Big in 2013

From wrestling mats and volleyball courts, to baseball and football fields, 2013 had no shortage of special moments. We take a look back at the year in Johnston sports.

Upper Echelon

The Johnston wrestling team wanted to move to Division I last season, to test itself against the best and prove it belonged.

It was a good move.

Johnston won the Division I-South regular season title with an 11-3-1 campaign. When the state tournament rolled around, the Panthers brought home six medals and finished in a tie for second in the race for the team title. That was the program’s highest finish since 1999.

It was also a banner year for several individuals, with senior Justin Caparco leading the way. He finished as the state runner-up and took third place at the New England championships.

Hoops Heaven

Winter was cold, but the gym at Johnston High School was hot once again as the Panthers’ basketball teams both continued their run of impressive campaigns.

The boys team finished 12-6 for its fourth consecutive winning season. In the playoffs, Johnston won its quarterfinal game and put up a fight against eventual D-III champ North Smithfield in the semis before losing.

On the girls’ side, the Panthers hit double digits in wins for the fourth straight year, finishing 13-3 in league play. An upset in the playoffs kept the Panthers from making their third straight trip to the D-II semifinals, but it was still a solid year.

To top it all off, a younger group of Johnston hoopsters also made a splash. Led by Justin Mazzulla, the Ferri Middle School boys team went undefeated in the regular season before a loss in the state championship game.

What a Run

Technically, the 2013 season was Johnston baseball’s worst since 2006.

But it didn’t feel that way at McCarthy Field.

Playing in Division I after consecutive D-II titles, the Panthers went 7-11 in the regular season but caught fire in the playoffs. They knocked perennial powers South Kingstown and Cranston West to take control of their region in the D-I playoffs and beat the Rebels again to capture the title, clinching a spot in the Division I Final Four.

There, they matched up with the powerhouse of all powerhouses – undefeated Bishop Hendricken. After an 8-0 Hawks win in the opener of a best-of-three series, it looked like the coronation would proceed. Instead, Johnston won 5-4 in extra innings in game two, handing Hendricken its first loss of the season and forcing a decisive game three. The Hawks prevailed in that one by a 5-2 score.

A few days later, the Hawks celebrated a state championship – but they sure remembered the test Johnston gave them.

Senior Citizens

The players who have been part of the Johnston Junior and Senior League all-star teams the past four years represent a talented group. In 2013, a big part of that group went out with a bang.

The Senior all-stars – many of whom had made the Junior League World Series two years prior – won another state championship and headed to New Jersey for regionals. Though they ended up short of a return to trip to the World Series, it was still a memorable run for Johnston’s boys of summer.

Back to the Top

It was a supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Johnston football team. It’s what happens when you lose nearly an entire starting lineup to graduation.

But the 2013 Panthers had other ideas.

Johnston went 6-1 in league play this season and captured a share of the Division II-A regular-season title. They were bounced in the playoffs by Rogers, but no Panthers were hanging their heads.

The successful season included a flair for the dramatic – Johnston beat Warwick Vets on a last second touchdown pass from Mark Breton to Alex Tenerella late in the season.

Memorable Fall

For the second straight season, the Johnston volleyball team was one of the best in Division III. The Panthers went 14-1 and won the Division III-North regular-season title. Included in the success was an impressive victory over their top challenger, Central, which essentially clinched the crown.

Ultimately, Central came back to bite Johnston in a heart-breaking championship game loss, but the season was another success story for one of the school’s top programs.