EASTHAM — The fall high school sports season starts with a fury next week with a full slate of contests. Practice began on Aug. 15 for eight Nauset squads. The unified basketball team will begin practicing after school starts in September. This week’s preview looks at boys and girls soccer as well as boys golf. Next week, the focus will be on field hockey, football, cross country, and volleyball.
Girls Soccer
Coach: Evan Botting
Summary and 2025 outlook: In 2024, the team finished the regular season at 13-3-2 and was 6-0 in league play, capturing the Cape & Islands League Atlantic Division title. The Warriors prided themselves on their defense, which gave up roughly one-third of a goal per game.
“Defense was our anchor,” said Coach Botting. “We hung our hat on that.” They made it to the round of 32 in the state tournament before losing to the eventual state champion, Nipmuc Regional.
Botting lost four starters from last year’s team, but his entire back line and his goalie are returning, so he believes the defense will be as formidable as it was in 2024. In addition, Botting has some good young players from last year who he expects to contribute even more in 2025.
Senior fullback Caroline Lovati-Brown and senior goalie Haley Jackson will head the defense. On offense, Nina Swaby, “a relentless attacker,” will lead the scoring efforts. The team’s leaders have set the tone for this year, determining that their objective is to successfully defend their league championship and to advance further in the state tournament.
Key returners: Caroline Lovati-Brown, Nina Swaby, Haley Jackson, Violet Roche, Maddie Coccoro, Peyton Hill.
Newcomers to watch: Gigi Paravisini, Evelyn Vaillancourt, Emi Valli.
Fun fact: According to Coach Botting, when not playing soccer the team bonds over commenting on his shoe choices and his male-pattern baldness.
Upcoming schedule: The Warriors open their season at home on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. against St. John Paul II. They are on the road the following Saturday at North Quincy.
Boys Soccer
Coach: John McCully
Summary and 2025 outlook: McCully is in his 28th season as head coach and has led Nauset to two state championships in that time. This year’s squad lost eight seniors from a 2024 team that went 10-7-3 and fell in the second round of the state tournament to Pope Francis. They did not surrender a goal until their seventh game, and McCully is “looking to start hot again this year.”
“Our boys have put in a lot of hard work this summer, going to summer camp and trying to build something special,” McCully said in a phone interview. Omari Perry, a senior midfielder who earned All Eastern Massachusetts honors last year, returns to help lead the team along with fellow captains Reed Dill and Cooper Ruffner. Matteo LaRosa, a freshman, will start in goal.
McCully’s goals for this year’s team have not changed from the ones he sets nearly every season. He would like to see his squad win the league title, qualify for the state tournament, and compete for the state championship. He is preparing them for tough competition immediately, as the Warriors hosted a four-team scrimmage last Saturday with Division 1 powers Hingham, Ludlow, and Weymouth.
Key returners: Omari Perry, Reed Dill, Cooper Ruffner, Lucas Wilkinson.
Newcomer to watch: Matteo LaRosa.
Fun fact: “We have great team chemistry,” McCully said without hesitation. “The guys are together and working hard.”
Upcoming schedule: The team opens its season at Dennis-Yarmouth at 4 p.m. on Sept. 4 and has its home opener Saturday, Sept. 6 against Norwell, the two-time defending Division 3 champion, at 11 a.m.
Boys Golf
Coach: Brian Hicks
Summary and 2025 outlook: Last season, the Warriors were the Cape and Islands League champions, posting a 16-0 record. They qualified for the state tournament after a strong showing in sectionals and finished fifth in the state. The team lost three seniors, including four-year All-Scholastic award winner Jack Martin.
“Losing Jack is tough, but we have some excellent experienced players returning,” said Coach Hicks. The returning players he is relying on include Logan Miller, Matthew Breda, Max St. Aubin, and Oliver Smith. The coach is also looking forward to the return of senior Jake Eldredge, who played as a freshman and then took a couple of years away from the links to work on his hockey skills. Another newcomer is freshman Hudson Cole, who has looked strong in the preseason. Hicks expects his team to compete for the league title again this year and to qualify for sectionals. “We’ll see what happens from there,” said the genial coach.
Key returners:Max St. Aubin, Oliver Smith, Matthew Breda, Logan Miller.
Newcomers to Watch: Jake Eldredge, Hudson Cole.
Fun fact: The team maintains that Matthew Breda is related to the King of Norway. This has not been confirmed.
Upcoming schedule: The golfers are the only Nauset team that opens its season before Labor Day. They host Martha’s Vineyard at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 at the Captain’s Golf Course in Brewster.
