SHARON, Mass. – New Sharon athletic director Dr. Nicholas Schlierf is bringing a bevy of experience from New York to the campus of Sharon High School, officially starting later this month.
He takes over for Bill Martin, who stepped down after taking the same job at Andover High School.
Schlierf, who was announced as the new Eagles’ AD earlier this week in a release from principal Jose Libano, has held numerous athletic positions as well as administrative roles over the past 20 years. Most recently, Schlierf has served as athletic director and assistant principal for nearly a decade at Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester, New York.
Mercy High School has roughly 700 students while Sharon has just over 1,000 students.
“Nick did a really nice job answering the questions we peppered him with, his references were impeccable, and I’m certain that he’ll be an excellent fit for Sharon and the Hockomock League,” Libano told HockomockSports.com.
Schlierf has family ties to Massachusetts and came across the vacant Sharon job while looking to move to the area. Schlierf was one of three finalists selected from nearly 50 applicants. Twelve candidates were brought in for interviews by a 15-member screening committee comprised of student-athletes, parents, coaches and staff. The three finalists visited Sharon earlier this month for a public interview.
“The whole town, it reminds me a lot of where I grew up (Williamsville, New York),” Schlierf said. “Everyone is so friendly, they are willing to take their shirt off their back for you, people are going out of their way to make me feel at home.”
Prior to his stint at Mercy High School, Schlierf was a varsity soccer coach, assistant principal and then principal at Northstar Christian Academy. He has three kids and was heavily involved in youth sports and travel soccer.
“Sharon is an ideal fit for me,” Schlierf said, noting that Mercy and Sharon have almost all of the same sports, including sailing. “Walking into the school feels like home already. Between my admin background and my love for sports, it’s important to know its not always about the wins and losses. It’s about focusing on the positive experiences, and the role of coaches in that experience.
“I found my niche being an athletic director. It’s been like a breath of fresh air to feel so welcome. I met some of the staff already, and they have been so friendly. I’m looking forward to getting started on what will be a tremendous experience and homecoming for my family.”
Schlierf will complete his move to the area in the near future and will begin full time July 20th.
WRENTHAM, Mass. – Gary Brown is trading in his Harvard crimson for Warrior green and yellow.
Brown, who was hired as the new King Philip athletic director in March, officially takes over for a retiring Steve Schairer on July 1st.
The 42-year-old Franklin resident spent the last nine years in the athletics department at Harvard, most recently as Associate Director of Athletics. Prior to that, Brown was an assistant coach for MIT’s men’s soccer team for four years.
Now, Brown is looking forward to getting back to the high school level, and King Philip looks to be the perfect fit.
“I was looking for a school that really valued academics and athletics, and academics is the priority,” Brown said. “I was relatively selective, I wanted a place that had a balance of academic and athletics, and had an administrative that put the students first. I connected very well with administration, the teachers and the coaches that were apart of the interview process.
“Every time I went there, it just felt so right.”
Prior to his work at the collegiate level, Brown – a Millis High graduate and Springfield College alum – spent eight years as the director of operations for the Bay State games. He handled all aspects of the tournament, including the hiring of coaches, coordinating officials and medical personnel, as well as handling the booking and set up of facilities for the Bay State games.
“To me, athletics are an extension of the classroom,” Brown said. “It’s about the life lessons that sports can teach you. And how you deal with adversity and how thats translates into life later on.
“At the college level, you have established young adults. I wanted to have a larger impact on student development and teaching life lessons. I think athletics can really help shape individuals, and I’m very excited to be apart of the KP community.”
Schairer is retiring after holding the AD position for a decade at King Philip. In the past six years, King Philip has won six state titles – softball with three and boys swimming, girls track and football each won one. A new turf field was also installed on the campus of King Philip just over a year ago.
“Steve Schairer has been unbelievably helpful during the transition period,” Brown said. “I’m familiar with the Hockomock League and how competitive it is. I’ve already attended an AD meeting and I’m looking forward to working with all of them.”
Motivational speaker Ed Gerety talks on Taunton’s Danny Keogh’s phone during his presentation on Wednesday. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
By Joe Clark and Jaron May, HockomockSports.com Student Reporters
Behind all of the great competition that happens in the Hockomock League, there are some amazing students, coaches and athletic directors that embody the values of sportsmanship, leadership and teamwork. These influential people all came together on Wednesday at Oliver Ames High School for the the Hockomock League’s Captains Conference for 2016/2017 Winter and Spring Sports.
Over 500 Hockomock captains listened to messages that stressed the importance of leadership and sportsmanship in athletics by having students participate in group activities, listening to a guest speaker, and talking to other captains about effective leadership.
The day began with the theme of leadership. To start, the captains were challenged with a simple, yet thought-provoking request – to find the best quote that defines leadership. While making the rounds, there were many worthy quotes that defined what a leader is, the most popular being John C. Maxwell’s “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
After some friendly competition to see who had the best quote, the captains moved on to play some Hockomock sports trivia, with some random facts thrown in as well. The first round tested their knowledge of the names of Hockomock schools’ sports facilities, such as Macktaz Field and James Albertini Gym.
When talking to some of the captains, they all said that they really enjoyed this part of the day. They thought it was not only a fun and exciting activity, but it also allowed them to interact and bond with the captains from other schools at their table, which was one of the main goals of the day.
Stoughton Athletic Director Ryan Donahue, who emceed the majority of the event, said that the event was not only about teaching the captains how to lead, but also to help meet one another.
“It’s tough being a captain,” Donahue said. “It’s not always going to be an easy job. So, when you’re traveling to a different school, it feels great when you walk into a building and someone you spent a day with and got to know over the course of the day is one of the first hands reaching to welcome you to the town.”
The morning session was followed up with a moving keynote speech given by Ed Gerety.
Ed Gerety, an entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, has spoken to students and educators from middle school all the way up to the college level, presenting to top colleges such as Fordham University, Northwestern University, and the University of Southern California. Gerety’s presentation included partner activities, stories from his experiences as a high school athlete himself and as a speaker, and a section where students wrote a letter to a loved one.
Gerety got into motivational speaker as he was involved in a lot of student leadership programs growing up, and “always had an interest around motivation and personal development.” He also attributes some of his “great coaches and teachers that were very inspiring” for helping him get to where he is today. The most important thing he wants students to take away from his program is “to live every day with gratitude and to live every day with a great sense of appreciation.”
Nick Lurie, a captain for Milford lacrosse, found Gerety’s presentation to be inspiring.
“He inspired me to become a better person and to do more in my life so I will be happier with my life when I am older,” Lurie added.
Arianna Sternburg, a Sharon cheer captain said that Gerety’s presentation helped her learn “to be positive and to surround myself with positive people and be thankful for my family.”
Jordan Brill-Cass, a track captain for Mansfield plans to take Gerety’s lessons to help her become a better captain by “not only focusing on my own races but focusing on my team’s races and making sure that I support them and helping us be strong together.”
Foxboro track and cross country captain Tyler Donovan summed up his experience by saying he learned “how to better inspire people and help them do their best.”
“He’s a special guy, he just has this internal energy,” Donahue said. “The message that he sends is spot on with what we want to tell our captains.”
The captains then ate a quick lunch and got right back into their work. They started the afternoon learning about social media and how it can be used both in a positive and negative way. With social media and the Internet being such an influential aspect of our lives right now, Donahue and the other ADs stressed the importance of smart social media habits.
The conference concluded with fan and spectator behavior. This last topic is an extremely important part to the Hockomock’s success according to Donahue.
“[The Hock is] the best top to bottom league not just talent wise, but people, individuals, and sportsmanship in the Commonwealth.
“This is one of my favorite events of the year. It is a great opportunity to create some dialogue between the captains amongst each other, and then coaches and AD’s as well. It’s a date to circle on my calendar each year,” Donahue added.
Franklin High School has hired Tom Angelo as its new Athletic Director, new FHS Principal Paul Peri confirmed to HockomockSports.com. Angelo replaces Brad Sidwell, who stepped down following the conclusion of the school year after 15 years in the role.
Angelo has coached a variety of sports at various levels, including baseball, soccer, football, softball, basketball and tennis. He has two years of experience as an AD, with previous stops at Somerset-Berkley and Plymouth North. Angelo served as Athletic Director at SB during the 2014-2015 school year and spent this past school year as AD at Plymouth North.
Sidwell spent 15 years as the AD at Franklin High and was the head coach of the football team for 20 years. He stepped down from his coaching duties in December and then was hired as the new head coach and K-12 Wellness Coordinator at Taunton High.
Foxboro High School has hired Rich Cormier as its new Athletic Director. Cormier replaces Caitlin Brown, who accepted an administration job in the Andover school system.
“I’m excited, this is great opportunity,” Cormier told HockomockSports.com “For me, Foxboro seems like a perfect mix of my backgrounds from what I know. I’ve heard so many good things about the town and the community.”
Cormier will take over as AD effective July 1st.
The 34-year-old has been the boys basketball head coach at Norwood High School since the 2007-2008 season. He served as the JV coach for two years prior to that and was also the head coach for two years at BU Academy. He taught history and sociology since starting at Norwood in September 2004. He also served as Norwood’s Dean of Students and a class advisor for the past two school years.
Cormier, who currently resides in Franklin, is a native of Rockland, where he graduated from high school. He earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston University. He also has experience coaching boys and girls volleyball as well as baseball.
“Since being exposed to administration side of education, it’s something I’ve been thinking about more and more,” Cormier said. “When I saw the position, it seemed like a good fit. I wasn’t in a position where I just wanted be an AD, I loved my job, loved my situation. But I saw the Foxboro job and I really liked it. It really comes down to my love of athletics and its role in education. I think athletics is such an important piece of the education experience.
“I look forward to meeting as many student-athletes as I can and help them learn as many lessons as possible.”
Brown had served as the school’s AD since 2012, when she took over for Craig Najarian. Prior to being AD, Brown was the girls soccer coach and a history teacher at the school.
“I’m just very excited but it’s hard to leave a place after 12 years,” Cormier said. “I developed relationships there but I’m looking forward to doing same thing in Foxboro and building off of the success they’ve had. They are in good spot, I want to work with people there and help the program continue to grow.
“I can’t wait to get in there and meet everyone. I look forward to meeting all of the coaches and staff.”
The Warriors are coming off a strong athletic season, winning six Hockomock League Davenport division titles. Foxboro claimed the title in football, boys basketball, wrestling, boys and girls lacrosse and girls outdoor track. They finished second in the division in six other sports. The Foxboro girls tennis team also claimed the program’s first state title with a win over Wayland.
“I’m certainly looking forward getting to know people in the community,” he said. “When it comes to the Hockomock League, I can’t think of sport that when you look at the end of a state tournament, that a team from the league isn’t knocking on the door or winning it all. There’s so many good teams and it’s a privilege to be in the league.”
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.
By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
TAUNTON, Mass. – The Hockomock League will have a slightly new look when September 2016 rolls around. Based on enrollment numbers as of October 2015, Oliver Ames will move to the Kelley-Rex division and North Attleboro will compete in the league’s Davenport division.
As part of the league bylaws, the league’s alignment is reviewed every four years. The principals and athletic directors of the 12 schools meet and review the student enrollment numbers to decide the alignment of the divisions. The meeting happened on Tuesday at Taunton High School. The league aimed to have it’s realignment check in the same year that the MIAA does its count.
The divisions are strictly based on numbers – the top six most populated are in the Kelley-Rex and the next six are in the Davenport.
According to Taunton athletic director Mark Ottavianelli, the league’s president this year, Oliver Ames had 1192 students and North Attleboro had 1174 as of October 2015 and therefore the two will switch divisions starting with the 2016-2017 school year. The next review will come in the Fall of 2019.
“We’re excited to renew our rivalries with schools like Canton and Foxboro among others,” North Attleboro athletic director Kurt Kummer said. “We are more traditionalists and liked the league as a whole like it was before the split. We’d rather play as many Hockomock teams as we could, we’d play everyone twice if we could.”
“I think the split has done what we had intended for it to do. You can see how the Davenport teams have improved.”
The Hockomock League originally split into two divisions in 2010 when Attleboro joined the league. When Taunton and Milford joined in 2012, the Tigers became the biggest school in the league and the Scarlet Hawks joined the Davenport.
“We look forward to competing in the Kelley-Rex,” Matthews said. “When they established the divisions, it was pretty clear that the census would be looked at every four years. We had more [students] than North Attleboro.
“There is a lot of strong athletic tradition in the Kelley-Rex schools so we look forward to competing with them,” Matthews said.
The sports that it will have an immediate impact on will be cross country, indoor and outdoor track, swimming, wrestling, golf and football. In those sports, only the games against division opponents count towards league standings. In all other sports, games against opposite division opponents count toward league standings.
For example in cross country, the teams only have meets against other division opponents to determine a division champion. Now Oliver Ames, whose boys and girls cross country teams have won five division titles over the past six seasons, will now compete directly against perennial league power Mansfield.
In golf and football, although teams might compete against teams from the other division, they don’t count towards league standings. An example occurred just this September when King Philip’s football game against Foxboro did not affect league standings for either team.
For Fall 2016, Oliver Ames football will play its league games against Attleboro, Franklin, King Philip, Mansfield and Taunton while North Attleboro will take on Canton, Foxboro, Milford, Sharon and Stoughton. There are still two non-league games that the team’s can take advantage of in the beginning of the season (crossover non-league games we saw in 2015 include North/Stoughton, Milford/Franklin and Foxboro/KP).
Over the past three sport seasons (Winter 2014-2015, Spring 2015 and Fall 2015), Oliver Ames has won 10 Davenport division titles, including boys basketball, boys and girls indoor track, baseball, girls outdoor track, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, golf and boys cross country. In that same span, North Attleboro claimed eight Kelley-Rex championships, including girls basketball, wrestling, boys indoor track, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls outdoor track and football.
Via Ottavianelli, below are the official school enrollment numbers as of October 2015 from smallest to largest.
Foxboro – 842
Canton – 958
Stoughton – 1051
Milford – 1107
Sharon – 1152
North Attleboro – 1174
Oliver Ames – 1192
King Philip – 1337
Mansfield – 1338
Attleboro – 1665
Franklin – 1730
Taunton – 1868 (2491 including 8th grade) Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.
By HockomockSports.com Staff
With the 2014-2015 regular season in the book, the Hockomock League has announced Mansfield as the winner of the Val Muscato All Sports Championship.
The award is given to top sports school in the Hockomock League each year.
Each school is ranked by sport throughout the year based on where it finishes in league standings according to OA athletic director Bill Matthews. Once it’s determined which is the top team from the Kelley-Rex and the Davenport, the award is determined based on who had a better head-to-head record throughout the year.
This year, Mansfield was the best on the large side while Oliver Ames, who has won the award the past three years, was tops for the small schools. In the head-to-head, Mansfield had the edge.
The Hornets were certainly helped by first place finishes from field hockey, boys and girls cross country, golf, boys basketball, girls indoor track and baseball. Mansfield finished second in the league in girls soccer, girls basketball, hockey, boys indoor track and boys outdoor track.
Milford Superintendent Robert Tremblay has announced Peter Boucher has been hired as the new Athletic Director for Milford Public Schools. The Scarlet Hawks are currently in their third year as a member of the Hockomock League.
“Milford is very fortunate to have Mr. Boucher join our administrative team,” Tremblay said in a press release. “His enthusiasm, leadership experience as an administrator and athletic director, his passion for health and wellness, and his desire to help our student athletes achieve excellence both on and off the field will benefit the entire Milford community.”
Boucher is no stranger to the Hockomock. He has been the principal at Lt. Peter M. Hansen Elementary in Canton the last four years after serving as the Director of Wellness for Canton Public Schools. Boucher was the head coach of King Philip’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track years for 11 years.
“I was looking for three things – I wanted something closer to home, I wanted something in the Hockomock League and third I was looking for a ferocious sports town,” Boucher told HockomockSports.com. “Milford fit the bill in all three of those, it just made sense.”
Boucher, a Blackstone resident, has experience being an athletic director. He was the AD at Manatee Community College in Florida and filled in as interim AD at King Philip on two separate occasions.
After running for KP and graduating in 1989, Boucher served as an assistant coach with the Warriors’ indoor track team for four years while attending Bridgewater State. After graduating, Boucher took over all three programs. Between the three sports, his teams won 18 Hockomock League titles and five Massachusetts State Championships (one boys cross country, two boys indoor track, two girls indoor track).
With such familiarity with the Hockomock, Boucher admitted he preferred a job inside the league.
“I was mainly focused on the Hockomock League,” he said. “I know some other places opened up this summer but I didn’t apply, it just didn’t feel right. I was really hoping to be in the Hockomock, I’ve coached there so long, I’ve competed there so long. I just know the flavor and the feel. The Hockomock League to me is the best around in this area.”
It’s not uncommon for athletic directors to move into administration but the move from administrator to AD is seen less often. Boucher said he’s a sports guy at the core.
“Since I started walking, the only four years I haven’t been on a team, coaching a team or with athletics has been the last four years and its been killing me,” Boucher said.
“Everything I’ve done, everything, has been wellness and athletics up until four years ago. My heart has always been with athletics.”
“We are delighted to have Peter join the Milford Public Schools,” Milford High School Principal Carolyn Banach said in the release. “His depth and breadth of experience will bring innovative ideas and programs to the high school and middle school athletic programs. Peter has tremendous energy and his positive mindset will drive success and achievement for our student-athletes and coaches in the Hockomock League.”
“I’m looking forward to being around Milford athletics all the time and helping Milford get to the upper echelon of the Hockomock League,” Boucher said.
A welcome reception for Boucher will be held on Wednesday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the Milford High media center.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.
Foxboro students react to the ribbon cutting with beach balls. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
By Josh Perry, Managing Editor
On Thursday evening, Foxboro High held a dedication ceremony for its new turf field, which opened for use this past fall. Thanks to the work of a group of students, four of whom (Gus Herlihy, Megan Ennis, Varun Nambikrishnan, and Kyle Newcomb) presented the idea to the Foxboro School Committee, the field will now be known as the Sam Berns Community Field.
Sam Berns was a junior at the school who had the rare genetic disorder progeria, which causes accelerated aging in children, and passed away in January. On Thursday, family, friends, classmates, teachers, and administrators gathered to remember Sam and the inspiration that he provided to the entire school community.
“Today is really, really special,” said Foxboro superintendent Debra Spinelli. “The fact that his name is up on the field represents everything that is good about our community and everything that was so good about him — the coming together of people from all walks of life, the focus on our children, the willingness to do anything to make it happen — and that’s the way Sam was. He didn’t see any barriers to any challenges.”
Herlihy, one of Sam’s many friends from the high school band, added, “He was very witty, very funny. You always wanted to hang out with him because he always made you laugh. He was just such a nice kid…everyone that wanted to meet him, he welcomed with open arms.”
One of the speakers at the ceremony was New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, who recalled his first meeting with Sam and watching him speak to the Patriots before the team traveled to Atlanta in September.
Kraft became very emotional at the end of his remarks. He explained, “I was going to say how I loved him and I just…There was something about his persona that drew you to him and you just respected him. I felt deep affection for him and I really miss him.”
Ennis said, “He was always positive; always motivating people and he never let his situation get him down and that was really a motivation to everyone. He always was there to put a smile on everyone’s face.”
At the ceremony, it was announced that on Thursday morning the Spinney family had provided a $25,000 donation to build a scoreboard that should be ready by next fall. It was a surprise announcement, but no one was shocked that the community would reach out to support a project dedicated to Sam.
Spinelli said, “He always had a smile on his face. We never knew when he wasn’t feeling well or if he was tired…We never knew anything about how he really felt because he was always positive and always moving forward.”
Herlihy summed it up: “It’s very fitting considering how much influence he’s had in all our lives. Teaching us by leading by example…We all learned by how great of a person he was.”
The 2013-2014 Hockomock League Scholar Athletes (Not pictured: Milford students). (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
The Hockomock League Principals and Athletic Directors hosted the 26th Annual Hockomock League Scholar Athlete Awards Dinner on Tuesday night at Lake Pearl Luciano’s in Wrentham. The league honored 24 student athletes selected by the administration of their respective schools and represent the top student athletes, based on academics, athletic participation, sportsmanship, leadership and citizenship.
Below is an excerpt from the Hockomock Scholar Athlete Dinner brochure:
“They have all successfully balanced a demanding academic schedule along with participating in athletics, as well as many extra-curricular activities during their high school career. To be selected for this award represents four years of dedication and commitment and we are proud of all their accomplishments. We hope that these student-athletes will put all of their experiences over the past four years to good use and that those experiences will help guide you through challenges ahead.”
Lieutenant Stephanie Hoffman Latham, who was a Hockomock League Scholar Athlete and member of the Oliver Ames Class of 2001, was the guest speaker at the event. Lieutenant Latham is a Navy TOPGUN trained FA18 Hornet Pilot and is just the 10th female TOPGUN instructor pilot
For people interested in more pictures from the Hockomock League Scholar Athlete Dinner, including photos of students and their family, full size photos of both students togehter, and students with school administrators, please e-mail RyanLanigan@HockomockSports.com with which images you are looking for.
Attleboro
Beth Clifton – Soccer, Basketball, Track & Field
Brandon Clark – Football, Basketball, Baseball
Canton
Rachel Campagna – Soccer, Indoor & Spring Track
Chris Sullivan – Wrestling
Foxboro
Katie Notorangelo – Field Hockey & Lacrosse
Jess Todd – Football, Swimming, Lacrosse
Franklin
Julia Bireley – Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse
Pat Milne – Football, Indoor & Outdoor Track
King Philip
Stephen Beattie – Soccer, Baseball
Melissa Daige – Volleyball, Winter & Spring Track
Mansfield
James Cooney – Soccer, Indoor & Outdoor Track
Lauren Beecher – Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse
Milford
Peter Bae – Soccer, Tennis
Taylor White – Swimming, Cross Country, Winter & Spring Track
North Attleboro
Jake Lang – Football, Basketball, Baseball
Alison McHugh – Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis
Oliver Ames
Kate Holleran – Soccer, Basketball
Daniel Moverman – Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track
Sharon
Jenna Kubiak – Soccer, Basketball, Softball
Paul Fleming – Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track
Stoughton
Emma Sinkus – Field Hockey, Indoor Track, Softball
Alec DeNapoli – Cross Country, Indoor & Spring Track
Taunton
Andrew Doherty – Cross Country, Indoor & Spring Track
Giovanna Diminico – Basketball, Softball
For people interested in more pictures from the Hockomock League Scholar Athlete Dinner, including photos of students and their family, full size photos of both students together, and students with school administrators, please e-mail RyanLanigan@HockomockSports.com with which images you are looking for.
