For Cohasset, title game

was just beyond reach

Johanna Brophy, senior goalie at Cohasset High School, defends the net during an overtime loss to Newburyport during Tuesday night's Division 3 state semifinal. (David Kamerman/Globe Staff)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / November 23, 2008

The first time the Newburyport girls' soccer team kicked the ball over the left shoulder of Cohasset goalie Johanna Brophy in overtime of Tuesday night's Division 3 state semifinal, it banged safely off the elbow of the goal's frame.

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When the ball was booted back to the same spot in the second overtime, the shot sailed inside the elbow and just out of reach of Brophy's fingertips for a 1-0 decision.

Suddenly, Brophy and her six senior classmates watched their final season abruptly end with 22 seconds remaining in the overtime session.

The 5-foot-2 senior played just nine games this season. She missed 11 games after literally having her teeth knocked in during the season opener against Notre Dame Academy of Hingham on Sept. 4. She resumed playing on Oct. 21 only to suffer a concussion three days later, once again, against Notre Dame.

"This was their senior year, this was their big hurrah - but she basically missed the whole season," her mother, Ann, said Tuesday night. "It wasn't clear she'd make the playoffs."

After the game, Cohasset teammates consoled one another with hugs that hardly staved off tears. All Brophy's teammates could do was tell her that it wasn't her fault; that heroics of Newburyport junior Hannah McCormick were made possible by an entire defensive letdown.

"As a goalie, you always feel like it's your fault," Brophy said after making six saves. "In this type of situation you always say 'What should you have done? Could you have done something better? Should I have come out? Should I have stayed back farther?'

"In the past when we lost, we always said, 'We have next year.' This is my last year."

Cohasset coach Debbie Beal reiterated that there was nothing more for her team or Brophy to do.

This season, Beal guided the Skippers to their best finish in her 11-year tenure as coach. It also marked the first time the team beat South Shore League rival Norwell, which defeated Cohasset in last season's South Sectional final. This year, third-seeded Cohasset (17-4-3) ousted fourth-seeded Norwell 4-1 in the South final.

Brophy was on the sidelines when Cohasset beat Norwell in their first meeting of the season. Norwell came out on top in their next meeting in October, but Brophy helped beat the rivals when it counted most in the Skippers' 4-2 victory in the South Sectional final. She had returned from a concussion injury two games earlier, making 11 saves against East Bridgewater in a 4-1 quarterfinal win.

"It hasn't been exactly the greatest year for her, but she obviously hasn't lost her touch," Beal said of Brophy after the 2-0 South semifinal shutout against Bourne.

"Even when she was out for those 400 games, at least that's what it felt like, she was right there with Charlotte [Malone] to help her learn the ropes."

In Brophy's absence, the junior keeper recorded nine shutouts and allowed only seven goals in 11 games. Brophy allowed seven goals in nine games and posted two shutouts. Brophy has expressed interest in playing Division 2 or 3 college soccer, but Beal said Brophy is a great student and could choose to focus on academics.

"She's too small to be a D1 goalie but probably has a heart bigger than any D1 goalie," Beal said.

Brophy wasn't the only member of the Skippers' senior squad to be shortchanged this season. Playmaking senior captain Sarah Coggins left Tuesday night's game with about 27 minutes left in the first half with a recurring kneecap injury.

"That hurt," Beal said of Coggins, who had six goals and seven assists this season. "I'm thinking to myself 'We just gotta pull this off, just score, and get her a few days' rest.' "

The goal never came, but the Skippers' healing process started immediately: The team stopped for an Italian dinner in East Boston.

"The kids were able to sit down, thaw out, and be kids," Beal said. "The more we talked, the more we realized we'll get over it. It's not easy to swallow but we'll do it. We were one of 12 teams left playing. To be one of 12, that's good."

As for Brophy's outlook during the team's last supper: "She was all smiles and laughing," Beal said Wednesday. "She couldn't do anything [about the goal]. She has nothing to hang her head about."

Globe South Sports

A double hat trick

Memory lingers of a 6-goal game

In addition to his gifts on the soccer pitch, where he scored 21 goals this season, North Quincy's Shane Regan carries a 4.0 grade point average. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / November 16, 2008

Ten minutes of play elapsed in the mid-October match and Shane Regan's work seemed to be finished for the night. The North Quincy senior forward had already pocketed one goal beyond a hat trick against Randolph, and his coach, Rich Hanlon, decided it was enough for one evening.

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'His 23 assists shows that he got the ball to people and was not holding the ball himself,' says coach Rich Hanlon (inset) of Shane Regan.

UNSELFISH

"It wasn't like we wanted to beat up on some weak team," Hanlon said, recalling the 9-1 victory over a one-win Randolph team. "He scored his first four goals in 5 1/2 minutes, including on a penalty kick, and then I took him out.

"The opposing coach was like 'What's wrong with him?' So I put him back in and he scored two more."

Yes, Regan did in fact score six goals that night in Randolph.

"It was just a good game overall; I got great passes to score goals," said Regan, who carries a 4.0 grade point average and hopes to settle on Providence, Holy Cross, Franklin Pierce University, or Amherst in the coming weeks. "It wasn't a single effort."

Regan led the Red Raiders to their first postseason berth in nine seasons and their first playoff victory in 20 years before the run ended last Sunday with a loss to fourth-seeded Dartmouth in the Division 1 South bracket.

It was also flattering to know Randolph's coach wanted him out there, too.

"Knowing they wanted to challenge themselves against you lets you know you're doing something right," the 17-year-old said. "It's always good to know you're doing something good."

Hanlon knew he had something great on his hands from the moment he saw Regan play his freshman year. Hanlon, who has coached Quincy Youth Soccer for 24 years, didn't recognize Regan because the youngster played club soccer from an early age. The coach couldn't believe how well Regan controlled the ball, for an American kid. What he didn't know at the time is that Irish blood runs through Regan's veins. Both his parents are citizens of Ireland, and Regan has dual citizenship himself.

The family's yearly trip to their homeland is just about the only break Regan takes from training. His club team, FC Blazers, even practices twice a week at 7 a.m. throughout the winter at Boston University's Nickerson Field.

While Hanlon was immediately impressed with Regan's dribbling, Regan didn't truly feel confident in his skills until his sophomore season. That's when he joined the regional Olympic Development team and realized he was just as fast, if not faster, than players from warmer climates.

"Everyone says California kids are the best, but when you go out there and play against them, it proves otherwise," Regan said.

After scoring one goal as a freshman, Regan netted 12 as a sophomore and 15 last year. That total jumped to 21 goals this season to go with his 42 career assists.

The Red Raiders, not known as a soccer power by any stretch, finally surrounded Regan with a supporting cast this season, including German exchange student Silas DeBus, who had 8 goals and 7 assists.

"He didn't have to do it himself," Hanlon said of Regan. "He knew if he passed the ball, he'd get a pass back. His 23 assists shows that he got the ball to people and was not holding the ball himself. He's good when he holds the ball himself, but he was getting people in position to score."

The team also saw an improvement in the win column, finishing 11-6-3 after going 6-10-2 last year.

Both goals in North Quincy's 3-2 loss to Dartmouth last Sunday came off Regan's foot. Regan also had a goal and an assist in the No. 13-seeded Red Raiders' preliminary win against Marshfield last Friday.

"Everyone put down a W before they played us," Regan said of the school's soccer reputation before this season. "We showed we could play with them."

It didn't even seem like North would make the playoffs when they trailed Rockland 2-1 late in the season. That was before Regan put a shot in the top corner of the net from 18 yards out on the way to the 3-2 victory that clinched a postseason berth.

"To me, those goals were the beauties because they were so crucial," Hanlon said.

What make's Regan's senior season even more incredible was that he played three-quarters of it with a pulled tendon in his right instep and was forced to shoot left-footed.

"And he still scored all those goals," Hanlon said.

Still, Hanlon never imagined a healthy Regan would score six goals in a game, which the coach believes to be a school record but isn't certain about any state records beyond that. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Eastern Mass Soccer Coaches Association don't track such stats.

Nevertheless, the memory will always be recorded in Regan's mind, where he'll be able to recall it on demand at a moment's notice, especially his fourth goal.

"I picked the ball up on our own half, dribbled down the middle of the field, and shot 20 yards out and it went in off the left post," he said. "Once I started scoring, confidence started coming. I wish I could've stayed out there longer."

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

Globe South Sports

It's a passion that runs in their

family

Coaching Kateses a fixture at meets

steve haines/globe staffCoaches Livvy and Rick Kates even met while they were working at a running camp 12 years ago. (steve haines/globe staff)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / November 9, 2008

Livvy Kates leaned over the rail of her backyard deck in Pembroke on a recent Sunday afternoon, looking below to where her husband, Rick, was chasing their 3-year-old daughter, Emma, up their wooden play structure and down its plastic slide.

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The Kates family is always on the run.

A calendar hanging on their refrigerator, emblazoned with notations reading "XC meet" in red marker, illustrates just what a power couple they are within Massachusetts running circles. Both are science teachers who also coach - she at Hingham High School and he at Notre Dame Academy. But beyond that, Livvy and Rick work or coach at nearly every big cross-country, indoor, and outdoor track meet in Eastern Massachusetts. That includes yesterday's EMass cross-country meet and this Saturday's All-State Meet at Franklin Park.

"Most people's calendars go around holidays," said Rick, 42. "Ours goes around meets."

They also work or coach about 90 percent of the meets sponsored by the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association.

"They have a child, which made it a little more difficult, but it doesn't seem to be stopping them," said Frank Mooney, executive director of the track coaches' group. "She's a meet director in the spring and coaches, teaches, and tries to maintain a mother's role.

"They are very organized and upbeat people. To have the kids around those kinds of people is extremely important to us."

Coaching cross country the last six years at Hingham, where she has taught biology for 11 years, Livvy has guided the Harbormen to three league titles. Led by senior Shauna McNiff, who finished fourth in last year's All State meet, the team was ranked 14th in Division 2 by the track coaches' group as of Nov. 2.

McNiff is "about the only one I can't keep up with," said the 34-year-old Livvy, who ran cross country for Plymouth South High School and later at Springfield College.

She recently ran the Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon and has completed three Boston Marathons.

Rick's running career started at Xaverian Brothers in Westwood after he was told he was too slow to play football. It ended 2 1/2 years ago when he fell off a ladder and injured a hip socket.

"I should've died. I was pretty lucky I wasn't paralyzed," said the Dorchester native, who ran track at Wentworth Institute of Technology. "My running days are over."

The running program at Notre Dame couldn't be doing better under Rick's tutelage. The physics teacher has attracted an average of 125 girls per year to the outdoor track team, which last spring won its 20th league title and seventh MIAA team sportsmanship award for its community service. The all-girls school also might just have the state's nicest track facility that doesn't also have uprights in its infield.

Rick was director at the first track event held at the long-delayed Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. "We didn't realize how much work it was, that first meet," Rick said. "Anything that could go wrong did go wrong, but on the other hand, everyone was so excited to be in the building."

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Since then, he's embraced the technology track, learning to use complicated computer programs and timing systems that replace stop watches and eliminate human error. But that means tedious hours of entering data into performance lists before big meets, and tabulating the results during and after meets.

"A guy like me couldn't sit in that chair. I just don't have that technology background," Mooney said. "I've never taken the time when it comes to technology. I leave it to him and a couple other guys and let them run it. We're lucky to have him."

A small office in the Kates household, which Livvy's mother has dubbed "Man Town," is devoted to Rick's laptops and other equipment used at track meets. Lately, however, Rick has risen up the ranks, and finds himself doing less time at the results table. This year he was named director for the MIAA Division 2 outdoor state meet.

The couple's lives are so entrenched in running that they even met while working at a running camp in New Hampshire 12 years ago. Her brother Seth, a former cross-country runner at Stanford University, worked at the camp with Rick. In 1996, she was a last-minute replacement for a camp counselor who couldn't work.

"Sad - running camp," Livvy said. "Yup, that's how we met."

They were married in 2001 and moved to Pembroke five years ago.

Emma often tags along to practice and meets, getting as much of a thrill out of leaping onto the high-jump mats as she does hanging out with the girls. And while Rick and Livvy say they will never push their daughter into running, they are pretty happy with their built-in set of baby sitters.

"Everyone talks about pro athletes being role models. I'd rather have Shauna McNiff than someone in the pro ranks," Rick said. "What better example?"

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

Norwell just misses its first football victory

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By Justin Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Nov 10, 2008 @ 01:27 AM

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QUINCY —

A night after missing his first win of the season by a point against East Bridgewater on Friday, Norwell coach Jim Sullivan watched his next opponent, Cohasset, nearly shock Abington on Saturday night.

After losing to East Bridgewater, 28-27, on Friday night, marking Norwell’s unprecedented eighth loss of what has been an injury-riddled season, Sullivan saw Cohasset almost upset undefeated Abington. Cohasset (5-4) cut the score to 14-13 with four minutes to go but had a pass intercepted on the 2-point conversion by Kristian LaPointe, who ran it back all the way to give Abington (9-0) two points of its own. LaPointe scored both of Abington’s TDs.

“I was very impressed with how hard they played (Abington), that took some guts going for the win instead of the tie,” said Sullivan, who takes his team to Cohasset on at 7 p.m. on Friday night, said yesterday.

Cohasset coach Pete Afanasiw said he decided to go for the win because he figured they’d get the ball back. Nevertheless, he was pleased with his team’s effort, especially tailback Dana Valentine, who scored both TDs.

“The kids played very hard, played one of best games all year,” he said. “It was Abington’s Homecoming and they were on an emotional high. We were able to match their emotion.”

Norwell’s game came down to the wire as well after it lost a 27-14 third-quarter league and their ninth straight game of a season in which they have seen their team suffer 14 injuries. East Bridgewater pulled ahead 28-27, on Cory McLaughlin’s 45-yard TD reception from Kyle O’Brien. Norwell marched the ball into the red zone on its final possession but fumbled the ball away near the goal line.

Senior running back Jamie Waters, who scored on an 88-yard run, had eight carries for 142 yards two TDs while A.J. DeBenedictis had 14 carries for 78 yards and 14 tackles.

“It was close it was one of those back and forth games,” Sullivan said. “As I said to the kids at the end I was so very proud. They are still coming to the field every game and trying as hard as they can. As the coaches we all saw so much improvement in all aspects of the game, blocking, tackling, hitting and all of that. We’re looking at little victories. The kids are still working very hard, that’s all I can ask.

“We haven’t got through something like this. It’s learning experience for all of us. We certainly have to look at ourselves and have to reassess all we are doing. Of course it gives us pause to wonder if we are doing things right. It’s humbling. That’s a word I use all the time. It’s as humbling an experience for the coaching staff as it is for the players.”

Mustangs go bowling

Kevin Macdonald only had to make one call Sunday morning to inform his entire team that they had qualified for the second bowl game in his tenure at Milton Academy.

“I called Josh Scott and everyone seemed to be at his house, so it was one call,” Macdonald said of his senior running back, who was hosting the team for a sleepover when he received the news that the Mustangs will play King Low Heywood Thomas of Stamford, Conn., at 1 p.m. on Saturday in East Hartford.

“He was just psyched because I had led them to believe it probably wasn’t going to work out. That’s what I was thinking” said Macdonald, who will bring the Mustangs to their second bowl since he began coaching them in 1996, despite registering four one-loss seasons since in that span.

The Mustangs (7-1) closed out the regular season with a 37-14 victory against rival Nobles & Greenough on Saturday and then put their fate in the hands of the New England Prep Schools Athletic Associations. But Macdonald felt they had only an outside shot at a bowl because Buckingham, Browne & Nichols and Lawrence, both undefeated, are slated to play a makeup game Saturday after the original date was postponed.

NEPSAC officials adecided to have six bowls this year and include the Mustangs.

“I think they bent over backward to make sure we got in because of that,” Macdonald said, referring to the fact that it has been so long since his team has gone to a bowl.

Milton Academy’s last bowl was a 21-20 victory against rival Thayer Academy in 1996, when both teams entered the game undefeated. Macdonald said the team went to its only other bowl the previous year and lost to Holderness of New Hampshire, 42-14.

Belmont Hill will play its bowl against Suffield Academy on Friday at home.

John Mackay of NEPSAC’s post season committee said the sixth bowl allowed them to get every team in New England prep leagues that was undefeated or had one loss into a bowl game.

“So it worked out perfectly,” he said. “We all felt this is special circumstance. We’re not gonna do it again.”

A losing proposition

A 33-13 loss to St. Sebastian’s on Saturday afternoon marked the final and eighth loss of the season for Thayer Academy, the worst record in decades for a school founded in 1877. According athletic department records, which date back to 1976 and yearbook records dating back to 1959, Thayer has not had a winless season since 1959.

“We’ve had a very successful program, I would say overall,” said Thayer coach Jeff Toussaint, who took over the program in 2004.

“The 1964 team was undefeated, untied and un-scored upon. There have been a lot of good teams through ’60s and 1970s. When I played there my four years we only lost one game total from 1978 to ’81. We were always strong in between those years.

“Hopefully we’ll have a better campaign next fall when we recover from this.”

A couple bright spots for the Tigers this year included quarterback junior Paul Monahan, who set a single-game school record with 149 yards on Saturday and senior wide receiver Andrell Hardaway who also set a school record Saturday with 67 yards on six catches.

Monahan finished the season with 85 completions in eight games while Hardaway had 37 catches on the year.

Another silver lining was that plenty of young guys got a chance to play.

“I hope they can see what they can do, what needs to be done in order to be successful,” Toussaint said. “A lot of seniors admitted on senior night that many of them didn’t work hard enough in the off season and they expressed regret about that. I want to young kids to take note of that.

Flyer pride

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Mark Fisette/Daily News correspondent

Framingham's Aaron Kanarek (21) gets a hug from Christopher Reuter after scoring the lone goal in the Flyers' 1-0 win over Medford.

By Justin A. Rice/Daily News correspondent

MetroWest Daily News

Posted Nov 09, 2008 @ 10:04 PM

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FRAMINGHAM —

Saturday morning and afternoon combined to make for a good day for Framingham's soccer program.

Seeded fifth in their respective tournaments, both the boys and girls advanced to this week's Division 1 quarterfinals after hosting a doubleheader at Framingham High School.

While the boys sweated out a 1-0 victory against Medford, the girls took care of business early and often to send Salem packing with a 5-1 loss.

"It's always nice to get in the board early, it's a sigh of relief," girls coach Stacy Freda said after her team improved to 15-2-2. "These types of games could go 80 minutes and be a 0-0 game. It's nice to get one on the board and know that we can find a way to score and hope that the flood gates open up afterwards."

That's exactly what happened after sophomore forward Alexandra Doody scored the opening goal at the 9:10 mark of the first session off an assist from senior midfielder Samantha Zetlin.

Zetlin also scored a goal of her own on an assist from junior forward Stephanie Leonard at 15:39 of the second half to make the score 4-1. That came after the Flyers got an unassisted goal from senior defender Julie Stabile at the beginning of the second half, and sophomore forward Isabela De Souza scored in the 28th minute of the first half on an assist from Doody.

The final - and most exciting - score of the day came from senior reserve Kelly Power, who netted her first career goal in the game's final minutes. After finding an opening at midfield and giving the ball up to freshman Rebecca Rees, Power sprinted 50 yards to the net and put away Rees's cross that sailed in from the far left corner.

"I just finished it, she made a good cross," said Power, who returned to the team this fall after both her legs were broken on April 7, 2007 when she was hit by a drunk driver.

She got the game ball from Freda.

Both the boys and girls teams will host No. 13 seeds this week, with the girls playing Andover on either Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon and the boys meeting Everett early this week as well.

In the boys game, senior forward Aaron Kanarek scored the only goal of the game, his fifth of the season, at 27:16 of the second half. Kanarek credited junior midfielder Marlon Ramalho, who collected the assist, for keeping the ball to the outside before feeding the ball.

"Keeping the ball outside is our strength, I knew he was gonna dribble it outside," Kanarek said. "I got it on the 18, I and just said, 'Oh God don't mess up,' and I slotted it in the lower left corner. That gave us the momentum with 15 minutes left and I thought we were gonna come through."

Framingham coach Dan Avery said even though his squad bounced Medford from the tournament for the third straight year, he doesn't feel like they have their number.

"It's a knock-down, drag-out fight every time we play," he said. "We were sweating it out - they're a good team. They are a tough first-round draw. We've seen them so many times it's almost like they're in our league. You'd rather draw a team you don't know."

The Flyers (13-0-6), who practiced penalty kicks all week, were just glad Kanarek prevented them from having to use those freshly-honed skills.

"I'm a senior," Kanarek said. "It could've been my last game if it didn't go in."

Kanarek came out of the game after his goal and did not return. And while he was swarmed by his teammates' congratulations on the sideline, it wasn't long before he was humbled by Avery.

"Aaron, you got the winning goal," the coach shouted to his star of the day after addressing his team, "bring the water back in."

Questions remain about Copley plan

Architect must address BRA, public concerns

An artist's rendering of the residential tower proposed for Copley Place is shown in this view from the Longfellow Bridge on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. (Elkus Manfredi Architects/Steve Dunwell Photography)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / November 9, 2008

A futuristic 47-story glass residential tower - the final piece of Copley Place - could soon reach into the sky above an expanded Neiman Marcus store, but first architects have to answer the public's comments and the BRA's questions on the project.

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The project, now moving into a new phase of the permitting process, would be the city's tallest residential building.

Besides the full-service luxury condo tower, tentatively called the Residences at Copley Place, the development would include a 50 percent larger Neiman Marcus store and an enclosed winter garden on the open plaza at Dartmouth and Stuart streets.

Late last month, Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston received a report from the Boston Redevelopment Authority outlining community feedback and asking for additional information about the project, after giving notice to the agency in June of its intent to expand the urban shopping gallery, which was built in the 1980s over the Massachusetts Turnpike and bought by Simon Property Group Inc. about five years ago.

"We have received the official project scoping and determination, which compiles all of the [public's] letters and concerns the BRA may have," said Rob Halter, an architect from Elkus Manfredi. "We're just starting to go through it, and we'll address all the comments in it."

Of the roughly 30 letters included in the BRA document, 10 expressed support and 10 were opposed to the project as it was presented during a July 15 public meeting. Proponents applaud the 250 to 270 permanent and 1,700 construction jobs along with the project's modern design, including replacing Neiman Marcus's barren granite walls in the Southwest Corridor Park with a glass facade.

Detractors say the project would congest an already tightly packed neighborhood and the 569-foot building would create wind tunnels and cast shadows on Copley Square and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

"We believe that a tower height of nearly 600 feet will have unacceptable environmental effects on the surrounding public, residential, and commercial areas," states a letter to the BRA from the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. "This represents our single strongest objection to the plan for the expansion at Copley Place."

The BRA also requested additional wind and shadow studies. A qualitative wind study has already determined that the tower wouldn't create "dangerous or unacceptable winds," and an initial shadow study suggests Copley Square would only be shaded by the tower during the winter for a couple of hours each day. But the BRA wants to know if the tower would cast shadows on any public open spaces for more than two hours from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on any day from March 21 to Sept. 21.

Architects hope to fulfill the BRA's requests by early next year and complete the permitting process in six to nine months, break ground a year from now, and open for business three years afterward.

In the meantime, architects and developers have already tweaked the project's original plan with help from the Community Advisory Committee. The 11-member board consisting of South End and Back Bay residents and public officials, known as the CAC, is chaired by Judith Wright.

"A building like that affects all of us," Wright said. "It affects my neighborhood a lot, so I wanted to be able to be a voice of the neighborhood."

The most significant result of the CAC's eight meetings was setting back the tower's entrance at Stuart and Dartmouth streets from the original 7 feet from the curb to 15 feet.

"The tower itself was pulled back and rotated so it doesn't sit directly out on the corner," Halter said. "They were concerned that having the tower so close to the street would just be too imposing."

The southwest corner of Stuart and Dartmouth streets will be the site of a glassed-in winter garden, replacing the paved entry plaza to Neiman Marcus. But the CAC thought that it looked too much like a lobby, Halter said. To address that, Halter's group incorporated softer materials and textures, increased the size and density of planters, and are looking into incorporating a flower shop or coffee cart.

"The types of things that invite people in to sit down and take a break whether you're shopping or not," Halter said.

The CAC, which will meet at 8 a.m. on Nov. 19 in the fourth floor conference room at Copley Place, is gearing up to tackle issues concerning wind and the feasibility of adding new retail space on Dartmouth Street. Wright said the CAC will meet at least eight more times before making its recommendations to the BRA.

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

EYES ON THE PRIZE

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THE PATRIOT LEDGER

Duxbury's Shane DiBona poses for his All-Scholastic photo following his junior season.

By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Nov 05, 2008 @ 02:37 AM

Last update Nov 05, 2008 @ 02:41 AM

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DUXBURY — Anyone dialing Shane DiBona’s cell phone will hear a recording that says “Please enjoy the music while your party is reached” before hearing a brief, generic sounding, college fight song and then the voice of Duxbury High School’s first ever Big 10 football recruit.

“I actually don’t know whose fight song it is,” the 6-2, 225-pound running back with 4.7 speed in the 40-yard-dash said. “(My brother) put it on. I think it might be Indiana’s.”

While the tune may not ring a bell with DiBona, it does provide a clue as to where he may play next fall: the University of Iowa or Boston College.

The Hawkeyes, who want him as a fullback, have extended a scholarship offer, and DiBona said the Eagles, who see him as a linebacker, have courted him for three years.

‘‘I pretty much have my mind set on going to Iowa,’’ said DiBona, who is listed as the 21st-best fullback prospect in the nation by ESPN.com and rated higher at inside linebacker by rivals.com. ‘‘Whenever they call me, I’ll end up committing.

‘‘If (BC) makes me an offer, I’d have to think about it, but as of now that’s where I’m at. I’m happy with that. The first time I went out there (Iowa City), it was unbelievable. I can definitely see myself out there. It’s a lot nicer knowing where I’m going to go. The whole recruiting thing is hectic.”

“I don’t think he ever thought of himself as a being recruited by a Division 1 team. He was humbled,” DiBona’s father, Al, said. “You don’t hear of many Division 1 players coming out of this area. When it happened, he was thrilled with it. It just kind of opened up the whole world for him as far as what could happen.”

After DiBona collected 1,029 yards and 14 touchdowns on 120 carries his junior season, despite playing on a sprained ankle for much of the year, he sent out film to about 20 schools and was contacted within a week by Iowa, which wanted to know if he was serious about playing in the Midwest.

DiBona, however, didn’t realize how good he was until he scored three rushing touchdowns, including the game winner, against Xaverian the first week of this season. The game has already become somewhat legendary in Green Dragon lore. Trailing 24-14 with six minutes left, Duxbury dashed off a quick score before forcing Xaverian to go three-and-out. Duxbury converted a 33-yard pass on fourth and 9 before DiBona’s 5-yard TD scamper secured the 27-24 victory with 41 seconds remaining.

DiBona has been frustrated by teams overloading the box with as many as nine players, but he has still posted 100 carries for 950 yards and 12 TDs, helping Duxbury to an 8-0 record. The Green Dragons share the top spot in the Keenan Division of the Patriot League with Silver Lake and both teams will put their 4-0 league marks on the line Friday night when they tangle in Duxbury.

“People write a lot about you, and you gotta back it up,” DiBona said. “I felt like I could live up to it. I’ve been to (Division 1) games and I’ve watched a ton of them on TV. Given the chance, I felt like I could live up to that level, but coming out of where we come from, it’s kind of tough to get noticed.”

That all changed after DiBona logged 155 yards on 24 carries against Xaverian.

“I didn’t know what to expect because Duxbury didn’t even play teams of that caliber,” DiBona said. “The first drive we drove right down on them and it clicked, I began to say ‘Wow we can actually do that. Wow, I am a Division 1 player.”

Sunday, Nov. 02, 2008

Spiller delivers knockout blow

By JUSTIN A. RICE - Special to The State

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — C.J. Spiller nearly was knocked out of Saturday’s game. He ended up delivering the knockout blow.

Spiller's 40-yard reception on a screen pass with Clemson leading 17-0 early in the third quarter Saturday looked like it would be go a long way in sewing up the victory for the Tigers. That didn’t turn out to be the case.

Spiller was knocked out of bounds at the 21, and the play was negated due to a holding penalty. The junior running back stumbled across the field and looked like he wouldn’t make it to the Clemson sideline.

• Story: Tigers make gains with reverse route

"I thought it was his hamstring, because that's what's been hurt, but it ended up he just got knocked a little cuckoo, but he shook it off," Clemson interim coach Dabo Swinney said.

Did he ever.

Spiller returned to the game, despite an announcement by the PA announcer that he would not. In the fourth quarter, the junior set a school record, and his long kickoff return set up the winning score to give Swinney his first victory, 27-21.

"They finally let him go back in there, and boy, oh, boy, the game ball ought to go to them trainers,” Swinney said. “Twenty-eight was the difference down the stretch for sure."

With Spiller on the sideline, Boston College linebacker Mike McLaughlin returned an interception 30 yards to set up the Eagles' first touchdown, which cut the lead 17-7 with 9:44 to play in the third quarter.

Re-enter Spiller. He had two receptions at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The second one allowed him to set the Clemson record for receiving yards in a game by a running back. Spiller had 105 to eclipse the previous record of 100, set by Jackie Culvert in 1950.

Spiller was not done.

After Boston College grabbed a 21-17 lead on Brandon Robinson’s 15-yard touchdown reception, Spiller returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards. That set up Clemson’s game-winning touchdown, a 4-yard catch by Aaron Kelly with 7:10 remaining.

"I knew they were trying to kick it over there to Jamie (Harper), so we had been working on switching (positions) all week," said Spiller, who finished with 62 yards rushing on eight carries and had six receptions. "I just tried to use my speed as much as possible. ... Jamie made a good block up front to spring me loose, and I just tried to do the rest."

Spiller, who missed the Georgia Tech game two weeks ago with an injured hamstring, said he had no doubt he would return from the injury Saturday.

"If my head was still hurting, I would've told them I was ready to go. I was over there still reading the signals that they were calling plays on," he said. "Sometimes you have to play with a little pain."

Saturday, he was a pain for Boston College.

Springfield's Vinny Del Negro enjoys

nostalgic time in Boston as new coach of

Bulls

by The Republican Sports Desk

Friday October 31, 2008, 9:58 PM

Celtics 96, Bulls 80 Box Score | Photos | Blog

By JUSTIN A. RICE

BOSTON - It wasn't Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, but Vinny Del Negro was glad to be home.

"I've been to a lot of Celtics games growing up and I was at the Celtics' win over the Phoenix Suns in triple overtime," the Chicago Bulls rookie coach reminisced before meeting his home state team Friday night at TD Banknorth Garden. "There's been a lot of great games here, a lot of great basketball history, and that's why they have 17 banners up there."

The Springfield native and graduate of Suffield Academy became Chicago's 17th coach in franchise history in June and had dinner with family and friends on Thursday night before coaching his second NBA game in Boston.

"It's nice obviously to see my parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, high school coach," Del Negro said. "I grew up with the Celtics, I grew up coming to a lot of games at the Garden, so it's a great night."

As it turns out, Del Negro is also well connected to the other team that played three overtimes on that fateful night in 1976. He played the final two seasons of his NBA career in Phoenix before retiring in 2002. Then Del Negro spent three seasons as a color commentator for the Suns and another three in their front office before taking the Chicago job.

Del Negro won his coaching debut 108-95 on Tuesday night against Milwaukee, a team led by the previous Chicago coach, Scott Skiles, who Del Negro played 38 games for with the Suns.

"I feel comfortable," Del Negro said of being on the sidelines, "but we have a lot of games, and it just kind of started."

While they might have a rookie in the coach's box, Bulls assistants Del Harris, 71, and Bernie Bickerstaff, 64, have 26-plus years head coaching experience combined.

"He has a great staff around him, and I guarantee he'll learn every day as a coach,"Chicago general manager John Paxson told the Chicago Tribune recently. "I think our guys will be real receptive to the way he goes about teaching and coaching."

The coaching staff has its work cut out to turn around a team that won only 33 games last year despite sweeping Miami in the first round of the playoffs the previous season. And the Bulls have been banged up early, too, with veteran guard Larry Hughes injuring his right shoulder. Another challenge will be motivating fourth-year guard Ben Gordon, who is said to be unhappy after failing to land a long-term contract.

Chicago is also young. Gordan, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Aaron Gray, Thabo Sefolosha, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah all are 25 or younger. But Noah said it helps that they are all in it together with their new coach.

"It is his first time doing itm but everyone on the team understands that he's about the right things, so I think people like playing for him," said the former Florida Gator who won back-to-back NCAA championships. "He's somebody who relates to the players very well - he's a people's coach."

Del Negro said his transition to coaching was made easier by picking the brain of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, among others. The two played together for San Antonio in the mid-1990s. Del Negro has also played with Danny Ainge and Ray Allen during his 11-year NBA career in which he averaged 9.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game after being drafted by Sacramento in the second round out of North Carolina State in 1988.

"So to come back and see those guys is great, I'm just happy with the success last year of all those guys," said Del Negro, who doesn't get back to Springfield as much as he'd like because his family mostly lives on the South Shore now.

He also doesn't debate Travis Best about who is Springfield's best basketball product.

"No, no he's a lot younger," the 42-year-old said. "I got bigger things to worry about right now."