Orford
Earlier this month, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America named both Raptors to its national high school scholar-athlete all-America team for the past school year. Nominated by Rivendell coach Tim Goodwin, Haehnel and DeBois both had to maintain a minimum 3.75 grade-point average through the first semester of last year, they also had to show excellence on the field and take part in community service.
Haehnel and DeBois both completed their Rivendell educations with 4.0 GPAs. As co-valedictorians, they both spoke at their June graduation.
“I knew their grades were top-notch, and they’re great kids and great teammates,” Goodwin said during a team workout last week at Community Field. “They really the program and what we were trying to do as a group. … They were great leaders, and they worked their tails off.”
On the field, Haehnel has been Rivendell’s top scorer the past three years. During a 10-3-3 campaign last fall that ended in the Vermont Division III quarterfinals, Haehnel notched 21 points with the help of a team-best nine assists.
While DeBois only had four assists on a 2015 campaign truncated by injury, the midfielder maintained a leadership presence throughout. Goodwin called her “one of the best leaders I’ve worked with in 30 years of soccer.”
Both met the NSCAA’s on-field recognition standard with past all-Central Vermont League or all-state mentions.
“I think it’s great not only for myself but for our school and our area, because during our high school career our administration has tried to emphasize the scholastic part of Rivendell,” DeBois said last week. “I’m proud of myself, and I’m proud of Quenla, too, and I think it’s a great thing for recognition for our area.”
Haehnel liked the fact that the award noted both academic and athletic achievement while also pointing to the role others, such as Goodwin, have played in he process.
“Coach has always taught it it’s always important to be good people and good teammates, to be supportive of each other on and off the field,” Haehnel said. “Getting this award was a testament to what we’ve learned.”
The NSCAA award — given to just 35 boys and 52 girls nationwide — gives both girls a nice capper to solid high school careers that appear unlikely to continue at the varsity level in college.
DeBois is bound for the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, where a desire to complete a double major will trump on-field competition. Having earned a merit scholarship to UNE, DeBois said she’ll need to keep up her grades as she pursues an education degree that will include emphasis in either biology or chemistry.
Haehnel is going in the other direction — geographically speaking — with Brigham Young University her destination. A Mormon, Haehnel said she’ll complete her first year at BYU before taking on a required 18-month service mission; her plans include studying public health with an emphasis in epidemiology along with an international development minor.
The two are so close that, when asked to choose a Rivendell soccer highlight, both went back to sophomore year and a double-overtime postseason goal that Haehnel served and DeBois finished to eliminate Hazen.
“That’s definitely one of my highlights,” DeBois said.
“That’s the story I always tell,” Haehnel responded, laughing.
Now they have a new one.
Stars of the N.H. Diamond: Lebanon High didn’t have the best of high school baseball seasons this spring. Raider junior Caleb Broughton certainly did, however, and the New Hampshire High School Baseball Coaches Association honored him last month for it by making him the Upper Valley’s only first-team member of the Division II all-state team.
The junior infielder was among 18 selections for the top squad after posting a .457 batting average and leading the Raiders, who finished 6-12, in RBIs, runs and stolen bases. Broughton has hit better than .400 in all three of his varsity seasons at Lebanon, not coincidentally making the D-II first team in each season as well.
Two other area players made the D-II squad. Hanover’s Will Smith, a junior, was a second-team choice, while Nate Perkins, Broughton’s junior teammate at Lebanon, received honorable mention.
Sunapee had a significant presence in Division IV. Seniors Ben Robinson, Cole Cruz and Mike Platt joined Woodsville’s Jaret Bemis on the first team, while the Lakers landed junior Will Austin and sophomore Cade Robinson on the second team and junior Keir Lucas on the honorable mention-unit. Upper Valley honorees in Division III included Stevens’ Coby Hussey and Noah Spaulding (both second team) and Mascoma’s Tyler Warner (honorable mention).
An undefeated repeat championship in D-IV led the New Hampshire High School Softball Coaches Association to bestow coach-of-the-year honors on Sunapee’s Bonnie Cruz and player-of-the-year plaudits upon junior Katie Frederick. Woodsville’s Nikita Duling and Tori Clough joined Frederick on the all-state first unit; the Lakers’ Faith Larpenter, Lexie Hamilton and Meghan Frederick made the second squad with the Engineers’ Alyssa Prest.
Newport’s Samantha McNeel (first team) joined teammates Stephanie Carl and Emma Carroll (both honorable mention) on the Division III all-state roster.
Thetford Changes: In addition to beginning the search for a new athletic director, Thetford Academy has confirmed several coaching changes for the coming school year.
Mark Weigel will take over boys soccer this fall, leaving his girls job of five years to replace Parlen Modiba, who stayed with the Panthers for just one campaign. Dave Williams takes over for Weigel with the TA girls after four years at Chelsea. Jason Gray, a Thetford alumnus and former career 1,000-point scoring during his varsity career, has been hired to replace Adam Boffey with the boys basketball program.
As for the AD vacancy, Thetford head of school Bill Bugg indicated in an email last week that interviews would begin soon. Previous athletic director Bridget Dugan-Sullivan was hired in late May as TA’s assistant director of development and communications.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.