Win, win situation in Medfield

Warriors squad earns share of spring spotlight

Medfield High lacrosse captains (from left) Max Zuccarini, Pat Bauer, and Harry Bodozian join coach Bob Aronson in marking the team's Division 2 semifinal win. (Robert e. klein for the boston globe)

There are sports programs, and then there is the Medfield High boys' lacrosse program.

Since it became a Division 3 program in 2000, Medfield has qualified for the state tournament every season. The Warriors quickly rose to prominence when they advanced to the state semifinals in year two, and took state titles in 2004 and 2005. Moving up to Division 2, they captured the state title last spring, and were right back in the state finals this season, losing 14-10 to a senior-laden Longmeadow High School squad.

They have won eight Tri-Valley League titles and 85 straight league games dating to 2002. One of the keys has been a steady balance of upperclassmen and youngsters.

"The older guys do a great job of taking the younger guys under their wing," head coach Bob Aronson said. "We make a point of having anywhere from one to four freshmen on our team trying to get as much playing time as possible."

That includes his son, freshman Sam Aronson, who helped anchor the defense with some heady play in the postseason.

"He made a great transition from a young, scared freshman to a cognizant and confident leader at the end of the year," the coach said.

Overall, the defense allowed just 12 goals in the four tournament games leading up to the state final. Medfield High's trio of Phil Thompson, Jake Smith, and All-American junior Danny Gold held three All-Americans on rival Eastern Massachusetts squads - Walpole's Davis Butts, Wellesley's Peter Jennings, and Reading's Jim Queeny - scoreless.

All three defenders return next year, along with sophomore Jack McDermott, who tallied just under 80 points. Max Zuccarini, the Warriors' other 70-point scorer, graduated this month, but 22 players will be back.

Here are more spring sports highlights:

Biggest surprise

Marlborough softball: Coach Kyle Wescott says his varsity showed potential early on, but few could have predicted this kind of a breakthrough. After a 3-17 season in 2005 and 10-10 seasons in '06 and '07, Marlborough went 17-3 in the regular season this year.

In the Division 1 Central sectional bracket, the Panthers turned more heads with two close-fought wins on plays at the plate. Against Leominster, Aryel Paolini scored the winning run when the ball came loose after contact in an 8-7 extra-innings victory. Three days later, Danielle Winski threw a dart from right field to catcher Shauna Flynn, who tagged out the potential tying run to preserve an upset of top seed Milford, advancing the Panthers to their first Central final.

Top newcomer

Blake Dietrick, Wellesley girls' lacrosse: If the Wellesley High freshman's season is a sign of things to come, Dietrick is going to be an exciting player to watch for the next few years. She followed up her campaign as a spark plug on Wellesley's basketball state championship with an equally impressive lacrosse season.

Dietrick earned Eastern Mass. Girls' Lacrosse Coaches Association all-star honors after helping lead the Raiders to an 18-1-1 record and the Division 1 South semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champ Westwood.

Best female player

Nicole D'Argento, Ashland softball: The junior hurler's accomplishments this season are well documented - 301 strikeouts, 23-0 record, 0.28 earned-run average, batting over .600. She was the catalyst for the Clockers' dream season, a 28-0 campaign that ended with a Division 2 state title.

She also took home both Tri-Valley League and Gatorade State Player of the Year honors and is the Globe's Division 2 Player of the Year. Several area coaches have called her the best softball pitcher they've seen.

Best male player

Matt Collins, Hopkinton baseball: As one of the area's premier catchers, a Globe All-Scholastic, and the Tri-Valley League's Player of the Year, Collins showed off his arm and called many great games. The Hillers went 17-3 in the regular season before getting upset by King Philip Regional in the first round of the Division 2 South sectional.

At the plate, he hit .487 with 11 doubles, five home runs, and 29 runs batted in. He also had a slugging percentage of .820 and an on-base percentage of .545.

Adding to all that is his versatility. Late in the season, Collins was called on to fill in on the mound - his first time pitching since Little League. In three appearances, two in relief, he allowed just one earned run and five hits while striking out 16 and posting a 2-0 record.

Breakthrough performer

Kam Bumpus, Needham boys' lacrosse: After last year's graduation of All-American Ben Chadwick and a few other talented players, Needham head coach David Wainwright made the junior attack the focus of his offense this spring.

Bumpus matched Chadwick's total from last season - notching 44 goals and 52 assists for 96 points - while racking up All-America honors of his own. The Rockets were bounced by Xaverian in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Mass. Division 1 tournament.

Best game

Ashland vs. Hopkinton baseball: On May 12, Ashland High coach Scott Soderberg chose to stick with Craig Foody after he had allowed four runs in the first inning against unbeaten Hopkinton. But Foody settled down, and the Clockers answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, before Hopkinton's Matt Collins drove in a run in the fourth for a 6-3 lead.

An inning later, Ashland scored five before turning the game over to Foody, who turned in a 115-pitch effort and earned the decision in Ashland's 8-6 victory. It was the first loss of the season for the Hillers, who stranded four base runners in the final two innings.

Diamond perfection

John McKenna, Algonquin Regional baseball: The Algonquin Regional High junior had everything going for him in the early April contest against Leominster - especially his fastball, which has been clocked in the mid-80s. The right-handed pitcher struck out 11 batters and received some key help from the defense in setting down every opposing batter in order during the 2-0 win.

McKenna's feat was the first no-hitter, let alone perfect game, in the 21-year coaching career of head coach Neil Burke.

Brendan Hall can be reached at bhall59@hotmail.com.