Natalie Griffin

What are you a captain of? I am captain of the basketball team

When did you start playing the sport? I started playing in third grade.

Do you want to continue this sport in college? No, I do not plan on playing in college.

Who was a prominent coach in your sports career? Why? Coach Wall has been a prominent coach and person in my sports career. He wants to win as much as we do, and it shows. He shows up everyday ready to push us to be our best. He supports me in not only basketball, but field hockey and lacrosse as well. Coach Wall has given great advice on how to be a great athlete and person.

What other activities/sports are you involved in? I also play field hockey and lacrosse.

How do you feel going into this season? From the couple of games we have had I am confident we will do well this season. I think as young as we are, we work hard every practice and game and it has been paying off. Preparing for the season all summer and fall makes it easier for us to know each other’s type of playing style. Now that it is time for the actual season, I see how much we are capable of.

What are some goals set for the team this coming season? How do you plan to achieve them? I think every team’s ultimate goal is to win in the end. Other than winning, an important goal this program has always been adamant about is working harder than any team we play. In game situations when we might not be winning, each of us work hard to keep each other composed and out hustle the other team, hoping to show how hard we work on and off the court.

Who are some big opponents/rivals? Why? Norwood has always been a rival to Walpole ever since my parents were at the high school. We also played them this season, ending in a loss but it was such a competitive game, we know we are very capable of beating them. Needham has also been a rival the past couple of seasons because, again, each time we play them we play so competitively. They were also who we lost to in the playoffs, and anytime that happens all you want is another chance to compete against them.

Brooke Walonis

What are you a captain of? I am captain of the basketball team.

When did you start playing the sport? I started playing in third grade.

Do you want to continue this sport in college? No, I am not playing in college.

Who was a prominent coach in your sports career? Why? Bill Jacobs and Ned Brigham were prominent coaches because they coached our MetroWest team from 4th- 8th grade and taught me how to play the game.

What other activities/sports are you involved in? I also play soccer.

How do you feel going into this season? I feel super excited because we have a lot of returning players this year and there are a lot of great girls on the team. 

What are some goals set for the team this coming season? How do you plan to achieve them? Our goal every year is to win the Bay State conference and also to play in the state tournament in March. We have been working hard this whole season and winning as many games as we can in order to reach these goals.

Who are some big opponents/rivals? Why? I would say Norwood and Needham are two of our biggest rival towns. We have gone back and forth for the past two seasons and it is always a good game when we play them. Needham knocked us out of states my freshman year so that definitely motivates our rivalry.