WESTFIELD – The high school sports fall season gets under way Tuesday with a smattering of sporting events, including two local golf matches (Westfield vs. Ludlow, Southwick vs. South Hadley), one boys’ soccer game (Southwick at Easthampton), and one girls’ volleyball contest (Southwick vs. Renaissance).
While the season provides renewed hope – everyone starts on equal footing at 0-0 – we offer up a brief listing of the top three storylines to follow this fall.
Southwick golfer James Longhi putts from the second hole at Edgewood Country Club in 2016. The expectations for Longhi and the Rams are high following a second place finish in Western Mass last season. (File Photo by Chris Putz)
CHASING HISTORY: Southwick-Tolland Regional High School golf coach Al Selden and the Rams are looking to make history this season.
Last season, Southwick posted one of its highest finishes ever, placing second at the West Division 2 golf championship at Crestview Country Club in Agawam.
Southwick has a wealth of talent returning, including Southwick senior James Longhi, eighth grade phenom Matthew Garrity, and senior Chris Baker, who shot a team-low 38 in last year’s championship round.
The Rams currently have history on their side.
Southwick enters the season having won 29 straight league matches, and Selden is poised to record his 100th career victory.
Westfield senior running back Wilton Royal rushes for the second of his three touchdowns scored against Commerce during a 2016 regular season matchup. Royal and the Bombers ran away with a WMass title last season. Is a repeat in the works this year? (File Photo by Marc St. Onge)
CHAMPIONSHIP APPEAL: One year ago, the Westfield High School football team nearly earned a trip to the hallowed grounds of the five-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
Westfield trounced West Springfield 40-16 in the Western Mass finals behind a three touchdown performance from then senior running back Wilton Royal, and a special teams gem from senior Zach Adam, who intercepted a pass for a touchdown and scored another on a punt return touchdown.
The Bombers came within one game of appearing in the state championship at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro but were upended by the Shrewsbury Colonials 42-12 in the state semifinals.
The defending Western Mass champs kick off the 2017 season at Falmouth High School on Sat., Sept. 16. Game time is 4 p.m.
The Westfield High School gymnastics team captured their 10th straight Western Mass championship crown in fall 2016. Is it a stretch to think the Bombers can capture an 11th consecutive crown? (File Photo by Bill Deren)
TRYING TO STRETCH A STREAK: For the last 10 years, nobody has been better than the Westfield High School gymnastics team.
The accolades include 10 straight west sectional titles, and an unblemished record of 173-0. No one, I repeat, NO ONE, has been able to figure out how to stop the Bombers.
Westfield breathed a sigh of relief last season after the Minnechaug Falcons (135.575) came within less than a tenth of a point from upsetting the Bombers (135.635) in the championship.
Will anyone rise up to dethrone the reigning champs or stop the decade-long streak? Stay tuned.
