Waltham High School Hockey Champs To Get Parade

WALTHAM, MA — The city will be throwing a party - complete with a parade - to honor the boys and girls hockey teams Saturday.

The parade is mostly to honor the newest Waltham State Champs that are the boys high school hockey team after they came home Sunday night with a 4-1 victory claiming the Div 1 title. But a ceremony will also acknowledge both the boys and the girls teams for both scoring a Good Sportsmanship award over the weekend.

"These accomplishments reflect positively on our community and it was such a touching moment to see these accomplishments bestowed upon our scholar athletes in a sea of red super fans," said Superintendent Drew Echelson in a statement.

>> Read about the champs: Waltham High Wins The State Championship In Hockey At TD Garden

How big of a deal is this? Well, it's been a while since the city hosted a parade. The last time the boys hockey got a parade was 2002, the last time they won the state championships.

Echelson congratulated hockey Coach John Maguire and his team of coaches for their guidance.

"There is no question that Coach Maguire’s leadership was a factor in the success of the program. Coach Maguire is to be applauded, along with the entire team, for his support and leadership of the hockey program," said Echelson.

The Parade Route:

The City of Waltham will host a parade on Saturday, March 24 at 11 a.m. The parade route will start at Veteran's Field and load into a trolly before moving down Forest Street onto Beaver Street around the rotary to Lynman before taking a right onto Main Street a left on Elm Street where the trolly will unload and the boys team will head over to Waltham City Hall to meet the girls' team at around noon.

Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy will preside over a ceremony honoring the Boys’ State Champion Team at City Hall on or around noon. She will also acknowledge the Girls’ and Boys’ hockey team for earning the Good Sportsmanship awards.

Congratulations to the 2018 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Boys’ Hockey Division-1 State Champion: Waltham Hawks. Special congratulations to the Boys’ and Girls’ Hockey team for earning the important Good Sportsmanship Award.

It's a full day in Waltham Saturday:

• 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Our Annual City of Waltham Easter Celebration http://bit.ly/2Fq6GFq

• 11 a.m.| Parade, followed by a ceremony at City Hall with Mayor McCarthy to honor our Waltham High School Boys Hockey State Champions & acknowledge the Girls & Boys hockey team's Good Sportsmanship Award!! http://bit.ly/2Gm9GSV

• 3 p.m. | "Battle of the Badges" - Waltham Firefighters will be playing against Waltham Police Officers in a hockey game at 3 p.m. at the new Bentley University Hockey rink! All proceeds go towards the One Mission Foundation. Get your tickets: http://bit.ly/2D223Ls

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Read this, too: Waltham High Wins The State Championship In Hockey At TD Garden

Photo courtesy Danny Pasky.