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School Choice questions at fiscal year end

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The Plympton School Committee held their close-out meeting on Monday, July 15. Attendance was limited with only three committee members present including Chair Jon Wilhelmsen, Amy Hempel, and Jill Palenstijn. Director of Business Services Christine Healy and Superintendent Joy Blackwood also attended.

Wilhelmson had a lengthy meeting with Dennett Elementary Principal Peter Veneto regarding the ongoing issue of lead showing up in the water testing being done at Dennett.

The source of the lead has remained a mystery and has confounded the board for months as the system appears to be working as it should. Additionally, the amount of lead in the water heading into the system is less than the lead that is in the water coming out of the system. Wilhelmson described to the committee his theory about what he believes may be to blame. Every 14 days a backwash cycle is run at night.

Water is pumped backward through the filter during backwashing. The samples that were tested were taken in the morning and Wilhelmson theorizes that if the samples were taken the same day as the backwash cycle, it could explain why the water would be temporarily tainted as it would be pulling in the lead that had been filtered out of the water over the previous two weeks. In order to test this theory, the next step will be to repeat the testing at a time that does not coincide with the backwash cycle.

New Playground

at Dennett

Vice Chair Jason Fraser was absent but Wilhelmson shared with the committee some notes from Fraser regarding progress on the new playground at Dennett. Veneto and Fraser met to pick a location for the playground based on the land survey that was completed. Since the committee will not meet again until September, they voted to authorize Fraser to proceed however he sees fit to get the playground completed.  Superintendent Joy Blackwood commented that given that construction has not yet begun, it is unlikely that the playground will be completed by the beginning of the school year.

An emergency management operations meeting attended by Veneto, Wilhelmson, the police chief, the fire chief, and the highway department was held regarding the power lines. With a generator now at Dennett, the building can be used as an emergency shelter. With only one way in and one way out of the school, however, there is a problem if a tree would be to fall on power lines and block the entrance as has happened in the past. It was agreed upon that a reasonable solution would be to use some grant money that may be able to be acquired to place the power lines underground (as some already are). Wilhelmson, who relayed the idea to the town administrator, said, “Hopefully this is something that we are going to continue to push on and try to affect that change so that we never have that issue that we had before again.”

Healy gave an update on the close-out for the budget. Healy said that $1,507.29 will be returned to the town with $1,198.25 of that coming from special education and $309.04 coming from the regular budget. This is the total after all the transfers were done that were approved at special town meeting. The transfers included money from the out of district vocational fund to the SPED stabilization fund which is now fully funded at $47,000. Other transfers coming from the out of district vocational fund included $10,000 to the operating budget for roof repairs and $8,500 to the operating budget for a new copier. The out of district vocational fund still has a balance of approximately $21,000 after all bills have been paid for the year and the above-mentioned transfers were made. In total, over $22,000 will be returned to the town. Wilhelmson thanked Healy for her work. Healy said, “We have an amazing staff that helps us make that happen and it’s all hands-on deck and I would say since the middle of June it has been we need to make it work and we do.”

School Choice questions

The issue of school choice was also discussed. Plympton, Halifax, Kingston, and Silver Lake Regional school committees make decisions individually regarding whether or not to accept school choice. Currently only Plympton allows it. The committees and administration believed that this meant that once a student who elects to come to Dennett Elementary through school choice is through with their k-6 education, they would have to leave the district as Silver Lake Regional does not allow school choice either at the middle or high schools. Blackwood shared with the committee that she was recently told by DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) that those students would have to be allowed to continue with their education at Silver Lake middle and high schools if that was their preference.

This creates a conflict as the Silver Lake Regional School Committee voted down school choice. There are currently eight students at Dennett Elementary there through school choice with five of those coming from towns within the Silver Lake district anyway (Halifax and Kingston). This means that only three students would fall under the umbrella of school choice for Silver Lake Regional.

Blackwood admitted to not having any definitive information at the moment and said that they are still working their way through this development. Wilhelmson felt that the Plympton School Committee should not be able to obligate the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to take on school choice just as the regional committee should not be able to stop Plympton from accepting it.

A major question arising from this conundrum is who will pay for the students to attend Silver Lake schools beyond sixth grade. Blackwood said she will provide an update to the committee when she knows more.

‘Super’ returns to SL as treasurer

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The Silver Lake Regional School Committee held their close-out meeting Thursday, July 11. It was a brief meeting with fewer attendees than usual. Vice Chair Eric Crone took the meeting in Chairman Jason Fraser’s absence.

The first order of business was the appointment of a new treasurer for the district. The school committee agreed to add a treasurer last year after years of being asked to do so by auditors. The position was added to the budget at that time with a small stipend of 6-10 hours per month allotted.

Superintendent Joy Blackwood said that after speaking with Director of Business Services Christine Healy, it was decided that they would not renew the current treasurer’s one-year contract. The main duties of the treasurer are to transfer out funds and reconcile balances.

Former Silver Lake Business Manager and Superintendent John Tuffy applied and attended the meeting. Tuffy spent six years as the Silver Lake business manager and another eight as superintendent before retiring in 2015. From 2016-2018, Tuffy acted as an interim business manager for Cohasset.

Blackwood said, “Someone who we all know and love applied for the position. I think it is a perfect situation where it is one of the few times where I can say it is an absolute win-win. He knows our system inside and out and he’s absolutely trustworthy and I’m thrilled that he decided to apply.” Crone entertained a motion to appoint Tuffy as the new treasurer and it was passed unanimously. Crone addressed Tuffy and joked, “Welcome and thank you; you can never get away.”

Healy gave the committee an update on the budget. Regarding the operating budget, Healy said that a balance of $128,679.21 will eventually flow back to the excess and deficiency account. Healy addressed the areas where they had some “bumps in the road” including deficits for both substitutes and homeless transportation.

Another area that had a tough year was contract services including maintenance and buildings and maintenance and grounds. The expenses included the installation of new hot water tanks at the high school as well as improvements to the systems at the middle school that resulted in reduced humidity particularly during the hottest months of June, August, and September.

Regarding the work done at the middle school Healy said, “We got a call from the principal today saying it is amazing what it has done and actually some of the custodians have noticed when they’re working at night that it’s not nearly as humid and overwhelming as it has been.”

Any areas of deficit, however, will be made up for by areas of surplus. One of the largest areas of surplus is health insurance. Healy also gave an update on the revenue side of the budget. The revenues, which are made up of several things including Chapter 70 money, regional transportation money, shared costs, etc., will exceed the budget by $301,000. Regional transportation exceeded expectations by $123,000 and the district received the final payment on July 2. Another area that exceeded expectations was the net media agreement where the district received $114,000 in excess of what was budgeted. Other smaller, unbudgeted sources of revenue including interest totaled $113,000 that is then added to the increases and then that is added to what is not being spent in the budget.

Healy said, “If we look at all of that totally, we’ll be returning approximately $543,000 to our E & D account. That is if nothing changes as of right now.” School Committee member Leslie-Ann McGee made a motion to recommend that $128,679.21 be returned to the Silver Lake Regional School District revenue account. The motion was passed unanimously.

The committee briefly discussed the new calendar survey committee that would convene to discuss whether or not to survey constituents regarding changes to the school calendar. They also discussed the school start times committee whose purpose will be to do more research into what the state and others are doing regarding earlier start times. The issue is a hot button one as it affects clubs, sports, after school jobs, buses, family schedules etc.

School Committee member Paula Hatch gave an update on the Safety, Facilities, Fees and Revenue subcommittee meeting that took place just prior to the school committee meeting. Hatch said that the bids for the work that needs to be done on the roofs are due by July 18. The hope is to have substantial work completed on the repairs by October 1. The subcommittee also discussed how to better house warranty information going forward as it is not all currently stored in one easily accessible location. The new plan will be to scan documents and place them in Google Docs where everyone from the business manager to the custodians can access it.

Work will begin shortly to grade and seed the grass on the football practice field in order to improve the lawn and enable it to be used again.

Sandblasting and painting of the water filtration plant is also underway as it was recommended that it be done sooner rather than later to avoid further erosion.

Some important dates were also discussed prior to the adjournment of the meeting including new teacher orientation on August 23, the first day of school on August 28, and the next school committee meeting on September 12.

Recent S-L grad Robbie Silenzi holds first book signing

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KINGSTON- Robert V. “Robbie” Silenzi, who graduated from Silver Lake Regional High School in May, held his first book signing event at the New Again gift shop in Plymouth this past weekend.

To no -one’s surprise,Silenzi has published  three picture books and has also illustrated them himself:

Robbie, to those who know him, has autism, and credits his teachers, Alex Frazier and Melanie Orcutt for encouraging him to pursue his dream  of becoming an author and illustrator.

Linda Redding,then Silver Lake Regional High Schoool media specialist, now retired, remembers Robbie, “I had the pleasure of working with Robbie at Silver Lake on several of his video video productions.  He is very creative, talented, and hard working.  Robbie was involved with Laker TV and has great skill in editing, as well as acting as a host.

Robbie has published and illustrated three books: The Canadian Cat Girl, that he has also made into a visual-audio book, Bear’s Musical Problem, and Antoine’s Cow Mother.  These books are available for sale at the New Again, 32 South Park Ave., Plymouth and online at www.TheBookPatch.com

This summer, Robbie is spending time at Area 58 studio in Carver to further advance his production skills.

Recent SL lacrosse grad earns regional honors

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A recent Silver Lake High graduate and standout player on the boys’ lacrosse team this past spring recently earned high praise within the region.

Sean Daly had a standout career for the Lakers as a four year varsity player, but it was his strong performance his senior year which landed him his most recent honor. The multi-time Patriot League All-Star was one of two players to earn Honorable Mention in Wicked Local’s MIAA South region Senior of the Year Award.

Ultimately, the award went to Will Kenney of Hingham and both Daly and Eddie Fettuccia of Norwell were the two runners up.

Over the course of his Lakers career, Daly helped establish the program as a perennial playoff contender. His freshman year, the team had a rough 1-17 where they only won the final game of the season against a winless Milton team. However, the program continued to improve and made it to the playoffs three straight seasons with him as a top scoring player in each of those years.

Daly earned the Lakers Team MVP award twice and finished his high school career with 249 career points: 146 goals and 103 assists. He also helped the team set a franchise win record this season (15). By the end of the season, the team was ranked 33rd in the state on MaxPreps. Daly was also a part of an attack which averaged 13.4 goals per game this past spring.

Although Daly might be best remembered for his lacrosse career at Silver Lake, he was also a productive soccer player for the Lakers.

Daly is committed to play lacrosse next season at Franklin Pierce, a Division II school in New Hampshire which competes in the Northeast 10 Conference. There were numerous teams interested in his services including the UMass Amherst, a Div. I program.

Happy pooch at Holmes pet show

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The always anticipated Annual Pet Show at the Holmes Public Library, 470 Plymouth St., Halifax, was held Monday, July 8, beginning at 6 p.m.

More than 20 entrants came to be seen and petted, representing several species of canines, rabbits, frogs, and even a chicken named, of course, “Chickie”!

Children’s Librarian Miss Stacy emceed the event, introducing each entrant with its person, allowing the audience to get a close-up look.

BOS cautiously agrees to land buy

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, July 9.

DFG land agent from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Joan Pierce came to speak to the Board about the possibility of acquiring an area of Peterson’s Swamp from the town. Pierce, who brought a map of the area to show the selectmen, said, “We would like to acquire it because it would make a really good public access for a couple of cars.” Pierce also mentioned that their intention with the land would be to maintain rather than develop it as it contains ecologically important attributes including, but not limited to, white cedar trees.

The inhabitants of Plymouth County and the town of Halifax share fifty-fifty undivided interest in the property. An appraisal of the property came in at $250,000. Fisheries and Wildlife is interested in purchasing the area for a total of $150,000 with $75,000 going to each of the entities. Board of Selectmen Vice-Chair Tom Millias took issue with the low price offered given that it falls significantly short of what he considered to be an already conservative appraisal. Adding to the dissatisfaction with the offer, Fisheries and Wildlife currently owe the town of Halifax $52,500 from a past transaction. Payments on debts of this nature must be tied to a land purchase. Pierce explained that Fisheries and Wildlife’s intent was that the purchase of the land would also absorb the debt owed to the town. The Selectmen were displeased to hear this as the $52,500 would be coming out of the $75,000 purchase price, leaving the town with a net gain of only $22,500 on a property appraised at $250,000 ($125,000 of that value belonging to Halifax). Pierce argued that the town would also be gaining a parking area (albeit a small one) that would provide residents with better access to the area.

Explaining, in part to newest Selectmen Gordon Andrews, Millias said, “Every time we deal with Fisheries and Wildlife we get short-changed and we keep kicking this can down the road.” Board of Selectmen Chair Troy Garron also expressed frustration with what has been an ongoing theme in the town’s dealing with Fisheries and Wildlife. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig and the Board discussed the offer at length with Pierce before a possible suggestion was offered by Andrews. There is a sliver of land in Halifax owned by Fisheries and Wildlife behind Aldana Road that would be necessary to possess in order to be able to pave that road. Andrews suggested Fisheries and Wildlife turn over that land to Halifax as part of the negotiation. This idea was amenable to all parties. Before any negotiations can take place, however, the town of Halifax must first purchase the inhabitants of Plymouth County’s portion of the land from them. The next step would be to sell it to Fisheries and Wildlife for $150,000 plus the land behind Aldana Road. Pierce agreed to email her summary of the proposed plan to Seelig prior to sharing the details with Plymouth County Administrator Frank Basler. The Board also plans to verify that the land behind Aldana Road provides everything needed in order to eventually pave the road. While the selectmen still felt that the deal leaves something to be desired, they agreed that they could live with the proposed plan as the town would still be receiving something of value to it.

Library Director Jean Gallant attended the meeting to speak to the need for more parking as the library is now competing for parking with the new playground built by Friends of HOPS (Halifax Open Play Space). Additionally, many people also use the library parking lot when attending events at the athletic fields. Gallant pointed out the safety issue posed by the lack of adequate parking as cars are often circling the parking lot looking for a space while children are running in the area.

Millias said, “The simple answer is we need to create more parking spots. The bigger question is where and at what cost?” Friends of HOPS still have some funds available but were planning to use them to have an Eagle Scout build a gazebo for the playground. Both Gallant and Millias agreed that they would rather see those funds go to the gazebo project and have the cost of the additional parking area paid for by the town. Garron argued that the town could oppose the idea of paying for the additional spaces since the reason for the lack of parking is the playground. The selectmen agreed that speaking with the highway surveyor about how many spots can be added as well as where to best place those spots would be a good first step.

Police Chief Joao Chaves addressed the Board requesting permission to institute a six-month trial of a motorcycle unit. Chaves, who previously headed the motorcycle unit in New Bedford, reached out to a contact at Seacoast Harley in New Hampshire who provided tips for a small lease plan. The lease would cost $325 a month for six months for a total expense of $1950. The leased bike would be fully equipped and would have only 80 miles on it. Officer Michael Schleiff would be attending a 40-hour course in Taunton starting next week at no cost to the town. The addition of the motorcycle unit would be instead of rather than in addition to a cruiser patrol. Chaves explained, “He can respond to calls the same way and can actually get to calls a little quicker.” Chaves sees the motor unit as potentially having a lot of benefits to the town.

“Halifax has a high population of motorcycle riders that enjoy the roadways. I think it’s another way for police to connect with that part of the community. We can utilize it for races and for funeral processions, it’s just another way to get us closer to the community.” The Board gave permission to move forward with the trial after which the feedback from both the community and the Police Department would be evaluated to determine whether to continue with the unit.

Various other items of business were also discussed. A hearing for “Jada,” a dog accused of biting another dog while loose on June 30, will be held on July 23.

The Traffic Safety Committee plans to meet with Chief Chaves later in the summer regarding complaints about truck traffic and speed on Walnut Street. Seelig agreed to talk to the highway department regarding a resident complaint of overgrown brush on South Street just off of River Street.

Trash bag fees will also be increased from $2.00 to $2.25 for small bags and from $3.00 to $3.25 for the large bags. This is the first increase for bags since 2009.

Roof leaks over town vault; records in jeopardy with

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met Monday, July 8. The meeting began with Co-chair of the Open Space Committee Linda Leddy giving an update on two municipal lots that are for sale. A deal for one of the two lots recently fell apart during the purchase and sale process leaving two lots still available.

Leddy was originally told that the lots could not be listed in the MLS (multiple listing service) without redoing the legal work and paying the buyers’ fees. After speaking with a different broker, however, it was discovered that the lots could be listed in the MLS after paying just a flat fee of either $500 or $1000 and stating in the listing that the seller would not pay buyers’ fees. The broker working with Leddy said that Plympton was a desirable location with high land values.

The previous difficulty in selling the lots was likely due to lack of exposure; a problem that listing in the MLS should solve. The Board voted to move forward with this method of advertising.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy asked the Board to approve a proposal from Door Tech Inc. out of Bridgewater to make the town library doors accessible. The motion was unanimously approved. The Board also approved the appointments of Colleen Thompson to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Edward Sealey as gas inspector. Both appointments are for one year.

Town Clerk Patricia Detterman addressed the Board about concerns over the vault that houses the town’s records and important paperwork. Detterman said that the roof is leaking over the area where the vault is housed and is concerned that the contents are vulnerable to fire and water damage. Detterman visted other town halls and spoke with other town clerks regarding their criteria for the management of old records and deeds.

Additionally, Plympton Police Chief Patrick Dillon showed Detterman the manner in which the police department houses their paper records. Detterman asked the Board for their permission to have an electrician come in and talk to her about what the vault is capable of right now and what the possibilities are to make it safer in the future. Board member Mark Russo said, “I think there are a lot of pieces that we have to look at; we probably just need to get a sense of this stuff, see what it’s going to cost, get some quotes, and I think we’ll be looking at town meeting.” He continued, “I’m totally in favor of finally getting this thing done.” The Board voted to approve having an electrician come out to inspect the vault and offer suggestions for improvements.

Both Detterman and her assistant Jill Palenstijn have recently attended two meetings with the U.S. Census Bureau. It was advised that the town clerk meet with the selectmen to form a Complete Count Committee dedicated to ensuring that residents complete the census. It was also recommended that the council consist of a variety of trusted voices from the town such as those from a local church or the Council on Aging. The preference is that the census is completed electronically so the council would be responsible for setting up workshops at the library where the not so tech savvy could be guided through the process. Either count committee members or possibly high school students completing community service could volunteer at the workshops. The hope is that the census would be completed upon the first mailer that goes out with recipients responding online although the option to return via snail mail is still available. The last resort, and most expensive option, is the door to door approach for those that have not responded. The Board asked Detterman to reach out to possible volunteers for the Complete Count Committee to be voted on and appointed by the Board.  Detterman said, “We have a small town; we can do this, I’d like to be one of the first ones to finish the census count.”

Dennehy presented her update to the Board. She noted that there are several applications in for the position of animal control officer. The Board was in agreement that Chief Dillon and Selectman Russo will meet with the applicants and select finalists to go before the entire Board. Russo, who is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, joked about bringing his dog along for the interview. Dennehy also sent notes to the Halifax and Carver town administrators about the possibility for shared opportunities including joint grants or shared services for the Council on Aging. The Selectmen agreed that there is a great deal of enthusiasm for shared services and cited the success of Area 58 Community Access Media which serves Plympton as well as Carver and Halifax.

Dennehy also presented to the Board a new plan to hold department heads more accountable for their individual budgets and for keeping on track with said budgets. Finance Committee member Kathryn Shepard and Dennehy agreed to draft a joint letter with a new attachment to redo how transfer requests are done adding additional steps to ensure better collaboration and communication between the various departments, committees, and selectmen. The letter would be approved by the Board of Selectmen prior to being dispersed to the various department heads.

Town Accountant Barbara Gomez agreed to do a monthly financial printout to show department heads where they are in terms of their spending for the year. Each department head would be required to sign off on the printout to acknowledge they are aware of the state of their budget. They would also be expected to decide if a meeting with the Finance Committee or Board of Selectmen would be necessary to review their expenditures thus far.

Board of Selectmen Chair John Traynor expressed some concern over having all department heads participate in these additional requirements. The Board agreed and decided that only departments with a budget of a certain size would be subjected to this level of oversight.

Dennehy also briefly mentioned a letter from the Plympton Fire Chief requesting rate changes for the fire department details. In it, it was noted that rates had not been updated since July 1, 2015.

The Board also voted to approve the use of the Town House for several PAYS (Plympton Athletic Youth Sports) meetings on July 11, August 5, and August 8 contingent upon a room being available. They also voted to approve the use of the Town House on August 21 from 10 am until noon as the Council on Aging will have people handing out Go Packs to elders at no charge. The packs are valued at $50 apiece.

One of the final pieces of business discussed was the opening on the Community Preservation Committee. Russo said of the committee, “It’s a good committee, it’s a really good committee. It’s one of the best jobs in town. We actually have money. People come to us with good projects, we help spiff them up and make them even better. It’s a happy committee.”   

Anyone interested in serving on the Community Preservation Committee should contact Russo.

chairman of that Committee.

Quigley named to Herald’s All Scholastic

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The Silver Lake High baseball team saw one of its members recognized at the statewide level this past weekend.

When the Boston Herald released its 2019 Spring All-Scholastic rankings over the weekend, a junior pitcher from the Lakers staff made the cut. That would be Halifax native Michael Quigley. It is his first time receiving the honor.

Quigley, who was a third-year varsity player this past spring, had a dominant campaign not only on the mound, but at the plate as well.

As a pitcher, the righty went 7-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 54 innings pitched. Over that same span, he struck out 73 batters, saved two games and tossed a no-hitter.

However, as the Herald notes, Quigley’s numbers are far better if the Lakers early season struggles are ignored.

Over the final 48 innings he pitched this past spring, his ERA was a miniscule 0.46–making him among the state’s most dominant arms.

At the plate, Quigley also got the job done. He collected 23 hits in 59 at-bats, good for a .389 batting average. In the process, he also knocked in 15 runs. That said, he should also be an asset to the team’s batting order next season.

At the moment, Quigley is committed to play Division I baseball for UMass-Lowell when his high school career comes to a close.

According to Perfect Game, Quigley’s pitch has topped out at 85 miles per hour, but he has been clocked at 92 when throwing in the infield.

Next season, pitching should absolutely be a strength for the Lakers.

Not only do they have Quigley expected to return next season, but Nolan Hughes as well.

A Patriot League All-Star this past spring, Hughes’ return means the team should have back two of their three primary starting pitchers. This should be a major advantage for them.

Lakers tennis teams enjoy successful season

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There was success on both sides in the Silver Lake High tennis program, and the two varsity teams should have plenty to look forward to next season.

Both the Lakers boys’ and girls’ teams enjoyed their share of success despite not having the biggest rosters in the school. The boys went 10-9 on the season while the girls went 11-7.

In the final seven days of their regular season, the boys squad surged and picked up three wins, improving to 9-8 on the season in order to make it to the playoffs. Had they lost any of those contest, that would not have been the case.

Earning the No. 16 seed in the MIAA Division I South playoff bracket, they ousted Bridgewater-Raynham 5-0 in the preliminary round game.

Coming in they were favored to win the game not only because of the higher seeding (16 as opposed to 17), but because the Lakers also topped them 5-0 on May 29.

However, the team dropped a 5-0 decision to Brookline in the first round of the tournament.

The girls had an easier time getting into the playoffs, clinching a spot in them before the final week of their season. They ran into a tough King Philip team in the first round of the tournament and fell 4-1, ending their season.

Of their starting seven, the girls lost three seniors to graduation this season: singles player Sarah Gonick and doubles players Jenna Hurlburt and Morgan Suchecki.

Meanwhile, sophomore singles players Eleanor Meehan and Ava Mirisola as well as doubles players Grace Eddy, a junior and Alyssa Truckenmiller, a sophomore, could all be returning next season.

The boys lost four seniors to graduation: singles players Dylan Capaccioli, Owen Roche and Dario Mendez plus doubles player Kyle Lawless. Junior doubles player Sean Kehoe, sophomores Matthew O’Donnell (doubles) and Jake Lawless (singles) as well as freshmen Aidan Roche (singles), Dustin Ebone (singles) and Andrew Doyle (doubles) could all be back next year.

With the majority of the team coming back on both sides, more success is certainly plausible.

Halifax-Carver U16 Boys Soccer play at MTOC

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The Halifax-Carver U16 boys’ team attended the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) in Lancaster MA this past weekend as the champions from the Coastal League.

The twelve teams in their division were divided into three groups of four. Halifax-Carver were in a group with West Bridgewater, Franklin, and North Andover.

They played two games Friday, losing the first game 3-1 to West Bridgewater. Cole Wright scored Halifax-Carver’s lone goal of the tournament after carrying the ball from the backfield to score unassisted. They went on to lose 3-0 to Franklin in the second match.

“That was the second game on the first day and our kids were just out of gas,” Coach Jim Coombe explained. The team fell 4-0 in their final game held on Saturday against North Andover, who went on to finish second in the entire division.

The various opponents all zeroed in on Halifax-Carver standout Gabe Pacheco, making it difficult for the team to get anything going. “The boys worked hard but we were just outmatched,” Coombe said. “A small town like us, we don’t even have tryouts, we take everyone we can. It’s tough but they did well.

They didn’t embarrass themselves in any way, shape, or form,” Coombe continued. Cape Ann United from the Essex League went on to win the entire division.

Despite placing last in their group, the team managed to enjoy themselves. “We all stayed in the same hotel. After the first day there after they had two games, you would think they would be tired but no, they took over the pool and were playing in the pool until 10 o’clock at night,” Coombe said laughing. Just being invited to attend the tournament is an honor as only the top teams from each league across the state are invited as well as a handful of wildcard picks. “It is a good learning experience,” Coombe said, “It’s a great experience just being there.”