Game Report:

Varsity Volleyball

Sept. 25, 2017 vs. Reading

Woburn soundly defeated Reading in straight sets on Monday, 3-0 (25-16; 25-17; 25-16). The game marked their fourth win in a row to improve to 7-1 on the season. The Tanners showed no signs of slowing down, leading every set almost wire to wire and never letting Reading back into the game.

After alternating points to start, Woburn broke away early and never looked back. After the game was tied at 8, Woburn went on a nice run to go up 12-8 and then 17-12. Reading answered with a few points to make it 18-16, but their attempt at a comeback ended as soon as it started. Woburn took the last seven points of the set, winning 25-16, and giving the Rockets almost nothing to go on.

Woburn began the second set by doing more of the same. Spikes were landing and Woburn kept putting up points, leading 4-1 early and stretching the lead to 14-7 before Reading called a timeout. However, Woburn continued to score points off spikes and took advantage of mistakes by Reading. After another late push by Reading fell short, Woburn took the second set 25-17, almost identical to the first set.

By the time the third set rolled around, it was clear that everyone in the gym wanted Woburn to win. The temperature inside the Reading gym with no A.C. must have been 10 or 15 degrees warmer than the 80 degree climate outside. Incapacitated by the humidity, I could tell that the players on both sides were understandably not able to give 100%. Nevertheless, the third set went the same way as the previous two sets. Woburn started out with a lead, Reading made a late attempt at a comeback, but the Tanners pulled it off 25-16 to win the game. A solid win for the Tanners, playing the same no matter the competition and not allowing a team they knew they could to beat to get back into the game.

Submitted By: Dylan Woods, Staff Writer

Game Report:
Varsity Volleyball
Sept. 22, 2017 vs. Chelmsford

On Friday, September 22, the Tanners Varsity Volleyball team rolled into Chelmsford with confidence coming off a narrow 3-2 win against Arlington on Tuesday. The 6-1 Tanners started off with another amazing first set with little doubt that they would win doubling up Chelmsford and winning it 25-12. Woburn looked to carry their momentum over to the second set which ended up being more of a sweat as they barely squeaked by 25-21. Although Chelmsford was down by 2 sets, they still looked to have some fight in them but the Tanners were not going to let up on Chelmsford as they took the next set 25-19. The Tanners cruised past Chelmsford although having a tougher time in the second set. They will look to carry the momentum of their three game win streak and 6-1 current record into Reading on the 25th as they face the 3-3 Rockets.

Submitted By: Jack Raithel, Staff Writer

Game Report:

Varsity Football

9/22/17: vs. Belmont

The Tanners football team built on its huge win last Friday against Burlington with another big win in Belmont this past Friday. The game ended 27-14 Woburn, in a solid all around game on a misty night. Co-Captains Isaiah Cashwell-Doe and Ryan Chillemi put up two touchdowns each as the Tanners rolled to victory. The first half was completely dominated by Woburn on both sides of the ball. Co-Captain Eri Ibrahimi led the defense at linebacker with some key tackles in the running game and junior Ty Parish laid a massive hit on a Belmont wide receiver jarring a ball lose. The play would have resulted in a Marauders first down if the ball had been caught but instead resulted in a punt going the other way. After the first touchdown made it 6-0, the attack on the Belmont defense didn’t stop and Woburn put up six more late in the second half on another rushing touchdown. After a first half where Chillemi and Cashwell-Doe each put up touchdowns, they each repeated their feat in the second half as the lead swelled to the 27-14 final. With a 2-1 record, the Tanners have completed three games out of a brutal five game road trip to start the season. They play Arlington this upcoming week on a special Thursday Night game, the only one of the year as Woburn looks to take down the Spy Ponders.

Submitted By: Robert Dickey, Sports Editor

New Developments at WMHS

      Woburn Memorial High School is back and better than ever for the 2017-2018 school year and with quite a few changes.  Entering her second year at WMHS, Principal Jessica Callanan has brought new ideas to improve the school, the education and lives of the students. New courses are one of the more significant additions to WMHS.  The school is now offering two dual enrollment courses:  Early Childhood Education and Intro to Psychology.  A dual enrollment course allows the student to receive both high school and college credit.

      The new Intro to Psychology course gives the student history credit at WMHS and is also taught at an AP level.  The requirements to be accepted into the course are that the student must be a junior or senior, has at least a 2.5 GPA, and also must be in good standing and pass an Accuplacer test.  The course is an introduction to the study of how people behave and function.  Another perk is you will receive three credits at a reduced rate at Middlesex Community College in completion of the course.

      Senior Shayla Callahan is one of the many students who took advantage of this unique opportunity.  She explains her reasoning for taking Psychology,

      “My main reason for taking the course is because I am planning on minoring in psychology in college and wanted to get a head start on the material in the field.  I also think psychology is a beneficial field to learn about regardless of your major because it gives an inside look on behaviorism and function of the human brain.”

      Similarly to Intro to Psychology, the Early Childhood Education course allows students to receive 3 credits at Middlesex Community College along with 2.5 credits at WMHS.  The requirements to take  the class are identical to that of the other.  Early Childhood Education is a developmental course that will provide students with an overview of early care and educational programs.

      One other popular new class at WMHS is the AP Environmental Science course.  The requirements are the student must be a junior or senior with a grade of at least a B in any Chemistry and Biology class.  AP Environmental provides students with scientific principles and methodologies to understand the interrelationships of the natural world and humanity.  Students will also learn to identify and analyze natural and man-made problems, and evaluate risks and solutions with the problems.

      The new courses at the school all provide new opportunities to students that have yet to be offered in Woburn.  The popular classes are already thriving here at WMHS.

      Woburn High has also introduced an advisory block for students that will take place every Friday morning.  The period of twenty minutes will take place between second and third period in homeroom.  The purpose of this advisory block is to strengthen the communication in multiple areas between faculty and students, amongst students, and a link between school and home.  The advisors are homeroom teachers paired with other faculty to ensure the time is up to its fullest potential.

      Advisory block has different goals for each grade as talking about the same topics for all would not be as beneficial.  Freshman advisory will focus on adjustments into WMHS and what to expect for the next four years.  For sophomores, they begin exploring the careers and opportunities that lie ahead of them.  Juniors begin their most stressful year of high school, and start discussing their plans for after high school.  As for Seniors, next in line to enter the world outside of high school, talk with their advisors and each other about the reality of life after they graduate that soon awaits them.

      With her first advisory behind her, freshman Sophia Gregory responds with her opinion on the advisory block,

      “I think it’s necessary for learning new things we didn’t know and being able to listen to what the teachers have to say, which I believe is important.  It will help us adapt because it encourages students to get themselves out there and do clubs, play sports, and meet all new people.  The first advisory for my class was about the fire drill which helped me by knowing where I was going to be going if I was in that particular room, also helped by knowing where other exits were located around the area I was present in.”  

      It may be too early to tell what good will actually come from the advisory block for everyone.  As for freshman however, it is already becoming a useful tool  as they try to adapt to life at WMHS.

      The school year just beginning, and we have lots to look forward to for the rest of the year and the future in general.  The new courses and new advisory block are just a couple significant additions that will hopefully benefit many students.  After these recent additions, it leaves students and faculty excited about what else the future has in store.

--Submitted by Rachael Richards

Game Report:

Varsity Volleyball

VS. Arlington Sept. 19, 2017

After bouncing back with a win against Burlington on Friday, the Woburn Varsity Volleyball Team (4-1) played a very exciting match against a tough Arlington team on Tuesday. The Tanners won three sets to two (25-11; 21-25; 25-19; 14-25; 15-13) in an up-and-down game that saw both teams gain and lose momentum. By the end, the crowd was on their feet while Arlington and Woburn went point for point in the tie breaking set.

In the first set, Woburn was the aggressor, taking an early 12-5 lead. Arlington was forced to call a timeout after Woburn’s Laurie Doherty, Rachael Richards, and Katherine Furxhi found holes in their formation. But Woburn did not slow down one bit after the timeout and continued their domination, ultimately winning 25-11. For now, they kept the Arlington crowd quiet, wondering when the home team would step up their game.

They did not have to wait long. After a back and forth start to the second set, Arlington started to break away, going up 20-16. Woburn almost caught up after calling a timeout down 22-18, but Arlington won the set 25-21. At this point, the crowd was starting to get into it and you could tell that the Spy Ponders were drawing strength from them.

In the third set, Woburn got out to a quick lead after some nice plays by Julie Miller and Laurie Doherty. They got the lead up to 14-7 before Arlington called a timeout, and it seemed that Woburn was back in control of the game. However, as soon as someone seemed to be in control, the other team would come right back. Arlington scored four straight points after the timeout and the game was now 14-11. Then Woburn took the momentum back from Arlington, scoring seven straight of their own after a timeout to go up 21-11. The Tanners would end up winning the set 25-19, but not before Arlington went on a late run to give them some hope heading into a do-or-die fourth set.

Woburn got out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set, and it was looking like I would finally be able to get off the incredibly uncomfortable benches in the Arlington High School Gym and go home happy with a Woburn win. But all of a sudden, Arlington came roaring back with their crowd roaring for them. Coach Roy called a timeout when the Spy Ponders tied it at 11, trying to get Arlington out of the rhythm they got playing in front of their fans. But the crowd did not quiet down one decibel and Arlington continued to put up point after point, winning the set 25-14.

The game was now down to one final set. Arlington had all the momentum, and the fans were ready to blow the roof off after leading 4-0 early. The Arlington bench was dancing around, acting like they had already won. Then, all of a sudden, Woburn started to come back, perhaps fueled by the arrogant Arlington players. They stormed back to take the lead 8-7 and stretched their lead to 14-13, one point away from winning. Woburn called a timeout, trying to calm down the players and get them ready for the final point. Both teams went back out onto the court 40 seconds before the timeout even ended, ready to resume play. It turned out the Woburn players could have just stayed back on the sidelines. The Arlington serve hit the net and fell short, much like the Arlington team itself. Woburn won the set 15-13 and the match, and I couldn’t tell who was happier: me when finally get off those wooden benches built in the 1860s or the Woburn team after the win.

--Submitted by Dylan Woods, Staff Writer

Game Report

Varsity Football

Sept. 15, 2017 : VS. Burlington

      The WMHS varsity football team clinched their first win against one of their biggest rivals, the Burlington Red Devils, this past Friday. The game started off with the coin toss won by the Red Devils which resulted in a quick touchdown and extra point for them. The Tanners retaliated and swiftly scored a touchdown and point after as well. After Burlington returned the kickoff into Woburn territory, the Red Devils fumbled, giving the Tanners possession and a chance to take the lead. Early in the second quarter Woburn scored another touchdown on a run by Isaiah Cashwell-Doe who finished the game with a near record 265 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The Red Devils had a rough start to the second quarter and were unable to move the ball because of the Tanner’s tough defense.  After the Tanners scored a touchdown,the half ended with the score 20 to 7 Woburn.

      As the second half began, the Red Devils showed a different mentality as they picked up bigger plays. Their defense was stiffer which prevented the Tanners from scoring at will. In the mid of the fourth quarter, Burlington scored on a long pass play, but it was too little, too late. The Tanners finally put an end to the game with a total of 450 offensive yards, putting up a whopping 32 points to the Red Devils 20.

      --Submitted by Sumeya Abrar, Staff Writer

Game Report:

Varsity Volleyball
Sept. 15, 2017 vs. Belmont

When Woburn Volleyball is down, they always find a way to get back to the top. The Tanners completed a three set to one victory on Friday against Belmont as they were able to bounce back from their loss to Melrose last Tuesday. With the win, the Tanners improved their record to 3 wins and 1 loss on the season and remain undefeated at home. It was a decisive win that was never in too much doubt, as the Tanners comfortably took the first set by a score of 25-18. The second set went just as smoothly as the Tanners kept a steady five point lead throughout most of the it after getting off to a blazing hot start. They were unable to close out the match in the third set as they fell to the Marauders but bounced back to close out the match decisively in the fourth set. On numerous occasions during the match, the Tanners were able to keep incredible rallies going with Belmont, saving several balls that looked like they would hit the floor and result in points for the opposition. Woburn will look to improve on this win and on their road record as they travel to Arlington on Tuesday and face the Spy Ponders. Arlington has boasted a tough team in past years and it would be a major win if the Tanners were able to knock them off

--Submitted by Robert Dickey, Sports Editor

Game Report : Varsity Volleyball

Game Report:
Varsity Volleyball
Sept. 12, 2017 vs. Melrose 

       On Tuesday, September 12, the Varsity Volleyball team went to Melrose in a game between two undefeated teams. Woburn (3-0) was coming off a win against Burlington and Melrose (2-0) had just beaten Arlington. Both teams had defeated their opponents fairly easily up to Tuesday, so this game was a great test for both teams looking to rack up wins against worthy opponents.

       In the first set, the Lady Raiders put eight unanswered points quickly. Woburn called a timeout hoping to halt their momentum, but Melrose continued to put up point after point stretching their lead to 14-2. Eventually, Woburn began to keep up but they could only trade points with Melrose and lost the first set 25-15. Early on, Melrose looked like the sharper team and was working well together on their home floor.

       To start the second set, it looked like Woburn was beginning to catch their stride. They led 6-2 and 11-3 after Coach Roy decided to start the new set with a new lineup. Right when it seemed Woburn would quickly tie the match, Melrose ran off eight straight points, ultimately tying the game at thirteen. From that point on, you could tell that both these teams were undefeated. Woburn and Melrose traded points until the score was 16-15 Melrose. After the next point was called for Woburn, the refs discussed the play and reversed the call. The Lady Raiders took advantage of this decision and went on to win the set 25-19.

       Looking for a tremendous comeback, Woburn began the third set playing like they did to start the second set. They had a few early leads, and seemed to be in control. But they were never able to pull away to get themselves on the scoreboard and they found themselves facing a loss, tied at 18-18. Melrose picked the right time to string together a few points and pulled of the clean sweep, winning the third set 25-23 and giving the Tanners their first loss of the season.

       Submitted by Dylan Woods, Staff Writer

Game Report : Varsity Volleyball

Game Report: 
Varsity Volleyball
Sept. 8, 2017 vs. Burlington

       With the fall sports season underway, the Woburn Volleyball season is headed into full swing as the team played a home game last Friday against Burlington. The Red Devils were no match for a strong Tanner team, led by captains Julia Barry, Liz Werner, Rachael Richards and Brianna Lundin who all had strong games in front of bleachers full of Tanner volleyball fans. Werner led the team with an outstanding thirty three assists and remains number one in the Middlesex league in that stat category. It is the first time that the Woburn Volleyball team has beaten Burlington in the six years WMHS has had a team. The girls won the match decisively, ending with a three set to none win. Junior Katherine Furxhi and senior Laurie Doherty ended the game as the leaders of the Middlesex league in kills. The girls remain undefeated on the season and look to repeat the success that they have had early in the season on Tuesday where they play next against Melrose and as long as the team works together like they have been in recent games that success seems likely.

       Submitted by Robert Dickey, Sports Editor

Game Report : Boy's Varsity Football

GAME REPORT:

Varsity Football

Sept. 8, 2017 vs. North Andover

School bells are ringing once again which means that football season is officially underway. Woburn High's most popular sport is back to playing under the Friday Night Lights for fans of all ages once a week throughout the fall sports season. Unfortunately, the Tanners season got off to a rough start last Friday in North Andover as they fell to a well put together Knights team, 31-21. North Andover was able to hold off a late surge by the Tanners, as they cut the lead down to three and were a fourth down stop away from potentially swinging the game. Fourth down stops were one of the main reasons that the Knights pulled away from the Tanners, even once breaking off a forty plus yard run on a fourth and two. It wasn’t all bad news in Woburn’s first game, though. Junior quarterback Ryan Qualey connected not once, not twice, but three times with Junior Wide Receiver Ty Parish. After quickly going down 7-0 before most fans had filed into their seats, the Tanners were at risk of a huge loss to open the season when senior Jacob Casey recovered a fumble to help the Tanners' defense get out of a possible lopsided affair. Despite the loss, Tanner fans are still optimistic about where the Tanners might go this season and are expected to turn out in a large quantity in a rivalry game against Burlington this upcoming Friday the 15^th. Although it isn’t home, the Burlington game is one of the year's biggest and most competitive games every year and the hype for Friday night has already started. Make sure to be in Burlington Friday night and join the fans in cheering on their beloved Tanner football team.

Submitted by Robert Dickey, Sports Editor

Welcome to the WMHS Bull's Eye blog! For the 2017-2018 school year we will provide updates with various articles featured in our magazine, as well as with additional content written by our staff. Stay tuned for updates!