Bulletin Board: Greenfield Rec Tennis League wraps up season

The Greenfield Adult Rec Tennis League wrapped up its season on Monday, with Brian Lempel going 5-0 to win the Ace Division. Palmer King beat Yanis Chibani to win the Topspin Division, while Juan Madrid won the Volley Division.The league was...

High School Sports Roundup: Athol girls soccer blanks Franklin Tech

TURNERS FALLS — In a battle of two of the top teams in the Bi-County League on Monday night, visiting Athol built an early lead to set the tone and took care of business to stay unbeaten.The Bears led 2-0 at halftime and tacked on a late goal en route...

Bulletin board: Greenfield Touch Football League, Suburban League results

Pat Viencek found Jalen Sanders for a pair of touchdowns, and Sanders added an extra point in Gill CC Woodworks’ 13-0 win over J&J Sports in a Greenfield Touch Football League contest on Sunday.Tyler Hobbs, Zach French and Derek Hellie led the way in...

Girls volleyball: Frontier powers past Amherst in Eastern League contest (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Frontier girls volleyball team wanted to challenge itself early in the season to prepare for tough league matches like the one it played on Monday against Amherst. Facing Dennis-Yarmouth, Nauset, Westfield and Melrose to open the...

UMass football: Penalties continue to plague 0-2 Minutemen

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

One step forward, two steps back. Two steps forward, one step back.That’s what it’s been like watching the UMass football team this fall, as the Minutemen’s square-dancing routine has led them to 19 penalties through two games, 14th-most in the...

UMass football: Despite offensive edge, big plays sink Minutemen in 38-23 loss to Toledo

By JEFF LAJOIE

Don Brown has never been a moral victory kind of guy.But the veteran coach was at least a bit encouraged by an improved performance from a UMass football team that badly needed it on Saturday.The Minutemen did some of the things needed to win a...

Girls volleyball preview: Courtney Parent takes as Frontier aims to continue incredible run of success

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO and THOMAS JOHNSTON

For the first time in 21 years, Sean MacDonald’s hulking figure won’t be patrolling the sidelines at Frontier girls volleyball matches. MacDonald retired from the girls program last year after 429 wins, 18 western Mass. titles and 11 state...

On The Run with John Stifler: Running through some summer events

Historically, American sprinters have been one of the biggest stories at the Olympics, and this summer’s excellent Games in Paris hardly altered that pattern. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the world record for the 400-meter hurdles for the sixth...

Football: Explosive plays propel Mahar past Drury in 44-0 season-opening rout

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — Following a three-and-out on its opening drive of the game, the Mahar football team locked in for the remainder of the first half in its season opener against Drury on Friday. After the stop, the Senators proceeded to score touchdowns on...

Football: Frontier drops opener to Lunenburg, 18-0 (PHOTOS)

By GEORGE MILLER

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Through the preseason, Scott Dredge had the notion that defense would be the real calling card for Frontier football, and the Redhawks' 2024 season opener Friday night played out just that way.The hosts came up empty on the...

High schools: Kenzie Sourdiffe-Phelps tallies game winner as Franklin Tech field hockey clips Turners Falls (PHOTOS)

TURNERS FALLS — Not much separated Powertown field hockey rivals on Friday afternoon.Kenzie Sourdiffe-Phelps netted the game’s only goal in the second half, lifting visiting Franklin Tech to a 1-0 independent victory over Turners Falls High School.Abi...

Field hockey preview: Local teams once again have WMass title aspirations

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Franklin County has a rich history of talented field hockey programs, and in the last three years, three programs in particular have had tremendous success.The seniors on the Frontier, Greenfield and Franklin Tech field hockey teams have played in a...

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Community pays its respect to Tim Kachelmeyer

Good morning!The role sports has in communities and the kind of cohesiveness it inspires was on display last weekend in Northfield where people came from near and far to pay last respects to Tim Kachelmeyer.Vehicles were parked from the IGA to the...

HS Roundup: Caleb Thomas, Alex McClelland tally as Greenfield and Pioneer boys soccer teams play to 1-1 draw (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — After 25 minutes on Thursday, it appeared the Greenfield and Pioneer boys soccer teams were headed for a high-scoring affair. The Green Wave popped in a goal 14 minutes into the contest and the Panthers were able to answer nine minutes...

Bulletin Board: Demers, Morin shoot top point quota in Knights of Columbus League

Rusty Demers and Ken Morin tied for the top point quota of plus-6 in the Knights of Columbus League at Thomas Memorial this past week. Art Girard won closest to the pin on No. 7 (1 foot, 1 inch) and Joe Richotte on No. 9 (10-8). John O’Riley and Mike...

Mahar football preview: Senators seeking a step forward in Percy Eady’s second year as head coach

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — After arriving on the job late in the process a year ago, Mahar football coach Percy Eady spent the precious little time he had learning about his team and trying to find their strengths and weaknesses going into the 2023 season. Now with a...

Frontier football preview: Redhawks looking to get back to their roots

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Preseason scrimmages allow coaches to experiment, try new things and find out what will work best during the regular season. For Frontier football coach Scott Dredge, the answer was simple: go back to playing Frontier football. The...

Field hockey: Frontier powers past Greenfield for 5-0 season-opening victory (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Frontier and Greenfield field hockey teams played four times last fall. Both teams won two games, though the Redhawks took the big one in the Western Mass. championship tilt. There wasn’t much separation in any of those four...

HS Roundup: Pioneer, Franklin Tech girls soccer play to scoreless draw (PHOTOS)

It was a defensive battle between the Pioneer and Franklin Tech girls soccer teams on Wednesday in Northfield. Despite some scoring chances — the Panthers hit the post twice in the second half — neither team was able to produce a goal over the...

Cross country preview: Frontier hoping to defend Pioneer League North titles

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

If Tuesday’s opening race of the season is any indication, it’ll be tough to dethrone the Frontier cross country teams in the Pioneer League North this fall. Both the Redhawk boys and girls won the league title a season ago — the Frontier girls...