Two Warrior coaches will be honored on May 26
Published in the April 20, 2016 edition
BOYS’ BASKETBALL Head Coach Brad Simpson instructs his team during a game this past season. Simpson was one of the recipients of the 2015-16 MIAA Coach of the Year Award. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
WAKEFIELD — Two Wakefield Memorial High School coaches were among a group selected to receive the 2015-16 MIAA Coach of the Year Award presented by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Brad Simpson and Wrestling Head Coach Ross Ickes were the Warrior coaches honored among the 23 recipients across the state.
Simpson’s and Ickes’ selections were based upon excellence of character, impact upon students and community and their coaching credentials. They were selected from all nominations by a screening committee of MIAA Coaching Education Instructors.
The Coach of the Year Award will be presented to them at the Sixth Annual Coach of the Year and Student Athlete of the Month Recognition Banquet on Thursday, May 26 at the Doubletree Hotel in Milford. A reception prior to the banquet will begin at 6 p.m. The banquet will begin at 7 p.m.
Simpson led the Warriors to a 13-7 overall record and 11-5 record in the Middlesex League Freedom division this past winter. Wakefield captured it second straight M.L. Freedom division championship and returned to the state tournament.
WRESTLING HEAD Coach Ross Ickes was one of the recipients of the 2015-16 MIAA Coach of the Year Awards. (Item File Photo)
In the tournament, the Warriors went 1-1 with an overtime win over Beverly in the first round and a heartbreaking overtime loss to Salem in the quarterfinal round.
Ickes led the Warriors to a 14-5-0 overall record and 4-0-0 record in the M.L. Freedom division this past season. Wakefield repeated as league champions and finished second overall at the league meet among all 11 M.L. schools.
In the postseason, Wakefield had a strong showing in the Div. 3 North and Div. 3 State Meets. The Warriors had one wrestler excel at the All-State Meet and compete in the New England Wrestling Tournament.
Both coaches be the Massachusetts nomination to the NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) Section I Coach of the Year Award for 2016-17.
“To have not one, but two of our coaches be named MIAA Coach of the Year is truly an honor. Both Coach Ickes and Coach Simpson are two of the most well-respected coaches in the state by their peer coaches in each of their respective sports,” said K-12 Director of Athletics, Health, and Wellness for the Wakefield Public Schools Brendan Kent. “They have both been coaching here in Wakefield for a very long time and they are both very deserving of this great honor. They were both able to guide each of their teams to league championships this past winter but I am sure that is not the only reason why the MIAA selected them as Coaches of the Year. They are both high-character people that care greatly about the kids and I am sure that had a lot to do with the MIAA’s selection.”
Here is the complete list of the MIAA Coach of the Year recipients:
Rich Feeley Agawam High School Ice Hockey – Boys
Richard Luongo Algonquin Regional High School Lacrosse – Boys
Richard Ellis Braintree High School Gymnastics – Boys
James Crandall Concord-Carlisle High School Volleyball – Girls
John Bunar Duxbury High School Tennis – Boys
George McCabe, Jr. East Bridgewater Jr/Sr HS Track & Field (Outdoor) – Boys
Barbara Toohey Hanover High School Swimming and Diving – Girls
Ian Doreian O’Bryant School of Math & Science Soccer – Boys
Roger Fuller Methuen High School Indoor Track – Boys
David Fallon Millis High School Basketball – Girls
Thomas Shaw Milton High School Cross Country – Girls
Eric Degnan Monson High School Soccer – Girls
David Reid Montachusett Reg. Voc. Tech Softball
Jill Svirida Monument Mountain Reg. HS Swimming and Diving – Boys
David Powell Needham High School Volleyball – Boys
Joseph Siciliano Newton North High School Baseball
Cindy Tilden Old Rochester Regional HS Indoor Track – Girls
Stephanie Finn Plymouth South High School Field Hockey
Thomas Bingham Saint Bernard CCHS Football
Kelsey Beaton Sandwich High School Lacrosse – Girls
Jessie LaValle Tantasqua Regional High School Tennis – Girls
Brad Simpson Wakefield Memorial High School Basketball – Boys
Ross Ickes Wakefield Memorial High School Wrestling
