Williston boys repeat as New England Prep School Ultimate League champs

Published: 05-18-2023 11:35 AM

After winning the New England Prep School Ultimate League title last season as underdogs, the Williston Northampton School boys’ ultimate team came into this year’s NEPSUL looking much different.

The Wildcats hadn’t lost a game yet this season and entered as the No. 1 seed in last weekend’s tourney, carrying with them the pressure that comes with being the top team. Despite having a target on their backs, Williston’s players weren’t worried at all going into the tourney.

“This year, we expected to win. It would have been shocking to us that we didn't win it,” Hadley native Alex Hall-Witt said. “We had the trophy on our food table the whole time and we just weren't ready to give it up.”

That script played out over the squad’s first three games – the Wildcats outscored their opponents 39-15 to punch their ticket to the championship game. They hit a snag in the title game when they faced off against Hotchkiss, a team that took them to the brink earlier in the season. Williston escaped with a 9-8 win in that first meeting, but Hotchkiss was hungry for redemption in a very personal NEPSUL title game.

Hotchkiss scored the first four points of the game, taking a commanding 4-0 lead. By halftime, they held a 7-3 lead and the Wildcats were desperate to get their offense going.

“It was a little shocking to be down the way we were at halftime. We were definitely a little demoralized,” Northampton native Will Chalfant said. “But I think it also kind of lit a fire for us that we didn't have before.”

The Wildcats altered their strategy to counter Hotchkiss’ defense and outscored the club 7-1 in the second half to secure the title with a 10-8 win.

“It was awesome, probably just as good as last year because we had to come back for this one. We just locked in at the end, we started getting the lucky breaks that they had been getting the whole game completing our passes, not dropping (the disc),” Hall-Witt said. “We just took it and stormed the field.”

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