It has been a great start to the year for the Haverhill High sports teams. With user fees down to the lowest they have been in over a decade, this fall we have more than 400 student-athletes participating in a sport. Four of the five Haverhill teams that have played won their first contest of the year.
The football team got off to a rousing start with a dominant performance on Saturday afternoon. The Hillies pounded Malden 42-12, posting the highest point total for a Haverhill football team since Oct. 1, 2004. Haverhill will play its first home game of the year in an important league matchup against Tewksbury on Friday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Trinity Stadium.
The girls soccer team was the first to play an official game this year and the Hillies came away with a 4-1 win over Pentucket on Sept. 4. They followed that up with a scoreless draw in the league opener against Billerica. The boys soccer team dropped a pair of games to start the year, falling to Billerica and Georgetown. Both teams take on North Andover this week, facing the newest school in the league for the first time this year.
The golf team also started the year victorious, surprising perennial power Billerica 12-7. The Hillies host Central Catholic and Tewksbury this week at their home course, Bradford Country Club. The girls volleyball squad opened with a 3-2 comeback win at Dracut on Friday. The Hillies take on Billerica in their lone match of the week on Wednesday.
The girls cross country team picked up where it left off last year and showed it is one of the top programs in the state once again. Facing the best teams from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the Hillies placed second in the Clipper Relays at Maudslay State Park on Saturday. Both the boys and girls cross country teams host Tewksbury at Winnekenni Castle on Wednesday.
Field hockey starts its season this week with three games. The girls swim team begins action with meets against Andover and Notre Dame. For a complete list of sports schedules and other information on Haverhill sports, visit www.hillies.org and click on "Athletics.''
Come cheer on your Hillies!
Tom O'Brien is the athletic director at Haverhill High School. He contributes this regular column.
