On Friday April 14, Varsity Ultimate defeated Northampton High School 15-9 in their first ever under the lights game.
Both students and faculty filled Sawyer field to support the squad. The aroma of burgers filled the air as the Wildest Cats grilled for enthusiastic fans. The competitive team led the game the whole time, making quick and smart moves on the field.
Since starting the program in 2013, Ultimate has garnered a tremendous amount of interest. In 2021, the Varsity squad was undefeated, and in 2022 they won their first New England Prep School Ultimate League Championship (NEPSUL).
Junior Elle Christakos has been playing Ultimate since 2016, and believed the game was great exposure for the sport.
“The game last Friday under the lights was electric,” she explained. “Coach Schaffer and the Wildest Cats worked really hard to put on that game, and I’m so glad people showed out. We had a ton of fun playing in front of a crowd and it was great visibility for the sport.”
Head Coach Teddy Schaffer echoed Elle that the night was a great learning experience for many.
“The night game was pretty awesome. It was great to have so much support from the community, even if they were also coming for the hamburgers!” he said. “Ultimate is pretty misunderstood, especially in terms of the skill and athleticism required. It was cool for the community to see that on display and be impressed by what our team and players can do.”
As an up-and-coming sport, most people are often very unfamiliar with Ultimate.
Dire Adeosun, a three year senior, enjoyed the experience of watching the sport for the first time.
“I had never seen an Ultimate game before so I did not really know what to expect,” she explained. “I really liked how fast paced the game was. It was also super cool to see how many people came out to support. The energy from the crowd made the game.”
With few prep schools in New England having teams, Williston’s program often seeks out outside leagues to find competition. They compete against teams including Deerfield, Northfield Mount Hermon, Four Rivers, Amherst High School, and Northampton High School. Due to this, the team’s schedule is different than a typical Williston team’s; they often play games on Mondays and Thursdays.
Junior Maisie Mattocks from Shutesbury, Mass,. found the energy of the team thrilling.
“I liked how the team is a melting pot of people who play a lot of different sports,” she said. “The team seems to have super great chemistry and really enjoy playing together.”
Senior and team captain Alex Hall-Witt acknowledged that this is one of the best attributes of the team.
“My favorite thing about the Ultimate team, besides winning, is getting to meet new people and building connections both on and off the field,” he explained. “Ultimate has a laid-back culture which creates opportunities for team bonding and positive experiences for all players, regardless of skill and experience.”
Schaffer explained that the team this year is looking towards a very successful season.
“We are a much more athletic team than in the past, with many ‘other sport’ varsity athletes joining Ultimate in the off season,” he explained. “This led to winning the NEPSUL Championship last year, and we are likely the favorite to win again this year.”
The Varsity squad looks forward to many more competitive games throughout the rest of the season. The team plans to host another night game on May 9, against Four Rivers.

[Update: On Saturday May 13, the Varsity Ultimate team won the NEPSUL Championship 4-0 defeating Hotchkiss 10-8]