Southpaw Scripture
By: Danny Fowler and Maddox Kinney
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with the Hermon High School senior right fielder Gavin Scripture. Scripture has played baseball his whole life and has been a member of the varsity baseball team since his sophomore year. Through those years Scripture has been a solid player for the Hawks making his presence known on defense making some impressive plays as well as being a solid hitter who does what it takes to get on base. Scripture brings a lot of baseball knowledge to the team and will do whatever it takes to help the team win and help the underclassmen succeed.
With the 2023 season coming to an end with a devastating loss to Cony in the quarter-finals Scripture has some goals for his final season at Hermon High School. “I mean the whole point of the game is to have fun and win so getting a good record and having fun with the team is the goal,” said Scripture when asked about his goals for the season. He remains optimistic for the season ahead and looks forward to working with his teammates to win. When it comes to playing high school baseball one moment in particular stands out for Scripture. “When I dove for a line drive a solid 10 feet short and 5 feet to the right which made the other team get an inside-the-park home run,” said Scripture about his favorite memory. Although for some, this may seem like a bad memory, Scripture felt as if it was a “learning experience” as he will “never dive for a line drive like that again”.
While playing baseball many people have their preferences for a position in the field that may not happen due to players being needed elsewhere or due to them being left-handed. But when asked about what positions Scripture would play if he could play anywhere he said “ Right field has always been my comfort spot so I would say that. Just whatever you do I wouldn’t put me on the mound cause I’m just gonna hang a curveball that will get crushed.”. Scripture enjoys playing right field which is great for him and the team as he can confidently play his position while still having fun. Being Scripture’s senior year the big question seems to be what will it take to go far this year. Scripture feels that if Hermon wants to go far then the Hawks will need to “Get hot early, as getting hot early has always been a problem for us so if we can get started early then I think we can show out this season.” Scripture is confident in his team and feels that all it will take to have a good year is a hot start that continues throughout the season.
Scripture has brought a lot to the Hermon High School baseball team over the past three years. Whether it’s his humor helping relax teammates in tense situations, his ability to compete while still having fun, or his knowledge of the game Scripture is an important part of the team. With an important year ahead Scripture hopes to start the 2024 season off with a bang that continues throughout the season.
The Lady Hawks vs John Bapst
Starring: Brooke Gallop
By: Bruce Coulter and Cooper Stanley
On February 7th, 2024, the Lady Hawks played their last game of the season. Against John Bapst crusaders. Winning 41-35 at the end of the fourth quarter. It was also senior night for Izzy Byram, Bella Bowden, Keirsta (KM) Fairbrother, and Rachel Wicket the last time they would play on the hardwood floor. With a record of 5-13 on the season the girls were Hermon reaching playoffs in the last few years just coming up short 2 years ago the girls wanted to prove they still have it, even though they didn’t make playoffs
Brooke started the first quarter with 1 assist and 3 rebounds only letting up 7 points leading by 1 point heading into the second quarter. Brooke had amazing defense and passed the ball like a magician as well as being a good leader for her fellow lady hawks. “We knew it was going to be a tough game but I was feeling that we needed to step it up on the offensive side because we were great on the defensive side and just turned the ball over or we just didn’t take good shots.”
Hermon was written all over the 2nd quarter starting it off with a 1-point lead and ending up by 7. The stats for Gallop at the end were 2 steals and 1 assist. Brooke was starting to get more confident shooting the ball even though she didn’t make them she was shooting, and shooters shoot. Halftime was where they needed to chill out and say to themselves we are winning but not by enough and we need to keep the pedal down. Coach Thornton, during halftime, told the girls to, “keep their composure and keep up the energy”.
The second half started out a little slow but that’s just the Hermon way. Brooke had 2 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and the whole team had multiple defensive stops. You can see the determination in her eyes to win her final game of the season. She got down on every loose ball and wanted every rebound she could.
In the last quarter, Hermon was up by 10, 30-20. The ball movement was immaculate, moving from hand to hand like a well-rounded team. Of course, Brooke was in the middle of it all. 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 assist for Brooke. She finished the game out with 2 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals ending the game with a great stat line. She went to the game knowing her job and she did it, playing defense and passing good balls.
We asked Brooke what she felt she regretted and she said. “ I feel I should have been more confident in myself so next year I’m coming out the year confident.” After, we asked what was something they did well as a team. “ We used each other well and got each other open shots and moved the ball very well.” Till next year ❤
Something to Prove
By: Cooper Stanley and Bruce Coulter
Hermon High School has a rich basketball program history with a well-deserved state championship in 2018 following a 22-0 season. A talented group of seniors led this championship season; Keenan Marseille, Cody Hawes, and Jacob Godfrey. They would start to struggle in the following years, as in the 2019-2020 season, they would fall to a still very good 12-6. And then the struggles would continue as last year they were 4-14. Though the record didn’t display it the Hawks had a few bright spots. One of these being then Freshman and current Sophomore Carter Wiggin.
Wiggin is currently the sixth man for the Hawks making massive impacts off the bench for the Hawks, commanding the floor from the point guard position. We asked what his responsibilities off the bench were, and he said, “One of the main ones is being able to get looks for everybody else on the court as the point guard but also getting looks for myself as well.” Carter is currently the third-leading scorer for Hermon. This impact is huge for the Hawks as Carter can come in for them and just get those much-needed buckets.
He’s also one of those guys who will make things happen for those around him when he’s on the floor. Whether he’s diving for a rebound, kicking it out to Big Red in the corner, or drawing a foul and shooting two. Wiggin makes it happen, when asked about his impact on the floor, “I’ve done well at scoring and getting other teammates shots too because I have a good amount of assists and am the third leading scorer, so I think my biggest impact is probably facilitating the floor.”
With a hopeful deep playoff run for the Hawks coming up Carter has talked about needing to step up his game for the tournament, looking to, “Be more of a leader when I am on the floor.” Reed is notorious for building good basketball players and this is just another example of it with Carter mentioning, “Coach has been getting on me cause the point guard should be leading the team and helping the team.” Carter who will most likely start at guard for the Hawks seems to be a solid piece that will help Hermon for the next couple of years.
Hermon who holds the 6-seed headed into the tourney will host the 11-seeded Washington Academy Raiders in the Hawks Nest for a preliminary round of play. We asked Carter if he thinks that he may be one of the focal points of the team’s burst of success this year and he said, “I think sometimes I can be but other games not as much.” Knowing this he seems to hope to be able to capitalize on this opportunity not only to prove himself to Reed. But also to prove to Class B North that Hermon is a threat that they’d better watch out for.
Solo Senior Status
By: Danny Fowler and Maddox Kinney
The Hermon boys’ basketball team has had an impressive comeback season sitting at 9-6 after a tough 4-14 season last year. The Hawks have high hopes for the playoffs ahead and hope to close the season out on a strong note. One player for the Hawks who has had to take on a whole new level of responsibility on the team is senior guard Madden Henderson. Being the only senior on the team he has a big spot to fill as a mentor to the underclassmen while filling his role on the court as a facilitator who knows his way around the court. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Madden and was able to talk about how he felt about his role being the only senior and his hopes for the playoffs ahead.
Maddox: How does it feel to be the only senior, and what challenges has this created for you?
Madden: It feels weird being the only senior I never thought I would be because growing up there were a lot of people the same grade as me that played basketball but they ended up focusing on different sports. But the biggest challenge is trying to lead the younger teammates so they can be even better next year
Maddox: How does it feel from going 4-14 and not making playoffs to now a top 6 team in Class B North?
Madden: Last year was really different going 4-14, it was my first varsity year. I honestly didn’t expect to play a lot because we had 3 seniors who all covered my position but they all went out with injuries so it’s helped me this year and it feels really good to not be at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Maddox: What do you think is the biggest factor in the team’s success this year?
Madden: Definitely the bonds we’ve created, we do a lot together as a team, like we’ve had a few team dinners and that really helps the chemistry.
Maddox: With the big win against Ellsworth bringing you to 8-6, how has your outlook on the playoffs changed?
Madden: It hasn’t changed much, I knew we would do a lot better this year than last but I think we can make a big playoff run because we’ve shown that we can get the job done against the top teams.
Maddox: Looking ahead to play-offs what weaknesses does the team need to work on if you guys want to succeed in the playoffs?
Madden: Making shots, and consistency. We struggle with making shots in some games, either our whole team is on point or our whole team isn’t that’s where the consistency part comes in.
Maddox: Which players would you say contribute to the team the most in ways that don’t show in the stat book and why?
Madden: Mason Kinney is a big part of our team, he does have some things in the stat book like his threes but besides that, he plays solid defense and he’s lengthy enough to guard bigs and guards.
Maddox: Which of the Kinney brothers is better and why?
Madden: I think Maddox is better right now but next year I think Mason will be better because knowing him he’ll grow to be 7’1.
Big Red
By: Max Hopkins & Braelynn Wilcox
The Hermon Boys Varsity Basketball Team has had a rollercoaster of a past. They went from being a powerhouse team in 2018, going home with not only a perfect record of 22-0 but the gold ball in hand as well. To have to fight the battle of graduating key players. After a reset season last year, they came into this season ready to show Class B North what the youthful Hawks have to offer. You heard it correctly, the Hawks of Hermon will be graduating only one senior at the conclusion of this year, while a key part of the Hawk’s starting lineup, they have a deep bench to rely on, some of those who have already showcased their talents on the court. Mason Kinney a Sophomore forward has been a standout for the Hawks, climbing up the ladder in the stat book and landing in the top 5 for total points this season. We had a chance to talk to Kinney about what goes on behind the scenes that leads to a successful season.
Mason being the type of player he is makes it effortless for his coaches and fellow teammates to have faith that he will drain a 3 whenever he is open to do so. As Mason says “My first thought is to shoot the ball, then pass” Which is made apparent in the stat book as he leads the team in 3-point makes by more than double. Coming from a student perspective who is pretty close with Mason I love to see when he feels confident enough to shoot a 3, and when it goes through the net the energy in the stands is indescribable; especially in clutch moments. Just talking to Mason someone can almost tell that he is there to win and score more than his brother Maddox.
Now Mason brings more to the team than just his range. He is also a solid defender for the Hawks. Putting up very few fouls in the past few games. As well as having a mere 50 rebounds; just second on the team. Seeing as Mason is a power forward for the Hawks, when watching him play he just seems to be everywhere on the court whenever needed. Need him in the paint to get a rebound, he’ll be there. Need him to be open in the corner to bang a big 3, he’ll be there.
With the Hawks sitting at 9-6 on the season Kinney feels as if there were plenty of games they should’ve won and games that they won that took some people by surprise. Also stating that he could’ve contributed some more in some of the close losses they have had.” Which just shows how his mentality is when it comes to the team. He is willing to take responsibility and pride in himself to help the team. As if he has something to prove to his big brother Maddox. Everyone loves a good sibling rivalry, especially when you can find them both in starting 5. Mason has that chip on his shoulder of being stuck behind the fame of an older sibling, however, has decided to take his shot and prove to the community that he can play some ball.
Eye’s From the Goal
by: Quinn Bird
Field hockey is a competitive and sometimes vicious sport, and Lydia Caron does it well. As the senior varsity goalie for Hermon Hawks’s field hockey she has had countless saves and puts in her all. Recently, the field hockey team played the Dexter Tigers, and lost 1-2. During this game Lydia had a total of __ saves during the game adding up to over 20 for the season, which has just begun. Recently I got the chance to ask Lydia a few questions about what life is like in the goal, the pressure, and what it is like to have another goalie under her wing.
Quinn: Do you think field hockey is becoming a more popular sport, with the amount of upcoming freshman?
Lydia: Oh, most definitely! In the past few years that I have been playing, I have seen huge growth in the popularity of the sport, especially with the amounts of new freshmen joining. Though there may be less knowledge about the sport in the general public, I have noticed that many more schools have begun to acknowledge it more, especially our own school.
Because of how well we did last year, this new attention has helped us gain new accommodations for us and future players, such as having access to the turf field, giving us new goals, and new equipment.
Quinn: During a game, do you see certain things while in the goal?
Lydia: I am able to see the entire field where I’m standing. And yes, I see missed calls happen all the time, whether it is hacking, third parties, obstructions, backward sticks, people kicking, or getting hit by the ball accidentally, which happens all the time.
Quinn: There have been some cases within sports where the goalies get no credit if the team wins but all the blame if they lose, do you feel the effects of this?
Lydia: Yes and No. I have seen this happen a couple of times in a few news articles and Facebook posts, but I wouldn’t say that they affected me very much.
I might be disappointed for a short while, but I would never let it affect how I play. I always have people come up to me after games to congratulate me on how well I did in a game, whether or not we won or lost, and I always appreciate that.
Quinn: Do you ever feel pressured to do well in a game? Do you put any pressure on yourself?
Lydia: Of course, especially since I am the goalie, but I think everyone does, no matter what sport or position you play in. However, it’s whether or not you focus too much on that idea that it can affect how you play.
Quinn: How have to taken to Ally being the new goalie? What specific advice have you given her in hopes of her success?
Lydia: I am very excited to see Ally as the new team goalie, I have seen how much she has improved in the last year and I’m interested to see how she will do next year. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to teach her all the techniques that I have learned in my past years of playing, giving her tips on what she can improve on, and also showing her new tricks that I’m still learning to master (Diving).
Quinn: Do you have any techniques on how to motivate yourself and Ally when a game is coming up?
Lydia: Keeping a positive attitude throughout practices and during games surprisingly goes a long way. As we have all heard Shawna say before, Sports are mental games just as much as they are physical, if we act or think that we won’t do well, our game or practice will most likely go poorly.
Quinn: How do you think the season is going? What are some improvements you have seen and what are some you’re still hoping to see as the season progresses?
Lydia: I think our season so far has been going pretty well. I’ve seen significant improvement throughout the Junior and Sophomore grades and I’m still impressed with how the Freshman class has played. I know we are still trying to adapt to the loss of our Seniors from last year, however, I think once we get well-adjusted into the season, we will be able to play to our full potential.
Quinn: Do you have any goals for the season?
Lydia: My biggest goal of the season, personally, is to be able to dive in a game. However, if we are talking about for the entire team, I’m hoping that we will be able to learn from our past games and win the ones that are coming up within the season.
Quinn: How long have you been a field hockey goalie and did you plan on being a goalie when signing up? In what ways have you improved since your first year?
Lydia: I started when I was in 6th grade, and no, I was definitely not planning to be a goalie at that point. Back then, I didn’t even know what the sport was and I was actually planning to quit on the first day of practice. However, my mother convinced me to stay and I played on defense for the first half of the season. I was terrible, to say the least, and dreaded playing it, so my coach introduced me to the goalie position. I did enjoy playing it at first (mainly because I didn’t have to run as much), however, as time went on I came to love the position. I have improved a lot since my first year of goalieing, especially when it comes to my speed, agility, and aggressiveness. Going to clinics in the off-season also helped me improve more throughout the years, helping me gain an outside perspective on the sport and my position.
Keeping the Voices Away
By Braelynn Wilcox
The Hermon High School girls soccer team has one rightful story to tell with their astonishing record. As the athletes that have played with the team in the past 5 years have gone every fall without losing a regular season game. Racking up 62 consecutive regular season wins and 3 back to back Class B Northern Maine Championships. The team looks a little different this year as they graduated four key players last season who all went on to play at the college level. They stay strong in most areas, and are grateful to undergo one more season with their goalie Bella Bowden, who currently holds the record for career shutouts, acquiring her 29th last fall. On September 9th, the Hawks lost their first regular season game since 2018 to rival Old Town, 4-2 on Hermon’s new turf field. As a goalie you don’t receive a ton of recognition when you win but more often than not the loss is laid on you. Recently I was able to ask the senior captain a few questions on how she deals with the constant voices around her and how the Hawks will prepare to soar their way to another shot at a state title.
Braelynn: After not losing a regular season game in your high school career, how did it feel to be on the field when those final seconds came to an end on Saturday?
Bella: “It wasn’t like a final second thing. We knew from the start that we were playing down. I could tell that we didn’t have the mindset to show up and play…I remember saying before the game that this one could be the one that breaks the streak. Even looking at this year last season I knew that Old Town was going to be hard for us. Honestly playing the game, it was so hard because I knew that we were way better than them…we showed up to play too late.”
Braelynn: While holding the record for career shoutouts do you feel that you hear more about the loss opposed to the credit you receive when you win?
Bella: “I feel like it’s more myself that blames me for the losses but goalies do often get blamed for silly goals that go in the net…I am surrounded by people that would never blame me for a loss, so I dont hear that often. I remember during the Old Town game I was beating myself down, after halftime I started tearing up because I was like ‘I can’t believe I’ve let in four goals’ but I then had my teammates like Izzy reminding me of how it’s not always my fault…I remember last year’s State Championship game even though we did lose everyone was like ‘you showed up to play that day’ and ‘you kept us in that game’ it was really rewarding.”
Braelynn: How do you deal with all the noise from your peers?
Bella: “Hermon Girls Soccer definitely has a reputation and everybody knows it, not even just our community. It’s just such a high expectation to be on a run since 2018…from a lot of people I get “oh my word I can’t believe that you guys lost for the first time since 2018” that’s kind of annoying but I had a lot of people come up to me and say that I shouldn’t look at it as you lost the streak but a “you should be proud of what an accomplishment you made” instead which is more of how our team took it which is good…”
Braelynn: How is this team different from previous teams that you’ve been on?
Bella: “This team is obviously a young team so it’s kind of like starting from scratch. We are working on building up a team just as we have in the past. Sydney Gallop and Maddy Higgins were freshmen in 2018 where they obviously would have lost, we built that group up so when they became seniors they dominated as well as the following 2023 class. I am kind of in the middle where I was built up with that group but now have to start from scratch with this team. I think they have a strong future with the freshmen coming up that have a passion for soccer as well as the underclassmen that are going to continue to develop. As MJ said it’s like a building year, we have to introduce them to high school and teach them the kind of game we are looking to play and introduce them to higher expectations.”
Braelynn: How do they handle adversity?
Bella: “Our team last year had played as a team really well. This year we have a bunch of new girls so we don’t know how to play as a team as much and we don’t play as well as we should. When adversity comes this year we think “I’ve got to figure this out” opposed to fighting them as a team…As the season grows we have built that chemistry and learned to play more together”
Braelynn: As a goalie, what do you have to work on to reach the goals you have?
Bella: “I would like to say that I am very inconsistent. Some games I feel like I am at the top of my game, stopping every ball, and other games I just feel like my reaction time is not as fast and I don’t feel as confident. So I want to work on my consistency…As well as my techniques, confidence, and communication being able to control the field as a senior especially as a goalie is important”
Braelynn: How do you handle adversity?
Bella: “It tears me down sometimes, I get on myself alot, especially as a goalie because there is a lot of pressure. I’ve been fortunate to have started as a goalie freshman year because I have learned how to handle that pressure in different ways…I need to learn how to use that fire to make me a better player. There are challenges to be dealt with as a team, like I shouldn’t be focused on myself. My teammates do well supporting me which helps a lot.”
Striving for a ‘Good’ Season
An Inside Look at Hermon Tennis
By Lyndsee Reed
Mr. Good is a popular face in the Hermon community. Whether he’s teaching physical education and health at the high school or coaching one of many sports teams from boys soccer and JV girls basketball to tennis this spring, he is constantly doing his part for the students and athletes in the community. And right now, one of his main focuses is coaching both the girls and boys varsity tennis teams. While it’s a major task to take on one team a season, taking on both the boys and girls can be both a challenging and a rewarding experience that he takes in stride. Recently I was able to ask him a few questions on some of the differences between coaching boys vs coaching girls, as well as updates and goals for this year’s spring season.
Reed: What is the main difference between coaching girls vs coaching boys in sports? Is the way you approach the athletes different in any way?
Good: “I tend to find that there really is no difference in work ethic during practice or in match play for boy and girl student athletes. Both want to compete at their peak performance levels in every match. During practice and match play, however, the boys on our team may be more focused on themselves whereas the girls approach our practices and match play in a more cooperative, group-conscious, manner. I approach the boys and girls differently in my coaching style.”
Reed: Is there a difference between the motivation of the girls and boys when you’re coaching them?
Good: “It is not possible to generalize or stereotype here. Some athletes have a higher level of confidence in their abilities. Some athletes are better listeners and are able to focus on perfecting skills and not just performing them. The tone of a coach’s voice can have a great impact on both sets of athletes. Athletes are individuals.”
Reed: What are tennis practices like? Are there any differences between how the boys practice vs how the girls do?
Good: “Practices are set up for skill, game and strategy development. We focus on perfecting our basic groundstrokes, service and ball placement during the first ⅔ of practice and will play some type of cooperative tennis game to wrap up our practices as a group. There is no difference between the practices.”
Reed: I hear there’s a new tennis TikTok page. What are your feelings about it? Is it a distraction or more of a way for the players to bond?
Good: “Technology in sports is a wonderful tool if used appropriately. As you know, I consider myself to be technologically challenged. The girls decided to make a TikTok page for our girls tennis team and have done a nice job. It’s always positive and light hearted and is definitely used more as a way for players to bond.”
Reed: What do you think is the main reasoning behind the increase in tennis participation in the school? What do you think stands out and intrigues the athletes?
Good: “Tennis is becoming a more popular sport across the country. Our tennis players, Coach Tardie and I are always encouraging more individuals to become involved in our sport. We only approach those students who are not involved in other sports. Being a Physical Education and Health teacher, I am always trying to keep students involved in extracurricular activities.”
Reed: How do you think this season is going so far? What are some improvements you’ve seen and what are some you’re still hoping to see as the season progresses?
Good: “Our season is progressing well. The boys are 3-2 while the girls are 2-3, losing two matches 2-3. The student athletes are always ready and upbeat for our matches and understand what it is like to have set goals and to develop as players and human beings. The athletes know that they have ethical expectations whenever they step onto our courts and know that winning a point fairly is the only way to win.”
Reed: What are the overall goals of the team this season? What are you guys striving to accomplish? Are there different goals for the boys than the girls? If so, what are they?
Good: “Each year we have set goals for all of our teams. Our goals include:
- Making the playoffs
- Advancing to the Regional finals
- Performing each and every match with the class and style that is expected from all individuals
- Repeating as good sportsmanship banner winners.
Tennis is a self-officiated sport and it can be easy for some athletes to take advantage of calling lines unfairly for the purpose of winning. Last year both our boys and girls team won the North Class B sportsmanship awards. It says a lot for the way our athletes compete and perform during each and every match.”
Who’s Next?: An Upcoming Hermon Athlete
By Josh Sullivan
Every year, Hermon High School loses great athletes. Some quit, some graduate, and either way, there is a hole that needs to be filled. Every year that job falls on the shoulders of the Freshmen. They step up to fill the shoes of their predecessors. The current Freshmen class is no different.
Today I’m going to highlight one athlete in particular, an athlete who has a bright future here at Hermon and in less than one year has already accomplished a lot. That athlete is Nate Sullivan.
Nate has been playing sports for his whole life. Soccer, football, baseball, basketball, golf, he’s played them all. His range of sports is so wide that when asked, he said his favorite sport was lawn darts.
Nate is one of Hermon High School’s newest three-season athletes, playing football, basketball, and tennis in the spring. He’s found a lot of success with these already. He played almost every snap on JV football, contributed to a Freshmen basketball championship, and has already climbed to the top of the JV tennis team. He is looking to be a prominent part of these program’s varsity teams going into the future. When asked if he will continue to be a three-sport athlete he gave an astounding “Probably”.
However, behind that simple one-word answer is a lot of complexity and it is easier said than done, and Nate knows this. “Being a three-sport athlete can be extremely challenging. It requires a great deal of time management, dedication, and hard work.”. Nate is not one to quit. Anyone who knows Nate, even a little bit, will know that he’s ultra-competitive. Even Nate acknowledges that fact. When asked his motivations he replied, “to be better than my teammates and competitors,” and “I hate losing”.
We need more students like Nate. People who are willing to step up to the plate and give it their best. People who don’t get discouraged if they aren’t the best or even good at all, and instead use that drive to get better. People who fill the holes that are left every year. People who are true Hermon Hawks.
Tennis is His Middle Name
By: Derek Smith
Hermon High School has had a tennis program since 1988, which makes this year the 35th year that Hermon has had a tennis team. Over the years, the tennis team has grown from only having 8 players to around 35. This makes it harder and harder each year to become the best.
Cooper Jensen has been the number one on the Hermon Tennis Team for two years now.
Being the best, you would think that Jensen would feel pressured by his teammates or family, but according to him the pressure is really not a big issue: “Normally I don’t feel pressured by others when I play, although it can get intense if it is a close match.”
Cooper planned on playing tennis freshman year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic he unfortunately could not. Coming into his sophomore year, Jensen was skeptical at first; the pandemic the prior year made him question if he really even wanted to play tennis in the first place: “I wasn’t even planning on playing my sophomore year, but my friend Nick hounded me into playing with him, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
In his first tennis season Cooper Jensen went from never picking up a racket to being the number two singles on the Hermon Tennis team. Jensen carried on this wave, and became number one singles player for his whole junior year, and has held onto the top this season as a senior. While Jensen is the best on the team, being competitive is not his main priority when playing: “My favorite part about tennis is definitely the practices because we get to just play tennis with our friends and everyone just has a good time.”
Some of Cooper’s best memories of tennis have been during practices because he gets to play with his friends, and just have a good time: “One of my favorite times in tennis was when Coach Tardie coached our practice and we played a bunch of fun games all practice.” The Hermon Tennis team does not have the best record in the world or anything like that, but to Cooper, and many other players tennis is not about being the best; it’s about making great memories with friends, and having fun: “Tennis is a sport that I will always remember because of the memories I’ve made with my friends, and I love it because of that.”
The Bergy Bruins
A Player Spotlight on Patrice Bergeron
By: Makena Nevells
Boston Bruins Center, and Captain, Patrice Bergeron is one of a kind. With his skill, and attitude, both incomparable, he has impacted the teams he has been on.
“In the art of the draw, Bergeron has few, if any, equals.” The NHL network said.
His assets can be seen without looking at the stats though.
“What makes him a special player on and off the ice is that he’s someone who comes in every day with the right attitude,” says teammate Sidney Crosby to Eric Russo from NHLBruins when talking about Bergeron after he received his 1000th game milestone in 2019.
Bergeron and his family even donated $50,000 after the murder of George Floyd to NAACP Boston in order to show their support for the family.
In 2021, Bergeron received the Mark Messier NHL Leadership award, which recognizes players that exhibit amazing leadership on and off the ice. Bergeron has fit and continues to fit this description, as he participates and creates events like the Holiday Toy Shopping event for children in hospitals, Cuts for a Cause which involves Bruins players shaving their heads while raising money for the Boston Bruins Foundation and Tuft’s Children Hospital. Bergeron even helped raise $375,000 by partnering with The Boston Bruins Foundation and 98.5 Sports Hub to give to Tufts Children’s Hospital.
Bergeron left the game after getting hit by Pasternak’s deflected puck. Brad Marchand, Bergeron’s teammate, explained his amazement on how strong Bergeron was.
“He’s gonna play through anything. It makes you want to go through a wall when you see a guy like that come back, who literally will play through anything and sacrifice any part of his body to win a game. He could easily walk away from that and rest up for the next one, but it says a lot about his character and who he is as a player and a captain and that’s why he is who he is.”
Coach Jim Montgomery also explained how he appreciates Bergeron’s toughness,
“I mean really, we’re up in the game, 3-1, he knows that and he’s back in the locker room, and still, he comes out right away…Just a tremendous amount of respect for his toughness, his pride in wearing the ‘Spoked B’… He’s one of the toughest… There’s toughness in what you’re willing to do, how much pain you’re willing to play with. The trainers told me right away, ‘He’ll be back’ because I’ve never seen anyone play with more pain.”
Since then, he has continued to exceed expectations and impress Head Coach Jim Montgomery as Bergeron was the first player Montgomery called after getting the job in Boston earlier in 2022.
When looking at stats, Bergeron has more assists than goals, but that takes nothing away from his talent. He sees opportunities that would be better handled by someone else and is always thinking about the team over himself. The Captain, Veteran, and Father is a role model for not only younger kids, but other hockey players. Boston is lucky to have him.
Boston’s Brick Wall
A Historical Season for Linus Ullmark
By: Logan Brower
There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that the Boston Bruins are absolutely dominant this season. Having already broken many records this year, the B’s are the clear favorite to win the President’s Trophy, as well as the Stanley Cup. This success could be attributed to multiple factors, including star quality goal scorers and elite defensemen. While these are definitely important pieces, a major portion of Boston’s success is the 6’5” Swedish brick wall standing between the pipes.
In his second year as a Boston Bruin, the former Buffalo Sabres goalie, Linus Ullmark, has been playing the best hockey of his life. This year he has 32 wins, 4 losses, and 1 overtime loss. He leads the NHL in both goals against average, and save percentage, with 1.89 and .938% respectively. Oh yeah, and he also has a goal.
On Saturday, February 25th 2023, Linus Ullmark became the 13th goalie in NHL history, and the first in Bruins history to score a goal. In the final minute of a 2-1 game in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Canucks emptied their net attempting to pull themselves into overtime. Ullmark had different plans, a player for Vancouver dumps the puck into the zone, and acting like it was effortless, Ullmark skates to the puck, rotates on his skates to set up with his forehand, and launches the puck down the ice straight into the net to seal away the victory. After his goal he was swarmed by teammates and as Ullmark recaps, “Someone in the pile that told me, ‘You have to go to the bench, you have to go to the bench,'” (via NHL.com)
This historic goal made Ullmark the first goalie since 2020 to score a goal in the NHL, and the first Burin to achieve this feat. He was so incredibly excited that he told NHL reporters, “It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now. I have to kind of digest it all. I’m just so bloody happy.”
Later on in this same western road trip, the B’s faced off against the Calgary Flames. The Bruins went on to win this game 3-4 in overtime after facing 57 shots on goal. Of these 57 shots Ullmark made a career high 54 saves, breaking the Bruins record for most saves in a game. NESN asked head coach Jim Montgomery if Ullmark “stole” the win from the flames, “Absolutely, he did,” the coach replied. NESN was later able to speak with the record breaking goalie asking him about how he feels he performed in this game, “It was a lot of fun. You never really want to get up to almost 60 shots in the game, but I’ll take it. We got two points and we’ll go home with a four-game road trip win streak. Love it.”
These two recent games, on top of his already incredible performance and all star appearance (which he won by the way) have cemented Linus Ullmark as this year’s best goalie, and with possibly one of the best seasons of all time.
Chasing Greatness
By Lyndsee Reed
For the past four years, Megan Dorr has been a crucial member of the Hermon Hawks Cheerleading team. During this time she has won the State Championship title her freshman and sophomore year, while being a runner-up her junior year. With the reputation the cheerleading program has produced, being a part of it all can be a daunting task at times. But it can also be a very rewarding experience and that’s one of the many reasons that keeps her coming back each year.
According to Megan, there’s nothing like coming off the mat after completely nailing your performance or hearing your team get announced in first place: “When we win it’s the best feeling.” That, along with the “adrenaline before a performance”, is why she laces up her cheer shoes in the winter. It’s far from easy to be a cheerleader, but it’s a challenge she takes in stride each year in order to improve: “I definitely think my flying skills have improved a lot because I would always be scared to try new and scary things. This year I’ve been trying to keep an open mind and just try those different skills out.”
Now, being in her senior year she not only has to focus on her own skills improving, but also finding ways to lead and help her teammates refine theirs. There are no set rules on how to lead a team, but she believes “having a positive attitude and speaking up when it’s needed” is an important part of the process. “I also think about how I wish seniors in the past had acted as leaders.” Being able to recall how the leaders before her choose to approach this pivotal position has been very beneficial for her. She’s used the methods of leaders she’s found impactful, while trying to stay away from the techniques of those that were not.
Yet unlike the years in the past, Hermon cheering hasn’t been as dominant. Only placing in as high as 3rd place in competitions this year, that room for improvement and need for strong leadership has grown increasingly bigger. She believes that the slow start this season could be a result from the loss from last season. The confidence aspect has been affected greatly, especially with the talent of the competition this year. “We were humbled. We didn’t think that our opponents were going to be as big of a threat as they actually are.”
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, her mindset hasn’t changed: “I’m going to work as hard as I can for the positions I’m in and get the best out of it because I want to win my senior year.” She has some major goals in mind for herself and her teammates. She wants to go out on a high note. But in order for that to happen she believes “everyone needs to work 10x harder than what they are working now and we need to be more serious”. Megan and the rest of the squad will have to push themselves harder than before and be nearly perfect to pull off a win this year. This is a task that she believes is far from impossible.
Switching Birds: A Hawk to an Eagle
Player Spotlight on Lyndsee Reed
By: Allie Cameron 
Lyndsee Reed is currently a senior at Hermon High School.
But not for too much longer.
In the fall of 2023, Lyndsee will be changing species of birds, becoming a Husson Eagle, where she will be playing Women’s Soccer and Softball.
“I love sports, and I’m glad it’s not ending,” Reed states. Only about 7% of high school athletes get to continue their careers collegiately (scholarshipstats.com). And Lyndsee is now a part of that 7%. And she isn’t just playing one sport, but two: “It’s so exciting for me because I thought softball would go through, but I didn’t know about soccer,” Reed says.
(Photo Credit: Michael Seamans)
That’s not all there’s to be excited about, she says: “being able to play with Maddy Higgins and people that I know, and some of the softball girls I’ve played with over the summer so I know some of them, so that’s exciting.”
Lyndsee relishes the opportunity to be able to compete at a higher competitive level: “I’m kind of excited to be at a different level,” Reed says, “having more challenging games and having ways to always improve and get better during the season will be exciting.”
“I’m also looking forward to how close the teams get because it kind of becomes your second family,” she adds, “And having bonds with those girls and getting relationships that will last the rest of my life is also exciting.”
The Hermon school and community wishes Lyndsee the best of luck in continuing her athletic career.
The Hermon Press 