Déjà vu all over again for Melrose sports

More state champs crowned in 2022-23

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—Like clockwork, each athletic year at Melrose High School almost always results in trophies added to the athletic cases at the school. And this year was no exception.

To some extent, if it feels familiar it’s because it was. After an entire sports year, Melrose High enjoyed some “usual suspect” victories from some of their top teams as they hauled in trophies and hardware. Most notably, the MHS wrestling team, who became Div. 3 State Champs once again. (The celebratory pu pu platters at Kowloon must have tasted all the more sweet this season.) And there were some repeat league champs and excellent personal achievements in cross country, swim and track and field over the year.

Here’s a summary of some of the more notable MHS action this year:

It was a dazzling fall for many of the MHS sports, including the dynasty MHS girls’ volleyball team who secured their second straight Div. 2 Sectional title to advance to the Div. 2 Final Four, where they fell in State Semis to a beastly King Phillip. Yet, Melrose went unbeaten in the Middlesex League, an overall record of 19-5, once again taking the league title for the umpteenth time. With a Final Four-earning win over Duxbury, they returned another Sectional trophy to the cases inside MHS. A new gymnasium banner might be in order!

 

 

The Melrose High golf team extended their league dynasty with a 9-1 season that included 5-0 sweep of the Freedom League. They finished second at the MIAA North Finals and advanced to states at the Maple Gate Golf Course in Bellingham. 

Get that banner ready too.

Also advancing to states were the fall cross-country teams who finished 4-2 in the leagues and once again medaled at Sectionals for State Final appearances.

 

 

 

It was a joyride season for the Melrose High boy’s soccer team who took the Middlesex Freedom League with a 12-4-2 record, besting all Middlesex League teams (aside from Arlington and Reading.) In playoffs, they advanced to the third round with exciting home wins over Chicopee and Nauset to advance to Elite 8, before falling to #3 seed Bedford 1-0, just one goal shy of bring a Final Four trophy home to MHS.

The girls’ soccer team had one of their stronger teams in years with a 7-6-5 season that saw them beat Winchester in a first-ever moment over the fall. The team advanced to Sweet 16 play with a thrilling, 1-0 playoff-win over East Longmeadow.

It was a true bounce-back year for the MHS football team who went 6-2 on the season, punching their ticket to playoffs with a 28-16 victory over Watertown. They fell to Holliston but it was a great year for their seniors, including Stanford football signee Braden Marceau Olayinka, who made waves with his PAC-10 signing at MHS. Of course, the Thanksgiving game proved a heart breaker when the unbeaten Warriors launched a come from behind win, 15-12, that sent the Wakefield to the Super Bowl unbeaten and soon crowned State Champs. (Let’s not talk about Wakefield, who essentially won everything in 2022-23!)

 

 

 

Wrestling blew everyone away and secured their second straight Div. 3 State title on Saturday, Feb. 18 when they topped rival Tewksbury, 179-151.5. It was their third state championship since 2020. Senior captain Braden Marceau-Olayinka also became a Div. 3 State Champion in the 285 heavyweight while senior captain Alec McLaughlin and sophomore Mike Thomas became state silver medalists. Melrose head coach Larry Tremblay, after securing a dual state title, Div. 3 State title and a league title, was named Div. 3 Coach of the Year. Like Brady and Belichick this wrestling team may soon run out of digits for the rings.

Winter was more of a challenge for MHS teams, but seeing playoffs were the boy’s hockey and basketball teams who both bowed out in first round play after grueling ML winter schedules. In swim, MHS junior Ben Terentiyev broke a 1996 MHS school record in the 200 I.M. while medaling at the Div. 2 States. He and teammate Jos Barayani swam at the exclusive event.  The gymnastics team, with a winning 6-2 record, advanced Bella Ferrante to State Individuals where she placed 6th in floor.

In the spring, the girls’ lacrosse team scored a first-ever home victory when they beat Westborough in a barnburner, 10-9 to advance to Sweet 16 play. Also advancing to Sweet 16 play was the boy’s tennis team, who beat North Quincy in the opening round of playoffs and advanced to face Duxbury. In outdoor track and field news, Melrose crowned a State Champion in sophomore Cadence L’Heureux and league champions with their 4×800 relay team of Jillian Bakey, Cadence L’Heureux, Amy Rowe and Darby Thompson. 

On the boy’s side, three runners also advanced to All States: Ellis lurilli-Hough and Caleb Barnes, both in the 2 mile, and Gabe Buffonge in the 110 hurdles. Both lurilli-Hough and L’Heureux qualified for Nationals.  

Best overall Moment: Brawl in the Hall, wrestling

Runner Up: “Storm the Court” playoff win over Billerica, volleyball

Most improved team: Girls soccer, Football

Look out for next year: Boys tennis, gymnastics

The Presidential Achievement Award: James Kavanaugh, Unified Basketball. We salute for your years of service!

Games of the Year:

-Girls’ lacrosse playoff win over Westborough, 10-9

-Boys’ soccer playoff over Nauset, 1-0

-Girls’ soccer playoff win over East Longmeadow, 1-0

-Volleyball sectional trophy win over Duxbury, 3-2

-Thanksgiving Football: Despite the loss, it was a good one!

Playoff qualifiers:

Football
Volleyball

Golf

Boy’s soccer

Girls’ soccer

Boys’ hockey

Boys’ basketball

Wrestling

Boy’s tennis

Girls’ lacrosse

League Champions

Golf

Volleyball

Boy’s soccer

Wrestling 

Sectional Champions

Wrestling

Volleyball

State Champs

Wrestling

Congrats to all of our Designer Sprinkler-sponsored MHS “Athletes of the Week” in order this season:

*Ellis lurilli-Hough, Caleb Miller, Jillian Bakey

*Oto Albanese

*Sophia McElligott

*Joey Beshel

*Chloe Gentile

*Stephen Fogarty

*Jason Pino

*Josh Madden

*Amir Lahkiky

*Gia Vlajkovic

*Cassie Sleeper

*Ben Cassavoy

*Jillian Frawley

*Ryan Dolan

*Cadence L’Heureux (3)

*Ellis lurilli-Hough

*4×800 team of Juliet Moore, Amy Rowe, Cadence L’Heureux and Darby Thompson

*Megan Casey