Here is a look at the first week of results in scheduled games for all ORR athletic teams.
Football: The Old Rochester Regional football team has a lot of expectations to live up to this season. Last year, the Bulldogs took home their first conference championship since 2002 and made a strong playoff run in which they made it to the sectional finals. After a big hit due to graduation, there were many questions as to how well the team would perform this year. Some of those questions were answered this week, as the Bulldogs handily won their season-opener 47-14 against Lee/Lenox Memorial High School. Thanks to a strong performance by senior quarterback Alex Aruri (two rushing touchdowns, 2-3 passing for 73 yards), the Bulldogs made the nearly three-hour drive to Lee worth it by bringing home a victory. Three different ORR players scored a pair of touchdowns: Aruri; senior Ethan Lizotte; and junior Darien Dumond. Newcomer Lupe Martinez also had a strong varsity debut, catching a key 43-yard pass from Aruri to accelerate the Bulldog offense. The football team’s next game is at Case High School on Saturday, September 13 at 1:00 pm.
Field Hockey: The Lady Bulldogs are also looking to have a strong season this year and try to win back the league title from SCC rival Apponequet. The girls got off to a good start with a 2-0 shutout over Bourne. Senior captains Darby Nolet and Devyn O’Connor scored a goal apiece to lead the Bulldog offense, with sophomore Hannah Guard recording an assist. Goalkeeper Mya Lunn had a strong game in goal, recording her first shutout of the season.
Boys’ Soccer: The boys’ soccer team kicked off their season in a great way, winning their opening two games by large margins. The Bulldogs easily defeated Case 5-0 in their season-opener, with four different Bulldogs scoring, showing the overall depth of the team. New student Tim Dix led the team with two goals, with Mason DaSilva, Evan Santos, and Alex Tavares each proving single scores. Goalies Melvin Vincent and James Dwyer split the game in net, helping to lead the ORR defense to their first shutout of the season. Later that week, the Bulldogs defeated Apponequet 7-3, with Dix and Alex Sousa scoring two goals apiece. Santos, Hunter Parker, and Antoine Geller also contributed goals for the undefeated Bulldogs.
Girls’ Soccer: Like the boys’ soccer team, the Lady Bulldogs also won their two opening games, allowing no goals from the opposition in either one. The girls began their quest for a conference championship with a 4-0 win over Case, with Amy Bichajian, Kaleigh Goulart, Bailey Truesdale, and Katelyn Bindas each scoring a goal. Against Apponequet, the girls won again 2-0, this time with Bichajian and Sarah Beaulieu providing the goals. The strongest asset for the Lady Bulldogs, however, may be their defense, led by the trio of Goalie Mikayla Demanche and center-backs Nicole Gifford and Arden Goguen. As shown in their opening games, the defense has been able to lock down the backfield and consistently stop any offensive pressure from opposing teams.
Golf: The ORR golf team had an early start to their season, winning their first game against Case in August. This week, the boys remained undefeated with a dominant win over Wareham, 131-15. Freshman Colin Fitzpatrick led the Bulldogs with a 40, with veterans Jackson Mitchell (41) and Zach Peterson (44) also playing well and rounding out the top three for ORR.
Volleyball: The Lady Bulldogs had a tough opening for their season, losing both of their opening games against SCC rivals. The girls were shut out 3-0 against Case, and likewise shutout against Apponequet 3-0. The girls do show some promise, however, as Zoe Smith, Hayley Marhsall, and Michaela Nunes played well in both games. Hopefully, the Lady Bulldogs will be able to figure out their early season troubles and correct them so they can have a shot at winning the SCC championship.
Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of September 7.
Football: (1-0-0) (0-0-0); Field Hockey: (1-0-0) (1-0-0); Girls’ Soccer: (2-0-0) (2-0-0); Boys’ Soccer: (2-0-0) (2-0-0); Golf: (2-0-0) (2-0-0); Volleyball: (0-2-0) (0-2-0); Boys’ Cross Country: (0-0-0) (0-0-0); Girls’ Cross Country: (0-0-0) (0-0-0).
By Michael Kassabian
