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Nauset Warriors

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Teams Deal With Postponements

    A weekly preview of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — The Nauset High School boys basketball team was scheduled to play its first game of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 28 against Monomoy High School. This comes after the team’s first four games of the season were postponed.

    In recent weeks, the team has been dealing with positive Covid-19 tests among its members as well as among athletes on other teams the Warriors were scheduled to play, Athletic Director John Mattson said last week.

    “There are issues across the board with cases,” Mattson said. “We’re working with our athletic trainer and nursing staff, but it’s everywhere right now.”

    Mattson said he’s heard the same sentiment from officials at other schools as well.

    “We’re working our way through this, taking it one day at a time,” he added.

    Mattson said Nauset is using the “test and stay” program. This means that if someone at the school tests positive, then close contact testing begins. Tests are administered daily from the first day of exposure for at least five days. Test and stay must go on for seven days, with testing occurring on school days, according to the Mass. Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education.

    The problem has affected more than just boys basketball. Boys ice hockey, girls ice hockey, and boys and girls swimming have had to postpone competitions because of Covid. The Mike Melish Wrestling Tournament and the Marshfield Holiday Wrestling Tournament, in which Nauset’s team was scheduled to participate, were both cancelled this month.

    “Everyone’s doing the best they can,” Mattson said. “Winter presents a lot of challenges with being indoors.”

    Below is a list as of Tuesday, Dec. 28 of Nauset’s scheduled games for the coming week. This, of course, is subject to change.

    Thursday, Dec. 30

    Boys basketball: The Warriors are scheduled to play their second game of the season against Wareham High at 6:30 p.m. in Wareham.

    Saturday, Jan. 1

    Boys ice hockey: In a New Year’s Day matchup, the Warriors travel to the Canton Ice House to play Blue Hills Regional Tech School at 2 p.m.

    Monday, Jan. 3

    Girls ice hockey: Dennis-Yarmouth comes to the Charles Moore Arena in Orleans to play the Cape Cod Furies in a game beginning at 8 p.m.

    Tuesday, Jan. 4

    Boys and girls indoor track: The Nauset track teams compete in a meet against the Sandwich Blue Knights at Wheaton College in Norton at 3:30 p.m.

    Girls basketball: Cape Cod Academy hosts the Warriors for a 5 p.m. game.

    Boys basketball: Wareham High travels to Nauset this time around to play the Warriors at 6:30 p.m.

    Wednesday, Jan. 5

    Girls ice hockey: The Furies travel to Falmouth Ice Arena for a game at 5 p.m.

    Boys wrestling: The Barnstable wrestling team hosts a meet against Nauset at 7 p.m.

    Boys basketball: Plymouth North High hosts Nauset at 7 p.m.

    Boys ice hockey: The Warriors travel to Gallo Arena for a game against Sandwich at 8 p.m.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    High School Sports Calendar

    A weekly preview of Nauset High sports

    By

    Monday, Dec. 27

    Boys wrestling: The Nauset wrestling team travels to the Marshfield Holiday Tournament beginning at 9 a.m. The tournament is a two-day event, Monday and Tuesday.

    Boys ice hockey: The Warriors host Plymouth South at 2 p.m. at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans. The team was 2-1 at press time.

    Tuesday, Dec. 28

    Boys and girls swimming: The swim teams have a meet against St. John Paul II at Sandwich High School at 3 p.m.

    Girls basketball: The Warriors host the Monomoy Sharks at 3:30 p.m.

    Boys basketball: The boys basketball team is scheduled to host Monomoy at 5 p.m. following the girls game.

    Girls ice hockey: The Cape Cod Furies face off against Longmeadow High School at 5:10 p.m. at Charles Moore Arena.

    Wednesday, Dec. 29

    Girls ice hockey: The Furies host another game against the co-op team of Mansfield/Oliver Ames/Foxboro high schools at 2 p.m. at Charles Moore Arena.

    Boys ice hockey: The Warriors travel to the Nantucket Community Ice Rink to play the Whalers at 5:15 p.m. —Ryan Fitzgerald

    COVID IN THE COLD

    Masks Are Still Required for Winter Sports

    MIAA board goes against Sports Medicine Committee recommendation

    By

    EASTHAM — The Covid-19 pandemic continues to put up hurdles for student athletic teams.

    The Nauset High School boys basketball team had to suspend activities last week, said Athletic Director John Mattson. The team canceled practices and postponed its first three games of the season.

    Mattson didn’t disclose the reasons, but presumably there was at least one Covid case on the team. The Warriors were cleared to participate in outdoor conditioning on Wednesday and the team planned to hold indoor practice on Monday, Dec. 20, Mattson said in an email. The team hopes to open its season on Dec. 23 against Cape Cod Academy.

    Games scheduled for Dec. 10 and Dec. 14 have been rescheduled for later this season, while the team’s Dec. 21 game against Martha’s Vineyard has not yet been rescheduled.

    No other Nauset teams have experienced Covid-related postponements so far.

    The Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors met on Dec. 8 and voted to extend its indoor mask mandate for winter sports. The mandate was first imposed on Nov. 23.

    Because fall sports are played mostly outdoors, athletes, coaches, and spectators did not have to wear masks, and the play seemed back to normal. But winter sports take place mostly indoors, with close contact between the athletes.

    Nauset boys basketball in action during a game against Barnstable last season on Jan. 22. (Photo Nancy Bloom)

    Although the MIAA board affirmed its mask mandate last week, the association’s Sports Medicine Committee had recommended last month that athletes and officials be allowed to remove masks while playing. The medical committee also recommended that coaches be allowed to remove masks. In addition, the MIAA Basketball Committee voted overwhelmingly to support those recommendations.

    The MIAA created specific Covid-19 guidelines for each sport last season.

    In general, student athletes and coaches who have symptoms of infection are encouraged to be tested and isolate themselves in accordance with Mass. Dept. of Public Health (DPH) guidance. Students with symptoms who test negative for Covid-19 may return to play once they are approved to return to school — they must be free of fever for 24 hours with their symptoms improving.

    Student athletes and coaches with a positive Covid diagnosis are required to follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DPH, and local board of health guidelines. In addition, infected persons must get written clearance from their health care providers and school administrators or designees to return to their sports.

    Student athletes, coaches, spectators, and any others associated with the athletic program who have been exposed to Covid-19 must quarantine: no participation in practices or games following exposure. They should follow all CDC, DPH, and local board of health protocols. Athletes and coaches should receive written clearance from their school administrators or designees to return to action.

    The MIAA follows the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) guidelines when it comes to masking.

    “As of October 15, 2021,” the DESE announced, “if a school demonstrates a vaccination rate of 80 percent or more of all students and staff in the school through an attestation form submitted to DESE, then vaccinated individuals in that school would no longer be subject to the mask requirement. Whether or not a school or district avails themselves of the 80 percent vaccination off ramp is a local decision to be made by school and district leaders in consultation with local health officials.”

    DESE has set Jan. 15 for reassessing masking guidelines, according to the MIAA.

    Nauset High School still requires students and teachers to be masked indoors during the school day. Student athletes, officials, coaches, staff, and spectators are required to be masked at all indoor sports events at the high school and at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans.

    The girls basketball team lost its first game of the year, 58-26, to Plymouth North High School on Dec. 10. The team was scheduled to play Nantucket at home on Tuesday, followed by an away game against Norwell High School on Thursday.

    The boys ice hockey team got off to a fast start with a 7-2 win over the co-op Monomoy and Mashpee Monarchs boys hockey team at Charles Moore Arena. Five different Warriors players scored in that game.

    The hockey team was scheduled to travel to Martha’s Vineyard on Tuesday.

    The Cape Cod Furies, a co-op girls ice hockey team from Nauset, Monomoy, and Cape Cod Tech, is also off to a good start, having handily won its first two games. The Furies defeated Martha’s Vinyeard 4-1 at home on Dec. 9 and Plymouth South 4-1 on Dec. 11. The team was scheduled to play Barnstable at the Hyannis Youth Community Center on Wednesday.

    The Nauset girls and boys swim teams took first at the Cape & Islands Relay Carnival at Sandwich High School on Dec. 11 with a score of 175. Kaitlin Bohannon, Nina Mako, Brynn Morris, Will Crowell, Keith Gagnon, and John Szucs were all part of four winning relays that day.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    High School Sports Calendar

    A weekly preview of Nauset High sports

    By

    See related story about postponement of some Warriors boys basketball games.

    Thursday, Dec. 16

    Girls basketball: The Warriors play at Norwell High School at 6:30 p.m. After losing the season opener to Plymouth North, the girls lost a close home match against Nantucket on Tuesday, 47-42.

    Saturday, Dec. 18

    Wrestling: The Warriors participate in the Mike Melish Wrestling Tournament at Foxboro High School beginning at 9 a.m.

    Girls basketball: Bishop Fenwick High hosts the Warriors at 3 p.m.

    Boys ice hockey: Nauset takes on St. John Paul II High School at the Hyannis Youth Community Center at 6 p.m. The team record stands at 1-1 after defeating Monomoy but losing 2-1 to Martha’s Vineyard on Tuesday.

    Girls ice hockey: The Furies host Sandwich at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans at 7 p.m.

    Tuesday, Dec. 21

    Boys and girls indoor track: The Warriors have a meet against the Falmouth Clippers at Wheaton College at 3:30 p.m.

    Wednesday, Dec. 22

    Boys wrestling: The Warriors host the Barnstable Red Hawks at 6 p.m.

    Girls basketball: The Warriors travel to play Martha’s Vineyard at 4:30 p.m.

    Boys ice hockey: The Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins come to Charles Moore Arena to face off against the Warriors at 6:10 p.m. —Ryan Fitzgerald

    WARRIORS WATCH

    9 Varsity Teams in Action This Week

    A weekly preview of Nauset High sports

    By

    The Nauset Regional High School winter sports season is in full swing starting with nine varsity basketball, ice hockey, swimming, indoor track, and wrestling teams in action this week.

    Thursday, Dec. 9

    Girls ice hockey: The Furies take the ice against Martha’s Vineyard at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans at 5 p.m.

    Friday, Dec. 10

    Girls basketball: The Plymouth North Blue Eagles host the Warriors for the first game of the season at 5:30 p.m.

    Boys basketball: The Warriors host Plymouth North at 6:30 p.m. It’s the home season tip-off at Nauset Regional High School.

    Saturday, Dec. 11

    Boys wrestling: Nauset takes part in the South County Invitational at North Kingstown High School in Rhode Island beginning at 9 a.m.

    Boys and girls swimming: The swim teams participate in the Cape & Island Relays at Sandwich High School beginning at 10 a.m.

    Boys ice hockey: The Monomoy Sharks come to Orleans to face off against the Warriors at Charles Moore Arena at 6:30 p.m.

    Girls ice hockey: The Plymouth North and South co-op team play the Furies at Armstrong Rink in Plymouth at 8 p.m.

    Tuesday, Dec. 14

    Girls basketball: The Nantucket Whalers take on the Warriors at 3:30 p.m. in Eastham.

    Boys and girls indoor track: The track teams travel to Wheaton College in Norton for a meet against Barnstable High that starts at 3:30 p.m.

    Boys ice hockey: Martha’s Vineyard hosts the Warriors on the island for a game at 4:15 p.m.

    Boys basketball: The Warriors travel to Nantucket to play the Whalers at 5 p.m.

    Wednesday, Dec. 15

    Boys and girls swimming: The Nauset swimmers travel for a meet against Martha’s Vineyard at the YMCA on the island at 3 p.m.

    Girls ice hockey: The Hyannis Youth and Community Center hosts a game between the Barnstable Red Hawks and the Furies at 6 p.m.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Winter Sports Begin

    A weekly preview of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — The Nauset Warriors football team lost 14-0 to Dennis-Yarmouth in its final game of the season on Thanksgiving. It had been two years since the traditional rivals played their annual holiday battle for the Chowder Cup.

    Nauset ended its challenging football season with a 1-6 record.

    The football game concluded the fall sports season, as students and coaches now turn to winter. There will be a fall sports awards night held at the high school auditorium on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m.

    The first contest of the winter sports season will be played by the Cape Cod Furies girls ice hockey team on Thursday, Dec. 9. The team will host Martha’s Vineyard at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans at 5 p.m.

    A full slate of freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity basketball games is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 10 to officially kick off the season.

    The boys varsity will face Plymouth North at home at 6:30 p.m., while the girls will travel to Plymouth North for a 7 p.m. start.

    The wrestling team will compete in its first meet on Saturday, Dec. 11 as the Warriors travel to North Kingstown High School for the South County Invitational beginning at 9 a.m.

    Boys and girls swimming will compete in the Cape & Islands Relays on the same day at Sandwich High School beginning at 10 a.m.

    The boys ice hockey team will host Monomoy at Charles Moore Arena at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, while the Furies will face off against the co-op Plymouth North and South girls hockey team at Armstrong Rink in Plymouth.

    PLAYOFFS

    Boys’ Soccer Season Ends With a Heartbreaker

    Warriors push Longmeadow ‘to the brink,’ but penalty kicks seal the game

    By

    EAST LONGMEADOW — One of the most thrilling high school soccer matches this season took place on Nov. 14 as the eighth-seeded Nauset boys played the top-seeded East Longmeadow Spartans in the Round of 8 in the Division 2 MIAA state tournament.

    After two overtime periods ended in ties, the Spartans prevailed in a penalty-kick battle, 6 to 5.

    Nauset Head Coach John McCully and his coaching staff were struck by the singularity of the match. “We’ve all played at different levels, college, semi-pro, pro,” McCully said. “We’ve never been in a game like that before. Never.”

    Nauset star junior forward Nate Watring scored a hat trick in the first half to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead at halftime. The team looked poised to claim an upset victory and move on to the Division 2 Final Four.

    But East Longmeadow did not quit. The Spartans scored two goals within eight minutes to make the score 3-2, and with just five minutes left, they tied it up, sending the game into a 10-minute sudden-death overtime.

    Neither team scored in the first or second overtime periods. That meant penalty kicks would decide their fate.

    The back-and-forth battle continued. One team scored; the other team scored. One team missed; the other team missed. Finally, with each team having netted five of eight shots, Nauset’s Caelan Donovan missed high on the ninth shot attempt.

    That allowed East Longmeadow’s Aman Khurana to walk up and bury the Spartans’ ninth kick to win the game.

    A sea of red jerseys flooded the field to celebrate what had seemed like an improbable outcome.

    East Longmeadow Coach Dave Serafino said Nauset “pushed us literally to the brink of our season before we were able to prevail. I have been coaching for over 30 years, and this was an awesome display of courage from our boys.”

    “The moment overwhelmed us a little bit,” McCully said. He called East Longmeadow “by far the best team we’ve played this season.”

    All six goals scored during what was otherwise a defensive battle were impressive.

    With about eight minutes left in the first half, Watring controlled a floating pass from fellow junior forward Arlo Lawless and faced off one-on-one with East Longmeadow defender Patrick Stevens just outside the penalty area. Watring, to the right of the goal, shot from a tough angle across his body. The ball stayed on the ground and slipped past Spartan goalkeeper Ben Giroux for the first goal of the game.

    Later, with just under three minutes remaining in the half, Watring controlled a pass in front of the net and beat Giroux for his second goal.

    Just a couple of minutes later, with Nauset up 2-0, junior midfielder Grayson Farber booted a corner kick into the goal area. Watring found himself at the top of the box and kicked a volley past Giroux for his third score.

    Meanwhile, East Longmeadow had its fair share of chances that didn’t find the net.

    McCully said the 3-0 halftime lead wasn’t a wholly accurate reflection of the dynamics of the game.

    “Us being up 3-0 was very deceiving,” he said. “It could have just as easily been 3-3.”

    At halftime, the team talked about how to protect its lead, McCully said. They knew they’d have to play with a great deal of composure, he said.

    East Longmeadow came out in the second half playing more aggressive offense. The Spartans’ Ryan Morneau scored off a rebound after Nauset junior goalkeeper Chase Lemieux saved a would-be goal with 28 minutes left in the second half.

    Then, with 21 minutes to go, East Longmeadow’s Sonny Mazza controlled a bouncing ball on the left side of the penalty box and fired a strike across his body that landed in the far side of the net. The score was now 3-2.

    As the sky grew darker, it was looking like Nauset might come away with a win. Then, with five minutes left, East Longmeadow’s Colin Evans found himself in front of the net as a cross from Mike Monroe in the far corner came through. Evans stuck his leg out and with one touch directed the ball into the back of the net. Tie game. The fateful penalty kicks followed.

    Seniors and coaches, left to right: Assistant Coach Ron Fancy, Jordan Martin, Samuel Coelho, Owen White, Pat Pinto, James Rose, Head Coach John McCully, Will Schiffer, Caelan Donovan, and Jason Perry. (Photo courtesy Nauset Sports)

    The Warriors finished the season 17-2-1 and will graduate eight seniors from this year’s team, including Will Schiffer, who was one of nine players named to the Eastern Mass. All-Region Team.

    But a lot of young talent will return next year, including Watring, who led the team in goals this season. He tallied five goals and two assists in tournament play. Charlie Cushing, a sophomore midfielder, and Colton Higgins, a junior midfielder, will also look to get back on the pitch next season.

    “We had a few injuries that hurt us,” McCully said. “Charlie Cushing was out; Colton Higgins wasn’t able to make it. We just didn’t have the depth to compete in the end.

    “I’m just heartbroken for our seniors,” McCully said. “But we expect to be back next year fighting for a state championship. Our guys played with a tremendous amount of heart.”

    East Longmeadow was scheduled to face Canton in the Final Four on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Boys Soccer Survives First Tourney Round

    A weekly roundup of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — It was a tough season for the Nauset Warriors football team. Like other teams, Nauset struggled to field enough players this fall. But on Friday, Nov. 5 it was Senior Night, and the Warriors celebrated three seniors before their game against the Carver Crusaders.

    Seniors Chad Caramanna, Ashton Nichols, and James Souza walked onto the field with their families and coaches and stood for photos as the team and its fans recognized their hard work.

    Seniors Ashton Nichols (#6), Chad Caramanna (#11), and James Souza (#75) are recognized during Senior Night. Nichols and Souza stand with their families while Caramanna stands with Head Coach Bruce Strunk. Senior cheerleaders (left to right) Mia Varricchio, Brittania Croll, and Latanya Porter were also recognized.

    Nauset lost the game 35-14 and the season record stands at 1-5. The team will play its final game  — and first Thanksgiving Day game at home since 2019 — against Dennis-Yarmouth in two weeks.

    It was a battle of “warriors” when the Nauset boys soccer team played its first-round playoff match in the Division 2 state tournament on Saturday, Nov. 6. The Nauset Warriors eked out a 2-1 victory over the Wakefield Warriors.

    Nauset isn’t used to being tested in the first round of the playoffs, but the team showed resilience after falling behind on Saturday. Wakefield scored the first goal off a penalty kick with 22:43 left in the first half.

    But just a few minutes later, with 19 minutes left in the half, Nauset senior Pat Pinto scored off an assist from junior teammate Arlo Lawless to tie the game.
    Lawless provided the game-winning goal when he scored off a corner kick with 34:30 left in the second half, and Nauset survived an unusually tight contest.

    At press time, the Warriors were scheduled to face the Scituate Sailors on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. in the second round of 16 teams.

    The Nauset girls soccer team suffered a double-overtime loss in its first-round playoff game on Thursday, Nov. 4. It was a back-and-forth battle with the North Middlesex Patriots. Nauset led 3-2 behind two goals from sophomore sensation Caroline Kennard and one goal from fellow sophomore Olivia Avellar. But late in the second half North Middlesex tied it at 3-3, forcing overtime.
    The first extra period was scoreless, but the Nauset girls eventually gave up the deciding goal in the second overtime.

    The girls field hockey team also lost its first-round playoff game in heartbreaking fashion to the Grafton Gators. The Warriors led 1-0 for most of the game until Grafton netted a late goal forcing the game into overtime, which ended with a 2-1 loss.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Soccer Teams Heading to Playoffs

    A weekly roundup of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — The regular season is over, with Nauset High School boys and girls soccer teams both looking to the upcoming playoffs.

    Halloween proved to be a scary day for the boys, as the Pembroke Titans defeated the Warriors 2-0. It was the first loss of the season for Nauset in the team’s final regular season game. The team finished the season at 15-1-1.

    The girls soccer team also finished on a loss, falling to Bridgewater-Raynham 1-0 on Oct. 30. The team ended with a 14-3 record, good enough to qualify for postseason play.

    The Nauset volleyball team managed a 3-2 win over Sturgis West Charter School on Senior Day, Oct. 30. The team finished regular play on Nov. 2 and did not qualify for the playoffs.

    The Nauset football team will host the Carver Crusaders at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 in the last game before its Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins. —Ryan Fitzgerald

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Martin Qualifies for N.E. Golf Championship

    A weekly roundup of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — After finishing third in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament with a team score of 305, the Nauset Warriors golf team placed 11th out of 13 teams in the Division 2 state tournament with a team score of 350.

    In the sectional tournament, the Warriors’ 305 was just six points shy of first-place Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, which posted a 299 at the Easton Country Club. In the state tournament, Bishop Stang captured first place again by posting a score of 305 at Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland.

    Freshman Jack Martin, who has been a strong golfer for the Warriors all season, posted an individual score of 76, just four over par, at the state tournament. That was good enough to tie for 15th place. Nauset senior Cooper Guiliano posted an 80, eight over par, to tie for 27th place. Max Hampoian of Austin Prep had the best score with a three-under-par 69.

    The Nauset golf team had a strong season with an overall record of 14-4. Martin qualified to participate in the New England High School Championship, to be held on Monday, Nov. 1, at Mohegan Sun.

    Meanwhile, Nauset’s soccer teams remain strong as they head into the end of the regular season this week. The girls team was 13-2 and the boys team remained undefeated at 13-0-1 at press time. After this week, the teams will prepare for postseason play.

    Nauset field hockey has two games left in the regular schedule. The team sits at 8-6-2 on the season.

    Thursday, Oct. 28

    Girls field hockey: The Warriors face off against the Nantucket Whalers at 4 p.m. on the island.

    Girls soccer: The Warriors travel to play Sturgis West Charter School at Old Town House Field in Yarmouth at 4:30 p.m.

    Boys soccer: Pembroke High hosts the Warriors at 5 p.m.

    Volleyball: Sturgis West Charter School comes to play the Warriors at 5:15 p.m.

    Friday, Oct. 29

    Girls field hockey: Martha’s Vineyard travels to play the Warriors in the team’s final regular season game of the year at 4 p.m.

    Volleyball: The Warriors play Rising Tide Charter School at Sacred Heart High School at 4:30 p.m.

    Football: The Warriors look for their second victory of the season against the Falmouth Clippers in Falmouth at 6:30 p.m.

    Saturday, Oct. 30

    Boys and girls cross country: The teams compete in the Cape & Islands League Championship meet at Dennis-Yarmouth High School beginning at 10 a.m.

    Girls soccer: Bridgewater-Raynham travels to Eastham to play the Warriors at noon in the team’s final regular season game of the year.

    Boys soccer: The boys team plays an away match at Bridgewater-Raynham at 1 p.m. in the team’s final regular season game.

    FOOTBALL

    High School Football Teams Deal With Drop in Participation

    Coaches and players try to understand why ‘Friday night lights’ are not so bright this year

    By

    EASTHAM — Nauset Regional High School’s football team won its Homecoming game against Martha’s Vineyard on Oct. 15, giving players and fans something to celebrate in a season rocked by a program-threatening drop in participation. Coaches say it’s tough to know whether the low roster numbers are a natural fluctuation after pandemic-related disruption or if they indicate a permanent trend.

    The Warriors barely had enough players to field a varsity team at the beginning of the season. Injuries made things worse and led to the cancelation of a game scheduled against Mashpee on Oct. 1. The team did manage to play its last two games, but the program’s junior varsity team has played only three games so far this season.

    The Nauset Warriors huddle at the beginning of the team’s Homecoming Weekend game against Martha’s Vineyard last Friday. Early season injuries have contributed to another tough season. Jacob Daley is the player at left on crutches. (Photos Nancy Bloom)

    After the Mashpee forfeit, Nauset football coach Bruce Strunk said, “It’s not just a Nauset thing.”

    Interviews with coaches at other schools show Strunk was right. High school football teams across the Cape are down in numbers. “We’re all searching for answers and reasons,” said Barnstable Athletic Director Scott Thomas.

    At Barnstable High, Thomas said, the football program usually has well over 100 student athletes involved. That’s enough to field varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams. But this year, the program dipped to around 75 students.

    Like Strunk, Thomas speculated that the shorter “Fall II” season that moved football from the fall of 2020 to the winter and spring of 2021 was at least partly to blame. That move by the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association was a response to the pandemic. At the time, the thought was that, after a fall delay, it would be great to get players on the football field.

    “We did okay last season, but we’re wondering if it did some harm as well,” Thomas said of the Fall II season.

    “At first, morale was pretty high,” said Nauset senior Chad Caramanna, explaining why Fall II didn’t go so well. The Truro resident began playing football at Nauset in his sophomore year in 2019.

    “People were excited to play some football,” Caramanna said, “but we got hit with reality at the first practice. There were only 30-something players on the field. After our first loss last year, our confidence was very low.”

    Nauset had to quarantine at one point during that season, and the team never got in a comfortable rhythm.

    The timing was tough, Caramanna said. In 2019, Nauset football won its first home playoff game in program history, and the 2020 team featured 11 seniors who were set to lead a strong team but ended up dealing with a weak outcome.

    This year, with those seniors gone, some former team members’ decisions not to play cut deep.

    “There were multiple critical players who decided not to come back this season, either for personal reasons or whatever it was,” Caramanna said. “Our starting quarterback did not come back. That one player missing required our safety to become a quarterback. But then we have to fill his spot. You shift one player and the entire team has to shift as well.”

    The Nauset defense stifled Martha’s Vineyard all night, allowing the Vineyarders to score just six points. Above, Martha’s Vineyard’s Hiaggo Goncalves gets pushed back by a Warriors defender in the first half.

    Dennis-Yarmouth, a football program that won the Division 5 State Championship in 2017, has significantly lower-than-usual roster numbers this year.

    “We have about 50 kids right now, which is not great,” Dennis-Yarmouth Athletic Director Mary O’Connor said.

    Karen Guillemette, the athletic director at Monomoy High School in Harwich, and Alan Harrison, athletic director at Cape Cod Tech, both said their football rosters are lower this year.

    “We only had 20 kids to start the season, and we asked the league if we could opt out of our varsity league schedule,” Guillemette said. The program now has about 40 students, which is an improvement, but they are able to play only a half varsity and half junior-varsity schedule.

    Football’s reputation as a sport rife with injuries could be one factor. “Concussion safety has definitely been in the forefront of the sports world for a few years now,” Thomas said.

    But O’Connor said it’s not just football that’s attracting fewer players this year at D-Y. Other sports, like girls field hockey and girls soccer, have also lost participants, she said.

    “Across the board, our numbers are down,” O’Connor said. She is not sure whether the change relates to the pandemic, but what they’re seeing at Dennis-Yarmouth is that family economic stress is taking a toll.

    “Kids either have to work to help support their family or have to go home and watch their siblings,” she said. “For me, that’s kind of heartbreaking.”

    Nauset’s Strunk agreed. “Sports are not necessarily a priority,” he said. “A lot of these kids work or are into other things. It’s a perfect storm.”

    Thomas noted that the fall-off in sports participation seems to be starting before students get to high school. “We still have a healthy program, but we’re noticing some things we’ve never noticed before,” he said. “Some of our youth programs aren’t getting the participation they need to in order to send students on to play at the high school level.”

    Guillemette pointed out that the Lower Cape Bluefins Association, a youth tackle and flag football organization that introduces kids to football at the elementary and middle school level, did not play for the full year last year. She said Monomoy does offer its own flag football program at the middle school to get kids involved and learn about safety.

    The Warriors have two football games left, an away game against Falmouth on Oct. 29, and a Thanksgiving Day matchup against Dennis-Yarmouth at home — an annual game that was missed last season.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Nauset Celebrates Homecoming With Golf, Soccer, and Football Wins

    A weekly roundup of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — It was a busy Homecoming Weekend for Nauset sports across the board. The boys golf team finished in the runner-up spot in the MIAA South Sectional Championship at Easton Country Club on Monday, Oct. 18. That was good enough to qualify for the Division 2 State Finals, which is the next contest for the Warriors.

    Freshman Jack Martin shot a 72 to tie for first place as an individual, and senior Cooper Guiliano finished with a 74.

    The Nauset golf team finished second at the MIAA South Sectional Championship on Monday. (Photo courtesy Nauset Sports)

    Prior to Monday’s sectional competition, Guiliano won the solo Cape Cod High School Championship and led Nauset to the team title over the weekend. Martin tied for second in the individual competition, and senior Nemo Frawley also had a strong showing for the Warriors. The team is 14-4 on the season.

    Both the girls and boys soccer teams cruised to victories last week. The girls defeated Dennis-Yarmouth 6-0 on Thursday, Oct. 14 to improve to 11-2 for the season. The boys remain undefeated after a 5-0 win over Dennis-Yarmouth the same night.

    The boys football team managed its first win of the season, soundly defeating Martha’s Vineyard on Oct. 15 by a score of 24-6. The team was led by sophomore Logan Julien and junior Dillon White, who combined for three touchdowns. Julien also recorded an interception for the defense.

    The fall sports regular season will conclude by the end of next week before eligible teams begin their playoff contests.

    Thursday, Oct. 21

    Girls soccer: The Warriors play Martha’s Vineyard on the island beginning at 3 p.m.

    Boys soccer: Martha’s Vineyard comes to Eastham to play the undefeated Warriors at 4 p.m.

    Volleyball: The Warriors play host to the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins at 5:15 p.m.

    Friday, Oct. 22

    Girls field hockey: The Warriors host the Sandwich Blue Knights for a game at 4 p.m. The team is currently 7-5-1 and fighting for a playoff spot.

    Saturday, Oct. 23

    Girls soccer: The Monomoy Sharks host the Warriors for a weekend match beginning at 11 a.m.

    Boys soccer: It’s Senior Night for the boys soccer team as they host the Monomoy Sharks at 6 p.m.

    Monday, Oct. 25

    Girls field hockey: The Warriors travel to New Bedford for one of the team’s last games of the season. It starts at 4 p.m.

    Tuesday, Oct. 26

    Boys soccer: The Warriors play host to New Bedford at 4 p.m.

    Boys and girls cross country: Both Warriors teams travel to Nantucket for a meet against the Whalers at 4 p.m.

    Volleyball: The Warriors go to Nantucket as well for a match beginning at 5 p.m.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Golfers Take on Nantucket to Kick Off Homecoming

    A weekly wrap-up of Nauset High sports

    By

    EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School boys golf team improved to 13-3 on the season with an 80-157 win over the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins on Friday, Oct. 8. (Golf is the rare sport — along with cross-country running — in which the team with the lowest score wins.)

    The golf team was riding an eight-match win streak at press time. The Warriors will play their final rounds of the season against the Nantucket Whalers on Thursday before postseason play begins. The team has been led all season by strong play from freshman Jack Martin and senior Cooper Giuliano.

    Thursday, Oct. 14

    Boys golf: The Warriors’ match against the Nantucket Whalers marks the beginning of homecoming weekend for Nauset sports. The team’s final regular season match tees off at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster at 3:30 p.m.

    Girls soccer: Homecoming weekend continues with the Warriors’ game against the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins. The game starts at 4:30 on the turf. The team’s record stood at 9-2 going into Tuesday’s game against Falmouth.

    Volleyball: Nauset plays its homecoming game against Sturgis East Charter School at 5:30 p.m.

    Boys soccer: The Warriors host Dennis-Yarmouth at 6:30 p.m. following the girls soccer game. The boys were 9-0-1 going into their Tuesday match in Falmouth.

    Friday, Oct. 15

    Field hockey: The Warriors host the Barnstable Red Hawks for the team’s homecoming game at 3:30 p.m. The team’s record at press time was 6-3-1.

    Football: Nauset football looks for its first win of the season on homecoming night against the Martha’s Vineyarders. Kickoff is at 5:15 p.m. The team lost to Sandwich 28-6 on Oct. 8.

    Tuesday, Oct. 19

    Boys and girls cross country: The girls and boys cross country teams host a meet against the Vineyarders at 4 p.m.

    Boys soccer: Nauset takes on Nantucket on the island for a match beginning at 4 p.m.

    Girls soccer: It’s Senior Day for the Warriors as the team takes on Nantucket at home beginning at 4 p.m. Seniors Brady Deschamps, Kate Kennard, Emily Pearl, Sam Schiffenhaus, Faye Lindberg, Riley Craven, Isabel Cook, Mimi Bois, and Emmalynn Schnitzer will be honored before the game.

    Volleyball: The Warriors travel to Falmouth for a match against the Clippers at 6:15 p.m.

    Wednesday, Oct. 18

    Field hockey: The Falmouth Clippers travel to play the Warriors in Eastham at 4 p.m.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Girls Soccer Bounces Back After Tough Loss

    A weekly roundup of Nauset High School sports

    By

    EASTHAM — The girls soccer team lost for the first time this season in a tough match against Bridgewater-Raynham last Thursday. The Warriors controlled possession for most of the game and held a 1-0 lead. But the Trojans scored two goals in the final three minutes of the game to win, 2-1, in shocking fashion.

    Nauset sophomore Caroline Kennard looks to hold possession against Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday. The Warriors won the game, 5-0. (Photo Nancy Bloom)

    The Nauset girls bounced back over the weekend with a 5-0 win over Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, Oct. 2, their eighth victory of the season. The team was scheduled to play a match against Barnstable at home on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

    The boys soccer team kept its winning streak alive with a 5-0 win over Bridgewater-Raynham last Thursday and was scheduled to play a Cape & Islands League match in Barnstable on Tuesday as well. The team was 7-0-1.

    Thursday, Oct. 7

    Boys golf: The Falmouth Clippers play a match against the Warriors at Captain’s Golf Course in Brewster at 3:30 p.m.

    Boys soccer: The Warriors take on the Sandwich Blue Knights at home at 4 p.m.

    Girls soccer: The Sandwich Blue Knights host the Warriors at 4:30 p.m.

    Volleyball: The Barnstable Red Hawks host the Warriors for a match at 6:15 p.m.

    Friday, Oct. 8

    Boys golf: The Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins play the Warriors at 3:30 p.m. at Captains Golf Course.

    Field hockey: The Dolphins host the Warriors for a game at 4:30 p.m.

    Volleyball: St. John Paul II plays the Warriors in Eastham at 5:15 p.m.

    Football: The Warriors play the Sandwich Blue Knights at home at 6 p.m.

    Tuesday, Oct. 12

    Boys golf: The team hosts Sandwich at Captains Golf Course at 3:30 p.m.

    Field hockey: The Nantucket Whalers play the Warriors in Eastham at 4 p.m.

    Boys and girls cross country: The D-Y Dolphins host the Warriors at D-Y Regional High School at 4:30 p.m.

    Boys soccer: The Falmouth Clippers host the Warriors for a big Cape and Islands League matchup at 5 p.m.

    Volleyball: The Sandwich Blue Knights travel to play the Warriors at 5:15 p.m.

    Girls soccer: The Warriors play Falmouth at home at 6 p.m.

    Wednesday, Oct. 13

    Field hockey: The Monomoy Sharks play the Warriors at 4 p.m. at Monomoy.

    WARRIORS WATCH

    Soccer Teams Look to Stay Undefeated

    A weekly preview of Nauset High sports

    By

    Thursday, Sept. 30

    Boys golf: The Warriors host the Martha’s Vineyarders for a match at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster at 3:15 p.m.

    Girls soccer: The undefeated Warriors are going for the first 8-0 start in program history in a tough away match against Bridgewater-Raynham at 5 p.m.

    Boys soccer: The Warriors host Bridgewater-Raynham for a 5 p.m. match. The team was 6-0-1 at press time.

    Volleyball: The Falmouth Clippers come to Eastham to play the Warriors at 7 p.m. The Warriors were 2-6 at press time.

    Friday, Oct. 1

    Football: The Warriors will be seeking their first win of the season against the Mashpee Falcons in Mashpee at 6 p.m. The team lost its third game of the season to Nantucket 38-0 last week.

    Monday, Oct. 4

    Boys golf: The Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins take on the Warriors at the Captains Golf Course at 3:30 p.m.

    Tuesday, Oct. 5

    Girls and boys cross country: The cross country teams host the Sandwich Blue Knights for an afternoon meet at 4 p.m. The girls are 0-2 while the boys are 1-1 on the season.

    Boys golf: The team plays a match against the Barnstable Red Hawks at Oyster Harbors Golf Course at 3:30 p.m.

    Girls soccer: The Warriors host the Barnstable Red Hawks for the teams’ second meeting of the season at 4 p.m.

    Boys soccer: The Barnstable Red Hawks host the Warriors for a 4:30 p.m. match.

    Volleyball: The Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins host the Warriors at 5:45 p.m.

    Wednesday, Oct. 6

    Field hockey: The Warriors travel to Sandwich to play the Blue Knights at 4:30 p.m. The team was 5-2 at press time.

    Boys golf: The Warriors take on St. John Paul II at Willowbend Country Club at 3:30 p.m.

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