Spring Sports Rivals

The spring sports season is now in full swing at RMHS, bringing warm weather and the return of spring rivalries.

But who are the Rockets’ rivals in each of the spring sports?

Baseball:  Belmont and Lexington

The boys varsity baseball team won the Middlesex League tournament last year and have started this season with wins over Wilmington, Melrose, and Woburn. “I would say our biggest rival in the last ten years or so has been either Lexington or Belmont,” stated Head coach and history teacher Mr. Blanchard. “Those teams have definitely played the most meaningful games against us.” Reading baseball will face both Lexington and Belmont two times this season.  Lexington visits Reading on Thursday, May 12.

Boys Lacrosse: Concord-Carlisle

Coming off their 16-1 season last year as the Division 2 North champions, undefeated against Middlesex League teams, the boys lacrosse team started their season with four victories against Austin Prep, Wilmington, Burlington, and Marblehead. Although who the team considers to be their rival is uncertain, their only loss last season was to Concord-Carlisle. The two teams are expected to meet twice this season, with their first game being on June 2nd.

Girls Lacrosse: Lexington and Winchester

Girls varsity lacrosse also started their season with a victory over Burlington. Senior athlete Samantha Brabeck said, “Our biggest in-league rivals are definitely Lexington and Winchester, but we are definitely looking for redemption with Chelmsford who we lost to last season in the [state] tournament.” Girls lacrosse is expected to play all three of these towns this season, starting with Chelmsford on May 9th.

Softball:  Woburn

The girls varsity softball team, led by Senior captains Jackie Malley, Emily Martell, Grace Weston, and Sally Cashin are now three games into the season with wins over Melrose and Woburn. “I’d say the biggest softball rival is Woburn,” stated Jackie Malley in a recent interview. “We definitely have a long history with them, and it’s always a close competitive game.” The softball team will next face the Tanners at Woburn on May 5.

Track and Field:  Lexington

For Reading’s spring track and field teams, Senior capitan Ryan Wallace informed us about their current situation in a recent interview. “Lexington,” Ryan said when asked about their rival. “Us and Lexington are now in the same kind of upper echelon of teams in terms of talent in the Middlesex league.” Last year, Reading and Lexington were the top two finalists in the 2021 Middlesex League Conference Championships. Additionally, the two teams tied in a dual meet last year. Reading and Lexington are expected to meet again this season in another dual meet on April 26th. 

All RMHS spring teams are expected to play their assumed rivals in the near future if they have not played each other already. Notable Middlesex League towns, such as Lexington, Woburn, Winchester, and Belmont all compete against Reading on a consistent basis this season.