A member of the WHS boys’ soccer team takes a shot on goal during practice Friday. (Photo by Chris Putz)
WESTFIELD – Practice sessions got under way for all sports teams in the Greater Westfield area this week, and all over Western Massachusetts for that matter.
Nearly 30 varsity teams, stretching from the town of Southwick to the hills in Huntington, laced up their shoes, donned practice jerseys, and went “camping.”
There are some big questions to be answered this fall.
How will the Westfield High School football team respond to its first new coach in a decade? Will the Bombers gymnastics squad continue their unbeaten run without longtime coach Joanne Hewins running the show?
Players for the Westfield High School boys’ soccer team listen to instructs from head coach Andrew Joseph during a practice session Friday at Westfield Middle School North. (Photo by Chris Putz)
Where will the boys’ soccer team at the school land with a new coaching staff in place?
With construction ongoing at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School, what will be the impact to the fall slate?
Will Gateway’s soccer program continue to prosper come tournament time? And how will smaller programs at St. Mary and Westfield Voc-Tech fare in a time of decreased enrollment and fewer budget dollars?
The St. Mary High School girls’ soccer team works out at Westfield Middle School South Friday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Several of these issues will play out over the course of the fall season. The Westfield News will attempt to answer the rest of these questions with our coverage this fall. Our sports department will cover more than 30 varsity and junior varsity teams at Westfield, Westfield Vocational-Technical, St. Mary, Southwick, and Gateway high schools.
The Sports Department urges all coaching staffs – varsity and JV – to report game scores/summaries/highlights following each game/meet, and welcomes photographs from the local community. All material should be sent to [email protected].
To leave a message for the sports department, dial 413-562-4181, ext. 110. Westfield News sports editor Chris Putz can also be reached at 413-214-1433.
