Top 10 Hull sports stories of 2007
By Alan McCall 03.JAN.08
With the quick start out of the blocks for the boys and girls basketball teams this season, and the hockey team on pace to improve on last year’s record, there’s lots to look forward to in Hull sports in 2008. But, before we settle into the expected success of the new year, let’s take a look at the memorable sports stories of the past year.
#10: Lacrosse Unbeaten
The Hull Youth Lacrosse boys under-11 team finished the season undefeated, scoring the game-winning goal as time expired in the final game of the season. The team, coached by Ron Johnson and Bob Jones, overcame a 5-1 halftime deficit against host Martha’s Vineyard before saving its undefeated season with a 7-6 win.
#9: Bobby the Bruin
Hull’s Bobby Allen was called up from the AHL Providence Bruins to play for the Boston Bruins in mid-January. The 28-year-old defenseman played his first game at Buffalo on Jan. 17, and remained on the Bruins roster, where he skated a regular shift on defense for the rest of the Bruins season.
#8: Two New Coaches
Hull High School added two new varsity fall coaches to the athletic program, and each broke three-year losing streaks. Guy Reynolds took over the boys soccer program and led Hull to two wins and a tie, logging the team’s first win since 2005. As the new varsity field hockey coach, Martha King helped the Lady Pirates notch three wins, the program’s first in three seasons.
#7: Girls JV Hoop Rolls
With a starting five comprised of eighth graders, the Hull High girls junior varsity basketball team posted a remarkable 13-1 record. Coach Liz Londergan’s team won its first 11 games before suffering a five-point loss to Cohasset.
#6: Travel Basketball Dynasty
The Hull Youth Travel basketball girls program continued its South Shore dominance, taking home two more championships. The seventh-grade team won its third straight title with a thrilling 37-35 win over Whitman-Hanson. This same group of girls also won the championship as sixth- and fifth-graders. The eighth-grade team also won top honors for the second consecutive year, running away with a 43-31 win over Duxbury.
#5: Another Tourney Journey
The Hull High boys basketball team qualified for the Division 4 South state tournament for the fifth straight season after compiling a 12-8 record. Hull won its first round game with a hard-fought win at home over Diman Regional Tech, and then took on top-seeded Avon in the quarterfinals. Before a large and loud crowd, Avon held on for a four-point win to end the Pirates’ season.
#4: Right on Q
Hull High School hired boys head basketball coach Jim Quatromoni as the school’s new athletic director and community outreach coordinator, replacing Joe Sullivan, who had retired at the end of the school year. Quatromoni remains the boys head basketball coach.
#3: Proud as a Peacock
The Hull High football team received national exposure with a feature on NBC Sunday Night Football’s halftime show, which highlights high school football teams from across the country. Hull’s home game against Martha’s Vineyard was filmed in October and aired in November. The community came out in droves, as an estimated 1,500 fans jammed the football field to witness the game, which was won by Martha’s Vineyard, 35-20.
#2: Sweet Sixteens
For the second consecutive season and just the fourth time in the program’s history, Hull Youth Travel Soccer sent a team to the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions held in June at UMass-Amherst. The boys under-16 team went through the Coastal League undefeated to earn the trip to play against the best teams in the state. And the Hull boys proved they belonged with a 1-1-1 record in the round-robin format. After a first-game loss to Waltham, 5-1, coach John Caparrotta’s team responded with a solid 2-0 win over East Bridgewater before ending the tournament with a 1-1 tie against Northboro.
#1: Reversal of Fortune
Just one year earlier, they did not win a game in the South Shore League and stumbled to a 3-17 overall record. But in an amazing turnaround, the Hull High girls varsity basketball team was the top story of the year. The Lady Pirates earned an 11-7 record in the South Shore league and qualified for the Division 4 South state tournament. Hull kept its magical season going with a convincing win over SSL rival Harwich at home in the first round of the playoffs, then knocked out visiting Millis at home in the quarterfinals. Next stop was the semi-finals in Sandwich against Nantucket, as hundreds of Hull “ultimate fans” made the trip. A late run by the Lady Pirates fell short as Hull lost, 52-49. Senior Kathy Andrade and sophomore Ana Bottary were selected to the SSL All-Star team and head coach John Donohue was recognized as the
SSL Coach of the Year. |
