The ultimate goal for any high school sports team is to win the state championship for their respective sport. It takes dedication, skill and teamwork to best all other teams in your division. Many teams at ORR had these traits; unfortunately, all of their efforts came up a little short.
The girls’ field hockey team, seeded fourth, had a nice run but lost in a heartbreaking game to the number five seed, Canton. Canton scored on a penalty stroke late in the first half of the game, and from there on out, the game remained scoreless, resulting in a 1-0 loss for the Lady Bulldogs. Goalie Hannah Cormier, who has excelled in her second year as the starting goalie, got a piece of the Canton penalty stroke, but she couldn’t stop it from deflecting into the net. ORR fans were thrilled when, later in the second half, senior Ally Saccone seemed to have scored the game-tying goal. However, the referee called it off as he controversially explained the height of the ball to be “too dangerous.” The girls still had a great season, finishing with a great 12-2-2 record.
The girls’ soccer team finished their season with a loss in the playoffs to SCC rival Apponequet. The game’s score was 2-0. With their elimination from the tournament, the final season record for the girls was 10-8-4.
The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams also competed in their postseason races last weekend, with the boys placing eighth and the girls placing eighteenth in their respective Division 5 Eastern Massachusetts races. Mike Wyman came in third in the boys’ race with a phenomenal 5K time of 15:56. Nick Pacheco also did well, placing eighteenth with a time of 16:58. Because only the top 4 teams in each division advance to All-States, neither the boys nor girls advanced. However, Pacheco and Wyman both qualified for All-States as individuals, but it is still questionable whether or not they will run in the state-wide race, as winter indoor track is approaching fast.
With the elimination of these three teams, ORR has basically finished up their fall sports, with the exception of football, which has one more game on Thanksgiving at Apponequet High School. Most athletes are starting to look forward to their winter sports, once again dreaming of a state championship for the winter season.
By Michael Kassabian