfield winning at home in September while Ipswich won at home in October.

(All the information is from my own personal observation. Regard any inaccuracies from that vantage point, please.)

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Filed under Cape Ann League, Dr. Hugh O'Flynn, Ipswich, Shawsheen

Tagged as Alyssa Martucci, Courtney Long, Division 3 North girls soccer, Dr. Hugh O'Flynn, Hannah Weagle, Ipswich, Ipswich High School, Ipswich High School girls soccer, Lynnfield girls soccer, Manning Field Lynn, Mary Krathwohl, MIAA, Sabrina Gomes, Samantha Brown, Shawsheen Rams, Shawsheen Tech

October 30, 2010 · 8:10 pm

Hamilton-Wenham sweeps at the 2010 Cape Ann League Cross Country Championships

Alison Lanois (HW) takes girls title after finishing second in 2009

Kieran Kinnare (Ipswich) continues undefeated with a win at the Cape Ann League championships

(Topsfield) The Newburyport boys cross country team was dominating (taking the first seven places) but that was in the Cape Ann League JV championships at sunny, cool (low 50s), breezy Bradley Palmer Park on Saturday morning.

At the varsity level, however, the Clippers (11-1) had to settle for another second to Hamilton-Wenham (12-0) – 51-62. HW had won an earlier matchup, 23-32, at Patton Park on September 29th.

The HW girls were winners in convincing fashion…….as they’ve been all season. In this undefeated season, the Generals were 1-5 in eight of their twelve victories. Today they were 1-4-7-8-9 which was more than enough for the CAL championship.

Alison Lanois was the winner (as pictured above) and the makeup of the top four finishers was in place by the time the runners passed the starting line area for the first time. The picture shows Alison (#1133), Kerry Phelan (#1140), Sarah Kieran (#1186) and a hidden Rebecca Morse (#1973) all bunched together. Later there would be separation as the gap at the finish shows between Alison and Rebecca.

Kelly Conway(21st) was the first Newburyport runner to appear.

Kieran Kinnare won easily and early. His next challenge will be in the Division 2 state meet in two weeks.

Clipper Chris Suprin finished 3rd (after 9th last year) but the rest of the Newburyport Five were 12-14-16-17.

There was plenty to like about the Newburyport boys in the junior varsity event. They took the first seven places with Gopal Yalla leading the way.

This site has complete 2010 Cape Ann League cross country championship results.

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Filed under 2010 Cape Ann League Cross Country Championships, Hamilton-Wenham

Tagged as Alison Lanois, Bradley Palmer state park, Chris Suprin, Gopal Yalla, Hamilton-Wenham Regional, Ipswich, Kelly Conway, Kerry Phelan, Kieran Kinnare, Newburyport Clippers, Newburyport cross country, Rebecca Morse, Sarah Kieran

December 30, 2009 · 6:51 pm

Ready For Action in Ipswich

Action Inc has been active on Cape Ann since 1965. They have offices in many towns throughout the area, including recently opened sites in Ipswich and Rockport.

In a press release regarding the new offices, Action Inc. Executive Director Tim Riley said, “Although Action has served Ipswich and Rockport residents for more than 40 years, these new satellite offices will make our services accessible to a greater number of people. We expect to deliver services to 30% more people in Ipswich and Rockport this year.”

The funding for the offices in Ipswich and Rockport came from the Stimulus Bill signed into law by President Obama in February.

The Action Inc office in Ipswich is located at the Birth to Three Family Center at 15 Market Street, Suite 4. Office hours are on Monday (10AM-5PM) and Wednesday (Noon-7PM).

More important than the office hours is the office phone number – (978-879-3667). That number has voice mail (I know, I tried.) and the woman in charge of the office, Harmoni White, assured me in a phone interview that all calls will be answered. “If I don’t answer right away,” she said, “I’m probably researching the problem. I will get back to everyone who calls.”

Trying to describe what Action Inc does is a bit like explaining what a stay-home mom does – a little bit of everything. They are especially intent on helping the Cape Ann area needy of all ages in practical ways.

Harmoni told me that she is getting plenty of calls about needs in Ipswich. “Once we put out our information in Ipswich school newsletters the calls picked up considerably. Each call usually describes a particular need and I try to get that person help. I’m psyched to be able to do it.”

I learned from Harmoni that her passion for helping others was part of her background. “My grandmother directed the Teen Center in Beverly and my mother was involved in foster care. I have about 40 brothers and sisters as a result. I have also lived in public housing as well as on welfare and know about navigating for help. The important thing is to keep going.”

Harmoni told me that the biggest barrier she has been confronted with in Ipswich is pride. “This is a town where people are used to meeting their own needs,” she said. “To some here, asking for organized assistance is the very last thing they would do especially for those who have never been on the receiving end before.”

She added, “Part of it is their worry that others will be alerted to their condition of need. I cannot tell you how many people, with obvious shortages of money from job reductions or losses will refuse to apply for food stamps. They are afraid that someone at the local supermarket might see them using food stamps. It is unfortunate.”

Obviously, for Action Inc to live up to its name, needs needing to be addressed, must be presented. Action Inc is already serving over 3,000 families in Cape Ann and it sounds as if they are ready, willing, and able to help if allowed into the mix.

Action Inc has a website and there is always the Ipswich office phone number (978-879-3667) for those searching for information and help.

( This article appeared in The Town Common in December 30, 2009. )

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Tagged as Action Inc, Harmoni White, Ipswich, Tim Riley

May 23, 2009 · 4:44 pm

Ipswich/Essex Summer Bus Shuttle Is a Bargain

Pricey place to visit on summer weekends - bus shuttle is a financial alternative.

Crane Beach is no secret in the summer. Pick a hot weekend day from June 20th – September 7th to visit that beach and you’ll join a vehicle caravan on Argilla Road in Ipswich.

$22 later you have a parking place, if there are any available.

The high price and the possibility of not even being able to get on the beach would suggest that other ways to get to Crane’s should be considered by non-residents (Ipswich residents get in on a sticker.).

One of the under-known alternatives is the Ipswich/Essex Explorer. This is a weekend/holiday bus shuttle that ties in with the commuter rail service from Boston.

I spoke with Bill Nelson (manager of the Visitor’s Center in Ipswich) about the bus service. “It is one of those things that not too many people know about but should,” he said.

There is no question that the price is right – $5. The way it works is that when the train from Boston arrives in Ipswich during weekends and holidays between June 20th and September 7th, a Cape Ann Transportation Bus is there waiting.

The 35-seat bus, with room for beach paraphernalia, has a schedule that not only includes Crane Beach, but also Russell Orchard, and sites in Essex such as Woodman’s, just to mention some of its stops.

The bus doesn’t stay at these sites. It drops off passengers at the site of their choice. Obviously, it is important to know when the bus is scheduled to return.

The Crane Beach part of the trip is especially attractive. The $5 paid at the Ipswich train station gets you onto Crane Beach. But what if the parking lot is full and cars are being detoured back at Northgate Road? Not a problem. The shuttle bus is still allowed to drive in and discharge passengers.

There are first-time visitors who arrive in Ipswich via train and think that they will walk to Crane Beach the same way they walk from the Manchester train station to Singing Beach. “Crane Beach is six miles from the train station,” explained Bill Nelson, “and a taxi will cost close to $25. This all makes the bus shuttle very appealing.”

The Ipswich/Essex Explorer bus shuttle is in its fourth year. “It came about as part of a CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grant,” Bob Ryan recalled. “The idea was to promote less car use by providing travel alternatives for groups of people, many coming out from Boston.”

Bob added that, “We’ve been running a similar service in Rockport since 1994.”

Bill Nelson explained that some people drive their cars to the Ipswich station and wait for the bus. “There is no fee to park in the Ipswich lot because the town owns it. Other people drive toward Crane Beach, find out it is full, and then come back to the station and wait for the bus.”

A check of the MBTA website shows when the commuter trains arrive in Ipswich from Boston from June 20th – September 7th on holidays and weekends. Whenever that train arrives in Ipswich from Boston, the bus shuttle will be there.

Bill told me that any questions about the shuttle service can be answered at the Ipswich Visitor’s Center. “After Memorial Day we are open seven days a week from 9-5.” Their phone number is (978-356-8540).

Bob Ryan was very positive about Ipswich/Essex shuttle. He did, however, mention one very significant concern. “We don’t know what the state will do about the transportation deficit,” he said. “One of the suggestions is to eliminate the commuter rail on the weekends. Obviously, if that happens the Ipswich/Essex Explorer bus shuttle won’t be operating.”

The next fiscal year starts on July 1st so decisions about the commuter rail service will be made soon. Many potential summertime Ipswich/Essex tourists are hoping that a bargain like the bus shuttle continues to operate when state budget matters are settled.

( Appeared in The Town Common on May 20th )

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Filed under Ipswich, Ipswich/Essex Explorer bus shuttle

Tagged as Bill Nelson, Bob Ryan, Boston, CMAQ, Crane Beach, Ipswich, Ipswich/Essex Explorer bus shuttle, MBTA, Rockport, Woodman's

April 7, 2009 · 7:35 pm

Mill Road Bridge on Ipswich/Hamilton Line to Reopen in June

The signs on Mill Road that will be removed in June.

“Did he say what year?” That’s probably the question that would come to mind for many of the longsuffering former users of the Mill Road Bridge.

But it’s true. “The overall completion of the work is expected to be in mid-June (2009),” was the confirmation I received from Colin Durrant of MassHighway. Mr. Durrant is in charge of Media Relations.

The director of the DPW in Ipswich (Bob Gravino) shared the same news, “Come the middle of June it should be back on line.”

Mr. Gravino doubted that there would be a ceremony similar to the January 5th event when the Parker River Bridge in Newbury was reopened. “That closing was planned,” he said. “This one was an emergency. People will just be glad to have it back.”

It will be difficult for a visitor stopping by the Mill Road Bridge site now to imagine it will be reopening soon. On March 26th, my visit turned up birds singing, water rushing, a horse grazing, but no workers. I also noted that as I viewed the bridge from the Ipswich side I could still see where the bridge appeared to have dropped on the left side.

I expressed my concerns to Mr. Gravino in a phone interview. “The most difficult and expensive part is now complete,” he assured me. “The structural part is finished. The final step is to rip up the roadbed, rebuild it, and repave it.”

Why hasn’t the final work started yet? “Nothing is going on right now because they haven’t had the right weather to do it,” he explained. “We could still get a snowstorm.” If you’ve lived around here for a while, you know he’s not making that late snowstorm part up.

Snow is one thing but the rain that belted the Ipswich region starting on May 13, 2006 was another. The rains may have let up three days later but the flooding had just begun. Roadways were closed as well as bridges.

The scary thought was that the Mill Road Bridge was in use until May 17th handling a huge volume of heavy vehicles and mounting volume. If the surface then is what it looks like now, you wonder how many more vehicles it could have handled before giving way.

Once its dangerous condition was spotted, the bridge was abruptly closed. MassHighway was quickly involved and the bridge was stabilized by pouring concrete under the piers to offset the scouring that the floodwaters had done on the riverbed.

The next part was the full-scale structural repair. A double-arched, stone bridge built in 1829 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places would not see a quick-fix approach. There was little visual evidence that anything was being done and a rumor made the rounds in July (2008) that the project had been stopped.

The bridge roadway will be repaired last.

It hadn’t, but the public couldn’t tell otherwise because they couldn’t see what was being done. With private property on both sides of the bridge, and boats prohibited from the bridge area, there was no way to be certain if anything was being repaired. But it was and now both MassHighway and Ipswich officials assure us that the structure out of sight is successfully finished.

The arrival of heavy equipment to the Mill Road Bridge area in April/May to do the roadwork will signal the beginning of the end of nearly three years of alternate routes for many people.

Would this be the place to mention to Ipswich folks, that the MassHighway will begin the bridge replacement on Route 1A (High Street) over the MBTA and B&M Railroad this fall, according to their website? Didn’t think so!

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Filed under Hamilton, Ipswich, Mill Road Bridge

Tagged as Bob Gravino, Colin Durrant, Hamilton, Ipswich, MassHighway, Mill Road Bridge

March 30, 2009 · 6:41 pm

Getting the Mill Road Bridge Reopening Story

The Mill Road Bridge - note the left side settling especially on the rail.

Over a month ago I was mislead into believing that the Mill Road Bridge in Ipswich was going to reopen very shortly. It didn’t.

Less than two week ago, the same misleader said that the bridge would open soon probably in May. It won’t.

How do I know? I decided that the reopening of that bridge would make for a good story and volunteered to go after it.

I found out from a rep at MassHighway and the Ipswich DPW director that the bridge will be open by the middle of June.

I learned, along the way, that government-related stories don’t fall together as the usual stories I attempt do.

I drove over to the Mill Road Bridge site on Thursday (March 26th) thinking that I would either arrange for an interview on a future date or get the information I needed right there from the boss at the site. Silly boy!

No one was there even though the weather was pleasant. Not knowing the company involved I next sought out the Ipswich DPW to find out if they knew anything. That got me the director’s phone number but he was gone for the day.

So much for Thursday. On Friday, I talked to the director’s secretary (I had her kids in school) and learned of the best time to call him – Monday. I also got the name of the company that was doing the work and called them in Salisbury. The person I wanted was at a meeting in Boston but would be back later and would call me. I also learned that MassHighway was the overseer and after a call learned who the public relations guy was for them and that I should call on Monday.

Later on the company guy did call. I started asking him questions about how the work was going and he said that he couldn’t give me anything because MassHighway didn’t want him too. That was a bit of a shocker to me!

Today (Monday) I chatted with some wonderful secretaries at the Ipswich DPW and MassHighway in the morning. In one case they said they would alert the person I wanted that I had called. In the other case I ended up on his answering machine. The thought crossed my mind at this point that maybe this story wasn’t meant to be.

This afternoon both people got back to me and confirmed the mid-June date.

I came away realizing that in this situation the people who had the specific information I wanted were prevented from giving me the information and asked to defer me to people who only had general information. Not the sort of stuff an inquisitive writer would want.

I took a couple of pictures at the work site including the one on this blog. You can see how the bridge surface slopes left. How many more vehicles could have made it over before a collapse occurred back in May of 2006 when the days of rain happened?

The thing to remember now is that everything below the road is now fully repaired even though on the surface you could think otherwise.

( I have written a separate article on this bridge for The Town Common. When it appears there on April 8th I will post it on this blog. )

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Tagged as Ipswich, Mill Road Bridge

February 5, 2009 · 4:22 pm

Ipswich Steelers’ Fan Has Super Birthday

John Yeannakopoulos - on hand for sixth Pittsburgh Super Bowl victory

John Yeannakopoulos of Ipswich responded to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and attended Super Bowl XLIII with his sister Denise (DeFrancesco) of Rowley in Tampa on February 1st.

“I was a Patriots fan until the 1970s when the black-and-gold of the Pittsburgh Steelers caught my eye,” he said. “It’s been Pittsburgh ever since.”

The decision of the former Ipswich middle school teacher to go to the Super Bowl was last minute to say the least. “My sister was talking about going to the game in mid-January but I didn’t think it was a good idea,” he recalled. “However, a week later I was riding to a basketball game with a friend of mine and he urged me to take advantage of the opportunity. I decided right then to see if my sister still wanted to go and if she could still make the arrangements. She quickly put things together, as far as flights and tickets were concerned, and we headed to Tampa on Saturday.”

And what an exciting sporting event they witnessed. They saw firsthand an end-of-the-game, 88-yard drive climaxed by Santonio Holmes’ miracle catch that gave their Steelers a thrilling win over the Arizona Cardinals, 27-24.

John reported that the crowd was overwhelmingly for Pittsburgh and the Steelers trademark Terrible Towels were everywhere outside and inside the stadium. “The Cardinals were probably outnumbered 12-to-1. Chants of ‘Here we go, Steelers,’ carried around the stadium before and during the game and every time a Steeler was shown on the jumbotron the fans would go nuts.”

The only time that noise let up, and became “stunned silence,” was when Arizona took the lead with under three minutes to play. “We still were cautiously optimistic that a comeback would happen because (Steelers quarterback) Ben Roethlisberger had won games at the end during the season,” he added.

“When the game was over and we had won, my sister let everyone around us know that today (February 1st) was my birthday,” he said. “One of the people nearby said that the Steelers had won because it was my birthday.”

John told me that Bruce Springsteen’s halftime show was spectacular even though The Boss didn’t do a favorite of his – “Born In The USA,”

John said he learned that the so-called crowd that gathered around the stage was brought in from outside the stadium and had been recruited and prepped during the week. “Once the show was over they were rushed out of the stadium.”

As good as The Boss was, John liked the pregame show of the active Bethune-Cookman marching band from Daytona Beach even better. “They were absolutely phenomenal and the crowd loved them.”

John and Denise sat with other folks from away from the Pittsburgh area who supported the team. “We had a family from California on one side and one from Buffalo on the other. There are Steelers’ fans everywhere in the country.”

This makes six Super Bowl titles for the Steelers out of the forty-three that have been played. “They renamed Pittsburgh, “Sixthburgh,” for the week after the win,” he told me.

Next year the Super Bowl will be in Miami on February 7th. Will he attend? “It’s not on my birthday, but if I’ve got a horse in the race, who knows?”

(Prepared for inclusion in The Town Common on February 11th.)

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Filed under Ipswich, John Yeannakopoulos, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl 2009, Town Common

Tagged as Ben Roethlisberger, Ipswich, John Yeannakopoulos, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl

January 20, 2009 · 5:36 pm

Hugh O’Flynn: The Doctor On Call for Ipswich High Athletics

IHS team doctor Hugh O'Flynn

By day, Dr. Hugh O’Flynn is an orthopedic surgeon at Coastal Orthopedics in Beverly. By night, if he’s not at an Ipswich school committee meeting, he’s probably at an Ipswich High School varsity event sitting inconspicuously in the stands. His preference these days is varsity girls’ basketball since his daughter Hannah is a sophomore starter on that team.

“The first thing I did when I moved back to town (in 1999) was to call up the school and see if I could be the team doctor,” recalled the graduate of Harvard and Columbia Medical School.

I suspect that the athletic director at the time, Dave Dalton, may have thought of the Julie Andrew’s line, “I must have done something good,” from My Fair Lady, when he heard the offer.

Former IHS trainer and current Ipswich AD Tom Gallagher put the magnitude of Hugh’s offer this way, “Many schools struggle to have a physician work with them period, and not only do we have one that is there for us any time we need him but he is also an orthopedic doctor. This allows our athletes to be seen for sports related injuries immediately. Most people have to wait weeks or months to see an orthopedic.”

“I have seen him evaluate people on the sidelines, in the gym, on the field, in the training room, in the parking lot, and even before or after a school committee meeting,” added Tom.

Sports medicine has been an interest of Hugh’s since his days as an athlete (captain of the 1985 Tigers football team) at IHS. “I was injured and cared for by orthopedic surgeons,” he said.

He did his residency at an all-orthopedic hospital in New York City and during that time provided medical care for the Giants and the Mets. He was involved in operations on Lawrence Taylor and Bret Saberhagen.

Hugh takes the volunteer position of team doctor seriously but tries to stay out of the way of the trainers. “I let them (trainers) take first role if they’re around. I am just there for backup and clarification.”

However, if the situation presents itself, he’ll step in. I saw it happen at an IHS boys’ tournament game at St. Mary’s last year. The Ipswich point guard (Alex Lampropoulos) went down late in a close game with a leg injury. The trainer got involved and then Hugh stepped in. “Alex was just having muscle spasms,” he said. Hugh had Alex do some stretching and quickly massaged his leg. Before long Alex returned to action and helped Ipswich win at the buzzer.

“We were weak at the guard position,” said Doug Woodworth, the IHS head coach at the time. “We needed Alex on the floor and Dr. O’Flynn treated him and assured us that Alex could play some more. We might not have put him back in otherwise.”

Tom Brady’s knee? “I know nothing special about it,” he said although interested. “Infections are a disastrous complication. Anyone can get them at any time. I’m hopeful that the infection didn’t damage the ligament.” He conceded that since the Patriots are keeping Matt Cassel around it might indicate that they know more about the seriousness of Brady’s condition than they’re letting on.

AD Gallagher probably summed up the contributions of Dr. Hugh O’Flynn best when he described him as the “unsung hero” of Ipswich High School sports. “He offers everything and expects nothing in return.”

(To appear in The Town Common on January 28th)

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Filed under Doug Woodworth, Dr. Hugh O'Flynn, Ipswich

Tagged as Coastal Orthopedics, Columbia Medical School, Dave Dalton, Harvard University, Hugh O'Flynn, Ipswich, Ipswich High School, Ipswich School Committee, Tom Gallagher