Fall Sports Recap

FOOTBALL
On October 24, the Xaverian Hawks and the Saint John’s Pioneers made history as the first high school football teams to play under the lights at Polar Park in Worcester, home of the WooSox. The brand new facilities, which opened in May of 2021, provided a stunning backdrop for a game filled with high drama. The Hawks took the field as the front-runner and started out strong with an early touchdown. They were holding solid at 21-10 in the third quarter, but the Pioneers, with three picks on the day, brought the score up to 21-16 in the fourth, intercepting a pass with 2:45 to play and taking the ball back, intent on a game-winning touchdown. Carlo Crocetti ’22 crushed their hopes, picking off their pass at the goal line and booking it 100 yards to the Hawks’ end zone for a final score of 28-16. 

The Hawks had a dramatic season across the board, finishing with an 8-3 record overall, taking second in the ultra-competitive Catholic Conference, and qualifying for playoff action. They fell in the second round to a powerful and energetic Springfield Central here at home, but rallied for the annual Thanksgiving Day game against St. John’s Prep. The Hawks once again walked away with The Brother William Drinan, C.F.X. Trophy in a thrilling 36-35 victory over the Eagles. This win brings the all-time Thanksgiving series record to 32-21 in Xaverian’s favor. 

Our varsity hawks were led by captains Joe Kelcourse ’22, Carlo Crocetti ’22, and Jack Funke ’22. Senior Jake Gilbert ’22, a lacrosse standout, stepped into the role of quarterback completely untested, never before having taken the field as a varsity football player. Despite that, he was able to throw for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 400 yards and nine touchdowns. Joe Kelcourse and Michael Oates ’23 were the two tailbacks, sharing time throughout the 11-game season. They combined for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. The offensive and defensive lines were led by Boston College commit Jack Funke, as well as Jon Mould ’23.

GOLF
The Hawks were led by co-captains Joey Lenane ’22 and Spencer Dumas ’22, both veteran talents on the links. The regular season record was only 7-6, but the team won the MIAA South Sectional tournament and qualified for States. In the Division 1 State Finals, the team played well, but came up a bit short, with a third place finish overall. While they did not recapture the state title, a strong season resulted from a roster of excellent players and a high level of coordination. Joey stood out as one of the top-performing players in the state, with an average stroke of 35.5 per nine holes of competitive play. His exceptional level of play awarded him articles from the Boston Globe and Boston Herald, noting his scholastic and athletic achievements. To read more about Joey, go to XX. Despite a number of senior players moving on, the team remains well built for the 2022 season. Led by Coach Gerry Lambert ’88, a core of four returning players will be joined by Hawks from a growing roster of JV golfers, hoping to maintain a consistently excellent performance for the varsity team.

CROSS COUNTRY
Led by senior co-captains Thomas Skerry ’22 and Danny Jutras ’22, (fifth and ninth place in the Catholic Conference respectively), this year’s Hawks faced a number of difficult teams, three of which placed in the state’s top 10. The overall team record was 1-4, but there were many individual victories along the way. Brendan Hagwood ’24 was the third runner on the varsity team, earning a medal for placing among the top 20 at the Frank Kelley Invitational. Brady Armstrong ’24 dropped over two minutes in his overall running performance this season. He also ran an impressive 18:09 at the Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational. James Fetter, Jack Gianino, Matt Person, Andrew Heerman, and Tom Budka, all sophomores, scored in dual meets for the varsity team. And for the youngest record setter, CJ Briere ’26 earned a spot among the top seven varsity athletes to run at the MIAA Division 1B Cross Country Championship Race, making him the first FXD student to ever run this race. Junior leaders Adheep Rampure, Eddie Doyle, Will Budka, and Ryan Armstrong are looking forward to guiding the younger talent on the team for the 2022 season.

SOCCER
The varsity soccer team faced a difficult season for the 2021-2022 school year. Competing at the highest level of Massachusetts soccer in both the Catholic Conference games and with non-league opponents, including Brockton, Franklin, and Duxbury, the team demonstrated great organization and character, finishing with a record of 5-10-2. Led by captains Finn Mungovan ’22 and Andrew Xavier ’22, the team’s ability to maintain a high level of coordination and communication kept 13 of 17 games within a two-goal margin. Finn led the team in goals scored while Andrew anchored a hardworking relationship with fellow teammates Olin Day ’24 and Max Lockwood ’22. Peter Murphy ’22 maintained a steady and solid presence in the net. The Hawks’ best performance of the season was against Catholic Memorial on October 25 with a 2-1 victory which showed off the team’s drive to improve throughout the season, putting both their effort and execution on full display. The Hawks look forward to a bright future built on the hard work and commitment demonstrated during the 2021-2022 season.