By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — Let’s disregard the fact that temperatures are expected to be in the mid-40s during most of next week, the first official week of the regular season for the majority of spring sports at Wakefield Memorial High School.
Per usual, Warriors of all sports will make it work through the cold and rain of early April in order to pave a path to the warm and bright lights of late May state tournaments.
Scrimmages and practices continue this week for the nine Wakefield spring sports. Tuesday, April 1 marks the first week of the regular season for most teams.
The girls’ lacrosse team will kick off the season this Friday when they host Manchester-Essex at 4 p.m. The Warriors went 8-10 last year and made the Div. 3 state tournament, falling in a close, first round matchup, 10-9 in OT against Groton-Dunstable. Wakefield will need to replace all three of their All-Stars from that team. Their two senior captains are Maddy Taylor and Shea Suntken, two strong defensive players. Returning junior defenders Emma Ickes and Lila Arkinstall along with goalie, junior Alla Othman means Wakefield will have plenty to lean on defensively. The attack will be led by a combination of returning players including seniors Leah Conner, Ally Bligh and Ayla Willis along with juniors Rory McNeill and Cara Carangelo. The
Warriors will start their Middlesex League slate on Tuesday at home against Arlington.
The boys’ lacrosse team will start their season on Tuesday when they travel to Arlington. The Warriors beat the Spy Ponders 7-3 in their only matchup last year. The boys’ lacrosse team also made the tournament with a 7-10 record. Wakefield will bring back All-Stars Seamus Cable and JP Casey, both juniors. Cable, who had 48 goals and 40 assists last year, will pace the attack while Casey, who racked up 55 ground balls and 20 forced turnovers, will lead the defense. More key returners include senior LSM Ryan Metsis, juniors, attack Brady Walsh, midfielders Brady Zdanowicz, Gabe Guida and Cam Sartori, defensemen Christian DiFlorio and Tommy DeFeo and sophomore midfielder Nick Metsis. The Warriors return all but one player from last year’s team that finished 7-10 in the regular season and fell to Foxborough in the first round of the state tournament.
The boys’ volleyball team will also begin on Tuesday in Belmont. The Warriors, in their third season, will have a third new head coach and are looking for continuity as they try to gain some progress this year in a challenging Middlesex League.
The girls’ tennis team will start their campaign by hosting Arlington on Wednesday, April 2. The Warriors won five league matches last year including their first win over Reading in 21 years and also made the D2 state tournament where they fell to North Attleborough in the first round. Wakefield will return All-Stars, senior captains Toni Whitson and Addie Moon and singles players, junior Allie Cook and sophomore Nora Fitzgerald.
The boys’ tennis team will start on April 2 at Arlington. The Warriors took 2nd in the Freedom Division with a 10-6 league record last year. They will try for first this season with a strong returning nucleus including league MVP, senior Luke Greif and fellow senior All-Stars, Trevor Veilleux and Kevin DeGray. Seniors Owen Kelley and Kip King are two key returning doubles players. Wakefield made the Div. 3 state tournament as an 11 seed and beat Nauset 5-0 in the first round before falling to No. 6 Gloucester 3-2 in the Round of 16.
The softball team will start on April 2 at home against Arlington. The Warriors tied for a Freedom Division Championship last year with a 9-5 league record, their first league title since 1982. Wakefield, ranked No. 23 in D2 fell to No. 10 Plymouth South in the first round of the state tournament. They will return all four of their All-Stars from that team: senior Jade Waterhouse, juniors Kathryn Sliski and Jackie Sullivan and sophomore Molly Burns. Sliski and sophomore Kayla Shaw will provide a dynamic, 1-2 punch at the top of Wakefield’s pitching staff.
The baseball team kicks off the season on April 2 in Arlington. The Warriors went 16-4 in the regular season and 13-3 in the Middlesex League to win the Freedom Division title. They will return three All-Stars this year: seniors Marc Gagne, Wakefield’s ace, and Jayvith Chea, an infielder, along with junior Jack Pennacchia, an infielder and the No. 2 starting pitcher. The Warriors should have plenty of depth as well with returners like seniors Charles Gagne, Cam DePrizio and Andrew Nemec along with juniors Aidan Bligh, Dylan McDermott and Nik Dhingra.
The track teams won’t get going until April 9 with a matchup against Stoneham to be held at Lexington High as the Warriors will once again be without a home track due to the construction at WMHS.
The boys’ team is looking to defend last year’s Div. 4 state championship. The Warriors, who went 4-1 in league play, will return All-Stars JaMauri Belmer, Isaac Melo, Ethan Mezikofsky, Andrew Nett and Ryan Hogan.
The girls’ team went 5-0 in the regular season to win the Middlesex League Freedom Division title last year. They will return All-Stars Lily Sallee, Grace Brackett, Abby Hartigan, Quin Wilcox, Liza Bangston and Sophia Anderson.