Midway through the fall season, North’s athletic teams have settled in and begun shaping the long-term goals they hope to achieve before winter. With several games and meets behind them, each team is working hard to build on their strengths, improve weaknesses, and set the stage for success. Below is an update on each team’s progress!
Cheerleading
Cheerleading kicked off the season with an energetic performance at the Friday Night Lights game against Waltham last Friday.
“Seeing our peers and the crowd motivates us to do well. We’ve really come a long way since the first day of the preseason,” said senior Nicole D’Alfonso, a captain along with seniors Melanie Burke, Karma Powell, and Jamie Gidden.
This year, the team has introduced many new members. Since then, the captains have worked to create an inclusive environment, bring confidence to the new cheerleaders, and improve their skills. The team’s hard work and dedication allows them to shine on the field and create an energetic crowd at games.
“Whether it’s a challenging stunt, a new routine, or pushing their performance skills at games, their courage and determination is clear,” said assistant coach Hailee Walker, who works closely with head coach Teresa Colella. “Seeing their excitement and confidence grow with each attempt makes the progress even more rewarding.”
The Tigers look forward to performing at the Thanksgiving football game at Fenway Park.
Girls’ Volleyball
Girls’ volleyball, 5-1, coming off its state championship win last season, is working hard to win another, said head coach Nile Fox.
Senior Charlotte Pernisie, a captain along with senior Alayna O’Connell and junior Sasha Selivan, said, “We have been playing well together and connecting.” Selivan echoed that sentiment, adding that she looks forward to rebuilding connections from previous years along with working better as a team.
O’Connell added that the team’s success depends on friendships, because friendships allow for unified gameplay.
The Tigers lost to Brookline earlier this season, but look forward to their rematch on October 21.
Girls’ Cross Country
Girls’ cross country, 4-0, entered the season with 31 new participants and renewed determination for another undefeated season. Luckily, the Tigers are on their path to fulfill their goal with zero losses so far.
Senior Lila Anapolle, a captain along with seniors Leigh Gee, Asha Gopinath, and Hava Shenkman, said, “We have had crazy statistics already this season and our team is very new. The future of our team is really bright.” According to Gopinath, records are already being broken—at the last home meet against Braintree, 11 student-athletes ran the course in under 21 minutes, which hasn’t occurred since 2014. Gopinath added that the team hopes to build on its momentum, strengthen team unity, and ensure students stay healthy.
The Tigers, according to Gopinath, look forward to the Bay State Conference Championships and the Twilight Meet.
Boys’ Cross Country
Boys’ cross country, 3-1, is looking forward to another exciting season, according to head coach Lou Pearlman. “I love the guys, I’ve been doing this for a long time and I love just being around the kids. They’re great kids, win or lose, it’s about the effort,” he said.
The team is led by senior captains Max Badri and Luke Mantell and junior captains Ryan Costello and Alex Daly. According to Costello, despite the team’s tough one-point loss to Wellesley at the first meet, the team has continued to look impressive.
Badri said, “We have a really strong varsity team, which has enabled us to have bigger goals than we anticipated.”
The Tigers are working hard to make the All-States meet, which they didn’t qualify for last year.
Girls’ Soccer
Girls’ soccer, 1-4-1, hasn’t seen the results they wanted in the past few games, but the Tigers are gaining momentum.
Senior Shiaowei Qu, a captain along with seniors Eva Hautefeuille and Colleen Walsh, said, “We’re coming off some strong performances and we’re focusing on our attack.”
Last season, the team was ranked in the top 10 of girls’ soccer teams in MIAA Division 1 and had an impressive playoff run to the Elite Eight. Qu added that an important moment in their season so far has been beating Brookline, especially because in the past few years, the teams repeatedly tied.
According to Qu, the team eagerly awaits its game against South on Saturday, Oct. 18.
Boys’ Soccer
Boys’ soccer, 3-2-1, is making its way to another championship title, remaining undefeated over the past three games. “We want to create a winning culture,” said senior Peter Reale, a captain along with senior Giga Bat-Erdene. According to Reale, the Tigers are working on maintaining consistent effort, dedicating themselves to staying focused, and keeping energy levels high throughout the duration of games.
The team has had a strong start, scoring 12 goals in just six games, which, according to Reale, is due to the consistent practice all the players have put in. He added that the biggest highlight of the season was the Tigers’ 2-0 win against South.
Reale said, “I think it showed that when we’re fully locked in and giving 100%, we have what it takes to be one of the top teams in the state.”
The team looks forward to qualifying for post-season play later on, said Reale.
Girls’ Swim and Dive
Girls’ swim and dive, 5-0, has had a strong start to the season, winning all five meets so far. According to PEHW teacher Kristen Smith, the head coach, this hasn’t happened since she began coaching the team.
This year, seniors Orly Fishman, Finnleigh MacCannel, and Jillian Schneider are leading as captains. “The atmosphere has been fun and the team is really bonding,” said Smith. She said she is excited to see what the team can accomplish through the rest of the season.
“We have some tough meets coming our way, plus sectionals and states, but if we can keep everyone healthy, I believe there is no limit to what this team can do,” she added.
According to Smith, the Tigers look forward to their competitive upcoming meets against Brookline and Needham.
Golf
Golf, 0-11, has had a difficult start to the season according to PEHW teacher Bob MacDougall, the head coach, but he said the team is still engaged and putting in effort. In their last match against Milton, the Tigers came close to winning but fell two points short in the 102-104 final score.
MacDougall added that he’s incredibly proud of this year’s senior captains, Graham Sanger and Raleigh Shoemaker. “I am most proud of how they have kept the team together and focused on developing and improving each day,” he said. “It is not easy to have a record like ours and stay motivated to play, but Graham and Raleigh do just that.”
The team will continue focusing this season, according to MacDougall, and the Tigers hope to stay driven in order to reach the state tournament next year.
Field Hockey
Field hockey, 2-4-2, is working hard to improve everyday since preseason, said senior Abbie Seeley, a captain along with senior Alexis Blanchfield. “We are a different team than when we started,” said Seeley.
PEHW teacher Lauren Baugher, the head coach, said, “The biggest highlight was our first win, when we beat Braintree with no time left on the clock. It was a total team effort.”
According to Seeley, the team is improving its communication and focus skills on the field, “playing at 100%” throughout games.
The Tigers look forward to rematching the teams they lost to at the beginning of the season and working to reach the state tournament. “If we continue to improve as a team, that is definitely something we can accomplish,” said Baugher.
Football
Football, 1-1, started its season with a tough loss to Natick, but beat Waltham during the first home game. “The team worked really hard during the summer,” said Barry House Dean Nick Capodilupo, the head coach. “The players got together on their own outside and worked tirelessly to improve their game.”
This year’s captains are seniors Jack Caissie, Dylan Leone, Milo Schneider, Freddy Torcasio and Ale Valencia.
The team triumphed 35-14 playing against South for the first time on Sept. 26, marking the start of a new rivalry, according to Capodilupo.
Capodilupo added that the team looks forward to playing Brookline in the annual Thanksgiving game, especially because the Tigers now have the opportunity to play at Fenway Park for the first time ever.
Unified Basketball
Unified basketball, 0-0, has been fostering a positive and uplifting environment leading up to its first game against South, according to math teacher Keith Whelan, the head coach. He said that the program has done an amazing job over the past few years building a community on and off the court, so he’s looking forward to another great season.
This year’s captains are seniors Coco Appel, Charlie Carroll, and Luke Washek. “Our veteran players and captains have done a great job of welcoming new members to the team and modeling the proper way to operate each day,” said Whelan.
Aside from the community aspect of the team, Whelan said that many players are working on individual goals.
“Some players are working on building up enough strength to get the ball all the way up to the hoop when they shoot, others are focused on making sure they dribble when they are moving with the ball,” said Whelan. “Many of the players are working on continuing to build relationships in order to find the best ways to support their teammates.”
The team, according to Whelan, looks forward to The Red Hawk RoundUp tournament in Natick later on in the season.
