UMass basketball: League-leading, defensive-minded Richmond next for Minutemen

By GARRETT COTE

As has been said for the last three games, the next one marks the UMass men’s basketball team’s most important game to date on the calendar.Every game from here on out – given the current state of the Atlantic 10 – is the most important one.UMass...

High schools: Pioneer boys charge back late to clip Frontier again

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

NORTHFIELD — The Pioneer boys basketball team needed a second-half comeback to defeat Frontier on Friday. When the two Hampshire League South foes got together for the second time in four days on Monday at Messer Gymnasium, the Panthers once again...

The Chiefs have achieved dynasty status with their third Super Bowl title in five years

By DAVE SKRETTA

LAS VEGAS — This was supposed to be the year when the Kansas City Chiefs were vulnerable. Their wide receivers were dropping passes, their offense was committing penalties, Travis Kelce was supposedly getting old and there was no way that Andy Reid...

Nordic ski, alpine ski, MIAA Div. 5 indoor track championships on tap this week 

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The high school sports winter postseason officially kicked off over the weekend, with the Athol, Franklin Tech, Frontier, Mahar and Mohawk Trail wrestling teams competing in their respective sectional championships while Turners Falls had swimmers in...

UMass basketball: Minutemen hold off Rhode Island despite free throw woes 81-79

By JEFF LAJOIE

It seems that no matter what happens during a UMass men’s basketball game, all roads lead to a photo finish in the end.Such was again the case on Sunday at the Mullins Center in Amherst.The Minutemen trailed Rhode Island for almost the entire first...

UMass hockey: Michael Hrabal (35 saves) rises to the occasion again as Minutemen finish sweep of UConn via 3-1 win

With a series against the No. 1 team in the country on deck, the UMass hockey team took care of business over the weekend.After a win on the road Friday night, the Minutemen capped a weekend sweep of UConn with a 3-1 victory on Saturday at the Mullins...

PVIAC Indoor Track Championship: Pioneer’s Louise Flagollet, Mohawk Trail’s Chay Mojallali both win high jump titles

It was a good Saturday night for a pair of Franklin County athletes at the 2024 PVIAC Indoor Track Championships.Pioneer’s Louise Flagollet and Mohawk Trail’s Chay Mojallali captured individual high jump titles at Smith College in...

Western Mass. Division 3 Wrestling Championships: Alex Schreiber captures memorable title at 190 pounds to help Frontier score impressive 5th place finish (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

WILLIAMSTOWN — Following his third pin in as many matches – this one the biggest of them all – Alex Schreiber raised two hands in the air as he stood from the mat on Saturday afternoon.His Frontier teammates erupted, as the senior had just claimed...

Central Mass. Div. 3 Wrestling Championship: Total of six Athol, Mahar wrestlers advance to state meet (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ASHLAND — It was a successful trip for the Athol and Mahar wrestling teams at the MIAA Division 3 Central Massachusetts Championship at Ashland High School on Saturday. With the top four placers in each weight class advancing to the Div. 3 state...

UMass hockey: Michael Hrabal pitches shutout, Minutemen blank UConn 2-0

A pair of third-period goals pushed the UMass hockey team past UConn, 2-0, on Friday night in Storrs, Conn. in the two teams’ first of two matchups this weekend as part of a home-and-home series.Freshman forward Dans Locmelis scored less than three...

H.S. Roundup: Big third quarter lifts Pioneer boys basketball past Frontier (PHOTOS)

Trailing deep into the third quarter on the road in a raucous Goodnow Gymnasium, the Pioneer boys basketball team finally found its footing on Friday night.Frontier held a 23-22 lead at the half on its Senior Night and still held onto a 32-30 lead...

Boys basketball: Greenfield defeats Lenox to take Hampshire League South crown

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — It could have gone one of two ways after the Greenfield boys basketball team suffered its second league loss of the season to Pioneer on Jan. 19. The Green Wave held a second half lead against the defending Hampshire League South...

H.S. Wrestling: Multiple athletes looking to win titles at Central Mass/Western Mass sectionals

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

It’s time for local wrestlers to go out and prove themselves against the best of the best. The wrestling postseason gets underway on Saturday with sectional tournaments. Franklin Tech, Frontier and Mohawk Trail will travel to Williamstown to compete...

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Dave Hastings doing quite the job at Keene State

Good morning!Over the border in New Hampshire, Dave Hastings has the makings of a national champion at Keene State. The Owls are 20-2 overall, 13-0 in the Little East, ranked seventh nationally and are beating opponents by an average score of...

Boston College hiring former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien as head coach

By RALPH D. RUSSO

Bill O’Brien will be the new head coach at Boston College, opting to return to his hometown for a top job instead of taking the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State he accepted just last month, a person with direct knowledge of the move told...

Girls basketball: Mohawk Trail doubles up Smith Voc for fifth victory (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

BUCKLAND — The Mohawk Trail girls basketball team came out firing against Smith Vocational on Thursday night.Despite it being Senior Night, the Warriors kept their emotions in check from the opening tip — as they raced out to an 11-3 lead and never...

Alpine ski: Mohawk Trail’s Emmy Sisum wins final PVIAC regular season meet

It was fitting that the final PVIAC alpine ski regular season race of the season saw a Mohawk Trail skier stand atop the girls’ podium on Thursday.The Warriors had the fastest skier in all seven regular season races, capped off by a first-place finish...

Boys basketball: After winning first league title in 22 years, Athol still has a lot left to play for this season

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

For 22 years, Athol boys basketball players have had to look up at the banners on the wall at Mallet Gymnasium and see that the last league title the Bears won came in 2002. Head coach Brian Patria, a former Athol basketball player himself who won...

UMass hockey: Weekend Hockey East set with UConn on tap for Minutemen

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

While the UMass hockey team’s defense has been on point in its last three games since surrendering four goals to Merrimack, the Minutemen have hit a cold spell on the offensive end of the ice. UMass tallied twice to knock off Northeastern and followed...

H.S. Hockey: Westfield scores late to defeat Greenfield, 4-3 (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — It could have gotten away from the Greenfield hockey team against Westfield on Wednesday. The Bombers couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game, popping two goals in during the opening five minutes of action. When the Green Wave...