The latest Wellesley, Mass., sports news:

All-scholastic Raiders

The Wellesley High School Raiders had a strong showing for the Boston Globe’s All-Scholastic honors for spring sports. Those recognized included:

Tate Bannish (baseball)
Tara Battaglino (girls lacrosse)
Charlotte Tuxbury (girls track & field)
Christopher Brooks (boys track & field)
Bella Gopen (girls tennis)
Kimmy Tai (girls tennis)
Shannon Welburn (girls tennis)
Shea Welburn (girls tennis)
Coach Rob Miller (girls tennis)
Katie Ng (girls golf)
Coach Ken Bateman (girls golf)

Many others were recognized for honorable mention and as all-stars.

4th grade football sign-ups sought

Area youth football teams are scrambling to round out their numbers ahead of August practices and September games.

J.P. Comella, a coach with Wellesley Youth Football, says the program would love more 4th grade signups by the end of this month. For now, the plan is to combine 4th and 5th graders, he says. Otherwise, the program has strong numbers, including in grades 5 through 7.

“I believe the shortages stem from more opportunities to play different sports year round. The fall is not just football season anymore. You can play sports that aren’t necessarily associated with the fall like baseball lacrosse and others,” Comella says. “As I look across the different sports, the coaches and volunteers running the programs are so important. Organically grown contacts and word-of-mouth is the best promotion of any program…”

Other area programs, such as Natick Youth Football & Cheer, are seeking 4th and 5th grade football players, says board member and coach Todd Bairstow.

He points to kids who had flag and grade 2/3 football wiped out during the pandemic, and then moved on to other sports or activities.

“My understanding is that soccer for those grades is over-subscribed,” Bairstow says. “I have no explanation as you why football for those years took such a hit, but it’s happened in all of the towns around us as well. Framingham, Wellesley, Wayland and Needham have had to combine 4^th and 5^th graders within their towns just to field a team. It’s a significant anomaly.”