Latest news with #Classof2026
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Six high school sports takeaways, including a multitude of coaching hires, a girls' soccer player of the year, and more
'Her speed, especially with the ball at her feet, was impossible to contain,' said Dedham coach Don Savi . 'Maddie had a great shot with either foot, but what made her special was her passing ability. The old saying that she makes the players on her team better was 100 percent true with Maddie.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A practiced pianist, Recupero volunteers with Project Just Because and as a youth soccer coach. She maintains a 4.62 weighted GPA and has donated her time to fundraising campaigns to benefit breast and brain cancer research. Advertisement 1. Costello's meteoric rise Newman School junior Quinn Costello garnered more than a dozen new Division 1 offers after a breakout performance at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, despite being a late invite after winning co-MVP honors the week before at the Pangos All-American camp. Related : The 6-foot-10-inch big from Medford, who started his high school career by winning a Division 1 state title as a freshman at BC High, previously had offers from San Diego, Columbia, and St. Louis. But after posting 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on 52 percent shooting at the Top 100 Camp, he drew offers from the likes of Michigan, Syracuse, Boston College, Providence, and more. Advertisement By the time he left the camp, his national ranking had jumped 137 spots. Costello, who plays with the Middlesex Magic, is now ranked 74th nationwide in the Class of 2026 by 247Sports. Quinn Costello's ranking jumped 147 spots and he picked up 12 offers after NBPA Top 100 Camp 😳🔥 — SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) 2. Commitment central ▪ Newman School junior Ava Egan , who grew up in North Attleborough, has committed to play women's basketball at Merrimack. A 6-foot-1-inch wing, Egan played for the Bay State Jags AAU program. 'I've always dreamed to play Division 1 college basketball and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has been a part of making my dream come true,' she wrote on social media. Committed!! 💙💛 — ava egan (@avaegan23) ▪ Boston College football's 18th recruit in its 2026 class is 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound Bedford junior wide receiver/defensive end Mekhi Volcy . As a junior, Volcy caught 19 passes for 277 yards, while recording 25 tackles and two sacks on defense. 6-foot-4 wide receiver/defensive end Mekhi Volcy ( He announced his decision to commit on his personal Instagram. — Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) ▪ At New Bedford High, signing ceremonies were held for senior Jarren Goodine , who is committed to play football at American International, and Zaria Anderson , who will play women's basketball at Framingham State. 3. Coaching carousel ▪ Taking the helm of the boys' basketball program at Xaverian will be Brian Cerone , most recently an assistant at Whitman-Hanson. He was previously the head coach at Mount Ida, an assistant at UMass Boston, and an assistant at his alma mater, Hanover High. The founder of the South Shore Wildcats AAU program, Cerone played at Wheaton after scoring more than 1,000 points at Hanover. Advertisement He takes over a Hawks team that went 10-10 in 2024-25, the last of six seasons under coach Ryan Shaheen , but reached the Division 1 semifinals as recently as 2024. Xaverian is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Cerone as the new varsity head basketball coach. — Xaverian Hawks (@Xaverian_Hawks) ▪ Bob Lomp is leaving Sandwich to take over the football program at New Bedford, where he succeeds Mark DeBrito , who stepped down after 11 seasons to focus on his duties as an assistant principal. Lomp has had several coaching stops in the South Coast area, including a 14-year stint at Apponequet, where he never had a losing season. He spent two years at Wareham, going 17-5, then was an assistant at Mass. Maritime, coaching quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends. Related : After going 5-5 in his first year at Sandwich in 2023, he led the Blue Knights to a 9-2 mark last fall, losing to eventual Division 6 state champion Hudson by a touchdown in the quarterfinals. The Whalers are coming off a 2-9 seasons and have an 11-36 record over the last five years. ▪ Beverly announced the hiring of Sean Willett to coach girls' basketball. A head coach with Mass Elite, Willett served as an assistant at Arlington Catholic and Wilmington. The Wakefield resident is an educator in Everett Public Schools. A Beverly native, Willett takes over for Seth Stantial , who stepped down to spend more time with his family after 10 seasons, which included a 7-11 mark last year. For those of you who know me, this is a dream come true. Born at Beverly Hospital in 1997 and now returning to lead the Beverly Panthers. Nana, I did it. 🏀🙏💯 — Sean Willett (@Coach_Willett) ▪ Anthony Nardella is returning to his alma mater to coach Beverly boys' lacrosse. Nardella spent the past three years as an assistant at St. John's Prep, winning a trio of state titles. He was previously the defensive coordinator at Saint Anselm. Advertisement A business and technology teacher at Beverly High, Nardella also coaches the Panthers' freshman football team. He takes over a Tigers team that went 4-12 last year, which snapped a string of three straight winning seasons. — Beverly Panthers (@BeverlyPanthers) ▪ Beverly also announced that Carla Femino will take over as the outdoor girls' track and field coach. Femino was previously a volunteer coach for three winter and two spring seasons, then spent one outdoor season coaching at St. John's Prep. The former high school track captain and collegiate rugby player at New Hampshire is taking over for longtime coach David Jellerson and will coach alongside Sean Dunleavy . — Beverly Panthers (@BeverlyPanthers) ▪ Former Greater New Bedford boys' basketball coach Donald 'Boomer' Rodrigues has been promoted to head boys' coach at Old Colony. Rodrigues, who was the head coach at GNB from 2012-16, has spent the last four years as the Cougars' JV coach, and has served as an assistant football coach at Old Colony for a a decade. The 1984 New Bedford High graduate takes over an Old Colony team that went 18-3 and won a second straight Mayflower Athletic Conference title last year under longtime coach Matt Trahan , the school's athletic director. Each week we will highlight one of our outstanding members of the coaching staff. Thank you Coach Boomer for all that you do for our teams and student-athletes at Old Colony. Let's give 2 claps and a whooooooo for Coach Rodrigues! @SC_Varsity6 — Cougar Athletics (@AthleticCougars) ▪ Katie Kolinski has been hired to take over the fast-rising Newman girls' basketball program as it moves up to NEPSAC Class AAA this upcoming season Kolinski, who got her start as the manager of the Syracuse men's basketball team before she graduated in 2016, has stops as an assistant at Buffalo, Lafayette, and Le Moyne. ▪ Harold Pini has stepped down as the Nauset softball coach after 10 seasons. Pini has coached softball for 29 years, including at Georgetown. Advertisement Nauset Regional High School would like to thank Harold Pini, our Head Softball Coach, for his dedication and commitment to our softball program. Coach Pini has decided to step down after 10 seasons at Nauset. We appreciate all of your work, Coach. Thank you!! 👋🏻🥎 — Nauset Athletics (@Nausetsports) 4. Agganis All-Star schedule The Agganis All-Star Games begin Sunday with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. at Manning Field. This is the 63rd year of the Agganis All-Star football game, while the baseball game has been played for 30 years, soccer games for 29 years, softball for 27, basketball for 20, and lacrosse for 13. The Agganis All-Star games help provide college scholarships to deserving student-athletes. Since the passing of Harry Agganis in 1955 at age 26, the foundation has awarded almost $2.6 million in scholarships to 1,074 student-athletes. The week's schedule: Sunday 11 a.m. — 13th girls' lacrosse at Manning Field Noon — 27th softball at Fraser Field 1 p.m. — 13th boys' lacrosse at Manning Field 2 p.m. — baseball at Fraser Field 5 p.m. — girls' soccer at Manning Field 6:30 p.m. — boys' soccer at Manning Field Monday 5:30 p.m. — boys' basketball at Lynn Classical 7 p.m. — girls' basketball at Lynn Classical Wednesday 6 p.m. — football at Manning Field Beyond excited to not only be selected to play at the Agganis All-Stars games for 🥎🏀 but also joining a network of — NevaehEth2025_fastpitch (@NevaehEth2025) 5. Bay State Games induct three into Hall of Fame Three new members will be inducted into the Bay State Games Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Fenway Park on June 27 prior to the Red Sox game against the Blue Jays. Pat Connaughton (basketball, baseball), Brian Harris (basketball, softball coach), and Ada Korkhin (pistol shooting) will join more than 70 prior honorees. 'It's an honor to recognize this year's class that includes an NBA champion, a US Olympic team member, and a volunteer coach of over 30 years,' said Kevin Cummings , the Bay State Games executive director. Related : Since his days at St. John's Prep, Connaughton has gone on to play basketball for Notre Dame and win an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Harris, a lifelong Somerville resident, has volunteered as a Bay State girls' basketball and softball coach for more than 30 years. Currently the Prospect Hill Academy Charter coach, he has won more than 500 career games including 18 years leading the Somerville girls and five with Arlington Catholic. Korkhin, a Brookline resident, served as a Bay State Games ambassador at Brookline High and began competing internationally at age 14, medaling at multiple world and US events. At 19, she made her Olympic debut in Paris. She is currently a member of the Ohio State shooting team. Advertisement 6. Austin Prep hockey joins Holt Austin Prep announced that its boys' hockey program will begin play in the Holt Conference starting next winter. The Holt Conference features two other Massachusetts schools in Pingree and Worcester Academy, plus Portsmouth Abbey in Rhode Island and Maine schools Berwick, Hebron, North Yarmouth, and Kents Hill. We are proud to announce our provisional membership into the Holt Conference! — Austin Prep AD (@AustinPrepAD) Brendan Kurie can be reached at
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Why Nebraska struggles to hold elite defensive backs in 2026 class
Why Nebraska struggles to hold elite defensive backs in 2026 class (Image Source: Cornerback CJ Bronaugh, a four-star recruit, decommitted on Tuesday evening, and it is a devastating blow to the Nebraska Cornhuskers football program because the staff of the new football coach, Matt Rhule, will have to go out of its way to land top-notch defensive talent. Bronaugh, who was the tenth-best cornerback in the Class of 2026 nationally, had committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in November 2024, after his first visit to Lincoln. The move by the Florida native to reopen his recruitment highlights the fact that Nebraska is having to fight to continue to recruit against the traditional powers and especially those in talent-heavy recruiting grounds such as Florida and the Southeast. Timeline reveals Nebraska Cornhuskers' recruiting missteps with CJ Bronaugh At first, it seemed like the Nebraska Cornhuskers were doing a good job by securing the commitment of CJ Bronaugh in November 2024, as they took advantage of an early offer to Bronaugh during his breakout junior year, in which he amassed six interceptions. But it turned sour when the national profile of Bronaugh rose due to his track and field accomplishments with victories in the Florida State championships in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash races. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Windermere High School standout also captured defensive back MVP honors at the Under Armour Next Camp in Orlando, and his recruitment has been broadened tremendously. Even though Bronaugh had committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he planned official visits to several schools, such as the University of Florida, Florida State University and Pennsylvania State University. His weekend visit to Florida State University in Tallahassee was especially influential, and on Tuesday, he made a surprise mid-week trip back to the University of Florida. According to sources, he is now focused on these two in-state programs, indicating that Nebraska's geographical disadvantage was too much to overcome. Matt Rhule's Nebraska Cornhuskers face broader recruiting challenges beyond CJ Bronaugh's loss The loss of CJ Bronaugh is not just a personal recruiting setback to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but it also accentuates the underlying issues in the program-building process spearheaded by Matt Rhule. This decommitment leaves Nebraska with only five commits in the 2026 recruiting class, and none of them are four-star recruits as ranked by the big recruiting services. The class is currently 67th in the country and 18th in the Big Ten Conference, which is an indication of how difficult a task Nebraska has in that regard, as it competes against traditional recruiting forces. To make it even worse, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have lost four-star running back DeZephen Walker to the University of Oklahoma, who pledged to the Sooners just a few days before his official visit to Lincoln. Such losses are in addition to the increased performance on the field in 2024 when Nebraska had its first bowl appearance since 2016 and won its first postseason game since 2015. Nebraska Cornhuskers are not out of hope yet as there are still targets on their radar, like Florida State University commit Tedarius Hughes, who will be at Lincoln this week as a possible flip candidate. Four-star prospects Danny Odem and Devin Jackson are also slated to visit this weekend, and it will be a chance to show off the recruiting abilities of the Matt Rhule staff. Also Read: College football star LaNorris Sellers ignores $8M transfer deal to stay at South Carolina The CJ Bronaugh decommitment is an ugly reminder that Nebraska has a long way to go before being a national power again because it must win its recruiting battles on a regular basis against historically and geographically advantaged teams. In his third season, Matt Rhule understands that recruiting high-quality talent such as Bronaugh is the key to achieving long-term success, and recruiting weekends in the future hold greater importance to the future of the program. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn Staying In Race for 5-Star WR Coveted By Alabama
Auburn Staying In Race for 5-Star WR Coveted By Alabama originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Having grown up in a state where the rivalry is everything, Cederian Morgan is well aware of the feud between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The five-star receiver from Alexander City, Ala., is being courted by both. Advertisement He paid Auburn one final visit last weekend. His comments after the trip should excite Hugh Freeze's program. 'Know all the coaches, all the players,' Morgan told 247Sports on Sunday. 'They all know my family. I've been up here probably a million times.' Tigers quarterback Deuce Knight, the No. 6 passer in 247Sports' Class of 2025 rankings, wants to team up with Morgan during the coming seasons. 'They've definitely been on me. Deuce has been on me the most, though,' Morgan told Rivals. 'I know Deuce is a great quarterback who can give me the ball however I need it, so that'll be a big plus for me.' Advertisement Auburn has a deep stable of pass-catchers, including Cam Coleman, but that's not a drawback for Morgan, who's second on 247Sports' Class of 2026 receivers list. LSU commit Tristen Keys is the only wideout ahead of him. 2026 five-star wide receiver prospect Cederian Morgan© Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK 'It's really anywhere I go, nobody's going to give up their spot,' Morgan said. 'So you got to go out there and work for it. I feel like with their receiver room, you come here, it's going to make you work even harder. I know all the guys outside of football. We're cool, got a very good connection. I just feel like on the field it's going to be even better. We're going to push each other to surpass each other and stuff like that.' Kalen DeBoer and his program have one more chance to impress Morgan on his official visit to Tuscaloosa next week. He'll decide on his destination on July 2, choosing between Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and Colorado. Related: Ryan Williams Makes Surprising Admission About First Season at Alabama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
How Kentucky outmaneuvered Wisconsin and Rutgers for four-star safety Messiah Tilson
Image Source: 247 Sports Monday was a big blow to the Wisconsin Badgers football recruiting, as four-star safety Messiah Tilson committed to the University of Kentucky Wildcats instead of taking up the offer in the Big Ten powerhouse. The ramifications of Tilson choosing Iowa and not Wisconsin are not merely related to one loss in the recruiting department, but the wider issue of Big Ten programs having to compete with SEC schools over the top defensive talent. Messiah Tilson's Kentucky choice suprises recruiting experts The decision made by Messiah Tilson to join the University of Kentucky Wildcats surprised many recruiting analysts, especially since most people had expected him to join Rutgers University Scarlet Knights. Rutgers University had been heavily favored on the 247Sports crystal ball after Tilson had visited New Jersey on June 6 as an official visit. But his previous visit to the University of Kentucky on June 3 has left a very strong impression that eventually influenced his decision. As a native of Illinois, the commitment of the Illinois native to Kentucky is crucial to the 2026 recruiting class of Wisconsin, which still lacks a blue-chip prospect despite a total of 13 commitments. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo This recruiting misfire may have long-term consequences for the development of the defensive backfield and the program in general under head coach Luke Fickell in Wisconsin. Guilford's Messiah Tilson commits to play college football at Kentucky The four-star safety out of the state of Illinois is the 402nd-ranked overall prospect in the Class of 2026, which puts him at No. 38 in the nation at the safety position and No. 11 among the recruits in the state of Illinois. His pledge immediately gives Kentucky a 2026 recruiting class with six total pledges and ranks 67th in the country. The recruitment of Tilson will be a big win for the Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, in a competitive action against well-established Big Ten programs. Wisconsin Badgers face uphill battle for remaining blue-chip targets The Wisconsin Badgers now find themselves in a precarious position as they continue pursuing their remaining blue-chip targets in the Class of 2026. With Messiah Tilson off the board, Wisconsin's recruiting focus intensifies on wide receiver Jayden Petit, running back Amari Latimer, offensive tackle Kamari Blair, and athlete Jackson Ford. These four prospects represent Wisconsin's best opportunities to secure elite talent and potentially crack the top-30 national recruiting rankings. Currently sitting at 35th nationally with 13 commitments, the Wisconsin Badgers need at least one blue-chip commitment to maintain competitive recruiting momentum in the Big Ten Conference. The loss of Tilson particularly stings given Wisconsin's strong defensive tradition and their need for secondary depth. Head coach Luke Fickell and his staff must now pivot quickly to identify alternative safety targets while maintaining pressure on their remaining priority recruits. The Badgers' ability to close on these final targets will largely determine whether this recruiting cycle strengthens or weakens their long-term competitiveness in the increasingly challenging Big Ten landscape. Also Read: Michigan State football hauls in NFL legacy recruits TJ Umenyiora and Quinn Buckey for 2026 class The Messiah Tilson promise soap opera reminds one that college football recruiting today is no longer limited by the old geographical parameters and that SEC teams are becoming more open to going into Big Ten country to find the top players. The coaching staff in Wisconsin will have to readjust its recruiting practices to be able to compete in this new environment and lay the groundwork for consistent success in the new and expanded Big Ten Conference.
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Purdue basketball's overseas reach continues with Italian big man's visit
Purdue men's basketball's longstanding reputation for developing big men regularly puts it in contention for the best 7-footers in the country. That appeal has now begun to cross oceans. Italian 7-foot-3 center Luigi Suigo is on campus for an official visit until mid-day Tuesday. Suigo is reportedly double-dipping on this trip, heading to Indiana for another Big Ten look this week. His first official visit back in February also occurred within the conference — at Illinois, another program loading up on European talent recently. Purdue already made one addition from overseas in 2025. Omer Mayer is scheduled to arrive later this summer from Israel, adding a second guard to the incoming freshman class. Suigo turned 18 in January. He's a Class of 2026 prospect, meaning he is a contender to succeed Trey Kaufman-Renn and transfer Oscar Cluff in the post. Purdue, of course, knows all about foreign big men — though not on such direct flights. Matt Haarms of The Netherlands made a stopover at Sunrise Christian in Kansas before coming to West Lafayette. Zach Edey left Toronto for IMG Academy in Florida prior to joining the Boilermakers. Remember Purdue's historic Final Four run with our collector's book What remains to be seen is whether pursuit of players such as Mayer and Suigo becomes a consistent part of Matt Painter's recruiting strategy. It may be too early to call this a trend, but NBA teams have begun taking foreign 7-footers more frequently at the top of the draft. France's Victor Wembanyama went No. 1 overall in 2023. His countryman, Alex Sarr, went No. 2 overall last year. Both of them came through pro leagues, rather than the American prep system. Suigo averages 9.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in seven games in Italy's lower pro division. Insider: Brandon Brantley hated playing in the post. Now, he's Purdue's big man whisperer Suigo's game resembles that of redshirt freshman Daniel Jacobsen more than Edey. Perhaps he'll share a frontcourt with Jacobsen going into 2026. Jacobsen made the first cut at the Team USA training camp for the FIBA Under-19 World Cup team. He is now among 18 contenders to make the trip to Switzerland for that tournament later this month. Jacobsen was one of 31 players invited to the camp. The final roster will be trimmed to 12 players. Insider: How seniors are setting the tone for Purdue basketball with championship expectations As of Monday afternoon, Cluff continued to await receipt of his renewed visa. Once it renews, he'll board a plane in Australia and head for West Lafayette. Mayer was also supposed to play with Team Israel at that FIBA U19 World Cup. However, there were reports Monday that Israel may be dropping out of the event. The recent escalation of hostilities with Iran has complicated travel and other issues. Israel's Premier League concluded its season with one game remaining in a best-of-three series between Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel-Aviv — the same club for which Mayer and former Boilermaker Trevion Williams play in the EuroLeague. Safety concerns were cited as the reason. As of last week, Mayer was also working on visa issues before he could join Purdue.
