Locals honored by Salem News
It was a big year for a few Merrimack Valley natives playing football in the North Shore.
Haverhill resident Alex Turrisi and Lawrence native Chris Vargas, now living in Salem, N.H., were honored as Salem News Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year for this fall while starring for St. John’s Prep.
Turrisi, a senior captain, finished with 80 tackles, including 15 tackles-for-loss. He also forced three fumbles and had one interception.
“Alex was as consistent a performer as we’ve had defensively,” noted Brian St. Pierre, the Eagles’ veteran head coach. “Every game, every week he put forth a winning performance. That consistency, combined with his versatility as an outside LB/Edge, made him an impact player for us.”
A terrific student with a 3.9 GPA, Turrisi is planning on taking a post-graduate year before heading off to college.
Vargas, only a sophomore quarterback being recruited by most major Div. 1 programs, threw for 250-plus yards four different times while throwing for four TD passes three times.
In his two-year varsity career, Vargas has throw for 3,349 yards and 41 touchdowns against just three picks, completing 215-of-362 passes.
“Chris had an incredibly productive year for us,” said Coach St. Pierre. “His command of our offense and his ability to make every throw makes him such a unique talent. He was — and is — the unquestioned leader of our offense.”
Harvey back on USA hockey team
University of Wisconsin sensation Caroline Harvey of Salem, N.H., will leave her top-ranked college team in a few weeks to play for Team USA at Olympic Winter Games.
Harvey, a senior captain, played for Team USA in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. She has helped USA win two golds and three silvers in international competition.
Harvey is giving a “Player of the Year” performance this season with 41 points, second in the nation, while leading the nation with 30 assists as a defenseman.
Wisconsin is 18-1-1 so far this fall and winter, having won two of the last three national titles.
Oppenheim opens Korn Ferry Tour season
Former Andover resident Robbie Oppenheim is ready to kick off the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Season this Thursday at the first event, the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, on Sun., Jan 11. through Wed., Jan. 14.
Oppenheim, who turns 46 on Monday, will return after a top 75 season with hopes of cracking the top 20 in points to qualify for next year’s PGA Tour.
Oppenheim, who resides in Orlando, Fla., with his wife and two children, is expecting to play in nearly all of the 24 events this winter, spring and summer.
We will be periodically following Oppenheim’s season throughout 2026.
Merrimack hockey lands big commitment
Per The Mack Report’s Mike McMahon, Merrimack College has landed a commitment from 2005-born goaltender Linards Feldbergs, a name that should already resonate with anyone who followed last year’s World Junior Championship closely.
Feldbergs was one of the breakout stars of the 2025 World Juniors, backstopping Latvia to one of its best finishes in tournament history. His signature moment came in the preliminary round, when he turned aside 55 shots in a win over Canada, including a flawless 8-for-8 performance in the shootout.
The workload didn’t ease from there. Feldbergs faced 41 shots the following day against the U.S., then stopped 48 more in a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Sweden. When the game ended, fans at TD Place in Ottawa rose to their feet, chanting “MVP!”