Three summers ago, an idea was hatched for a series that attempted to put a final bow on the athletic school years for our five Daily News area CAL schools. They would be long, school-specific articles going through each of the three seasons, reminiscing on the highlights, adding extra context if needed and quickly glancing ahead at — to our knowledge — who the top returners in each sport would be heading into next year.
Simultaneously closing one chapter, while jotting down the first few sentences of the next.
Thankfully, the series has been received positively.
So we’re back again.
And in keeping with “tradition,” this is Part 2 of a five-part series taking one last deep dive into the 2024-25 athletic years for our local CAL schools: Amesbury, Georgetown, Newburyport, Pentucket and Triton. We don’t pick favorites here, so we’re just going to go through this alphabetically.
We’ve tackled Amesbury and Georgetown, so let’s get to Newburyport:
FALL: Golf achieved a first in program history
Never before had Newburyport golf qualified for the State Championship Meet as a full team.
That is, until the 2024 season.
As only a sophomore, lefty Jack Oreal took his game to another level, being named our Daily News MVP after earning 40 quota points at Essex Country Club, placing T10 at the Division 2 North Sectional, then firing a 5-over 77 to place T17 at the State Meet. Senior Austin Yim also was instrumental in the Clippers placing second at the North Sectional to even qualify for States, and was named a Daily News All-Star as well.
And what’s most exciting to think about, too, is that Yim is the only senior who graduated out. Between Oreal and fellow Daily News All-Stars Davis Pons, Thijs Tague, Gavin Goich and Sam Luekens, the Clippers have the ability to be a wagon this upcoming year.
— Secondly, we have to talk about the field hockey program being a model of consistency over the past few years. Senior captain Ciara Geraghty was named our Daily News MVP this year, scoring 10 goals with 8 assists to lead the Clippers (15-4-2) to the Division 3 quarterfinals. Her senior class, which also included Morgan Felts, Reese Bromby, Ruby Field and Ella Loomes, went a combined 57-18-7 over their careers with a quarterfinal (‘24), semifinal (‘22) and finals (‘23) appearance.
Plus, the success should continue next year. The Clippers are set to welcome back Cody Saboliauskas as their goalie, Daily News All-Stars Riley Lombard and Olivia Kreuz to lead the defense, and top scorer Olivia Wilson (20g, 5a) to headline the offense.
— In football, we nearly saw history.
But it was still a season for the ages for QB Colin Fuller, who was just 83 yards away from a 2,000-1,000-yard year. The dual-threat signal caller threw for 1,917 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 1,068 yards and 16 more scores, leading the Clippers (4-7) to the Division 5 quarterfinals where they fell to eventual state champion Shawsheen Tech. With Fuller leading the way — finding top targets like Sam Craig (56 rec., 910 yds, 9 TDs) and Eli Sirota (26-428-7) — the offense averaged 28.9 points per game and picked up big wins over Pentucket, Triton and then Bishop Stang in the opening round of the playoffs.
The offense will look a lot different this upcoming school year, with those three names along with top running back Troy Varoudakis, defensive tackle Ted Caron and linemen Will Roper, Sam Hartford and Jack Smith all graduated out. But the Clippers project to take a big step up defensively, led by the elite linebacker duo of Henry Thurston (42 tackles, sack, INT) and TJ Skiba (31 tckls, 2 sacks), along with veteran DB Braydon Fowler.
— Moving over to the world of soccer, the girls once again shined. Alexis Greenblott ended up going back-to-back as our Daily News MVP, finishing her career with 60 goals and 21 assists in leading her senior class to a combined 55-14-10 record over their four years. Fellow Daily News All-Star senior Natalie DeGraves also helped the Clippers (13-4-3) make it to the Division 3 Round of 16 this year, adding 7 goals with 7 assists. Plus, the program is in line to be a wagon next year, with goalie Chloe Raby back for her third year as the team’s starter, along with Elise Kennedy and Skylar Ikemoto leading the defense, Sevilla Coffin and Phoebe Whitcomb patrolling the midfield and Aoife Tykulsky being one of the best strikers in the league.
— Then for the boys soccer team, it was a solid year that included Daily News All-Star junior midfielder Grady Smith heading in a goal with 90 seconds left to beat Pentucket in the ALS Cup. The Clippers (8-8-3) were able to make the Division 3 playoffs thanks largely to Ryan Gasbarro (10g, 5a) getting hot at the end of the season, and the Daily News MVP will be back next year along with Smith and exciting rising-sophomore Quentin Miller.
— Up next, in volleyball, over the past handful of years coach Lori Solazzo has turned the program into a perennial CAL contender that can compete — and beat — the likes of Lynnfield and Ipswich. With Daily News MVP libero Nora Geerlings front and center, the Clippers (16-5) made it back to the Division 3 Round of 16 for the third straight year. Geerlings recorded a team-high 334 digs, and was a member of a senior class alongside Olivia Foley (151 kills, 32 solo blocks), Laney Schwab, Charlotte Cotter and Madeline Bell that went a combined 59-29 over their careers.
And the Clippers will most likely keep it rolling this upcoming year, with Daily News All-Stars Gretchen Boelke and Brooke Lawton slated to return on the back line, and Ava Bailey and Ellie LeDuc back to lead the front line.
— Finally, in cross country, the boys have a special talent on their hands with now two-time Daily News MVP Michael Mohoric. An injury unfortunately cost the junior a chance to race at the Division 2 State Meet. But before that, he led the Clippers (5-0) to their seventh straight CAL Kinney title, became the first athlete ever to break 17 minutes at Old Town Hill, won the CAL Open (15:41.79), then was 9th out of 175 runners at the Division 2B Sectional (16:37.80). The Clippers did say goodbye to senior Theo Roberts, but will return an elite top-4 next year between Mohoric, John DeJordy, Finn Deveney and David Walker.
— Then for the girls, it was depth — more so than high-end finishers — that led the Clippers (5-0) to a CAL Kinney title. But, with only Devin Stoope and Lily Pilz having graduated out, the program could have the returning talent to threaten at the state level next year. The Clippers return two Daily News All-Stars in Abigal Porto and Morgan Boddy, along with other top names in Catherine Duchesne, Lydia Boddy, Riley Boddy and Isla Trail that will give them a formidable top-6.
Key 2025 Returners
Boys Cross Country: Michael Mohoric, Sr.; John DeJordy, Jr.; Finn Deveney, Jr.; David Walker, Jr.
Girls Cross Country: Catherine Duchesne, Sr.; Abigail Porto, Jr.; Morgan Boddy, Jr.; Lydia Boddy, Jr.; Riley Boddy, Jr.; Isla Trail, Jr.
Field Hockey: Riley Lombard, Sr.; Olivia Wilson, Sr.; Olivia Kreuz, Sr.; Rachel Casson, Sr.; Cody Saboliauskas, Sr.
Football: Henry Thurston, Sr.; Jack Miller, Sr.; Matt Page, Sr.; Thomas Skiba, Jr.; Nick Roper, Jr.; Braydon Fowler, Jr.
Golf: Davis Pons, Sr.; Thijs Tague, Sr.; Jack Oreal, Jr.; Gavin Goich, Jr.; Sam Luekens, Soph.
Boys Soccer: Ryan Gasbarro, Sr.; Grady Smith, Sr.; Quentin Miller, Soph.
Girls Soccer: Aoife Tykulsky, Sr.; Sevilla Coffin, Sr.; Chloe Raby, Sr.; Skylar Ikemoto, Sr.; Sienna Leclair, Sr.; Phoebe Whitcomb, Sr.; Elise Kennedy, Jr.; Delaney Duncan, Jr.
Volleyball: Gretchen Boelke, Sr.; Brooke Lawton, Sr.; Ava Bailey, Jr.; Ellie LeDuc, Jr.
WINTER: It has been, and will continue to be, a highly-motivated boys basketball program
For athletes like Cal Atherton and Zayd Leanna, the upcoming winter hoops season can’t get here fast enough.
We all know how hungry they’ll be.
And that’s because this past year, the Clippers (19-3) truly had no equal in the Cape Ann League. They went undefeated in the league on their way to their seventh straight Kinney, obliterating every CAL opponent by an average of 31.7 points per game. You knew it had the makings of a special season when the Clippers won two games in the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic tournament for the first time ever, then even a loss at the literal buzzer to undefeated St. Mary’s (Lynn) near the end of the regular season earned them the No. 3 seed in the Division 3 playoffs.
For two-time Daily News MVP Carson Gretz (18.0 ppg, 35 3s), along with fellow All-Star seniors Sam Craig (9.4 ppg) and Ben Corneau, winning a state championship was very much on their minds.
But disappointment would strike.
In the Round of 16, pretty much everything went wrong for Newburyport in a stunning upset loss to Latin Academy, 63-62. It certainly wasn’t the end that Gretz, Craig, Corneau and Henry Walker deserved, but the fire it lit under the returners who will be back is large. That will include the two Daily News All-Stars in Atherton (17.8 ppg, 47 3s) and Leanna (14.3 ppg, 29 3s), who will most likely be college scholarship players by year’s end. Then Thomas Thoreson and Ben Cormier will give the Clippers plenty of size and hustle in the post to compliment those two elite guards.
So there will be no slowing down.
— Meanwhile for the girls basketball team, it was senior Olivia Foley averaging 13.3 points per game to lead Newburyport (15-7) to the Division 3 Round of 16 for the fourth straight year. The Clippers had an epic overtime battle against Springfield International in the first round of the playoffs, but Foley poured in 20 points with 14 rebounds to make sure her team advanced to play eventual state champion St. Mary’s (Lynn) in the Sweet 16. But the program is certainly set up for the future, with fellow Daily News All-Star rising-juniors Ava Bailey (8.7 ppg, 19 3s) and Clara Thompson (8.2 ppg) set to return, along with Morgan Rouba and Brooke Lawton.
— Moving over to hockey, the boy’s team featured a blend of age ranges that every program would envy. At the top, you had senior leaders like veteran goalie Damien Lamb (2.58 GAA) and defensemen Will Forrest (8g, 11a) and Alex Lambert leading Newburyport (12-10-2) to the Division 2 Round of 16 for the fourth straight year. Then besides earning two more wins against archrival Triton during the regular season, the Clippers nearly upset No. 6 Milton in the Sweet 16 before falling in a triple-OT thriller.
But this season will also be remembered for the sophomore-sophomore-freshman top line of Henry Waddell (14g, 22a), Luke MacIsaac (16g, 18a) and Jack Sullivan (13g, 12a) emerging as a premier forward trio in the CAL. The unit accounted for an impressive 12 total points during the team’s 6-1 pummeling of Gloucester in the opening round of the playoffs, and should be back to dominate next year along with other promising young pieces in Owen Mongeau and Axel Becker.
— Then in girls hockey, the Clippers (8-12-1) won the NEC Lynch Division in their first season with new coach Josh Freeman at the helm, and also continued their streak of making the Division 2 playoffs all four years since becoming a standalone program. Olivia Wilson was named our Daily News MVP for the second straight year, and was believed to be the top female goal-scorer in the entire state after pouring in 27 of them to go along with 11 assists. She will be back to lead the Clippers next year, along with fellow Daily News All-Stars Holly Sullivan (11g, 11a), Mackenzie Riley (5g, 12a) and Allie Simons (9g, 9a).
— Finally, in indoor track, the girls saw two “Generational Talents” — according to coach Brian Moore — in Morgan Felts and Devin Stroope end their careers on high notes. Felts broke five school records this winter in the 300, 600, 4×200, 4×400 and with the Sprint Medley team, and also was crowned the Division 4 State Champion in both the 600 (1:36.11) and with the 4×400 relay (4:11.18). Meanwhile for Stroope, she was a member of the school-record 4×200, 4×400 and SMR teams, and also placed second at States in the 600 (1:36.78). Fellow senior Lucy Buchmayr was also named a Daily News All-Star for her work in the hurdles, but the Clippers will have plenty of returning talent next winter between Penelope Fuentes, Audrey Roebuck, Skylar Ikemoto and Morgan Boddy.
— Meanwhile for the boys, Daily News MVP Kyle Lisauskas basically did a bit of everything for the Clippers. The junior was the only area athlete to run a sub-8.0 in the hurdles and clear 6-foot in the high jump, and he would end his season breaking the Newburyport pentathlon record with 3,074 points to place 6th out of 166 competitors at the MSTCA State Pentathlon. We also need to shout out Daily News All-Star senior Jalen Wise, who reached the podium at Meet of Champions by placing sixth in the 600 (1:23.81).
Key 2025-26 Returners
Boys Basketball: Cal Atherton, Sr.; Zayd Leanna, Sr.; Thomas Thoreson, Sr.; Ben Cormier, Sr.
Girls Basketball: Brooke Lawton, Sr.; Morgan Rouba, Jr.; Clara Thompson, Jr.; Ava Bailey, Jr.
Boys Hockey: Jagger Gudaitis, Sr.; Owen Mongeau, Jr.; Henry Waddell, Jr.; Luke MacIsaac, Jr.; Jack Sullivan, Soph.; Axel Becker, Soph.
Girls Hockey: Olivia Wilson, Sr.; Holly Sullivan, Sr.; Mackenzie Riley, Sr.; Riley Freeman, Sr.; Cody Saboliauskas, Sr.; Allie Simons, Jr.
Boys Indoor Track: Kyle Lisauskas, Sr.; William Downs, Jr.; David Walker, Jr.; John DeJordy, Jr.
Girls Indoor Tack: Skylar Ikemoto, Sr.; Penelope Fuentes, Jr.; Morgan Boddy, Jr.; Audrey Roebuck, Soph.
SPRING: Girls Lacrosse further cements excellence with third straight finals appearance
If there was any year for the Newburyport girls lacrosse program to take a step back, this would have been it.
After winning the Division 3 State Championship during the 2023 season, then making it back to the finals a year later, the Clippers waved goodbye to seven Daily News All-Stars who helped to fuel those run. That list included four elite athletes who are now competing at the Division I collegiate level, as the Clippers entered this spring having to rely on a dozen new faces to step into starting jobs.
But a “rebuilding year” is not in this program’s vocabulary.
Given a little bit of time, new faces like eventual Daily News All-Star Emily Chandler, midfielder Callie Harris, goal-scorer Amanda Linteris and goalie Cody Saboliauskas settled into their new roles. Senior attack Avery Tahnk returned to Newburyport after spending a year at Pingree, and Daily News All-Star Grace Chandler led a veteran defense which also included Emerson Leahy, Ani Mellet, Sonia Tummala, Phoebe Whitcomb and Jade Steinberg.
Then the engine powering both the draw and the offense: Reese Bromby.
The senior was named our Daily News MVP for good reason, finishing the season with 101 goals and 9 assists. As a co-captain, and despite the new faces on the team, Bromby still somehow helped to lead Newburyport (17-6) back to the program’s third straight appearance in the Division 3 state championship game. The Clippers unfortunately lost to fellow powerhouse Medfield in the title game for the second straight year, but even just getting back to that moment was a massive accomplishment.
And in the illustrious history of Newburyport girls lacrosse, Bromby leaves as its all-time leader in goals. The UMass Amherst commit poured in 286 of them over her career, while also recording 62 assists.
— Then in staying in the “lacrosse sphere,” a frustrating end doesn’t erase what was an overall dominant year for the Newburyport boys. Yes, the Clippers (18-2) had a tough night and were upset by a scrappy Shawsheen Tech team in the Division 3 Round of 16. But before that, they were an absolute wagon who steamrolled to their third CAL Kinney title in four years, and with their only loss coming to a Division 1 opponent in Concord-Carlisle. In fact, the Clippers beat a Norwell team during the regular season that would go on to win the Division 4 state title.
And the engine fueling that success was the team’s five senior captains in Colin Fuller, Eli Sirota, Henry Walker, Brian Lucy and Brendan Grossman. Fuller (62g, 31a) — our eventual Daily News MVP — and Sirota (34g, 28a) led the offense, while Lucy and Walker handled the defense and Grossman was the team’s goalie. Their loss will be felt next year along with fellow seniors Asher Kinsey and Sam Craig. But the Clippers should have two Daily News All-Stars returning next spring in faceoff specialist Matt Page and high-scoring lefty Carter Scott, and Luke MacIsaac is an exciting young prospect with plenty of offensive firepower.
— In tennis, the boys continued to make history. After winning double-digit matches and making it to the Division 3 Round of 16 a year ago, the Clippers (16-2) won the CAL Kinney title this spring, beat Lynnfield twice, and made it to the quarterfinals before eventually falling to state superpower Weston.
Seniors Austin Yim and Alex Lambert held down Nos. 1 and 3 singles, while the team’s No. 2 doubles team was the senior duo of Will Forrest and Sam Brickman. The team’s final senior was Brindley Fisher at No. 1 doubles, and he was named our Daily News MVP along with sophomore partner Luke Palen after the duo went a perfect 8-0 as a team. Looking ahead to next year, though, the lone holdovers will be Palen and No. 2 singles player Ronan Refour.
— Then for the Newburyport girls tennis team it was a fourth straight trip to the Division 3 quarterfinals, where a day-long trip down to Martha’s Vineyard proved too much. But the Clippers (12-5) still had plenty to be proud of this season, starting at the top with No. 1 singles player Harper Bradshaw — our eventual Daily News MVP — going toe-to-toe with the best of the best in a loaded Cape Ann League. The senior leaves as a two-time Division 3 State Champion, won during her freshman and sophomore year. But the Clippers should return the bulk of their lineup next year, with Daily News All-Stars Elsie DeGrano, Gretchen Boelke, Sadie Reardon, Kate Mellet and Leah Enes all expected back.
— Moving over to track, Morgan Felts was able to break five more school records during the spring to bring her year-long total up to an incredible 10. The senior set new marks in the 400 (58.48), 800 (2:17.85), 4×200 (1:46.80), 4×400 (4:02.55) and with the SMR team (4:18.85), helping the Clippers place second at both the CAL Open and the Division 4 State Relays, as well as fifth at the Div. 4 State Meet. Fellow seniors Devin Stroope, Lucy Buchmayr and Kayley Simons were also named Daily News All-Stars, and the Clippers appear to have the next generation of track greats ready to go between Skylar Ikemoto, Margaux Dupuis, Penelope Fuentes, Cameron Todd and Audrey Roebuck.
— Then for the boys, Jalen Wise took home our Daily News MVP title after he shattered the school record in the triple jump (46-3.50), before placing 15th in the triple jump (43-6.75) and 24th in the 800 (2:03.48) at Meet of Champions. His presence on the team will be missed next spring. But the Clippers will return two Daily News All-Stars in Kyle Lisauskas and David Walker, and the trio of John Murray, William Downs and John DeJordy will be staples on relay teams.
— Up next, it was an interesting year for the baseball team. Ace Evan Luekens (5-3, 2.46 ERA, 62 Ks) basically provided a dominant start every time he took the mound. But with the Cape Ann League being a bit down overall, the Clippers (13-7) were still the road team in a preliminary round game in the Division 3 playoffs despite having 13 wins. Big picture, though, the Clippers were still able to produce that good of a season with only three seniors on the roster. The program could very well have the best pitching rotation next spring between Sean Estabrook, Jack Oreal and Sam Luekens, and starters Nick Garbarino, Jack Mercier, Parker Johnson, Tim DeGraves, Tim Sheehan and Tommy Gagnon will all be back as well.
— Lastly, a pair of seniors in Sophie Lavallee (.444) and Isla DeVivo (.397) had excellent years for the softball team. The wins didn’t come as often as the Clippers would have liked, but the program will have some returning talent next year between Cassidy Bolcome (.421), pitcher Clara Thompson and other strong bats Lilah Thompson and Katie Kebler.
Key 2026 Returners
Baseball: Sean Estabrook, Sr.; Jack Mercier, Sr.; Nick Garbarino, Jr.; Jack Oreal, Jr.; Sam Luekens, Soph.; Parker Johnson, Soph.; Tim DeGraves, Soph.; Tim Sheehan, Soph.; Tommy Gagnon, Soph.
Boys Lacrosse: Carter Scott, Sr.; Matt Page, Sr.; Davis Pons, Sr.; Jack Miller, Sr.; Luke MacIsaac, Jr.; Hayden Scott, Jr.
Girls Lacrosse: Cody Saboliauskas, Sr.; Phoebe Whitcomb, Sr.; Jade Steinberg, Sr.; Emily Chandler, Jr.; Amelia Price, Jr.; Amanda Linteris, Jr.; Blaire Fox, Jr.
Softball: Cassidy Bolcome, Sr.; Clara Thompson, Jr.; Lilah Thompson, Jr.; Katie Kebler, Jr.
Boys Tennis: Luke Palen, Jr.; Ronan Refour, Jr.
Girls Tennis: Elsie DeGrano, Sr.; Getchen Boelke, Sr.; Sadie Reardon, Sr.; Kate Mellet, Jr.; Leah Enes, Jr.
Boys Track: Kyle Lisauskas, Sr.; John Murray, Sr.; David Walker, Jr.; William Downs, Jr.; John DeJordy, Jr.
Girls Track: Skylar Ikemoto, Sr.; Penelope Fuentes, Jr.; Margaux Dupuis, Soph.; Cameron Todd, Soph.; Audrey Roebuck, Soph.