October is for a lot of things: celebrating Halloween, avoiding Salem at all costs, and getting weekend work done before Patriots games. It’s also a good time to reflect on some standout performances from the first month or two of the high school season.
Football
Let’s start on the gridiron. The first name that comes to mind is Lynn English’s Shane Knowlton-Simard, who exploded offensively over back-to-back weeks. Against Peabody, Knowlton-Simard went 8-for-13 passing with 182 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 139 yards and scored five touchdowns to lead the visiting Bulldogs past the Tanners.
Staying in Lynn, Lynn Tech’s Colin McGough had a huge day on the ground against Monty Tech, rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. Performances like that open up everything for the Tigers’ offense — and it showed in the win.
In a must-win game for St. Mary’s, which was then riding a three-game losing streak, Rowan Merryman rose to the occasion, rushing for 209 yards and three touchdowns to propel the Spartans past Bishop Stang.
Then there’s St. John’s Prep sophomore quarterback Christopher Vargas, who threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns to help the Eagles take down a talented Central Catholic team earlier this fall.
Girls soccer
When you think of the best soccer players in the state, Sophie Skabeikis has to be on your list. The St. Mary’s senior has been on a scoring tear this fall and recently became the program’s all-time leading scorer. Against Bishop Fenwick, Skabeikis recorded a hat trick — goals No. 99, 100, and 101 — to power the Spartans past the Crusaders.
For Lynn Tech, sophomore Emily Zacarias had a breakout performance in a 5-2 road win against Minuteman. Zacarias scored the game’s first four goals to propel the Tigers to a big victory.
Boys soccer
It’s hard to single out one performance from St. John’s Prep goalkeeper Matt Droggitis, who’s been stellar all season. That said, I’m going to try. The Eagles’ defense has been strong, but when opponents do get through, Droggitis has been nearly unbeatable. He already has nine shutouts, including a six-save performance in a 1-0 win against Saint John’s Shrewsbury.
Cross country
I was just in Chicago to support a friend running the marathon, and while running definitely isn’t for me, I can appreciate a great performance when I see one.
Marblehead’s Marrietta O’Connell knows how to win — it’s rare to even see her trailing. During the Frank Kelley Invitational at Wrentham Developmental Center, O’Connell took first place in the 3,000-meter senior race with a time of 10:54.12 to cap off another dominant showing.
At the Devens Pre-Championship Meet, Lynnfield’s Abby Lopez finished 10th out of 82 runners with a career-best time of 20:11 – earning a medal in the process.
St. Mary’s standout Kelsey Kwiatek turned heads at the MSTCA Bay State Invitational, finishing second out of 126 runners with a personal-best time of 18:24 in the 5,000-meter race.
Golf
Even though it’s a team sport, each match still comes down to one-on-one battles. Early in the season, Lynn English’s Riley Driscoll stood out in a win against Lynn Classical at Gannon Municipal Golf Course. Playing in the No. 1 slot, Driscoll won his match, 9-0, and shot even par on the back nine — an impressive feat against rival competition.
Volleyball
In a big non-conference matchup against Reading, Marblehead’s Eva Burke was in complete control of the Magicians’ offense. The senior setter finished with 31 assists to lead Marblehead to a 3-0 sweep and improve the team’s record to 11-2.
Peabody’s Lizzy Bettencourt reached a major milestone this fall. In a 3-0 win against Malden Catholic, Bettencourt tallied her 1,000th career kill, adding her name to the list of Peabody volleyball greats.
Lynn Classical may have graduated a handful of stars from last year’s Greater Boston League championship team, but the Lady Rams continue to impress. In a win against previously-unbeaten Somerville, senior captains Emma Chevalier (23 assists, 3 kills, 5 digs) and Brooke Braswell (13 kills, 3 blocks, 8 digs) stepped up and delivered clutch performances that showed Classical still means business in the GBL.
Field hockey
In early October, Saugus’ Angelina Dow and Julia Strout were both on missions against Peabody – each scoring twice to help lift the Sachems to victory.
For St. Mary’s, one of the top defensive teams in the state, much of the credit goes to goalkeeper Tabby Lopes. The Spartans remain unbeaten (14-0-1) and have allowed just four goals all season, thanks in large part to Lopes’ consistency between the pipes.
On the attacking end, St. Mary’s Alyssa Norden continues to be nearly unstoppable. In a dominant win against Bishop Fenwick, she netted a hat-trick during the second quarter and finished with four goals. Whether she’s double-teamed or not, Norden always seems to find space — and the back of the net.
From football fields to cross country courses, it’s been a fall full of standout performances. With the postseason just around the corner, there’s no doubt more names will be added to this list.
Stay tuned.
