As the fall season comes to a close, senior nights headlined Walpole’s home games throughout late October. Sports are a large commitment for high school students, especially seniors with multiple years of participation. Celebrating the class of 2023, senior nights celebrate the commitment of seniors during their last home games at Walpole High School. Senior nights are often celebrated with posters for each senior and cake for the team. For some teams, seniors take pictures alongside their parents or coaches. With plenty of memories made and great experiences stemming from Walpole sports, these nights are important moments for the graduating class. On sports teams seniors act as rolemodels for younger students and can offer valuable advice to underclassmen. Captains and seniors play essential leadership roles on teams, and their importance on teams should be highlighted. 

The first of the senior nights was girls cross country on Oct. 12 where the team faced Wellesley and Brookline in a tri-meet. Captains Ryan Falvey and Kieran Stover lead the boys team while Kristyn Dentremont, Emily Sullivan and Anne Cameron lead the girls team. Facing tough competition with Wellseley and Brookline’s teams ranking high in the State, Walpole was unable to secure the win at home. Both the boys and girls teams lost both matchups in this meet. Nonetheless, posters honoring the seniors and cake for team members made the meet a memorable event. 

The field hockey team held their senior night on Oct. 24 on Turco Field. The Porkers faced off against Wellesley. Led by senior captains Maddy Clark,  Brigid Welch, and Lindsey Jacobs and backed up by a strong supporting team, the Porkers came out on top of this competitive game. Wellesley took a lead early and held the score to 1-0 by halftime. Walpole tied the score 1-1 on a corner, and took the lead 2-1 with 10:15 left in the forth. Senior Goalie Maddie Clark helped hold the lead, the final score being 2-1 with the Porkers emerging victorious. The Porkers look to make yet another run in the postseason this year coming off of a successful regular season.

Boys soccer held their senior night on Oct. 25 against Wellesley. Michael Leacoma, Bryan Hope and Will Richer are the captains for varsity soccer. A number of seniors play many minutes in soccer, making up a significant part of the starting lineup. Kaden Winter and Chris Fuller, the two goalies on the soccer team, are both seniors as well. The first half opened 0-0, but a Wellesley penalty kick gave them a 1-0 lead. Senior Owen Falvey scored a goal to tie the game but Wellesley again took the lead,  the score 2-1. Finally Senior Andrew Rosemill scored a goal to tie the game with a final score of 2-2. Walpole impressively held on and came out with a tie against a tough competitor in Wellesley. 

Walpole Girls Volleyball hosted senior night at Elm Street School on Oct. 25. Senior captains Ellie Lane, Lauren Walsh and Alison Gusmini led the team this year. Against a tough Wellesley team, the team competed well. Wellesley took the first two sets but the score remained close throughout. Walpole took the 3rd set and held a lead in the fourth set, a must-win for the team. On an impressive comeback, Wellesley took home the win three sets to one.

Also taking place on the 25th was senior night for Walpole’s swim and dive team. Led by Senior captains Emily Rose and Caitlin Rocha, other seniors participate as well such as Grace O’Malley and Michael Carlin. The swim and dive team lost this meet, but celebrating the seniors final home meet made the day a memorable experience for the team. 

Walpole girls soccer took place on Oct. 27 on Turco Field, facing off against Braintree. Senior captains Brooke Walonis and Maddie Grogan lead the team, with several other seniors contributing. A hard fought game, Walpole fell to Braintree with a final score of 1-0. 

The final senior night of the fall 2022 season takes place on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving day. Varsity football has had a great season thus far, defeating teams such as Needham, Wellesley, and Natick. The football team will take on Weymouth at home, and alongside the cheer team will celebrate the graduating class.