Field Hockey
by Toni Powicki
As captain of the varsity field hockey team and senior in my last season playing for the Sturgis Storm, I have many personal and team goals. One of my personal goals is to set an example for the underclassmen who will be continuing the program. I hope to show them the importance of positivity, encouragement, composure, and self-reflection.
There are seven other seniors on the team, and we have all been playing together since freshman year. The eight of us have grown together and improved our level of play over the past three seasons. We all share the goals of working hard and of seeing positivity in whatever the outcome of a game may be. There have been a couple modifications that the Sturgis East team has made this fall. Our coach has changed the lineup and has moved two of our forward players behind the midfield. While this has required some adjustment, the team is getting used to it; and with this new lineup we are able to create better passing angles.
A star player on the team this season has been Elizabeth Campbell. She has worked diligently to improve her ball control and speed. She even got the ball into the goal in our last game against Sturgis West. Unfortunately, due to a whistle blown before her shot, the goal didn’t count. Nevertheless, I believe she will be our top scorer this season.
This season we have emphasized team bonding. We already held a pasta dinner this year to prepare for our home game against Bourne. In addition, we go on team runs to the cupcake store on Main Street and play get-to-know-each-other games such as “Where the West Wind Blows” at the beginning of practice. Looking ahead, we have high hopes for this season. We know that, no matter what our final record is, there will be tremendous growth in skill level by the younger players.
Girls Soccer
by Tess Puopolo
As captains of the girls varsity soccer team, Maggie Paul and I began the season with optimism. At the preseason tournament, we played three teams, winning two and tieing Nantucket, which was a promising start; however, the first couple of games have been rocky. Although we only lost three seniors from last year, they were our three starting defenders. Adjusting to a new back line has been difficult for the team, but it is also a learning experience. Each game, the defenders are communicating more and trying to work better together. Also, this year we are fortunate to have added a freshman, Emily Boyle, to our roster, who has proven that she belongs on the team. Since last year, we have also changed our warm up and modeled it after the dynamic US Women’s National Team warm up.
Unfortunately, our season to date hasn't been as successful as we had hoped due to injuries and illnesses on the team. I actually missed the first two games of the season myself due to illness. We haven't had a game with our full roster, which has caused last minute adjustments to the lineup. Even though we haven't won a game yet this season, it is obvious to everyone that the effort is there. The team is dedicated, and we are becoming better with each game.
We hope that as the season progresses, we continue to put all of our effort in and work more cohesively as a team. We also hope that the team as a whole will play balls out of the air more frequently. It is apparent that there is a lot of individual talent on the team; we must use this to our advantage. Our overall goal is team improvement; hopefully we can go out there and win some games in the future!
Volleyball
by Lauren Smith
After many meetings with captains, coaches and parents, the volleyball team is off to an amazing start. Training enthusiastically each day, the girls continue to improve in their fundamentals on the court. Junior varsity volleyball works cohesively while learning the sport and growing in their skills. With our newest addition, Coach Baker, the girls have seen a love for volleyball that is indescribable. As for the varsity squad, it has never been better. With Senior Captain, Hannah Conklin, at the net, teams are having an extremely challenging time controlling the ball. Junior, Ariana Jackson, continues to be a brick wall against any ball that comes her way. Senior Captain, Lauren Smith, provides accuracy and consistency to the team through her serves and sets. The Season of 2014 was a season to remember, but the senior captains of 2015 want more. With a 6-1 record at the moment, it is looking good for the team. With the support of the boys varsity soccer team and the encouragement of peers and teachers, the momentum and enthusiasm of the varsity team is growing drastically.
Boys Cross Country
by Brian Kelsey
At the start of this year’s cross country season, many of us “veteran” runners thought it would be a rebuilding year because several of our best runners from last year graduated. However, many runners on the boys team have stepped up and are really pushing themselves. Our gained six freshmen runners: Ezra, Mason, Steven, Ethan, Holden, and Aidan, who have all been working persistently and improving their times some despite injuries. In addition, the boys team is fortunate to have Ben Davis, as he has just recently become one of the top 10 all time Sturgis East boys runners. Right from the start of the season, Coach Beckner has noticed that both the boys and girls teams have very good form, which has led to increasingly demanding workouts very early in the season.
Our primary goal this fall is to win the Cape Cod and Islands Championship, which will be a very close race with Sturgis West’s top five runners, all of whom run at or under a 6 minute per mile pace. So far this season, the boys team has defeated the Saint John Paul 2 and Dennis-Yarmouth boys teams. We expect to keep progressing and working hard, especially in the next week in preparation for our big race with Mashpee. The young team has already come a long way and shows great potential. From Cam Henchy, the top runner, to the freshmen runners, these students demonstrate determination and dedication both in practice and on the race course.
Golf
by Emily Rodricks
This year's varsity golf team is off to a promising start with a 4 -2 record. Three out of the eight varsity members from last year graduated. Those spots have been filled with new players who have shown enthusiasm and a lot of improvement. The roster includes tri-captains: Emily Rodricks, Jared Joy and Mitch Burns, seniors Zack Wright, Matt Carbonaro and Tim Johnson, junior Vinny Collucci, along with sophomores Joey Colesano and Andrew Williams. This season's highlights to date include sophomore Andrew Williams pulling through with a 8-1 win in his match to help the team defeat Mashpee and Rodricks, Joy and Colesano achieving medalist spots.