A very successful fall athletic season at Williston wrapped up the weekend of November 15-16, as four Wildcat programs competed in the semifinals or finals of their respective sports.

The football team played in the Drew Gamere Bowl against Avon Old Farms, our field hockey team made it to the Class B semifinals, while both of our soccer teams made their respective Class B finals.

“All of our Williston teams had fantastic seasons,” Director of Athletics Jade Morris said. “For the teams that made it to the NEPSAC tournaments, their playoff games were a testament to how hard they worked this season, and how they believed in each other to get there.”

The four team sports followed an amazing individual effort the week before, when Brody Richardson ’26 raced to victory in the NEPSTA Division II cross-country championships, which were hosted at Williston.

Football

After a stellar 7-2 regular season to earn the Northeast Prep Football Conference league title, the Wildcats were rewarded with a spot in the Class A championship for the Drew Gamere Bowl. Facing off against undefeated Avon Old Farms, the two teams duked it out in a game that was close throughout before Avon pulled away for a 35-21 win.

Nate Ellis ’26 had a massive day, racking up 132 yards on the ground for a touchdown. In the first half, Ellis took a direct handoff to the end zone to get Williston on the board.

Drew Alsup ’26 hauled in 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown to also assist the Williston effort, and additionally he took a kick-off return to the house for his second touchdown of the day.

“Although the end result wasn’t what we were hoping for, I loved the way that the guys competed and left it all out there,” said head coach Tommy Beaton. “As I reminded the players after the game, winning our league in back-to-back seasons is something to be very proud of!”

After the Bowl game, Williston was awarded an additional piece of hardware when the Western Massachusetts Officials’ Association named Williston its Sportsmanship Award winner for the season. The Officials group encompasses public and private high schools in the region, and Williston is the first private school to be recognized with the Sportsmanship Award.

Field Hockey

Williston, the reigning Class B champions, faced a tall task in the semifinals of this year’s Class B tournament, as they had a rematch of last year’s finals against Middlesex School.

Middlesex took the victory in two overtimes—the same amount of time it took to decide the 2024 championship game—by a score of 3-2.

“The girls had an incredible season, going 14-2-2 overall,” head coach Alex Tancrell-Fontaine said. “They really embraced the motto of playing with joy, not fear, all season. In every game, the team was incredibly supportive of one another. The other key motto of the team is ‘next play, ‘ and that was crucial in never getting hung up on one play or one game, and always being ready for what was next.”

In the quarterfinals, Williston beat Dexter Southfield School 2-1 behind goals from Zola Piekarski ’26 and Brooke Schlutter ’27. Caroline Doherty ’26 assisted on both of the goals, while Schlutter and Riley Stocker were each credited with one assist.

In the semifinals, Doherty scored the first goal on passes from Schlutter and Piekarski, and Schlutter scored the second on passes from Ella Skeiber ’28 and Piekarski.

“The team was led by an incredible group of seniors [Kat Mayer, Piekarski, Mia Townshend, Doherty, and manager Daryn Fox]. The leadership group of Kat, Zola, and Riley created an environment where everyone was working towards the same goal every day,” Tancrell-Fontaine said. “What this group created was magical and the success was purely wrapped up in the love they had for one another.”

Piekarski ended her Wildcat field hockey career with 204 points, while Ava Carr ’28 and Schlutter each had 50 points this season alone. In goal, River Grady ’27 had just 17 goals against in 18 games. Williston was also the Western New England champion for the season.

Boys Soccer

For the second time in as many years, the Wildcat boys soccer team found itself in the Class B championship game. This year’s path started with a 2-1 win over Middlesex School in the quarterfinals, then a 6-0 shutout of Vermont Academy in the semifinals. In the championship, the third-seeded Wildcats fell to No. 1 Mount St. Charles Academy 3-2.

“Our success is the result of all the hard work the team put in this year,” head coach John Chiavaroli said. “Our trip to Guatemala in the preseason was an excellent way to set the tone for the season ahead.”

In the semifinals, Nico Garcia ’26 scored two goals and had an assist, while Tristan Kokoszka ’26 had two goals, and Max Hodge ’28 and Adrian Ruiz Boughton ’26 each had one goal.

Against MSC in the final, Garcia had another goal and another assist, while Marco Pimenta ’28 had a goal and Kokoszka added an assist.

Garcia, Kokoszka, and Sebastian Fonseca ’26 were all named to the All-NEPSAC team, while Garcia earned All-Region honors. For the year, Garcia had 20 goals and 16 assists.

Girls Soccer

In a season that was all about “heart” according to head coach Sara Reid, the Wildcats peaked at the right time to make the Class B final. The path there included wins over Pingree School in the quarterfinals, and a 1-0 win over No. 1 Dexter Southfield in the semis. In the finals, the fifth-seeded Wildcats fell to No. 6 St. George’s School 1-0.

“We were a team fueled by fun, energy, and a genuine belief in one another,” Reid said, “where our success came not just from technical skill, but from our collective drive, grit, and the will to fight for each other every time we stepped on the field.”

In the quarterfinals, Catie Putt ’26, Jayme Cerasuolo ’26, and Scarlette Graybill ’26 all found the back of the net, while Cerasuolo recorded two assists and Marion Ayeh ’26 had another.

Against Dexter Southfield, Ayeh scored the game’s lone goal on an assist from Cerasuolo.

“This is such a special team who I am going to miss greatly,” Reid said. “Our team quote was ‘zero ego, all heart’ and it totally matched who we were as a team, and how we made it to the final.”

Evans Welch ’28, Peri Burns ’28, and Zoe Melia ’27 were all named WWNEPSSA All-Star Game participants, while Melia and Jayla Peets Butterfield ’27 were named NEPSAC Jr. All-Stars.

Putt, Skyler Walker ’26, and Ayeh were honored with All-NEPSAC selections for their stellar seasons, and Cerasuolo and Graybill were named All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention.

Photographs for boys soccer, girls soccer, and field hockey by Risley Sports Photography. Photo of football by T.J. Houle ’27