ST SEBASTIAN’S

ATHLETICS
FALL SPORTS
to North Andover, where despite what
some consider the team’s best effort of the
season, the Arrows lose 2-0 after a pair of
late goals by League co-champs Brooks.
Days later, Lawrence’s powerful attack
propels the Spartans to a 4-1 victory, and
St. Sebastian’s then reaches a depth Dante
may have drafted in a 3-1 loss on an eerily
warm day at Middlesex. The Arrows are
cruelly pierced by misfortune at St Mark’s,
losing 2-1 while surrendering an own-goal
and another penalty kick, but decidedly
outplaying the host, offering a glimmer
of hope as we turn the page for the final
chapter.
Against St. George’s, St. Sebastian’s is
sparked by goals from sophomores Kenny
Vallace ’15 and Matt Guarino ’15 in a 3-1
slaying of the Dragons, which is followed
by a Halloween treat in New Hampshire:
a 1-0 victory over St. Paul’s with a late goal
from Real off a magical back-heel flick by
Lewis. In early November, Groton comes
to Needham with a six-game winning
streak, and while the Arrows create fine
scoring chances, the Zebras prevail 1-0
largely because of several excellent stops by
their keeper. In a scene worthy of a Robert
Frost poem, over an inch of snow blankets
the field while senior manager Mickey
Adams ’13 shovels clear the sidelines when
Roxbury Latin visits Greendale Avenue.
Hitching their sleigh to two of the Leagues’
top-three scorers, the 2012 New England
Class B co-champs prove capable of strong
play in all weather, returning home 4-1
victors, with senior Joe Coughlin’s ’13 first
career goal providing the lone highlight
for St. Sebastian’s. On the final day of the
season, traditional rival Thayer hosts the
Arrows, and the Tigers claw their way to
a 1-0 win off another late penalty kick in
a game so well-fought by both sides that
Thayer’s 25-year coach decides he can now
happily retire.
This year’s epilogue celebrates the
achievements of both Price, who earned
First-Team All-League recognition and
a spot in the senior all-star game on
championship weekend, and Real, who
garnered Second-Team All-ISL accolades.
Four-year letter-winners Price and Piersiak
are named recipients of the Peter Kerr
Award for “sportsmanship, dedication to
the team, and commitment to the soccer
program.” And offering a preview of what
to expect in the 2013 edition, the team
elects rising-seniors Austin Lewis and John
O’Leary as co-captains.
All St. Sebastian’s students know a
simple summary never does justice to great
literature, and this review fails to paint
a picture reflective of the hard-work and
brotherhood that defined the 2012 varsity
soccer season. In a results-driven world,
many athletes throw in the proverbial
towel when times are tough and then
get tougher, but any member of the St
Sebastian’s Community would be proud of
the way these 19 young men maintained
composure, remained positive, kept
improving, and embodied all that it means
to play sports with your friends and for
your School.
Along with the three captains, seniors
Joe Coughlin ’13, Alex Moore ’13, Teddy
O’Hara ’13, and Andrew Sullivan ’13 will all
be missed not just for their contributions
during games but also for their passion,
loyalty, and friendship in practices, on bus
rides, and in the hallways.
O’Leary and Lewis are joined by Niko
Fischer ’14 as a talented and eager trio of
seniors who will lead the team next fall.
Two-year letter-winner Doyle Silvia ’15 will
be joined by Matt Bell ’15, Charlie Gordon
’15, Matt Guarino ’15, Billy McCarthy ’15,
Paige Sanderson ’15, James Sylvia ’15, and
Kenny Vallace ’15 as the game-tested and
motivated returners from the Class of 2015,
and rising-sophomore Alejandro Soto will
certainly help next year’s underclassmen
adjust to the speed and physicality of soccer
at the varsity level.
The best stories are the ones that leave
us pleased with what we just experienced
and curious for what’s to come, and the
2012 varsity soccer team should be proud
of the tale it told and the legacy it leaves.
With such an experienced group returning
in 2013, and a strong feeder system in the
JV and third teams, next year’s narrative
is highly anticipated, and one cannot help
but hope our heroes have their efforts more
overtly rewarded by the great reviewer of
them all, the scoreboard.
John Ryan ’15
Varsity Cross Country
Runners set…GO!!! With these
words every cross country race
starts. Whether the “Go” is marked by
a voice, an air-horn, or a gun can differ,
but with these signals, the runners are
off. From there, pain sets in and will set
in indefinitely. During a cross country
race, there is no time to rest. For the next
17-23 minutes of the runner’s life, all he
will know is pain. Yet, the cross country
runner guts it out and still lines up to
repeat the process the next time, enduring
the same amount of pain in the next race.
No other sport will ensure this much pain
on the athlete, which is why cross country
runners should be recognized for their
bravery and courage, putting their bodies
on the line during every single race.
This year, the cross country team was
led by their multitude of seniors on the
team, including captain Mike Haley ’13,
Peter Breslin ’13, Matt Fachetti ’13, Peter
DeMatteo ’13, Luke Scotten ’13, Anthony
McIntyre ’13, Matt McGuire ’13, and Eddie
McCarthy ’13. The rest of the team was
filled by five juniors and sophomores, Cam
Kelly ’14, John Bartlett ’14, John Flatley
’15, Peter Olson ’15, and John Ryan ’15.
With last year’s head coach, Mr. Jenkins,
off to attend Yale Divinity School, the cross
country team was led by Mr. Ryan, aided by
a new assistant coach, Mr. O’Brien.
After the fabled Homecoming race in
which Mike Haley sprinted past a Nobles
runner on the last turn, Mike continued
his dominance, winning the Governor’s
race and finishing in the top-10 in every
race after, consistently running with fast
times of low 18s to mid 17s. When asked
to comment on his performance, Haley
said, “I’m just glad that my hard work
has helped. And I received help from the
workouts in practice and fellow runners.
As a senior I realized I didn’t have many
races left, so I tried to make the most of
it.” Going down a score sheet, you would
find Cam Kelly and John Ryan behind
Haley, almost always finishing within 20
seconds of one another, flip-flopping the
positions of second or third on the team.
56 | ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE Volume VIII, Issue I