Welcome to Mt Ararat High School Sports
FIELD HOCKEY - VS MORSE SHIPBUILDERS
The Eagles beat the heat and the Shipbuilders too with a convincing 3-0 win... Read more |
VARSITY FOOTBALL - SEASON PREVIEW
The Eagles are ready to open their season against Cony this Friday night. Read more. |
GOLF - EAGLES OPEN VS MORSE
The Eagles opened the Mt Ararat fall sports season with a victory over Morse... Read more |
CROSS COUNTRY - LALIBERTE INVITATIONAL
An all-time high twenty teams competed at the annual Scott LiLiberte Invitational... Read more |
FIELD HOCKEY
Eagles Scuttle Shipbuilders
Sophomores Leah Hitchcock and Charlotte Crosby combined for three goals as the Eagles cruised to a 3-0 win over visiting Morse. The scheduled 4:00 start was pushed back to 5:30 in an attempt to minimize the stultifying heat. But there was no cooling off the Eagles.
The Eagles controlled the game from the start and intensified the pressure throughout the first half. Leah Hitchcock got the Eagles on the board at the 22:15 mark as she muscled the ball into the net off a loose ball situation in front. At 11:01, Charlotte Crosby converted a feed from freshman Caitlyn LaFountain. Morse had their only serious penetration into the Eagles end in the final minutes of the half, but the Eagles quashed any Morse momentum when Charlotte Crosby scored her second goal of the game with 35 seconds left in the half to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. The Eagles outshot the Shipbuilders 11-1 in the half.
In the second half, the Eagles substituted liberally with both personnel and rotating players through positions as much to beat the heat as to give everyone playing time. The Eagles dominated through out, though they were unable to score. Perhaps their best chance was when Nikki Bianconi whistled a screamer just wide.
The Eagles midfield really controlled play as they bottled up Morse's clearing attempts and were actively involved in the offense. Lizzie O'Neal was working up and down the field and Amber Bowley controlled the middle. Does anyone take a better whack at the ball than Ashley Charron? Lindsey Smith and Nikki Bianconi both had strong games. Heather Bolduc, Jody Curley, Sarah Sandlin, and Autumn Skelton thwarted the rare Morse incursions into the defensive end. Goalie Raven DeMasi had a day at the beach both work-wise and heat wise.
FOOTBALL
Eagles Football Preview
The Eagles are ready to open their season against Cony this Friday night. Pre-season has gone reasonably well. After a disappointing performance against Brewer, the Eagles responded with a solid effort against Falmouth in their two pre-season games. In the very competitive Pine Tree Conference, there are no longer any cupcake games on the schedule and the Eagles will have to have solid efforts all season long to have success. Fortunately, hard work and effort are trademarks of any Mark LaFountain-coached teams.
The Eagles have some good size on the line and have some good athletes in the talent positions. Offensively, the Eagles will mix in both the spread formation and the I-formation. Senior quarterback Brett Milliken is a good decision maker who is capable of making the big plays in the air when needed. He has received decent pass protection from his offensive line. The Eagles running game looks strong with Junior McKenzie Gary always a threat to go all the way. He's a year stronger and he's darn fast (he's broke several Mt Ararat Indoor and Outdoor track records last year). Derek True is a hard-hitting inside runner who is a nice complement to McKenzie. The Eagles have some talented receivers, led by 6'5" Luke Liedman.
Defensively, the Eagles will be lead by Derek True operating out of the linebacker position. Ryan Greene, Luke Liedman, and Ryan Smith will provide quality coverage from the defensive back position. Robert Cornelison and Chandler McKeague (a Dustin Bessler-like player) are big hitters on the line and at linebacker.
Co-Captain Colby Barnes provides leadership on the line along with James Lewis, Max Mondonedo, Iven Leet, Jordan and Jared Shufeldt, and Derek Jefferson. Ryan Greene and James Lewis will provide the kicking game.
If the Eagles can stay healthy and get some ineligible kids back in the game, they can challenge for a playoff position.
GOLF
Eagles Double up over Morse 6-3
The Eagles opened the season at the Bath Country Club on a sweltering day and earned a 6-3 victory over a young Morse team. Michelle Brann (54, 1 Up), Mike Adams (48, 3 and 1), and Zach Pratt (49, 5 and 4) led the Eagles to victory. David Brann shot a 44, but lost to Morse's Ted Cole (43, 2 and 1). The Eagles' Ians (Pinette and Pinette) had a hard day at the office shooting 54 and 57 respectively. William McCorkel and Jamie Rosenberg also played some fine golf.
Check out the galleries.
CROSS COUNTRY
Eagles Outdistance Competition at LaLiberte Invitational
An all-time high twenty teams competed at the annual Scott LiLiberte Invitational held at Cony. The course was shortend to 4K due to construction, but it was very hilly. If the results of this race are a harbinger of what you can expect this year (and they usually are), you can expect a very successful season. Both the Girls and Boys placed first, which according to my math (and also the meet's organizers), gave the Eagles the overall victory. The Girls are the defending KVAC champions, so you sort of expected them to do well. And they did as Kate Spies (3), her shadow Emma Wood (4), Lauren McNett (7), and Emilia McGrath (8) captured four of the top ten spots. Chloe Emerson (who ran a palindromic 19:11.91), freshman Emily Cox, and Morgan Martin rounded out the scoring for the Girls.
The Boys results were perhaps a bit more surprising as the Boys are showing great depth. No surprise with Andy Reifman-Packett's 4th place finish as he continues to turn in superlative performances. Jake Letourneau finished 12th, followed by the Brothers Demosthenes in 26th (Nick)and 34th (Jake) place. Alex Spies, Connor Schneider, and freshman Nathan MacKenzie finished out the scoring.
The race was divided into Varsity and Junior varsity. The Eagles also dominated the JV race. The Boys capturing 5 of the top 10 spots. Nick Parsons won, followed by Peter Burtt (3), Colin Swan (5), Sam Wood (07), and Zach O'Connor (9). The Boys should only get stronger as the competiton for the top seven spots will intensify over the course of the season. The Girls also fared well in the JV meet. Jess Leeman was the top Eagle finisher as she continues to round into top form. You know she will improve as the season progresses. Brennie Radulski had a strong early season finish as did Alicia Eggleston, Alicia Caterina, Mikaela Melcher, and Rowley Jones. The Girls also continue to have healthy competition for the top seven spots.
Click to view complete MTA results or check out a season summary of each athlete's results.
GIRLS SOCCER PREVIEW
Can the Girls Have It All?
Firepower, Speed, Finesse, Depth, Poise, Tenacity, Swagger, Insouciance. The Girls appear to have it all.
Firepower? Consider this. Last year's 9-4-2 team scored 45 goals. 40 of those goals are returning this year spread across seven girls, led by Haley Michaud, Randi London, and Jaymee Wallace. Other scorers were Mariah Cropley. Maddison Prescott, Jenny Fogg, and Hannah Hauser. Three more girls (Sonja Robert, Kaycie Clark, and Celia Ouellette) contributed assists. Add to this the return of three blue chippers who are returning from the Eagles' Injury Protection Program. Colby Gail, Sara Berry, and Carry Smith all missed the entire season last year. They are all 100% healthy and ready to go this year.
Speed? The Eagles could beat most track teams. Sophomore burners Celia Ouellette (100 and 200 Meter KVAC Champ) and Maddison Prescott established themselves as bona fida sprinters in outdoor track this season. Haley Michaud and Carrie Smith (KVAC 400 Meter champ) established themselves during the indoor season. All the Eagles can run and they all can score.
Finesse and Poise. For the past three years, we have all heard the fans chant "We've got Jaymee." Well, the Eagles still have the "Girl with the magic feet". Jaymee provides a unique on-field creativity that always amazes. Jaymee, Randi London, and Colby Gail all have a field presence that illustrates an intimate understanding of the game, exceptional peripheral vision, intuitive sense of where everyone is, and the creativity to exploit and execute in any situation.
Swagger and Insouciance. When you have this much talent, you have earned the right to exhibit some swagger but need to balance it with the appropriate doses of insouciance. The Eagles have these qualities in balance. The Eagles have lots of confident girls who want the ball at crunch time and have proven they know what to do with it.
Depth and Versatility. The Eagles are so deep that determining playing time may be the toughest job that Coach Chard has. They should always have fresh legs on offense with no noticeable drop-off in talent. Look for some experimentation with girls switching between offensive, midfield, and defensive positions. Colby Gail is the quarterback of this team from her midfield position. Freshmen Nicole Ross and Cat Johnson have earned spots on the varsity through their hardwork and talent. They'll spot Chelsea Crawford, Mariah Cropley, Sydni Clark, and Sonja Robert on the midfield.
Defensively, Sara Berry will lead a tenacious corps that includes Callie Kirk, Anna Rohman, and Maggie Bouchard. They are young, they are aggressive, they are smart, and they are experienced. The Eagles are three deep in goal. Shauna Williams (who Wally Pipp-ed Shelby Vance last year after Shelby injured her hand) most likely will start, but Shelby and Meghan Fogg will challenge for playing time. All three of these girls bring a mental toughness from their backgrounds in the physically demanding sports of hockey and wrestling.
Who New to Watch? Look for Chelsea Crawford and Celia Ouellete to have break-out seasons.
CROSS COUNTRY
6th Annual Alumni Cross Country Meet Results
The Eagles had seven alumnae participants with Ariel McNett capturing the overall alumnae honors.
Mt Ararat Alumni Participants: Top row (L-R) Katie Allen, Megan St Laurent, Shea Geyer, Jordan Drouin; Bottom row: Mia Thedogg, Ariel McNett, Erin Fitzsimmons, Krislyn Hyatt, and Kelsey Frank.
The 6th Annual Alumni Track meet between Brunswick, Morse, and Mt Ararat featured many alumni luminaries. 2008 Morse grad, Chris Kibler, who recently set the 1500 record at Fitchburg State, won the event. Brunswick's all-state runners Will Geoghegan and Liam Cassidy finished 2nd and 4th respectively. Mt Ararat's Ariel McNett won the Girls Alumni division finishing 4th overall. MTA's Andy Reifman-Packet, coming off a 35 minute 10K in the Beach to Beacon run, finished third as he appears to be in tip-top condition entering the season. Overall, the Boys team had a dominating performance as they captured 9 of the top 12 spots (excluding alumni). Jake Letourneau and Nick Demosthenes finished 6-7, and freshmen Nathan McKenzie and Jake Demosthenes finished 9-11. Alex Spies and Collin Swan followed in the 12-13 spots and another freshman, Sam Wood, had an impressive debut with a 15th place finish closely followed by Connor Schneider (16th place). Zach O'Connor also had a good race finishing 23rd overall. Joel York, Jake Papa, and Ethan Foss provided additional depth as they look to improve and challenge some of the runners ahead of them.
The Girls, the defending KVAC Champions, look strong again this year as they captured 10 of the top 15 positions. Kate Spies and Emma Wood once again led the charge for the Eagles as they finished 2-3. Lauren McNett was just edged out by her sis Ariel and finished 6th overall. Freshman Emmie Fox had an outstanding debut with a 7th place finish. Emilia McGrath, Morgan martin, Chloe Emerson finished 9-10-11. Alumna Meghan St Laurent finished 12th followed by Brennie Radulski (14), and newcomers Alicia Eggleston (15), Rowley Jones (17), and Kelly Lynch (21). Jess Leeman was still shaking off some rust as she finished 22nd. Ashley Libby, Molly Estes, Elsie Morgan, Sara Rogers, Adelaide Schneider, and Eloise Melcher all laid solid foundations for improved performances in the upcoming season.
Check out the galleries.
Alumna News
In addition to Ariel and Megan, it was nice to see the smiling faces of Katie Allen (looking particularly fit), Kelsey Frank (she of the perpetual smile), Shea Geyer, Jordan Drouin, Erin Fitzsimmons, and Krislyn Hyatt (in the role of photographer).
FOOTBALL
Frank True Impressive at Lobster Bowl
Frank True, the Eagles hard-hitting linebacker and running back, had an impressive performance at the Shriners Lobster Bowl all star football game. Frank played both ways at tight end on offense and defensive line on defense. He had two blocked punts and five tackles. He was 1 of 6 finalists for the John R. Schmidlin Award, given annually to the outstanding senior football player in the state for each class.
LACROSSE ALL STAR GAMES
Eagles Stars Shine
Mt Ararat sent three representatives to the annual Girls and Boys All Star lacrosse games. Whitney Dano and Kristina Johnson played for the Girls squad and Dylan Bousquet-Smith played for the Boys. They were hardly nonplussed playing against their fellow stars. Whitney scored two goals and was named her team's MVP. Not to be outdone, Dylan scored three goals and was named his team's MVP.
BROADCASTING NEWS
Carl Johnson, the Voice of the Eagles, Signing Off
Carl Johnson, the Voice of the Eagles, has announced that he is retiring from the broadcast booth. He has released the following statement.
"After 13 years of service to my High School and 7 years of broadcasting games, I have officially retired. The final tally is this: 20K in Donations, 240 games called, 196 Basketball related. I thank everyone for all of their support and love in my time doing this. I hope that I have been able to live up to my promises I made, and have set an example, second to none when it comes to the true meaning of being an Alumnus of Mt. Ararat. Now it is time for me to find a new tomorrow. God bless you all...my name is Carl Johnson and I want to thank you very much for watching...this has been Mt. Ararat Girls High School Basketball."
Thanks Carl
How many high schools do you now that have broadcasts of their athletic contests. The list is not very long. In fact, in stops at one - Mt Ararat High School. And we have Carl Johnson to thank for that. Carl not only brought the games into our living rooms, his broadcasts brought professionalism, entertainment, and knowledge to the numerous games he covered. Anyone who has watched the State Basketball Championships on TV knows that Carl's work is head and shoulders above those broadcasters. Carl carefully and patiently developed and nurtured his own team of camera people and analysts. He allowed them to be themselves and he incorporated them into his broadcasts seamlessly.
You only need to look at the accompanying photo to tell how much Carl Johnson thoroughly enjoyed announcing Mt Ararat games. Whether it was football, baseball, or basketball, Carl put his heart and soul into his work. No more was this evident than in his broadcasting work with Girls basketball. Hard to tell whether he loved them more than they loved him. Carl was easily recognized by the Hawaiian theme-based shirts he wore during basketball games. These shirts were almost as lively and colorful as his broadcasts.
As Carl's statement reads, he invested more than $20,000 in broadast equipment. More important than that, he invested countless hours bringing joy to all who watched, especially the athletes themselves. And Carl was generous to a fault, handing out copies of his videos to whomever wanted them. Was there a greater pleasure than channel surfing late at night or early in the morning and happening upon a Mt Ararat game?
This tribute almost sounds like an obituary. No, Carl is not dead, In fact, he is probably healthier than ever. But it is time for him to move on. And it is time for us to thank him, in whatever way each of us thinks appropriate. So thanks Carl. We're sure that you will find happiness and enjoy success in whatever pursuits you choose.
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