With all three high school sports seasons in the books, there were plenty of standout performances. In no order, here are 10 of the best, from August to June.
Lynn Classical’s Rolky Brea Arias
A star player on both ends, Arias helped lead the Rams to the Division 3 state tournament last winter. The do-it-all forward averaged a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds per game.
Perhaps his best performance came on a Sunday morning, when he recorded 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against Revere. Arias’ ability to command a double-team completely opened things up for the Rams’ offense.
“And, he does a nice job defensively,” said Classical Coach Marvin Avery after the game.
Lynnfield’s Paige Martino
A 25-year-old girls tennis record was broken at Lynnfield High earlier this month. Paige Martino picked up her 71st career singles win, snapping Tori Spence Dowling’s former record (70).
Lynnfield defeated Springfield International Charter, 5-0, in the Division 4 state tournament that evening. Coaches and players gathered for Martino’s milestone – posters, photos, and flowers included.
Marblehead’s Tessa Francis
An ace in the Northeastern Conference, Marblehead softball star Tessa Francis recorded the first perfect game in program history, according to Coach Johnny Gold.
The right-hander struck out 10 batters in a victory against Ipswich. Better yet, she batted 2-for-4 with a two-run triple and two-run homer.
“Tessa threw an incredible game,” Gold said.
Lynnfield’s Madux Iovinelli
This game could’ve ended after the first quarter, and football standout Madux Iovinelli might’ve been content with his state tournament performance against Dennis-Yarmouth.
After catching two touchdown balls and recording an interception through one quarter, Iovinelli finished the game (won by Lynnfield, 45-20) with six receptions, 141 yards, and three touchdowns.
Perhaps the highlight of the night was when he caught an 80-yard bomb from quarterback Tyler Adamo. Iovinelli wreaked plenty of havoc on the defensive end, too.
Lynn English’s Engel Thomas
The Lynn English baseball team won 11 games this spring – just enough games (10) for the Bulldogs to play in the Division 1 state tournament. That makes Thomas’ performance against Everett that much more important.
Thomas tossed a no-hitter in English’s 1-0 escape. He struck out five batters and walked just one.
St. Mary’s Demetri Koutsouflakis
With a traditional archrival, Bishop Fenwick, taking on St. Mary’s at Manning Field, the Spartans took care of business in a 46-32 final on Thanksgiving Eve.
No one impressed more than Koutsouflakis, who rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns in a career-defining performance.
“We’ve got quick, shifty, gritty linemen and two big running backs (the other being Rowan Merryman) who bull you over, so it’s really hard to stop that,” Koutsouflakis said postgame. “My O-line, all year, has been great for me.”
Peabody’s Connie Patturelli
It was a week in which Patturelli scored half of the girls soccer team’s goals. Against Winthrop, the senior, who has committed to playing Division 2 soccer at Saint Anselm College, scored four goals and dished out an assist in Northeastern Conference action.
“Connie is basically my quarterback out there,” said Peabody Coach Andrew Douglass. “Offensively, we look to her to find the right pass or, in a game like today, be the difference-maker.”
On a side note, she scored six of Peabody’s 12 goals across the four-game week.
Marblehead’s Nate Assa
Northeastern Conference, check. Massachusetts, check. New England, check.
In last week’s New England Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Assa captured first place in the 3,200-meter race with a time of 9:04.57.
Coach Nolan Raimo said Assa has “made distance running cool” at the school.
“It’s been such an incredible journey watching Nate this year,” Raimo said. “There have been 900 2-mile runners logged this spring season in Massachusetts, and there have been over 2,000 2-milers logged across New England this spring. Yet, Nate Assa is the best of them all.”
Saugus’ Peyton DiBiasio
Despite a regular-season loss to Masconomet, history was made inside of the Saugus High gymnasium back in January.
The girls basketball star scored 27 points and became the girls program’s all-time points leader. She surpassed Norma Waggett (1,110 points), who’s now an assistant coach with the Sachems.
Oh, and DiBiasio is only a junior.
Swampscott’s Annabelle Averett
Averett excelled in track and field – and cross country – as a freshman this year. That said, there was no bigger highlight than last month, when she became a state champion in Division 5.
She recorded a first-place time of 5:07.36 in the 1-mile race, busted her personal record by 19 seconds, and came from behind after trailing an opponent in the final lap.
“I was not expecting that,” Averett said. “I was very proud of the outcome and happy.”
