Previewing Hanover’s spring sports season

ROBBY FLETCHER Sports Editor

With the spring sports season about to get underway, it’s time to look ahead at what the Hanover Hawks can do this season across their different programs.

Starting with the baseball team, the Hawks enter the season with a target on their backs as the defending Class 4 state champions. It was a magical ride for the Hawks in 2022 as they ran through the competition with a perfect 11-0 record in the Capital District and a dominant 11-0 state championship victory over James Wood High School.

That stacked squad featured five All-State players, pro-level talent across the board, the coach of the year in Tyler Kane and the AllMetro player of the year in Seth Keller.

Owen Deshazo, Levi Huesman, Cannon Peebles and Charlie Rohr joined Keller as first team AllState players, and while the gifts of players like Keller, who was recently drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, will be tough to replace, the Hawks have tons of talent left from their championship squad.

Seniors Cole Elrod and Nolan Williamson headline a strong pitching group, while outfielder Jack Bowles, shortstop T.J. Woodson and utility player Darryl Husband round out a starting lineup defined by sound defense and tons of speed.

Newcomers like sophomore pitcher Evan Nix and junior infielder Tavis Spiller also look to make an impact with the defending champs.

The softball team also brings with them a championship pedigree as a defending state champion in its own right, with the team looking to build off a season where lopsided victories were commonplace. After beating Tuscarora in the state finals in a 13-3 victory that was closer than the score indicates, the Hawks bring back a roster loaded with talent, but overall inexperience in some key spots.

They’ll have returning players like reigning All-Metro player of the year Julia Cuozzo and AllMetro members Emma Slutzah and Lillian Parrish to lead the way.

It’ll be tough to top the legendary season Cuozzo had as a junior, which saw her join Julie Smith, Lauren Brummell, Courtney Long as the only players in school history to win All-Metro player of the year after leading the way to Hanover’s first state title since 2006, but if anyone can build on that kind of success, it’s the UVAbound pitcher.

It’ll also be exciting to see how Slutzah builds off her marvelous 2022 season where she was struck out just three times and batted an unreal .433 with three home runs and 27 RBIs.

Newcomers like junior first baseman Olivia Gibson, junior infielder Meghan Deshazo and freshman shortstop Brie Wheeler round out the roster and will look to make good impressions early with their opportunities, while head coach Tommy Evans points to sophomore outfielder Kaileigh Byars as a potential star in the making thanks to her pure talent and work ethic.

With Hanover girls soccer, the Hawks bring back 10 of their 11 starters from last season as they attempt to run it back and advance past the regional semifinals, where their season ended in a devastating 2-1 final to Mechanicsville.

The Hawks have three All-Region first teamers in senior defender Hailey Gilchrest and junior forwards Samanta Krines and Taylor Grubb who lead the way of captains Fletcher Waran and Matisse Body. after strong seasons in 2022. Gilchrest is a talented goal-scoring threat from the back line, finishing up her junior year with eight shots hitting the back of the net, while Krines is coming off a dynamic 16goal season as a sophomore.

Body will lead the charge on offense along with a group featuring senior Evin St. Clair and talented midfielder Seth Langford, who scored 10 goals last season. On defense, Waran and senior Mark Niepraschk will help protect the net which will be occupied by sophomore keeper Mitch Palmgren.

After exits in the regional tournament, the boys and girls lacrosse teams will look to build off promising seasons as well, with the girls team returning eight starters from a team that finished with an 11-4 record last year.

Offensively, the return of their top goal scorers in Kenson Epperly and Tatum Zyglocke gives them a leg up on the competition, while the defense will be anchored by Gabi Greth and experienced seniors Abby Seiders, Parker Bond and Peyton Powers.

Grubb and Krines will be the likely top goal-scorers, but look out for the continued development of junior midfielder Ava Olson as well as senior Estella Gajarsky-Prado to add to the scoring prowess of this year’s Hawks.

The boys soccer team on the other hand will have to replace six starters from last year’s squad, who went 9-6-2. Head coach Laurent Body has a smaller, more inexperienced roster entering the season, but has already applauded the team’s communication skills and work ethic, much of which can be credited to the leadership

Zyglocke leads a talented group of attackers that are returning from last year as well, with Emily Snellings, Cecelia Naglic and Addisyn Elliott looking to improve with another year under their belts. Epperly headlines a relatively young midfield position as the de facto leader of the group, but Olivia Griffin and Kinsley Bajer will do their part to help the revamped midfield produce scoring chances.

The boys team has a strong senior class to carry the load, with attackers Rock Schraa and Henry Montgomery leading the offense, Carter Grizzard leading in at midfielder and Grady Fahed and Connor Ellinghaus controlling the defense while junior Nate Snellings occupies the goal.

This group of experienced players helped the team get to the regional semifinals with a 12-3 record, but with a new coaching staff led by James Mahan, it’ll be interesting to see how much different the Hawks operate compared to last year’s team.