A Winning Season for Hawk Athletics

After an incredible championship season last year, the Hawks entered the 2024 season with some doubts; a number of key players had graduated and they weren’t sure how their new team would fare. Although they finished the regular season with a 5-3 record, after losses against Springfield Central and Catholic Conference rivals, Catholic Memorial and BC High, the Hawks were able to punch their ticket to the MIAA Division 1 playoffs, and earned a playoff spot ranked as the three seed in Division 1 in Massachusetts. In their Sweet Sixteen matchup, they faced off against Brockton High School, defeating the Boxers by a score of 41-6. With that, they advanced to the Elite Eight during which they played against a highly anticipated Leominster High School team. Strong efforts by Micah Amedee ’25, Christian McIntyre ’26, and Will Wood ’27 helped the Hawks take down the Blue Devils 35-20, and for the second season in a row, the team made their way back to the Final Four with a game against BC High. The Hawks paid no mind to the cold and the rain that Saturday afternoon, bringing home another victory, with a final score of 31-14. The win allowed Xaverian the chance to return to Gillette Stadium for another shot at glory. The only team standing in their way was Needham High School, who were undefeated going into the championship game. The Hawks took the lead early, with quarterback Will Wood ’27 finding wide receiver Dave Chiavegato ’26 for an early 81-yard touchdown pass. It remained a tight game throughout the rest of the matchup with both defenses playing great. Ultimately, the Hawks were crowned champions of MIAA Division 1 football for the second consecutive year.

The team as a whole played incredibly well, however, two players stood out: Dave Chiavegato and Vincent Busa ’25. Dave completed his season with a total of 1,317 yards receiving and rushing, 15 touchdowns, and 48 tackles, making him a threat on offense and on defense. Vincent Busa, on the other hand, ran for 1,413 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 102 tackles. With his impressive numbers throughout the season and an outstanding game in the championship, Vincent was named “Most Valuable Player” at the championship, a Catholic Conference All Star, and earned the school record for the most single game rushing yards with 340 yards in one game versus Everett. 

Photo Credit: Adam Richins 

Xaverian’s varsity golf team showed up with incredible strength this season. They won seven matches in a row and set a team record at Easton Country Club against Catholic Memorial, shooting an all team effort, 9 under par. The Hawks lost the following game against St. John's Prep, but quickly answered back after battling the conditions at the Cape Cod Nationals Tournament. Quinn Dumas ’26 led the way with a 4-over par 76, while Michael McCormack ’27 shot a 77, and Thomas Constantine ’26 shot a 78. These outstanding scores (231 combined) led the Hawks to a 5-stroke win over St. John’s Prep (236) and BC High (238). The Hawks finished the season at 14-2, with their only other loss against Saint John's High School in Shrewsbury. They advanced to the D1 South Sectionals Tournament, winning 12-over par with McCormack and Constantine leading the way, both firing 2-over par 74s. Following their outstanding performance at sectionals, the Hawks moved on to the State Championship. The team played their hearts out at the Haven Country Club, leaving it all out on the course. They came up just short of a state title, shooting a combined 303 with yet another spectacular performance by both Thomas Constantine ’26 and Michael McCormack ’27, both firing 3-over par 75s. This was a great performance for the Hawks this year as they remain encouraged to regain their spot at the top of the leaderboard next year.

Pictured: l to r are Michael McCormack ’27, Chris Morrow ’28, Thomas Constantine ‘26, Quinn Dumas ’26, captain Connor Walsh ’25, Sam Keyser ’26, and coach Gerry Lambert ’88.

Xaverian’s soccer team almost made the history books this season. They started off strong with 11 seniors, and landed an early King Philip Cup victory in the pre-season. They finished the regular season as #14 in Massachusetts; the first time in five years that they were ranked higher than #20 seed which earned a playoff spot. The Hawks met with Braintree High School in the round of 32; goals were scored by Jack O’Neil ’25 and Johnny Black ’25. The Hawks advanced to the sweet 16 where they faced off against Methuen, and thanks to incredible saves by goaltender, Alex Todorov ’26, Xaverian soccer moved onto the elite eight where they would have to defeat #22 Franklin High School. Senior Luke McPhillips assisted Mitchell Kisgen ’25 with a late goal to seal the win for the Hawks. 

For the first time since 1984, the Xaverian soccer team punched their ticket to the Final Four. The only team standing in the way between them and a championship game was Newton North High School. It was a hard fought game that needed penalty shots to decide the winner. With Newton North's four goals during the penalty shots, the Hawks’ historic run came to an end. Several players were named 1st and 2nd team All-Stars. Those players include: Pano Haseotes ’25, Drew Logie ’25, Sean Keevan ’25, Kosta Travsyiskis ’25, Johnny Black ’25, Jack O’Neil ’25, Luke McPhillips ’25, Justin Briggs ’25, and Alex Todorov ’26.

Photo credit: Communications Corps member, Paul McCarthy ’25

Under the leadership of Coach Steve Steinberger, the cross country team had an outstanding season, complete with many PRs and steady growth. Junior Sam Keith ’26 ran impressive times at multiple meets, including the Ocean State Invitational, the Manhattan College Cross Country Invitational, the Catholic Conference Classic Race, and the MIAA Division 1B Race. During the season, he set his new best time at 16:03:71. On top of that, he earned a medal at each meet he ran in with his best being a 2nd place finish at the Catholic Conference Classic Race. With that, he was named a Catholic Conference All Star which earned him a spot at the MIAA Division 1B Race. Even though the team did not qualify for this race, he represented Xaverian well and placed in the top 10 out of 152 racers. 

Photo: Sam Keith ’26