BOSTON – The bright lights, the music blaring from the speakers and the eager anticipation from the crowd.
There are not many things that are greater than the high school athletics experience. I remember attending high school events as a child and knew that one day I wanted to shine bright in that spotlight.
I eventually rose to that point at the now-closed Sacred Heart High School in Kingston. I played on the varsity ice hockey and baseball teams. I was even fortunate enough to be named a league All-Star in baseball and see my name alongside other athletes in the Boston Herald during my senior year. I loved these moments and cherish these memories to this day.
I went on to attend Ithaca College, where I played junior varsity baseball and club ice hockey. However, my love of Massachusetts high school athletics never left, and I continued to follow closely. I covered some Chicago Public League baseball during my time in graduate school at Northwestern University, but I knew what I wanted to cover high school sports in my home state as soon as I ventured back.
I immediately contacted Danny Ventura, a legend in our industry who served for 35 years as the Herald’s high school sports editor. He gave me an opportunity to carve out a role in the high school sports section, and I have enjoyed every second of it these past three years.
With Danny’s retirement after his highly distinguished career, I have the honor of being the person to lead the section going forward. The example he has set is truly remarkable. The followers of high school sports in this state care deeply about how their favorite teams and athletes are performing. Danny exceeded these expectations in a way that is impossible to describe.
Our staff has provided top-notch coverage for years and that will not change. I am going to work as hard as I can to make sure that the standard this publication has set for high school sports continues to meet and even exceed our wildest expectations. These players and coaches across all sports deserve the best coverage possible and I intend to make sure that continues to happen.
I have met many of you in the stands over the past few years and I have appreciated every conversation. I also have enjoyed our interactions on social media and hope my in-game video analysis was something that people looked forward to on game night.
I love the athletics culture and history that the Bay State has, and the spirit is alive and well today. The MIAA and the ISL are organizations that have stories to be explored, and we will continue to tell those stories in a respectful, concise and informative way.
I want to thank Bruce Castleberry and Barry Scanlon for providing me with the opportunity to lead this section. We will continue to set a high bar and ensure that the Herald remains the go-to source for high school sports coverage.
I also want to thank Danny Ventura for taking that chance on me in 2022 and allowing me to grow in this industry. I admired his work during my days as an MIAA athlete, and working for him has been a fantastic experience.
I began my time as a freelancer for the Herald as a wide-eyed 24-year-old with a passion for high school sports. I am now a more experienced 27-year-old with that same passion and desire to provide the best coverage possible.
This is truly a dream job for me, and I am eager to get started and engage with the passionate followers of Massachusetts high school sports.
