Oxford Pirates three-sport captain Kayde McCarthy

Kayde McCarthy

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

What a great week in sports! With the season winding down and District play in the air, it was all about the Southern Worcester County League outdoor track meet at Auburn last Wednesday.

When the rain wiped out the girls SWCL meet on Tuesday in Fiskdale (Tantasqua Regional), it set up a dream scenario with both the boys and girls events taken place at Auburn High School on Wednesday. It was truly a fantastic afternoon of track and field.

Several of those track competitors at the SWCL meet were seniors, some in their final high school days wearing their school colors.

Kayde McCarthy: In the next few weeks we will pay tribute to the seniors who made this school sports year an outstanding one. One of the those superior seniors who is graduating in the coming weeks is Oxford High School three-sport captain Kayde McCarthy, a true athletic warrior, who was recently awarded, along with boys’ star Nick Lemay, the Central Mass Athletic Director’s Association Award.

McCarthy has had a storied career as a Pirate. She starred and was a captain in field Hockey, basketball, and softball.  In a school with many great female athletes, she is the lone three-sport captain, which is quite an honor.

As far as the award goes she said, “It felt real nice. I put a lot of effort into my sports and it made me happy to be recognized for it and to be one of the top people. Still, I couldn’t believe it.”  We believe it.

McCarthy’s amazing field hockey run started in junior high school as one of the legendary “Super Power Thingies” along with Michelle Williams, Linda Troung, Jenna Mandella, and Lauren Puishys, and culminated with a remarkable 18-0 season this past fall.

As one of the captains on the field hockey team, she admits that she already misses her teammates. They were a tightly knit crew and she says, “it’s sad to leave, I miss playing with them.”

She will continue her field hockey career at Salem State College in the fall, where she will major in Criminal Justice and Biology.

As far as softball goes, she has another close friend that she has been playing with since she was five years old in Nicole “The Franchise” Mangaudis.

“Kayde and I have been friends since we were very little. We have played softball together since we played pee-wee, we are very close, I am going to miss her terribly,” said Mangaudis.

Before leaving Oxford, she still has some unfinished business as the Pirates look to the post season. “Last year we had a good season, this year we have a team that gets along very good, we are very good defensively and pitching, now we have to work on our hitting and we should do well.”

She also has some nice parting words for her coach Jamie Hetherman, “I love playing for him he is very dependable and he is a great coach.”

Bartlett senior track star Kellie Powers

Goodbye High School Seniors: In the next few weeks, we will be paying tribute in the View to the local high school athletes who have made this year very special. The list is long and impressive: Rocco DiStefano, DJ Kirby-Thomas, Arthur Hackenson, Lindsay Bond, Alicia Garamy, Myranda Smith, Amy Pancyzk, Meghan Dwyer, Nick Kobel, Kellie Powers, Nikita Truhanovitch, Brenda Sundara, Nick Lemay, Lauren Puishys, Michelle Williams, Kayde McCarthy, Nicole “The Franchise” Mangaudis, Linda Troung, Molly Covill, Meghan Fornaro, Kyle McKissick, Chris Patrinos, Kaleigh Durkin, Cody Peck, Anthony Wilga, Kevin Leblanc, Emily Mattson, and Maddie Billis for starters!

Seniors Obi Melifonwu and DJ Kirby-Thomas 

Oxford Athletic Awards: Oxford High School had its annual sports banquet last week and gave out three prestigious awards.  Kayde McCarthy and Nick Lemay were presented the Central Mass Athletic Director’s Association Award.  Lauren Puishys and Nick Lemay were given the Oxford High School Coaches Achievement Award.   Cassandra Coleman received the Ernie Boss Award.

Former Bartlett Stars Spotted: A trio of former Bartlett High School female stars were seen checking out the Lady Indians softball game Friday against Quaboag.  Kristen Cameron, Steph Morel, and Indians’ 1000-point scoring hoop star Bryanna Poulin.

OBI: Grafton High School football and track star Obi Melifonwu looked like a man among boys at the SWCL track meet in Auburn. You want to talk about a physical specimen, oh my.  Obi will be playing football for UConn in the fall and there seem to be no limits to how far this young man will go.

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