Stoughton High Boys’ Cross Country (Finally) Set to Start Season

The boys’ cross country team’s season was supposed to start on Sept. 8 with the Hockomock Jamboree, but when inclement weather postponed the event, and it was not rescheduled, the Black Knights were left to wait almost two weeks before their next meet.

But the wait is now over, and their season finally begins, Wednesday, Sept. 21 against Foxboro at Houghton’s Pond. Along with the girls’ cross country team, they will be the last Stoughton High fall sports team to start their season.

“Training has been going well and I do like what I see from this year's boys’ team,” coach Harvey Blonder said.

Captain Nick Green will be the team’s top runner, Blonder said.

“We came into the season having lost two of our top three from last year due to graduation and I was afraid we would be very thin after our top runner and captain Nick Green. After [four] weeks of training it is apparent there will still be a drop off, but there is a strong group working hard to narrow the gap,” Blonder said.

Included in this group are seniors and cross country veterans Mark Phan and Kevin Overko, who figure to be among the top five scorers for Stoughton, according to Blonder (in cross country, scoring is determined by the top 5 finishers on a team).

Blonder is also expecting contributions from junior Wayne Barnaby, who is starting his first season on the team, and from sophomore Alec Denapoli, who Blonder said has “made a big improvement since last year.”

The team also has a group of seven freshmen that have made positive first impressions.

“Jason Marshall and David Lockhart may make an impact on this years’ team,” Blonder said.  Marshall and Lockhart will join Luke Butera, Mike Carroll, Zach Denapoli, William Phillips and Jonathan Oliveira to form a deep freshmen class.

Rounding out the team are seniors Sam Freitas and Mike Silveira; juniors Alec Woolf and Jack D'Addieco; and sophomores Matt Boykin and Sean Ellertson.