K-ZONE WPKZ FM105.3/AM 1280

Your Hometown Radio

listen nowLISTEN NOW
listen nowLISTEN NOW
K-Zone Studio Line 978.348.1280

St. Bernard's High School

Bernardians go All In for film

by

Go right ahead and call it a comeback.

No one at St. Bernard’s or Foglight Entertainment and Wonderfilm Media will argue. Not even for a minute.

That’s kind of the point.

In “All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s,” directors Gregg Backer and Evan Kanew balance two underdog stories and weave them together masterfully: that of the Bernardian football team looking to repeat as the most unlikely of state champions in 2019 and the school’s battle to remain afloat as Catholic schools throughout the state struggled with enrollment and increasing debt.

"All In: Miracle at St. Bernard's" will be released for download on iTunes and Amazon on Wednesday. (Courtesy Gravitas Ventures)
“All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s” will be released for download on iTunes and Amazon on Wednesday. (Courtesy Gravitas Ventures)

With the school on the brink of closing under mounting pressure from the Diocese of Worcester heading into the 2018-19 school year, St. Bernard’s administrators, teachers and parents came together to raise funds to keep the 100-year old institution open.

And while the threat of a closure loomed, the Bernardian football team aimed to defend its Division 8 title. A big task for any group, but this was a team of less than 30 players. Try finding another program that small that has any semblance of success.

The miracle inferred in the film’s title is two-fold and with both sides self-realized: the push to raise money and enrollment on one hand and the journey to raise a second championship banner on the other.

The 90-minute film will be released today on Apple/iTunes and Amazon and is advertised as “a true story of faith, family and football.”

It hits on all those things as it documents St. Bernard’s struggles to stay afloat both as an institution and a football program. And without spoiling much, there’s a happy ending on both ends.

“All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s” does an admirable job of balancing both storylines. And while each of the angles are fairly well known around here, directors Gregg Backer and Evan Kanew dig deeper, with in-depth interviews adding insight into just how dire the situation at St. Bernard’s was.

With this year’s senior class starting as freshmen at the time focused on in the film, I’ve spoken to Bernardians head coach Tom Bingham multiple times about the journey those kids have been on. He brought it up following the team’s Division 7 championship game loss to West Boylston on Dec. 1, noting what a special group the Class of 2023 has been.

“This senior class, if you look at all they’ve been through, it’s pretty amazing that they’ve pushed the team back to (a title game),” Bingham said. “As freshmen, there was the threat of the school closing and then COVID hit and these kids never gave up.”

St. Bernard's Central Catholic High School beat West Bridgewater in the Division 8 State Championship at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro Friday night, Dec. 6, 2019. The Head Coach Tom Binham has a huddle with his team after their win. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/JOHN LOVE
St. Bernard’s head coach Tom Bingham huddles up with his team after it won the 2019 Division 8 championship at Gillette Stadium. (Sentinel & Enterprise File Photo)

It’s a theme revisiting — and rightly so — time and time again throughout the documentary. From the elation of unveiling a championship banner from the 2018 to the crushing news just months later that the school faced being shut down, the Bernardians never wavered in their missions.

I was familiar with many of the straight facts covered in “All In.” I can’t lie and say there was much there in the way of revelations for me.

But what the filmmakers did a fantastic job of doing was getting the people whose story this is to open up. Watching former players explain the pressure they felt to perform and produce something positive for St. Bernard’s is both admirable and at times tough to watch; these were teenagers who felt the weight of the world on their shoulders at the time.

It wasn’t just the pressure of winning games. It was an unfair burden put on student-athletes who simply wanted to go to school and play football.

These former players come across as vulnerable and open, while also seeming battle-tested and unafraid. They’re candid and honest, recounting the highs and lows of the 2019 season and the school year that accompanied it.

And like the parents and administrators who came together — the Pinard and Boissoneau families, Nathan Bilotta, Dean of Students Paul Constantino, Principal Linda Anderson and Bingham among them — to push the school toward its fundraising goals, the students at the school faced the challenge head-on.

Unfair for everyone involved, perhaps, but that’s life. It’s not always fair or easy.

But the St. Bernard’s community never gave up on what it valued and came out stronger, united because of those challenges and efforts.

A real-life underdog story, “All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s” captures the spirit and determination of a school that was willing to bet on itself and came out a winner — on multiple fronts.

Bernardians take to the field

by

FITCHBURG — Take a look at any football field across the state and the scene was the same on Friday afternoon.

Athletes gathered and adjusted equipment. Coaches laid out their plans for the fall. Teams came together and, for the first time in 2022, gridiron practices got going.

High school football season is officially underway.

Be it Doyle Field, Crocker Field, the Bernardian Bowl or the satellite practice fields nearby. Players poured onto turf and grass alike to kick off the fall season with aspirations of future Super Bowl victories.

Under the watchful eye of new athletic director Ray Cosenza, St. Bernard’s head coach Tom Bingham assembled his players on the practice field adjacent to the Bernardian Bowl and got to work under a scorching sun, but with a smile nonetheless.

St. Bernard's football players gather on the practice field behind the Bernardian Bowl on Friday. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)
St. Bernard’s football players gather on the practice field behind the Bernardian Bowl on Friday. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)

“It’s good to be back out here,” Bingham said. “I’m excited for this group and to see what they can do. It’s (the players’) team every year and it’s really up to them what they make of it. We’re just here to keep them between the lines and let them power their way and see how far they want to go.

“These kids have a lot of energy and they’ve certainly worked hard, so we want to see how that translates out on the football field.”

In a scene likely repeated at hundreds of fields and facilities statewide on Friday, the Bernardians gathered outside the team’s clubhouse prior to practice for helmet adjustments and to collect other equipment. Though the first practice featured helmets and no pads, Bingham — who spoke with his team in the locker room about expectations and procedures for 15 minutes prior to Friday’s session — was thrilled with the turnout for his team to start the season.

St. Bernard's football players get their helmets adjusted prior to Friday's first practice of the fall season. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)
St. Bernard’s football players get their helmets adjusted prior to Friday’s first practice of the fall season. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)

“We had one of the biggest groups that we’ve ever had for our offseason weight training,” said Bingham, noting that he had 41 players lined up to play this fall. “Attitudes are good and these kids have terrific energy. We just have to get to work, win today and then start over tomorrow.”

While less than four dozen players may not seem like much, Bingham has won Super Bowl titles with similar rosters. The focus of the Bernardians, especially early on, will be working to be in peak game shape as quickly as possible, thus the emphasis on condition over the course of the first week or so of practice sessions.

St. Bernard's head coach Tom Bingham looks on as players stretch prior to Friday's practice. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)
St. Bernard’s head coach Tom Bingham looks on as players stretch prior to Friday’s practice. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)

“When you look down our sideline, we have what we have and we’re thrilled and grateful for that. We have to be in shape and be better as games go on,” Bingham said. “We need to have more wind than anyone else when the fourth quarter rolls around and that starts today.”

Cosenza, hired as the St. Bernard’s athletic director earlier this month, says he likes what he has seen from the football program in terms of philosophy and commitment in his short time back with the Bernardians. A Massachusetts Football Coaches Association’s Halls of Famer, Cosenza is optimistic about the direction that the team — and the entire athletic department at St. B’s — is headed in.

“I’ve said this to a lot of people: I was very happily retired and not looking for anything, but this came along and it’s an honor and a great opportunity to be involved here,” said Cosenza, who served as the head coach of the Bernardians football and baseball teams in the mid-1980s before beginning his storied career of three decades at Fitchburg High. “There’s great coaches, great kids and a great administration here and I’m excited to get this season going.”

Ray Cosenza named athletic director at St. Bernard’s

by

FITCHBURG — Welcome back, Ray Cosenza.

The former St. Bernard’s athletic director will return to that post beginning Monday, the school announced Friday morning.

”I’m really excited, really looking forward to starting,” Cosenza said Friday afternoon. “I’m looking forward to getting going here. It’s the opportunity to be part of something that’s growing and building toward something even greater.

”I’m happy to be coming back. It’s a great opportunity.”

Cosenza replaces Ryan Walsh, who started as AD at St. Bernard’s in 2020. Walsh, who also served as the Bernardians’ head baseball coach, informed the school he wouldn’t be returning after the 2021-22 school year.

Cosenza last served as Fitchburg High’s baseball coach until stepping away from that position in 2021. He was also the athletic director for the Red Raiders for 30 years, leaving the job in 2019, and football coach at Fitchburg from 1989-2011.

He says a friend notified him of the athletic director opening for the Bernardians and, after some thought, decided to apply.

Ray Cosenza will start as St. Bernard's athletic director on Monday. (Courtesy St. Bernard's Athletics)
Ray Cosenza will start as St. Bernard’s athletic director on Monday. (Courtesy St. Bernard’s Athletics)

”I wasn’t looking for anything and I wasn’t sure I should try for this, but I started to look into it,” Cosenza admitted. “I figured it was worth a shot because it was a place that was so special to me. There’s the same feeling of excitement there now as when I first got there.

“The whole process happened really fast.”

Cosenza first arrived at St. B’s in the early 1980s to work alongside the legendary Huck Hannagan and took the reins of the baseball and football programs for the Bernardians in 1985.

Cosenza began his time at the school as a science teacher before becoming a guidance counselor and later the athletic director, serving as “an admired teacher, counselor, coach, and mentor to a generation of Bernardians” for six years, according to a release from the school.

”I like to say it was my first real job,” Cosenza said of being hired by St  B’s as a teacher. “And I really loved my time there.”

In his time on the sidelines of the St. Bernard’s and Fitchburg football programs, Cosenza put together a combined 194-116-1 record, winning three Super Bowls in 28 seasons. He also found success with the baseball programs at each school.

A member of the St. John’s of Shrewsbury, Fitchburg High and Massachusetts Football Coaches Association’s Halls of Fame, Cosenza’s leadership abilities and overall resume made the hiring an easy choice for the Bernardians.

“Ray managed to drive forward both the STB football and baseball programs to tremendous success as a gifted young coach all while building hundreds of relationships with students, families, and staff that would last through the decades,” the school’s release states.

Cosenza was a two-sport standout at St. John’s, winning a Super Bowl and a state baseball title. After graduating from the Shrewsbury institution, he went onto Springfield College and now holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Psychology.

Offense stalls for Bernardians in loss

by

FITCHBURG — On Saturday afternoon, the St. Bernard’s softball team hit the field for a rare weekend performance as it welcomed St. Joseph’s Prep to the St. Bernard’s Activity Center.

The Phoenix was looking to remain red-hot while the Bernardians were hoping a solid effort could help them build some confidence as the team nears the finish line of the 2022 season.

In the end, it was the tourists from Boston who took care of business, heading home with an 8-2 victory..

St. Joseph’s improves to 11-2, while the setback drops the Bernardians to 3-8.

The Phoenix victory also completes the season sweep as they defeated St. Bernard’s, 7-2, on April 13 at the Portsmouth Murray Playground in Brighton.

“I’m not happy with the outcome and leaving here with the loss. We struggled to hit today,” said St. Bernard’s assistant coach Cyle Preston, who was filling for head coach T’ea Preston. “I thought our starting pitcher was excellent until she ran into trouble in the fourth inning, the second time through the lineup.”

The Bernardians struggled to generate offensively until the seventh inning when they scratched across a couple runs to break up the shutout bid of St. Joe’s pitcher Anne Feininger. The hosts finished with six hits in the contest.

“Fielding and defense were amazing. We played really well in the field,” said Preston. “We just didn’t start hitting until that seventh inning.”

Bernardians starting pitcher Ina Soini cruised through the first three innings, retiring all nine hitters she faced in that span. But in the fourth inning, the Phoenix were able to solve Soini (4+ IP, 6R, 4H, 3K), plating three runs on three hits in the frame to grab a 3-0 lead after three and a half innings of play.

St. Joe’s added three more runs in the fifth, chasing Soini from the circle as Brennah McDonald was brought on in relief. McDonald worked the remainder of the ballgame as the Phoenix added two more in the sixth to build an 8-0 lead.

“Second time through the lineup, we started to produce,” said St. Joe’s head coach Steve Daley. “When you see a pitcher for the second time, you start to feel a little more comfortable and you get a chance to see more pitches. We found a way to get around after that fourth inning.”

As for the St. Bernard’s bats, they were kept in check for most of the game by Feininger. The hosts were limited to three hits through the first six innings, two of which came off the bat of starting third baseman Fehti Ambekia, who beat out an infield hit in the second inning before belting a single to left field in the fifth.

The other St. Bernard’s base hit through the first six innings came courtesy of Ava Legendre, who picked up an infield hit in the third inning.

With the Phoenix leading 8-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bernardians pushed across a pair of runs thanks to a two-run double from Soini. The hit pushed home Ambekia and Dayra Villot, who had each reached base on singles.

The Bernardians don’t have time to dwell on the loss, as they return to action on Monday afternoon when they welcome Murdock to the Activity Center before hosting St. Paul on Wednesday and traveling to the Fitchburg/Westminster line to visit Monty Tech.

Bergeron, Bernardians walk off with win over Monty Tech

by

FITCHBURG — The St. Bernard’s baseball team walked it off Thursday afternoon.

Junior Kyle Bergeron’s single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning sent the Bernardians home happy, propelling St. B’s to a 6-5 win over Monty Tech at Holman Field.

With the win, St. Bernard’s improves to 2-4 overall, while the Bulldogs drop to 1-5.

“We’re young and inexperienced, but these guys play together,” said St. Bernard’s head coach Ryan Walsh. “Our last couple games haven’t been pretty so this one was big. We needed it. They showed that they can battle. They are good kids and they earned this win today.”

With the game deadlocked at 5 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, St. Bernard’s came to bat looking to end things. Ben Stout drew a one-out walk and stole second base before Preston Arakelian popped out to shortstop for the second out of the frame. Colin Majowicz drew another walk and Dom Pistone was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Bergeron.

“My mindset in that last at-bat was I just wanted to look for a pitch to hit, something I could find the outfield with and win this game,” said Bergeron. “I didn’t want to let this game extend into the ninth inning. I wanted to end it then.”

Bergeron lined a 2-1 pitch into the right center field gap to plate Stout with the game-winning run.

St. Bernard’s southpaw pitcher Jonathan Quigley earned the win on the bump in relief for the Bernardians, working the final 5.1 innings in relief of starter Austin Gibbons.

“Austin is an eighth grader and he started but we had to pull him when he pulled a muscle in his back,” said Walsh. “Quigley come in and giving us some solid innings in relief. That was huge.”

Taking the loss on the hill for Monty Tech was Landon Bartlett, the third pitcher Monty tech head coach Kevin Anderson used in the contest. Starter Shea Divoll pitched the first two innings before giving way to Mike Duddy, who pitched a pair of innings.

“I thought our pitching did a pretty good job. We’re a young squad so these guys are getting a lot of varsity experience,” Anderson said. “I thought we did a nice job defensively. We left a few runners on base than I would have liked. These guys are learning and we’re going to take our lumps but this team is coming along and they are improving.”

The Bulldogs drew first blood with a single run in the top of the first thanks to an RBI from Kyle Pernaa, whose base hit plated Divoll.

St. Bernard’s answered back in the home half of the first as it scored three runs to grab a 3-1 lead. Arakelian, Majowicz and Pistone all came around to score after reaching safely in the frame. The big hit of the stanza came off the bat of Quigley who lined a two-run single.

Monty Tech reclaimed the lead in the third inning when it plated three runs to grab a 4-3 lead, highlighted by a two-run RBI single from Conor Rakowski.

An inning later, St. Bernard’s answered, scoring two runs in the fourth inning to reclaim the upper hand. Arakelian and Bergeron did the damage as each smashed RBI singles in the inning.

Still trailing by a single run entering the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs refused to go quietly and scratched across the tying run. With one out, Rakowski reached on an error before stealing second base and advancing to third base on a passed ball. He scored the tying run on an RBI groundout to first base off the bat of Pernaa.

St. Bernard’s High School beats the odds with $2.6 million raised to support institution

by

FITCHBURG — It’s been a record-setting year for St. Bernard’s High School as the “All In” Campaign reached its close, raising $2.63 million to support the school’s strategic growth and independence, according to an announcement from the school.

It was a goal once thought impossible for the school that faced near-closure in 2019, following the announcement from Diocesan leaders that declining enrollment had made the school financially unviable, according to the school.

Following that announcement, an ambitious group of stewards petitioned the Worcester Diocese for the right to manage the 100-year-old institution as an independent, Catholic high school. In 2020, they were granted that permission, and this past spring, the independent St. Bernard’s High School celebrated two tremendous milestones: the graduation of its first senior class, and the completion of its two-year “All In” Campaign, which surpassed its $2.5 million goal, according to the school.

“The $2.5 million price tag was daunting,” said Bernardian Foundation Treasurer Nicholas Pelletier, reflecting on the school’s journey. “St. Bernard’s didn’t have a history of raising significant funds, and now we were faced with an urgent timeline and a lot of naysayers. Many people said it couldn’t be done and we should accept the inevitable, but we were willing to fight to prove that wrong.”

“We have been blessed with an overwhelming level of support,” added “All In” Campaign Chair Karen Pelletier. “The campaign committee worked extremely hard, and alumni and friends from all over the country responded generously. We thank them all for giving the next generation the benefit of a local, Catholic secondary education.”

At its May 29 commencement, St. Bernard’s students and staff praised the efforts of their community as themes of faith, hope and heroism filled the evening’s speeches, according to the school.

Class of 2021 Valedictorian Margaret Constantino reflected on the challenges she and her classmates overcame:

“Midway through our high school journey, (we were) confronted with the very real possibility that St. Bernard’s may close its doors. But, standing here today, I can assure you that this hurdle in our path has been defeated, and St. Bernard’s is once again flourishing.”

Class of 2021 President Georgette Mensah-Hayes echoed those sentiments: “Our school was given another chance. Another chance to prosper, to turn over a new leaf and a chance to become the school that St. Bernard’s needed to be for our community. We made it through this turbulent year — together, and with our school still open.”

Constantino gave advice to future graduates of the school, saying: “I sincerely hope that (you) cherish the wondrous tradition and spirit that lies within this school — it will help shape you into the person you are meant to become.”

The school continues to see substantial growth in enrollment, increasing its student body by 60% and welcoming the largest freshman class it’s seen in over 10 years this fall.

“It is truly a transformative time for STB,” said Principal Linda Anderson. “We are here to support the next generation of leaders and thinkers — a journey that began 100 years ago, but which gained new life this year due to the support of so many people.”

With $2.6 million raised, the school’s future looks brighter than ever.