Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Boston Gold Kings Explode for 8 Goals, Break a Two-Game Losing Streak

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The Boston Gold Kings(BGK), essentially the Watertown Gold Kings and one of five teams in the Power Play Senior Hockey League (PPSHL) Northeast Division, returned home to the John A. Ryan Arena Saturday night to take on the Salem Sasquatch. The Gold Kings had lost the past two weeks on the road, but remained in second place after 7 games. This was the second time these two teams were meeting this season — the Sasquatch won the first game 5-4 at home back on Nov. 8. Tonight was a different story, as the Gold Kings defeated Salem 8-4. Things didn’t start out well, as BGK was assessed a bench minor before the game even began — they submitted their lineup card after the time required to do so — and Salem took advantage scoring a power play goal only 77 seconds into the game. But BGK recovered and controlled play throughout most of the period. That translated into three goals, two on the power play courtesy of Matt Baldino and Brandon Garneau. Forty-three-year-old defensemen Jon Lounsbury scored the other goal; 3-1 BGK after one period. Evan Morelli was in net for the Gold Kings, and Keegan McGlaughlin for the Sasquatch.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Friday Night Lights Not Kind to the Raiders Boys Hoops in a Lopsided Loss

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The Boys Basketball Team came into Friday Night’s game versus Wilmington winless in two games and desperate for a win and looking for some Friday Night magic on their home floor. Wilmington had the same goal after starting its’ season 0-2 as well. But, as the rules state, only one team can win a basketball game — there are no ties — and that team would be the Wildcats, who put a lickin’ on the Raiders by the score of 55-30. 

The game started tight and clean and efficient as both teams executed with purpose, and even though the game was only a few minutes old, the 5-5 game had the makings of a good one. Scrap that keen observation. Wilmington played out the rest of the quarter on an 11-0 run, led by senior guard Ryan Gray’s 9 points. By the half it was 27-9 Wilmington, and all nine Raider points were scored by junior Michael Nshanian. Gray, in the meantime, already had 21 points. The Raiders early season woes are many.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Girls Basketball Pulls Out to an Early Lead and Never Looks Back

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Week two of the early season found Watertown Girls Basketball at 1-1 after a win at home versus Belmont and a road loss to Woburn by 20. Into the Victor J.Palladino Gymnasium at the Watertown Middle School came the Wilmington Wildcats and a 1-1 record of their own. So who went home with a 2-1 record at the end of the night? The Watertown Raiders to the tune of a 45-26 win that was never close. Wilmington averaged 49 points in their first two games, but tonight they couldn’t put the ball in the hoop if the ball was the size of an award-winning pumpkin at the Topsfield Fair and the basket was the size of 10 little red riding hood baskets for granny stitched together into one. And the irony is they ran their half court offense pretty well, and in some ways more smoothly than Watertown, but they could not finish. The ball and the the rim were worst of friends. They missed a lot. Are we clear? Watertown led 13-0 before Wilmington finally scored with a minute and a half left in the first quarter. At quarters’ end it was 17-4 Raiders. The second quarter was no friendlier to the Wildcats — they mustered one basket and trailed 25-6 at the half. Watertown was led by Brook Lambo with 8 and Natalie Haley with 7.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: The Effort Was There, But the Scoring Wasn’t for Boys Hockey Home Opener 

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John A. Ryan Arena remains the place to go locally to catch hockey action.  Blink your eyes and one game is over and another begins. On Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Woburn came to town, coming off a season-opening loss to Wakefield last Saturday. Watertown/Wayland (W/W) found themselves in the same place after losing at Belmont, also on Saturday, 4-1. Two teams therefore eager to get their first win played hard, but Woburn was simply better on this afternoon on the way to a 4-0 victory. Watertown and Wayland continue to rely on one-another in order to field a team, and the collaborative roster for this season is equally split – 11 Raiders and 11 Tanners. It’s a young roster, with one freshman, nine sophomores, six juniors and six seniors. Five captains represent the veteran presence — Wayland junior Adam Capello, Watertown junior Isaac Maillis, Watertown junior Luke Egan, Wayland senior Griffin Wood and Wayland junior Theodore Henrich. And John Vlachos returns for another season as Head Coach.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Boys Basketball Goes Down to Defeat to Woburn in Home Opener

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Watertown Boys Basketball has enjoyed a rich history the past 31 years, all under the stewardship of Head Coach Steve Harrington. Three State Titles (’07, ’09, ’18), as well as appearances in five title games and nine Final Fours. Beyond those numbers are the many young men who have passed through the program and accomplished great things on the Watertown hardwood, and quite often beyond. There is never a time when Watertown basketball goes into a season expecting anything less than competing for the Middlesex League title and a trip to the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament. This year is no different, but the challenges facing this squad as they try and reach those goals are greater than years past. Last night’s 57-46 loss to the Woburn Tanners at the Watertown Middle School inside the Palladino Memorial Gymnasium made that very clear. The Raiders (0-2) fell behind early in this contest, committing way too many turnovers which Woburn (2-0) was more than accommodating converting into points. Junior guard Aiden Brown was the leader among five Tanners on the scoresheet in the quarter, his sweet jumper and smooth stroke counting for 10 points. Raiders junior forward Michael Nshanian did his best to keep the score close, scoring 6 points on a variety of moves, but the Raiders trailed 21-12 after one quarter. The Raiders are minus their big man of the past two years, as Will Carty moved onto prep school over the summer while choosing to repeat his junior year.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Girls Basketball Rides Youth Movement In Season-Opening Win Over Belmont 

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The lights are back on at the Watertown Middle School Gymnasium and the 2025-26 Basketball Season is underway. While Boys Hoops travelled to Belmont to open their campaign, the Girls opened at home to begin the the third and final interim season of hoops at the Middle School before beginning play at the new High School Gym in December of 2026. Coach Mike Tempesta, in his third year at the helm, and his young and small (as in only ten dressed) squad got off to a good start with a 63-54 win over the cross-town rival Marauders. The Raiders graduated four seniors, all starters, so change was in the air, but at the same time, not so much. The starting five on this night included senior captain Sophia Setouhi, who played a significant role on last year’s team. It also included returning  junior Aisling Brennock, fresh off an excellent Field Hockey campaign and ready to play a more significant role on this year’s team.  Brooke Lambo, the third Lambo girl on the way to being a hoops star in Watertown and beyond, returns after a fine Freshman season. And rounding out the starting five were two fabulous freshman, Natalie Haley and Natalia Keuchkarian, who contributed significantly to last year’s 14-8 team as eighth graders, and already seemed ready to take on starring roles. Tonight’s game did not play out like a first game of the season, full of nerves and turnovers and lack of a shooting eye. Well, don’t get me wrong, all those things were in play, but up and down competitive basketball was just as much the theme. Neither team ever led by double digits, and lead changes were as frequent as honking horns at the Common Street rotary. Sophomore Guard Sarah Geller had 7 first quarter points for Belmont on the way to a 16-12 lead after one quarter. But Watertown picked up its defense in the second, especially after going to a 2-3 zone, although they didn’t have an answer for forward Sophia McClendon, who had 8 in the quarter.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Beats Belmont in the 103rd Edition of the Thanksgiving Day Rivalry

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Watertown’s defense celebrates after stopping Belmont on fourth down late in the Thanksgiving Day Game. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

On a beautifully sunny Thanksgiving morning, with a gusty wind making it feel a little cooler then it really was, the 3-7 Watertown Raiders welcomed the 0-9 Belmont Marauders to Victory Field for the 103rd meeting of these two schools that dates back to 1921. In a game that was close throughout, Watertown won its second straight Thanksgiving Day game, this time by the score of 21-12. There’s so much great that comes from sport. The practice and the training and the education and the challenge and the joy, and even the heartbreak. Football provides all of that and more, and it’s why the sport is so popular. It’s also so because there’s a comradery that is formed from battling it out on the football field, and winless or undefeated or somewhere in-between, there’s so much to value in the experience of being part of a football team. It was clear from the start that Belmont, despite a difficult season that had them scoring only 36 points in nine games and being shut out five times, was together as a team and ready to give it its all to win the rivalry game. The sideline was into it, the players on the field were into it, and it was a sign of good coaching that Belmont was showing no quit on this day. 

The Raiders block a Marauders punt on Thanksgiving.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Gold Kings Win Overtime Thriller at Ryan Arena on Military Appreciation Night

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The Boston Gold Kings won an overtime thriller Saturday night at John A. Ryan Arena, 6-5 over the Norfolk Mallards. 

But, before the game details take over this column, lets catch up on who the Boston Gold Kings are and the league they play in. For those still learning about the league and the team, the following (re)introduction: the Power Play Senior Hockey League (PPSHL), is comprised of teams in a close range demographic throughout central New England. This is a Full contact Pro Style hockey league where players will get to continue their hockey journey without the feeling of settling for men’s league hockey. Teams play on the weekend only, occasionally Saturday & Sunday, but typically one day or the other. Teams are individually owned and operated by owners, not by the PPSHL. Current teams

Boston Gold Kings

Holyoke Paper Men

Hudson Valley Reapers

Norfolk Mallards

Salem Sasquatch

The Gold Kings are essentially Watertown’s team, despite being “Boston.” Since their inception, the Gold Kings have played their games (as well as practiced) at John A. Ryan Arena and have been a presence at local events such as Faire on the Square. They also work hard at being a positive citizen in the community, and on Saturday night, in game five of the still early ’25-26 season, the Gold Kings stuck to their model by honoring the Military in pre-game festivities. 

Included in their efforts was: the presentation of the Color Guard courtesy of the Shutt Detachment Marine Corps League & VFW Post 1105, a ceremonial puck drop by Lincoln Rocca, young son of parents and proud veterans of the U.S. Army, Tony & Kendra Rocca, and the introduction of four hockey players on the ice Saturday night who have served, three with the U.S. Army and one with the National Guard. The Gold Kings also ran an auction and raffle, with proceeds going to Operation American Soldier. This was a wonderful show of support and appreciation by the Gold Kings, and kudos to them! On to the hockey game!