Sports Illustrated gives Newton South top ranking
By Ben Terris, Globe Correspondent
Newton South has long been known for its mock trial and speech teams. Now its athletic program has been named top in the state by Sports Illustrated.
South’s Lions, which dazzled in track this past year but had mixed results in other sports, landed on the magazine’s online list this week with powerhouses like Union in Tulsa, which captured Oklahoma’s football crown, and Punahou in Honolulu, which took 19 state titles ranging from baseball to judo.
According to the website, the top schools were determined by ‘‘sifting through state tournament results for the 2008-09 school year, contacting athletic directors from top programs, examining all-around success rates as well as weighing the importance of producing star athletes and teams that excelled on a national level.’’
The recognition came as a surprise for some, as Newton South did not field particularly noteworthy teams in the big three high school sports: baseball, football, and basketball. Baseball went 9-11 this year, football 4-7, and boys basketball just managed to finish above .500 at 10-9. But South’s track and volleyball programs apparently made up for it.
‘‘I’m surprised that Sports Illustrated picked us, but not because I don’t think we deserved it,’’ said Tom Haskin, the former editor in chief of the student paper, The Lion’s Roar, and player on the baseball team. ‘‘It all stems from our incredible running teams.’’
Newton South excelled in its running and volleyball programs in the spring, with girls’ track winning the Division 1 title and finishing second at the All-State meet, boys’ track finishing seventh in the division and seventh at the All-State meet, and volleyball losing in the state semifinals.
Likewise, last fall the girls’ cross country team won the Division 1 title while the boys finished seventh, and in the winter girls’ track tied Mansfield High for the all-state title and won the Division 1 meet.
‘‘Cross-Country, indoor track, and outdoor track have been staples of excellence for years,’’ Haskin said. ‘‘They are dominant every season, and them in addition to some other great teams like volleyball and skiing, make Newton South a good choice, even if some of our teams are god awful.’’
Mayor David Cohen sent his congratulations. "The Lions have achieved historic success on the courts, tracks, and fields during the 2008-09 scholastic year and are worthy of this national recognition,'' he said in a statement. "The citizens of Newton are proud of your athletic accomplishments, and congratulate the entire Newton South community on this prestigious honor."
Haskin, who begin his student journalism career covering sports, said that many of his classmates would be surprised to learn about the recognition.
‘‘If you were to walk around the halls of the school and ask students if they thought we deserved it, they’d say no,’’ Haskin said. ‘‘If you think of the major high school sports they are baseball, football, and basketball... But, just because these teams weren’t stellar doesn’t mean we don’t have a good athletics program. If you look at the school as a whole, all the pieces really add up. I am happy that Sports Illustrated looked beyond just the most popular sports because a lot of people worked very hard in track and other sports and are getting some well deserved recognition.’’
Haskin also mentioned that getting mentioned by Sports Illustrated could add fuel to the rivalry between Newton South and Newton North High School.
‘‘Up until a couple of years ago, Newton North was always considered the better athletic school,’’ he said. ‘‘Well, we’ve closed the gap, have been beating them more, and are getting some real respect now.’’
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No one reads Sports Illustrated anymore. This story is basically a tree falling in an empty forest.
I played Newton South kids in high school (graduated a few years ago). They not only had the worst sportsmanship in the entire league I played in, but were blatantly encouraged by their coaches to cheat (as in, we could *hear* their coach telling them to cheat) and their parents were screaming insults and obscenities at my team mates. They were the most disgraceful team I played in my entire high school career, despite any athletic ability.
As a former South baseball and football player, I was completely shocked. Ted Dalicandro has to be the worst varsity football coach in his (only 9 wins in three years). As for the baseball program, it went to hell when Nick Pasquarosa and the entire baseball coaching staff was let go at the end of the 2007 school year (which resulted in me refusing to play on the team). The baseball team went from missing the state playoffs by one game to winning only four games under Ron Jordan. I was at the meeting where Jordan was introduced and Scott Perrin, the AD, was talking about how top programs like Lincoln-Sudbury and Acton-Boxborough were interested in his services. Let them have him! He only had the respect of the dumb rich kids whose fathers paid a hefty price to be on the team.
Huh? You've got to be kidding me. This could be the biggesy joke I've ever seen.
This is why I don't read SI any longer. I have been following the DCL for a number of years and one thing you can almost always count on is a W when you see Newton South on the schedule. What an embarrassment for the state of Mass! I will give NS track and cross country, even though LS is right there with them in those sports. Yes they did have a good girls soccer (did not win DCL) and tennis team. Boys were good but not great in tennis and volleyball (did not win DCL). NS is not even in the top half in their own conference, much less the best sports progam in Mass. Add up all of the teams record and they don't break .500. Somebody in Newton has a strong connection with SI.
One state championship and they are the best athletic program in the state???
They're not even the best sports program in their own city.
I only considered Newton South to be the school with the most famous people from the state of Mass; everyone from ABC news anchor Dan Harris, the two guys from the Office, Horror film director Eli Roth, UFC announcer Joe Rogan etc. Sports too?
Girls XC # in the Country and ALL STATE Champs with losest score in history.
Girls VB Sectional Finalist Div. 1 East (State trophy)
Boys Golf Div. 1 North Champions ( state trophy)
Boys XC top 10 in the entire STATE
Girls Soccer Ties National ranked AB and Strong tourney showing.
Girls Indoor Track & Field ALL STATE CHAMPS *National Champ relay team.
Boys Indoor Track & Field * Top 7 in the entire State.
Girls Basketball reaches Semi-Finals in State tourney
Boys Wrestling Div. 1 Central East Sectional Finalist (State trophy)
Boys Volleyball Div. 1 Sectional Champs (# 2 team in entire state by 1pt.)
Girls Outdoor (Dominate Div. Champship meet) #2 in State *National RelayChamps
Boys Outdoor Track & Field top 7 in State
Boys Tennis Top 10 in the State
Girls Tennis Top 10 in the State
ALL-AMERICANS 12 (MAYBE 17 HARD TO FIND ALL THIS INFO).
*SHOW ME THE MONEY* NORTH? Anyone else DCL?
PS National and State info for the 2008-09 season only!
If your into league or conference award wait until the Fall Boston Globe Awards.
O
As a resident I reallt find it hard to believe NSHS has gotten this ranking. I guess if you look over the ENTIRE athletic program, they are up there in stats and standings, however I don't think they are worthy of being called the top athletic program in Mass.
On another note, ANONYMOUS brought up a good point about the football coach Dalicandro there. I heard from numerous people that he has actually ruined the program and the entire staff he brought on has left him for other programs because of the way he runs that program.
As an avid sports and father of a Newton South athlete, I was completely shocked to see that Newton South High School was declared to have the best sports program in the state. From my point of view, the sports programs, especially the major sports, appear to be in complete disarray. If NSHS is the top sports program in MA, it says very little for the rest of Massachusetts. I have always been shocked by the lack of professionalism of many of the coaches. I hope no one in Newton gets carried away with this "false" honor because it's obviously politically motivated. I hope for the day when NSHS has coaching staffs that will allow it to be the premier program in the state. Without those staffs, NSHS athletics will remain inadequate at best. Those who think NSHS is special ought to look at programs like Needham, Natick, Westwood and Waltham, to name but a few.
In continuation of what I said above, SI needs to not pick who is the best. I suppose they'll next say the Washington Nationals are the best team in baseball.
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