Storylines aplenty this winter season

Winter sports are underway and plenty of our teams will be in the mix to do some damage. Here are some of the teams that I will be watching closely in the next few months.
For boys basketball, let’s start with Hendricken.
The Hawks had a relatively inexperienced roster last year and fell in the Division I semifinals to eventual champion Classical. This year, Hendricken will be plenty experienced with all-stater James Caldarella back in the mix, along with Jakob Reyes, Dylan Lynch, Will Mascena and last year’s breakout freshman Michael D’Ambra.
The Hawks have a well-balanced lineup and will, as always, be right in the championship mix. The challenge, though, will be the defending champion Purple, who also returns much of the same roster. Classical was a tough matchup for the Hawks and dealt them losses in each meeting last winter, so it will be interesting to see if Hendricken can find the answer this time around.
Perhaps the most overlooked team in the state at this point is Pilgrim, who is off to a scorching 2-0 start in Division II. The Pats have been rebuilding their lineup for several seasons and seem to have something cooking this year. Carter Clifton is back to full health and Dylan Vale is set to be arguably the best point guard in the division. Jack Bannon, Jacob Soulliere and Jack Cirelli are also back in the mix and are no longer young guys. Point being, Pilgrim has the top-end talent and depth to make some serious noise in DII and has already flashed brilliance early on.
Johnston graduated all five of last year’s starters and is down to just one remaining player from its championship team in 2023 with Anderson Villa starting. The Panthers not only graduated their entire starting lineup, but they were bumped up to Division I for the first time in school history. Although I expect Johnston to take some lumps early, it will be fun to see what this team looks like down the stretch.
On the girls side, the Lady Panthers were also moved up to Division II and tipped off the season by going 1-1.
Bella Gesualdi and Olivia Iafrate are back as senior leaders and the team welcomed in Woonsocket import Alanna Colon, who is already making plays at the point. That trio gives the Panthers a chance to win every night, but Johnston will need its secondary pieces to step up. I’daizha Brown had a breakout performance against Cranston East and Bella Rivas has cracked the starting lineup as a freshman. Despite the jump up multiple divisions, I have a feeling that Johnston will be a factor in DII.
Cranston West will be another team that I think can surprise some people this season. Olivia Tedeschi-Moran and Maia Riccio are gone, but Kyla Buco and Saniyya Chase are back in the fold. Chase was one of the top rebounders in the state as a sophomore and Kyla Buco is perhaps the best shooter in the league as well. Like the Panthers, the Falcons will need the back end of their roster to step up and assist Chase and Buco, who should be a nice 1-2 punch this winter.
For hockey, Hendricken lost quite the core, including player of the year Griffin Crain. Frank Tillinghast, Aiden Craft, Mason and Cullen Crain as well as goalie Colin Murray are all back, so the defending champs should have enough to chase a five-peat, but what will the team look like without Griffin? Division I is a buzz saw with La Salle, Burrillville and Moses Brown in the mix, but the Hawks have plenty of championship pedigree to be atop the standings once again.
Don’t count out Pilgrim, either. Sure, Braxton Bragg and Ryan Barlow have graduated, but Jack Sayler, Ricky Cabral, Jackson Bromage and Jackson Monte, among others, give the Pats quality depth across the lineup. I’m not saying Pilgrim will be better than it was last season, but don’t underestimate the value of depth at the high school level. Pilgrim is as deep as any team in the state. It will just be a matter of whether or not any of the aforementioned guys can take the next step and be elite like Barlow and Bragg were for the past two seasons.
Cranston West should be seen as a favorite to win it all in Division II. The Falcons graduated just three players from last year’s group and feature one of the most potent offenses in the division. Grant Bailey and Devin DeAngelis will be filling the scoresheet on a nightly basis while Brady Scanlon will be heavily involved. Jack Fontaine figures to be one of the best defensemen in DII as well.
The Warwick girls hockey co-op has been relying on a young roster the past few seasons, and although the underclassmen will still be heavily involved this winter, the Titans should have enough this year to take a step forward.
Ayla Paley has been one of the state’s best forwards the last two years and is back as a senior, while Flora Meunier and Hayley Clemm are back after solid seasons last winter. I’m looking forward to seeing how far this core can go.
There are plenty of other teams and athletes that will be fun to watch this winter. Hendricken, Toll Gate and West wrestling are always heavy hitters, while the Hawks will also look to defend their swimming championship with some new faces. As always, we will have plenty of contenders in track as well. Let’s have some fun this winter, which is my favorite time of year. See you out there.