October is for a lot of things: playoff pushes, crisp weather, and reflecting on the best performances from the fall season – thus far.
From clutch finishes to birthday hat-tricks, Marblehead athletes have delivered plenty of moments worth remembering.
Football
In recent years, Marblehead has struggled against Bishop Fenwick. This year was different. The Magicians took down the Crusaders on home turf in a 26-20 showdown.
Two players stood out: quarterback Finn Gallup and wide receiver Rylan Golden.
Gallup threw for three touchdowns and more than 200 yards against a feisty Fenwick defense. He also rushed for more than 60 yards.
His favorite target of the night? Golden.
Looking like prime Golden Tate, he showed his ability to sky above defenders and haul in 50-50 balls. When he got the ball in space, no one was catching him in the open field. Golden finished with 137 yards to lead the Magicians past Fenwick.
Girls soccer
Having a summer birthday, I never had to worry about having a game or practice on my birthday. Marblehead’s Liv Carlson spent her day playing on the road against Peabody.
How did Carlson decide to celebrate? By scoring a hat-trick and guiding the Magicians to a 4-0 conference win.
“Liv Carlson scoring a hat-trick on her birthday is really cool,” said coach Lisa Wales. “She’s worked so hard in the offseason. She was injured last year and faced a lot of challenges, but she just worked her tail off. I couldn’t be more proud of her for scoring a hat-trick.”
Boys soccer
Marblehead has a competitive team that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the state. One performance that stood out came in its game against Saugus, in which captain Jared Halpern ran the show.
Head coach Elmer Magaña described Halpern as “one of our best ball-handlers and distributors.”
Although the Magicians eventually won comfortably, they struggled early to find the back of the net. Halpern did everything he could — dropping deep to pick up the ball, splitting lines with passes to his strikers, and taking shots from range. One of those long-range efforts opened the scoring.
It’s hard to single out one performance from St. John’s Prep goalkeeper Matt Droggitis, who’s been stellar all season. The Eagles’ defense has been strong, but when opponents do break through, Droggitis has been nearly unbeatable. He already has 10 shutouts, including a six-save performance in a 1-0 win over Saint John’s Shrewsbury.
Cross country
Running has never been my thing — probably because my dad used to make me run with him when I was in middle school, while all I wanted to do was stay inside and play video games. Still, I can’t help but be impressed by those who can go out there and run fast for a long period of time.
Marblehead’s Marrietta O’Connell knows a thing or two about running — it’s rare to even see her trailing. During the Frank Kelley Invitational at Wrentham Developmental Center, O’Connell took first place in the 3,000-meter senior race with a time of 10:54.12, capping off another dominant showing.
Golf
In a thrilling matchup between Marblehead and Beverly, it came down to the final two matches. Trailing by five points, Bowden Laramie two-putted from 30 feet to save par and win his hole, tying the score.
Then came Dylan Whitman, who landed his second shot just five feet from the hole and sank the birdie putt to win his match by one point, securing Marblehead’s 36.5–35.5 victory. Two clutch performances by Whitman and Laramie sealed a big win.
Volleyball
In a big non-conference matchup against Reading, Marblehead’s Eva Burke was in complete control of the Magicians’ offense. The senior setter finished with 31 assists to lead Marblehead to a 3-0 sweep and improve the team’s record to 11-2.
Also, shoutout to coach Killeen Miller, who surpassed the 150-win mark earlier this season.
Field hockey
When the clock is ticking and the game is tied, teams need someone to step up when the pressure is at its highest. That’s exactly what Sadie Beane did in September when her game-winning goal lifted Marblehead past Saugus, 1-0.
The pass came from Keliane Salem, and when the ball hit Beane’s stick, there was no hesitation — she buried it.
“Sadie’s goal really underscores the effort the team brought to the turf today. Every player on that field worked hard until the last second,” said coach Ali Carey.
Playoffs are just around the corner, and when the lights are at their brightest, Marblehead athletes seem to know how to perform.
Stay tuned for more.
