Girls volleyball preview: Courtney Parent takes as Frontier aims to continue incredible run of success

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO and THOMAS JOHNSTON

For the first time in 21 years, Sean MacDonald’s hulking figure won’t be patrolling the sidelines at Frontier girls volleyball matches. MacDonald retired from the girls program last year after 429 wins, 18 western Mass. titles and 11 state...

On The Run with John Stifler: Running through some summer events

Historically, American sprinters have been one of the biggest stories at the Olympics, and this summer’s excellent Games in Paris hardly altered that pattern. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the world record for the 400-meter hurdles for the sixth...

Football: Explosive plays propel Mahar past Drury in 44-0 season-opening rout

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — Following a three-and-out on its opening drive of the game, the Mahar football team locked in for the remainder of the first half in its season opener against Drury on Friday. After the stop, the Senators proceeded to score touchdowns on...

Football: Frontier drops opener to Lunenburg, 18-0 (PHOTOS)

By GEORGE MILLER

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Through the preseason, Scott Dredge had the notion that defense would be the real calling card for Frontier football, and the Redhawks' 2024 season opener Friday night played out just that way.The hosts came up empty on the...

High schools: Kenzie Sourdiffe-Phelps tallies game winner as Franklin Tech field hockey clips Turners Falls (PHOTOS)

TURNERS FALLS — Not much separated Powertown field hockey rivals on Friday afternoon.Kenzie Sourdiffe-Phelps netted the game’s only goal in the second half, lifting visiting Franklin Tech to a 1-0 independent victory over Turners Falls High School.Abi...

Field hockey preview: Local teams once again have WMass title aspirations

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Franklin County has a rich history of talented field hockey programs, and in the last three years, three programs in particular have had tremendous success.The seniors on the Frontier, Greenfield and Franklin Tech field hockey teams have played in a...

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Community pays its respect to Tim Kachelmeyer

Good morning!The role sports has in communities and the kind of cohesiveness it inspires was on display last weekend in Northfield where people came from near and far to pay last respects to Tim Kachelmeyer.Vehicles were parked from the IGA to the...

HS Roundup: Caleb Thomas, Alex McClelland tally as Greenfield and Pioneer boys soccer teams play to 1-1 draw (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — After 25 minutes on Thursday, it appeared the Greenfield and Pioneer boys soccer teams were headed for a high-scoring affair. The Green Wave popped in a goal 14 minutes into the contest and the Panthers were able to answer nine minutes...

Bulletin Board: Demers, Morin shoot top point quota in Knights of Columbus League

Rusty Demers and Ken Morin tied for the top point quota of plus-6 in the Knights of Columbus League at Thomas Memorial this past week. Art Girard won closest to the pin on No. 7 (1 foot, 1 inch) and Joe Richotte on No. 9 (10-8). John O’Riley and Mike...

Mahar football preview: Senators seeking a step forward in Percy Eady’s second year as head coach

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — After arriving on the job late in the process a year ago, Mahar football coach Percy Eady spent the precious little time he had learning about his team and trying to find their strengths and weaknesses going into the 2023 season. Now with a...

Frontier football preview: Redhawks looking to get back to their roots

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Preseason scrimmages allow coaches to experiment, try new things and find out what will work best during the regular season. For Frontier football coach Scott Dredge, the answer was simple: go back to playing Frontier football. The...

Field hockey: Frontier powers past Greenfield for 5-0 season-opening victory (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Frontier and Greenfield field hockey teams played four times last fall. Both teams won two games, though the Redhawks took the big one in the Western Mass. championship tilt. There wasn’t much separation in any of those four...

HS Roundup: Pioneer, Franklin Tech girls soccer play to scoreless draw (PHOTOS)

It was a defensive battle between the Pioneer and Franklin Tech girls soccer teams on Wednesday in Northfield. Despite some scoring chances — the Panthers hit the post twice in the second half — neither team was able to produce a goal over the...

Cross country preview: Frontier hoping to defend Pioneer League North titles

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

If Tuesday’s opening race of the season is any indication, it’ll be tough to dethrone the Frontier cross country teams in the Pioneer League North this fall. Both the Redhawk boys and girls won the league title a season ago — the Frontier girls...

High schools: Ethan Heuer’s 39 lifts Athol golf past Turners Falls (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS – The Athol golf team went through the expected struggles of having a group of brand new golfers when it brought its program back last fall, but the lessons learned along the way are paying dividends this season, evident in how the Bears...

Bulletin Board: Greenfield's MacKenzie Paulin raises money for non profit

Greenfield’s MacKenzie Paulin competed in the A Shot For Life Home Run Derby and Pitcher Challenge on Saturday at New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, raising money for “A Shot For Life,” a sports-based non-profit organization that funds...

Girls soccer preview: With stronger numbers, Greenfield looks to take Bi-County League title

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

There were bound to be growing pains with the Greenfield girls soccer team last fall, as over one-third of the roster was comprised of middle school athletes.Despite that, the Green Wave were able to win seven games including their final two of the...

Fit to Play with Jim Johnson: Olympic medalists are champions, not heroes

By all accounts the Paris Olympics were a great success. We were treated to a magnificent sport spectacle, the world’s greatest athletes at their best. The display of sportsmanship was fulfilling, a tribute to the competitors. The Olympics are for the...

Local roundup: Frontier volleyball splits opening pair on the Cape with Nauset & Dennis-Yarmouth

A weekend on Cape Cod saw the Frontier Regional girls volleyball team open its 2024 season with a pair of eastern Mass. opponents. The Redhawks went 1-1 on Sunday, sweeping Nauset 3-0 while dropping a 3-1 decision to Dennis-Yarmouth.“I think we...