Down the Stretch They Come

As the playoffs near, intensity kicks up. Though there was a smaller amount of teams in action in Wilmington during the last week, the most recent set of games was no exception.

The boys hockey team is no stranger to victories, but this year’s still came as a bit of a surprise to head coach Steve Scanlon, who graduated 16 seniors from last year’s team.

After the heavy loss, Scanlon entered the current campaign with several holes to fill. Thanks to young players an stellar netminding from senior goalie Joseph Aucoin, the team remained the top squad in the league and capped its regular season crown with a 6-2 win over North Reading on Wednesday night at .

“I thought we’d be competitive, but I didn’t think we had a shot to stay on top all year and win another title. It’s a nice feather in our cap,” said Scanlon. “It’s our last year in the league, so it’s a good way to go out. We’ve only got one spot left on our banner, so we’re looking to fill that.”

Cam Owens put on an offensive clinic during the game and earned a hat trick to lead the way.

On Saturday, the team continue its strong play with a in a game that ratcheted up the level of play to a postseason level.

The Wilmington boys basketball team last week, but that doesn’t mean the final regular season games hold no meaning for the Wildcats.

Head coach Joseph Maiella’s charges welcomed Tewksbury to their home court on Friday night, looking to improve on their playoff positioning.

over the Redmen, though it didn’t come without a brief lapse in the third quarter.

After the Wildcats mounted a 19-point lead early in the frame, the visitors clawed back within seven points before Wilmington snapped back and took over.

“We played good tonight. Yeah, we were flat at times, but there’s been a lot of pressure,” said Maiella. “We’ve played a lot of games, we’ve played big games. They played us tough. We played well in the fourth quarter to win the game.”

Sometimes in sports, storylines outside the final result overpower the result on the scoreboard. .

Team manager Kevin Mitchell suited up in a Wildcat uniform for the first time ever after he watched from the sidelines and worked in practices for four years. He was one of the Wilmington graduating players honored during senior night, and he was a huge hit during his only varsity career game.

During the fourth quarter, fans started chanting “Put in Mitchell,” and the chants cascaded during the ensuing minutes.

Then, with one minute left, Mitchell entered the game to the delight of the home crowd. Even visiting fans joined in on the action rooting for Mitchell.

Though he missed his first few shot attempts, Wilmington players continued feeding the ball to Mitchell. With eight seconds to play, the senior was fouled and toed the free throw line.

His first attempt missed, but his second was true and sent fans into a raucous ovation. After he was presented the game ball in the locker room, Mitchell exited back into the gym, where he was greeted with yet another round of applause by waiting fans.

“He’s going to remember that the rest of his life. He’s been here every single day for four years at practice, and he would die to get into a game,” said Maiella. “That’s just what Wilmington is all about. It was tremendous to see all the kids chanting his name, and this place just erupted for him. That’s what high school sports are all about.”