English graduate reflects on a host of successes

I’ve had the fortune to cover high school sports for the past eight seasons now and the one that came to a conclusion with the St. Mary’s softball team finally winning its state championship will go down in my mind as probably the most exciting one I’ve been a part of.Perhaps the biggest reason for that excitement is the fact that my alma mater – Lynn English – played such a huge role in making this season what it was.It started in September when there was an air of uncertainty on Goodridge Street as first year football coach Peter Holey was set to try and bring English back on the football map. And boy did he ever.After suffering a heartbreaking loss on opening night to Beverly, the Bulldogs hit their stride and suddenly found themselves on the brink of their first playoff berth in 19 years in what amounted to a winner-take-all game at Newell Stadium in Gloucester late in the season. But a more experienced Fisherman team dashed those hopes in convincing fashion.The football team’s success was just a precursor to what became perhaps one of the greatest seasons had by a Lynn school on the hardwood during the winter.The girls basketball team and coach Fred Hogan finally were able to claim a Northeastern Conference championship and then found their way into the Division 1 North semifinals against Central Catholic at a packed Veterans Memorial Field House in Salem.And for a half it looked like the Bulldogs were going to continue the stellar run. But Central turned on the afterburners in the second half and pulled away to a comfortable win (more on the Raiders later)The team that shared the gym with Hogan’s squad would take the baton and run with it.Buzzy Barton’s team came into the year looking for a third consecutive Northeastern Conference North title and led by point guard Ryan Woumn and a swarming defense, the Bulldogs did exactly that. With that hurdle cleared, it was time to see if they could finally complete the mission and give the program its first North title.After surviving an opening round scare from Cambridge and outlasting Lowell and Lexington, the Bulldogs found themselves facing No. 1 seed Central Catholic for a North title. Woumn was outstanding, torching the Raider defense in a 71-60 win that sent the Bulldogs to the Eastern Mass final against unbeaten Brockton at TD BankNorth GardenWoumn was even more brilliant on the parquet floor as English saw a huge second half lead slip away and needed his two free throws late in regulation to tie the game and then led by a huge contribution from Jeremy Subervi, win in overtime to reach the state finals.Though St. John’s (Shrewsbury) won the title in rather dominating fashion, it was still a season to remember for the boys basketball team.The girls hockey team even gave the school some headlines as seventh grade goalie Katie Burt helped lead the team to the state quarterfinals, where they lost in a shootout to powerful Woburn.And even this spring, English was still making headlines as Joe Caponigro’s baseball team rattled off 11 straight wins to start the season before suffering a midseason slide and eventually losing to St. John’s Prep in the Division 1 North tournament.UI’ve seen a lot of teams win state titles in my time here but none was more amazing than the performance put on by the St. Mary’s girls hockey team.The Spartans came into the 2008-09 season with an awful tough act to follow, having gone 25-0-0 to win the Division 1 state championship the previous season. Somebody forgot to tell them that though.Playing with the bullseye squarely on their back from day one, St. Mary’s was just as dominant as ever. Facing only one serious challenge into the tournament, the Spartans rolled through the first two games by a combined 15-0 total before Arlington gave them fits in a 3-2 semifinal win.That set the stage for a showdown with Woburn, looking to stop a burgeoning dynasty. And the Tanners darn near pulled off the feat.Marisa Maccario’s goal in the first period gave the