Salem collapses before Vikings
By Jin Lederman
 The Winthrop Vikings (4-0) scored five touchdowns after trailing Salem (0-4) 6-0. The victory set up a battle of two unbeaten teams, Peabody (4-0) and Winthrop (4-0) Friday night in Peabody.
Salem took a quick (6-0) lead when Joel Nunez intercepted a Dylan Driscoll aerial on the Vikings first offensive play. The unbeaten Vikings scored the next five touchdowns, taking a 28-6 lead into halftime and 35-6 after three quarters. The Vikings had four players share in the scoring. Jake Chiudina had a monster game scoring two touchdowns and kicking 5 extra points. For a 42 point total. “Jake is a fabulous all-around player- he is our MVP this season†praised Coach Sean Driscoll.
The Vikings culminated a six-play 53-yard drive with Chiudina rushing for the one-yard touchdown with 6:25 on the Miller Field clock. Jake split the uprights 7-6 Vikings. Salem had a third down and six on the next series when Co-Captain Chris Beaudry stopped The Witches halfback. Reise Turransky raced 36 yards to the Salem yard line. The speedy junior scored his 6th touchdown of the campaign to give the Vikings a 13-6 lead. Chiudina added the extra point 14-6 Vikings.
Junior Justin Barker recovered the Salem fumble on the kickoff and number 10- Dylan, scored the third Viking touchdown on a one-yard keeper, for a 21-6 Vikings advantage.
Sophomore Jon Gonzales scored the final touchdown on the first half, set up by a 60-yard run by Chiudina. The Vikings led 28-6 at halftime. Dylan connected with Jake on a 37-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 35-6 after three quarters of play.
Skimming the Sidelines
The Vikings have scored 128 points (32.0 average). The defense has allowed 67 points (16.8 average). Peab0dy has scored 140 points (35.0 Average) and allowed 38 points (9.5 average)
The Vikings defense has not given up a touchdown in the last two games. Salem scored on an interception and a last minute touchdown on the second team defense. The key to the Vikings victory on Friday night will be defense led by Sean Gillis, linebackers Alex Anzuoni, Tyler Gillis, Chris Beaudry and Matt Feeley. The senior leadership of Co-Captains, Zach Deeb, Dylan Driscoll, Sean Gillis, Chris Beaudry and Tyler Gillis can lead the Vikings to a NEC Championship.
Danvers shutout Revere 27-0 for their first victory of the season. Nick Andreas, the Falcons QB was (12 for 23, 106 yards and one touchdown). The 6’2†Quarterback was the pre-season pick for the top QB in the NEC. My pick is the dynamic leader- Number 10- Dylan Driscoll. The two will face off in two weeks at Dr. Deering Stadium.
Marblehead crushed Gloucester 35-12. Danvers plays host to Lynn Classical on Friday night. Revere (1-3) travels to Bertram Field to play Salem. The winner of that game will give Winthrop additional points in the Power Ratings.
“Peabody is bigger and stronger than we are. Santos is the best back in the Eastern Mass. We will battle them and I look to our senior leadership in this big game. Reise had another great game rushing for 133 yards. Jake ran for 85 yards. Sean Gillis leads our team in tackles†said Coach Driscoll. “I was proud of Dylan for bouncing back after the interception.â€
If you’re traveling to Peabody on Friday night for the “Game of the year†on the North Shore, leave early. Route one traffic on a holiday weekend and the Topsfield Fair will be busy.
Let’s have a big crowd to cheer for the Vikings. We haven’t had an undefeated team since the 2006 Super Bowl Champions (13-0). Go Vikings!By Jin Lederman
 The Winthrop Vikings (4-0) scored five touchdowns after trailing Salem (0-4) 6-0. The victory set up a battle of two unbeaten teams, Peabody (4-0) and Winthrop (4-0) Friday night in Peabody.
Salem took a quick (6-0) lead when Joel Nunez intercepted a Dylan Driscoll aerial on the Vikings first offensive play. The unbeaten Vikings scored the next five touchdowns, taking a 28-6 lead into halftime and 35-6 after three quarters. The Vikings had four players share in the scoring. Jake Chiudina had a monster game scoring two touchdowns and kicking 5 extra points. For a 42 point total. “Jake is a fabulous all-around player- he is our MVP this season†praised Coach Sean Driscoll.
The Vikings culminated a six-play 53-yard drive with Chiudina rushing for the one-yard touchdown with 6:25 on the Miller Field clock. Jake split the uprights 7-6 Vikings. Salem had a third down and six on the next series when Co-Captain Chris Beaudry stopped The Witches halfback. Reise Turransky raced 36 yards to the Salem yard line. The speedy junior scored his 6th touchdown of the campaign to give the Vikings a 13-6 lead. Chiudina added the extra point 14-6 Vikings.
Junior Justin Barker recovered the Salem fumble on the kickoff and number 10- Dylan, scored the third Viking touchdown on a one-yard keeper, for a 21-6 Vikings advantage.
Sophomore Jon Gonzales scored the final touchdown on the first half, set up by a 60-yard run by Chiudina. The Vikings led 28-6 at halftime. Dylan connected with Jake on a 37-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 35-6 after three quarters of play.
Skimming the Sidelines
The Vikings have scored 128 points (32.0 average). The defense has allowed 67 points (16.8 average). Peab0dy has scored 140 points (35.0 Average) and allowed 38 points (9.5 average)
The Vikings defense has not given up a touchdown in the last two games. Salem scored on an interception and a last minute touchdown on the second team defense. The key to the Vikings victory on Friday night will be defense led by Sean Gillis, linebackers Alex Anzuoni, Tyler Gillis, Chris Beaudry and Matt Feeley. The senior leadership of Co-Captains, Zach Deeb, Dylan Driscoll, Sean Gillis, Chris Beaudry and Tyler Gillis can lead the Vikings to a NEC Championship.
Danvers shutout Revere 27-0 for their first victory of the season. Nick Andreas, the Falcons QB was (12 for 23, 106 yards and one touchdown). The 6’2†Quarterback was the pre-season pick for the top QB in the NEC. My pick is the dynamic leader- Number 10- Dylan Driscoll. The two will face off in two weeks at Dr. Deering Stadium.
Marblehead crushed Gloucester 35-12. Danvers plays host to Lynn Classical on Friday night. Revere (1-3) travels to Bertram Field to play Salem. The winner of that game will give Winthrop additional points in the Power Ratings.
“Peabody is bigger and stronger than we are. Santos is the best back in the Eastern Mass. We will battle them and I look to our senior leadership in this big game. Reise had another great game rushing for 133 yards. Jake ran for 85 yards. Sean Gillis leads our team in tackles†said Coach Driscoll. “I was proud of Dylan for bouncing back after the interception.â€
If you’re traveling to Peabody on Friday night for the “Game of the year†on the North Shore, leave early. Route one traffic on a holiday weekend and the Topsfield Fair will be busy.
Let’s have a big crowd to cheer for the Vikings. We haven’t had an undefeated team since the 2006 Super Bowl Champions (13-0). Go Vikings!
WHS SPORTS ROUNDUP
Golfers win 3 of 4, qualify for tourney
The Winthrop High golf team snapped out of a mid-season slump to win three of its four contests this past week and qualify for the post-season state tournament.
The Vikings earned the tourney-clincher with a runaway 45.5-17.5 triumph over Gloucester last Thursday at the Winthrop Golf Club. Winthrop won every matchup en route to the easy victory. Captain Mike Rich at No. 1 was a 7-2 winner and Jack Wallace at No. 2 defeated his Gloucester counterpart, 6.5-2.5, while also shooting the best round of the day, a 37 on the par 35 WGC course.
In the Nos. 3-7 slots, victors for Winthrop were Cody Boudrow (7-2), Harry Floyd (5-4), Sean MacDonald (6-3), Brandon MacDonald (7-2), and Mike St. Jean (7-2). Gloucester did not field a player in the eighth and final spot.
The Vikings engaged in a much-closer match Monday at Tedesco Country Club against Swampscott and prevailed by a narrow 37-35 score. The contest came down to the final pairings of Vikings St. Jean at No. 7 and Ryan Duyon at No. 8, with the final holes by each determining the outcome. Both Mike and Ryan won those final cups to give the victory to the Vikings.
“Mike and Ryan really came through in the clutch for us,” noted WHS head coach Peter Lyons. “We were behind by three points before counting their scores, so they really brought it home for us.”
The triumph was a key one for the Vikings because it left them still in the hunt for a possible share of the title of the South Division of the Northeastern Conference, with that possibility on the line today (Thursday) when the Vikings take on Danvers on the latter’s home course.
In the other Viking triumph of the week, Winthrop defeated Salem, 40-32, which was highlighted by the first-ever varsity appearances of sophomores Sean Alioto and Alex Pesiriso playing at No. 7 and No. 8. Both made impressive debuts, winning two points and three points respectively for the Winthrop cause.
The lone setback of the week came to non-league rival Newburyport in a match played under the rules of the Cape Ann League, point-quarter match, in which players earn six points for a birdie, four for a par, two for a bogey, and one for a double bogey. Winthrop came up short, 139-125, with Wallace leading the way with 27 points, Boudrow earning 25, and Rich accumulating 24.
After today’s match with Danvers, the Vikings play at Saugus Tuesday and at Malden Cathoic Wednesday. The NEC Open, to which each school sends its two top golfers, will be held next Thursday at the Meadows in Peabody.
Girls soccer team
wins two straight
The Winthrop High girls soccer team put together a pair of solid outings to record victories over Lynn English and Revere this past week.
In the 2-1 triumph over English last Thursday, a slow start by the Lady Vikings enabled the Lady Bulldogs to take a 1-0 lead with about nine minutes left in the first half. However, the second 40 minutes of play after the intermission proved to be a complete reversal of fortune, as Winthrop took charge from the outset. Regina Garufo, assisted by Flora English, evened the count at the 14-minute mark and English then reached the back of the enemy net, assisted by Holly Benson, to notch the game-winner.
“We found our groove in the second half and picked up our pace,” said WHS head coach Stacey Martucci.
Tuesday evening brought smiles to the Lady Viking fandom with a 4-0 win over Revere. Francesca Capone, a freshman who had been injured for the first half of the season, fired the opening Lady Viking salvo, assisted by Abby Carleton. Garufo scored her second goal in as many games, assisted by Nikki Tsiotis, to make it a 2-0 Winthrop advantage before the half.
English likewise reached the back of the opponent’s net for the second game in a row, assisted by Holly Benson, to start the second half, and then Capone put the icing on the day Viking victory cake with her second goal of the game, assisted by Garufo.
“We pretty much dominated the game and had a bunch of opportunities,” said Martucci, whose squad now stands at 4-6-1 on the season.
The Lady Vikings are scheduled to travel to Marblehead today (Thursday) and will host Swampscott Wednesday.
WHS volleyball team
wins three straight
The Winthrop High volleyball team ran its winning steak to three games with a pair of victories this past week over Northeastern Conference rivals Lynn English and Revere.
The Lady Vikings handily swept past English last week in three sets, 25-15, 25-10, and 25-8. Junior Nina Bartlette earned Player of the Match honors for her six service aces and seven kills.
“This was a nice win for us,” said WHS head coach Christy Scott. “Everyone got a chance to get some playing time and we were able to try different things on offense.”
Two days ago (Tuesday), Winthrop won another contest in shutout fashion, defeating Revere in three sets, 25-18, 25-19, and 25-16.
“This was a much-tougher match than the previous one with English,” noted Scott. “Revere is a better team than its record would indicate and we had to fight for every point.”
Freshman Lacey Scott earned Player of the Match plaudits for an all-around fine game in which Lacey set 17 assists, served three aces, hit three balls for kills, and played some hustling defense with 11 digs.
Bartlette paced the Lady Vikings in the kills department with 11 on the evening, while Christine Haskell led the way in service aces with four.
“The team is really improving,” said Scotts of her crew, who now stand at 5-6 overall and 5-5 in the Northeastern Conference and who already have exceeded their output of victories in all of 2013. “All of our statistics, in terms of hitting percentage, kill/error ratio, and so forth, are vastly better than at the start of the season. We have a very young team and it has been gratifying to see their hard work pay off.”
The Lady Vikings host Marblehead today (Thursday) and will entertain Swampscott Wednesday.