Pinkerton Academy always winds up having lots to celebrate during its seasonal sports nights. But the Astros’ cup was brimming over when the Derry school celebrated the myriad accomplishments of its fall sports contingents Monday night, Nov. 24.
The academy had four varsity sports squads claim state championships and three sub-varsity teams do so, and new headmaster Griffin Morse made sure that the hundreds of folks gathered at the event in the school’s Hackler Gymnasium took in how successful Pinkerton teams were from September through last Saturday night, Nov. 22, when the Astros’ varsity football team snared the Division I title.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done!” exclaimed Morse. “We have nine varsity teams and six of them played in state championship games. That’s just unthinkable! Any high school would be happy to just have one team play for a state championship!”
Pinkerton athletic director Tim Powers pointed out that academy fall sports teams won over 71 percent of their games, with more than 62 percent of the school’s athletes making the honor roll.
“This is probably the most successful fall season I can ever remember,” said school Dean of Students and longtime PA faculty member Glenn Ahrens. “This was just a tremendous, tremendous fall season.”
Ahrens was busy through the rest of the event, handing out Athlete of the Month awards and accepting championship trophies from the junior varsity spirit squad, the junior varsity girls’ cross-country team, Division I girls’ golf champ Lauren Thibodeau, the varsity boys’ soccer team, the JV and varsity boys’ cross-country crews, the varsity spirit team, and the varsity football team.
Runner-up trophies were also handed over to Ahrens by the varsity field hockey team and the varsity girls’ volleyball squad.
Powers then announced that the field hockey program had won The Astro Cup – one of the local school’s newer awards – for the fall campaign for getting the largest number of its players out to other Pinkerton squads’ games to cheer them on during the autumn season.
The Pinkerton varsity and sub-varsity teams then adjourned to different parts of the campus for individual award and break-up sessions.
The following is a list of Coaches Award winners, except for those award winners on the title-winning teams. The Coaches Awards will be given out at the teams’ forthcoming championship banquets.
VARSITY
Bass Fishing – Derek Goulet; Girls’ Cross-Country – Olivia Tracy; Field Hockey – Maria Aiello; Golf – Matt Barnes; Girls’ Soccer – Hannah Smith; Girls’ Volleyball – Elizabeth Hicks.
Junior Varsity
Girls’ Cross Country – Sadie Farnsworth; Field Hockey – Emma Bennett; Golf – Cody Sullivan; Boys’ Soccer – Tom Wood; Girls’ Soccer – Erin Batchelder; Spirit – Rebecca Lincoln; Girls’ Volleyball – Sarah Hicks.
FRESHMAN
Field Hockey – Julia Parker; Football – Brandon Watts; Boys’Soccer – Zachary Hudgins; Girls’ Soccer – Madison Bouchard-Liporto.
Girls’ Volleyball – Sigourney Lavoie.
Additionally, senior varsity soccer standout Maggie McCarthy, who recently signed her national letter of intent to attend and play women’s lacrosse at the University of Delaware, won coach Steve Gundrum’s Girls’ Soccer Unsung Hero award.
