Rockets Review: Winter Season Comes to a Close

A quick look at Needham High School sports action over the past week, including wrestling, indoor track, dance and cheer, and basketball.

Girls Basketball earned the 13 seed in DI South and traveled to #4 seed Franklin on Tuesday night. The girls put up a strong effort, entering the half only down 4, and while the home team built a double digit lead in the 2nd half, the Rockets battled back and put the pressure on in the closing minutes, however there just was not enough time left, and Needham fell 54-47.  Also on Tuesday, 3 Needham athletes, Emerson Boyd, Matt Chmielewski and Eric Silverman competed in the MIAA Alpine Ski Championships at the Berkshire East Ski Area. After a successful run through the Sectional, State, All-State Tournaments, seniors Mark Carroll, John Cronin and Mikey Khibkin advanced to the New England Championships, beginning on Friday in Providence.  …

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Rockets Review: Boys Team Wrestling Way to Wellesley Showdown

A look at the Boys Wrestling team's latest meets against Brookline and North Andover.

The following was submitted by the Needham Wrestling Team: Needham Wrestling won its fourth straight Bay State League Meet against Brookline, 43-25, last Wednesday, before going 1-1 and making the Quarterfinals of the North Andover Dual Meet Invitational on Saturday.  Against Brookline, The Rockets got pins from Senior Captain Islam Baiev, Seniors Tak Hirayama and Aten Miles, and Sophomore Will Burke. Freshman Lucas Goldman, Senior Captain Mikhail Khibkin, Junior Zach Goldman and Senior Andrew Kingston notched decision victories against their Warrior opponents. Kingston, who had just returned from an early season injury, came back from an early deficit, beating a Brookline Captain, 8-6 in overtime.  At North Andover, The Rockets had a …

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Rockets Review: Buzzer Beater over Brookline, Wrestling at BSC Quad

A quick look at Needham High School sports action over the past week

The following was submitted by Needham High Athletics: Needing a win to to keep the possibilities of a trip to the postseason alive, the Boys Basketball waited until the final tick of the clock on Tuesday night to take down BSC Carey Division rival, and top-20 Brookline. Trailing 53-54 with just under 30 seconds left in the game, Needham set up a play for Senior Robbie McKittrick, who got an open look at a 3, but whose shot was just off.  Senior Connor McLeod gathered the long rebound and tossed up what he thought would be the final shot of the game, which was just off target, however, Junior John Madsen found himself all alone under the basket for the rebound, and had just enough time to lay the ball in as time expired for the thrilling …

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Rockets Review: Wrestlers Take Belmont Tournament

A quick look at Needham High School sports action over the past week, featuring Wrestling and Skiing.

Below is Wrestling info from Head Coach Paul Ahern:  The Needham High School Wrestling Team topped off a very successful week by taking the team title at the 16 team Belmont Invitational. The Rockets, who had beaten Bay State League Rival, Weymouth, 61-16 earlier in the week, placed 10 wrestlers at Belmont. Against Weymouth, The Rockets got pin points from Sophomore Dan Goldstein, Freshman Lucas Goldman, Senior Captains Mark Carroll and Mikhail Khibkin, Juniors Zach Goldman and Ben Glickman, and first-year varsity Seniors Aten Miles, Steve Cromp and Chris Ptak.  Senior Captain Islam Baiev earned a hard-fought 11-7 victory, while Tak Hirayama pulled out an 11-0 major decision over his Wildcat opponent. At the Belmont Tournament, without the…

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Wrestling Recap: Needham High at Bossi Holiday Tournament

A quick look at Needham High School wrestling for the latest tournament.

The following was sent to Patch by Amy Goldstein: The NHS Wrestling Team traveled to Lowell's Tsongas Arena to compete in the George Bossi Holiday Tournament. The 67-team Tournament is widely regarded as the most competitive wrestling event in New England, featuring the top teams and wrestlers throughout the region. The Rockets, without the services of a couple of big potential point-earners, finished 20th.  Two Needham Grapplers brought home medals: Senior Captain Mikhail Khibkin moved to 18-1 on the year, taking a third, and another Senior Captain, John Cronin took a hard-fought fifth. After Khibkin's only loss which was in the quarter-finals to a top-ranked Natick Wrestler, Ethan Zeigler, he battled back knocking off a returning New …

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Rockets Review: Wrestling Recap, Boys Ice Hockey Family Day, Parent Conferences

A quick look at Needham High School sports action over the past week.

The following was sent to Patch by Amy Goldstein: NHS Wrestling went 2-2 on the week, facing some of the top competition in the Bay State League and state.  On Wednesday night, The Rockets dropped a close one to undefeated Bay State League rival, Braintree, 48-34.  In the loss, Needham saw some great performances from Freshman Lucas Goldman, Senior Captains Mark Carroll and Mikhail Khibkin, Junior Zach Goldman, Seniors Islam Baiev and John Cronin, all earning pins or technical falls for the team. "Our guys beat some of their best guys," Said Coach Paul Ahern, "But in the end, we lost those toss-up matches." On Saturday, NHS Wrestling traveled to Winchester where they battled the home team, Xaverian and Billerica. Facing Winchester first, …

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Photo Gallery: Boys Wrestling Defeats Braintree

The Rockets defeated the Wamps on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 43-32.

The Needham High School boys varsity wrestling team picked up their fifth win of the season, as the Rockets rallied during the final few matches to earn an impressive 43-32 victory.  Needham will return to the mat on Saturday, Dec. 24 when they travel to Billrica for a tri-meet, while Braintree will head to Marshfield on Tuesday, Dec. 27. 

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Wrestling Coach Ready for First Year

Former Rockets wrestler Paul Ahern is eager to begin his first season as head coach for the Needham High School boys varsity team.

It’s highly doubtful that you’ll ever see a high school wrestling match make the front page of any Boston newspaper or the local news, but don’t tell that to Needham High School’s varsity boys wrestling head coach Paul Ahern, who’s fully committed to the sport. “I was in fourth grade [when I started], so pretty much from then I’ve never really given up my love for wrestling,” Ahern said. The coach added, “A couple years out in California, I would even be going to high school matches. I couldn’t break away from it.”   Wrestling is life to Ahern, who returns to his alma mater to take over the ranks, and he is excited to teach the sport that his older brother encouraged him to join. Ahern also credits his former high school coach, who helped …

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