St. Mary’s High School seniors Alison Butler, Taylor Cash, Brooke L’Abbe, Victoria Viger, Casey Fanning, Kaleigh Finigan, and Nicole Fioravanti display the Division 3 state finalist softball trophy after the championship game Saturday at Rockwood Field in Worcester. The Spartans fell to Assabet Valley Regional, 5-2.

The St. Mary’s High School softball team was on a big-time roll, with all aspects of its game jelling at the optimum time and at the level reserved for state champions.

Beginning with an impressive win over a strong Classical team in the John Holland Tournament, continuing through a string of victories in the North sectionals, and following with a thrilling Tatiana Doucette-led win over Case, the Spartans looked primed to bring home another state softball title.

Saturday’s Division 3 state championship game shaped up as the exclamation point to a superb campaign for one of the best girls’ athletics programs in the state and the opportunity for hockey greats Alison Butler and Kaileigh Finigan and senior stars Brooke L’Abbe, Victoria Viger, and company to go out with another ring and coach Colleen Newbury to add another notch to her legendary playing and coaching career.

But a determined team from Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, a vocational school located in Marlborough, denied the Spartans players and coaches the perfect finale, upsetting St. Mary’s, 5-2, at Rockwood Field on the campus of Worcester State College.

Assabet Valley (21-4) made some outstanding defensive plays in the field behind pitcher Madison Parmeter, who to her credit, held the potent Spartans – who had averaged seven runs a game in the tournament – to two runs and four hits.

The Aztecs proved to be an opportunistic group, scoring four runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. After Assabet scored the go-ahead run, shortstop Molly Doyle and second baseman Victoria Viger made nice plays on grounders for bases-loaded force-out throws to catcher Tatiana Doucette at the plate. But a bases-loaded walk, and an infield miscue brought three more runs home.

Cassandra LaFauci had a leadoff double in the seventh inning that led to a run, but Parmeter retired the next three hitters to wrap up Assabet Valley’s first softball state title. The school in its 42-year history has also won Central Massachusetts Super Bowls, which many equate with state titles.

“As a goal, we felt we had to hold them to two runs and we would have a real good chance of winning,” said Assabet Valley coach Mike O’Brien. “That big inning just gave us more confidence. We put up those runs and we capitalized and that’s how we’ve won all year – pitching and defense and capitalizing on some hitting.”

O’Brien lauded the recent history and winning tradition of St. Mary’s program.

“We were playing a very good St. Mary’s team. They beat a lot of teams in their districts and then a real good Case team. I know they had won two state titles. I know that Ed Henry was a coach that won seven titles in a row and she [Colleen Newbury] was a player for him for four years. So I knew right away that St. Mary’s was a well-coached team and we’re going to have to play our ‘A’ game to beat them.”

O’Brien said he was also familiar with St. Mary’s three-tier pitching formation of Brooke L’Abbe, Jordan D’Orsi, and eighth grade phenom Mia Nowicki, who were superb during the post-season run. Nowicki struck out five batters in two innings on Saturday.

Colleen Newbury said her team had “a great season.”

“Obviously we’re not disappointed at all – we got to the game that we wanted to get to. We just didn’t win it, unfortunately.”

Newbury said she’ll miss the seniors for their leadership and spirit. “They’re all great kids and great teammates.”

Asked whether she will return as coach next season, Newbury replied, “We’ll see about that. We’ll see what happens next year.”

Pictured, from left, Chris Tobin, Wyoma LL field director; Tony Luciano, Wyoma LL president; David Solimine Sr.; Salvy Migliaccio; Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy; Salvy Rocco Migliaccio; Dante Migliaccio; David Solimine Jr.; Joel Solimine; Anthony Migliaccio; and Michael Solimine.

Thanks to a combination of private donations and City funding, baseball and softball will soon be played under the lights in Wyoma Little League.

Lights will be installed at Reinfuss Field in Wyoma Square – the league’s primary baseball field – and Lynn Woods Field, the home of Wyoma Little League softball.  The total cost of the project is approximately $120,000, half of which is being raised through a fundraising campaign spearheaded by David Solimine Jr.

Solimine Funeral Homes and Salvy the Florist, owned by Salvy Migliaccio and his family, each contributed $10,000 to start the campaign. Another $20,000 has been raised toward the $60,000 goal to install the lights at Reinfuss Field. The remaining $60,000 for the lights at Lynn Woods Field will be funded as part of the City’s FY 14 budget.

“This is an exciting project that will benefit thousands of Lynn youth over the years,” said Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy. “We are grateful to the Solimines and Migliaccios for stepping forward to get the ball rolling. We are proud to partner with them, other donors and Wyoma Little League.”

Kennedy noted that while Wyoma players will be the primary beneficiaries of the lights at the two fields, Little League baseball and softball players citywide may also benefit since Wyoma traditionally hosts All-Star games and City Series contests.

Solimine said he was approached by Wyoma Little League President Tony Luciano about raising money for lights so that the league could get more use out of its two main fields. Solimine enlisted the support of Migliaccio and has since attracted several other donors and sponsors.

At Reinfuss Field, there will be four light posts, each with room for up to six advertising banners. For a $2,500 donation, a business can have its banner up for 10 years. According to Solimine, 16 banners have been sold, with eight remaining.

Luciano said in addition to providing for expanded use of the fields, having lights will allow Wyoma Little League to host more sectional contests and put it back in the mix to host the state finals, for which a lighted field is now mandatory.

“We plan to bid to host the 2015 state finals,” Luciano said, noting the last time Wyoma hosted that event was in 2001.

Adding lights to the softball field at Lynn Woods will complete a makeover of that complex that has included the installation of dugouts, a clubhouse and a new infield.

Luciano said there are approximately 400 players in Wyoma Little League and he is hoping that number will grow with the increased field availability provided by having lights.

If you are interested in donating to the fund for the lights, contact Dave Solimine at 781-595-1492.

Sixth grader Brady Ryan of the St. Mary’s High School varsity tennis team prepares for his serve during a match.

Brady Ryan has plenty of game.

He’s so proficient at the sport of tennis that he earned a position in the starting singles rotation of the St. Mary’s High School boys varsity tennis team.

And by the way Brady’s only 12 years old and in the sixth grade, one of the few Lynners ever to play varsity at that point in their career. Super goaltender Katie Burt, who is now at BB&N, comes to mind as another child star.

Brady, whose father, Tom Ryan, is a member of the famous Ryan sports family of Salem, and whose mother, Laurie Wentzell-Ryan, was a three-sport Winthrop High All-Star, just didn’t suit up for the Spartans’ varsity. Playing at No. 2 singles, he won 14 of his 17 matches for the tournament-qualifying Spartans and merited a spot on the Catholic Central League All-Star Team.

Brady began tennis lessons when he was 10 years old and has been improving his skills ever since. He’s right-handed but he can hit winners from his forehand or two-handed-backhand. The ambidextrous athlete hits a baseball and a golf ball from the left side.

“I play soccer, too, but tennis is my favorite,” said Brady.

He’s ranked 42nd in New England and 22nd in Massachusetts in the 12-and-under age group. He has won his last five tournaments and has a United States Tennis Association (USTA) record of 68-33.

Brady has a well-rounded game in which he can play a back-boarding style or produce winning shots that elude opponents’ racquets.

“I’m pretty good at keeping the ball in play and I can hit accurate shots and a lot of winners but I don’t hit the ball very hard,” said Brady, who checks in at 4-feet, 8 inches tall and 80 pounds.

Brady said the comment he heard often from his varsity opponents, some of whom were five and six years older than he, was, “You’re good for your age.”

Brady says his favorite professional players are Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Laurie Wentzell-Ryan, a Lynn teacher and the volleyball coach at Lynn English High school, has kept busy guiding her son’s rising career, making decisions such as having Brady compete for the Bass River Club traveling team where he was undefeated in league singles play. He will also be playing for the club’s summer league team.

“He definitely has my competitiveness,” said Wentzell-Ryan, a former seven-time Northeastern Conference All-Star in soccer, basketball, and soccer. “But I don’t want him to be hard on himself like I was as an athlete. But he expects a lot from himself which is good.”

Wentzell-Ryan said the other players on the St. Mary’s team have been very cordial and respectful to her son who has Asperger’s Syndrome.

“It’s part of who is – he’s quiet and shy and very serious,” said Wentzell-Ryan. “Tennis has been great for him as far as helping him to get to know the other kids and socializing with them.”

For Brady Ryan, the future is bright on and off the tennis court.

Ward 2 City Councilor Bill Trahant Jr. (third from left, back to camera) oversees the playground equipment installation project at the Henry Avenue Playground. At far right is Lynn Classical student Damien Earp, one of the volunteers.

The Henry Avenue Playground in the Highlands section of Lynn is alive again.

Ward 2 Councilor Bill Trahant, the Highlands Coalition, and the city have combined forces to give the playground a new look and new equipment.

“This is something that we’ve been working on for five years putting this project together with Community Development, the whole neighborhood, and the Highlands Coalition,” said Trahant. “We got some grant money and here we are today getting it done.”

On Saturday Trahant and workers from his roofing and construction firm donated their services and machines to install the playground equipment, saving the city thousands of dollars in expenses.

Other volunteers, including Classical student Damien Earp, also assisted in the installation and clean-up work.

Leslie Greenberg, a leader of the Highlands Coalition, said Trahant has been a valuable contributor to the project, culminating with his generous donation of labor and equipment.

“Mr. Trahant has been amazing since we first started this project,” said Greenberg. “This has been a five-year project to raise funding and to get a really nice playground structure for this park. It’s been a great partnership between Mr. Trahant and the Coalition.”

Greenberg lives one street away from the playground, which had fallen into disrepair and was being used infrequently by neighborhood children. She called the park “a lost gem.”

“This is my neighborhood and it’s wonderful to see kids coming here and they’re starting to use the playground and feeling safer again in the neighborhood,” said Greenberg. “It’s all about the community.”

Greenberg said there are approximately 200 members of the Highland Coalition.

Volunteers from Rally Sound, a non-profit organization started by the band, Adam Ezra Group, also participated in Saturday’s event. Proceeds from the band’s annual benefit concert, The Ramble, went toward the Henry Avenue Playground project.

That’s the only way you can describe the partnership between Ward 2 Councilor Bill Trahant Jr. and the Highlands Coalition as they teamed up to make the Henry Avenue Playground a useful and safe facility for all residents of that neighborhood.

Trahant and his firm donated their time, energy, and resources to install the new playground equipment at the park. You can’t measure the joy the children and their families will receive from having a newly restored park in their neighborhood. We’re sure the basketball courts will provide hours of healthy fun and fitness as well.

Bill Trahant Jr. has been an advocate for the youth of our city during his distinguished career as a member of the Lynn City Council. Trahant’s contribution to this successful project and his teamwork with the Highlands Coalition are terrific examples of how the Lynn City Council, in coordination with the mayor and other city departments, can work to help make our city a great place to live every single day.

We join the residents of Ward 2 and the entire city in saying, “Thank you, Councilor Trahant and the Highlands Coalition for a job well done.”

St. Mary’s High School softball players celebrate with the Division 3 North sectional championship trophy following their victory over Whittier Tech Sunday at Martin Field in Lowell.

The St. Mary’s High School softball team can win games on the mound, in the field, and in the batter’s box.

On Sunday it was the St. Mary’s offense that took prominence as the Spartans overpowered Whittier Tech of Haverhill to claim a convincing 7-3 victory and the Division 3 North sectional championship at Martin Field in Lowell.

Specifically, the 2-3-4 hitters in the St. Mary’s lineup – seniors Victoria Viger and Kaleigh Finigan, and sophomore Molly Doyle – were flat out unstoppable.

Viger, the No. 2 hitter and second baseman, reached base four times with three singles and a walk and scored three runs. Finigan had two hits, an RBI, and scored a run while Doyle, the cleanup hitter, did just that with three doubles and four RBIs.

Starting pitcher Brooke L’Abbe, middle reliever Jordan D’Orsi, and closer Mia Nowicki kept the potent hitting Wildcats in check. L’Abbe, a senior right-hander who been very efficient on the hill all season, yielded one run on two hits to pick up the victory as St. Mary’s built a 6-1 lead.

Leftfielder Alison Butler made two outstanding catches in left field, twice chasing down long fly balls to prevent extra basehits. Butler is looking to end her brilliant athletic career with a state championship ring, having led the girls hockey team to a title in March by scoring the winning goal at the Boston Garden.

Rightfielder Casey Fanning made a superb catch in the seventh inning when she raced in to snare a sinking line drive.

St. Mary’s coach Colleen Newbury has her team peaking in the post season after winning the John Holland Memorial Softball Tournament in Lynn. Newbury’s Spartans are playing the aggressive, fundamentally sound, heads-up style that characterized her own legendary career at Fenwick when she led the Crusaders to four consecutive state championships as an All-Scholastic shortstop.

“We are playing our best softball at the right time,” said Newbury. “It’s not the same person every day. The other day it was Butler and [Tatiana] Doucette and today it was Doyle and Viger, not to mention Finigan who had a couple of hits.”

Newbury said a come-from-behind 11-9 win over Cardinal Spellman may have been the launching point to what is now a Final Four appearance in quest of a state championship that continues against old nemesis Case High School.

“The Spellman game turned the tide to the team a little bit,” said Newbury. “We were down 9-1 and came back and won 11-9 against a really good club. Since then, we’ve been rolling, maybe not rolling but putting it together at the right time.”

Newbury’s program was making its eleventh appearance in the North Sectional finals in 13 years.

Kevin McDormand.

Kevin McDormand, head coach of the Lynn Tech girls basketball team for the past five seasons, has stepped down from his position. He will continue in his position as a mathematics teacher at the school.

Tech director of athletics Joseph Skeadas accepted McDormand’s letter of resignation last week with regret, praising the coach’s service to the school and the athletic program.

“If I could have denied his resignation, I would – Kevin has not only been a great asset to the basketball program but to the whole sports program,” said Skeadas. “He’s a leader. He’s in the school. He’s on top of things and we’re really going to miss him. He did a great job.”

McDormand, 32, said there was “a big family component” in his decision to resign. “I need to spend some more time with my family. There is an illness in the family. When you’re coaching, it takes you away from a lot of family things. It was a very tough decision but did think it was the time to go now.”

McDormand said he enjoyed his tenure at the helm of the Tigers’ program. His best season was a 7-12 win campaign in his second season (2008-9) and his teams have been competitive in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference. However, McDormand’s mild gains have been somewhat overshadowed in the city by the success of the St. Mary’s, Lynn English, and Lynn Classical girls basketball programs.

“I can’t say enough about the girls I’ve coached at Tech,” said McDormand. “They are wonderful kids and I’ve seen how they have made me a better person. We’ve always tried to be positive role models and get our players to practice like the other teams and that wasn’t always happening before. I was also really lucky to coach witgh my assistants, Rob Upton and Jason Jimenez. ”

A graduate of the University of Chicago who holds a Master’s degree from Cambridge College, McDormand intends to stay on as a member of the Tech faculty, teaching algebra and geometry.

McDormand, whose father Brian previously coached at Tech, began his coaching career at Lynn Classical where he was an assistant to Tom Sawyer. He was a teacher at Pickering Middle School and Classical before coming to Tech.

Sawyer said McDormand did an exceptional job at Tech. “Kevin does a great job with those student-athletes,” said Sawyer. “In the one season Kevin was an assistant in our program, it was obvious to me that Kevin really had a passion for the game, really knew the game, and also had a passion for working for the kids of Lynn. What was Classical’s loss was Tech gain over the last several years.”

McDormand said it was an emotional meeting when he broke the news to his players that he was leaving the program.

“I expected one or two players to be upset with my decision but they understood my decision and they just treat me great,” said McDormand. “So I hope someone with some energy and perspectives comes along and coaches them because they deserve a good coach.”

Of course, any talk about a successor begins with the current assistants at Tech but Rob Upton, a soccer coach at Lynn Classical, and Jason Jimenez, will reportedly not apply for the head coaching position.

One name that would zoom to the top of the list is Helen Ridley, the former Lynn Classical and Quinnipiac College captain who has returned to Lynn after coaching in the Quinnipiac women’s basketball program. Ridley is the daughter of former Tech principal Jim Ridley, who has stayed active with the Thundercats AAU organization.

Helen Ridley has not applied for recent vacancies in the area but her credentials would make her a strong candidate.

In Ridley’s case it is not unprecedented, by any means, for an alumnus or former star athlete from one Lynn school to take a head coaching position at another school in the city. Classical softball coach Chris Warren immediately comes to mind, having been a star quarterback of a Super Bowl team at Lynn English before becoming the leader of the highly successful Lynn Classical program.

Rachael Bradley, an assistant coach on Fred Hogan’s staff at Lynn English, would also be a formidable candidate for a head coaching position. Bradley has coached the English freshman team in the past and those players developed into key contributors at the varsity level. Bradley was well liked by her players and Hogan respects her presence in a high-energy program that should be a Division 1 state title contender next season.

Bradley also has college basketball playing experience on her resume, having competed for four seasons at Endicott following her career at St. Mary’s High School.

Middle school teacher and coach Erica Sonia would also merit strong consideration from the Tech selection committee. Sonia is a former star athlete herself at St. Mary’s and has returned to coach girls basketball at the Marshall Middle School in addition to her work in the St. Mary’s girls soccer and softball programs. Sonia knows the Lynn sports scene very well and appears poised to take over a program in the near future.

One name that always shows up in girls basketball coaching conversations is Julie Halloran, who enjoyed tremendous success at Swampscott High and whose mentorship helped launched the coaching careers of Jeff Newhall, whose St. Mary’s basketball program is top notch, and Catelyn Leonard, a former Big Blue All-Scholastic who is the head coach at Revere High School.

Could Halloran – a former Division 1 basketball player at Northeastern – lead Tech to perennial championship contending status? Absolutely. Does she want to return to the sidelines and coach at Tech? We’ll see.

Shawn Thornton, who is stepping down as coach and director of athletics at Pope John XXIII High School in Everett, will also take a look at the Tech position. Thornton has coached winning teams (33-3 in the Catholic Central Small the past three seasons at St. Clement and Pope John) and also serves on the Spartan Basketball Camp led by Jeff Newhall.

Simi Anderson, a former assistant coach at Lynn English, is also taking a look at the Tech position. Anderson was present at tryouts Saturday for the new American Basketball League (ABA) professional men’s team that is being coached by former Boston Celtics player Walter McCarty. Anderson is also in line to take over the annual Hogan Basketball Tournament held each summer at Marian Gardens. Anderson has been hoping to get back in to a position of prominence on the high school basketball scene and his love of basketball cannot be denied.

The biggest blockbuster name being floated is that of Tech boys basketball coach Marvin Avery, who would try to duplicate the success he has already had the school. Avery and Jim Ridley have helped develop Division 1 players in the Thundercats girls’ program and there is no question that Avery would bring instant excitement and recognition to Tech girls basketball if he were its leader. But Avery has a great rapport with the returning players in his program and he expects his team to return to title-contending status next season in the Commonwealth Conference.

It is unknown who will emerge as the next Tech girls basketball coach but it appears that Tech director of athletics Joseph Skeadas and principal Diane Paradis will have a sizable number of candidates for the position.

Keisha is the leader of La Chic Mentoring Plus, an organization that teaches lessons in self-esteem, self-confidence, etiquette, public speaking, and interpersonal skills.

Keisha has brought her outstanding mentoring program to Lynn and based on the many youths who are participating in her after-school program at the Lynn Boys and Girls Club, it has been an overwhelming success.

We congratulate Keisha on branching out to Lynn with this worthwhile program and wish her continued success in our city. Lush Cosmetics thought so highly of Keisha’s program that they presented her with a grant and made La Chic Mentoring Plus part of their charity cosmetic products in 177 stores in North America.

And by the way, it was great to see Billy Conigliaro at the Lynn program. Billy is a member of a great baseball family that evokes so many wonderful memories of the Red Sox of the 1960s and 1970s.