A look back at Melrose High’s historic run of 2017-18

Published in the June 22, 2018 edition

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—The caps have been tossed, the cleats put away and now it’s time to reflect on the most momentous athletic year of all for Melrose High School.

No, you weren’t imagining things. Melrose sports were that good this year. From winning the school’s first-ever Super Bowl, crowing seven state champs in various sports, earning two Sectional titles and eight league titles, well, it was almost an embarrassment of riches. Red Raider fans had the pleasure of witnessing history this year that began with a dominating fall, headed by the first-ever Super Bowl-winning Melrose football team, a lights-out girls’ cross country squad, record-breaking swim team, and a dynasty volleyball team who was one set away from a state title. As the seasons progressed, more room had to be made for trophies in the hallways of MHS and the banners that hang in the gymnasium.

As if winning a Super Bowl wasn’t enough, Melrose High contended strongly for two more state titles in wrestling in volleyball over the year. And nearly all of Melrose’s teams have recently rostered some of the best athletes to ever play in their sports. It’s hard to think of a current student body that has produced such consistent winning in one academic year than the collective group currently at Melrose High. Here’s a highlight.  

Fall season

Melrose wins the Super Bowl. On December 2, 2017 Melrose became the Div. 4 State Champions with a 21-0 shutout victory over Nashoba Regional in front of a legion of Melrose fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The Red Raiders finished their season perfect at 13-0, a flawless record not matched since 1946. It was Melrose’s fourth attempt at a Super Bowl win, with previous trips in 1982, 2014 and 2015. As winners, Melrose chose a jersey bearing former player Ray Rocha’s number to be enshrined in Gillette Stadium’s Patriot Place Hall of Fame for one year to represent Melrose. A touching tribute in a perfect season. 

2017 Div. 4 Super Bowl Champions.

•Melrose High volleyball reclaims Div. 2 North title. Melrose became Div. 2 North champions after defeating fourth-ranked Danvers, 3-1, at the Div. 2 North Sectional Finals at Whittier Tech in Haverhill. It represented the team’s eighth Div. 2 North title in 15 seasons. They advanced to State Finals with a 24-2 record, pitted against Westboro, and aiming for their second state championship since 2012. Melrose had a 2-0 lead and needed just one more set to become state champions when the unfathomable happened (a 3-2 loss). And while the finish was stomach churning, in 2011 Melrose also lost at state finals only to win it a year later. For her efforts, Lily Fitzgerald was named MVP and an All Scholastic/All State player.

Div. 2 North Champions and State Finalists.

•Boys soccer advances to Div. 3 North finals. The Melrose Red Raider boy’s soccer team punched their ticket to Div. 3 North playoffs for the first time in a decade by knocking off #2 seed Pentucket, 1-0, in thrilling a PK shoot out after a scoreless double overtime at Pentucket Regional. Melrose battled to a 0-0 draw and, after two overtime periods, were forced to line up for a penalty kick shootout during a rainy and muddy slugfest. Melrose seniors Pete Wiesen (league MVP), Sava Vlajkovic and Owen Thorsteinsson got the job done, outshooting Pentucket, 3-2, while Melrose Red Raider Jared Dowell had the game of his career, fending off a high shot by Pentucket’s Jake Messier to clinch victory. The result was one of the best soccer games ever played by Melrose High. 

League champ and Sectional Finalist.

Girls swim breaks five school records. Having assembled some of the best swimmers in the history of the program, Melrose crowned four league all stars at the Middlesex League meet and broke five school records. They advanced to place 5th in the North sectionals and 7th in the state. Their appearance is the best showing in statewide competition in history of program.

First-ever All States for girls’ cross country. Melrose enjoyed a remarkable fall season with a first-ever appearance at the 2017 MIAA All States Meet placing 11th among all teams, what amounted to their most successful post season ever. Melrose finished strong after a winning season, completing dual meet play at 4-1.

 Winter season

Best ever season for girls’ hockey. Melrose becomes the first MHS girls’ hockey team to reach a 17 win season. Lead by a stellar senior class and standout 8th grader, Melrose amassed a 17-4-1 record—best-ever—which earned them a sixth-seed in the Div. 1 state tournament, where they went two rounds in playoffs.  

•Girls’ hoop wins league, enjoys 19-win season. After years of a slow build up from their millennium glory, this team put Melrose girls basketball back on the map. League MVP Alexis Doherty and frosh phenom Sam Dewey helped overpower the Middlesex League and Melrose earned their first league title in over a decade. They advance two rounds in playoffs, and the best appears to be yet to come next season, as 98% of the team returns.

Wrestling team are Div. 2 North champions. Rostering some of the best talent in New England, and on their heels of their 2017 State Championship, Melrose repeated their D3 North Champion title at the MIAA Div. 3 North Sectional at Melrose High School. It represented Melrose’s second straight Sectional win and Melrose’s 6th all-time North victory. Earning individual sectional titles were current All-State champion Hunter Adrian in the 106 weight class, junior Isaac Seide in the 182, Sean Herbert in 138 and Steve Macintosh in the 145. 

Wrestling State Champions: Sophomores Hunter Adrian (106) and Sean Herbert (138) and junior Isaac Seide (182) became state champions at the Div. 3 State Finals to help Melrose become state bronze medalists. 

Hunter Adrian becomes All-State Champ in wrestling and advances with teammate Sean Herbert to Nationals. 

Spring season

Melrose girls’ lacrosse become first-ever league champs. Under the tutelage of new coach Matt Galusi, Melrose went on a run in 2018, amassing a record of 11-6 and clinching their first ever Middlesex Freedom League title. Melrose battled in a tough Div. 1 North field and, though they fell to #2 Marblehead, they return with a majority of their talent next season. 

•Melrose’s 4×100 relay team are state champs. The Melrose High girls’ track team earned a Div. 3 state title in the 4×100 relay, thanks to an incredible effort by their runners, sophomore Nora Daley, junior Brooke Barriss, senior Elsa Brodin and sophomore Lucia Seide. The quartet topped the competition with a time of 50.50, edging 2nd place rivals from Tewksbury by less than half a second. 

Boys’ lacrosse (18-2) dominates league, cracks Top 5 lists. The league champion Red Raiders put together the best team to date and finish their regular season 18-1 with the best winning percentage of any team in the division. They enter the Div. 2 North field as the #1 seed. Despite a playoff loss to Reading, three Red Raiders (Matt Rocha, Jack Wells and Cam Rosie) are named All-American and Wells is named League MVP.  

•Boys’ tennis wins 5th straight league title. The reigning Middlesex Freedom League champion Red Raider tennis team earned another league title after finishing their regular season 12-4. They took another win in playoffs with a 5-0 victory over Central Catholic before bowing out against Medford. 

Overall, there was a boat load of success for MHS in their academic year thanks to the hard work of many future Melrose Athletic Hall-of-Famers.

Congratulations to the the Class of 2018 (and underclassmen) on one Super year.