Special to the Independent
The Everett High softball team clinched a share of the 2024 Greater Boston League (GBL) title with a 22-0 victory at Somerville last week. Coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo’s Lady Crimson Tide had put themselves in position for a share of the GBL crown with a 5-4 victory over Medford the week before, but they still needed to win their final GBL contest with the Lady Highlanders — and they did so in emphatic fashion.
Everett exploded for 12 runs in the top of the first, with key hits coming from Emma Longmore, Olivia Dresser, Ashley Seward, and Emilia Maria-Babcock, but the biggest of all came off the bat of Gianna Masucci, who delivered a grand slam home run.
The Tide tacked on four more markers in the second behind key hits by Alexa Uga, Seward, and Maria-Babcock and made it 22-0 with six more markers in the third, with Longmore, Seward, and Maria-Babcock providing the power.
EHS hurler Peyton Manning was nearly-perfect in her five innings (the game was called after five frames because of the mercy rule), allowing just one hit, while fanning 10 Lady Highlander opponents and walking only two.
“The girls were eager for this win to clinch the GBL title, even if we have to share it with Medford,” said Poste-Schiavo. “They were coming off of a tough loss (the previous day to non-league opponent Lowell) and knew this game could not be taken lightly. I can’t say enough about this team and how amazing they are to coach and watch.”
In the 10-8 setback to Lowell on Senior Night, the Lady Crimson Tide had moved out to a 7-2 lead after four innings, but the visitors erupted for five runs in the fifth to bring the contest back to level. After a scoreless sixth and seventh frames, the contest went into extra innings, with Lowell scoring three runs in the top of the eighth. Everett got one back in the bottom of the inning, with Uga knocking in Dresser (who had walked) with a two-out double. Masucci drew another base-on-balls to put the tying runs on base, but the Tide fell short, 10-8.
Everett benefited from some early wildness by the Lowell pitcher. Bryanna Mason delivered a two-RBI base hit in the second inning and Uga did likewise in the fourth.
“Lowell was one of the better teams we have faced,” said Poste-Schiavo. “They put the ball in play the most of any team we have faced, allowing us to show our defensive skills. Unfortunately, they caught up and hit in spots that were between the infield and outfield. Peyton did great on the mound with Alessandra Foster behind the plate. This was not the way we hoped for Senior Night to turn out, but it was nice to face competition we may see in the tournament.”
The Lady Crimson Tide, who finished the season with a sterling 18-2 overall record (13-1 in the GBL), now await word of their final ranking and first-round opponent in the upcoming Division 1 state tourney. The announcement of the pairings is expected today (Wednesday).
EHS boys volleyball is going to the tourney
The Everett High boys volleyball team punched their ticket for their first-ever Journey to the Tourney with a 3-0 victory over Wakefield last Wednesday. The triumph was the 10th of the season for coach Michael Fineran’s squad, assuring the Crimson Tide of the .500 record that is needed to qualify for the state tournament.
“Our 10 wins on the season also set a mark for the boys volleyball program,” noted Fineran, whose squad subsequently defeated Pioneer Charter School of Science on Friday to finish with an 11-9 record. “We were 8-2 in our first year, but we were not eligible for the tournament. Last year, we fell two wins short, which was disappointing, but it actually helped keep us motivated and focused this season.”
The victory over Wakefield provided a fitting exclamation point to in observance of the pre-game Senior Night festivities in which the four members of the Class of 2024, who have been a part of the program since its inception three year ago, were recognized for their contributions to Crimson Tide volleyball: Kalleb Miranda, who leads the team with nearly 50 blocks for the season; Nischal Tamang, who is the team’s best server (95%); Mark Pierre, the starting setter; and Hyan Soares, a captain and three-year starter who can play any position.
The celebration continued as Everett cruised to victory in the first two sets, 25-8 and 25-11. Fittingly, the seniors led the way. Pierre set up 11 kills, including a pair from Tamang. Soares blasted 10 serves in a row to build a 15-3 lead in the first set, and Tamang served 11 in the second, with four aces. Miranda aced the final point of the second set.
The juniors were well-represented too, with outside hitter Henrique Franca nailing 12 kills and a block in two sets, and middle Jefferson Umana adding three kills and three blocks in the match. Tamang and Franca left the match after set two to attend the National Honors Society Induction ceremony, which opened the door for juniors Matheus Queiroz and Bryan Soares Gomes to step in as outside hitters in the third set, and they responded by tallying four kills apiece.
The dominant server in the set was sophomore libero Christian Ramirez, who had three aces in 10 serves, including four in a row that turned a late-set deficit into a 23-22 lead. Junior Donald Vo had two kills, and Umana sealed the victory and Everett’s spot in the post-season with a kill to the left corner.
“I am proud of the team and it feels good to achieve one of our goals for the season,” said Fineran. “It’s been an up-and-down season, with tough competition in every match and injuries and schedule conflicts that meant only two players were available for every game.”
Fineran and his crew now will await the announcement of their final seeding and first-round opponent in the Division 1 state tourney.
Germain is GBL high jump champ
Dawens Germain earned the title of Greater Boston League (GBL) high jump champion at last Monday’s GBL Meet that was held at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville,
Dawens’s leap of 5’-6” paced a dominant Crimson Tide effort in the HJ, with teammates Jalen Jones (5’-4”) tying for second and Donald Michel (5’-4”) finishing fourth.
Germain also scored a point with a sixth-place finish in the 400 hurdles in 1:05.90 to finish with 11 points on the day.
Sophomore Kayshaun Eveillard was the top-scorer for coach Jehu Cimea’s squad, tallying 16.5 points with second-place performances in both the 400 dash with a clocking of 51.31 and the long jump with a leap of 20’-6”. Kayshaun also anchored the fifth-place 4 x 100 relay quartet, with teammates Jayden Prophete, Jayshaun Coggins, Jeremiah Jeanlouis, that came across the line in a time of 47.64.
Shane MacKenzie scored 12 points with a second-place medal in the javelin with a throw of 139’-4” and a fourth-place medal in the discus with a spin of 133’-8”.
Additional point-scorers for the Tide were:
— Donald Michel scored two points with a fifth-place effort in the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.55;
— Fabrice Michaud scored two points with a fifth-place effort in the shot-put with a toss of 40’-9.75”;
— Kawan Medeiros added a point to the EHS scoresheet with a sixth-place effort in the long jump with a flight of 18’-1”; and
— Jalen Jones scored six points with a third place in the triple jump with his final landing of 38’-4.75”.
The Tide finished in fifth place among the eight GBL schools with 63 points. Somerville won the meet with 142 points.
Desrameaux is GBL shot-put, discus champ; Sandy captures javelin
Darrynn Desrameaux put the finishing touches on her dominant indoor and outdoor seasons in the Greater Boston League by capturing both the shot-put and discus events at the GBL Meet that was held last Monday at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville.
Darrynn won the shot-put with a throw of 33’-11” and overwhelmed all opponents in the discus with a toss of 95’-0”, which was 12 feet further than her closest rival, to score 20 points for the Everett column on the scoresheet.
Teammate Kaesta Sandy also claimed a GBL crown with her javelin throw of 100’-6”, a performance that was more than 15 feet further than her closest opponent.
The versatile Sandy also ran a leg of the Lady Tide’s 4 x 100 relay quartet with Zyelle Cannon-Mathis, Yelsa Grcia, and Isabella Pimenta that took second place with a time of 55.27 for eight points, giving Kaesta a total of 12 points on the day.
Layla Betancur-Cardona also turned in a strong performance in the meet, finishing second in the shot with her toss of 32’-0” and taking a sixth-place medal in the disc with a spin of 72’-11” to score nine points on the day.
Nicole Brandao scored four points with a fourth-place finish in the 100 hurdles in a time of 19.29.
The Lady Crimson Tide finished in sixth place in the meet with 51 points. Revere won the meet with 120 points.
Everett tracksters shine at D-2 Meet, bring home 5 medals
A contingent from the Everett High girls and boys outdoor track and field teams competed in this past week’s Division 2 State Meet and returned home with five medals.
For the boys, sophomore speedster Kayshaun Eveillard earned a seventh-place ribbon in the 400 dash with a clocking of 50.54. Kayshaun also competed in the long jump and finished in 17th spot with a leap of 20’-0”.
Shane MacKenzie brought home an eighth-place medal in the discus with a throw of 140’-0”. Shane also competed in the javelin and finished in 18th place with a toss of 135’-3”.
Everett’s 4 x 100 relay quartet of Jalen Jones, Jeremiah Jeanlouis, Jaylen Prophete, and Eveillard ran a time of 44.95 to finish in 11th place.
On the girls’ side, Darrynn Desrameaux earned a sixth-place ribbon in the shot-put with a throw of 34’-5.75”. Darrynn also competed in the discus and finished in 17th place with a spin of 84’-7”
Teammate Layla Betancur-Cardona won an eighth-place ribbon in the shot with her toss of 33’-7”.
Kaesta Sandy earned a medal for the Lady Crimson Tide with a seventh-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 102’-8”. Kaesta also ran a leg of the Everett 4 x 100 relay foursome with teammates Zyelle Cannon-Mathis, Yelsa Garcia, and Isabella Pimenta that finished in 22nd place with a time of 53.85.
EHS girls tennis reaches tourney
The Everett High girls tennis team.which qualified for the post-season state tourney last week, now is awaiting the announcement of their final seeding and first-round opponent in the Division 1 tournament. Coach Courtney Meninger’s squad displayed grit and fortitude throughout the season and finished with a 7-7 record to punch their ticket for a Journey to the Tourney.