Gould leads Railroaders in softball
By Keith Harrington
Whitehall standout pitcher Madison Gould may be a person of few words but she does her talking in the pitching circle and at the plate. Gould capped off an outstanding week for Railroaders’ softball on Friday as she led Whitehall over Fort Ann in an Adirondack League game played for the first time this spring on the team’s home diamond.
Gould helped Whitehall stay unbeaten on the season as she tossed a two-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts and also smacked a two-run homer.
Fort Ann was not intimidated and threatened the Railroaders early. Sharp first inning singles by Natalie and Liby Cody set the Cardinals up in business but Gould settled in and struck out the next three batters.
“I just tried to get my pitches to work a little better,” Gould said after the game.
Whitehall took a 1-0 lead against Fort Ann starter Emma Blondin in the bottom of the first. Kyrie Smith doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gould.
Gould’s homer in the third increased the lead to 3-0.
“It was right down the middle,” Gould said about the ball she hit out of the park. “It was kind of high. I like those.”
The Railroaders were on the verge of breaking the game open on several occasions, and it finally happened in the sixth. Leading 5-0, Whitehall put up a four-spot in the frame to put the game out of reach.
Smith nailed a one-out single and Gould walked. Blake Bird then hit a high fly ball to right field that dropped in. Jensen added a two-RBI hit.
Gould finished the contest with 15 Ks and retired 11 straight Cardinals to end the game.
Smith was 3 for 4 at the plate with a double and an RBI for Whitehall. Vinna Jensen was 3 for 4 with three singles and three RBIs. Bird was 2 for 4 with a double. Jayden Hughes doubled.
Gould acknowledged that it is great to just finally have a softball season after 2020 was canceled by the pandemic.
“Well, it’s Kyrie’s last year so I really wanted to play with her,” Gould said. “I though it would finally come sometime.”
Whitehall is 4-0, 4-0. Fort Ann falls to 1-3, 1-3.
On Wednesday Whitehall traveled to Corinth and rolled to a 24-7 win over the Tomahawks in another Adirondack League game. The Railroaders jumped on the young Corinth squad early and pulled away for the easy win.
Whitehall opened the game with a three-run first inning. The Railroaders then tacked on six in the second and seven in the third to take a commanding 16-0 lead.
Meanwhile, the Tomahawks attempted to put up a fight as they scored three times in the fourth, a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
A nine-run inning in the sixth by the Railroaders dashed any thoughts of a miracle comeback by Corinth.
Gould had a huge game at the plate going 5 for 6 with a double and two RBIs. Smith was 3 for 5 and drove in three runs. Brooke Benjamin was also 3 for 5 with the three RBIs.
Elizabeth Jensen was 2 for 3 with a double for Corinth. Riley Dumas was 2 for 4.
Whitehall moves to 3-0, 3-0. Corinth is 0-3, 1-3.
Football merger called off by Whitehall
By Austin Crosier
Granville school superintendent Tom McGurl announced at the May 10 Board of Education meeting that the Granville-Whitehall football merger expected this fall won’t happen.
“Whitehall, if they were merging, they wanted to make sure it was because they didn’t have enough players,” McGurl said. “They (Whitehall) have done a count of their players and they feel they have enough players to run a JV program at this time for next year. And their idea is they would graduate the JV program into a varsity program over time. So, that is the direction they’re going to go, we will not be merging with Whitehall for football next year.”
McGurl noted that the mergers for cross-country and boys soccer with Whitehall are still in effect for the 2021-2022 fall sports season.
Whitehall superintendent Pat Dee responded to NYVT Media on May 12 with an update on how the Railroaders’ decision came to be.
“The Whitehall football coaches and athletic director have been engaged in ongoing conversations regarding the Whitehall football program.” Dee said. “Mr. (Keith) Redmond, our AD, has been meeting with students at all Jr./Sr. high grade levels to assess the ages of the potential number of players that we will have participating for the 2021-2022 season.
“As a result of these ongoing discussions, our coaching staff and AD feel that we have sufficient player interest to run a quality JV program that will enable our coaching staff to develop these players safely and with the ability to grow into an independent Whitehall varsity program for 2022-2023.
“We certainly appreciate the opportunity to participate with Granville, and will continue to be merged for cross-country and (boy’s) soccer for the 2021-2022 school year.”
Dee mentioned Whitehall has invited the Granville cheerleading team to participate with Whitehall’s team at the Railroader JV games, and potentially at Granville varsity games this fall.
One Whitehall football player, Brandon Bakerian, will now have two football seasons ripped away from him. Both out of his control.
“It’s just unfortunate that there was no communication, and now, the kids are going to feel left out,” Bakerian’s father, Jason Roberts, said.
“They (Whitehall senior and junior football players) didn’t even get to have football in his (Brandon’s) junior year. COVID took his junior year away,” Bakerian’s mother, Nicole Roberts chimed in.
Bakerian, quarterback and linebacker for the Railroaders since his freshman year, is forced to put his focus on baseball in the meantime.
“I was pretty upset because I’m going to be a senior, no varsity program, just JV? That’s pretty upsetting,” Bakerian said.
A similar issue occurred when Bakerian was in sixth grade, being forced to join Granville’s football program due to Whitehall not being able to field a team. That connection established friendships between Bakerian and Granville football players who were all excited to team together this fall as a merged, well-oiled machine.
But now, that’s off the table.
John Irion, head coach of the Horde football team, said he was ready for both outcomes.
“I was, and actually still am, in favor of the merger,” he said. “At the same time we are prepared to continue on without them. As far as I know, nobody from Granville was involved in their decision.”
Irion was asked, with the merger being called off, how does this affect Granville’s football program, which leans on the lower side of depth and roster size.
“In my opinion, in the short term we will survive. Long term I think there will be problems for both schools with student numbers. Having just enough to field a team does not make a solid program and that, or not having enough may be the direction small schools may face,” Irion said.
However, Irion thought of two possible remedies to the issue at hand for both programs.
“Viable solutions are for programs to merge to create stable and competitive teams, or to go to seven or eight-man football, which I wouldn’t be in favor of,” Irion said.
Granville athletic director Justin Nassivera said he, Irion and the other Granville football coaches were pumped for the merger with Whitehall.
“I have had contact with my coaching staff, they were very excited for the merger. We felt that as a combined program, we would have instant success. However, good for Whitehall that they have been able to find the numbers to field a program,” Nassivera said. “Hopefully down the road we can have the opportunity to revisit this conversation. I do know our coaching staff has already started our offseason weight room program and is doing some heavy recruiting at this time.”
In addition, it was announced Fort Ann’s wrestlers will be leaving Whitehall to join the Granville wrestling program.
The Fort Ann merger will bring added numbers to each weight class and Fort Ann will provide transportation for those student-athletes. The program will remain “Granville wrestling” but there may be a possibility of having one home match at Fort Ann for those senior wrestlers and families.
McGurl said he looks forward to the possibility of continuing the famous Granville-Whitehall football games.
“I do wish them all the best and I hope that if they do have a varsity program in the future, that we have the opportunity to play them,” McGurl said.
Redmond and Whitehall football head coach Richard Gould couldn’t be reached for a comment by press time.
Fort Ann hands Railroaders first loss
By Keith Harrington
Fort Ann was clinging to a tentative 4-2 lead heading to the top of the seventh before a four-run effort in the final at-bat led the Cardinals to an 8-2 win over Whitehall in Adirondack League baseball on Friday. It was the first loss of the season for the Railroaders.
Fort Ann led 3-0 after three innings and 4-2 heading to the seventh before blowing the game open.
Adam Winchell was superb on the bump for Fort Ann, tossing a 1-hitter in six innings.
Winchell was also 2 for 2 with a triple at the plate. Ty Loso was 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs. Dylan Brown was 2 for 4 with a double and drove in three runs for the Cardinals. Jack Dornan was 2 or 3 and Cullen Jackson contributed a pair of RBIs.
Tyler Brooks had the only hit for Whitehall.
Fort Ann is 3-1, 3-2. Whitehall is 3-1, 3-1.
Earlier in the week Whitehall met Corinth and grabbed an early lead and went on to defeat the Tomahawks 9-5 for their third Adirondack League win in a row to start the season.
Whitehall scored four runs in the top of the first to establish a 4-0 lead.
The Railroaders plated five runs over the last three frames to secure the win.
Tyler Brooks was the winning pitcher for Whitehall. Brooks and Tyler Fish combined to scatter five hits. Brooks struck out four. Fish recorded seven Ks.
Brooks also had a solid game at the plate going 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles. Brandon Bakerian was 2 for 2 with a double and triple and two RBIs. Kaleb Lyman was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Fish was 2 for 4 at the plate and Matt Gould chipped in a double.
Mason Brownell was 1 for 3 for Corinth. Brownell took the pitching loss for the Tomahawks, giving up 11 hits and striking out seven.
Whitehall was 3-0, 3-0 after the win. Corinth was 0-2, 0-2.
Railroaders competitive in four matches
By Keith Harrington
The Whitehall tennis team faced four teams in Adirondack League play last week, winning one match but coming up short in three others. Even with the losses, Whitehall was very competitive.
Whitehall began the week at home against Lake George and was shut out by the Warriors 7-0. Lake George swept the five singles matches and both doubles contests.
In singles, Ian Gillman of Lake George defeated Troy Austin 10-6. Brian Dee nipped Tristan Foote 10-7. Carson Bruening slipped past Aidan MacLeod 10-7. Dylan Seale defeated Anthony Jones, 10-7. Zachary Bruno beat Allen Beaulieu, 10-3.
In doubles, Cassandra Wagemann and Tyler Cornelius defeated Cash Burgey and Spencer Dickinson 10-3.
On Tuesday Whitehall bounced back with a 4-3 win over Argyle on the Scots home court. The Railroaders won three out of four singles matches and the only doubles match. Two of Argyle’s wins came by forfeit.
Foote defeated Matt Randles 10-2 for the Railroaders. Whitehall’s Macleod rolled over Jacob Durkee 10-1. Jones topped Ben Randles 10-3.
Beaulieu and Burgey defeated Carlie Depew and McKenna McWhorter 10-2 in the doubles match.
On Thursday Whitehall dropped a close 4-3 contest to North Warren. The Cougars won four of the five singles matches. Whitehall won the only doubles match.
In singles Dante Buttino of North Warren defeated Troy Austin 0-5. Jack Jennings got past Tristan Foote 10-3. Bella Swartz doubled up John Twyman 10-5.
Aidan Macleod and Anthony Jones won singles matches for the Railroaders. Macleod defeated Tia Buttino 10-5. Jones nipped Jaden Maxwell, 10-6.
In doubles Burgey and Beaulieu barely got by Peyton Robbins and Carson Peets 10-8.
Finally, on Friday the Railroaders fell to Warrensburg 4-3 at the Burghers’ home court at Echo Lake. Whitehall won three singles matches but had to forfeit both doubles matches.
Macleod, Jones and Beaulieu all won their singles matches.
The remaining singles match and both doubles matches were claimed by forfeit by the Warrensburg.
Whitehall is now 2-3 on the season.
Railroaders’ girls win, boys lose
By Keith Harrington
The Whitehall track and field team split an Adirondack League meet with Warrensburg last week as the girls defeated the Burghers, 83-20, and the boys came up just short, 58-56.
On the girls side, Zoe Eggleston had a strong meet, finishing first in the 200 meters, 100-meter hurdles, high jump and long jump.
Chloe Rehm placed first in the discuss and shot put for the Railroaders.
The 400-meter relay team of Julia Arquette, Amelia Lyng, Samantha Howland and Riley West finished first in their event.
Morgan Austin won the 1500-meter race, while Arquette won the 400 meters. West topped the field in the 100 meters.
Howland placed first in the triple jump.
In the boys event, Troy and David Austin had solid meets. David Austin was first in the 400 and 800-meter races. He also finished on top in the 1600 relay with Troy Austin, Jordan Gould and Allen Beaulieu.
Troy Austin was first in the 1600 meters and the shot put.
The Whitehall girls are 1-1. The Railroader boys are 0-2.
