RallyNorth.net

HAVERHILL - With as patient an offensive gameplan as you'll find, Whittier Tech pounds you with rhythmic monotony.

There was no such patience on defense yesterday, with the Wildcats facing "the game," in the Commonwealth Large division against Shawsheen Tech.

Closing out the season with a 25-22, 25-19, 17-25, 25-19 victory over Shawsheen Valley to improve to 15-5, the Whittier girls vollyball team has qualified for postseason play. Kendra Hobbs led the way with 21 assists, 16 service points and three aces, and Jordan Alper contributed 15 kills and two blocks.

 BEVERLY - Saturday's game with Commonwealth Conference large powerhouse Shawsheen Tech was supposed to be Manchester Essex's first big test of the season.

The Hornets had not beaten the Rams since 1999, and many of those losses were not even close.

North Reading tallied goals from Lauren Pawlowski, Alessandra LeFort and Kara LeFort to down previously undefeated Shawsheen 3-0. The Hornets peppered Shawsheen with 26 shots on goal to improve to 6-1-2.

In a game in which Greater Lawrence goalkeeper Jazmin Patricino recorded an astonishing 23 saves, brothers Christian and Alejandro Cano came up big for the home team. Christian scored a pair of goals to salvage the tie for the Reggies, while Alejandro assisted on one of his brother's goals.

North Reading instituted its own version of March Madness a few days early, notching a tourney upset its own as the No. 12 Hornets toppled No. 5 Shawsheen, 59-53 in Division 3 North first round play.

The Crusaders inched closer to a Catholic Central League championship with the victory over Shawsheen. Bishop Fenwick (10-5-1) needs four points in the final two games of the season to clinch the title.

The seeds had Andrik Cruz primed for a third straight sectional final disappointment.

Cruz would have none of that. The Methuen High senior, wrestling at 145 pounds, made his third North championship try a winning one, heading up an area contingent of two champs and 15 places moving on to the Division 1 North championships in Bridgewater next weekend.

How do you spell dynasty, again?

In Commonwealth Conference wrestling, it's definitely spelled R-E-G-G-I-E-S as Greater Lawrence proved once again yesterday at Whittier Tech by winning its seventh straight CAC meet. The Reggies have also won eight consecutive CAC regular-season titles.

Methuen senior John Sughrue didn't get the match he would have preferred, but he had plenty of consolation yesterday at the Methuen Invitational.

Because he moved up a weight class to 130 pounds this year, there was no showdown with Salem star Trevor Dearden, but both Sughrue and Dearden came away big winners.