Fall Sports Extra, 2025

FALL SPORTS EXTRA

published by The Inquirer and Mirror

Football heading into playoffs undefeated

By Joshua Balling jballing@inkym.com

The varsity football team is heading into next week’s Div. 6 playoffs for the first time since 2021 with an undefeated record, but it isn’t exactly the way they wanted to get there.

The Martha’s Vineyard coaching staff announced Sunday that due to injuries and offthe-field infractions, they planned to forfeit the annual Island Cup rivalry game, which Nantucket won last season at Fenway Park in Boston, kick-starting a campaign that has now seen them win eight games in a row, including seven this season.

“Winning the Island Cup last year at Fenway Park was a huge part of why more kids are buying into the program,” Nantucket head coach Reese Everett told the Boston Globe this week. “Regardless of the records, they want to play in that game and represent the island. Hopefully we can still make it a JV game or something. This is one of the

“It definitely wasn’t a one-person show, we had a lot of kids contribute. That’s going to be our story this year. We have strength in numbers. If any one kid ever goes down, we can replace him and keep the same rhythm. I’m not sure there are a lot of teams on our schedule that can say the same thing.”

– Reese Everett Whalers Head Football Coach

longest rivalries in Massachusetts and we can’t let that slip away.”

Martha’s Vineyard is currently 2-4, number 34 in the MIAA Div. 5 power rankings and would have hosted the Island Cup.

Nantucket, 7-0 after Saturday’s 34-14 Homecoming win over Sandwich, is in the midst of one of its most successful seasons in recent memory, ranked eighth in Div. 6 heading into what would have been their final regular-season game against their arch-rival the Vineyarders.

State tournament seedings and pairings will be announced Sunday, Nov. 2 with playoff games beginning as early as Thursday, Nov. 6.

Nantucket has dominated on both sides of the ball all season, outscoring its opponents 278-72, and the only thing keeping the Whalers from an even higher power ranking is a relatively weak strength of schedule.

The Whalers have depth for the first time in years, giving Everett the luxury of shuttling fresh bodies in and out of games to wear down opponents.

Veteran defensive coordinator Mark Willett has also had his players well prepped for every game, and it’s showed in the hurt they have been laying on opposing offenses.

That being said, Sandwich was not exactly a push-over Saturday, and it took the Whalers some time to adjust to their straight-

ahead power running game. Once they did that, however, it was relatively smooth sailing to victory.

Senior captain Arann Hanlon put the Whalers on the board with a touchdown in the first quarter. David Guillen-Taveras followed with a score in the second before Nantucket put the game away after the half. Eli MacIver and Joao Silva each scored on offense and Jeremy Jenkinson had his third pick-six of the season for the final score.

“The boys fought all the way through today. The biggest thing for us now is keeping everybody healthy. We knew it was going to be a hard run against Sandwich – they play a dirty offense, with everyone just piling up against each other,” Everett said after the game.

The Whalers opened the season with a bang Sept. 6, dominating Cardinal Spellman 49-0 on the road behind a balanced offensive and defensive attack.

Nantucket was led by sophomore quarterback Burke Lombardi, who tossed a pair

of touchdowns to wide receiver Tristan Grimes of 17 and nine yards; Jeremy Jenkinson, who picked off a pass and ran it back 31 yards for a score and his brother Canton, who had a six-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown; and Guillen-Taveras, who had a pair of short-yardage rushing touchdowns.

“It definitely wasn’t a one-person show, we had a lot of kids contribute. That’s going to be our story this year. We have strength in numbers. If any one kid ever goes down, we can replace him and keep the same rhythm. I’m not sure there are a lot of teams on our schedule that can say the same thing,” Everett said at the time, foretelling the future.

The Whalers kept the momentum going over the next two games, dominating Carver 35-8 in their home opener Sept. 13 behind four rushing touchdowns from Guillen-Taveras and pummeling Blackstone Valley 41-6 the following week at Vito Capizzo Stadium.

Nantucket used its bye week to heal up from some nagging injuries and work on eliminating needless penalties, and came out firing on all cylinders against Falmouth, winning 33-14 on the road behind sophomore quarterback Burke Lombardi, who had another stellar game under center, throwing three touchdown passes – a 53-yarder to Canton Jenkinson, a 21-yarder to Hanlon and a 24-yarder to Jeremy Jenkinson – and running one in on his own just before halftime.

“Burke is incredibly mature for a sophomore, and that maturity really started near the end of his freshman year last year when he started getting more reps,” Everett said.

“When his name was called to be the starter, he took it and ran with it completely. He is indeed leading the program and the guys are looking up to him.”

The Whalers rode another balanced attack to an easy 37-8 win over Nauset Oct. 10 to improve to 5-0. Hanlon – twice – Canton Jenkinson, Guillen-Taveras and Lombardi all made it into the end zone and the defense tacked on a safety.

“The win against Nauset was a team effort. We’ve been striving to push ourselves and commit to giving that extra effort, so when it comes down to our performances, we’re not surprised by the results. We’re continuing to work hard and prove people wrong, and showing them that we are capable of making the playoffs,” Everett said.

“Burke Lombardi has been shining a light in this program, but Burke can’t do anything without our linemen up front. I want to give a huge shout-out to our offensive line.”

Led by Hanlon’s three touchdowns and 186 yards of total offense, Nantucket beat Dennis-Yarmouth 49-22 on the road Oct. 17 for its sixth win of the season. Guillen-Taveras also had one rushing and one receiving score, Soares had a rushing touchdown, Silva added a receiving touchdown and Lombardi threw for two scores.

“We have a great team, and we try to hold our kids to a high standard, so even though we got a win, we let our opponents put up 22 points,” Everett said.

“We want to make sure we’re making our opponents earn every yard and not giving them free touchdowns.”

Field hockey heading to playoffs for fifth straight year

By Quinn Frankel qfrankel@inkym.com

Despite graduating seven seniors last year, the field hockey program continues to hit its stride.

The Whalers capped off an impressive regular season Saturday with a 3-0 Homecoming win over Martha’s Vineyard. It is the third consecutive year Nantucket has taken home the Golden Anchor for beating its arch rivals.

Senior Sadie Paterson, junior Evie Phelps and sophomore Rowan Paul each had goals in the game. Paterson leads the Whalers this season with 15 goals.

Head coach Dan Weber said he was happy to see such strong play against Martha’s

Vineyard.

“Their program has improved a lot this year, and I think that’s really exciting for both schools going forward,” Weber said.

The Whalers finished their regular season in the Cape & Islands League Lighthouse Division with a 10-4-1 record and 12-5-1 overall. They are ranked 13 in the most recent MIAA Div. 3 power rankings heading into the playoffs, their fifth straight year reaching the state tournament.

Weber and co-head-coach Elizabeth Weber have led the program since 2019. They said they are excited to see the field hockey program continue to grow and find success against larger schools across the region this year like Falmouth, Nauset, Barnstable and Dennis-Yarmouth.

“It’s mine and Elizabeth’s seventh year coaching, and for a long time, not only did we not beat those schools, but we really didn’t play very competitively against them. This is just another year in a row that the girls have proved that they deserve to be considered alongside some of the better teams in the area with the way they performed against those schools,” Dan Weber said.

The Whalers opened the season Sept. 4 with an impressive 5-3 home victory over Falmouth, their fourth straight against a program which had previously been known to outperform Nantucket in their longstanding rivalry.

The Whalers put away four goals in the first half before sealing the deal with a fifth early in the second.

Paterson and Paul, making her varsity debut, each had two goals and Clementine Kelly had one.

Weber said he was pleased with the team’s performance on offense, which showcased a quick and aggressive style that would come to define the Whalers’ attacking prowess for the remainder of the season.

The game also showcased Paul’s status as a rising star on the field.

“She’s got a knack for scoring goals,” Weber said. “She knows where to be in the circle, she’s athletic and she has that killer mentality. She wants the ball and she wants to score. Any time you have younger players contributing like that, it’s always a plus.”

FIELD HOCKEY,

Boys soccer playoff-bound: What else is new?

By Quinn Frankel qfrankel@inkym.com

At 10-4-1 heading into the final week of the regular season, the boys varsity soccer team has once again secured a spot in the playoffs.

Despite dominating the Cape Cod League’s Lighthouse Division for the majority of the season, the Whalers lost the Golden Anchor on penalty kicks to Martha’s Vineyard Saturday.

The Whalers came back to tie the game 2-2 after being down two goals early and losing Calvin Guevara minutes in due to injury.

Aldo Lemus got the first goal for the Whalers off a free kick, and Tiger Sirisophapong followed suit with another goal in the second half.

Head coach Rich Brannigan was proud of the Whalers’ comeback after a rocky start but sad to see the golden anchor in their opponent’s hands.

“It hurts to lose the trophy, but it was more important to share the points, because it keeps us where we want to be,” he said.

“The boys showed a lot of heart and character today. It’s huge to come back after

being down two goals, and when our backs were against it for the first 30 minutes. Losing Calvin early in the match was disappointing, but we grabbed hold of the game and did what we needed to do, despite being out-tacticed in the first 15 minutes,” he said.

The Whalers beat the Vineyard 1-0 on the road earlier this season on a first-half goal from sophomore Stoyan Popov.

Nantucket sits at number 28 in the most recent MIAA Div. 3 power rankings and are looking to make a deep run in the postseason after getting knocked out in the round of 32 last year for the third year in a row.

The Whalers showcased their strength on offense – led by Popov – in the season opener, a 4-0 shutout of Falmouth.

Senior Anderson Diaz and Lemus each scored a goal and Popov scored twice to round out the score sheet.

“He’s a beast,” head coach Rich Brannigan said of Popov, who led the team in goals last season as a freshman. “He’s a defender’s worst nightmare because he just doesn’t stop.”

“He had 15 goals last year as a freshman. That’s going to be hard to match. But then when I watch him work like he worked

BOYS, PAGE 22

Up and down season for rebuilding girls soccer

By Quinn Frankel qfrankel@inkym.com

The girls varsity soccer team entered the final week of the season on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, sitting at 5-7-3 after a crushing 5-0 Homecoming loss to Martha’s Vineyard Saturday.

The defeat stripped them of their Golden Anchor trophy and prevented them from securing a spot in the postseason. The Whalers at press time sat at number 47 in the MIAA Div. 3 power rankings. Teams in the top 32 or with .500 records or better qualify for the playoffs.

They have a chance to sneak in, however, with games against Diman Monday and Monomoy Wednesday, too late for this issue, and St. John Paul II today.

Martha’s Vineyard had the Whalers scrambling after they netted two goals in the first 15 minutes of the match Saturday.

“They got multiple early goals, and that drained our energy. We didn’t go after passes in the first half, and we didn’t get our first shot on goal until midway through the second half. We had little activity up top today,” head coach Doug LeBrecht said.

The Whalers have had a roller-coaster season, with down-to-the-wire victories over

Nantucket battles for possession with St. Mary’s of Lynn.

top-ranked programs like Falmouth as well as crushing defeats like Saturday’s.

It was the Whalers’ first season in Div. 3

and LeBrecht’s fourth as head coach.

“I’m satisfied with our season so far, especially with it being our first year in this

division,” he said.

Nantucket started the season with a 4-2 win at home over Sturgis West. Junior Emma Woodbury led the way for the Whalers with two goals and an assist. Senior captain Chelsea Gross put one into the back of the net off a pass from Woodbury, and Sutton LeBrecht notched her first goal of the season off an assist from her sister Harper.

“It was a great way to start the season,” LeBrecht said. “Harper and Gabby Nikolova were great in the midfield and held the ball very well. Our goalie Madden Myers had a terrific game and showed great team support. We also got tons of effort from Grace Schroeder in the backfield.”

After opening the season with a win, the Whalers lost their rhythm, falling to 2-1 to both Falmouth and Nauset.

Woodbury picked up her third goal of the season on an assist from Gross for the Whalers’ only score in their first match-up against Falmouth.

“It was a tough one. The first half was not great, the second half was. Harper LeBrecht was a menace in the midfield and kept the offensive pressure on,” said coach Lebrecht, who also singled out the play of Molly Bedell, Alyson Escobar and Fiona Keltz on defense,

GIRLS, PAGE 21

Golf season highlighted by consistency, strong play

By Joshua Balling jballing@inkym.com

The varsity golf team had one of its most successful seasons in recent years, finishing 11-5, 10-1 in league play and just coming up just short of qualifying for the state tournament.

Led by team captain David Boulter’s 83, the Whalers finished sixth at the sectional championships in Foxboro Oct. 14, carding a 544 overall. Boulter fell one stroke short of qualifying for the tournament as an individual.

“David Foley literally got out of the car in the parking lot, walked up on the first tee box and hit his shot. He didn’t even have 30 seconds to spare. There were a lot of high scores today, and Foley came out tied for 10th out of 84 golfers. We’re going to miss him a lot next year,” Herrick said.

The Whalers’ season was highlighted by consistency and outstanding play.

“We set out to accomplish three goals this season. One was to get a bid for the state tournament qualifier, one was to win the league championship and the other was to qualify for the state tournament. We achieved two out of three of those goals,” Herrick said.

The team got off to a hot start, beating Sturgis East by 67 strokes and Sturgis West by 24 to begin the season 2-0. The competition then got a bit tougher, but they eked out a one-stroke victory over Monomoy and edged past Cape Cod Academy, sandwiched around a loss to non-league foe Nauset in the second week of the season.

The Whalers improved to 5-2 in week three with a win over Rising Tide and a loss to state powerhouse and non-league opponent St. John Paul II in brutal conditions.

Nantucket lost for the second time in a week to St. John Paul II Sept. 22 before racking up four straight wins over Dennis-Yarmouth twice, Rising Tide and Sturgis East.

“I was extremely happy with the continued great play from David Foley and Ben Freeman. Colby Lucas has also stepped it up in a big way. He is clearly the most improved varsity player from last year,” Herrick said midway through the streak.

The Whalers then lost back-to-back matches against Nauset and Monomoy, the only league loss on their record, before picking up wins against Sturgis West and Cape Cod Academy to round out the season.

The Whalers will graduate four seniors: Foley, David Boulter, Freeman and TQ Scarlett.

Boys cross-country makes strides this season

By Quinn Frankel qfrankel@inkym.com

While the Whalers struggled to put together enough students to field a girls cross country team this year, the boys team saw many of its runners repeatedly set new personal records and lower its top-five 5K average down to 18 minutes, 26 seconds from last season’s 19 minutes, three seconds.

Head coach Matthew Phipps – who stepped up from being the boys middle school coach last season to head the varsity team this year – said he was impressed all around with the team, especially the number of freshmen and sophomores in the Whalers top five each meet.

The boys are 5-2 so far this season with the MIAA Div. 3 championship meet Nov. 8. The Whalers bounced back from an early-season loss to Nauset Sept. 9 with wins against Rising Tide, Sturgis East, Falmouth, Cape Cod Academy and Monomoy before falling by one point to Sturgis West last Saturday.

“It was disappointing to lose by a point, but I know we’re just looking forward to divisionals now,” Phipps said.

“Freshman Michael Sullivan ran another personal record yesterday of 17:16, and he

had already just PR’d two weeks ago with a time of 17:53, which was better by a minute compared to last year’s. That was awesome to watch, especially when he had to go past pretty much everyone. He always does a consistent run, which is the best strategy for racing. Everyone else started out fast yesterday, but he stuck to his plan and prevailed in the end.”

Sullivan placed second overall in the 5K against Sturgis West.

Sophomore Nick Ferrantella and freshman Jimmy Fuller also set new personal records Saturday, each improving their times by 1:30, finishing in 19:05 and 19:04, respectively. It was the first time both Ferrantella and Fuller have broken 20 minutes.

“It was really nice to see both Nick and Jimmy break 20 minutes, because they’ve really been putting in the work,” Phipps said. “When I first got here, Nick was in eighth grade and ran his first 5K in something like 30 minutes. That was just two years ago, and he’s improved a lot.”

Sophomore Morry Cardona also set a new PR Saturday at 18:30, good for ninth place overall. It surpassed the personal best he set as the winner of Nantucket’s 20th annual Race for Recovery Sept. 28 by 20 seconds.

RUN, PAGE 22

Nantucket

Volleyball shows improvement as season ends

By Quinn Frankel qfrankel@inkym.com

Despite showing grit and resilience in nearly every match, the varsity volleyball team struggled to find its footing this season, missing out on the state tournament for the first time since 2017.

The Whalers finished the season 4-13, 65th in the MIAA Div. 3 power rankings.

The Whalers had just one senior this year – captain Mariana Silva – after graduating six seniors in 2024.

“I was happy with the way we showed up together as a team,” head coach Makaila Lyons said. “We had a lot of seniors leave last year, and it’s basically been an entirely new team this year. A lot of the players who played this year didn’t have much playing time last year, if any. So it was cool to see how we were able to come together and what we were able to look like. I didn’t know what to expect of this season, other than that I wanted it to go well. The girls showed up as they showed up – sometimes better than others – but overall, I’m really happy with the growth we had this season.

Nantucket got off to a rocky start, dropping a pair of matches 3-1 to Sandwich and

St. John Paul II to open the season.

Regardless of the final score, Lyons was happy with the mental toughness the Whalers exhibited in those games.

“One of the strongest things so far this season has been the mental fortitude of our team to bear down and push some points when we’re down a few or sometimes many points, and then to keep pushing and take the third set when we’re already down two,” she said.

The games against Sandwich and St. John Paul showcased both promise and areas in need of improvement for the Whalers.

“Some of our stand-out players have been our captains – senior Mariana Silva, junior Julie Pires and junior Viki Bozhkova – all being able to go on some serving streaks. I’ve been particularly impressed by Julie’s hustle and movement on the court,” Lyons said. Silva and Bozhkova both served nine aces against St. John Paul II, with Pires handing out seven. Silva saw 15 serve receptions across all four sets.

Coach Lyons also said those first two losses highlighted the need to work on serve-receives and chemistry in practice.

The Whalers quickly bounced back from

VOLLEYBALL, PAGE 21

WHALERS BOYS SOCCER 2025

Leandro Hernandez

Edvin Valentukevicius

Deimis Vita

Alejandro Vivas

Jhondel Whittaker

Head Coach Rich Brannigan

Diego esPinoza Marcos hernanDez

not PictureD:

Perez santos assistant coach caleb goMes

WHALERS JV BOYS SOCCER 2025

Front Row/ middle row

Juan Alarcon, Danny Aguilar, Lucas Miskinis, Sam Cisceneros, Anthony Calderon, Brainer Castro, Ian Rubiel Acosta Fermin, Adonay Merlos, Prokhor Artemeko

Back row (from left): Wilfreddy Villa, Michael Benitez Menjivar, Jayden Harriott, Alexis Perez, Deimis Vita, Richard Pires, Rojus Rascius, Dylan Collier, Alec Anguelov, Luantgsuan Ponpiya, Coach Caio Gomes

Missing: Anthony Calderon, Jeremiah McCarthy

WHALERS GIRLS SOCCER 2025

WHALERS JV GIRLS SOCCER 2025

WHALERS CROSS COUNTRY 2025

CHEERLEADING 2025

WHALERS FIELD HOCKEY 2025

WHALERS JV FIELD HOCKEY 2025

WHALERS GOLF 2025

WHALERS JV GOLF 2025

WHALERS VOLLEYBALL 2025

WHALERS JV VOLLEYBALL 2025

WHALERS FOOTBALL 2025

WHALERS JV FOOTBALL 2025

Field Hockey: Heading to playoffs for fifth straight season

(Continued from page 6)

The Whalers continued to dominate early in the season, bagging shutouts against Nauset Sept. 11 and Martha’s Vineyard Sept. 14.

The shutout against Nauset was anchored by goalie Shelbi Harimon, who has proven integral to the Whalers’ play this season.

“Shelbi is almost completely self-taught, which is crazy. She’s just learned how to be incredible at the net off of raw athleticism and talent and instinct, which is impressive,” Weber said. “She’s been awesome in goal all year for us, and she’s been asked to make more saves than she has in years past since we’re a little bit younger on defense.”

“Lillian Wullschleger has been really strong, not just in her play but in keeping things organized,” Weber said. “Sophia Sullivan has moved back on to defense and been excellent, and Sophia Yelverton has been covering so much ground in the midfield. It’s crazy how many loose balls she picks up. Those three have been really solid for us.”

The Whalers beat Barnstable 3-1 Sept 18 at home before falling to them 3-1 on the road. They kept their undefeated streak alive

with that first win. Marin Mooney, Paterson and Phelps scored for Nantucket.

The Whalers’ have eight seniors this year, many of whom are offensive players who have been playing together for years.

“They have great chemistry. They’ve been playing together through JV and up to varsity. They know who they are and what their strengths are. Even our younger players like Evie Phelps and Sophia Sullivan – who were just sophomores last year – are playing huge roles. I don’t think Sophia has come off the field once yet as a defender, and Evie has had a number of goals and creates a lot of trouble with her speed,” Weber said.

Coach Weber said the biggest highlight of the season for him was the Whalers’ 1-0 win over Dennis-Yarmouth at home Oct. 15. D-Y is considered one of the best teams in the region and are ranked number-three in the MIAA Div. 4 power rankings.

The win against D-Y came after the Whalers hit a bump in their season, dropping games to Barnstable (3-1), West Bridgewater (3-2) and St. John Paul II (3-2).

Nantucket out-battled D-Y at home with a goal by Paterson early in the second quarter.

Weber was thrilled with the victory over

D-Y, who had beat the Whalers 2-1 on the road in September.

“We talked at practice about doing the little things, the hard things that win you a game, and I don’t think we played fantastic, but I thought we did just that. We were gritty, the want was high and I think that showed on the field. They played with intensity and put pressure on D-Y, and I think that made it tough for the other team,” Weber said. “The game was a true team effort. Our goal wasn’t the prettiest, but it was people putting their bodies on the line to go and score the goal.”

Weber commended his senior core for their stellar performance this season and for carrying the team through their toughest match-ups.

“All eight of them performed really well this season,” he said. “Marin Mooney was having a fantastic season before she got injured against St. John Paul II, and is probably one of the better players in the area in my opinion.”

Mooney finished the regular season with 10 goals and six assists.

“We moved Sophia Yelverton from defense to midfield, and she was promptly one of the

better midfielders I saw out there this year,” Weber said.

Seniors Paterson and Kelly have also been instrumental in leading the Whalers on offense. Kelly finished the season with seven goals and 10 assists.

“Lil Wullschleger played great defense as the lone senior in the back line,” Weber said.

Weber was also excited to see his younger players have strong seasons.

“Both Sophia Sullivan and Evie Phelps, who will be starting their third year on varsity next season, had really strong seasons, Sophia in the back and a bit in midfield, and Evie, who has contributed all over the field this year,” he said.

“I think the future is bright for us despite losing those really important core eight seniors this year.”

“Elizabeth really drives the knowledge side of the game, and she’s done a great job of making sure that the younger girls are ready to go when it’s their time to step in,” he continued.

The Whalers will graduate eight seniors: Paterson, Kelly, Wullschleger, Yelverton, Aliza Mansfield, Carley Ray, Mooney and Harimon.

Girls: Up and down season for rebuilding Whalers soccer team

(Continued from page 8)

and Nikolova in the midfield.

Despite the loss to Nauset, LeBrecht said the game stood out as a silver lining in a turbulent season, and that there was a lot to be positive about coming out of the game.

“Nauset beat us 14-0 the year I took over the program. This is the first time we’ve scored on them since I’ve been coaching the varsity,” he said after the game. “Hanging with Nauset was a big sign of improvement for us as a program.”

LeBrecht said other highlights of the season included a 2-1 home victory over St.

Mary’s of Lynn, who are 21st in the MIAA Div. 3 power rankings and a 1-0 victory over Falmouth. It was the Whalers’ first win over Falmouth during LeBrecht’s tenure as head coach.

Junior goalkeeper Madden Meyers made a clutch save off of set piece with three minutes to go against St. Mary’s, securing the win for the Whalers.

“We started the game a little rocky, but I told the girls not to worry about the crowd, not to worry about the other team, and to just keep going. They really did that today,” LeBrecht said.

“Our goalie played out of her mind today,

especially in those last 30 minutes with those corner kicks. On so many occasions, Madden just takes such good care of her team. When she shows up for a game like she did today, everybody follows. She supports and brings everyone together.”

Chelsea Gross had the game winner for the Whalers against Falmouth off a direct kick, setting up the 1-0 victory.

“What I’m super psyched about is that it’s the last time these seniors will get to play Falmouth, and they beat them, which is exciting,” LeBrecht said.

Sophomore Harper LeBrecht has stood out this season as an instrumental playmak-

er in the midfield, allowing little to slip past her and creating space for her teammates.

“When I took over the program, if you wanted to score on us, you would just run down the middle. When Harper joined as a freshman last year, that ended. It’s rare you’ll see down the middle plays through us that don’t get stopped,” coach LeBrecht said.

The Whalers will graduate seven seniors, all of whom have been on the varsity team since their freshman year: Nikolova, Myah Johnson, Sutton LeBrecht, Emery Bouchard, Allyson Escobar, Dylan Damian and Gross.

Volleyball: Whalers miss playoffs but show improvement as season ends

(Continued from page 11)

those early losses, bagging their first win Sept. 15 on the road against Rising Tide in their third game of the season.

They took the game in straight sets 25-10, 25-14 and 25-9.

Junior Kate Kinsella had a stand-out performance, playing all three sets and delivering five aces.

“She had some time to practice, and she was really amazing with her coverage today, and she was able to go on a little serving streak, which was really awesome to see her,” Lyons said.

Silva also impressed Lyons throughout the season. She delivered 15 aces and one kill against Rising Tide.

“She’s always strong, she’s always consistent, but today she was just able to go on this final serving run in the third game. She was really like, let’s get ahead and go for it, which was awesome to see, it’s great to see her shining bright because she deserves to,” Lyons said.

The Whalers struggled to keep the momentum going after their early season win, dropping their next four games to Sturgis East (3-1), Sturgis West (3-2), and two to Abington (3-1).

They finally kicked their losing streak with a mid-season win against Monomoy 3-1 at home on Sept. 29.

The Whalers took the final three sets 2518, 25-13, 25-18 after losing the first set 2624 to clinch a 3-1 victory.

“It’s about time. It feels like for the past few losses we’ve had, I’m telling the girls all the things we’re doing right, and that it’s only a matter of time before it’s going to happen for us,” Lyons said after the Monomoy win.

“They have to see it to believe it, so I’m extremely happy that today they went out there and got that win for themselves. It also keeps their trust in me and in the program I’m trying to build. Everything was there in our last three sets.”

Quinn Canty, a sophomore, had another

stellar performance with nine kills over the course of the game against Monomoy, and continues to prove her talent on the court.

“Quinn was unstoppable today,” Lyons said after the game. “Last year was her first year playing. I think a lot of what we’re seeing from her now is her born athleticism. You can teach skill, but you can’t teach that. When she wants the ball, she’s going to do everything she can to get it. I don’t think her performance is necessarily about the coaching she’s received, I think she has displayed a huge drive to want to get better, and it’s really more about us answering to that as much as possible as a team.”

The Whalers clinched back-to-back victories over Rising Tide and St. John Paul II in mid-October.

They took all three sets on senior night against Rising Tide 25-7, 25-12, 25-7 for their second win over the Herons this season before sweeping St. John Paul II 3-0 at

home.

Lyons said she was delighted with the teamwork that led to the win over St. John Paul II.

“Most importantly, I loved the way the girls played together. They played as one unit and it showed. Something else that really stood out to me was that they remained level-headed. Error or point, they didn’t waver too far up or down, which I believe allowed us to stay mentally tough throughout the match,” she said.

The Whalers’ win against St. John Paul II was a season highlight for Lyons.

“We go into every game wanting to win and wanting to show up as our best selves, but wanting and doing are two different things. I think we both wanted and showed up as the best version of ourselves both as a team and as individuals against SJPII. We played together and were cohesive as a collective, which is what we need to do to

win, and which is what we need to do more of next season,” Lyons said.

The Whalers’ winning streak was cut short by losses against Mashpee (3-0), backto-back 3-0 losses against Nauset and a 3-1 loss to Sandwich to finish off the season.

Strong performances from juniors and co-captains Viki Bozhkova and Julie Pires carried the Whalers through a particularly trying season.

“It was Viki’s first year on varsity last year. She was originally a setter, and I put her in the middle because we needed another middle. We don’t have that much height, and I needed somebody who was willing to learn, because the middle blocker position isn’t necessarily just about being tall, but it’s also about making smart choices at the net. Viki is very bright, and she has learned a lot about what to do and what not to do. She’s excelled at her timing on blocking this year, and I think that’s only going to get better next season,” Lyons said.

“Julie Pires showed up differently this year. She was always talented, but she just really wanted it this year. She played every game as hard as she could. One second she’d be on one side of the court, and then another second, she’d be on the other side. She’s incredibly fast, and she shows up everywhere she needs to. Not just physically on the court, but also emotionally for her teammates.”

The Whalers will miss Silva next season.

“Mariana is going to be a really hard loss for us. She’s really skilled and has a high volleyball IQ, but I think most of all, she is a consistent person. Over the course of the season, we’ve been up and down, and we need to be somewhere in the middle. With Mariana, she’s always in the middle–she’s excited when she does well, and she wants to do better when she makes a mistake. She has a constant energy about her that is going to be hard to replicate. Everyone was crying after our last game on Friday, and we’re really going to miss her,” Lyons said.

Boys: Whalers soccer playoff-bound for 21st straight season

(Continued from page 7)

today, I’m like, he’s going to get there again.”

The Whalers’ initial success was shortlived as they dropped their next three games to East Boston 2-1 on Sept. 6, Nauset 3-2 Sept. 10 and Monomoy 3-1 Sept. 12.

Brannigan said the loss to Monomoy was unacceptable, and the loss to Nauset heartbreaking.

There were on-field mistakes against Monomoy, but Braningan also acknowledged some off-the-field struggles this season that prevented the Whalers from having their strongest lineup in most matches.

That’s something that needs to be corrected if the team wants to have the best chance to win, he stressed.

“As long as the kids can do their part in school, be an exemplary student athlete, we have our eligible players, we work hard. We could do special things. So we’re learning from those mistakes, individually and as a team,” he said.

Following the back-to-back losses, the Whalers went on a five-game winning streak, starting with the 1-0 shutout over Martha’s Vineyard Sept. 14.

As the season progressed, the offense continued to shine despite a slew of injuries sustained. The Whalers scored 30 goals in just three games 10-1 and 11-0 victories over Tri-County and a 9-3 win over Rising Tide.

“Players can find confidence in a game like today,” Brannigan said of the first win against Tri-County. “Scoring a goal makes you confident as a player. If you’re in a little

The Whalers celebrate against St. Mary’s of Lynn earlier this season.

bit of a drought, or if you haven’t scored yet this season, finding the back of the net is like ‘Oh, cool. This is what it feels like. I know I can do it.’ That’s important.”

The win over Rising Tide on Oct. 17 marked Brannigan’s 300th career victory in 25 years as head of the boys soccer program. Brannigan approached the milestone as

an opportunity for reflection.

“Moments like this – and even throughout every season –you realize how long you’ve been involved in the game, and you have flashbacks and memories that remind you of things that happened 20 years ago. There have been a lot those moments leading up to today. The high school, my family – they all knew where we were at in this process, and the result tonight hasn’t been about counting down or checking boxes, but really about trusting the process, being patient, knowing what I’ve done as a coach and the hard work the players put in. I’ve just been lucky enough to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together for 25 years,” Brannigan said.

The Whalers picked up their 10th win of the season against Sandwich Oct. 22, beating them 2-0 and improving to 5-3 in league play and 10-4 overall.

Brannigan said Lemus and Raakin Brannigan stood out in the midfield, while Demis Vita played solid defense against Sandwich.

Boys varsity soccer finishes out the regular season this week with games against Dennis-Yarmouth Monday and Monomoy Wednesday, after press time and Nauset on Thursday before heading into the first round of the playoffs.

Nantucket will graduate eight seniors this year: captain Alexander Ivilov, captain Denzel Tejada, Travon James, Santos Perez, Diego Roman Espinoza, Anderson Diaz, Alexis Pena and Alejandro Vivas.

Run: Boys cross country makes strides while girls struggle to field a team

(Continued from page 10)

Senior Dorian Manov ran an 18:40 for 11th place, with freshman Brian Kimball following closely behind, finishing at 18:40 in 12th place.

Freshman Hayden Roberts also set a PR at 19:34 and finished in 20th overall.

The Whalers girls still excelled on Saturday despite not having enough runners for a five-person team. Junior Anna Cronin set a new PR of 21:06 and finished ninth, while freshman Daniella Morris recorded a new PR at 25:16.

The Whalers also saw tournament successes this season at the Frank Kelley Invitational 3K Sept. 20 and the annual Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational Oct. 12.

Leila Noddin came in 15th in the Kelley Invitational freshman race with a time of 12:36.

In the freshman boys race, Sullivan placed 14th with a time of 10:59 and Hayden Roberts placed 25th in 11:14.

In the girls junior race, Cronin placed 25th in 12:43 and Hanlon placed 33rd in 13:08.

“Running does come in stages. You have to adjust the training toward big peaks and valleys. Build up some speed, and then take a little bit of time off and then some more hard workouts to build them up toward the championships. So I think they’re coming right along.”

– Garry Allen Assistant Coach

ning in particular.

“Running does come in stages. You have to adjust the training toward big peaks and valleys. Build up some speed, and then take a little bit of time off and then some more hard workouts to build them up toward the championships. So I think they’re coming right along,” assistant coach Garry Allen said.

The Whalers competed in the Twilight Invitational sophomore race in order to make it back to Nantucket to beat an expected nor’easter.

Phipps said the meet had an incredible atmosphere, and despite not getting to participate in the varsity race, there was still plenty of competition and great runners in each race given that all divisions were combined.

The Whalers had 14 runners set either personal or season bests in the 5,000 meters that weekend. Cronin ran a 21:34 seconds, Hanlon a 21:50 and Morris a 26:46.

Sullivan crossed the finish line in 17:43, Manov in 18:31, Cardona in 18:39, Brian Kimball in 19:48 in his season debut, Roberts in 20:00, Ferrantella in 20:26, Harlan Wright in 20:29, Jimmy Fuller in 20:44, Numa Solano in 21:14, Will Manning in 22:22, Devin Owen in 25:57 and Boris Boychev ran a 23:46 after battling what Phipps called a chop to the ribs in the scrum at the start.

Phipps was also proud to see dedication and significant improvement from JV runners this season and from freshman Man-

“Will has been so consistent with his training since the sixth grade. I don’t think he saw the same improvement other freshmen have for such a long time, but now, all of a sudden, he’s gone from 26 minutes to start the season to 22 minutes and 22 seconds just over the last month. He was the one person to finish the whole workout for our JV runners last Friday, and at the end of it, he asked if he could try to PR his mile, and he did by 29 seconds. So, big shout-out to Will Manning this season,” Phipps said.

While the girls haven’t had enough for a team, coach Phipps said he believes their top three–eighth grader Noddin and juniors Cronin and Hanlon have a good shot at qualifying for the state-tournament as individuals.

Nantucket will graduate two seniors this year: Manov and Solano.

The MIAA Div. 3 cross country championships will be held Saturday, Nov. 8 at Fort Devens.

Whalers of the Week

9.11 - Burke Lombardi – Football • Emma Woodbury – Girls Soccer

9.18 - David Guillen-Taveras – Football • Shelbi Harimon – Field Hockey

9.25 - Stoyan Popov – Boys Soccer • Sadie Paterson – Field Hockey

10.2 - David Foley – Golf • Quinn Canty– Volleyball

10.9 - Stoyan Popov – Boys Soccer • Marin Mooney – Field Hockey

10.16 - Arann Hanlon – Football • Evie Phelps – Field Hockey

10.23 - Coach Richard Brannigan – Boys Soccer • Julie Pires – Volleyball

10.30 - Jeremy Jenkinson - Football • Rowan Paul - Field Hockey