It was another banner fall season for the 474 AHS fall athletes who competed in either varsity, junior varsity, or freshman play–a total of 20 different teams. Three varsity teams won the Middlesex Liberty Championship for their sport, and most either went on to tournament play and/or sent individuals to compete at Sectionals.
AHS Cross Country continued to be strong. This no-cut sport draws a lot of athletes, and Athletic Director John Bowler reports that there were about 60 competitors on each team. The Boys Cross Country team captured the Middlesex Liberty Championship for the third year in a row. They have achieved this honor in five out of the last six years. The team finished with a 5-1 record, only losing to Winchester High School and qualifying for the Division 1B Sectional meet.
The Girls Cross Country team also won the Middlesex Liberty Championship and finished the year at 6-0–undefeated for the second year in a row. They came in first in the Middlesex League Meet, also for the second year, and then finished fourth in the Division 1B Sectional meet. The team went on to All-State competition and finished eighth in the state.
The varsity Field Hockey athletes started slow but gained ground as the season progressed, finishing at 9-7-3. This finish landed them in tournament play, where the team lost to Belmont in the first game.
The Football program continues to grow at AHS, and this year’s varsity team, which included a lot of young players, finished at 3-8. Mr. Bowler reports that the number of competitors is increasing every year, thanks to the efforts of the coaches who have done a good job educating families about the way athletes can be kept safe. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has excellent safety rules which are strictly enforced by the coaches. As a result, over 60 athletes competed in the program this season.
The Golf team had a good season, finishing with a 5-4-1 record. They finished fourth in the Middlesex Liberty League, qualified for the Division 1 State Tournament, and had one player move on to All-State competition.
It was another great year for the members of the Boys Varsity Soccer team which lost no in-season games, finishing with a 13-0-3 record. The team captured the Middlesex Liberty League Championship for the third straight year and were ranked fifth in Division 1. They moved on to tournament play, but lost to BC High School in the first round. This was a particularly hard loss since they had defeated BC two weeks before the tournament game.
The Girls Varsity Soccer team finished third in the Middlesex Liberty League, ending with a 12-6-1 record. They lost to Shrewsbury in the first round of tournament play.
The AHS Girls Swimming team competes cooperatively with Watertown in the Middlesex Freedom Division League. The swimmers won the division meet and sent several young women on to Sectional competition.The team ended the season with a 4-2 record.
Finishing with a 6-14 record, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team didn’t move on to post-season play. Mr. Bowler says that there is a lot of interest in this sport, and he predicts a strong future. The AHS Competitive Cheerleaders, who cheered at Football games and competed in some events, came in fifth at the Middlesex Liberty Division Meet. The team also qualified for the State Sectional Meet.
Mr. Bowler believes that participation in AHS athletics is on the increase, thanks in part to the elimination of user fees. Over 500 students tried out to participate in the fall season. Arlington is one of only three member schools in the Middlesex Liberty League that does not have user fees and this represents a great District commitment to the athletic program. The high participation trend is continuing into the eight sport winter season, where over 400 athletes are competing on 15 teams.
Congratulations to all the athletes who achieved Middlesex Liberty League recognition this fall.
Middlesex League Liberty Division All-Stars Fall 2022
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Middlesex League All-Conference Teams Fall 2022
Additionally, Barnabas Kiss and Aidan Sheehan were named Middlesex League Liberty Division MVPs for Boys Soccer.