Local roundup: Shelburne Falls’ Rich Larsen among Western Mass Runners’ Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Another talented class of runners will be inducted into the Western Mass Runners’ Hall of Fame in March.The WMRHOF’s Board of Directors announced the inductees for the third class to enter the hall this week, with induction set for March 8 at the...

Record number of teams compete in Mahar Girls Wrestling Tournament (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — The seventh annual Mahar Girls Wrestling Tournament was a smashing success on Monday. After having over 150 athletes compete last year, the tournament — which takes place each year on Martin Luther King Day — saw 54 teams from all over New...

Indoor track: Third PVIAC meet took place on Sunday

The third PVIAC indoor track meet of the season took place on Sunday at Smith College. Here are the top performers from each local school: AtholThe Bear girls fell to Mohawk Trail (59-9), Pioneer (62-7) and Commerce (25-12). The Athol boys beat...

UMass basketball: Rhode Island torches Minutemen from 3-point land in 89-77 victory

A red-hot shooting performance sank the UMass men’s basketball team on Saturday.The Minutemen allowed a season-high 89 points to host Rhode Island, as the Rams shot 51.9 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from 3-point land to roll to an 89-77...

UMass hockey: Merrimack shuts down Minutemen, salvages weekend split via 4-1 win

A three-goal second period from host Merrimack enabled the Warriors to earn a weekend split with the UMass hockey team.Merrimack scored three times in the middle period and goalie Hugo Ollas stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced to lift the club to a...

UMass hockey: Minutemen get back on track, edge Merrimack 4-3 in Hockey East action

By GARRETT COTE

The UMass hockey team snapped a three-game winless stretch as the Minutemen defeated Merrimack 4-3 in a Hockey East matchup on their home ice Friday night at the Mullins Center.Two ties and an overtime loss were the previous three results for UMass,...

H.S. Roundup: Angel Castillo’s 18 points powers Athol past Smith Academy

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The Athol boys basketball team came to play on the defensive end of the floor against Smith Academy on Friday. The Bears pulled ahead 30-16 at the half and held the Falcons to a mere 10 points in the final two quarters, pulling away with a 51-26...

Bulletin board: Amherst flag football season in full swing

Jameson Dion found Shane Robles for a touchdown in the second quarter and that stood as the game-winner, as J&J defeated the Dope Boyz, 6-0, in an Amherst Flag Football League contest on Wednesday. Matt Peters had an interception, Conor Malloy had two...

UMass basketball: Road games for Minutemen (Rhode Island) and Minutewomen (La Salle) on tap Saturday

By GARRETT COTE

The second Atlantic 10 road trip of the season awaits the UMass men’s basketball team this weekend. After handing La Salle a 16-point loss on Wednesday at the Mullins Center, the Minutemen head to the Ryan Center to battle rival Rhode Island on...

MIAA releases initial power rankings for winter season

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

For the first time this winter, the MIAA released its statewide tournament power rankings on Friday.The Pioneer boys basketball team is the highest ranked team in the Recorder area. Following a 7-2 start to the season, the Panthers come in at No. 4 in...

Patriots name Jerod Mayo as next head coach, Bill Belichick’s successor

By KYLE HIGHTOWER and ROB MAADDI

FOXBOROUGH — Jerod Mayo spent his entire professional football career learning from Bill Belichick, first as a player and then as an assistant.He’ll now have the weighty task of succeeding the future Hall of Famer and leading a New England Patriots...

Keeping Score: If you build it, will they come?

Good morning!The UMass basketball team is 11-4 and playing its best basketball in a decade. Its four losses have been by an average of five points, including a four-point loss at No. 26 Dayton on Sunday.“I’m proud of Frank,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant...

High schools: Mohawk Trail's Addie Loomis wins first PVIAC alpine ski meet (PHOTOS)

Another season, another first place finish on the mountain for Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis. Competing in the opening PVIAC alpine ski race of the season at Berkshire East, Loomis completed the giant slalom course in a time of 31.76 seconds, the best...

Bulletin board: Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon set for April 6

The annual Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon will be held April 6 at Berkshire East Resort in Charlemont.Registration is now open for Bravehearts who do the entire course solo, family teams, teams of three-to-five, with four age-based categories. There...

Boys basketball: Slow start sinks Pioneer in 68-53 loss to Hoosac Valley at Hoophall Classic (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SPRINGFIELD — The Hoosac Valley boys basketball team found a groove from deep against Pioneer on Thursday in the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College’s Blake Arena. Hoosac’s Joey McGovern knocked down three 3-pointers in a row to open the game,...

Patriots parting ways with Bill Belichick, who led team to 6 Super Bowl championships

By KYLE HIGHTOWER

FOXBOROUGH — Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots on Thursday, bringing an end to his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league’s Super Bowl era, a person...

UMass basketball: Minutemen grind down La Salle in second half, pull away for 81-65 victory

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — It may not have been the prettiest display of basketball the UMass men’s team has shown this season, but the Minutemen held La Salle to just two points over a seven-minute stretch in the second half to pull away.UMass used 24 points and...

H.S. Roundup: Athol boys basketball takes down Mount Greylock in Hampshire League North showdown

Since the realignment in 2021, the Mount Greylock boys basketball team hadn’t lost a game in the Hampshire League North. That changed on Wednesday when the Mounties made the trip to Mallet Gymnasium to take on Athol. The Bears roared out to a 17-2...

Girls hockey: Deerfield Academy explodes offensively in 9-1 rout of NMH (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

DEERFIELD — Deerfield Academy girls hockey coach Brooke Fernandez couldn’t have asked for a more complete performance from her squad on Wednesday against Northfield Mount Hermon. The first meeting of the season between the two rivals saw DA walk away...

Without much snow, Mohawk Trail cross country ski team has to get creative, and stay flexible

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

While many around Franklin County were displeased shoveling out after the storms over the weekend, one person was smiling from ear-to-ear: Mohawk Trail cross country ski coach Mark Pollard. After all, it’s impossible to have a cross country ski season...