Boys basketball: Mahar locks down late, secures season sweep of Athol 54-36

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — The first meeting of the season between the Athol and Mahar boys basketball teams saw the Senators outscore the Bears 22-7 in the fourth quarter to earn a comeback victory. When the two rivals met for the second time on Friday in Orange, it...

After years of moving around, Matt Cross has found a home at UMass; and the Minutemen have found their leader

By GARRETT COTE

As Matt Cross woke up each day during the offseason, it felt like another teammate was heading for the exit. The UMass men’s basketball team lost eight of its final 10 games – including a 33-point blowout to Richmond in the first round of the Atlantic...

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Surviving a ‘trip’ to Lowell

Good morning!The traffic jams up early on Fridays in Lowell, and the Tsongas Center is four miles and countless stoplights off Interstate 495. It was dark, wet and cold, the canals were half frozen and railroad tracks criss-crossed through the city’s...

Report: UMass football offensive coordinator Steve Casula leaving Minutemen for tight end coaching job at Michigan

The UMass football team will have a new offensive coordinator next fall. Steve Casula — who spent the last two seasons as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Minutemen — will be joining Sherrone Moore’s staff at the University of...

Theo Epstein to return to Red Sox as advisor and part-owner of parent company, Fenway Sports Group

By JIMMY GOLEN

BOSTON — Theo Epstein, who as Red Sox general manager was the architect of two World Series championships, is returning to the organization as a minority owner and part-time senior adviser to its parent company, Fenway Sports Group.Epstein, who also...

Bulletin Board: Greenfield Knights of Columbus Hoop Shoot winners crowned

The Greenfield Knights of Columbus Hoop Shoot took place on Saturday at Franklin County’s YMCA in Greenfield. Greenfield’s Savannah Thomas was the winner in the age nine girls group. On the boys side Kent Warner of Leyden won the age nine group, South...

Girls basketball: Frontier takes down Easthampton to stay in FCL North title hunt (PHOTOS)

By GARRETT COTE

EASTHAMPTON — There’s nothing quite like the sweet taste of revenge.After losing to Easthampton on its home floor – snapping a near two-year home winning streak – just three weeks ago, the Frontier girls basketball team came into Thursday night’s...

High schools: Franklin Tech wins outright FCL South title; Amber Bergeron goes off for 40 points in Greenfield win

Add another banner to the gymnasium in Turners Falls.The Franklin Tech girls basketball team secured an outright Franklin County League South title on Thursday night, rolling to a 52-30 road victory in Ware.Franklin Tech improved to 14-2 overall and a...

Girls basketball: Mohawk Trail snaps skid with impressive win over Athol (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

BUCKLAND — It was a dominant first half performance on the defensive end of the court for the Mohawk Trail girls basketball team against Athol on Thursday. The Bears scored the opening basket of the game after Anna Duquette drained a 3-pointer but it...

UMass hockey returns to action against Merrimack, Maine this weekend

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

After a week off to rest and recharge, the UMass hockey team is back on the ice this weekend. It comes with a twist, however.Unlike most weekends in Hockey East where UMass will play a home-and-home series with one opponent, the Minutemen will be...

UMass football: Minutemen announce transfer additions for 2024 season

As the spring 2024 semester officially kicked off at UMass on Thursday, head coach Don Brown and the Minutemen were able to announce the next set of roster additions with 19 transfer student-athletes joining the team. Among the 19 transfers, 12 are on...

H.S. Roundup: Smith Vocational wrestling edges out win over Frontier (PHOTOS)

It was an even match between the Smith Vocational and Frontier wrestling teams on Wednesday in Northampton. Of the eight matches that were wrestled, the Vikings won four and the Redhawks took four. With Smith Vocational taking 18 points from forfeits,...

High school notebook: Sizing up the league title races as the season reaches a fever pitch

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

We’ve hit the home stretch of the winter season and Recorder area schools will be spending the next few weeks trying to lock up league championships before the postseason begins. One squad that is one victory away from an outright league title is the...

UMass basketball: La Salle rallies from big deficit, hands Minutewomen 8th straight loss

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Down by three points with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, UMass junior guard Kristin Williams received a pass from Bre Bellamy on the wing with time ticking away.Williams took one dribble to control the ball and square her...

H.S. Roundup: Athol boys basketball stays unbeaten in HL North with win over Hampshire (PHOTOS)

When you’re the top team in the Hampshire League North, you’re going to get every team’s best shot the rest of the way.Such was the case in Westhampton on Tuesday night, as visiting Athol withstood a big push from Hampshire Regional but escaped with...

Wrestling: Athol uses big roster to its advantage in win over Mohawk Trail (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ATHOL — The Athol wrestling team did what it had to do on Tuesday against Mohawk Trail. The Bears had the match clinched before it started, as the Warriors are down to just five wrestlers. With Athol boasting a nearly full roster, the Bears had the...

Alpine ski: Mohawk Trail continues dominance at PVIAC Meet No. 5

The Mohawk Trail girls alpine ski team continued its dominance this winter on Tuesday evening. The Warriors put the top three individual skiers down the giant slalom course, besting the field at PVIAC Meet No. 5 at Berkshire East in Charlemont.Addie...

H.S. Roundup: Franklin Tech girls basketball defeats Montachusett for ninth win in a row

Make it nine wins in a row for the Franklin Tech girls basketball team. The Eagles took on Montachusett on Monday and outscored the Bulldogs 25-21 in the second half to help earn a 48-41 independent victory in Turners Falls. Hannah Gilbert finished...

Hockey: Greenfield scores twice in third period, holds off Southwick 4-3 (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

GREENFIELD — After Luca Siano knocked home his second goal of the game to give the Greenfield hockey team a three-goal lead during the third period against Southwick on Monday, it appeared the Green Wave were going to cruise to a victory. The Rams...

Former Blue Jays, Red Sox and Astros manager Jimy Williams dies at age 80

BOSTON — Jimy Williams, the 1999 American League Manager of the Year for Boston who won 910 games over a dozen seasons that included stints with Toronto and Houston, has died. He was 80.The Red Sox said Williams died Friday at AdventHealth North...