Salem High School Athletics Update

Our Witches were on a roll again this week as Girls Soccer and Boys Soccer both clinched their respective spots in the MIAA Division 3 State Tournaments!

We're heading into the final stretch of the regular season, so be sure to show up for our Seniors as several programs host Senior Nights this week!

• Volleyball Senior Night vs Whittier Tech: Wednesday, October 28, at 6:00PM
• Unified Basketball Senior Night vs Masconomet: Thursday, October 29, at 4:00PM
• Football and Cheer Senior Night vs Winthrop: Thursday, October 29, at 5:30PM

Salem Girls Soccer came up strong this week winning both games! The girls earned a hard fought 2-1 victory against Danvers, defeating the Falcons for the first time in almost 20 years! Jaliyah Valerio had an amazing goal from an assist by Caroline Antczak. Jackie Fritz scored the second goal on a direct kick from outside the box. Julia Gauthier, Madyson Eichel, Isla Hepner, Dever Cornell, and Ally Bedard were our backbone on defense! Caroline Antczak played an amazing game in midfield and Makenzie Eichel left her heart out there on offense. Amelia Meegan was a wall in net, making 10 saves! This was an exciting win for Salem solidifying their ticket into the MIAA tournament!

The girls also took on Gloucester later in the week, winning 4-0. Salem bombarded Gloucester’s net throughout the game with over 25 shots. Madyson Eichel scored her first goal of the season with a shot from outside the box. Izzy Leigh scored on an assist by Makenzie Eichel, while Jackie Fritz scored on her own corner kick. Makenzie Eichel also scored from an assist by Hadley Austin. Caroline Antczak played a strong game in the middle.

Boys Soccer had a great week, going 2–0 and clinching a spot in the State Tournament for the first time in eight years! The Witches opened with a 2–0 win over a strong Danvers team, led by two goals from senior captain Henry Beauparlant. Sam Formica and Jack Millar also played well in the victory over the Falcons.

On Wednesday, the boys beat Gloucester 2–1, with senior captains Nile McManus and Henry Beauparlant each scoring a goal. Owen Gerrad, Will Kropilak, and Lachlan Brierley all played great games in the win. The victories improved the team’s record to 8–4–3. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Witches look to finish strong and bring home an NEC conference banner!

The Salem Cross Country team wrapped up its regular season this week with a competitive meet against Beverly. The boys put together a strong team performance, but ultimately fell just short, 24–31. Jonah Pavetto led the Witches with an impressive second-place finish in 18:17, closely followed by Ethan Cormier in 19:10. Noah Dailey, Adrian Marin, Doug York, and Jack Bednar also delivered strong performances, helping keep the race competitive. The girls continued to show determination and hard work, falling to Beverly 18–45. Abby Murphy led the Witches with an impressive third-place finish, crossing the line in 23:05.

Congratulations to all our runners on their hard work and dedication throughout the regular season!

Witch Football finished up a 3 game NEC road trip with a tough loss at Danvers on Friday night. Matched up against one of the best teams in the state, Kendal Murga played a strong game both on offense and defense breaking off multiple long runs. Tyler Ouellette had a breakout 4th quarter coming off the bench and executing a long drive. The Witches return to Bertram Field this Thursday in the final regular season game vs Winthrop where we will recognize our 14 seniors prior to the game with a ceremony starting at 5:30PM and kickoff slated for 6:30PM. Go Witch!

Witches Volleyball went 2-1 this week, defeating Saugus (3-0) and Gloucester (3-1) and dropping our contest against Marblehead (0-3). Senior Olivia Warren led the offense for the Witches this week, tallying 18 kills and 7 aces over the three-game stretch, while Junior Callie L'Italien's strong serving performance against Saugus (7 aces on 95.7% serving) helped the Witches earn the win over the Sachems. Senior G Bah dished out 45 assists this week, and Senior Captain Yanalis Ventura added 50 kills on the week. The Witches have three games left in the regular season: Monday vs Winthrop, Wednesday vs Whittier Tech, and Thursday @ Danvers!

Join us at 6pm on Wednesday as we celebrate our Seniors: Captain Yanalis Ventura, Kailyn Ricciarelli, G Bah, Angelica Sciuto, Hawa Bah, Olivia Warren, and Team Manager Jacob Catbagan!

On Tuesday, we were thrilled to cheer on Freshman Margaret O’Sullivan as she represented the Witches at the Division 3 North Sectional Championships at Stowe Acres. On Wednesday, Margaret O’Sullivan and Senior Jake Lister also competed in the NEC Open, representing Salem High School with pride!