Contributed by Elexa Reiss, HHS Junior

As we are all living through interesting times, it is a good time to reflect on the impact the athletes from The Class of 2020 had on Holliston High School. Beginning with EEE and ending with Covid19, it was certainly an interesting year. There were lots of highlights in between, including State Championships and tournament appearances. As a way to appreciate these seniors, I have reached out to all Varsity Coaches at HHS to reflect on our amazing seniors and their dedication and commitment to their sport.

Girls’ Varsity Softball

“I have two seniors on the softball team this season, Katie Randlett and Jackie Alibrandi. Well, specific moments are difficult about both players. What I think I will remember most about both players are a few things. The first is their total unselfishness and dedication to the program. If I have to tell a couple of funny stories about each player I will start with Jackie.

“Jackie came back to softball last year after having not played for a while, and Jackie was a little–shall we say–a little hazy in the rules. In one of her first At-bats, she struck out, but the catcher dropped the ball. Jackie forgot she was supposed to run; she was too busy getting mad at herself for striking out. In  her next at bat, she got a hit by the pitch, and her competitiveness took over. She refused or forgot to go to first base. She wanted to keep on hitting.

“Katie is just as competitive, but in a different way. She’ll kill you with a smile and then hit a line drive over the third baseman’s head. Katie started playing in the program when she was in 8th grade, and I’ve seen her progress through the years. Hitting a homerun is rare. We were playing Westwood one year and we were winning handedly. Katie hit the ball better than I’ve ever seen her hit it. As she approached third she could have easily scored, but I stopped her. The big smile disappeared. She wanted a home run, but she understood it wasn’t the time or the place. She still teases me about it to this day, because I always told her she would have another chance to get a homerun.

It’s one of the great things about Katie and Jackie. They’re empathetic and understand situations well. They wouldn’t want teams running up the score on them, and they would not do it to others. They are both tremendous leader, individuals, and overall outstanding people who will be missed by the softball program; however, I know they will be successful in whatever they choose to do “ – Don Quindley

Boys’ Varsity Baseball

“I will always remember the class of 2020 baseball seniors as a group that came in with a lot of talent. Throughout their time in the program, they continued to grow and became dedicated and a hard-working group of leaders. They are role models to the younger players. I am really disappointed that we missed out on seeing the special things they could have achieved during their last time in a Panther uniform.” – Coach Santos