Tewksbury High School Sub

TEWKSBURY – While every fan of Tewksbury High sports is probably quite familiar with the winning tradition established by the Tewksbury High Varsity Softball team, including their incredible run to the Division 2 State Championship game this season, they are probably not nearly as familiar with the great winning tradition that has been set recently by the JV Softball team under the direction of head coach Tama Spencer.

Over the past four seasons with Spencer as coach, the younger Redmen have posted a record of 68-12, including a fantastic 18-2 mark this season. This season's great success came on the heels of an undefeated (12-0) season last year, as the Redmen continue to prepare their players to compete and to win at the varsity level.

The winning tradition comes with certain expectations and demands heading into each season, and fortunately for Spencer, her teams have consistently met those expectations and demands. This season was no exception.

"We like to set personal and team goals at the very start of the season and then at the last practice of the year we discuss those goals and if they were met," Spencer said. "Most if not, everyone had achieved their goals. JV is tough, especially bringing on 8th graders the way we do. They don't attend the same school so you worry about team chemistry and how well they will mesh. I never had to worry about that with this group, they all got along so well throughout the season. I believe in the motto of "you practice how you play" if you’re not giving 110% at practice your body is going to laugh at you when you try to push it to that level for a game! Practice hard, play hard."

Not surprisingly, with so much recent success, some of the games that stand out most to Spencer are the games where the Redmen came up just a little short of victory.

"We went undefeated last year, I thought that with us having that youngest team in the conference that we wouldn't even come close to another undefeated season, but we were so close we could taste it," Spencer said. "Both losses we have were very winnable games."

In their loss to Methuen, the Rangers went up on the Redmen 3-0 in the first inning, before the Redmen we held them to six scoreless innings, and battled to tie it up in the sixth with back-to-back triples from eighth graders Gabby Davis and Ryan Walker. Methuen eventually ended up winning the game in extra innings.

"Our other winnable lose was vs. Central where we turned it on too late and I place some of this loss on myself for changing my game plan right before the game and moved players back too far in the outfield and they blooped in a few too many on us," Spencer said. "We ended up losing by four, but I know if I stuck to my original game plan the outcome could have been very different. Central also had three varsity players playing down as part of a punishment from their coach. We were able to shut down one of the three at the plate and struck her out all three at bats, but the other two went 3- for-4 against us."

Making the Redmen's season all the more impressive is that it was done with an incredibly young roster, with seven of the 11 players being eighth graders.

"Coach Souza on varsity needed two of my players every game so out of the nine on the field, seven starters were eighth graders," Spencer said. "The future looks bright for TMHS softball."

The Redmen had many outstanding players contribute to their success this season, but a few did stand out, including freshman utility player Erin Costello, who was a swing player, playing for both JV and Varsity this season.

"Erin would sometimes have double practices and double games but never complained once! She was someone who Coach Souza wanted to take up to varsity this year but with both of us having such a short roster she needed to stay down with me at times and up with her for other times," Spencer said. "She is a great little utility player, I’ve had her at shortstop, second and third this year and she was my lead ff hitter. She always had quality at bats and solid defensive player."

Another standout for the Redmen was eighth grade pitcher Sophia Cappiello. Spencer sees a very bright future for the young hurler.

"She started pitching last year at the 14U level, and she worked hard at her lessons and it paid off tenfold," Spencer said. "I allow her and the catcher to call each pitch throughout the game so that adds some pressure to not only pick out the pitch you want but also to be able to execute it as well. She is someone that will fill Sam Ryan and Whit Gigante's spots well when they graduate. She is not afraid to make a play for herself either, anything close to her circle she is gobbling up.

"She is a fantastic third baseman as well but the team needed her in the circle so that's where she spent most of her time. Not only does Sophia shut it down on defense she is also a powerhouse hitter. She started hitting in the three spot, my power"

The Cappiello family were a huge part of the Redmen's success this season, with Sophia's twin sister Julianna hitting in the number four spot. Spencer considers Julianna to be the ultimate team player for the Redmen.

"Julianna had zero strikeouts all season at the plate and some of the most quality at bats. She also blasted one out of the park that I think is still carrying," Spencer said. "She started at first for me, then moved to third for a few games, then when our catcher got hurt, she stepped up and offered to catch. I definitely think having the twins as a pitcher/catcher combo was huge! Julianna knew what Sophia's strengths and weakness were and helped win battles with hitters. One of my favorite things about Julianna Cappiello is that no matter what the score is or what kind of pressure is on her at the plate she will turn to me to receive her sign with the biggest smile on her face. I wonder sometimes what she's thinking about, but she just says she happy to be there. "

In addition to the players mentioned above, other key members of the Tewksbury High Junior Varsity Softball team included freshmen Olivia Cueva and Madison Paulding, sophomore Ava Fernandes and eighth graders Gabriella Davis, Abigail Downing, Vanessa Iandoli, Jayme Martian and Ryan Walker.

"This team made coaching this season easy. I very rarely had to bust out my "Dad Voice" with them, because we all had one common goal and it was to get better, each kid definitely got better, which should be scary for some teams," Spencer said. "We will continue to be a force to reckoned with, both on JV and varsity for the next few years and honestly, I don't see it changing any time soon.

"I can already see so much potential in all of these kids. Tewksbury has a very strong town program with the TGSL so when they get to me their 8th grade year through sometimes sophomore year they are primed and ready for a deeper dive into the game and strategies."

As she wraps up her fifth year (with one lost to COVID) of coaching at Tewksbury High, Spencer reflected on just how much she has enjoyed coaching for the Redmen.

"I just want to say how great my time with TMHS softball has been. I have loved every second of this chapter in my life," Spencer said. "I am very proud of the kids I have coached in the past and look forward to many more winning seasons with new kids coming in year after year."

JVA BASEBALL

At the varsity level, the Tewksbury High Baseball team put together a tremendous second half of the season, going 9-2 down the stretch to finish 10-11 and earn a spot in the state tournament. It was a remarkable turnaround that provides plenty of optimism heading into next season and into the future.

Also providing a great deal of optimism for the future of the program was the play of the Redmen's Junior Varsity Baseball team, which went 7-8-1 on the season, while more importantly many players gained valuable experience which will help them contribute at the varsity level.

Redmen head coach Joel Mignault, in his fourth year at the helm of the team, felt like the Redmen, much like their varsity counterparts, got better as the season went on and got key contributions from many different players in all facets of the game.

"This team was very strong defensively. In most of our wins, it was mainly because of our defense, making all the plays we needed, and adding a few tough ones too, committing little to no errors at all.," Mignault said. "Colby Flahive caught almost every inning behind the dish and teams struggled to swipe bags on him, if even attempted. Our starting pitching was outstanding all year led by Aidan Macdonald, Kyle Cummings, Billy Burris, and Justin Magee. Very little walks were allowed and making it deep into starts almost every game. I can only recall maybe once or twice a starting pitcher being pulled for any reason other than simply pitch count. Not to leave our bats out of the equation, we had some timely hitting throughout the year and we ran the bases great too."

With many key contributors to their success, the Redmen had several memorable wins on the season, but a few stood out among the rest for Mignault, including a clutch 1-0 win over Central Catholic early in the season where Aidan Macdonald was excellent on the mound and the defense was perfect, including Kyle Cummings throwing out the tying run at the plate from center field late in the game. Another great game was a 7-0 win over league power house North Andover.

"Zach Russo led us on the mound that day but the bats came alive and the defense again was the difference in the game," Mignault said. "We finished the season strong with a 5-2 win over non-league opponent Winchester after battling to beat them in 11 innings earlier in the year. We had lots of strong bats in the season finale and a highlight reel catch to save a big inning by Kyle Cummings in the gap."

MacDonald, Cummings, Burris and Magee each gave the Redmen quality innings on the mound all season long.

"As mentioned with our starting pitching, I have to tip my cap to all those guys and our catcher Flahive," Mignault said.

But they were not alone in their success for the team. Noah Russo and Billy Burris made an outstanding middle infield duo turning several double plays and holding down their spots, while Michael Hill played mostly third base after catching the whole season prior.

"Keeping Michael's vocal leadership and sharp baseball IQ in the infield was extremely crucial to our success," Mignault said. "Scott Miller and Brady McHugh, both grown-men sized kids held it down at first base for us all year. Our outfield barely made mistakes as it consisted of Kyle Cummings, Aidan Macdonald, Ben Doucette, and Justin Magee. Some difficult catches made to look easy were impressive to watch all year."

The Redmen were no slouches on offense either, where they were led by Flahive, who batted .438 with a .563 slugging percentage, while Burris batted an impressive .404 in the leadoff spot all year, followed by Russo in the number two spot, batting .327 with a .441 on-base percentage. Cummings also batted over .300 with a .311 average and some big knocks during the year.

"Overall having a small team numbers wise, each one of our players was a huge contributor," Mignault said.

Mignault, who is also the Redmen's Girls Varsity Basketball coach, as well as an assistant with the Redmen Football team, loves all sports and loves coaching all sports. But there is little doubt how much he loves coaching the game of baseball and continuing to be involved in the sport, especially while coaching this group of young men.

"Being around the game of baseball since I was five years old, you get sick and tired of hearing people say ‘baseball is boring’ or ‘baseball is dead.’ Opposing coaches and umpires always ask if our numbers are down and why you think that it is," Mignault said. "I had the pleasure to coach ten guys that love the game of baseball, they loved to win, and they showed up every day ready to work at it. This sport is hard, so when you have ten guys showing up for those reasons, I like to say they love the game and I'm proud to coach a team like that."

Mignault was also proud to be part of a coaching staff which includes varsity coach Kirk Monbleau, varsity assistant Scott Callanan and new JVB coach Chris Rattey.

"Anybody who has coached knows it takes an army. We have a great staff led by Coach Monbleau and Coach Callinan. We had a great new addition this year in Coach Rattey," Mignault said. "He was awesome to work beside and did an excellent job with the JVB team. We practiced together every day and it was awesome. The varsity program had a great year and by no surprise, a lot of talent and great coaching. As always, the support we had from the parents was better than ever. It means a lot to have our parents supporting us each game. The town of Tewksbury never disappoints!"

JVB BASEBALL

The future of the Tewksbury High Baseball program continues to look bright at the lower levels as well, with the Redmen's JVB team posting an impressive 10-6-1 under the direction of first year coach Chris Rattey.

Rattey, who graduated from Sanborn Regional High School, where he played three years of varsity baseball, has been coaching youth baseball for the last ten seasons, and also serves on the board of Tewksbury Youth Baseball. He has also served as a head coach for boys and girls basketball in Tewksbury since 2014, as well as Tewksbury Youth Football's flag program, so he has been no stranger to coaching.

But coaching at the high school level was still a different experience, and thanks to the hard working group of young men he coached this season, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience to see them improve as the season went on. But it was not just Rattey who was impressed with his own team. These Redmen made a positive impression wherever they went.

"Four different coaches told me at the end of our games that we were the best offense they've seen this season. While there were flashes of great play both in the field and on the mound, it was a relentless offensive attack and aggressive base running that kept us in nearly every game," Rattey said. "There was great chemistry throughout the team, picking each other up when they were down. Freshman Joe Barletta and sophomore Dave Forgione stood out as team leaders, keeping a well-balanced team environment that kept them focused while having fun and enjoying the game. Every player on the JVB squad was a great teammate."

It was evident right from the start that the Redmen might have something special this season, as in their season opener, they erased a 6-1 deficit to earn a 7-6 walk-off win against Westford Academy. That set the tone for the entire season. The team epitomized the term "comeback kids," earning five come-from behind wins on the season, highlighted by a nine-run bottom of the seventh inning to force Methuen to a tie in the last game of the season. The team also fell short twice in a pair of stellar games against solid opponents, erasing a pair of five-run deficits, but came up just shy to league-leading Chelmsford (13-12 loss) and a talented Winchester club (12-11 loss). Those losses were thrilling games nonetheless, and showed the true grit of the ball club.

The Redmen lineup was indeed relentless, particularly the top half. Sophomores Cam Kearney (CF/C) and Ryan Baker (SS) consistently set the table with clutch hits and baserunning for freshmen Cam Kingston (3B/P) and Barletta (1B/P) to drive them home with numerous shots to the gap and over outfielders' heads. Sophomore catcher Matt Slagle earned a spot in the five-hole midway through the season and made the most of it, driving in several key RBIs down the stretch. George DeGregorio (2B/P/RF) added some much needed pop to follow up the big five.

"The top five of our lineup could hang with anybody, and were crucial in spurring the numerous comeback situations," Rattey said. "The upper levels of the Tewksbury program have a bright future in the batter's box, that's for sure.

The bottom half of the lineup were no slouches either, led by sophomore Shawn Martin who stepped into an outfielder's role for the first time this season, and became the team's steady left fielder, while freshman Jack Rattey improved throughout the season at the centerfield position. Fellow freshman Nick Kearney (RF/2B) was instrumental in getting the top of the Redmen's lineup in the box, always finding a way to get on base in high-pressure moments. Cam Areias steadily improved on the mound throughout the season, providing some of his best pitching down the stretch, while Forgione played a solid first base and also provided some very clutch mound work when needed.

Rattey, much like his counterpart Mignault at the JVA level, loves the game of baseball and he loved being part of this team, and especially enjoyed being able to go through the season with a group of players he was proud to coach.

"After a rough stretch, it was sheer delight to be able to play not only a full schedule, but be outside on Strong Field with the entire program to start the season," Rattey said. "Being able to learn how the entire program works was really beneficial for the younger players, and it built a strong culture within the group. I was very proud at the end of every home game, each player would step up and help clean the field, from raking and covering the mound and home plate, to dragging the entire infield. This was a proud, tight-knit group that certainly earned the attention of the coaches throughout our program."

JV GIRLS LACROSSE

In terms of wins and losses, it was a very tough season for the Tewksbury High JV Girls Lacrosse team, as they struggled to an 0-15 record. But there were plenty of positive signs for the Redmen along the way, starting with a large number of players who came out for the team.

"We had a great turnout this year with a total of 25 members for JV, with ten returning players and 15 rookies" Tewksbury coach Brooke Pacheco said. Allowing eighth graders to play for us during the 2021 season helped our program grow tremendously."

The Redmen had several players who stepped up in key roles for them this season, including freshman Maddie Burke, who volunteered to play goalie, as well as junior captain Rebecca Kelleher, who was a solid defender for the Redmen.

Other key members of the team included freshmen Reese Maniscalco and Jamie Walker. Manisalco was a newcomer to the team this season, while Walker was a returning player, and both players had a positive impact on the team.

"Reese was one of our most valuable players and leading scorer. She also was one of our few players who took the draw," Pacheco said. "Jamie was a great asset to our midfield."

In addition to those players, the Redmen also got key contributions from Colleen Cremin, Alexis Devlin, Olivia DiPalma, Kiahna Felix, Kallie Frechette, Keira Gaffney, Ava Konaxis, Ella MacAllister, Alexandria Macauda, Charlotte Morris, Tea Nickerson, Kennedy Pereira, Sara Rivard, Alivia Ronana, Alexis Rooney, Shay Scalli, Madison Shakes, Abigail Solemina, Jamie Lynn Walker and Grace Willey.

While Pacheco and her players would clearly have liked to have had a better record, Pacheco felt like the Redmen could take plenty of positives out of this season.

"Although we did not finish the season with the best record, my players gained confidence in their stick skills and understanding of the game," Pacheco said. "No matter what the score, my athletes played with heart and integrity and they always had a smile on their faces."

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