Before the season started last fall for the Somerset Berkley Regional High School field hockey team, players Janey Silvia and Emma Schoonover said it was a “ring season.” They thought the team had a good shot of winning the state championship and when that happens, players are traditionally given championship rings.
Last Sunday, Silvia, Schoonover, and the rest of the players and coaches on the team were presented with their championship rings, at White's of Westport.
“It feels wicked good,” Silvia said of receiving a championship ring. “I’m not going to lie. I knew since tryouts we had a good team and this was bound to happen.”
The field hockey players were asked to come up to the stage where there were jewelry boxes with their names on them. They were then asked to stand on the front of the stage facing the audience of parents, staff from the high school and other people from the community as they opened the boxes. There were lots of smiles on their faces as they opened the boxes and saw the rings with the Raider symbol on top, the words to commemorate the state championship and the numbers they wear on their uniforms on the ring.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Schoonover said of receiving a championship ring. “It’s a reward. All our hard work and dedication paid off and what’s even better is we did it together because we were all so close.”
The presentation of the rings capped off a celebration of their state championship that included a slide show of photographs and highlights of their season and tournament run, lots of awards being given out and speeches by coaches, athletic director Joseph Francis and state Rep. Patricia Haddad.
“I know it’s been a long time since our last game, but we had some hardware on order and it finally arrived,” SBRHS field hockey coach Jen Crook said of the state championship game that was last November at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Coach Crook talked about how the team prepared for the season, with the running and conditioning that she thought was necessary in order to beat traditional powerhouses Walpole and King Philip, and then went through the games in the regular season and Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament that the Lady Blue Raiders played on their way to the Massachusetts Division 1 state championship.
She said Nov. 17, 2018 is a date she and her players will never forget.
“It’s very hard to win a state championship in Massachusetts,” coach Crook said.
Coach Crook talked about the revenge tour in the tournament in which SBRHS beat Canton, King Philip and Walpole, teams they had played or lost to in recent years.
Goalkeeper Madison Ferrara and Alex Millar were given awards for being the Most Valuable Players of the state tournament, as voted by the players of the team. Ferrara said it was really cool to receive a state championship ring so long after the season has been over.
“We had a lot of talented players and we worked really hard and conditioned a lot to be ready for the state championship,” Ferrara said.
Rep. Haddad said this year’s team faced controversy, as some others did not think boys should be on the team, even though the rules allow it, but she said the team performed and didn’t let the bad behavior of parents get to them. She brought citations from the House of Representatives for all of the players.
“You proved that you had spirit,” Rep. Haddad said to the players on the team. “You proved that you had drive.”
Megan Salsinha received a whole slew of awards that coach Crook announced, including Third Team All-American and Massachusetts Player of the Year to name a few. Camryn Crook received an award from the Boston Herald as one of the best players in the state and Lucas Crook received a Boston Globe All-Scholastic and was named a second team All-New England selection.
Crook thanked a lot of people, including the Somerset Berkley Athletic Boosters for helping with the costs of the banquet, SBRHS Athletic Director Joseph Francis for his support, including scheduling the tough non-league schedule that coach Crook wanted to get ready for the state tournament, SBRHS Principal David Lanczycki for sticking up for the team when others were targeting it, SBRHS athletic trainer Susan Medeiros, Jeff and Julie Schoonover, parents of Emma, for having team get-togethers at their home and the parents of Salsinha, who hosted the team at their home after wins, and others.
Coach Crook said assistant coach Brian Leonard was always the first to arrive at practices and games and the last to leave. She said Leonard was like a “dad” to the team, bringing snacks and water for the players.
Assistant coach Liz Medeiros presented coach Crook with a book that had photographs from the season and messages to her from the players.
In the function room at White’s of Westport was the state championship banner that will be hung in Veterans’ Memorial Gymnasium at Somerset Berkley Regional High School.
Francis said he is proud of the poise and character that the student-athletes and coaches on the field hockey team carried this year, even while there were “haters” out there.
“Without question, this is the hardest working team in our program,” Francis said.
Francis also complimented coach Crook for her energy, focus and commitment to the team. He said she has them work hard in practice, keep it simple in the games and wants them all to do their jobs.
“She’s one of the best coaches I’ve come across in my 14 years as an AD,” Francis said.
Members of the Somerset Berkley Regional High School state championship field hockey team included players Katelyn Perry, Reaghan Cadorette, Kayleigh McDonald, Laila LeComte, Camryn Crook, Corissa Amaral, Megan Salsinha, Johanna Snyder, Riley Durette, Janey Silvia, Kaleigh Visbaras, Olivia Silva, Emma Schoonover, Kathleen Martin, Korinne Sineiro, Marielle Michno, Lauren Rothwell, Jacquelyn Rosario, Bethany Marden, Alex Millar, Lucas Crook and Madison Ferrara along with coaches Jen Crook, Liz Medeiros and Brian Leonard.