The pace is picking up for Needham High School athletes in the fall postseason.
Needham’s unbeaten football team has Super Bowl dreams as it prepares to host Central Catholic High School of Lawrence Friday night in the MIAA Division 1 quarterfinals.
The fourth-seeded Rockets overwhelmed No. 13 Wachusett Regional 49-13 in last week’s Round of 16. Needham senior Aidan Williams returned an interception for a touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage, then ran for three TDs in the first quarter and another in the second as the Rockets soared to a 49-0 halftime lead. According to coach Doug Kopcso, it was the highest-scoring half and the biggest halftime lead in NHS football history.
“For these to occur during the playoffs against a tough opponent makes it all the more gratifying,” said Kopcso.
No. 5 seed Central Catholic got here by knocking off Weymouth 35-13. Kopcso said the Raiders have an explosive offense and some very tough players on defense. “This is going to be a great challenge for us this week, and we’re excited to meet it head on,” he said. Friday night’s kickoff is set for 6:30 at Memorial Field. The winner will face the winner of tonight’s game between top-seed St. John’s Prep and Methuen in the semifinals.
A late goal by Bishop Sheehan snapped a 2-2 tie and eliminated Needham in the quarterfinals in the girls’ soccer tournament Wednesday night. Four-seed Needham got to the Round of 8 by blanking Lexington 4-0 and defeating Winchester 2-1 on goals by Hannah Levine and Sydney Kalaw.
The girls’ volleyball team’s hopes for a title were dashed when the Rockets were swept by top-seed Newton North 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 in Tuesday’s semifinal. The Rockets, seeded fifth, had beaten Winchester 3-1 in the quarterfinals Saturday. In earlier rounds, Needham beat Braintree 3-0 and Newton South 3-2. Needham finished with a 14-6 record, including 0-3 vs. Newton North, which will face Brookline for the Division 1 championship.
The upset-minded Rockets were eliminated in the boys’ soccer tournament last weekend when eighth-seed St.John’s (Shrewsbury) scored the game’s only goal in overtime. Needham, the No. 24 seed, had knocked off Marshfield in the preliminary round before upsetting ninth-seeded Lincoln-Sudbury 1-0 to reach the Round of 16.
Needham’s girls’ cross-country team is looking ahead to Saturday’s All-State meet in Devens after winning the Division 1A championship last weekend at Northfield-Mount Hermon. The Rockets had 81 points to runner-up Lexington’s 86. NHS junior Greta Hammer was the individual winner with a time of 18:13.91, 44 seconds better than the runner-up. “I am so excited about this amazing group of girls who share common goals and focus on their team!” said coach Sue McNatt. “Greta Hammer is an exceptional cross-country runner who always supports her team.”
The girls’ swim and dive team finished tied for third behind Acton-Boxboro and Brookline in Sunday’s state Division 1 tournament. Needham freshman Andrea Qie won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:07.41 and the 100-yard butterfly in 57:11. NHS senior Becky Hwang took the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59:25.
Needham girls made a quick exit from the field hockey tournament, bowing to Wellesley 6-0 in the Round of 32. The Rockets finished with a record of 6-11-1.
At Sunday’s Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association state dance championships, Needham finished second out of 10 teams in the Pom Division and third among five teams in the Jazz division. “The team did an amazing job,” coach Jessica Arruda said in an email. Tryouts for the winter season are scheduled for Dec. 2.
Save as PDF