Fall Captains Share Perspective on the 2019 Season

Football: Will Sheskey, Nathan Gould, Aidan Reidy, Sam Doughty

Coming off a huge championship win, Scituate High School’s football team is determined to go back to the Super Bowl. “You don’t want to set your goal lower than what it really should be, which is the Superbowl Title,” according to senior captain Nathan Gould. This positive team attitude promoted by the captains is what propelled them to win the Division Five state title last year, and what Gould, along with the other captains, are aiming to recreate this year. “We’re so close, and the team does a lot of stuff together. It’s always so fun to play with each other on the field,” he says. The football captains know they need a new attitude to continue last season’s success. “You can’t just expect to win every game, and that’s been some of our troubles this year — thinking that we can.”  The genuine chemistry between teammates makes the role of captain worth it though, as said by Gould, “Being an on-field coach is nice in knowing that you’re helping other kids out.” 

Cheerleading: Cassidy Krause, Audrey Marhoffer, Maria Collari

Cassidy Krause, a senior at SHS, describes last year’s cheer season as successful and exciting. She explains, “Not only did the football team win the Super Bowl but [the cheer team] advanced to regionals for the first time in 9 and a half, almost 10 years.” For this season, she hopes to encourage the team to put in more work at practice, such as practicing their full routines. Krause believes that this year’s team is driven and “ready to work.” As a back spot for the team, Krause says that she enjoys helping teammates improve their skills, as she works to create a respectful, team environment. “When I talk to other back spots and I let them know what they are doing right and what they can fix, they really appreciate it.” 

Boy’s Soccer: Finbar O’Connor, Charley Blacker, Aaron Nelson, John Fogarty

“We want to go in with a winning mentality this year,” says junior captain John Fogarty. Last year, the team was able to win the league championship, propelling them full force into this year’s season. The boys have certainly used this mentality to their advantage, repeating as league champions this year. A priority for a soccer captain, according to Fogarty, is being able to “keep people focused when the pressure is on.” There is no shortage of hard work on the field either, and the team hopes this will pay off in the playoffs. 

Girl’s Soccer: Courtney Cutting, Sophie Patterson, Brigid Bonner

 Brigid Bonner, a senior captain, describes last year’s environment between the players as positive. However, this year she explains, “We wanted to involve everyone even more and make everyone a lot closer. Bonner explains that the coach has said, “this is the closest the teams ever been.” The team does a lot of things outside together outside of the sport, which helps build trust on the field. Bonner finds value in knowing that the younger players look up to her and that she can be a role model for them. She enjoys showing her teammates “what it’s like to have good qualities on the field and off the field.” All three senior captains, including Sophie Patterson and Courtney Cutting work well together, playing different positions and allowing each of them to be leaders of different groups within the team. 

Boys Cross Country: Finn Geoghegan, Sam Springer, Keillan Doyle

“I thought last year’s season was a new start for the team with Ms. O’Driscoll joining,” explains senior captain Finn Geoghegan. This season, Geoghegan is convinced that the team has improved tenfold due to the number of workouts and “diversified practices” the team conducts. However, he recognizes that there’s still room to improve. The team also won a meet against Cohasset, making it their first win in many years. “I value being able to give input on practice and aspects of the team that normally may not be seen as important if I wasn’t captain.”

Girls Cross Country:  Ellie Foley, Caroline DiPesa, Sophie Spaulding, Caroline Naylor

Senior captain Caroline Naylor believes that this season’s team is closer and more inclusive than ever before. Another senior captain, Caroline Dipesa, explains, “We try to make everyone feel included no matter their ability or what grade they are in.” Naylor finds that being a captain holds you to a certain standard inside and outside of the sport. Dipesa agrees with Naylor, adding that being a captain can “help your personal confidence,” all while knowing others are looking up to you and encouraging you to “be the best team that you can be.” 

Golf: Aidan Morley and Matt Vegnani

Coming into the 2019 Fall season, the golf team had lost many of its strong players after a tough loss in the league championship. However, this has not stopped the team from becoming “the best team we’ve had in a decade,” according to senior captain Aidan Morley. Their success can partly be attributed to the captains’ strong morals in regard to being an honest player. “It’s your job to essentially turn the [younger players], into men who carry themselves with honor and dignity,” says Morley. “Golf is particularly different because you have to be honest with yourself and everybody because there’s no referees or anything; it’s just you essentially.” The team hopes to carry their early-season success with them throughout the fall.

Field Hockey:  Ellen O’Donnell and Erin Logan

“Last year’s season was really fun,” senior Erin Logan explains. Her goal for this season is to build more team unity and win more games. This season, the team has not been doing as well as last year, but Logan believes that by growing bonds between team members the team can be successful. “Most rewarding for me, is being someone that the underclassmen look up to,” explains Logan. She also recognizes that the team works well together and that even though she is captain, she is held to the same standards as everyone else. Logan and her co-captain, senior Ellen O’Donnell, work well together when it comes to making decisions for the team. 

Volleyball: Logan Standridge, Anna Conroy, Elizabeth Slein

The volleyball team has a tight-knit bond enforced by the team leaders. Senior co-captain Logan Standridge describes how as one of the captains, they organize team dinners together as well as team spirit traditions. “We got a volleyball at the beginning of the season, and then we had everybody write their goals on it. At the end of each game, we pick a person who played the best and demonstrated their goal the best, and give them the ball.” Although the team has faced some difficulty winning games, the captains’ positivity and encouragement after small victories have kept the team spirit alive. “I’m hoping we’ll win more games, but that doesn’t matter as much as long as we’re working together and building each other up.”