After ending the regular season on a low note with a loss to Fairhaven, Old Rochester’s football team bounced back in its first playoff game, defeating Northeast Metro Voc-Tech, 26-6, on November 6 in Mattapoisett.
The game, originally scheduled for Friday night, was delayed to Saturday morning, but the Bulldogs took a well-rounded approach with 137 passing yards, a career high for quarterback Noah Sommers.
After losing the opening onside kick, Sommers put Old Rochester on the board with 4:43 left in the first quarter, running a 1-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs scored once again in the second quarter when Sommers threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Rinta before failing on a two-point conversion attempt. Northeast answered with a 59-yard scoring drive to bring the game to 12-6 going into the second half.
In the third quarter, Stephen Old caught a 27-yard pass to extend ORR’s lead before another two-point conversion failed. In the fourth quarter, Harrison Hughes ran four yards for the game’s final touchdown before running once again for a two-point conversion, the first extra points scored in the game. Old Rochester’s defense played well and kept Northeast out of the end zone for the entirety of the second half, sealing the win for the Bulldogs.
Old Rochester, ranked fifth in Division 5, will go onto face No. 4 seed Pentucket in the quarterfinals. The matchup will take place on Friday, November 12, at 6:00 pm on a neutral field at Whittier Tech in Haverhill.
Boys Soccer
Following a Preliminary Round bye, Old Rochester defeated visiting Sandwich, 2-0, on November 6 to secure its spot in the Round of 16. Both goals were scored in the first half, with the first coming from Ryan Blanchette and the second from Matt Carvalho. The No. 7 Bulldogs’ next game will be at home once again when they face No. 10 Medway on Wednesday, November 10, at for a spot in the elite eight of the Division 3 playoffs against the winner of the match between No. Pembroke and No. 18 Stoneham.
Girls Volleyball
ORR’s girls volleyball team also earned a Preliminary Round bye and defeated Chicopee High School 3-0 on November 5 in Mattapoisett. Maggie Brogioli had 13 kills, while Sally Butler had 7 kills and Sydnee Pires and Ella Soutter each had 5. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs hosted No. 13 Groton-Dunstable on Tuesday, looking to secure a spot against No. 5 Holliston in the elite eight of Division 3.
Girls Soccer
Old Rochester’s 28th-seeded girls soccer team kicked off the Division 3 playoffs strong with a win at home on November 4, defeating No. 37 Advanced Math and Science Academy, 4-0. Jen Williams scored a hat trick, and Mackenzie Wilson also hit the back of the net. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs’ season came to an end on November 6 when they took a 1-0 loss against fifth-seeded Belchertown. Old Rochester finished the season with a record of 11-8-3.
Field Hockey
Seeded 29th, ORR opened its Division 3 state tournament on November 4 on home field with a 3-0 victory over No. 36 Gardner. The Bulldogs’ first goal was scored by Julia Foye assisted by Sofia Irish. Maggie Nailor and Jillian LeBlanc also scored. ORR then fell, 5-0, to No. 5 Triton on Monday, finishing its season with a record of 11-9-1.
Sports Roundup
By Matthew Curry