Knights Heartbroken by Wakefield

Top seeded North Andover fell to Wakefield in the MIAA Division 2 North Semifinals.

North Andover's dream season came to a crashing halt last night at Woburn High School. The Knights were the top seed in the MIAA Division 2 North tournament and last night they fell to 5th seed Wakefield 47-45. In crunch time, North Andover got a huge defensive stop giving them one last chance to tie or win with 7.6 seconds left on the clock. North Andover's play was foiled and just like that, a state championship contender was sent home. "Unless you win the state tournament, it's a sudden and abrupt ending," said Knights head coach Mike McVeigh. North Andover will be graduating five seniors including its two captains. Colby Smith, Zach Karalis, Jimmy Warden, John Miller, and Mike Moroney will all be moving on. "The seniors through fifth …

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The O-Zone

Six NAHS Teams in Action Wednesday

It will be a wild Wednesday for the Scarlet Knights.

The NAHS winter teams are approaching mid-season and that means they are busy, busy, busy. Today the boys ski team will be in action at Bradford Ski Hill, but watch out because six North Andover teams are in action Wednesday. Girls Skiing At Bradford Ski Hill, the girls ski team will have its second meet of the season against Haverhill High School. The meet begins at 3 p.m. Wednesday and the forecast calls for a perfect skiing temperature of about 35 degrees. Boys and Girls Indoor Track Both squads will take on Andover Wednesday. The meet gets underway tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The Golden Warriors will host the event. It will be both teams’ first competition against Andover this season. Girls Basketball The Knights will be on the road at …

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The O-Zone

Knights Hockey Opens Season 2-0

Both basketball teams are in action against Masco tonight.

Boys Hockey Jake Silk provided all the offense that North Andover needed on Saturday night at Merrimack College when the Knights faced North Reading. North Andover won its second straight game to open up the 2011-12 season by beating the Hornets 2-0. Prior to that it was a 5-1 triumph at Pentucket that got the season underway. Saturday night saw Rick O’Connor, Mike Cusack, Jack Carroll, and Ryan Sweeney all record assists. Joey Daccord made 21 saves in his first shutout of the season. North Andover takes the ice next tomorrow night at home against Whittier. Girls Basketball The Knights fell in overtime in their 2011-12 season opener. Morgan Lumb led all scorers with 19 points, but that wasn’t enough to take down Billerica. The Indians won …

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The O-Zone

Knights Basketball Tips Off Next Week

The NAHS boys and girls basketball teams are coming off phenomenal years.

Boys Basketball Last year’s season was a strong one for the Knights. Mike McVeigh’s squad when 17-5 and finally fell in the Division 2 North Quarterfinals at the end of the season. McVeigh is in his 30th year coaching the squad. North Andover has most of its starting lineup returning. Senior guard Zach Karalis will return to lead the Knights. Bringing the ball up will be Colby Smith, also a senior. Sharpshooting Derek Collins is also back as a junior. He is recovering from back surgery and should be healthy enough to start the season. Mike Moroney is a senior captain. At 6-5 he is expected to play center. The Knights will play their first regular season game of the season at home against Masconomet. The game is on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7pm. …

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Athlete of the Week: Amanda Foote

Speedy Foote sets records for North Andover.

Senior Amanda Foote grew up in a family of athletes.  All three of her brothers including her twin David, a baseball player for NAHS, played sports at the varsity level.  Foote, who plays three sports (basketball, field hockey, and track), says she loves competitive sports.  She started with field hockey, but quickly signed on to basketball and track as well.  She serves as a captain for all three teams and says she's happy to have had the chance to play for the Knights over the last four years.  This spring, Foote has the chance to break more records for the track team in the 400 hurdles and the 400 run.  Foote's tenacity and determination make her this week's Athlete of the week.

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Five Players to Watch in Tonight's Semifinal Showdown

Go to the Division 2 North Semifinals tonight knowing who to watch for on the court.

Legions of North Andover supporters will pack into Billerica High School’s gym tonight to witness a basketball battle with much at stake. The North Andover Scarlet Knights and Arlington Catholic Cougars are set tip-off tonight at 7 p.m.  Before you watch tonight’s semifinal showdown, you should know who the five players to watch are during the game. 1) Morgan Lumb – North Andover #24 – When Lumb is on her game, there aren’t many teams that can stop her. She is the team’s go-to option for scoring, having led the team in points in her freshman year and now in her sophomore year. Lumb is a combination guard who you will likely see flying around picks and looking for the ball from point guard Amanda Foote. If she is on her game, you will see …

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Semifinal Preview: Top 5 Girls Basketball Photos

Take a look at the season's top 5 girls basketball photos in preparation for tomorrow's semifinal battle against Arlington Catholic.

North Andover Patch photographer Patrick Holloway has followed the girls basketball team throughout the season and has captured some incredible moments. From Morgan Lumb's sensational drives to Julia Titone's arcing jumpshots to Amanda Foote's ball handling skills, there have been some amazing skills on display and we were lucky enough to be following them along the way. Tomorrow the Scarlet Knight girls take on Arlington Catholic in the Division 2 North Semifinals. The winner earns the right to play at the Tsongas Arena for the Division 2 North Title.  Take a look at the top 5 pictures of the season to get yourself pumped up for the girls basketball team's game of the year. Tomorrow, stay tuned for 5 Players to Watch during the semifinal …

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The O-Zone

Girls Basketball Season Recap

The 18-4 Knights go into Thursday's semifinal game having won an incredible 15 of their last 16 games.

From an opening season loss to Masco to a thrilling quarterfinal win quarterfinal against Wilmington, the North Andover High girls basketball team has had a season to remember. Their upcoming star Morgan Lumb has now lead the team in scoring for two years  as both a sophomore and freshman. Scarlet Knight fans have a lot to look forward to with her on the floor at Crozier Gym for the next two winters. Lumb will be feeling the pressure on Thursday night when her Knights travel to Billerica to take on Arlington Catholic in the Division 2 North Semifinals. A trip to Tsongas Arena for the North Finals is on the line. Here is a look back at how the Scarlet Knights made it to where they are today: December 14, 2010 - North Andover prepared hard …

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Whiz Kids

Roy Oza: Multi-Sport Athlete and Honor Roll Math Student

Roy is this week's Whiz Kid.

Each week, North Andover Patch will profile individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. Whiz Kid’s Name: Roy Oza Whiz Kid’s Age: 11 Whiz Kid’s School: Franklin Elementary Whiz Kid’s Accomplishments: Roy is only 11 and he is already balancing the busy life of a multi-sport athlete and a multitalented student. Roy currently plays right wing for his North Andover Youth Hockey team and doubles as a shooting guard on his youth basketball team. He is in his third year as a hockey player and fourth as a hoopster. This spring, Roy is set to enter the AAA Level of North Andover Little League. It will be his fourth year playing baseball in North Andover.  The star pitcher is a solid starter and …

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Athlete of the Week: Derek Collins

Sophomore Collins named a Cape Ann League All-Star.

Derek Collins left Central Catholic during his freshmen year to play for North Andover. Since then, he's been a key component for coach Mike McVeigh's starting squad. McVeigh says it's Collins' ability to stay cool under pressure and make the big shots that separate him from other players. Last week, Collins was named a Cape Ann League all-star along with teammate Zach Karalis (another Athlete of the Week), and this week he's honored as Patch's Athlete of the Week.

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