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Globe Schools Insider

Globe Schools Insider: A clutch kick, four Top 20 upsets, eight stars of the day, and two D1 commitments

Billerica senior Dan Venezia drilled a 32-yard field goal with eight seconds left to force overtime en route to a 26-20 victory over No. 17 North Andover. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe

You’re reading Globe Schools Insider. I’m Brendan Kurie, and five days a week you can find me here talking top plays, big upsets, milestones and statistics, commitment and transfer news, and more.

▪ Scores and schedules: Football | Boys’ soccer | Girls’ soccer | Field hockey | Girls’ volleyball | More sports

▪ Daily recaps: Boys’ soccer | Girls’ soccer | Field hockey | Cross-country | Girls’ volleyball

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Thursday saw a Top 20 football upset, the No. 3 boys’ soccer team lose its second in a row, and multiple records from the links.

From the gridiron, a dramatic Billerica overtime win over No. 17 North Andover highlighted a light slate of six games that also saw Norwell run all over Abington and Medford stomp Saugus.

Let’s dive into all of Thursday’s highlights.

1. Milestones

▪ For the second time this season, Concord-Carlisle senior Sophie Redmond recorded a hole-in-one on the 125-yard, par-3 ninth hold at Concord Country Club.

▪ Two records fell when Sandwich faced Nauset at Sandwich Hollows Golf Course. Sandwich senior Blaise Chatigny fired a school-record 6-under-par 30 thanks to an eagle and four birdies, while Nauset junior Oliver Smith set his own school record with a 4-under 32.

▪ Norton golf set a school record with an even-par 216 team score in a win over Millis at TPC Boston. Griffin Clary (3-under 33), Mason Ball (34), and Adam Caldwell (34) all went under par, while Jack Regan (37), Evan Caldwell (38), and Cole O’Connell (40) weren’t far behind.

▪ Ipswich’s golf team set a home course record at Ipswich Country Club with 196 points, which is believed to be the overall school mark as well. Sam Harrington and Travis Wilson led the way with 38 Stableford points each, followed by Michael Beaudoin (31), Grant Wilson (30), Tommy Harrington (30), and Zain Harb (29).

2. The upsets

▪ A one-win Xaverian boys’ soccer team stunned No. 3 St. John’s (Shrewsbury), benefiting from a Nolan Golding goal with 19 minutes to play to secure a 1-0 upset in the Catholic Conference.

▪ With senior Dan Venezia’s game-tying 32-yard field goal with eight seconds left in regulation, Billerica forced overtime against No. 17 North Andover. The Indians prevailed, 26-20, in the extra time after forcing a fumble and then scoring on a 6-yard Jackson Gearin tote.

▪ Unranked Lexington (5-0-2) got a goal from Brandon Park and battled to a Middlesex League girls’ soccer draw with No. 18 Winchester (4-1-1). No. 20 Whitman-Hanson (4-1-3) had just joined the Top 20 this week, but suffered a 2-1 loss to unranked Silver Lake (6-3), which got goals from Maddie Cina and Grace Keshishian.

▪ Unranked Newton North boys’ soccer (1-3-3) played to a 1-1 draw with No. 10 Framingham (4-1-4) when Misha Vorobyov netted the equalizer in the 73rd minute.

3. Best finishes

We’ve covered Venezia’s dramatic game-tying field goal in the waning seconds, so let’s jump over to Central Catholic girls’ soccer, which handed Chelmsford its first loss, 1-0, when senior midfielder Addison Brosnihan found the upper left corner with 30 seconds to play.

4. Eight stars of the day

Makaylla Cederman, Haverhill — The senior had a hand in four goals, scoring two and assisting on two in a 6-0 girls’ soccer blanking of Lawrence.

Brooke Connor, Canton — The sophomore had a huge night, leading the Bulldogs to a five-set win over Sharon with 27 kills, 7 digs, and 5 aces.

Tony Corrado, Medford — The senior quarterback flung three TD passes, connecting on scoring strikes of 18, 9, and 19 yards in a 33-0 win over Saugus.

Hank Najarian, Duxbury — The sophomore finished with four birdies in a 3-under-par 32 round, leading the Dragons to a one-stroke win, 241-242, over Hanover at Harmon Golf Course.

Ava Poire, Ipswich — The junior scored three goals and assisted on a fourth, powering the Tigers to a 4-0 field hockey win over Amesbury.

Dan Venezia, Billerica — The senior not only kicked field goals of 25 and 32 yards, with the latter forcing overtime with eight seconds to play, but he ran for 115 yards, including a 56-yard TD run to lead the Indians past No. 17 North Andover, 26-20.

Jack Luccarelli and Colin Gerhart, Norwell — Both seniors, Luccarelli set the tone with a game-opening 56-yard TD run, then finished with 148 yards and three TDs on 17 carries in a 31-14 victory over Abington that featured 183 yards and two TDs from Gerhart on 19 rushes.

5. Commitment central

▪ Newton Country Day School junior Elaina Collins, a 5-foot-8-inch midfielder and draw specialist from Belmont, announced her commitment to play Division 1 women’s lacrosse at California-Berkeley.

▪ Longmeadow senior Jackson Passonno, a 6-3 righthander with a fastball that hits 89 miles per hour, announced his commitment to UMass baseball. Passonno no-hit Holliston in the first round of the Division 2 tournament last spring.

▪ King Philip senior Tatum Morgan announced she’ll be headed to Regis to play women’s basketball. The 5-4 guard is the reigning Hockomock League Davenport MVP.

▪ Groton senior defenseman Tatum Friedholm, who previously played at Lincoln-Sudbury, committed to play women’s hockey at Williams.

▪ Winchester senior center fielder Ella Centurelli will play softball at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

6. College corner

▪ Providence women’s basketball junior Orlagh Gormley, a Dexter Southfield graduate from Quincy, was named All-Big East Preseason honorable mention coming off a sophomore season that saw her average 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 steals in 32 games (31 starts).

▪ Colgate men’s basketball sophomore Andrew Alekseyenko, a Rivers graduate from Brookline, was chosen for the All-Patriot League Preseason Team. The 6-8 forward averaged 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while garnering Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman.

7. Here and there

▪ The Patriots announced their September Football Officiating Crew of the Month: John Deskavich, Brian Harrington, Rich Harrington, Peter McCarthy, and Brian Planz.

The Crew of the Month is chosen for exemplifying honesty, consistency, objectivity, and dedication to football.

“John, Brian, Rich, Peter, and Brian have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the game and to the young people they serve,” said Hall of Fame linebacker and Patriots executive director of community affairs Andre Tippett in a statement. We are proud to recognize their contributions and thank them for the countless hours they dedicate to football throughout our region."

▪ Billy Sweezey, a former Nobles player from Hanson, was named the 28th captain of the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The 30-year-old is entering his third season in Providence and seventh in professional hockey after posting a career-best 17 points last season.

“Billy is everything that we talk about in leadership,” said Providence Bruins coach Trent Whitfield in a statement. “He does everything that encapsulates what a captain is. The way he is on and off the ice, as a person and a player. He is a team guy. He does everything a captain should do.”

Soccer leaders

Top performers from Thursday, Oct. 1

Goals

Bella Affsa, Abington, 3

Taylor Bello, Hingham, 3

Lexie Deschenes, Tyngsborough, 3

Kayleigh Bonavita, Newburyport, 2

Makaylla Cederman, Haverhill, 2

Callie Delaney, Hanover, 2

Jake Demento, Belchertown, 2

Ariana Demetri, North Reading, 2

Miguel Ferreira, Westport, 2

R.J. Ferreira, Westport, 2

Christian Fraga, Belchertown, 2

Kathryn Greenblatt, Georgetown, 2

C.J. LeBlanc, Westport, 2

Colin MacPherson, Hanover, 2

Lucia Savastra, Newburyport, 2

Makenna Wyatt, Bridgewater-Raynham, 2

Yohan Yoon, Belchertown, 2

Assists

Itai Golani, Belmont, 3

Charlotte Mercer, Hingham, 3

Dylan Baldwin, Pembroke, 2

Makaylla Cederman, Haverhill, 2

Aleigh Gonzalez, Haverhill, 2

Henry Mueller, Belchertown, 2

Cameron Todd, Newburyport, 2

Yohan Yoon, Belchertown, 2

Field hockey leaders

Top performers from Thursday, Oct. 1

Goals

Ella Marzullo, Franklin, 3

Ava Poire, Ipswich, 3

Penelope Brady, Franklin, 2

Caydence Canavan, Franklin, 2

Kaitlin Chun, St. John Paul II, 2

Emma Cookson, Joseph Case, 2

Olivia Cormier, Somerset Berkley, 2

Jill Gagnier, Apponequet, 2

Sydney Marshall, Oliver Ames, 2

Grace Pelfrey, Oliver Ames, 2

Assists

Julia Hubbard, Ipswich, 2

Amelia Manning, Franklin, 2

Kyla Moroney, Danvers, 2

Lucy Rowell, Oliver Ames, 2

Stella Zarse, Ursuline, 2

Girls’ volleyball leaders

Top performers from Thursday, Oct. 1

Kills

Brooke Connor, Canton, 27

Hope DiDonato, Shawsheen, 21

Audrey Manning, Lynnfield, 20

Kira Clark, Milton, 18

Colbie Adams, Calvary Chapel, 17

Elizabeth Willis, East Bridgewater, 16

Mia Milani, Bellingham, 15

Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 11

Molly Sweeney, King Philip, 11

Sydney Faria, Central Catholic, 10

Maddy Gray, Monomoy, 10

Ryan Fenton-Hilt, Brookline, 10

Mia Fougere, Mashpee, 10

Olivia Leonardo, Attleboro, 10

Erica Manning, Lynnfield, 10

Nora O’Brien, King Philip, 10

Molly Tipton, Brookline, 10

Kyra Ward, Chelmsford, 10

Assists

Natalie Plowman, Shawsheen, 35

Michaela Singleton, Canton, 28

Ayla Kingman, East Bridgewater, 27

Tina Zheng, Andover, 22

Adelyn Croteau, Central Catholic, 20

Riley Hanlon, Calvary Chapel, 16

Mahi Ahluwalia, Attleboro, 15

Olivia Basil, Triton, 15

Colby Babineau, Calvary Chapel, 13

Lyla McDonough, Oliver Ames, 13

Digs

Carley Monteiro, Shawsheen, 37

Soley Rodriguez Martinez, Canton, 22

Molly Sweeney, King Philip, 21

Lavinya Oliveira, Essex Tech, 17

Mia Jones, Brookline, 16

Hailey Dalton, King Philip, 15

Ava Rocheleau, Essex Tech, 15

Dahiamerys Brito, Central Catholic, 14

Elliana Moretti, Lynnfield, 14

Mia Tringale, Swampscott, 14

Sienna Quaglia, Attleboro, 12

Aces

Cam Leithead, Andover, 9

Shelby Addario, Essex, Tech, 6

Ayla Kingman, East Bridgewater, 6

Elliana Moretti, Lynnfield, 6

Carly Brown, Ware, 5

Brooke Connor, Canton, 5

Hannah DaSilva, Chelmsford, 5

Moni Tauch, Chelmsford, 5

Colby Babineau, Calvary Chapel, 4

Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 4

Mia Milani, Bellingham, 4

Ava Rocheleau, Essex Tech, 4

Lucy Schuster, Natick, 4

Blocks

Aubrey Callery, Bellingham, 9

Cori Cenac, Wellesley, 4

Mia Milani, Bellingham, 4

Amia Channer, Attleboro, 3

Sophie McGowan, Burlington, 3


Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.