Winter sports season is in full swing, so Dartmouth Week talked to Dartmouth High varsity coaches about their goals and expectations for the upcoming season.

Hockey

Emerging from his first Old Colony League title and a semifinals advancement last season, ice hockey head coach Michael Cappello is optimistic about the upcoming season. Although Cappello has lost some graduating seniors, he is counting on the return of key players like Scott Shorrock, who picked up 37 goals and 29 assists last year. For now, Cappello said the mixture of new and seasoned players gives the team an edge on offense, but he plans to improve the team's defense.

Girls basketball

After qualifying for the postseason, but falling in the opening round of the state tournament, girls basketball head coach Scott Richards is eyeing another postseason run – as well as the Old Colony League title – for this year.

After losing two key starters who have been in the program for four years, Richards expects returning senior starters Kelsey Shurtleff and Ashely Cadorette to take on a bigger role this season. He added that the key to success is playing fast and challenging his athletes to take on multiple roles. Richards expects that every varsity player will make valuable contributions this year.

Boys basketball

Coming off the heels of a league title win, a 10-game winning streak, and a stint in the postseason, basketball coach Jeff Caron aims to do it all again this season, despite the loss of key seniors Matt Craig and Ben Holding. Instead, Caron hopes his dedicated batch of seniors, including Keith Rose – the primary ball handler with the most varsity experience – Marquise Adams, Liam Caulfield, and Luke Clarke are able to fill the void, along with the four other seniors on the team.

Boys track

With a record-breaking 110 athletes, a strong returning senior class, and 40 freshmen, head coach Jeff Reed is confident the boys track team could see a years-long resurgence. His goals for this year: achieve an undefeated season – Dartmouth finished with a 3-1-1 record last year – and bring the number of states-qualifying athletes into the double digits. While Reed is still determining where each team member belongs, he is already eyeing Colin McCabe to excel, as he competed in All States last season in the shot put. In sprints and jumps, he expects to see a strong performance by Jordan Pacheco and Anthony Lee, and is counting on Danny Grubbs-Donovan to excel at distance running.

Girls track

With a 58-member team consisting of a strong group of returning athletes, girls track coach Caitlin McCarron-Deely has high hopes for this season. Despite losing talent from last year, she expects a strong showing from Maddie Lynch, Coral Perry, and Victoria LaBree. While it is early in the season, McCarron-Deely said she wants to see every athlete give their all, which she hopes will translate into a strong postseason.