Winchester Excessive College has cruised to a 6-0 begin, trying dominant in each section of the sport.
Wally Dembowski took over the soccer program in 2011. He has coached many nice squads previously, however this one would possibly simply be on a unique degree.
“I feel they simply take pleasure in one another’s firm,” Dembowski stated of his group. “Every day in apply, it’s aggressive.”
For Dembowski, the final time he may bear in mind one among his groups receiving this a lot reward was 2019, when Winchester reached the Div. 3 North closing beneath the MIAA’s outdated playoff system.
In 2025, the Purple and Black have averaged 43.2 factors per sport. They’ve knocked off a collection of profitable squads convincingly, most notably Masconomet (a 56-22 win Sept. 26) and Wakefield (a 42-7 romp Oct. 3). This previous Friday, the college pulled away for a 35-21 victory towards Arlington.
Winchester final captured a Middlesex League title in 1990. That was additionally the final time this system took dwelling a Tremendous Bowl crown, profitable the Div. 2 championship with a 23-16 victory over Walpole.
Dembowski is hopeful his staff can snap that 35-year drought.
“I’d be so psyched for them,” stated Dembowski. “On the finish of the day, in case you’re teaching, it’s (a matter of) the way you get the children to be grown males on the finish of 4 years of highschool. Then, how do they recognize the success they’ve had as a gaggle? We’ve acquired an actual sturdy group of 20-plus seniors, which I’ve by no means actually had.”
Most Winchester athletes take part in a number of sports activities – a philosophy Dembowski endorses, and it has aided most of the gamers in receiving school provides.
This consists of senior operating again and nook Gianni DePrimeo, who’s dedicated to america Naval Academy for lacrosse. He has additionally emerged as a expertise on the gridiron.
“We’re pumped,” stated DePrimeo. “It’s actually been an entire journey because the summer season. We’ve been speaking about Dec. 7, that Tremendous Bowl. That’s our (important) aim, proper now it’s the convention.”
Winchester has two gamers dedicated for soccer particularly, with center linebacker Bryan Harrison (certain for Harvard College) and tight finish Michael Ficociello (Bates) serving as major contributors.
Winchester has come extraordinarily near profitable the Middlesex League title and extra every of the previous two seasons, solely to fall quick. This time round, Harrison and his teammates need to finish that streak.
“We all know for our final trip going out, we needed to make it one thing particular,” stated Harrison. “So, the entire complete offseason, there’s been a unique kind of motivation to essentially push via and break via that 8-3 barrier. To interrupt via that second spherical of the playoffs. To get that convention title.”
Ronan O’Connell, the staff’s quarterback, says the aim is evident. “We’re not simply doing (this) for our staff, we’re doing it for the entire city,” stated O’Connell. “We wish to deliver that (Middlesex League) title again that’s been gone for too lengthy.”
Winchester has two common season video games remaining with Lexington and Belmont left on the docket. Afterward, they may await their Div. 2 playoff seeding when the MIAA releases brackets Nov. 2.
