With the start of the winter sport season just a day away, the Needham Wrestling and girls' basketball teams hope to keep the momentum of the Raider football team's epic, come-from-behind, overtime win over the archrival Wellesley Raiders on Thanksgiving morning when they kick of the winter season with road games on Friday. The school's skiing squad, on the other hand, won't be opening its season this weekend as season opening race at Ragged Mountain has been cancelled. The Rockets wrestling team officially gets the party started with a 4 p.m. match at Newton North High School while the girls…
The Rockets launched the first week of the fall sports season last week with wins by the golf, field hockey, girls' soccer and football teams. Cross country gets its season underway at 4 p.m. today, when the Rockets entertain Natick and Norwood at Cutler Park in a Bay State Conference tri-meet as Needham has another full day of athletic events scheduled with golf hosting Milton at 3:30 at Needham Golf Club, and the field hockey and girls' soccer squads hosting Wellesley at 3:45. The boys' soccer team plays at 3:45 at Wellesley while volleyball (0-2) visits Dedham for a 4 p.m. game as they …
With the start of the high school athletic season looming on the horizon, it is sure to be an exciting week at Needham Patch. With record-setting turnout for fall sports at Needham High School the Rockets appear ready to defend their Bay State Conference All-Sport crown of a year ago. Last week we got a taste of the Needham football team after their season-opening scrimmage against Newton South as well as taking look at the Needham girls' soccer jamboree. Patch contributer Jessica MacNeil gave up a glimpse of the Rockets cross country teams, which are both hoping to improve on last year's …
After Aaron Segel's appearance at August's New England Junior Hard Court Championships in Hartford, Conn. signaled the beginning of the end of the high school athletic off-season, Needham Fastpitch softball officially slammed the door on the summer softball season last weekend at Tewksbury's appropriately named End of Summer Softball Tournament. All Needham High School athletic teams return to action this week with football, field hockey and soccer all holding back-to-back double sessions on Thursday and Friday. Golf tryouts begin at 2 p.m. at Needham Golf Club. Cross country season starts at…
This week, Needham rising senior Aaron Segel is once again among the elite junior tennis players in New England, participating in the junior Hard Court Championships at Hartford, Conn., as the summer of tournament action concludes for summer student-athletes on the court as well as the baseball and softball diamonds. With not one, but two baseball leagues for young players in town, opportunities abound for young baseball players with both Needham Little League as well as the Needham Summer Baseball program and American Legion teams, all of which enjoyed at least a measure of success this …
The summer of 2010 will long be remembered in Needham baseball history as the first year of American Legion Junior League action for Post 14, if for nothing else. After the Senior League squad struggled through its District 6 season, the younger, Junior League team represented Needham with pride in District 5's Junior League. The decision to put the Junior League team in District 5 instead of District 6 could not have Junibeen any simpler as District 6 lacks a Junior League while District 5 doesn't. Post 14's Junior Leaguers didn't let having to travel a little bit further than the Senior …
The Needham Junior Legion team wraps up a successful first season in District 5 this week with four games in five days, beginning with a 6:30 game tonight against at Memorial Field, hosting Weston. With four games remaining, Needham remains in the hunt for one of four playoff spots following a 7-4 road win over Shirley Sunday night despite a rocky start to the season, which saw the squad go winless through its first three games and win only one of its first five. "I think we are in pretty good shape," said manager Rich McIntyre. "We tightened up the defense and loaded up the bats and the …
Establishing yourself in a new neighborhood, slowly building bonds within that community while attempting to impact the lives of others in a positive way until, eventually, you become a part of the very fabric of a town is a process Patch holds dear to its heart. Acceptance, at times, comes painfully slow. How many new sport teams have sprung up at various levels playing various different sports only to never find their niche within a community and end up folding? Until you are not only accepted but also embraced within a community, long-term success is day-to-day. Once you become part of a …
Needham American Little League All-Star coach Nick Arnao knows a thing or two about baseball. The father of Needham varsity baseball standout Eric Arnao, the elder Arnao has been around Little League baseball for a little while now and despite having a tough run during this year's District 11 All-Star tournament in Norwood, his feelings for the tournament haven't changed. "This is my 12th year coming here," said Arnao. "The tournament is a great tournament; it's just great competition." Needham American held open tryouts for their Williamsport qualifying team and due to a low turnout of kids …
While the Needham Post 14 American Legion team is beginning to hit its stride thanks to some extra effort in the batting cages, scoring double digit runs in three of its last four games after getting shutout in their first two games of the year, the season has come to a close for Needham Little Leaguers with the crowning of four town champions. The Rays took the title in the Majors Blue tournament, defeating the Pirates in a deciding game three of a best of three series last Monday at Defazio's Small Field. The Rays earned their spot in the championship game by beating the Tigers in the first…
We made it. Since sprouting in town just a split second before the start of the spring high school sports season with only a laptop, a camera, and a simple dream to chase, it's been one heck of a first 100 days. After opening up with a short road trip to Lowell to watch senior hockey players Sam Kane and Paul Sharpe skate in the first annual Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association (MSHCA) High School All-Star Game, we've followed the baseball team all the way to Doubleday Field at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, for an annual battle with Bay State Conference rival …
