Three high school sports takeaways, including commitments to Duke, West Virginia, and Providence

Boston Globe

03-07-2025

Team Massachusetts is helmed by Braintree coach
Bill O'Connell
and assisted by BC High's
Steve Healy
, Walpole's
Chris Costello
, and Blackstone Valley Tech's
Mike Denise
.
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:
The roster:
Mac Bianchi
(Nobles),
Matt Blanusa
(Dexter Southfield),
Max Boehm
(Wellesley),
Owen Byrnes
(Dexter Southfield),
Alexander Cantwell
(Dexter Southfield),
Chase Edgar
(Austin Prep),
Morrie Fried
(Pittsfield),
Brett Gallo
(St. Sebastian's),
Luke Joyce
(Braintree),
Quincy Kerr
(IMG),
Bradley McCaffery
(Austin Prep),
Ryan Moreschi
(Austin Prep),
Braden Place
(Roxbury Latin),
James Rabuse
(Wahconah),
Nick Ranaldi
(Austin Prep),
Nolan Rappoli
(Xaverian),
Ryan Ruggiero
(Winchendon),
Brian Sao
(Belmont Hill),
Connor Secrist
(St. John's Shrewsbury), and
Andrew Shute
(Bishop Feehan).
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In addition, four Massachusetts players were selected for the National High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Region 1 team, which includes New England and New York.
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Brayden Mercier
, a senior pitcher for St. John's (Shrewsbury);
Matt Stuart
, a senior pitcher for Chelmsford;
Paul McCarthy
, a senior pitcher for Xaverian; and
Randen May
, a senior infielder for Bishop Feehan, were chosen.
1. Commitment central
Emmy O'Donnell
, a rising junior at Concord-Carlisle, announced her verbal commitment to play women's soccer at Duke.
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A member of the US Under-17 Women's National Team, the only one from Massachusetts, O'Donnell is currently training in Fayetteville, Ga. O'Donnell has 14 goals and 10 assists in two varsity seasons, earning a pair of Dual County All-League nods and selection as an Eastern Mass. All-Star.
Related
:
'I would like to thank my coaches, friends, and family for supporting me through everything,' Emmy O'Donnell
Her older sister was
Maisey O'Donnell
,
▪
Andrew Middleton
, a former Canton High star who graduated from Dexter Southfield, is transferring to West Virginia after two years at UMass. A lefthanded pitcher, he struck out 29 in 11⅔ innings last season before undergoing internal brace surgery.
Next stop, Almost heaven!
— Andrew Middleton (@AMiddles16)
▪ Providence College announced its incoming men's hockey class, which includes Newton's
Aaron Matthews
. The 5-foot-11-inch goaltender split time with the Boston Jr. Bruins, Renfrew Wolves (CCHL), and Worcester Jr. Railers from 2022-24, then played for the New Jersey Rockets of the NCDC, posting a 3.60 GAA and .897 save percentage in 26 games.
Four more additions to the 2025-26 roster!
Alex Rybakov
Jack Parsons
Martin Masa
Aaron Matthews
Welcome to Friartown, guys!
— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey)
▪ Evan Velardo
, a rising senior at Masconomet, announced his commitment to play football at Colby College. The 6-foot-4-inch, 250-pound two-way lineman was named Northeastern All-Conference and also had offers from Nichols and Denison.
After a great call with
— Evan Velardo '26 (@evanvel59)
2. Coaching carousel
▪ Mashpee has promoted
Molly Shield
to be its girls' soccer coach. Shield had coached the Falcons' JV team for four years and the middle schools squad for one.
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A two-year captain at Bridgewater State, she will be inducted into the Mansfield High Athletics Hall of Fame this fall. She takes over a Mashpee team that went 3-12-4 last year under coach
Trish Morano
.
We are very excited to announce that Molly Shield will be the new varsity girls soccer head coach. Coach Shield is an outstanding young coach and teacher and has been the girls soccer JV coach for 4 years and was a 1 year middle school girls soccer coach.
— Mashpee Athletics (@MashpeeAthletic)
▪ Kathryn 'Kat' Manigan
will take the reigns of Seekonk athletics as the district's new Dean of Athletics and Programs, emerging from among eight candidates.
An indoor and outdoor track coach at Southeastern, she also served as the school's assistant athletics and activities director.
'I'm confident that with her experience, Kay will be a great fit,' said Seekonk High principal
William V. Whalen III
in a statement. 'Not only will she make an excellent athletics director, but she's also a qualified administrator. We had a lot of good candidates, but Kay stood out and seemed like a perfect fit for this role.'
A Quinnipiac graduate, Manigan taught science at Southeastern for 11 years, while leading the girls' track team to its first league championship in 2022, and the boys to their first conference crown in 26 years. She also served as an assistant volleyball, field hockey, girls' lacrosse, and girls' basketball coach.
'I have played and coached so many sports in my life that it is hard to find one that I have not participated in or tried, but I also have a strong passion for the musical arts,' Manigan said in a statement.
She replaces
John Moran
,
Seekonk Public Schools Names Kathryn Manigan as New Dean of Athletics and Programs: Seekonk Public Schools has named Kathryn Manigan as the District's new Dean of Athletics and Programs. (Photo Courtesy Seekonk Public Schools) SEEKONK — Superintendent…
— Seekonk Public Schools (@SeekonkPS)
▪
Taylor Pirie
, who grew up in Hamilton and graduated from Governor's Academy, has been named the varsity lacrosse coach at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut.
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An All-ISL selection at Governor's, where his father,
John
, is the coach, he went on to play at Middlebury, then coached at Trinity-Pawling and the Millbrook School in New York.
We're proud to officially promote Mark Naclerio to Head Coach!
Read More:
— AOF HOCKEY (@AOF_Hockey)
3. Odds and ends
▪
Tess Barrett
, who graduated from Cohasset early and has already spent a semester at Boston College, was honored as the Massachusetts girls' soccer Player of the Year by the United Coaches Association.
Barrett scored 29 goals with 27 assists, finishing her All-American high school career with 123 goals and 94 assists, graduating as the school's all-time leader in points, goals, and assists. She will play this fall for the Eagles.
▪ St. John's Prep football coach
Brian St. Pierre
will be inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame in the fall.
St. Pierre, an SJP alum who was born in Salem, quarterbacked the Eagles to a nine-win season in 2002, including a win in the Motor City Bowl. He threw for 5,837 yards and 48 touchdowns during his time in Chestnut Hill before being selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Steelers. He went on to play in the NFL for six seasons and was hired at St. John's Prep in 2014 and has since led the Eagles to three Division 1 Super Bowl wins.
Congratulations to Brian St. Pierre '03 for being a member of the 2025 Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame Induction Class!
Read more:
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball)
Brendan Kurie can be reached at