Whiteley, Genaway Making Impact as Freshmen on College Team

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Taconic’s Anthony Whiteley and Wahconah’s Will Genaway are among their team’s leaders as freshmen at Endicott College this fall.
 
Whiteley is second on the team in rushing with 19.1 yards per game, and Genaway is second in receiving yards per game with 31.3 ypg for the 1-6 Gulls.
 
Whiteley scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard run in a 31-26 loss to MIT earlier this month. A couple of weeks before, he had 100 all-purpose yards (67 receiving, 21 rushes, 12 kick returns) on his way to earning Commonwealth Coast Conference Offensive Rookie of the Week honors.
 
Genaway received the same award later last month after catching five passes for 74 yards, including his first career TD, a 43-yard reception.
 
Pittsfield’s Lavante Wiggins, who finished his prep career at the Berkshire School, leads Endicott with 51.1 yards per game rushing and has two touchdowns so far this year.
 
PHS grad Chad Shade had a big day in Saturday’s 68-20 Springfield College win over Catholic. Shade had 106 yards rushing on just three carries, scoring twice, on runs of 46 yards and 56 yards. Defensively, Shade’s teammate and fellow former General Dominic Traversa had five tackles, including one for a loss of 5 yards as the Pride stayed perfect at 8-0. Traversa leads Springfield with 45 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for a loss.
 
At Westfield State, Wahconah graduate Evan Garvey has returned 15 kickoffs for 504 yards this year, including a 90-yarder for a touchdown in the Owls’ win over Mass Maritime earlier this month. Westfield State plays its home finale on Saturday against Plymouth State.
 
Lee’s Matt Heppleston has appeared in all seven games this fall for the Macalaster College football team. He has 10 tackles this fall and recovered a fumble in Saturday’s win over Ripon as Macalaster improved to 5-2.
 
Pittsfield High graduate and Springfield College junior Amanda Wright has seven goals this fall, helping the Pride to a 12-4 record.
 
Wahconah graduate Kevin Boino picked the right time for his first goal of the season at the University of Massachusetts. The UMass junior fired a shot from the left wing that curled under the crossbar to give the Minutemen a 2-1, overtime win over Rhode Island on Wednesday. UMass (11-2-3) went on to a Saturday night win at Dayton to remain in first place in the Atlantic 10 at 5-0-1 in the league.
 
Emma Jourdain scored for the University of Maine’s women’s cross country team at this month’s New England Championships at Franklin Park in Boston, where the Black Bears were 22nd. The Maine freshman was the third member of her team across the finish line. Maine heads to Burlington, Vt., this week for the America East Championships.
 
The races hosted by the University of Vermont also will include the Hartford women and Monument Mountain graduate Heather Hassett. On Saturday, Hassett finished second for her team at Central Connecticut State University’s Mini Meet in New Britain, Conn. Hassett ran a time of 11 minutes, 36 seconds in the 3-kilometer race.
 
The Trinity College men’s cross country team and Monument Mountain’s Weyessa “Ace” McAllister are headed to the NESCAC Championships next weekend at Bates College. Earlier this month, he placed second at the 22nd annual James Earley Invitational at Stanley Park in Westfield, helping the Bantams place first in the 37-team field. His time of 25 minutes, 42 seconds was seven seconds behind winner Sam Brunnette of Plymouth State (25:35).
 
If you know a student-athlete who should be included in an upcoming edition of College Collage, email sports@iBerkshires.com.
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Fourth of July Parade Themed 'America 250: Pittsfield Celebrates the Generations'

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The historic Fourth of July Parade will celebrate 250 years of the nation — and Pittsfield. 

On Thursday, the Pittsfield Parade Committee announced the 2026 theme with a "distinctly local focus": "America 250 — Pittsfield Celebrates the Generations." People, floats, cars, balloons, and more will proceed down South, North, and Wahconah streets to thousands of spectators. 

"While the year marks the nation's 250th anniversary, the parade theme centers on the people, places, and stories that have shaped Pittsfield and the Berkshires across generations," a press release from the parade committee reads. 

The parade dates back to 1801, and the parade committee was formed around the late 1970s.  Today, it brings residents, families, organizations, and visitors together on the Fourth of July, historically kicking off at 10 a.m. on the dot. 

This year's theme invites the community to reflect on Pittsfield's history and its connections to broader American history, including its neighborhoods, industries, cultural institutions, civic traditions, and families. 

"From early settlement and Revolutionary-era roots to industrial growth, post-war community life, today's creative economy, and the next generation shaping Pittsfield's future, the parade will highlight the many eras that define life in the Berkshires," the parade committee wrote. 

"Participants are encouraged to bring local history to life by basing parade entries on specific historical events, defining moments, eras, decades, or generations connected to Pittsfield and the surrounding region. Creative use of color, music, movement, costumes, vehicles, and storytelling is encouraged to showcase how Pittsfield has grown, adapted, and thrived over time." 

The parade entry application is open at www.pittsfieldparade.com.  The committee can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

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