Apotsos, Badolo Named Athletes of the Week
Forgive us if we’re feeling a little defensive about this week’s iBerkshires.com/Bedard Bros. Athletes of the Week.
The honorees are key contributors on a pair of defenses that made a big impression as the 2026 fall season got going in earnest.
The Mount Greylock girls soccer team played in the county’s first non-golf contest of the academic year and posted a 2-0 shutout at Grieve Division rival Wahconah.
The Mounties went on to allow just one goal in their next two games – that goal coming in the second half of a blowout win – with junior Rowan Apotsos helping to anchor the defense.
Apotsos, the girls track and field MVP in the county last spring and a state runner-up in the 400 hurdles as a sophomore, translates all that speed to the soccer pitch.
“She’s one of the best defenders in Western Mass, no question,” Mount Greylock coach Blair Dils said this week. “She’s just got poise. She’s added some long passing to her game, too.
“But she’s such a great athlete and leader back there that you know we can make some mistakes in the middle of the field because she’s going to pick it up for us.”
Apotsos, who also had six assists in last year’s Western Mass Championship campaign, and the Mounties (3-0) will look to stay unbeaten on Tuesday when they host Monument Mountain.
The high school football landscape shifted this fall in Pittsfield, but Pittsfield High senior Aldy Badolo is a rock on the defensive line for the new cooperative program at Taconic.
And Badolo was a wrecking ball in Friday’s opener against West Springfield, getting into the offensive backfield play after play and pulling down the Terriers’ dangerous QB Abel Varzeas on several occasions.
“Amazing,” Taconic coach Brian Jezewski said. “He’s a game-wrecker on both sides of the ball. I mean, if they don’t double-team him, he’s going to create havoc. That’s who he is as a football player.
“He’s got a great work ethic. He’s got like a 102 GPA. He can go to any school he wants to and play if he chooses.”
The Thunder gave up a couple of big plays to Varzeas and West Side in the second half of a thrilling 28-21 win. But with the game on the line and Taconic needing the ball to have a chance in the closing minutes, its defense came up with the stop it needed to give Cooper Reed, Evan Roccabruna and the offense a chance to drive for victory.
Taconic will look for win No. 2 on Saturday when it plays its only matinee of the fall, a noon start at Hoosac Valley.
The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Bedard Bros.