Globe Schools Insider: An ACC baseball commitment, league champs crowned, No. 1 goes down

Dexter Southfield quarterback Rory Funke has decided to pursue baseball in college. As one of the nation's best lefthanded pitchers, the Needham resident committed to Georgia Tech. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

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.

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Former Massachusetts high school stars are littered across MLB’s league championship series.

Former Lexington star Sal Frelick is back in the NLCS for a second straight season with the Brewers (he was 1 for 14 in a four-game sweep last year), and former St. John’s (Shrewsbury) starter Ian Seymour, from Wesborough, earned the win in a clinching Game 3 victory for the Rays Wednesday night. He could face the White Sox and their four former Bay State standouts in the ALCS as Chicago’s series vs. Cleveland heads to Game 5.

Thursday night also featured Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa making his preseason debut with the Wizards. He scored 11 points with four steals.

Now onto Thursday’s high school action, which featured a dabbling of football, a few division champions crowned, and a surprising baseball commitment from a prep quarterback. Let’s break it all down.

1. Milestones

▪ Monomoy sophomore Ella Cutter dished 33 assists in a 3-1 girls’ volleyball win over Sturgis East to surpass 500 for her career.

▪ Reading junior Victoria Reposa slammed 13 kills, including the 500th of her career, in a 3-0 girls’ volleyball win at Marblehead.

▪ On Wednesday, Medford sophomore Owen Chasteen recorded his first hole-in-one, acing the par-3 fifth hole at Unicorn Golf Course. He hit a pitching wedge 95 yards, landing it four inches past the hole before it spun back into the cup.

▪ Canton senior Shannon Lane joined a very exclusive club on Wednesday when she scored four times in a 9-0 field hockey win over Milford, pushing her into rarefied air with 200 career points. The Providence-committed midfielder has 145 career goals.

2. The upset

With seniors Hazel Lovins and Maddie Crooks dominating at the net (combined 40 kills), No. 3 Winchester girls’ volleyball took down No. 1 Oliver Ames, 3-1. Tied 1-1 after two sets, the Red & Black (12-1) got a momentum-swinging dig from senior Karen Huai in the third set to upset the Tigers (11-1).

3. Crowning champs

▪ The Oliver Ames boys’ soccer team locked up its eighth consecutive Hockomock Davenport title with a 3-0 win over Milford that saw goals from sophomore Jack Donahue, senior Jacob Fiedorczyk, and senior Dylan Fisher.

▪ With a goal from Tiago Rodrigues, Westport secured its fifth straight Mayflower Comprehensive championship with a 1-0 win over Holbrook.

▪ The Ipswich golf team captured at least a share of the Cape Ann Baker Division title with a 177-170 win over Georgetown at Ipswich Country Club. Junior Sam Harrington led the charge, going 2-under-par for a 34 and scoring 40 Stableford points.

▪ On Wednesday, Westford Academy golf defeated Cambridge 244-268 to clinch at least a share of the Dual County League Thorpe Division title for a second straight year.

4. Nine stars of the day

Nick Duarte, Framingham — The senior scored three times, on runs of 54 and 27 yards, and a 64-yard catch on a trick play to send the Flyers past Wellesley, 41-20.

Chris Morrow, Xaverian — The junior fired a 2-under-par 33 at Wellesley Country Club to pace a 220-233 win over Wellesley.

Gray Oliveira, Old Rochester — The senior captain delivered a four-goal performance, adding an assist to power a 6-3 boys’ soccer triumph over Bourne.

Nate Previte, Winthrop — The senior running back churned up 100 yards and a a touchdown on the ground, while also snagging at TD catch in a 47-6 waxing of Saugus.

Savannah Sanon, Braintree — The freshman fired in three goals during a 4-0 girls’ soccer victory over Framingham.

John Stadler, Andover — The junior didn’t miss, connecting on 8 of 8 passes for 156 yards and five touchdowns in a 50-12 rout of Lawrence. He added 77 yards and a score on the ground.

Makenna Wyatt, Bridgewater-Raynham — The sophomore netted a hat trick to power Bridgewater-Raynham girls’ soccer to a 5-0 win over Dartmouth.

Anthony Maclean and Trey Thatcher, Plymouth North — The seniors combined for nearly 300 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 34-19 win over Whitman-Hanson. Maclean ran for 163 yards and three scores on 15 carries, while Thatcher added 135 yards and two TDs on 18 totes.

5. Commitment central

▪ Dexter Southfield junior Rory Funke has opted to play baseball in college, committing to Georgia Tech. Despite the quarterback from Needham holding football offers from Syracuse and UMass, he will pursue pitching, as he’s ranked as the No. 5 lefthanded pitcher nationally in the class of 2028 by Perfect Game.

▪ Bishop Feehan junior catcher Eddie Ritchie has committed to play Division 1 baseball at Brown. Ritchie was a stalwart behind the plate last spring, catching 101 mile per hour pitches from Brody Bumila.

▪ Westford senior Avery Votano has committed to play field hockey at Dickinson College.

▪ Central Catholic senior Rocco Roeger, a righthanded pitcher from Haverhill, announced his plan to play baseball at Rivier.

▪ Minnechaug senior Sam Przybyl, a third baseman/right handed pitcher, announced his plans to play baseball at Western New England.

▪ Loomis Chaffee junior John Mulderig, who started his high school career at Longmeadow, has announced his commitment to Holy Cross to play Division 1 men’s lacrosse.

▪ Deerfield Academy senior Connor Hevesy, a 5-11, 180-pound quarterback, announced he is committed to play football at Williams.

6. Soccer leaders

Goals

Grady Oliveira, Old Rochester, 4

Makaylla Cederman, Haverhill, 3

Savannah Sanon, Braintree, 3

Gwyneth Reisig, Sandwich, 3

Sarah Tressler, Central Catholic, 3

Makenna Wyatt, Bridgewater-Raynham, 3

Assists

Liv Coperine, Duxbury, 3

Lexie Deschenes, Tyngsborough, 3

Isabel Bar, Sandwich, 2

Addison Brosnihan, Central Catholic, 2

Caroline Ferrari, Concord-Carlise, 2

Aleigh Gonzalez, Haverhill, 2

Vincent Quintanilla, St. John’s (S), 2

Ava Ranney, Newburyport, 2

Jack Thompson, Old Rochester, 2

7. Field hockey leaders

Goals

Ava Anderson, Watertown, 2

Brooke Abreu, Norwell, 2

Ryan Crook, Somerset Berkley, 2

Sara Dunsky, Bishop Fenwick, 2

Sophia Hulbert, Melrose, 2

Isabel Kane, Medfield, 2

Alex Kohalmi, Bishop Fenwick, 2

Kaylee Master, Watertown, 2

Bella McCormack, Bishop Fenwick, 2

Lila Roy, Belchertown, 2

Assists

Sara Dunsky, Bishop Fenwick, 2

Bella McCormack, Bishop Fenwick, 2

Mia Millett, Bishop Fenwick, 2

8. Volleyball leaders

Kills

Hazel Lovins, Winchester, 25

Olivia Leonardo, Attleboro, 16

Gabby Bennett, Braintree, 15

Maddie Crooks, Winchester, 15

Kinsey Lister, Monomoy, 15

Chelsea Wagner, Oliver Ames, 15

Sophia Quinton, Nauset, 13

Maggie Angevine, Winchester, 12

Ava Johnston, Barnstable, 12

Ava Bailey, Newburyport, 11

Audrey Manning, Lynnfield, 11

Grace Morrison, Swampscott, 11

Assists

Ella Cutter, Monomoy, 33

Leah Motto, Attleboro, 30

Ava Boschetto, Hingham, 24

Maddy Campbell, Barnstable, 24

Lyla McDonough, Oliver Ames, 24

Georgia Orlando, Notre Dame (H), 21

Ayla Kingman, East Bridgewater, 14

Shelby Addario, Essex Tech, 16

Esther Angel Hayes, Dighton-Rehoboth, 13

Lily Chung, Natick, 13

Sydney DaSilva, Marblehead, 13

Carina DeLeo, Lynnfield, 13

Digs

Evalynn Em, Swampscott, 30

Mia Tringale, Swampscott, 30

Mia Keays, King Philip, 22

Sienna Quaglia, Attleboro, 22

Molly Milliken, Oliver Ames, 21

Sydney Faris, Marblehead, 20

Meriem Fleury, Whitman-Hanson, 17

Olivia Leonardo, Attleboro, 17

Chloe McGillivray, Essex Tech, 17

Ava Rocheleau, Essex Tech, 16

Raelyn Gifford, West Bridgewater, 14

Lavinya Oliveira, Essex Tech, 13

Aces

Sofia Allen, Attleboro, 9

Audrey Manning, Lynnfield, 7

Lucy Schuster, Natick, 7

Olivia McManus, East Bridgewater, 6

Elizabeth Willis, East Bridgewater, 6

Sophia Cabral, Dighton-Rehoboth, 5

Emma Hersey, Hanover, 5

Ayla Kingman, East Bridgewater, 5

Lily Smith, Nauset, 5

Blocks

Gabby Bennett, Braintree, 7

Lyla Yurrita, Oliver Ames, 5

Grave Harres, Hamilton-Wenham, 4.5