Wildcats Ready for New Competition

athletes will load onto the buses for away games this season just like they do every year. The destinations for those trips, however, will be a lot closer.

The fall season of the 2011-12 Wildcat campaign marks the school’s first season in the Middlesex League after a lengthy stay in the Cape Ann League.

“We have a lot of great memories from the Cape Ann League, but the travel really gets to you,” said Wilmington athletics director Ed Harrison. “Parents will have more of an opportunity to go to away games than they have had in the past, and people in town too. Why wouldn’t they want to go to these games when they’re right next door? It made a lot of sense.”

Wildcat teams will still play against some former Cape Ann foes. For the most part, the teams will feature new faces from nearby towns like Wakefield, Woburn, Burlington, Stoneham and more.

Along with the move, however, comes stiff competition. The league is competitive from top to bottom year in and year out.

“The competition is going to be better, but it’ll make us better in the long run,” said Harrison. “We want to show some of our teams just how good they can be. We’re looking forward to starting some new rivalries.”

As far as enrollment, Wilmington is right in the middle of the pack, another reason Harrison said the move made sense.

“It’s a combination of three or four things that made it a good idea to at least attempt it, and now that it’s happening we just can’t wait,” said Harrison. “The buzz around it, a lot of the kids are excited. I really think they’re most excited about the short bus rides so they can get home a little earlier.”