2 months ago
LEOMINSTER ‒ When Jeff Bercume, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, was looking for a way to celebrate the amount of talented athletes in the North County, creating the North Central Mass. High School Basketball Showcase was an easy decision.
So on Saturday, August 15, many of those athletes took part in a wonderful day of basketball on the outdoor court behind the building.
"We wanted to have an event that brought the community together that put kids at the forefront of the work that we do," said Bercume, who is also an ***** istant baseball coach at St. John's, where he graduated from before playing college baseball at Merrimack University and signing a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics. "And so with the help of local high school coaches, they nominated their players and we got the best ... to be here today."
So, Bercume and his team surveyed local coaches for talented players and split them up into two teams, Team Fire and Team Ice, each with around 10 players.
"More or less, if the town itself touches Fitchburg or Leominster, we wanted that town to be represented here," Bercume said. "So we just introduced ourselves to those coaches and asked them to nominate their best players, and those players got selected to be on the roster."
#players #leominster #high
So on Saturday, August 15, many of those athletes took part in a wonderful day of basketball on the outdoor court behind the building.
"We wanted to have an event that brought the community together that put kids at the forefront of the work that we do," said Bercume, who is also an ***** istant baseball coach at St. John's, where he graduated from before playing college baseball at Merrimack University and signing a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics. "And so with the help of local high school coaches, they nominated their players and we got the best ... to be here today."
So, Bercume and his team surveyed local coaches for talented players and split them up into two teams, Team Fire and Team Ice, each with around 10 players.
"More or less, if the town itself touches Fitchburg or Leominster, we wanted that town to be represented here," Bercume said. "So we just introduced ourselves to those coaches and asked them to nominate their best players, and those players got selected to be on the roster."
#players #leominster #high
3 months ago
Milford 17, Leominster 0: Nick Pedroli was 3 for 4 with four RBIs and three runs, and pitched four innings and allowed one hit as Post 59 blanked Post 151 in a State Tournament elimination game.
Milford's Gavin Metcalf went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs, Matt Pedroli was 2 for 2 with an RBI and three runs, Josh Bouchard had two hits and three runs, and Joey McGee college two hits, three RBIs and a run.
Pennsylvania 13, Lou Gehrig 5: Aaron Nguyen drove in Colin Dykas to tie the game at one in the bottom of the first and Lou Gehrig took the lead in the second when Joshua Regus was walked in and a sac fly by Dykas gave them a 3-1 lead, but Pennsylvania fired back with three runs in the third and pulled away with eight runs in the seventh as Lou Gehrig's season came to a close in the Junior League East Regional in Dubois, Pa.
Dominic Eilert led Lou Gehrig with three hits, an RBI and two runs.
Bravehearts 10, Spinners 0: Joey Hagen struck out eight and allowed one hit over 5.2 innings and Charlie Hess fanned one and gave up two hits in 1.1 innings as the visiting Bravehearts blanked the Spinners.
#innings #pennsylvania
Milford's Gavin Metcalf went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs, Matt Pedroli was 2 for 2 with an RBI and three runs, Josh Bouchard had two hits and three runs, and Joey McGee college two hits, three RBIs and a run.
Pennsylvania 13, Lou Gehrig 5: Aaron Nguyen drove in Colin Dykas to tie the game at one in the bottom of the first and Lou Gehrig took the lead in the second when Joshua Regus was walked in and a sac fly by Dykas gave them a 3-1 lead, but Pennsylvania fired back with three runs in the third and pulled away with eight runs in the seventh as Lou Gehrig's season came to a close in the Junior League East Regional in Dubois, Pa.
Dominic Eilert led Lou Gehrig with three hits, an RBI and two runs.
Bravehearts 10, Spinners 0: Joey Hagen struck out eight and allowed one hit over 5.2 innings and Charlie Hess fanned one and gave up two hits in 1.1 innings as the visiting Bravehearts blanked the Spinners.
#innings #pennsylvania
3 months ago
As Osiris Lopez left the basketball court at Leominster High for the last time in January, the talented two-sport athlete shared one final message with the T&G.
"That's all she wrote," Lopez said.
Not so fast.
Following a highly decorated four-year career on the gridiron and hardwood with the Blue Devils, including a sensational senior campaign, Lopez is the 2025-26 Hometeam Male Athlete of the Year.
Another chapter in the growing record book of the 18-year-old from Leominster.
#year #january #following #blue
"That's all she wrote," Lopez said.
Not so fast.
Following a highly decorated four-year career on the gridiron and hardwood with the Blue Devils, including a sensational senior campaign, Lopez is the 2025-26 Hometeam Male Athlete of the Year.
Another chapter in the growing record book of the 18-year-old from Leominster.
#year #january #following #blue
4 months ago
WORCESTER – With some of the world's greatest soccer players playing above them on the big screen, the next generation took the field at Worcester Common during the city's World Cup watch party Tuesday afternoon, July 14.
Well, it wasn't exactly a field as much as a makeshift training ground, complete with drill areas, practice stations and a tiny pitch, as Worcester Common was transformed into the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Festival. The festival has been traveling to watch parties across the state to offer free games and instruction to youth players as a way to tie into the excitement of the World Cup with development of the world's most popular sport in Massachusetts.
"We want to bring awareness to youth soccer across the state," Tamie Endow, a Worcester resident and director of community engagement for Massachusetts Youth Soccer that produced the festival, said. "This summer we are getting out and doing a lot of traveling across the state."
The festival was in Pittsfield June 12 and will be in Leominster July 15 and July 19. Tuesday, July 14, local children were encouraged to participate in games set up by the organization including a small pitch that had been set up on the common.
"Showing up and getting kids together to have fun is the best way. We are so lucky to have such a great community that supports the youth in a way," Natalie Dellecese, a Holden mother who had two children playing on the pitch on Tuesday afternoon, July 14, said. "Soccer is probably the most accessible sport in terms of what you actually need. My boys play in the backyard barefoot with just a ball and making goals out of frisbees."
Well, it wasn't exactly a field as much as a makeshift training ground, complete with drill areas, practice stations and a tiny pitch, as Worcester Common was transformed into the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Festival. The festival has been traveling to watch parties across the state to offer free games and instruction to youth players as a way to tie into the excitement of the World Cup with development of the world's most popular sport in Massachusetts.
"We want to bring awareness to youth soccer across the state," Tamie Endow, a Worcester resident and director of community engagement for Massachusetts Youth Soccer that produced the festival, said. "This summer we are getting out and doing a lot of traveling across the state."
The festival was in Pittsfield June 12 and will be in Leominster July 15 and July 19. Tuesday, July 14, local children were encouraged to participate in games set up by the organization including a small pitch that had been set up on the common.
"Showing up and getting kids together to have fun is the best way. We are so lucky to have such a great community that supports the youth in a way," Natalie Dellecese, a Holden mother who had two children playing on the pitch on Tuesday afternoon, July 14, said. "Soccer is probably the most accessible sport in terms of what you actually need. My boys play in the backyard barefoot with just a ball and making goals out of frisbees."
4 months ago
WORCESTER — The next World Cup watch party on Worcester Common will have an added touch, with soccer activities, including mini-games, part of the lineup.
The traveling Mass. Youth Soccer Festival will be part of the watch party scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.
The soccer festival, run by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer **** ociation, has had a presence at World Cup watch parties throughout the state. The program opened with a stop in Pittsfield on June 12 and will cap the soccer big tournament with a pair of visits to Leominster, on July 15 and July 19.
On Tuesday, the match between England and Argentina, which begins at 3 p.m., will be shown on a large screen set up on Worcester Common.
Food trucks will be among the vendors on hand.
The traveling Mass. Youth Soccer Festival will be part of the watch party scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.
The soccer festival, run by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer **** ociation, has had a presence at World Cup watch parties throughout the state. The program opened with a stop in Pittsfield on June 12 and will cap the soccer big tournament with a pair of visits to Leominster, on July 15 and July 19.
On Tuesday, the match between England and Argentina, which begins at 3 p.m., will be shown on a large screen set up on Worcester Common.
Food trucks will be among the vendors on hand.
4 months ago
North County 11, Hudson 4: Adam Adams went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs, Brodhi Byars was 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, J.J. Walker was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, and Will Gage notched two hits and three RBIs to boost visiting North County (5-0-1).
Shamus Rowe, Max Cedeno, Joey Farrell and J.P. Pileeki all singled and scored for Hudson (5-2).
Leominster 7, Framingham 3: Brendan Mariani was 2 for 4 with two runs, while Sawyer Corbin, Danny Nelson and Connor Moriarty all singled and scored to host Leominster (5-1).
Matty Johansson doubled in Ben Morse in the first for Framingam (4-3), Colin Walsh singled in Charlie Jesman in the sixth and Brennan Anderson scored in the seventh.
Northbridge 8, Main South 4: Cody Veneziano went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and run, Jake Costello was 4 for 4 with a run, J.P. Bolduc was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run, Matt Coughlin notched a hit and two runs, and Alex Vosburgh finished with one hit, one RBI and two runs to visiting Northbridge (4-3).
Shamus Rowe, Max Cedeno, Joey Farrell and J.P. Pileeki all singled and scored for Hudson (5-2).
Leominster 7, Framingham 3: Brendan Mariani was 2 for 4 with two runs, while Sawyer Corbin, Danny Nelson and Connor Moriarty all singled and scored to host Leominster (5-1).
Matty Johansson doubled in Ben Morse in the first for Framingam (4-3), Colin Walsh singled in Charlie Jesman in the sixth and Brennan Anderson scored in the seventh.
Northbridge 8, Main South 4: Cody Veneziano went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and run, Jake Costello was 4 for 4 with a run, J.P. Bolduc was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run, Matt Coughlin notched a hit and two runs, and Alex Vosburgh finished with one hit, one RBI and two runs to visiting Northbridge (4-3).
