Emotions were high as the Green team faced off against the Black team in the Intramural Basketball League (IBL) Championship. The Green team, led by senior captain Oliver Levin, won, 40-38, sending Black home with its first loss of the season.

(Credit: Elizabeth Karpacz/WSPN)

This past Wednesday, the Wayland Warriors lost their wrestling meet against the Waltham Hawks, 45-25.

“We’re struggling. Record wise [3-7-1], we are not doing as well as teams have done in the past,” said head wrestling coach and history teacher Sean Chase.

The meet started off with junior Kevin Skowronski at the weight class of 152. Skowronski won his match, 18-4. He earned four points for Wayland, making the score 4-0.

After Skowronski’s win, a Wayland wrestler forfeited and a Wayland wrestler lost, leaving the score at 12-4, Waltham.

Junior Kevin Kelley, who is normally in weight class 182, was bumped up to 185 for this meet. Kelley pinned the Waltham wrestler in the first round, ending the match and making the score 18-10, Waltham.

Senior John Monahan’s match ended early because the Waltham wrestler was injured. Then Waltham forfeited the next weight class making the score 22-21, Wayland.

After a few other matches, junior Jesse Goddard of weight class 126, won his match, making the score 36-25, Waltham. After this, there was one more match which Wayland lost.

The final score of the meet was 45-25, Waltham.

Senior John Monahan

“There were a couple different ways that we could have won it. I don’t think the score was reflective of how close the match really was. Kevin Skowronski at weight class 152 [wrestled well]. Kevin Kelley and John Monahan came through in their matches tonight as they always do,” said Chase.

“Tonight we were focusing on personal goals. It was meant for individual improvement,” said Kevin Skowronski.

Their next meet is Saturday, January 14th against DCL opponents Concord-Carlisle, Boston Latin, and Acton-Boxborough. The meet will take place at 10am in the Field House.

Girls basketball Coach Brewster Cupid directs one of his players. (Credit: Martin Narciso/WSPN)

At the start of the 2011-2012 girls varsity basketball season, two new coaches were hoping to lead the team. Amber Wantman was chosen as head coach with Coach Brewster Cupid as the assistant.

Wantman had only been coaching the team for a week and a half when she was let go. This came as a surprise to the team.

“So am I surprised? No. Am I shocked? Not really. I am just very grateful for this opportunity,” said Cupid, who is now the head coach. “I learned a long time ago that at any given day you can be asked to step up to the plate.”

Cupid, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst graduate, has been coaching basketball and football for eight years, and found out about Wayland through the Dual County League’s reputation.

“If you are a follower of girls high school basketball, you know that the DCL is the place to coach,” said Cupid.

Cupid looks to keep Wayland’s reputation as one of the strong teams in Dual County League.

“The bar is certainly set high for us as a team to really build on the chemistry that coach Thompson has established over the last 15 years,” said Cupid. “That’s something that I’ve noticed and appreciated that coach Thompson did.”

Despite an 0-7 record, Cupid hopes to pick up where Coach Thompson left off and finish strong.

“We’re going to be stronger, we’re going to be more conditioned and we’re going to be fundamentally based,” said Cupid.

Katherine Goguen scores the game winner against Boston Latin. (Courtesy of Grace Cartwright)

It had been two seasons since the Wayland-Weston girls hockey team won a game. On Saturday, December 17, the losing streak ended in dramatic fashion. The Wayland-Weston “Warcats” were tied 0-0 against Boston Latin, in the final minute. With just 14 seconds remaining, freshman defenseman Katherine Goguen of Weston netted a goal to put the Warcats up 1-0. Fourteen seconds later the buzzer rang and the Warcats won their first game.

“Last year, we would have been happy with tying Boston Latin. This year, we wanted to win,” said senior captain Jess Greenwood.

With two seasons of misery behind them, the Wayland-Weston girls did not stop there.  They went on to beat Brookline 10-1, Newton South 7-2 and Lincoln Sudbury 1-0, to improve to 4-1 on the season.

“We want to keep up what we started. Four wins in a row is pretty good,” said Greenwood.

“It was exciting, and it felt really good since we never had it before,” said junior Jane Haffey.

The previous seasons’ losses haven’t lowered expectations. “It was tough, it was very frustrating and at times discouraging, but people kept their heads high and kept trying to play their best. This year, my expectations were to be more successful and maybe make it to the playoffs, said Haffey.”

With a huge monkey finally off their backs, the Warcat’s look to continue their success this year.

“This season is different,” said Haffey.

“We are a young team, we have a lot of new freshman and a couple eighth graders as well.  Everyone is starting to put it together,”  said Greenwood.

The girls continued their win streak on Saturday, beating Mansfield 9-0, making their record 5-1. Their next game is home against Dover-Sherborn on Wednesday, January 11.

The Wayland High School girls basketball team took on DCL Small rival Concord-Carlisle. After a hard fought battle, the warriors lost in the final seconds, 39-38.

The Wayland boys and girls swim teams competed with the Ashland Clockers in a dual meet at home on December 14th. Both the boys and girls teams came out on top.

The Warriors took on Blue Hills Regional High School for the first game of the season but lost, 3-2.

Find out what each winter team has in store this winter. (Credit: Riley Starr/WSPN)

Boys Swimming and Diving:

Last year the team finished fourth in the 2011 State Championship. After losing Michael Ren (three time 100m breaststroke state champion) along with other seniors, this year looks to be a year for rebuilding. There are only three seniors on the team this year.
First meet: 12/2 DCL Relay Carnival
Swimmers to watch: Doug Curtin (junior), Mark Karlson (junior) and Matt Devlin (junior)

Girls Swimming and Diving:

With five state championships in the past six seasons, the most successful winter team in Wayland looks to get revenge after losing the final race of the 2011 State Championship. They have established themselves as a legacy over the past ten years and hope to keep this reputation alive.
First meet: 12/2 DCL Relay Carnival
Swimmers to watch: Megan Pierce (junior) and Molly Pierce (freshmen), diver: Carolyn Jones (senior)

Boys Basketball:

The defending DCL Small Champions return two starters from last year’s team. (Jaleel Bell and Tyler Mordas.) After making it to the quarterfinals last year, they return six players and have their eyes on another DCL small title.
First game: 12/9 @ Bedford.
Players to watch: Tyler Mordas (senior) and Jaleel Bell (junior)

Girls Basketball:

It’s the beginning of a new era for the girls basketball program as new varsity coach Amber Wantman steps in. The girls will also have to cope with the loss of DCL all-star Jen Berkowitz, who left for private school. Coach Wantman brings a new style that will be tested by the tough DCL schedule.
First game: 12/9 vs. Bedford
Players to watch: Maddie Lemmo (senior) and Katie Terranova (senior)

CORRECTION (12/9/11 – 11:15am) – Amber Wantman is no longer the coach of the girls basketball team. Assistant Coach Cupid will assume head coaching duties.

Boys Track:

Like the girls’ basketball team the track program also has a new coach this year. Last year’s assistant and head outdoor track coach Peter Galalis is now the indoor coach as well. The boys lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, leaving room for newcomers to step up.
First meet: 12/14 vs. Boston Latin
Athlete to watch: Tommy Hoopes (senior) and Bennett Keyes (sophomore)

Girls Track:

The girls are under coach Galalis as well. The girls came up one meet short a of DCL small title last season. Led by a solid returning core the ladies will hope to finish the job this year.
First meet: 12/14 vs. Boston Latin
Athlete to watch: Anna Sailor (senior) and Kelsey Burke (senior)

Boys and Girls Ski Team:

The sport that relies on winter finds itself stuck on land for now, but once the snow starts falling they’ll start racing. The team skis both cross-country and downhill. They will look to improve on last year’s solid finish.
First race: Nordic 1/3 @ Weston,  GS 1/5 Nashoba Valley
Athlete to watch: Olivia Lucier (senior) and Jakub Buczek (senior)

Boys Hockey:

Losing 3-2 in a shootout in the Division 3 North Semi-finals, the Warriors look to avenge their loss in the 2011- 2012 season. Leading scorer Kevin Yun and three year captain Evan Barber look to lead another deep playoff run.
First game: 12/16 vs. Ashland
Players to watch: Evan Barber (senior), Kevin Yun (sophomore) and Altan Atamer (sophomore)

Girls Hockey:

The girls hockey team is yearning for a victory this season, it’s been two years since their last. All of last year’s team is returning and they hope to pair that experience with some great young talent. It is only a matter of time before the girls win.
First game: 12/14 @ Chelmsford
Players to watch: Jess Greenwood (senior)

Wrestling:

Wayland’s most storied winter sport will be at it again this season. There will be a slightly different feel this season as the weight classes have changed. Regardless the wrestling team will be a force in the DCL and maybe even the state.
First meet: 12/10 @ Hudson vs. Lexington, Holliston and Hudson
Players to watch: John Grumbach (senior) and Nick Coffin (junior)

With the winter sports season kicking off, WSPN staff reporter Riley Starr takes us through the practices and tryouts of all the winter teams.

(Credit: Elizabeth Karpacz/WSPN)

Sophomore Phoebe Morss is the fastest runner on the girls cross country team.

“I am impressed with how hard Phoebe works. She takes cross country really seriously and you can definitely see it in her results,” said coach Mary MacDonald.

This year, Morss set a school record when she completed Wayland’s new 5k course in just 20:15. As the season progressed, Morss’s 5k times dropped. She broke the 20 minute barrier with times of 19:40 and 19:50.

At the MSTCA Coaches Invitational Meet, Morss placed 2nd in the 10th grade race. For the second year in a row, Morss was a cross country Dual County League All-Star.

Morss was the only runner from Wayland who qualified for the All-State Meet. This was her second year competing. The All-State Meet took place on November 19 at Franklin Park, in Boston. This was the end to her season.

“I was happy that I made it to All-States but I had hoped to perform better,” said Morss. “Coach (Suzanne) Williams really helped me a lot this season. She is always very positive and encouraging and she is full of great advice.”

Morss’s running career started in elementary school when she competed in a few races for her school in London. In middle school, Morss joined the Nitehawks, a track club based in Wayland.

In eighth grade, Morss competed in the AAU Junior Olympics National Cross Country Championships in Orlando, Florida. She won her race and became an AAU National Champion.

Morss plans on continuing her cross country career, as well as doing ski team and spring track.

“All I want to do is run. I love cross country. It’s really fun being at all of the big meets with our team. We have such nice people on our team. It’s also nice to talk to all of the competitors and meet new people.”

The class of 2012 powder-puff team. (Courtesy: Sophia Lesser)

It has been more than ten years since Wayland defeated Weston in the annual powder-puff football game. Weston won again last Wednesday for yet another year, defeating the Wayland girls 18-6.

Each year, on the eve of Thanksgiving, the Wayland and Weston girls compete in a football game called powder-puff. The girls play two 22-minute halves of flag football on a full size football field.

Weston marched down the field and scored on their very first drive. They later scored again on a 50-yard run to go ahead 12-0.

The Wayland girls were at risk of getting routed for another consecutive year when running back Maeve Moynihan broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown. The excitement didn’t last long for the girls, since Weston scored again on a trick play ending any chances of a Wayland comeback.

“It was miserable since it was so freezing,” said Moynihan.

There was also speculation that Weston was given unfair advantages. 

“Weston supposedly hired a real coach and had different flags which were harder to pull off than ours,” said Moynihan.

“Weston kept their strongest players in for the entire game and were always much more intense about the game than us,” said quarterback Mackenzie Salitsky. “On our team, everyone gets a chance to get in the game and we all play more for fun.”

Despite the score, not all was lost.

“It was a tough fought game and we really came together as a team in the second half. The game is a great tradition and it’s a chance for girls to bond with girls they aren’t necessarily friends with,” said cornerback Liana Nierenberg.

Weston still holds a winning streak of over ten games. But next year when the leaves are falling and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, the Weston girls will have to put their streak on the line again.

The annual dodgeball tournament was held this past Tuesday with more contestants than ever before. This year, 24 teams competed for a three hundred dollar cash prize. Although many teams fought valiantly, “The Crew” composed of all seniors took home the trophy and the money.

Coming off their Dual County League Small championship victory, the Wayland High School cheerleading team competed in the North Sectional competition this past Sunday. The warriors finished sixth out of thirteen teams.

Despite the rain, the warriors defeated Bedford 2-0 on Senior Night. Both goals were scored by senior Jessica Greenwood. The team wore purple in support of guidance counselor Jim Griffin and the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Captain Bailey Morgan high fives coach Shelly Fraiser during last season's benefit game. (Credit: David Ryan/WSPN)

With a record of 9-4-2, the field hockey team may be the most underrated and overlooked team at the high school.

Varsity coach Shelly Fraiser is pleased with how the team has come together and bonded this year.

“I think the community that they have formed amongst themselves has really loaned to playing together as a team versus individual talent,” Fraiser said.

Athletic director Justice Smith attributes the team’s success to a good coaching lineup, freshman coach Lynda Lareau and junior varsity coach Suzanne Ontso.

“When it all comes together there’s [Fraiser], who’s kind of [a combination of] both,” said Smith. “The kids have gone through those two different types of coaches and when they get to [Fraiser] they get all in one.”

After a long season, the Warriors have qualified for the state tournament. In order to qualify for the tournament, the team needed to have more wins than loses for finish in the top two in their league. The team has done both.

Fraiser attributes the team’s success to its strong defense.

“Defensively, we have a very good lineup with Ellen Barber, Rachel Massicotte and Juliette Bastarache. Rachel is new this year, coming in as a defender and [she] just really stepped it up and solidified her position there,” said Frasier.

The team’s final game is at home on Thursday night against Bedford. It is senior night for the warriors as well as a benefit game for pancreatic cancer.

The Wayland boys soccer team defeated rival Weston 2-0 this past Saturday during Senior Night.

The night started with a ceremony led by David Blahnik, father of captain Mark Blahnik, honoring the senior players, some of whom have been teammates for as long as ten years.

The boys presented each of their parents with a flower and stood for pictures. The ceremony was filled with mixed emotions.

“It’s kind of sad,” said captain Nico Pascual-Leone. “It’s the end of our high school soccer careers, but it’s also fun. We’ve had a good time.”

“It really is a combination of feelings,” said captain Chris D’Amico’s mother, Noreen D’Amico. “It’s sad to see this is the end of his high school career. He’s been playing for so long with a group of kids who have not only been his teammates, but also his friends.”

Leading up to the game, Coach David Gavron stressed its importance. The team needed three more points to qualify for the state tournament which could be achieved with two more wins or one win and one tie.

With the win Saturday and an earlier loss by Bedford, the team clinched a spot in the tournament.

The game began at a fast pace. The Warriors got several shots on goal within the first few minutes. They were finally rewarded when Nico Pascual-Leone scored in the twenty-fifth minute.

The team controlled play and kept the ball out of Wayland’s half, despite numerous minor injuries and fouls.

“[Blahnik] has given us a more vocal and a more physical presence in our defense,” said Gavron.

Play picked up again near the end of the second half as D’Amico secured the lead by scoring the second goal for the Warriors on a penalty kick.

Both coaches and players were satisfied with this decisive win as the previous game against Weston was close, ending with a score of 4-3.

“We were able to control the counter attacks by Weston very well, and we did a pretty good job of possessing the ball,” said Gavron. “We need to work on taking advantage of more scoring opportunities.”

The team’s next game is at home on October 26th, when they face off against Dual County League foe Concord-Carlisle.

(Credit: Allison Wei/WSPN)

New volleyball coach Kristine Norrman has wasted no time making her mark at Wayland High School.

For junior captain Emily van Mulbregt, Norrman has created a new atmosphere.

“She brings a lot of new techniques and drills that are different from what we are used to,” said van Mulbregt, “She works on conditioning, which is something we used to not do, so that’s definitely helped us.”

“I’ve learned so much more than I did last year,” said sophomore Alex VanRooyen.

For Norrman, this season is all about developing the team.

“My goal is just to continuously improve and get better every week. The girls are in a fairly tough division,” said Norrman. “This is mostly a building year for us. They lost eight seniors last year.”

Although this is her first year coaching the Wayland team, Norrman is no stranger when it comes to volleyball. Norrman started playing volleyball in her freshman year in high school. Later, she went on to play Division II volleyball at Assumption College and Worcester State College, and has been playing for fifteen years since.

Normann coached at Braintree High School ten years ago. Between college and work, she stopped coaching high school and started coaching college teams, but realized her true passion was coaching high school players.

“I missed being at the high school level where everything starts,” said Norrman.

When she heard about the opening for the Wayland team, she immediately applied and got the job.

Last year, the Warriors only won one game, but this season they have already notched two wins and are hungry for more.

To stay up to date with the volleyball team, check out Warrior Scores.

With goals from Seniors Matthew Gutschenritter, Nico Pascual-Leone and Alex Orlov, the Warriors defeated Boston Latin, 3-0, earning junior goalie Matt Edwards his first shut out of the season.

Despite a delay due to lightning, Wayland and Lincoln-Sudbury battled it out under the lights and in the rain. In the end, Lincoln-Sudbury won, 19-0.

This report is part of the in-depth story, Friday Night Lights: Warriors fall to LS.