Photo by Patrick Bendzick
The ACL had many top performers in the fall of 2010 with a stellar post-season from Marshfield's Joel Hubbard and Kevin Thomas and Plymouth North's Dan Gordon. The three ACL all-stars had dominated the season and proved that even the smaller league's can provide large results. Hubbard and Thomas placed 4th and 6th in the Division I Cross Country Championships at Gardner's golf course and both are returning for a senior season which will provide Marshfield with one of the best 1-2 punches the state has ever produced.
The league itself saw some jaw dropping performances during the dual meet season, with a three way tie for the league title between Dennis-Yarmouth Regional HS, Marshfield HS, and Sandwich HS. Plymouth North had a great day at the ACL Championship meet, placing ahead of all but Marshfield for a solid second place. With four teams (out of 7) jostling for the win last, year will 2011 be even more exciting?
The Returners:
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional HS returns 4 of their top 7 starting with Colin Merrill. Merrill had a great sophomore campaign breaking the 17:00 barrier at MSTCA Invitational in Wrentham. He will be looking to improve on his 31st placing at 2010's EMASS Division IV meet by stepping up and providing great support to team captain Sean Nee. With his post-season spring success, Nee will surely have confidence coming into his last year as a Dolphin. He'll get some help from sophomore Keith Barnatchez, who seems to have had some solid summer training and posted a few sub 17's in local 5k races. The team looks strong this year, and will certainly perform well, as they begin their quest to repeat as ACL Champs.
Marshfield HS returns the top two performers from the Division I All-State Championship in Joel Hubbard and Kevin Thomas. Both posted fantastic races all year long and are certainly providing each other with support in workouts as well as races. Hubbard and Thomas have their sights set on winning a state championship and advancing to a national championship event. But, Marshfield has struggled in the past to produce a strong seven man team. In 2009, Marshfield had 3 individuals qualify for the Division I All-State Championship but failed to qualify as a team. Coach Dennis Sheppard is proud to report that many of his athletes, including junior Kevin Friedland, have been motivated by the successful duo. Marshfield will also be looking for another ACL title and hard push to that All-State Championship.
Sandwich HS returns 6 of the top 7 and 9 of their top 10. While taking losses to DY in a dual meet, and losing to both Marshfield and Plymouth North at the league championship, they were the only team from the league to advance to the All-State Championship (where they placed 7th overall). Now they have their sights set on the 2010 state championship team from Pembroke and possibly giving them a scare. Sandwich is also looking to extend their season just a bit and race against some of the top teams in the region at the Nike Cross National Regional Championships in NY come late November. Coach Infascelli stated last year that his team lacks "talent", but makes up for that in "hard work". He later changed his statement to, "Our talent is our work ethic." Sandwich will be looking for 5-7 young men breaking 17:00 and having a pack spread of less than sixty seconds come post season play.
Other Notables:
Falmouth's returning ACL All-Star Jake Barry had a phenomenal freshman fall and recently attended the FOSS Running Camp where he seemed fit enough to run with some of the ACL/State's best. He'll be leading a young team that has taken huge steps in returning to the dominant force they once were.
Plymouth North's ACL All-Star Cody Farragher will be leading a team that can certainly rise to the occasion. PN hosted the ACL Championships last fall, and their leader Dan Gordon ran away from Marshfield's Joel Hubbard and Kevin Thomas while placing second as a team. If they can harness that energy and evenly distribute it throughout the year they will once again raise some eye brows.