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JERREY ROBERTS

Clement Watroba of Frontier Regional works on a takedown against Giovanni Ventura of Dean Tech in the 170-pound class Wednesday at Frontier. Watroba won by pin.

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JERREY ROBERTS

Marc Saulnier, top, earned the pin but the Red Hawks dropped the match.

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JERREY ROBERTS

Jake Arnold of Frontier Regional, top, had position on Chris Vega of Dean Tech but Vega eventually turned the tables and won 126-pound match in South Deerfield.

The Frontier boys basketball team qualified for the postseason last year with a win in its very last regular season game.

By this time next week, the Red Hawks could be postseason bound, and with a month left in the season to spare.

Frontier cruised past Athol Tuesday, winning 59-37 on the road. The Red Hawks (7-1, 6-1 Hampshire West) are three wins shy of qualifying for the tournament.

Winning its next three won't be easy with Turners Falls (4-4), Smith Academy (8-1) and Mahar (6-1 as of Tuesday) up next.

Six different players score at least six against Athol.

Justin Mieczkowski scored a game-high 11 in the win. Paul Decker had nine points, Nate Perret and Ryan Hoar added eight apiece, while Ross Kellogg (career-high nine rebounds) and Josh Kennedy each had six.

Danny Kieras added eight boards for Frontier.

Four players reached double digits as the Red Hawks surpassed 80 points for the first time in 57 games with a 81-51 win over Mohawk on Jan. 6.

Decker had 18 points, Hoar had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Mieczkowski added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Kieras chipped in with 10 points.

Frontier last reached 80 when it scored 87 points in a win over Smith Academy on Feb. 2, 2009.

Girls basketball

The Red Hawks withstood a late Athol barrage and held on for a big 51-47 win at home Monday.

Amanda Calvo led Frontier (4-3, 4-3 Franklin South) with 15 points, giving her 37 in her last two games after scoring 33 in her first five games.

Courtney Parent (10 rebounds) and Sydney Judge each scored 11 points. Judge was strong defensively as well, holding Athol point guard Shelby Bronnes scoreless.

The Red Hawks cruised past Mohawk 62-28 in South Deerfield on Jan. 5.

Frontier outscored the Warriors 21-5 in the second quarter to take a 33-17 lead at halftime.

Calvo (nine rebounds) doubled her previous career-high and finished with 22 points. Calvo and Judge (nine points) each hit three 3-pointers.

Parent had 10 rebounds in the win.

Hockey

Travis Holloway scored on an assist from Brandon Lenois in the third period as the Turners Falls hockey team avoided the shutout in an 8-1 loss to Agawam on Jan. 6 at the Olympia.

Will Miller (25 saves) and Jack Powers (nine) split time in goal for the Indians (1-7).

Wrestling

Ben McGranaghan (106), Marc Saulnier (145), Jeff Tikos (152) and Clement Watroba each recorded pins but Frontier fell 58-24 to Dean Tech in South Deerfield on Jan. 5.

Red Hawks coach Don Gordon entered this week needing two wins for 300 in his 36-year career.

Alpine season

Sean Doyle got his sophomore season off to a nice start with a third-place overall finish in the first race of the PVIAC Alpine Skiing season at Berkshire East in Charlemont on Jan. 5.

Doyle finished with a time of 39.69 seconds as the boys competed in the slalom.

Frontier finished eighth overall in the North Division.

Jacob Conroy tied for 10th at 42.65.

Alison Green placed 18th in the giant slalom in 33.54 seconds. Alison Zera was 26th in 35.85 for Frontier, which did not have enough finishers to qualify for a team score.