A look back at Melrose High’s year in sports

State titles, league dominance remain hallmarks

Published June 21, 2019

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—The state of Melrose High School sports remains as strong as ever.

In 2018-19, Melrose brought home gold medals, eleven league titles, ten playoff appearances and four sectional appearances, not to mention the breaking of school records. Melrose athletic programs seem to have a good handle on the Middlesex Freedom League as they cement their claim as the city that any ML Freedom team has to get through in order to earn the league championship.

Here’s a look at the programs that delivered the goods in 2018-19.

League Titles

Volleyball

The seniorless Lady Raiders captured the Middlesex League Freedom Division with an overall record of 15-8 which earned them a 12th straight league title and another Div. 2 North playoff run. Standout Nicole Abbot earned All-State honors in her libero duty. The entire squad returns in the fall for what should be another winning campaign.

Girls basketball

Melrose boasted one of their best teams in nearly a decade, led by an exceptional senior class and sophomore league MVP Sam Dewey. They enjoyed a solid playoff run and finished the season at 17-4.

Golf

Coach Rick McDermod’s Red Raiders had a strong senior group and two stellar underclassmen, Quinn McCarthy and Will Pierce, which helped them Red Raiders win their second league title in five years. They finished 7-2-1 and qualified for North Sectionals. Expect this team to be just as good in the fall.

Wrestling

In was a memorable Brawl in the Hall that decided the league this winter when Melrose and Wakefield wrestled for the league title at Memorial Hall. Melrose prevailed and added the 2019 ML title to their growing list of championships. The team later crowned two state champs in Hunter Adrian and Sean Herbert and 4 All-Conference wrestlers. They also earned silver at the D2 North finals and were 5th at States.

Girls Indoor/outdoor track

The undefeated league champs named a jaw-dropping 14 league All-Stars in what amounted to be perhaps the best girls indoor track team MHS has ever had. Standouts included Kate Bidgood, Katie Duffy, Charlotte Tysall and Giovanna Dos Santos Mochado, who all qualified for post season. Expect the teams to be just as strong in 2020.

Girls Lacrosse

Coach Galusi’s team won their second straight ML Freedom title this spring by going undefeated over their Freedom League opponents, in part from the work of Lily Cunningham who scored 62 goals and 27 assists along with Abby Cunningham and Emma Randolph. Melrose qualified for the state tournament for the third straight season.

Boys Lacrosse

The Div. 2 powerhouses had another wicked season and earned their second straight league title. All American Chris Cusolito joined goalie Matt Rocha with national recognition while Brendan Maher became a Div. 1 UMass commit. Nearly an entire roster returns for what could be an even better run in 2020.

Girls hockey

What was supposed to be a transition year ended up being a 14-5-2 campaign that earned the Lady Raiders, and new coach Frank Sorrenti, their second straight league title. Talented youth coming through the pipeline should keep Melrose competitive for a while.

(Editor’s note: two teams just evaded league titles: Boys hockey (14-5-2) who were in Super 8 contention and girl’s cross country, who were 1 point away from sweeping the Freedom League. Additionally, there is no Freedom League in girls swim, but Melrose would have won it five years straight.)

Sectional qualifiers

*Gymnastics

*Girls cross country

*Golf

*Wrestling

Highest Athletic Achievement of the Year:

Hunter Adrian. Wrestler wins everything but the presidency

There is rarely such thing as perfection in high school sports. But then there is Melrose High wrestler Hunter Adrian, who became a repeat New England champion in the 113 weight class after a flawless 58-0 season for the Red Raiders. His all-time record (prior to this year’s Nationals) was 157-5. Expect even more records to be broken when he returns for his senior year. Academically strong, don’t rule out Adrian competing at an Ivy college. Or the Olympics.

Finally,

Outstanding Achievers in Graduating Class

(a nod to *graduating* athletes who went the distance)

Matt Rocha: cheers to the Colby recruit for earning All-American rights during his 4 years as MHS lax netman.

Brooke Barris: for earning a state title as a relay leg in track and becoming a gymnastics sectional qualifier.

Steven MacIntosh: for earning the state silver medal in his weight class at States and All-Conference honors.

Jackson Curran: for earning All-Star and All-Conference honors in wrestling.

Liam Rittenburg: for earning multiple medals in track and a first-place finish in the 1500 pentatholon this May.

Giovana Machado: for being the lone MHS representative in the MIAA All-State Track and Field Meet this spring.

Miguel Contreras: for earning All-Conference soccer honors in a notoriously tough Middlesex League.

Molly Williams: for breaking school records, earning a state silver medal and signing with Div. 1 UVM in girls swimming.

Peri MacDonald: for earning All-Conference honors in girls’ basketball.

Dylan Robertson: for earning All-Conference honors and being selected to the Shriners Classic in football.

Lily Cunningham:  for becoming the MVP of the Freedom League in lacrosse while also shining in hoop and soccer.

Abby Cunningham: for being a multi-sport All-Star in soccer, hoop and lacrosse and earning All-Conference rights in lacrosse.

Harry Kelley: for earning All-Conference honors in baseball with a minuscule E.R.A. and monster batting average.

Liam Crovo: for exceptional skill and leadership as an All-Star defenseman in hockey and catcher in baseball.

Jill Stone:  for pitching every game since freshmen year as a softball All-Star and manning the net as the MHS soccer goalie.

Graduating class, we salute you!