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Durfee Girls, Brockton Boys Win SEC Soccer Titles

The Durfee girls soccer team came from behind on the road against defending Southeast Conference champion Bridgewater-Raynham to pull out a 2-1 victory and earn the program’s first ever conference title. On the boys side, Brockton finished off its strong play in conference action, shutting out New Bedford, 3-0 to win the SEC crown.

The Durfee girls, after a tough 1-3 start to the season, are now riding a 13-game unbeaten streak (12-3-2 overall) and finish at 6-1-1 in the SEC. B-R meanwhile, finishes league play at 6-2, with both losses coming against the Lady Hilltoppers.

The Brockton boys established themselves as the team to beat all season long. The Boxers finish league play with a 7-1 mark. The lone setback came against Durfee, 2-1 back on September 14. New Bedford meanwhile, finishes its SEC campaign in second place with a 4-2-2 record.

In the girls game, B-R needed a win or tie to secure another league title. Things were looking good for the Lady Trojans early on, as they dominated play and got on the board when Willow Forbes-Smith converted on a corner kick opportunity. Emily Lincoln got the assist on the play.

Julia Hargraves

Though B-R was still enjoying an edge in play, the Hilltoppers pulled even late in the first half. Durfee defender, Rachael Silva took a back pass, carried a few steps and sent a high arching ball past the Trojan defense. There, Durfee senior standout Julia Hargraves won the race to the ball and pooched one over the charging Trojan keeper and into the goal for the equalizer.

As the tie game wore on and Durfee still needing a goal, first year Topper coach Hayden Tavares called timeout and reset his formation, putting more bodies toward the front. It paid off, as with just over five minutes to play, Durfee’s Kaitlyn Coutu took a header pass from Maddie Hargraves and struck a low ground ball that found its way inside the far right post. From there, the Hilltoppers’ defense held off a relentless barrage from the B-R offense to hang on for the win.

“This SEC Championship win resembles the dedication, sacrifice and hard work these girls have put in the entire season,” said Tavares. “The results the group has produced is a direct representation of this team and their quality; going on 13 games undefeated and now first-time SEC champions. Hard work pays off and I am so proud of the group. They deserve this!”

Final League Standings:

Brockton Boys, B-R Girls Win Cross Country Regular Season Crowns

The Brockton boys and the Bridgewater-Raynham girls cross country teams captured their respective regular season Southeast Conference titles. Both squads finished the regular season with 4-0 records on season in conference action.

The Brockton boys were led all year by a 1-2 punch of sophomore Seamus Canniff and senior Aaron Corlette, who finished undefeated in dual meets. Other top performers for the Boxers were junior Antonio Tobon, senior Liam Rizzo, and senior Henry Tait.

The conference championship meet will take place on October 25 at the Wrentham Development Center Cross Country Course.

Final league standings and scores:

Durfee, Brockton Get First Football Wins

The Brockton and Durfee football teams both fund their way into the win column. Brockton, playing its first season under head coach, Jermaine Wiggins, topped Lawrence 14-7 at home, while Durfee put on a dominating performance to defeat Nauset, 43-13. Both teams are now 1-3 on the year.

For Durfee, the win ended a very long losing streak. The last time the Hilltoppers tasted victory was in their 2021 Thanksgiving Day game over rival New Bedford. “It’s been a tough stretch here for the last year and a half,” Said Durfee head coach Taylor Brown.

The Toppers were led by senior running back Eric Lucas, who carried the ball 21 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Durfee quarterback KJ Strong has a touchdown pass to junior Ben Sherry and ran in a score as well.

For Brockton, after coming out on the short end of a couple of close games, the Boxers pulled one out thanks to a late-game interception in the end zone by senior Cam Monteiro. Brockton got its points on rushing touchdowns from Jaden Campbell and Luke Turco.

In other good news for SEC football teams, Dartmouth remained perfect on the season, improving to 4-0, with a 36-20 win over Apponequet Regional. The Indians were led by junior quarterback Jackson Hart, who ran for 163 and three touchdowns on just eight carries. Markus Andrews ran for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had three catches for 27 yards. Ray Gramlich added 77 rushing yards for Dartmouth.

On the other side of the ledger, both Bridgewater-Raynham and New Bedford came out on the losing ends of their contests. B-R fell to 0-4 on the season with a 33-7 setback to Marshfield. The Whalers dropped a 42-6 decision to Lincoln-Sudbury to fall to 1-3 on the year.

Southeast Conference play will officially begin this week, when Bridgewater-Raynham visits Durfee for a 7 PM encounter Friday night.

Conference Soccer Races Tight at Mid-Season

At the midway point of the league schedule, both the boys and girls Southeast Conference soccer races remain wide open. With a 2-0 win over New Bedford, the Brockton boys hold a slim lead at 3-1, while Durfee and New Bedford, having played to a draw, are on the Boxers’ heels at 2-1-1. The Durfee girls meanwhile pulled off a hard-fought, 1-0 victory over previously undefeated Bridgewater-Raynham to pull even in the standings at 3-1.

After getting off to a slow, 1-3 start, the Durfee girls have come around, winning their last three games to improve to 4-3 overall under first-year head coach Hayden Tavares. That run includes not only the win over B-R but also a 2-1 victory over the SEC’s other perennial power, Dartmouth. The Lady Indians and Brockton are still very much in the thick of it at 2-2 in league action.

Durfee’s Liv Rumsey

In the win over B-R, Durfee controlled much of the first 15 minutes and jumped on top when junior Liv Rumsey won the race to the rebound of a diving save by the Lady Trojans’ keeper and buried it in the back of the net. B-R picked up the pace toward the end of the half, managing several shots, including one that caromed off the crossbar.

The second half was all B-R, as Durfee found itself playing defense against a relentless Lady Trojan attack. With the field seemingly tilted in its favor, B-R maintained consistent pressure, including the game’s final frantic minute, when the Lady Trojans had a handful of repeated corner kick opportunities. They failed to bury the equalizer however, as the Hilltopper defense staved off the relentless pressure to secure the win. Sophomore Ava Amaral posted the clean sheet in goal.

The Brockton boys managed to stay atop the standings with their shutout win over the Whalers. Midway through the first half, junior Alexandro Moreira put the Boxers on top with a goal. In the second half, Brockton converted a corner kick to double its lead. Junior Anthony Pina Santos was able to head in a ball off the foot of Moreira.

Current league standings:

Durfee Wins Hotly Contested SEC Field Hockey Title

With New Bedford playing the role of spoiler down the final stretch of the season, Durfee captured the Southeast Conference Championship in a race that went down to the last game in league play. The title is not only the first for the Hilltopper field hockey program, it marks the first outright title for any Durfee team since the inception of the current SEC.

“We are so proud,” said Durfee coach Nicole Henrique. “This team has grown so much over the years. We could not be happier and we are truly proud. It is such an accomplishment for us. As a team and staff, we are honestly over the moon.”

Durfee started the season on fire, going 7-0-1 out of the gate, including a 5-0 mark in league play. That run included a 3-2 victory over Dartmouth. Things got interesting when three weeks later, Dartmouth returned the favor with a 2-0 win over the Hilltoppers. That put the Indians temporarily in first place with a 5-1-1 mark but Durfee still controlled its own destiny. Win their final two games and the Toppers were champs.

Enter New Bedford. The Whalers, who fell to Durfee 3-0 earlier in the year, secured a 2-2 tie with the Hilltoppers, leaving Durfee and Dartmouth tied atop the conference standings. When Durfee then blanked Bridgewater-Raynham, 6-0 in its final league game, it secured itself at least a tie for the league title.

The final game on the league docket matched Dartmouth with New Bedford. In the first meeting, the two teams had played to a 1-1 tie. A win for Dartmouth and it would share the league title. New Bedford did it again though, playing the Indians to another 1-1 draw, thus securing the landmark league title for Durfee.

Complete League Results

Final League Standings:

Dartmouth Takes 4th Straight SEC Volleyball Title

The Dartmouth girls volleyball team has captured the Southeast Conference championship yet again. With its 3-0 win over New Bedford, the Indians finished league play with a perfect 8-0 mark. It marked the fourth straight year that Dartmouth has gone undefeated in conference play.

“We overcame a lot of obstacles this year,” said veteran head coach Rachel Lassey. “We’ve had key players being injured or sick. All players have really stepped up, and embraced different roles a number of times throughout the season, and we have been able to stay strong.”

The team, which is a veteran squad made up of mostly juniors and seniors, has been led by senior co-captains Lauren Augusto, a setter and Ava Crane, an outside hitter. Augusto is on her way to getting 1,000 assists. She would be the third player in Dartmouth High history to achieve the feat.

Other key performers have been senior outside hitter Erynn Jasparro, junior middle Adeline Ablett, junior libero Gaby Velazquez, junior outside hitter Brooke Davis, junior middle Haley Jenkins and junior defensive specialist Olivia Arruda.

“We are very excited to continue to be a force in the SEC,” added Lassey. “We are very proud to have this accomplishment, and hope to keep it going for as long as possible.”

Lassey herself was recognized for her coaching excellence. This past weekend, she was inducted into the Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame.

The Indians are 13-2 overall on the year. The lone setbacks came against undefeated and top-ranked Westborough and Swansea’s Case High, which is ranked second in Division 4. Dartmouth has five games remaining on its docket before trying to make some noise in the MIAA state tournament. In the most recent power rankings, the Indians are ranked fourth in Division 2.

B-R Golf Takes SEC Championship Tournament For Second Straight Year

Southeast Conference regular season champion Bridgewater-Raynham took first place at the SEC Championship meet held at Fall River Country Club. It was the second straight year the Trojans have won the tournament title.

Team Champion B-R

In winning the championship with a team score of 199, B-R had four golfers shoot in the 70s. Justin Peters had the tournament overall low score with a 73. Jason Coughlin posted a 76, while Pat Concannon shot 77 and Richie Thayer had a 79.

Dartmouth took second place at the event with a team score of 193. Chase Guilherme was the Indians’ top finisher shooting a second place 74. Mikey Correia was third with a 75, while Will Gagni carded a 78 and Ian Emery an 83.

Rounding out the field, host Durfee took third place with a score of 178. The Hilltoppers’ top finishers were Brady Sullivan with a 78 and Mike Banalewicz with an 80. Brockton took fourth with a score of 148. The Boxers were led by Ryan Merritt with a 79. New Bedford was fifth with a team score of 120. Craig Batista shot an 85 to lead the Whalers.

Complete Results:

1st Place Bridgewater-Raynham-305 (199pts)
Justin Peters – 73 (53 pts)
Jason Coughlin – 76 (50 pts)
Pat Concannon – 77(49 pts)
Richie Thayer -79 (47 pts)

2nd Place Dartmouth-310 (194pts)
Chase Guilherme – 74 (52 pts)
Mikey Correia – 75 (51 pts)
Will Gangi – 78 (48 pts)
Ian Emery – 83 (43 pts)

3rd Place Durfee-326 (178pts)
Brady Sullivan – 78 (48pts)
Mike Banalewicz – 80 (46pts)
Ethan Tho – 83 (43pts)
Dan Matuszek – 85 (41pts)

4th Place Brockton-356 (148pts)
Ryan Merritt – 79 (47pts)
Brady Witt – 90 (36pts)
Brian Poz – 92 (34pts)
Ryan Sinnot – 95 (31pts)

5th Place New Bedford-384 (120pts)
Craig Baptista – 85 (41pts)
Trevor Rodrigues – 92 (34pts)
Luke Tarpey – 94 (32 pts)
Cam Molleo – 113 (13pts)

The SEC Championship field of performers

Dartmouth Field Hockey Win Over Durfee Tightens Conference Title Chase

Dartmouth junior Grace Haskell scored twice off corners in the late stages of a tight game to lift the Indians to a 2-0 win over first place Durfee, tightening the race for the Southeast Conference title down the stretch.

With the win, the Indians improve to 8-1-4 overall and 5-1-1 in the SEC. The lone blemish on that record came at the hands of Durfee, 2-1 back on September 21. What could end up costing Dartmouth a share of the title though is an early season, 1-1 tie against New Bedford.

Durfee started the season red hot, going 7-0-1 before finally succumbing to non-league foe Dighton-Rehoboth on September 30. The Hilltoppers are now 9-2-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference. Durfee still controls its own destiny though.

The Toppers have a game in hand on Dartmouth and if they can pull off wins against New Bedford tomorrow and Bridgewater-Raynham on October 19, they will win the conference championship. In its previous meetings, Durfee defeated New Bedford, 3-0 at home and dominated Bridgewater-Raynham, 6-0 in Bridgewater.

Dartmouth, which is currently on a roll, going 6-0-2 over its last eight games, has one league contest remaining, against New Bedford on October 21.

A look at the current league standings:

B-R Golf Continues SEC Dominance

The Bridgewater-Raynham golf team continues to reign supreme over the Southeast Conference field. The Trojans recently defeated Durfee 145-99 at the Fall River Country Club to finish with a perfect 8-0 record in league play. The league title was the ninth straight for B-R.

“I could not be prouder of a fine group of golfers who have conducted themselves with pride and dignity both on and off the golf course,” said B-R coach George Pimental. “They have kept an eight year league championship streak alive, with this being B-R’s ninth consecutive league championship.”

Justin Peters

Among the highlights of the campaign were co-captain Justin Peters, who shot under par during several matches. His low score came against SEC foe New Bedford, where he shot a 3 under par 33. Co-captain Pat Concannon and captain-elect junior Richie Thayer were steady performers throughout the season, both making major contributions to securing the SEC crown.

Richie Thayer

Seniors Nick Rossi and Jason Coughlin stepped up in a major way during two non-league matches against powerhouse opponent Xaverian. The duo both shot their best scores, contributing to a pair of wins over Xaverian.

Bridgewater-Raynham golf team
2022 Bridgewater-Raynham golf team

Good Week On The Gridiron For Three SEC Teams

While the first couple of weeks of the season saw some struggles for SEC football teams, there was some better news in Week 3. Dartmouth and Brockton, competing in thrillers, posted their second wins of the year, while Bridgewater-Raynham broke through for its first victory. On the down side, Durfee and New Bedford are still looking for that first taste of victory.

Brockton needed a game-saving extra-point block against Lincoln-Sudbury to force overtime, where the Boxers prevailed 42-34. Brockton built a 28-7 lead at halftime before the Warriors stormed back. Taking advantage of a couple of Brockton fumbles, L-S tied the score at 28.

Brockton’s Cameron Monteiro then scored on an 81-yrad sprint down the sideline to put the Boxers back in the lead. L-S tied the game and was about to kick the game-winning extra point, when Brockton’s Rowan Baptiste made the crucial block. Monteiro scored from 10 yards out in overtime for the win. Brockton is now 2-1 on the season.

The Dartmouth win was equally as thrilling. The Indians, who have been in tight battles all three weeks, emerged with a hard-fought, 24-21 upset win over Old Rochester. After the opening kickoff, Dartmouth drove and scored on junior Louie Freitas‘ 8-yard run for an early 7-0 lead. A 30-yard touchdown pass by the Bulldogs evened the score. Ray Gramlich scored on a 4-yard run for Dartmouth and the Indians went into halftime up 21-7 on a touchdown pass to Graham White.

A Freitas field goal pushed the Dartmouth lead to 24-7 in the fourth quarter but ORR stormed back, scoring two touchdowns to make it 24-21 with just over four minutes left. The Bulldogs had a chance to win but an interception by White sealed the Indians’ victory. Dartmouth is now 2-1 on the year.

After a couple of one-sided losses to start the year, Bridgewater-Raynham put it together in their home opener, defeating Barnstable 26-10. A turnover-filed affair, B-R held a 12-10 edge at halftime. Quarterback Declan Byrne scored three touchdown, while running back Dawson Dubose added another. Dubose had a monster game, rushing for 190 yards. B-R is now 1-2 on the campaign.

For Durfee and New Bedford, it’ll be back to the drawing board, as both will try to get in the win column next week. Durfee fell to Somerset-Berkley, 38-6, while the Whalers lost 20-0 to Attleboro. The Hilltoppers travel to face Barnstable, while New Bedford will hit the road to take on Lincoln-Sudbury.