High School Football: Mahar falls to Palmer 36-6

By GEORGE MILLER

ORANGE — The best news for Mahar came in the first 6½ minutes Friday night; from that point forward, the Senators were left chasing the game.Following Carter Hardy’s recovery of an onside kick on the opening kickoff, Morgan Softic gave the hosts a 6-0...

Football: Josiah Little runs for 200 yards as Franklin Tech defeats Athol, 34-12 (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — For most running backs, rushing for 200 yards would be a career high.For Franklin Tech’s Josiah Little, it’s turning into the norm.After rushing for 273, 181 and 186 yards in the Eagles’ first three games of the season, Franklin Tech...

High Schools: Henley Gilstrap scores both goals as Greenfield field hockey downs North Brookfield

Henley Gilstrap provided the offense for the Greenfield field hockey team on Friday against North Brookfield. Gilstrap scored a pair of goals to power the Wave to a 2-0 road win. It’s Greenfield third win in a row. Riley Thayer and Kyra Tamsin...

UMass Football: Minutemen take on NIU looking for first FBS win of their season

By GARRETT COTE

The UMass football team spoiled its best chance at an FBS win last weekend, losing to Miami (Ohio) after leading by three in the final minute. Not only did the RedHawks march down the field to tie the game and send it to overtime with a Dom Dzioban...

Keeping Score: Remembering Pete Rose

Good morning!The only time I met Pete Rose was in Clearwater during spring training in the early ’80s. Rose was squatting on a folding chair between the bleachers and clubhouse talking baseball with someone I didn’t recognize. Approaching slowly, I...

On The Run with John Stifler: Covered Bridge Classic 10-kilometer road race set for Sunday

Conway, Massachusetts, couldn’t look ugly if it tried. Winding roads, classic village architecture, ancient covered bridge, old stone library – and now it’s October, when Conway’s autumnal charm is augmented by the Conway Festival of the Hills. The...

UMass hockey: Minutemen have remade defensive core heading into Saturday’s opener against Bentley

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Under Greg Carvel, the UMass hockey program has shown it has the ability to identify, recruit and develop defensemen.Cale Makar, Mario Ferraro, Zac Jones, Matthew Kessel, Ryan Ufko, Scott Morrow are just some of the players who have manned the back...

HS Roundup: Mohawk Trail volleyball overcomes 2-0 deficit to defeat Turners, 3-2 (PHOTOS)

The Mohawk Trail volleyball team found itself in a familiar position on Thursday against Turners Falls. When the Warriors squared off with the Thunder in Buckland earlier in the season, they fell into a 2-0 hole but dug deep to win the final three...

Bulletin Board: Sue O’Connor sinks first career hole-in-one

Sue O’Connor sank her first career ace on Thursday, doing so at Country Club of Greenfield. O’Connor used a 9 iron to make the hole-in-one from 107 yards out on No. 11. Witnesses were Anne Echeverria and Lane Kelly. Winter coaching opportunitiesGreat...

Field Hockey: Smith Academy edges Turners Falls in 2-1 thriller

By GARRETT COTE

HATFIELD — For most of the fourth quarter of Thursday afternoon’s field hockey game between Turners Falls and Smith Academy, the Falcons felt they were knocking on the door of putting home the go-ahead goal.But the Thunder’s defense continued to stand...

UMass Hockey Preview: Expectations high for Minutemen as new season begins

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

While the roster might look different, the expectations haven’t changed for the UMass men’s hockey team.After reaching the semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament last year and booking a spot to the NCAA Tournament — where it fell to eventual...

HS Roundup: Franklin Tech takes second at Massachusetts State Vocational Golf Tournament

It was an impressive showing at the Massachusetts State Vocational Golf Tournament on Wednesday at Acushnet River Valley Golf Course. Competing in the small school tournament, the Eagles combined for a four-player score of 313 to take second overall....

Boys soccer: Younes Oulbied scores twice as Easthampton defeats Mahar, 2-0 (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

EASTHAMPTON — Back on Sept. 12, the Easthampton and Mahar boys soccer teams played to a competitive 0-0 draw in a physical game up in Orange.Something had to give in Part II at Nonotuck Park on Wednesday afternoon.In the first half, the Senators...

HS Roundup: Mohawk Trail cross country impresses in meet with Greenfield, McCann, Turners (PHOTOS)

The Mohawk Trail girls cross country team showed well while hosting Greenfield, McCann Tech and Turners Falls on Tuesday in Buckland.Warriors Virginia Krezmien (18 minutes, 52.2 seconds), Anya Read (18:52.7) and Natalie Lanoue (19:17) were the first...

High School Football: Intercounty League play begins Friday

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — The heart of the high school football season is upon us.After each area team played its three independent games, league play kicks off this Friday. In the Intercounty North, Athol travels to Turners to take on Franklin Tech, Greenfield...

HS Roundup: Pioneer boys soccer knocks off Turners, Mohawk Trail field hockey earns first win of season

Two teams currently in the top 32 of the MIAA Div. 5 boys soccer power rankings met up in Northfield on Monday. Pioneer earned a contested 3-2 victory the first time it played Turners Falls and when the two squads met a second time, it was the...

UMass Football: Head Coach Brown remains confident in team

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

AMHERST — UMass football lost in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday to Miami (Ohio) 23-20 in overtime, but on Monday, head coach Don Brown was relentlessly optimistic about the Minutemen’s prospects. UMass led the defending MAC champs 20-17 with just...

Bulletin Board: Country Club of Greenfield takes 25th annual Franklin Cup over Crumpin-Fox Club, 17-7

A hot start in four ball action set the tone and allowed the Country Club of Greenfield to take the 25th annual Franklin Cup over Crumpin-Fox Club over the weekend.Playing at Country Club of Greenfield, CCG took five of the possible six points in four...

Golf: Local teams compete in PVIAC Boys Golf Two-Ball Invitational

By GARRETT COTE

BELCHERTOWN — Jason Borque peered over at his two players, Ryan MacGregor and Caiden Drohan, as they walked by each other during the final stretch of holes at the PVIAC Boys Golf Two-Ball Invitational on Monday afternoon at Cold Spring Country Club in...