Weekly Athletics Update—Oct. 3, 2021

Weekly Athletics Update—Oct. 3, 2021
 
Oskee Weekend and the accompanying activities was a rousing success! Worcester Academy teams and student-athletes performed well as we welcomed a host of NEPSAC competitors onto our campus. A quick word of acknowledgement to our Athletics staff for their work and to Mr. Sumner and others on campus who made this a safe, fun weekend for our students and families. Well done!
 
  • The highlight of the weekend took place on Saturday afternoon at Gaskill Field with a stirring last second win for our varsity football team. It was career victory #1 for Coach Bandy and one that will long be remembered. Trailing by a 22-15 count with under two minutes to play, the defense rose to the occasion and forced a fumble inside their own 10-yard line. Senior quarterback, Noah Callery and senior wideout Brigham Dunphy connected on a Hail Mary heave as time expired and then converted a two-point game clinching conversion to seal the win! The enthusiasm and joy in the stands and on the field in celebrating this improbable win will be something team members will hold onto forever. Final score was WA-23, Albany Academy-22. The team will get to savor this game for a bit as Saturday’s contest with St. Paul’s will not be played due to roster concerns and safety issues. The team will travel to a strong Canterbury club on Saturday, October 16. 

  • Varsity field hockey enjoyed their best week of the Fall season ringing up a pair of wins over Beaver Country Day (4-2) on Wednesday and then rolling past Marianapolis Prep on Saturday in front of a sun-drenched Morse Field gathering. Emily Ferguson led the scoring parade for the Hilltoppers and was ably assisted by Gina Richard and Kaleigh Wall. Winsor School will travel to WA on Wednesday afternoon as the Hilltoppers look to extend their winning streak.

  • Boys’ varsity soccer is on a nice roll —5 consecutive wins—as they slugged past a gritty St. Paul’s team on Wednesday before a tidy shutout performance over Brewster Academy on Saturday. Colin Hughes and TJ Liquori were the principal offensive weapons for the Hilltoppers who will travel to Loomis-Chaffee on Wednesday for an important Class A road test!

  • Varsity volleyball has taken things up a notch of late as they surged past Wilbraham & Monson Academy (3-0) on Wednesday and won the tri-match here on Saturday with convincing wins over Cushing and Pomfret. Antonia Dern (14 aces) and Katherine Foley (10 aces) keyed the Wednesday triumph. Junior Nina Gavin was a force to be reckoned with on Saturday - 20 kills and 4 service aces - as she helped propel the Hilltoppers to victory. The team travels to Suffield Academy for a 4:30 p.m. match on Wednesday. 

  • Girls’ varsity soccer secured their 3rd consecutive win of the season with an impressive win over Phillips Andover (5-0) on Wednesday and a 4-1 triumph on Saturday over Miss Porter’s School. Elizabeth Finn (recent UNH commit) combined with Ally Murphy (Princeton) and Sheridan Brummett to provide all the offense needed in Wednesday’s shut out win. WA’s lock down defense was in high display on Saturday afternoon at New Balance Field as it limited scoring options for the high-powered Miss Porter offense. Choate will provide the opposition on Wednesday afternoon at New Balance Field with a 4:00 p.m. match.

  • Sophomore Ella Budzinski and senior Aiden Warner continue to lead their respective cross-country teams. A mid-week multiple team race at Marianapolis Prep (7 teams involved) saw Ella capture 4thplace overall and every runner on the boys’ team registered a PB. Aiden Warner ’22 stepped in nicely with a finish time of 22:20 during Saturday’s Oskee-Weekend event against Marianapolis and Dexter and teammate Steven Zhang was right behind with a time of 22:38. Both teams are off to Suffield Academy to race on Saturday.

  • Connor Timmons and Jack Thurmond both scored two-goals in Wednesday’s 7-3 JV boys’ soccer win over St. Paul’s School. On Saturday, the squad jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they surged past Marianapolis Prep to extend their winning streak. On Wednesday, they will travel to Windsor, CT to take on Loomis-Chaffee School.

  • Alyssa Daly kept the Hilltoppers in the game early-on with a pair of goals against Miss Porter’s on Saturday afternoon. The 2nd half was “all” Hilltoppers as the JV girls’ team secured a big win on Oskee-Weekend. The Pomfret School is next up for our team in a Wednesday afternoon match at Gaskill Field, 4:00 p.m.
     
  • JV volleyball battled hard but dropped a 2-1 contest at Wilbraham & Monson on Wednesday. Saturday’s tri-match resulted in a split as they raced past Pomfret (2-0) in the opener prior to falling to Cushing (2-0) in the finale.

  • Congratulations to Aiden Gafford who placed 1st in the MS cross country race on Thursday as the WA team ran past Venerini and St. Peter’s Central Catholic at Emmons Course.

  • Coach Doug Poskitt made his MS boys’ coaching debut on Friday and saw his squad battle to the wire before losing 6-4 at Wilbraham & Monson. The team played well and will look to build on the positive contributions displayed. 
 
Co-Athletes of the Week:
 
Nina Gavin ‘23 – Varsity Volleyball
Brigham Dunphy ‘22 – Varsity Football
 
 
Around the Rim:
 
Congratulations to our 2021 Varsity Club Award recipients, Meredith Davis ‘03 and John Resnick ’93 who were feted on Thursday evening here on campus.
 
Likewise, a heartfelt thanks to all who were on hand to celebrate the Life of Donald “Dee” Rowe on Friday evening in the Performance Center. It was a memorable night for a
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