Although WA was unable to partake in spring sports this year, we still had many nail biting games and successful seasons. Here are the top 11 sports moments of 2019-2020.

11. Girls’ volleyball defeats the best of the DCL: WA faced off against Boston Latin, the top team in the DCL, and a team that had previously beat WA 0-3 earlier in the year. This year, WA performed swept Boston Latin 3-0. This was also a great moment because it took place on senior night with a crowd of students and parents supporting the team.

10. The football team plays with a chip on its shoulder: In the second to last game of the year against Lawrence Academy, Westford won 50-38. This was an especially memorable win for the team because it was the first game since starting quarterback Nick Faretra was in a car accident. The whole team came together and played hard with freshman Luke Reynolds starting at quarterback.  It was the team’s last Friday night game and was very memorable considering how many points the team scored.

9. David slays Goliath in boys’ swim win: In a meet against Newton South, the boys’ swim team was pushed hard in an incredibly close match up. The whole team put their all into each race.  Even with a timing malfunction that caused panic, team member and current captain Sam Granger managed to earn the few extra points the team needed to win. Going home in high spirits, the team partook in a dance party on the bus.

8. Justin Quinton defeats rival: In the state qualifier tournament senior Justin Quinton went up against a wrestling rival from St. John’s Prep. He was able to beat his rival 4-3. This qualified him to compete at states, and he will continue his wrestling career next year at Southern NH University.

7. WA gymnastics post strong scores in DCL’s: During the DCL meet this past year, WA had one of its top performances, scoring 134.85 points. They also had strong individual performances by Mina Keifer, placing third in All-Around, and fifth in Floor. Jessica Gould plaved fifth All-Around. Lastly, Ellie Cioffi placed first on Beam and third on Floor.

6. Boys’ basketball beats rivals in a comeback win: Playing against rivals, Acton-Boxboro, Westford was down near the end of the game. They fought hard to come back and tie it up before the end of the game. Going into overtime, the team knew it was important to win, as it would mean clinching a playoff birth. The team fought hard and by the last buzzer they were leading. At the final buzzer, students stormed onto the court celebrating the team’s victory.

5. Win gives the boys’ soccer team hope: Two games left in the season, the team needed to have a win and a tie to qualify for the playoffs. In the second to last game of the year, the team played Concord-Carlisle, who they struggled against previously. Although the teams were tied 0-0 at halftime, Concord-Carlisle turned it up in the second half and scored, leaving doubt in some of WA’s player’s minds. But WA scored soon after to tie the game up. With just a few minutes to go, captain Noah Cherry sprinted down the field knocked over a defender stole the ball, and scored a goal for the win. This gave WA hope that they could make the playoffs.

4. Girls’ soccer has a big win on senior night: After facing Billerica earlier in the season, the team knew that it had its hands full for senior night. The team played extra hard and were able to get revenge for their tie earlier in the season. It was special for so many because it was on senior night. This lead the team to a strong performance in the MIAA tournament, and WA made it all the way to the semi-finals before losing 1-2 against Brookline.

3. Success comes for the golf team: Coming off a losing season, the team knew it needed to perform better. The team this year comprised of older talents as well as younger players ready to show their skills; they were able to blend together and play well. They had an 8-4 record, good enough to go on to sectionals where they placed fifth and had one player qualify for states and place third overall.

2. Boys’ hockey takes it deep into the playoffs: In the quarter-finals this year against Waltham, WA got off to an early lead, but Waltham came back tying the game up by the end of the third period. The game went into overtime and then second overtime before WA was able to score by a goal by Sean Milanette. This sent WA to the semi-finals, the furthest WA boys’ hockey has gone in the last decade.

1. Girls Swim team continues its dominance: The WA girls swim team has been a force to be reckoned with for the last few years. The team has not lost a meet in five years. This year it continued its success streak and won all meets. The team made it to states and was yet again victorious. This was the eighth time it took home states in the last ten years, truly making this team an unstoppable force.

Honorable Mentions

Girls’ hockey seeks revenge: In 2019, the girls’ hockey team lost to Tewksbury-Methuen in the second round of the playoffs. Tewksbury-Methuen went on to the division championship. Later in 2020, the team played Tewksbury-Methuen again, this time focused on beating the team that knocked them out the previous year. Westford went on to beat them 3-1, avenging last year’s loss.

Field hockey wins one last time: The best moment from the Field Hockey team this year came on senior day. The team had just come off a tough loss, removing it from playoff contention. The team still played hard and was able to win its last game. This was also special because the underclassmen came together to make it especially unique for the seniors. They ended up defeating Concord-Carlisle 1-0.

Crew team succeeds in Saratoga: The team worked hard all year and traveling to Saratoga for their last race of the year. All boats were able to finish strongly through tough rowing conditions.

Girls’ basketball defeats Newton South Lions: Playing an away game against Newton South has been a challenge in the past. This year, however, the team came together with strong performances by all members to defeat Newton South.

Boys Cross Country takes on Manhattan: The boy’s cross country team had a successful year going 2-2 in DCL meets. The team also took on Manhattan, where it was able to earn many medals.