The Swampscott football cheerleading team needs a coach to replace Cynthia Kowalski. Below is the announcement for the vacancy. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR:  JON FLANAGAN (781) 596-8875 ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCY Applications are now being accepted for the following positions: SCHOOL YEAR 2013-2014: FALL SEASON                        FOOTBALL CHEERING                        VARSITY Salary will be in accordance with Schedule B Athletic Pay Scale. All interested internal and external candidates are invited to apply. Anyone interested please send a letter of interest and resume to:   Jon Flanagan, Athletic…

Defending state champs North Reading rode the arm of RJ Warnock on Saturday defeating Swampscott's Big Blue 6-1. Warnock struck out seven batters and surrendered only three hits on his home field.  Two of the hits were of the extra-base variety, doubles by Trevor Massey and Ryan January.  Swampscott got on the scoreboard first, in the top of the first inning. The action started on a scorching drive off Massey's bat. He scored on a groundball and a throwing error at first, sliding into home for the 1-0 lead. The North Reading pitcher was shaken up on the play — it looked like he may have …

  Ryan Cresta's one-out single in the top of the 8th inning drove in the winning run Thursday, propelling Swampscott baseball to the next round of the North Div. 3 play-offs with a 5-4 win over Watertown. On Saturday, right hander Al Wallach takes the ball for the 10-11 Big Blue in a first-round match-up against top-seeded North Reading, 18-2, on their field. On Thursday in Watertown, Swampscott senior Trevor Massey went the distance, fanning 10 batters. He put a period on the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the 8th, said first-year coach Jason Calichman. Blue got on the …

  It was less a reunion than a tune-up, a ratcheting up of competition. Swampscott High tennis coach Niña Rogers invited former players — many of them just home from college — to play against her current players on Tuesday. On the Middle School courts former number one Big Blue singles and doubles players served, returned, volleyed, ran — and offered advice. The former and current players kept score, too. The challenge gave the current team some tougher competition before they enter the tournament on Friday, the coach said. Swampscott, 15-3, seeded fourth in the North Div. 2 bracket, earned …

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's tournament brackets have been released for baseball and softball. Baseball In baseball, 17th seed Swampscott plays 16th seed Watertown in the preliminary round on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Victory Field in Watertown. The winner will draw top seed North Reading, 18-2, at a time and place to be announced. The Hornets were last year's Div. 3 North champs and defeated Swampscott in the quartefinals, 2-1. Baseball Seedings 1. North Reading (18-2) 2. Bishop Fenwick (16-4) 3. Greater Lawrence (14-4) 4. Arlington Catholic (15-5) 5. Whittier (14-6) …

The Swampscott girls tennis team is continuing its winning ways. They won Friday against Saugus 5-0 (home).  And Monday they won 5-0 against Winthrop (away game).

It was a split decision for Swampscott High lacrosse Saturday as the girls fell to Lynnfield 14-9 at Blocksidge Field.  Later in the day, the boys notched two goals in the final seconds of play to surge past Salem 13-12. The girls were led by Seniors Chloe Dorgan and Bridget Lawless each tallied two goals.  Alexa Goldman, Marina Roberts, Cathryn Singley, Priscilla Sullivan, and Mackenzie Robertson each added a goal while freshman goaltender Katie Papele blocked ten shots in the Swampscott net. At Salem's Bertram Field, Swampscott trailed 12-11 with under a minute to play but roared ahead, …

After Big Blue's 9-3 loss to Winthrop earlier in the week the girls needed three wins to be play-off bound. "We are 7-7 and battling for a play-off spot," said Coach Frank Kowalski. "The kids have learned a lot and we keep putting an emphasis on the little things and focusing on our defense." The coach said junior pitcher Danielle Mayblyum has stepped up. Offensively, Tori Thisle and Sam Rizzo have been steady contributors and played solid defense. "Tessa Bean and Christina King are our power hitters and we are looking for them both to get hot down the stretch," the coach said.  The coach …

The Big Blue girls track and field team defeated Gloucester April 30 at Upper Jackson, 85-51. But one of the victories within the victory was a senior's shot put throw of 30 feet 10 inches. That throw brought senior Ny'Cole Young-Thomas to her knees in elation and to tears in teammates' arms. Coach Peter Bush said Ny'Cole's eclipsing the 30 feet mark qualifies her for the state track meet. Not only that but the throw broke the barrier she has been trying to break since last year. She set the 30-foot mark as a goal for winter track and fell short. She set it again for spring, but was stuck in …

  Kieran O'Connell is only 23 but he's been sailing for about 20 of those years and coaching for six. He and his 16 Swampscott High sailors were at Fisherman's Beach Wednesday as the varsity sailing team prepared for a race against Gloucester. He had the sailors setting sails on their small vessels — there are six — at the same height and otherwise making sure the boats were fitted out the same so as to sail in a coordinated, team manner during the racing. Race outcomes depend on how they perform as a team, not who comes in first. There was a good wind, 7-10 knots, a good speed for sailing on…

The winner in the boys track meet between Swampscott and Marblehead Wednesday came down to the final event. That was the 4 by 400 relay. The Magicians won the race and the meet. The meet was held in Marblehead at the Village School track. The Swampscott girls lost to a strong Marblehead team.

  We asked cross country and track coach Jeffrey Bartlett if he had thoughts to share about the violence in Boston on Monday and whether he had spoken to track team members about it. Here is what the coach had to say:   "The events in Boston are simply terrible. There's such a positive, energetic vibe around the city the entire weekend leading up to the marathon, and the kids get excited for it. We were talking a lot about the marathon at practice this morning, and about Shalane Flanagan, and how lucky we are to live outside a city that has such a fascinating event, a beautiful event, take …

  The final drill of the Swampscott High baseball practice is situational. Runners on first and third. Pitcher goes into his stretch. Pitches to the batter. Runner on first breaks for second. Gets caught in a rundown — a pickle. Now the players put into practice qualities the new coaching staff wants them to display in their entire game. To distill what first-year coach Jason Calichman and assistants Kevin Rogers and Brendan Nolan have been telling the kids — play the game the right way. Communicate. Hustle. Back each other up. Compete. Back on the diamond the catcher hollers "four." He wants…

  This article was submitted by the girls coach Joe Tenney. The weather at the start of the meet seemed like an actually spring season meet however as time got later the sun faded and the chill came back.  Although the Swampscott girls came up with a little heat of their own and rounded off their record to 1-1 on the young season. We had some really good times but we have plenty of room for improvement. With what seems like better weather ahead of us I think we can really start to see some improved times, and field event distances and heights start to improve as well. We have plenty of bright…

Coach Nina Rogers has both skill and potential on the girls' varsity tennis team. The Big Blue girls are off to a 2-0 start and look to continue their winning ways this week with matches against Gloucester and Danvers. On Tuesday the top two singles players, sophomore Anna Raptunovich and freshman Vivien Gere, showed power and placement in a challenge match. Their volleys zipped tightly over the net, the players racing in and out, gliding side to side. Several shots cracked against the nets' top white band, the loud snapping revealing power behind the shots. Another sophomore plays at 3rd …

  Swampscott High senior and team captain Sam Crimmins calls it the strongest tennis team in his four years. New Coach Neil Whitehouse likes the variety of play his players bring to the court. The team's strength and variety will be on display today, Monday, at 4 p.m. on their home court when they battle rival Marblehead. Swampscott's other seniors are Moevan Dennis, Matt Gilberg and Val Temin. The team spent its first two weeks of the preseason indoors after finishing slightly under .500 last year. Sam Crimmins said the team has depth at every position. Everyone is returning from last year's…

The Swampscott High School Track & Field opened up their 2013 spring season against the Peabody Tanners on Thursday afternoon at Upper Jackson Park. Both teams fell to the Tanners, but the day was not without promise for the two Big Blue teams. The track was packed with fans and spectators, creating a competitive atmosphere with quite the buzz around it, and ideal weather provided opportune circumstances for the student-athletes. On the girls' side, the Big Blue fell with a score of 79-56. Head Coach Joe Tenney was positive about his team's effort upon the conclusion of the meet. "Today was a…

  After four years at the helm, Big Blue basketball Coach Justin Fucile is stepping down to pursue a master's degree in school administration. He has been coaching at various levels since the year after he graduated from Swampscott High, 2000, and has basketball in his blood. "Of course I will miss it, but it's the right time, the right thing to do," he said. He hopes his move will demonstrate to his players that academics play a critical role in their lives. The team had some issues with academics during the past season, he said. The coach, who grew up in Nahant and lives in Lynn, teaches …

  The Swampscott High sailing team has its largest contingent of sailors ever, 17, we are told by the town's recreation director. On Saturday the crews rigged their 420 class sailboats at Fisherman's Beach, preparing to take to the harbor this coming week for practices, said Douglas Mentuck. Douglas took photos of the crews and their boats and sent them to us. They accompany this post. The Big Blue team, which has been meeting indoors, has a new coach — Kieran O’Connell from Gloucester.  We plan to catch up with the coach soon for a preview of the Big Blue's season.

  Swampscott High School’s Big Blue Serpents robotics team ranked 29 out of 50 teams in the Boston Regional Competition of the FIRST Robotics Competition March 20-22. Over 30 students took part in the FIRST competition under the leadership of robotics teacher Dick Leonard. FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, and is a robotics program that describes itself as “a varsity sport for the mind.”  The competition combines the excitement of a sport with the rigors of science and technology.  Under strict rules, and with limited resources and time limits, teams …