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Latin Academy hosts successful breast cancer game fundraiser
The Latin Academy girls' soccer team went into its game against Burke Thursday with a mission to score as many goals as possible. Not for the win, but to raise money for breast cancer.
Clad in pink and playing with a pink ball, the Dragons hosted its second annual breast cancer fundraiser game and shut out the Bulldogs, 2-0. The match was supposed to be last Friday against Charlestown but was rained out.
Coach Nick Kamberidis’s goal of a big turnout was successful with at least 50 people in attendance, ranging from teachers, the Latin Academy boys' soccer team and girls JV soccer team, parents and local residents.
“We usually just get 4-5 parents to come out to our games,” Kamberidis said, “and yesterday we had 12 to 15 parents there as well as friends and family.”
Latin Academy’s JV girls soccer team ran the fundraiser by charging admission (five dollars for adults and three dollars for students or anyone wearing pink.) The girls also sold food, refreshments and crafts.
He said that most of those in attendance donated, which lead to a $400 dollar donation to the American Cancer Society to support breast cancer.
Kamberidis said the girls had been having a tough week, but really came together to support the cause.
“I told the girls before the game that the reason we are doing it is bigger than all of us,” he said. “We all know someone that has had to battle cancer and doing this fundraiser is more important than other games. They really took the message to heart.”
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public School athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
O'Bryant defeats West Roxbury for fourth straight win
O'Bryant, the second-place team in the South division, survived a scare from West Roxbury, the second place team in the North division, as the Tigers took the 20-14 victory despite the Raiders' late rally Friday afternoon.
“We do the same thing we do every week,” O’Bryant coach Kevin Gadson said. “We study the team we’re going to play against and try to prepare as best as we can. Then we practice on what we do best and try to do it better and better and better.”
O’Bryant junior quarterback Ajani Alfred-McFall ran for an 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter as the Tigers took the 6-0 lead at the half.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the real action began. O’Bryant ended a 65-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown run by junior running back Mehki Williams. McFall completed a pass to sophomore wideout George Gomez for a successful two-point conversion.
West Roxbury answered with an 80-yard kick return for a touchdown by junior star running back Michael Obiangwe.
“We came back because they were killing the game,” Obiangwe said. “That’s when we really started playing harder as a team. Before then I still believe we were playing as individuals and that was not working out.”
The Tigers completed a 35-yard pass to junior wide receiver Joseph Farrell for their third touchdown.
Even with the score 20-6 in the last five minutes, the Raiders refused to go down without a fight. Obiangwe ran 15 yards for a touchdown, capping a 68-yard drive. The two-point conversion was successful on a pass from junior quarterback David Berucci to senior tight end/defensive end Aaron Whitehead, but the Raiders couldn't get any closer.
“We’re just going to keep a good balanced attack,” West Roxbury coach Derek Wright said. “The passing game is definitely part of that, but when you have a big horse like Mike [Obiangwe] you run him. We have some other players that we’d like to get outside with too, but we like to keep teams guessing.”
O’Bryant 's Williams was just happy to have a key role in the Tigers’ fourth win in a row.
“While we had some ups and downs and can do better,” he said, “I think today, we showed everyone that we’re a family. We play together and because of that we came out with the victory.”
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Week 6: BPS soccer players of the week
The stars have only been getting brighter as the city championships are just two weeks away. Here's a look at the players that shined this week.
Boys:
Marc Thebaud, C.A.S.H.: C.A.S.H. was desperate for a new goalkeeper this season. While Thebaud had always been a midfielder, he stepped up for his team. Coach Ian Glaude said he’s been fantastic and has played a big part in its 1-0 win over Latin Academy last week.
Mendel Moise, O’Bryant: While O’Bryant had a tough week with three losses, this senior defender never gave up. Coach Ian Doreain said that this is his first full year playing soccer and he continues to play well in the back.
Guy Charlot Destin, Dorchester: This week was the best week yet for the senior sweeper and captain. The strong defender was flawless, playing through the entirety of the Bears’ two shutouts against Boston English (7-0) and West Roxbury (6-0.) He also had a goal in the first and an assist in the second, all from the back.
Adilson Alves, Boston International: This junior dominated the field this week in the Lions’ game against West Roxbury. His speed and fancy footwork paved the way for one header and three additional goals, all within 10 minutes.
Mahmoud Hayek, West Roxbury: This goalkeeper never gives up, shown by the Raiders’ match against Boston International this week. The Raiders had many impressive shots on goal and Hayek stopped 16 of them in the 10-2 loss.
Girls:
Jessica Martinez, Burke: Martinez is Burke’s best forward. While the team has yet to win its first game, she never gives up no matter what the score is. She also had two impressive goals in the match against Charlestown that ended 2-2.
Angelina Machante, Snowden: Coach Wade Wall calls her a star forward who continues to improve with each game. The Cougars lost all three, but Machante scored the only goal of the week against Boston International on Friday, ending 4-1.
Janiel Gordon, Charlestown: Gordon had her best week yet with her first hat trick in the 5-1 win against C.A.S.H. on Tuesday. She also scored on a penalty kick against Burke Thursday which tied the game 1-1.
Coach Conor Treacy called her a key member of the team with excellent natural ability.
“It is easy to forget at times that she is only in the 10th grade,” Treacy said. “She has the potential to become a very talented soccer player. She will continue to be a key player for Charlestown over the next couple of seasons.”
Mirlande Philogene, Dorchester: The senior midfielder was a key player in the Bears’ 3-0 shut out against Burke on Tuesday. She scored two goals within the first 15 minutes of the game.
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Boston International dominates West Roxbury in boys' soccer
It initially looked like it could have been anyone’s game on Wednesday in the Boston International-West Roxbury boys' soccer match. Both displayed strong defense during the first 15 minutes, until West Roxbury scored the first goal. A turnaround occurred soon after, and Boston International came out on top, 12-2.
Once Raiders sophomore forward Richter Mirville netted the first goal, the scoring was dominated by the Lions.
Only two minutes after Mirville scored, Boston International junior Jerard Kasemba scored on an impressive shot after a lengthy dribble past defenders.
Soon after, Mirville scored what would be the Raiders' last goal.
Lions junior Adilson Alves then took the field by storm and headed in his first goal. He went on to score three more, all in the last 10 minutes of the first half.
The second half started 5-2, with a chance for West Roxbury to strike back. Yet it seemed to have lost confidence, and had trouble defending Boston International.
“I think fitness is an issue,” said West Roxbury coach Daniel McDonald. “We start well but don’t finish well. When we get behind we start to lose our shape and nobody keeps position anymore.”
Alves had one more goal off an assist by sophomore Aderito Rodriguez.
Kasemba was also a key player with two goals; one from the 20-yard line in the second half. Despite the high score, Kasemba believes his team could have played better.
“We didn’t do as good as usual because of the rain, and the grass made us slip a lot,” he said. “We didn’t pass as much as usual, either.”
When the Lions did pass, the exchanges were fast and concise, which played a big part in the win. Boston International sophomore keeper Eliseu De Pina was also a factor with six saves.
Raiders goalkeeper Mahmoud Hayek made 16 saves, some impressive. Still, he was disappointed and is looking to improve.
“We could play better,” he said. “We need to improve on positioning and more communication.”
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Week 5: BPS soccer players of the week
A new month brought even greater performances by the city soccer stars.
Boys stars:
Troy Fredericks, Latin Academy: The freshman forward put the seniors to shame against CASH on Friday. He made sure he was open at all times and helped out on defense when necessary. He also had great control of the ball which helped set up the two goals scored.
“He’s coming up and showing the older ones how to play,” coach Dennis Allen said. “I was very happy with his performance yesterday and I think he has earned a starting spot.”
Elmer Ventura, East Boston: Somerville brought an end to East Boston's winning streak, but that doesn't mean the Jets didn't play their best. Not only did Ventura lead the team to 9 wins thus far, he scored two goals and three assists against Latin Academy on Thursday.
Lizandro Noguiera, Brighton: This junior forward had an outstanding week. He had an assist in the Bengal’s 9-1 win over Dorchester as well as 3 goals in their 8-0 shut out against Charlestown on Friday.
Ildo Pires, Boston English: Coach Edmar Varela called the junior his best defender and counts on his performance every week. The Cape Verde native is well-conditioned, disciplined, and sets a great example for his team.
“He chased every play as if it was his last,” Varela said of his performance last week.
Heroldans Limage, Dorchester: This freshman took over the role as keeper this season and has been impressive. The Bears lost 3-1 in a thrilling game against Brighton, but Limage had 12 saves.
Girls stars
Lovelyse Bienamie, Dorchester: Dorchester received a blessing last week in the form of a sophomore forward from Boston International. The newbie debuted with a bang and scored both goals in their 2-1 win against Charlestown on Tuesday. The first goal was during the first half, after a cross from senior midfielder Merlande Philogene. The second came at the end of the thrilling second half. The game was tied until Bienamie scored in the last 15 minutes of the game.
Helina Gurmessa, Brighton: This freshman surprised everyone this week, even coach Bridget Driscoll. The forward scored three of the four goals in the Bengals 4-1 win over Boston English. Not only is she new to the game, this was the second match she's played this season.
Monique McPherson, West Roxbury: Although West Roxbury has yet to win its first game this season, coach Edmar Cayemite applauds senior forward Monique McPherson for keeping the team motivated. She also scored the only goal in Thursday's 6-1 loss to New Mission.
Sara Centeio, Charlestown: Despite missing the first two games of the season with paperwork issues, this forward has recorded six goals and two assists in the five games since she's returned. The Townies suffered a tough 5-4 loss to Snowden on Thursday, but Centeio had a hat trick.
"She works very hard both on and off the field," coach Conor Treacy said via email. "Her GPA of 4.34 demonstrates her standing as a model student-athlete."
Brittany Brancato, East Boston: The Jets' city record is 7-1, mostly due to this exceptional keeper. She's had six shutouts this fall, two of them against Burke and CASH 7-0 last week.
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Heather O'Reilly makes appearance at Boston SCORES gala
Photo courtesy of America Scores Boston
Heather O'Reilly, who won a gold medal with the US Women's Soccer team at the 2012 London Olympics, showed off her hardware at the 2012 SCORES Celebration in the South End. She is flanked on her left by John Maconga, executive director America SCORES Boston, and Dwayne Simmons, program director for America SCORES Boston.
The South End was abuzz with soccer enthusiasts of all ages to celebrate at the 2012 SCORES Celebration Thursday night with special guest, U.S. women’s national soccer team star Heather O’Reilly. Students, athletes and Boston public school supporters gathered at the high-energy gala at Cyclorama for a night of soccer activities, poetry performances and food from local restaurants.
The faces of Boston public school athletes lit up as they received pointers from O'Reilly in the kid's clinic that kicked off the event. The olympic gold champion enthusiastically assisted each player in shooting and passing drills and coached them in a scrimmage.
“I've been involved for close to seven years," O'Reilly said. "I fell in love with the program and its uniqueness. I was an education major in college so it sort of blended together everything I find important. When I heard America SCORES was [in Boston] I jumped at the opportunity to help.”
O'Reilly also spoke about competing in the London olympics, signed autographs and posed for photos.
O’Reilly, New England Revolution team President Brian Bilello and New England Revolution broadcaster Brad Feldman spoke about their love of America SCORES and the impact it’s making on students.
“It’s a great organization,” Bilello said. “The fact that they’re combining soccer and education is great. It’s made a lot of sense for a long time for the Revs to be involved.”
After the soccer events, Lael Watson, a fifth-grader at Orchard Gardens K-8 School in Roxbury, made a poetry performance.
“My poem ‘I Am’ is about where I’m from and who I am,” Watson said. “I’m nervous, but I have a lot of confidence. I’m really happy I was chosen.”
Coach Mark Salzillo was thrilled and grateful that SCORES invited the Orchard Garden School.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to meet professional soccer players and create the idea of soccer at a bigger level for them, because they’re all beginners,” Salzillo said.
The celebration was provided by America SCORES Boston, a non-profit organization dedicated to help urban youth attain life skills, literacy, and health through soccer.
“America SCORES is a very special organization because it gives kids the platform to believe in themselves,” O’Reilly said. “Keep it up America SCORES because you’re doing fantastic things.”
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Week 3: BPS soccer surprises
Week two was an exciting one in city soccer with surprising wins and losses.
For the boys:
The first surprise came from the Brighton vs. Madison Park boys' match last Monday. Even though Madison Park is the top contender in the league, their 4-1 win over Brighton came as a shock.
Brighton has been going hard this season, beating all other teams by a landslide. On the 14th they beat Snowden, 10-0, and last Thursday they dominated English, 7-3. Their only other loss was their first game against Latin Academy, which they had to forfeit due to paperwork issues. Kawuba and his boys worked hard from the start of the season to challenge Madison, but clearly they’re going to have to work harder.
Snowden was an even greater surprise last Friday in their win over Charlestown. Before Friday, the team had lost every match this fall, losing by 10 to Brighton and 9 to Dorchester.
It’s as if a different team took the field Friday, as they dominated against the usually powerful Charlestown. Not only were four goals scored, but they also managed to shut out Charlestown, finishing the game on the winning end, 4-0.
Another unexpected win came about this past week from O’Bryant.
It’s common knowledge that suburban teams usually come out on top against city league teams, but O’Bryant didn’t let this mess with their game. O'Bryant came out victorious against D1 Revere in a thrilling match Saturday, winning, 3-0.
“Our win relied on the short passes on the ground,” O’Bryant coach Ian Doreian said. “We also had five players in the midfield so we really controlled the middle of the field. Revere’s a really strong team so it was a big deal and a big win.”
And the girls:
East Boston played outside the city Tuesday, facing North Quincy, and it did not end pretty.
“The good news is that no one got struck by lighting during the game,” East Boston coach Richard La Cara said of the loss, “but we got smoked.”
Despite East Boston’s best efforts, it just wasn’t enough, as the Jets lost, 7-0.
La Cara knew that it wouldn’t be an easy game, however, and looks at the loss as a learning experience.
“They’re a really good team for the suburbs,” he said. “I like to bring in some competition to know there’s something to strive for. The girls tried and never gave up.”
Another surprise this week was O’Bryant’s 10-0 win over CASH.
Before last Tuesday, the team had not scored one goal this season, playing to a scooreless tie agaisnt Latin Academy. While CASH wasn’t much competition, O’Bryant’s goals came rapidly as if they had been playing for months.
Dorchester and Boston English haven’t had a great start to the season. Both teams had lost every match thus far, but that changed for Dorchester Friday.
The two went head-to-head in the thrilling match, but Dorchester came out on top, 3-2. The teams performed equally, with Dorchester senior Mirlande Philogene providing the game-winning goal in the middle of the second half.
“We have definitely come a long way since our first game,” Dorchester coach Allison Cohn said. “We’ve been working a lot better as a team so we had our act together. We were pretty fairly matched but we had more subs so that worked in our favor.”
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Week 3: Three games to watch in BPS soccer
For the boys:
East Boston at Malden at 3:45 p.m, Friday.
East Boston just gets stronger by the week. The undefeated Jets have dominated every match this season, most recently shutting out South Boston, 8-0. Freshman keeper Edwin Avelar has only surrendered one goal thus far, to Boston International.
East Boston’s rein may be over on Friday, however, as they are playing outside of the city. Malden also has a strong team with only one loss against Somerville.
West Roxbury vs. Boston English at Ceylon at 3:30 p.m, Monday.
Neither West Roxbury nor Boston English are off to a strong start this season, as both are still in search of their first victory. West Roxbury struggled against CASH in the one game they’ve played so far, losing 10-1.
English has played three matches and at least had three goals against mighty Brighton last week. It looks like English has this one set, but West Roxbury will definitely put up a fight.
Snowden vs. O’Bryant at Madison Park at 3:30 p.m., Thursday.
Snowden has had a weak presence in the league so far, but you wouldn’t know it by the way they played last Friday. The team dominated the usually strong Charlestown, winning the match, 4-0. This was the team’s first win of the season, and it’s likely they’ll keep that momentum going this week.
O’Bryant has also had a successful week, even after playing outside the city. They shut out CASH, 6-0, as well as Revere, 3-0, on Saturday.
Coming out of two equally nice wins, the match on Thursday is sure to be a thriller.
For the girls:
New Mission vs. Brighton at Portsmouth field at 3:30 p.m., Monday.
This will be the best girls game of the week by far. New Mission is this season’s team to watch and Brighton is trying to recover that title.
New Mission is still undefeated while Brighton lost their first game against Latin Academy 6-0. Brighton won both games against South Boston and Snowden and there is no way they’re going down again without a fight.
O’Bryant vs. Dorchester at Franklin Field #2 at 3:30 p.m., Monday.
Both O’Bryant and Dorchester have lost just once thus far, and both teams will do what they can to ensure they come out victorious.
O’Bryant had a stellar week, shutting out CASH, 10-0, and Burke, 4-0. It’s likely that they’ll be using this game against Dorchester to get them ready for Mt. Alverania on Tuesday.
Although the game is slightly in O’Bryant’s favor, Dorchester shouldn’t be counted out. They’re coming from Friday’s thrilling 3-2 win over Boston English and will be sure to provide a high-energy match.
East Boston at Charlestown at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday.
Charlestown is not happy with its tie against South Boston last Wednesday. The team has yet to win a match, but if their first win is against East Boston they are definitely a team to watch.
East Boston lost 7-0 to North Quincy Tuesday but came back victorious against West Roxbury on Friday, winning 7-2. If they come into the game against Charlestown with the spirits of Friday, it’s likely they’ll be the winners.
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
Obiangwe leads West Roxbury to win over Charlestown
Pavel Dzemianok / For the Boston Globe
West Roxbury junior running back Michael Obiangwe heads to the end zone for the second of his three touchdowns against Charlestown on Friday afternoon. The big man finished with 214 yards in the 20-12 victory.
After West Roxbury lost the season opener, 20-12, to Ashland, coach Derek Wright and his team wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Their hard work showed as they beat Charlestown, 26-0, on Friday afternoon.
Eight minutes into the first quarter, the Raiders offense scored on their first drive of the game on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by senior David Bertucci.
Junior running back Michael Obiangwe had a stellar game, finishing with 214 yards rushing.
“I worked hard for it at practice,” he said of his performance. “I expected better than that though. All I want to do is beat coach’s record. I’m still working on that.”
The second score came in the form of a 25-yard breakaway run by Obiangwe during the second quarter.
Right before the end of the first half, Obiangwe had another touchdown run of 33 yards.
Obiangwe showcased his talents on both sides of the ball playing defense and offense, providing a sack during the second quarter.
“We played a whole lot harder [this game,]” Obiangwe said. “The defense stepped up and we just did a whole lot better than last week. We have to keep working on it and getting better, especially since we’re playing Madison next week.”
After a scoreless third quarter, the game ended with a 3-yard run by senior running back Franzy Joseph.
The Raiders’ defense was at their best, creating constant pressure on Charlestown junior quarterback Ibrihama Diallo, sacking him three times.
Junior right back Marcelo Holliday had a strong defensive game, contributing multiple tackles.
“We did okay,” he said. “We tried our hardest but we could have done better. We’re going to work on running and being more aggressive [for next game.]
Even the victorious Raiders believe they have work to do.
“We played well, we still made more mistakes than we wanted to,” Wright said, “but we played well enough to win. It was a good first win for the guys. We’ll work harder this week to get better, but I don’t think it’s going to be easy. With hard work and dedication, we will [make it to the finals.]”
Despite the loss, Charlestown coach George Munroe looks at it as a learning experience.
“They learned a lot about themselves which is good,” he said. “We knew we were outgunned coming into this. But I want guys who are not going to quit, and they fought every single play. That’s what I want, I want guys who are going to fight. We’re rebuilding, and that’s in their minds. But even in rebuilding, you still have to fight.''
Mary Pavlu covers Boston Public school athletics. She can be reached at Mary.Pavlu@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryPavlu
SCORES Cup returns to Gillette Stadium to benefit America SCORES Boston
Photo courtesy of John Maconga
Lou Bergholz leaps to make a save for the combined PW Global Advisors/Edgework Consulting team during last year's SCORES Cup at Gillette Stadium.
The eighth annual SCORES Cup corporate charity soccer tournament returns to Gillette Stadium on Saturday.
The 32-team tournament benefits America SCORES Boston, a non-profit organization that uses soccer to inspire literacy and health in Boston public schools.
The seven-on-seven coed tournament provides corporate soccer teams the chance to show off their skills on the Gillette Stadium turf before watching the New England Revolution play the Seattle Sounders FC.
Each team will play a minimum of three 30-minute games.
Participants also receive an Official SCORES Cup Adidas jerseys, their company logos in the game day program as well as post-tournament activities at Patriot Place.
Some of Boston's largest companies will participate in the event that is expected to raise close to $200,000 for SCORES.
For more information contact Alex Maeder at 617-553-4703 or amaeder@americascores.org. Or you can visit www.AmericaSCORESBoston.org/SCORESCup.
Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.
About Boston Public Schools Sports Blog
More »- Justin A. Rice -- A metro Detroit native, Rice is a Michigan State University (Go Spartans!) and Northeastern University graduate. Rice lives in the South End with his dog and wife, who unfortunately attended the University of Michigan ... his wife, that is. He curates the BPS Sports Blog and is always looking to write about city athletes with great stories. Have an idea? He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.
- Zolan Kanno-Youngs -- A former captain of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School football team and a current second-year Ujima Scholar at Northeastern University, Kanno-Youngs is the color commentator of the men’s basketball team and a writer for Northeastern's campus newspaper, the Huntington News. He joins Boston.com as a correspondent for the site's BPS coverage. Have a story idea? Contact him at KannoYoungs.Globe@gmail.com. Follow him on his Twitter @KannoYoungs.