McGAIR: Former Woonsocket High standout Adeyeye flourishing with Anna Maria men's soccer team

• Whether it was kicking a soccer ball or a football at Woonsocket High School, Hezekiah Adeyeye made quite the name for himself.

This past fall, Adeyeye earned high marks as a freshman for the men’s soccer program at Anna Maria College, a Division III school located in Paxton, Mass. On the statistical front, his impact in 20 games (17 starts) proved to be bountiful as the midfielder led the AmCats in goals (12), assists (four), and total points (28).

When it came time for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) to pass out postseason hardware, Adeyeye was deemed the top choice for Rookie of the Year and was awarded a spot on the conference’s second team.

“In his first year at Anna Maria, Hezekiah showed why he’s such a special player. Overall, he has a great mentality about himself, both on and off the field,” said AmCats men’s soccer head coach Jacob Pesarcik. “If he continues to work hard, stay disciplined, and continues to develop his game, I am confident he will be in the running for more awards in the years to come.”

Among all 2019 GNAC participants, Adeyeye’s 12 goals led all freshmen. He became the first Anna Maria student-athlete to notch double-digit goals in a single season since 2009. The former Villa Novan put on a show in just his second college game on August 31 as Adeyeye struck for five goals against Becker College.

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• Cumberland High freshman Cole McCue spent this past Saturday in Madison, Wisc., site of the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships. Running out of the North Cumberland Surge running club, McCue earned USATF All-America honors after placing 24th overall (out of 390 finishers) with a time of 13 minutes, 20 seconds in the Boys’ 4K Run 13-14 Division.

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• While St. Raphael senior Darius Kipyego was busy setting a state indoor track & field record in the 800-meter run at Boston University on Saturday, head coach Chris Magill was in Bethlehem, Pa. with his Boston Athletic Association running teammates. Competing in the USATF Masters Nationals, Magill placed 31st overall (out of 444 finishers) with a time of 26:29.

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• Former Shea High basketball standout Abdul Ajia leads this year’s Post University squad with 12 blocks through nine games while his 4.4 rebounding average ranks third on the Division II squad. Ajia is now a sophomore at the Connecticut-based school.

At New York’s Dominican College, former Tolman High contributor Tedrick Wilcox seems to have settled in as a freshman contributor. Through nine games, he’s connecting on 51 percent of his field goals and sits as the fourth leading scorer at 10.9 ppg. Last month, Wilcox took home Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Week honors after a two-game span where he averaged 15.5 ppg on 65 percent shooting.

Post University and Dominican College reside in the same league and will meet twice beginning with the Jan. 21 contest at Post. It will be Dominican College’s turn to play the role of host on Feb. 12.

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• An area connection that required a trip to the archives as it relates to Newtown High, which made national headlines this past Saturday after the school’s varsity football team won the Connecticut state football championship in dramatic walk-off fashion. The accomplishment on the gridiron came on the seven-year anniversary of the terrible tragedy that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The athletic director at Newtown High is Matt Memoli, who in 2013 held the position of varsity baseball head coach when Newtown came to McCoy Stadium to play Tolman in a benefit game.

Sometimes it truly is a small world.

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• College football’s bowl season begins later this week. There are a few games featuring local interest starting with the Camping World Bowl on Dec. 28 featuring Notre Dame and Iowa State, where Burrillville’s Steve Hauser is in his second season as a quality control assistant for special teams.

The 28th will also see No. 1 LSU square off against Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl. The game will also determine one-half of this year’s national title field. Of note on the LSU roster is Thaddeus Moss, a junior tight end who back in 2013 played his junior football season at Lincoln High School.

On New Year’s Day in New Orleans, Georgia will face Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. Pawtucket native and St. Raphael graduate Mike Siravo guides Baylor’s linebacker corps and serves as special teams coordinator.

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• Expect the 2020 PawSox schedule to be released just after the New Year. In the interim, here are a few tidbits that are worth noting: Opening Day at McCoy Stadium is scheduled for Thursday, April 9 with a 5:05 p.m. first pitch. Right now, the PawSox are offering a unique three-game ticket package for $46 that includes tickets to Opening Day, July 3, and the final regular-season game on September 7. The deal also comes with a ballpark credit ($2 per ticket) and a complimentary replica of McCoy.

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• If you’ve been following the MLB vs. MiLB saga where Major League Baseball is looking into eliminating 42 MiLB clubs prior to the 2021 season, you no doubt are aware that things between the two sides figure to get even uglier before they get better.

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• The Patriots almost spanned the entire 2010s decade without being attached to a video-taping incident. So close.

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• This column would have been longer, but it’s time to work on those basketball previews – boys and girls – along with a high school football realignment proposal that’s purely a figment of this scribe’s imagination. Stay tuned.

Follow Brendan McGair on Twitter @BWMcGair03. Check out the “Ocean State Sidelines” podcast that appears weekly on www.pawtuckettimes.com and www.woonsocketcall.com