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High School Sports

Lorden takes the reins for Patriots hoops

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TOWNSEND — Superintendent Brad Morgan is excited to announce the homecoming of alum Dave Lorden, who has returned to North Middlesex High School as the new varsity basketball coach.

Lorden began in his new role earlier this month.

Lorden has coached junior varsity basketball and varsity volleyball at North Middlesex, since 2018.

As a North Middlesex alum, Lorden played under the guidance of long-time teacher and former high school coach Eric Dellasanta.

“I believe in creating an environment that goes beyond the game itself,” Lorden said. “It’s about instilling values, fostering personal growth, and creating a family-like culture where players feel supported and encouraged to reach their full potential.”

“We are beyond excited to welcome back Dave, who brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a deep understanding of our district’s values,” said Superintendent Morgan. “The fact that he is an alum adds an extra layer of pride for us, showcasing the enduring legacy of success that our students can aspire to achieve. Dave’s return embodies our commitment to fostering a family-like culture within North Middlesex.”

In addition to Lorden, North Middlesex is excited to welcome new additions to the basketball coaching staff, including junior varsity coach Israel Gonzalez and freshman coach Kyle McDermott.

“Their expertise and commitment to the holistic development of our players align perfectly with our vision for the basketball program,” Superintendent Morgan added.

Winter sports teams hit the ground running

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The footballs, field hockey sticks and soccer balls have all been packed away.

And just days after the fall sports season ended on Thanksgiving, the high school winter season is officially underway. Practices kicked off Monday afternoon for area ice hockey, basketball, wrestling and indoor track teams starting their respective campaigns next week.

Sure, high school football championship games will be played this week, but with no local teams partaking in the festivities at Gillette Stadium, the focus turns to a new season with new hopes. Whether it was on the ice or on the hardwood, high school programs kicked off the preparations for the upcoming season.

“When the season’s over, I’m happy for about a week and then I want to get going again. It’s nice to be back out on the ice,” said Fitchburg/Monty Tech hockey coach Steve Lowney after his team wrapped up its first practice at the Wallace Civic Center. “The play was sloppy, as would be expected, but they’ll get their timing down and their legs under them.

“The enthusiasm was there and they were working hard, which is what you’re looking for.”

The Red Raiders will get their first game under their belts on Dec. 9, hosting Oakmont Regional at the Wallace Civic Center at 6:10 p.m.

Like most coaches, Lowney wasn’t ready to claim his team will contend for a state title this winter, but was happy that his Red Raiders came out ready to skate and get the winter season underway.

“They were ready to go,” Lowney said. “I think we’ve got a good group this year and they want to be part of this. We’ve got a lot of things to be pleased with after the first day.”

It’s a familiar scene at other practices across the state. Basketball teams got conditioning drills started, with the boys basketball team at St. Bernard’s running multiple sprints to get their legs going.

Most teams won’t have an official game until late next week, with scrimmages coming before the real contests.

The Bernardians, for example, open the season Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m., welcoming Monty Tech to the Activity Center for a contest in the Buddy Tackett Tournament.

Fast start not enough for Wolves

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BOLTON — It’s been a long wait for the Clinton High football team.

On Thanksgiving morning, the visiting Gaels brought an end to Nashoba Regional’s streak of six consecutive Thanksgiving wins as Clinton cruised to a 42-14 victory in the 11th edition of the Cataldi/Tucker Classic at Nashoba Regional High School.

Clinton ends the season with a 7-5 overall record while the Wolves finish the campaign at 1-10.

“We knew, they’re Nashoba. Their record may be 1-9 coming in but they’re Nashoba and they weren’t going to make it easy. No matter how you slice it, they were going to play us tough,” said Clinton head coach Justin Ball. “We know we’re a good team and that they were going to have a hard time stopping us. I’m just so happy for these kids.”

Nashoba now leads the series 6-4-1.

“Clinton is an excellent team this year, hats off to them. We gave them everything we had, but it wasn’t enough,” said Nashoba head coach Andy LeBlanc. “We kept it close through the first half, the guys battled all the way through but unfortunately we made some mistakes at key moments and Clinton capitalized.”

Nashoba hung tough for a while, trailing 14-8 at the half, but the Gaels showed their strength and controlled the second half, outscoring the hosts 28-6 over the final 24 minutes.

Nashoba came out ready to play as it struck first on the game’s opening possession. A 10-play, 61-yard drive was capped by a 19-yard touchdown scamper from Matt Cahill to give the Wolves a 6-0 lead just 4:04 into the contest.

The Wolves had a golden opportunity to add to their early lead when the Gaels coughed up the football on the first play of the ensuing possession, giving Nashoba the football back at the Gaels 36. Unfortunately for the hosts, they couldn’t do anything with it as the Wolves turned the ball over on downs at the 27-yard line.

Nine offensive plays later the Gaels found pay dirt when Angel Lopez ran it in from a yard away. Marcelo Pereira kicked the extra point to give Clinton a 7-6 lead  with 1:03 remaining in the first quarter.

Clinton added to its lead on the first play of the second quarter when Connor Cox recovered a Nashoba quarterback Dylan Devine fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Pereira’s kick was true and the Gaels enjoyed a 14-6 lead eight seconds into the frame.

The Wolves defense made a key stop on Clinton’s next drive as Devine, now  playing defense, hauled in an interception in the end zone on a Matt Phillips throw. The turnover brought the football out to the Nashoba 20.

Nashoba pulled to within 14-8 with a little luck later in the quarter. A booming Nashoba punt was muffed by the Gaels as the ball rolled into the end zone. By the time the Gaels recovered the ball, Nashoba’s Hunter Bernard was able to make the tackle in the end zone for a safety with 5:05 left before halftime.

The Wolves had a chance to close the gap even more before halftime when Abasi Semakula attempted a 30-yard field goal attempt. The kick was partially blocked by the Gaels to keep it 14-8 heading into halftime.

Clinton came out in the third quarter and took control, crossing the goal line twice in the stanza to take a 28-8 advantage after three quarters. A touchdown run by Cox and a touchdown pass to Ramos from Phillips and the guests were in business leading into the fourth quarter.

In the final 12 minutes Clinton ballooned its lead in the opening minutes. A 92-yard touchdown scamper ballooned the lead to 35-8 with 10:43 left.

Nashoba’s final score of the season came on the Wolves next possession when Cahill muscled his way into the end zone from two yards out to pull Nashoba to within 35-14.

Cox and the Gaels had one more touchdown in them as the Clinton running back busted through a hole in the line and rumbled his way 34 yards to paydirt with 4:25 left to cap the scoring.

Following the game, both teams handed out some hardware. For Clinton, Brendan Bernard won the Offensive MVP Award while Angel Lopez (Defensive MVP), Phillips (Overall MVP) and Ramos (Clinton Player of the Game) were also recognized.

For Nashoba, Andrew Toth (Defensive MVP), Matt Cahill (Offensive MVP) and Jared Williams (Nashoba Player of the Game) were honored.

Fitchburg’s Beaulac left it all on the field

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BOSTON — A runaway loss, blood dripping down his forearm, the end of his high school football career. … None of these things could erase the smile on the face of Fitchburg’s Lukas Beaulac Wednesday night.

Despite falling to rival Leominster High 59-7, the Red Raider senior was proud of his effort and thrilled to be able to play the final game of his high school career on as grand a stage as Fenway Park. The smile might have seemed misguided to some, but in reality, it was a masterclass in perspective.

“My teammates and I left it all out on the field tonight,” Beaulac said. “We work every day for this and yeah, we lost, but football’s fun and I’m glad I can be out here playing. I play football because it’s fun. It’s what I do.”

On a night when the Red Raiders struggled against a tough Leominster side, Beaulac had several shining moments for Fitchburg. He rushed for 82 yards on 20 carries and was the catalyst for Fitchburg’s lone score, setting up the touchdown with a deep pass to Richard Salomon.

Facing a second-and-7 near midfield early in the third, Fitchburg quarterback Zacchaeus Collins took the snap and pitched the ball to Beaulac. The FHS senior, who had started the season under center for the Red Raiders, unleashed a deep ball downfield to Salomon, who hauled in the pass and rumbled down to the Leominster 2.

The 42-yard pass was Fitchburg’s longest play of the evening. Two snaps later, Shea Gonynor punched in a one-yard run.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to throw in a game, so I was happy to throw one there, especially being at Fenway,” Beaulac said.

Beaulac also was on the receiving end of a pair of passes from Collins, but managed to accumulate just three yards.

Still, nothing was going to stop the Fitchburg senior from enjoying a unique experience in his final high school contest. Win or lose, Beaulac was playing the game he loves.

“This was everything,” he said. “It’s just crazy to have played here and I’m thankful for it.”

Blue Devils couldn’t keep Cora off the field

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BOSTON — There was no stopping Xavier Cora on Wednesday night.

The Leominster junior was hobbled with a nagging lower-body injury, but refused not to be part of the Blue Devils’ contest against Fitchburg High at Fenway Park. And though the standout running back and linebacker’s snaps were limited, he managed to not only get on the field, but make a few big plays in Leominster’s 59-7 victory.

Head coach Devin Gates had considered holding Cora out of the contest, but come game time, it was clear that wasn’t an option.

“He had to be in this game,” Gates said. “He came out begrudgingly and he still went in on defense a little bit against my recommendation, but you’re not going to keep a kid like Cora off the field. The kid’s an absolute warrior. I’m glad to play some meaningful minutes and make some stuff happen and memories with this group of seniors.”

Cora had just one carry in the game and picked up 13 yards early in the first quarter. But with his mobility limited, he was pulled from the offense and stayed on the field as a middle linebacker for a few defensive series.

“It was the chance of a lifetime to play at Fenway Park, so I had to give it a go,” Cora said. “I prepared myself all week. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay in the whole game, but I gave it a shot and did what I could do.”

The junior was able to contribute to several stops in the first quarter as Leominster jumped out to a 20-0 lead. From his middle linebacker spot, Cora notched two solo tackles and assisted on three others.

“I had to come out and be a leader. I had to try to help out my guys,” Cora said. “And it meant a lot to be able to come out and play with these seniors for the last time.”

Local Roundup: Williams, Rose lift Bernardians to win

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For the third straight year, the Bishop’s Cup is staying with the St. Bernard’s football team.

The Bernardians took care of business Wednesday evening against St. Paul, erasing an early deficit to roll to a 32-6 victory at the Bernardian Bowl.

It’s the third straight win for St. Bernard’s over the Knights and the team’s third straight win to close the 2023 season at 4-7.

Keegan Rose earned the game’s MVP, carrying the ball 11 times for 137 yards and a pair of scores. The senior back was part of a two-headed monster in the backfield with Jarius Williams, who tallied 179 yards on eight carries, including a pair of touchdowns.

Trailing 6-0 after one, Williams pulled the Bernardians even in the second quarter on a 10-yard TD run. Rose’s two-point run put the hosts ahead and they never looked back.

Rose scored the first of his two touchdowns after halftime, finding the end zone on a 15-yard run before again adding the two-point conversion. He also added a 6-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter with Williams converting for two on the run.

St. Bernard's Jarius Williams carries the ball during Wednesday's win over St. Paul. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Gary Fournier)
St. Bernard’s Jarius Williams carries the ball during Wednesday’s win over St. Paul. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Gary Fournier)

Williams had the longest scoring run of the night, reaching pay dirt on an 80-yard jaunt in the third quarter. Quarterback Salvi Bilotta added the two-point run after Williams’ second touchdown.

St. Bernard’s Ryan Leedburg picked up the Lineman of the Game award after leading a strong effort up front from the Bernardians.

Littleton 35, Ayer-Shirley 18: James Gauntlett scored on a 50-yard run and connected with Bobby Manchester on a TD pass during Thursday’s game for Ayer-Shirley, which finishes the season 2-8.

North Middlesex 28, Manchester Essex 8: The road win on Thanksgiving give the Patriots a final record of 8-3. It was North Middlesex’s first game on Thanksgiving Day in eight years.

Oakmont 40, Lunenburg 7: The Spartans won on the road Wednesday night to earn their third straight victory and close the season at 6-5, while the loss ends the campaign for the Blue Knights at 4-7.