Category Archives: Masconomet

January 27, 2022 · 11:46 pm

Masconomet overwhelms Gloucester 62-23

(Boxford MA) “We played really hard at the beginning to put ourselves in a good spot,” explained Masco senior Krystal Zepaj afterwards.

The Lady Chieftains exploded in the second quarter and went on from there to a, 62-23, win over Gloucester in Northeastern Conference action on Thursday night.

The Fishermen (0-11) have struggled to be competitive so far. The inability to make shots hurt them badly tonight. They took plenty of shots but didn’t make enough to keep things competitive after the first quarter.

Masco, on the other hand, worked their way into plenty of open looks and cashed in regularly.

“We got some good ball movement as well as movement off the ball which we have been harping on,” said Masco coach Shannon Kirwan post-game.

The Lady Chieftains clicked seven times from long range led by senior Krystal Zepaj (13 points) who did it three times.

“My teammates set me up for those open looks,” said Krystal.

Lexi Carollo and Abby Stauffer led Gloucester with eight points each.

Krystal’s second three-point basket, assisted by Taylor Bovardi, put Masco in front to stay, 9-6, halfway through the first quarter.

That lead would grow to 23-8 two minutes into the 2^nd quarter and 34-11 four minutes later. The halftime score was 38-15.

The Lady Chieftains did pull off the full-court pressure but were excellent in their half-court defense.

“We definitely increased our defensive intensity,” said Coach Kirwan.

Masco jumped into passing lanes and had nineteen steals.

The Fishermen gave up thirty-five points off of turnovers.

Junior Taylor Bovardi contributed eleven points while senior Sarah Green and sophomore Remmi Cote added nine points for Masco.

The Lady Chieftains are now at 7-4. “We’re doing pretty well,” said Krystal. “A lot of the games have been against lower-caliber teams. We need to win those, and work hard to get wins against the better teams.”

Krystal hasn’t decided on college yet. “Suffolk and Nichols have interest in me for basketball,” she said. “If I don’t play basketball, I’m looking at BC, BU, and Northeastern. I want to study finance.”

Ten different players scored for Masconomet. “I was happy that we were able to get a lot of people involved tonight,” said Coach Kirwan.

Masco plays Beverly tomorrow for the second time. I saw Beverly yesterday in Avery Hallinan’s 1000-point game for Amesbury.

Thanks again to Andy Tapparo for his help with statistics. He’s on Twitter at @MascoGB

Masconomet 15 23 10 14 = 62

Gloucester 8 7 6 2 = 23

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Freshman Riley Bovardi shoots from outside

Remmi Cote (9 points) breaks away from Bella Goulart

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Filed under Gloucester, Masconomet

Tagged as Abby Stauffer, Coach Shannon Kirwan, Krystal Zepaj, Lexi Carollo, Remmi Cote, Taylor Bovardi

January 25, 2022 · 12:13 am

Undefeated Newburyport defeats Masco 58-40

Olivia McDonald (9 points) provided a spark for the Clippers

(Boxford MA) “You have to come to their level and compete,” said Masconomet coach Shannon Kirwan Monday night, “or you lose by eighteen.”

The Lady Chieftains did lose by eighteen (58-40) to Newburyport but for a quarter plus they more than held their own.

But the undefeated Clippers (10-0) were game-long persistent on defense. They forced twenty-six turnovers that led to twenty-seven points.

“I thought we played them tough,” said NHS coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “I’m proud of them.”

The Lady Chieftains did a nice job defensively on Newburyport high-scorer Emma Foley in the early going. Emma faced two defenders as she positioned herself in close. For a time, her teammates forced passes inside (some led to turnovers) and struggled to score without Emma getting involved.

Kylie Dumont, Taylor Bovardi, and Kaleigh Monagle keyed Masco’s 15-12 first quarter advantage.

Things turned Newburyport’s way in the second quarter sparked by the appearance of reserve sophomore Olivia McDonald.

“Coach (Grutchfield) encouraged me to take the shot if I have it,” said Olivia afterwards.

Olivia started the second quarter with a layup and then hit a three to tie the score at 17-17.

With Masco keen on protecting the inside, Olivia found yet another long-range opening and nailed it to put the Clippers in front to stay, 22-19, with 4 ½ minutes left.

Newburyport was able to add eight more points before half-time. The Lady Chieftains, meanwhile, were held scoreless for nearly four minutes. Krystal Zepaj ended the scoring drought with a 3-pointer in the last minute.

Another three by Krystal, in the third quarter, had the home team within nine points (36-27) but the rest of the quarter saw Newburyport put a 12-3 run together.

Makenna Ward had eight of her twelve points in the third quarter while teammate Sydney Turner had six of her eight points in that same quarter. The Clippers led by eighteen (48-30) after three periods and would finish the game with the same margin.

“We kept our composure,” added Coach Grutchfield. “They came at us pretty hard.”

When Masco was forced to play man-to-man, Emma Foley (14 points) had clearer opportunities in close and took advantage.

“Masco is definitely a good team,” explained Deirdre McElhinney (10 points) afterwards. “They forced us to set up our offense a little more than we have had to in the past.”

The closest game the Clippers have had this season was a ten-point win over Pentucket.

“We keep pushing,” added Deirdre talking about the winning streak. “We’re trying to keep the momentum going.”

Coach Kirwan: “Newburyport is a very good team. Every part of their game they do well. They play basketball the way it is supposed to be played; tough, hard-nosed, and aggressive.”

Coach Grutchfield: “Olivia (McDonald) was a really good spark off the bench. She also did a nice job defending their best player.”

Masco made six 3’s including three by Krystal Zepaj.

The Clippers are now on a stretch of seven straight away games. They’ve won the first two including tonight’s game.

Thanks to Andy Tapparo for several of the stats I used. Andy produces stats for every Masco game and runs a terrific online site featuring the Lady Chieftains. It’s the best I’ve seen.

Newburyport 12 18 18 10 = 58

Masconomet 15 7 8 10 = 40

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Kylie Dumont guarded by Deirdre McElhinney

Olivia McDonald and Ava Caron chase a loose ball

Deirdre McElhinney guarded by Kaleigh Monagle

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Filed under Masconomet, Newburyport

Tagged as Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, Kaleigh Monagle, Krystal Zepaj, MaKenna Ward, Olivia McDonald, Sydney Turner, Taylor Bovardi

December 28, 2021 · 1:56 am

Rockland holds off Masco 48-45

(Pictures enlarge when you click on them.)

(Peabody MA) Great start by Rockland.

Great finish by Masconomet.

Neither team’s coach, however, was thrilled with the way things went the rest of the time.

Rockland held on and defeated Masco, 48-45, on Monday night in the opening round of the Bishop Fenwick Holiday Tournament.

The Bulldogs (4-1) face host Bishop Fenwick in the title game on Wednesday night.

Masco (3-2) takes on Haverhill in the consolation game.

Senior Julia Elie (23 points) overwhelmed the Chieftains on the inside for the first half.

“We were aware of how good she is,” said Masco coach Shannon Kirwan afterwards. “We threw everything we had at her. Kudos to her for getting through doubles and triples.”

Julia (Bentley commit) tallied Rockland’s first eight points. Her third basket four minutes into the first quarter gave the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead. They never relinquished that lead the rest of the way.

But as Rockland coach Diana Newcomb described it, “we made it interesting.”

Credit Masco. They just refused to go away.

Their offense, however, disappeared from time to time.

Masco closed to 12-11 after a well-run inbounds play netted junior Kaleigh Monagle (9 points) a layup.

That happened 2 ½ minutes into the second quarter. The final 5 ½ minutes of that quarter the team from Boxford didn’t score a single point.

“Offensively is where we’re struggling the most right now,” said Coach Kirwan.

The Bulldogs had a nine-point lead at halftime (20-11) and ran that lead up to fifteen points (31-16) after reeling off eleven unanswered points.

With 3 ½ minutes left in the third quarter, you had to like Rockland’s chances.

However, what Masco was unable to do in set offenses earlier, they were able to do off of their tenacious full-court defense over the final 1 ½ quarters.

Turnovers turned into points and thirty seconds into the final quarter a Kylie DuMont drive capped a 13-1 run for Masco. The Chieftains were one possession away, 32-29.

But that was as close as Masco would get.

Every time Masco scored down the stretch, Rockland had an answer. An old-fashioned three by Julia Elie one time, beyond-the-arc three’s by Charlie Kelleher and Sydney Blaney two other times, kept the Bulldogs in front.

Every Masco basket brought a fresh dose of full-court pressure and Rockland often made their reaction to pressure more “interesting” than their coach would have liked.

“We could not execute down the stretch to save our lives,” explained Coach Newcomb. “We showed awful discipline. Our poor decision making led to bad passes and bad angles with no one wanting to take over.”

“Credit Masco for playing it up for the full thirty-two minutes,” added Coach Newcomb.

“We had trouble finding the offensive flow but our defense definitely helped at the end,” said Coach Kirwan. “Taylor Bovardi (15 points, 4 steals, 5 assists) was a key in getting us back into it. The team showed a lot of grit coming back and I’m proud of that.”

Free throw shooting was an adventure for both teams

Free throw shooting turned into an adventure for both teams. Masco was 3-for-10.

Rockland’s free throw shooting nearly cost them the game in the final forty-five seconds.

Masco started fouling on each Rockland possession and the Bulldogs missed five-of-eight free throw attempts, including the front end of two one-and-one’s, in those final 45 seconds. Those Rockland misses allowed Masco to get within three points (48-45) and have a possession to tie it.

“We need to take better care of the ball (nineteen turnovers) and we need to practice our free throw shooting,” suggested Coach Kirwan.

“Hopefully we can learn from this one and not make the same awful mistakes,” said Coach Newcomb. “We’ve got to do the little things, like make free throws.”

The aggressive Masco defense led to turnovers (Rockland had twenty-four).

The Chieftains’ disruptive defense lessened Julia Elie’s touches near the basket in the second half. Julia had eight second-half points.

“Julia has to finish more consistently,” said Coach Newcomb. “She stops herself more than other teams stop her.”

Rockland 12 8 12 16 = 48

Masco 7 4 16 18 = 45

Terrific lighting at Fenwick for picture taking.

(The pictures will enlarge if you click on them.)

Sydney Blaney and Kylie DuMont chase a loose ball

Krystal Zepaj guarded by Maddie Hermenau

Carissa Scannell (4) chased by Jordan Stec (15) and Emma Cameron (14)

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Filed under Masconomet, Rockland

Tagged as Coach Diana Newcomb, Coach Shannon Kirwan, Julia Elie, Taylor Bovardi

February 14, 2020 · 11:16 pm

Pentucket holds off Masco 44-42 after eleven lead changes

A strong final quarter by Angelina Yacubacci helped Pentucket hold off Masconomet

Mak Graves led Masco with 16 points

(West Newbury MA) Masco led by nine after one period.

Pentucket led by one at the half.

Masco led by seven after three periods.

Pentucket led by two at the end (44-42).

Back and forth it went all night long.

There were eleven lead changes with at least two in each quarter.

It was anyone’s game right down to the last shot by Mak Graves (16 points).

The Sachems (19-1) played with fire in the last eleven seconds and didn’t get burned.

Pentucket had the ball with eleven seconds left and a two-point lead.

Angelica Hurley inbounds pass attempt was intercepted by Paige Richardson.

“I was so scared to throw it too far that I didn’t throw it far enough,” explained Angelica post-game.

That put Masco in possession and very quickly Mak Graves had the ball in her talented hands and she was stepping back beyond the arc.

Mak steps back beyond the arc

“My heart stopped, I’m not going to lie,” said Anna Wyner.

“I was petrified,” said Coach McNamara. “I thought she was going to pull up and shoot a three. They had the ball in their best player’s hands and that’s scary. I was happy when she drove because a two would let us keep playing.”

“It was nerve-racking with her at the 3-point line,” said Greta Mauer, “because you don’t know what could happen.”

Angelica, who had thrown the bad pass reacted quickly. “I knew that I had to play defense (on Mak Graves) and get the ball back,” she said.

When Mak stepped back, Angelica stepped forward to discourage a 3-point attempt.

Angelica Hurley steps out to discourage a 3-point attempt

Mak chose, instead, to drive baseline. The Pentucket defense closed on her and her shot missed. Angelica was there to secure the rebound and the game ended.

Mak decides to drive

Angelica secures the final rebound as the game ends

A collective sigh of relief and disappointment followed from both sides.

Liv Fillmore (11 points) shoots over MacKenzie Currie

Senior Angelina Yacubacci carried Pentucket down the stretch after she was a foul magnet early and spent much of the game on the bench.

“When she finally got in, she was a difference maker,” said Coach McNamara.

Angelina scored all her points (eight) in the final quarter.

In that productive quarter, Angelina got to the basket three times without charging and made two free throws.

On one of her missed free throws in the last thirty seconds, she stole the ball from the rebounder (Paige Richardson) to continue the Pentucket possession.

Tonight was Masco’s last game in the Cape Ann League and they played very well.

The Chieftains (11-6) took charges on the hard-driving Sachems and made shots early.

Seven straight points (Liv Fillmore three, Mak Graves jumper and layup) had Masco ahead 13-6 with 2 ½ minutes left in the first quarter.

MacKenzie Currie (15 points) takes a shot in the lane

Pentucket recovered nicely in the second quarter. Masco was held scoreless for the first six minutes while the Sachems put a ten-point run together. An old-fashioned 3-point play by MacKenzie Currie (15 points) started Pentucket on their comeback. Senior Hannah Lambert hit a triple and a fast-break layup. Abby Dube finished the run with a jump shot assisted by Alyssa Thompson.

The Sachems held a 22-21 halftime lead.

The Chieftains limited Pentucket to only five points in the third quarter and scored the last five points to create a 34-27 advantage after three quarters. Mak Graves hit a jump shot and assisted on Liv Fillmore’s 3-pointer to account for the closing surge.

The Sachems were down seven, but Angelina Yacubacci came to their rescue. “We played as a team in the 4^th quarter,” she explained. “Each of us seems to take turns getting into foul trouble. We support each other from the bench even if we can’t be on the floor.”

But Angelina was now on the floor.

After a MacKenzie Currie jumper in the lane, Angelina sent MacKenzie away on a fastbreak layin. Angelina then twice successfully drove to the basket. Masco’s lead was now gone and Pentucket was up by one (35-34) with 5 ½ minutes left.

Masco stopped the bleeding with a Mak Graves layup and retook the lead.

Arielle Cleveland layup

Back came the Sachems. Angelina assisted on an Arielle Cleveland layup and MacKenzie followed with a drive to the hoop. Those scoring plays gave Pentucket the lead for good, 39-36, with 3:40 remaining.

Masco would get within two twice in the closing minute but Pentucket made enough plays to save the win.

“Give Masco credit,” said Coach McNamara. “They fought hard.”

The Sachems have now won sixteen straight. Last loss? To Masco, 56-51, at Masco.

“We’ve been preparing for this game ever since we lost to them,” said Anna Wyner.

Angelica: “We’re excited to win on Senior Night. We knew it would be a tough game. They are a very good team. Mak Graves kept me from doing a lot of things with her defense.”

Jenna DiPietro surrounded by Sachems

Coach McNamara: “It was really nice to beat them in their last CAL game. They have lost five games in the league this year which is a testament to how strong this league is.”

I asked the four Pentucket seniors about their college plans:

Angelica: I am going to St. Joe’s. I thought at first that the campus was too small but the coach there has been very encouraging. He came to our North Reading game which was important to me. I intend to go into the nursing program.”

Angelina: Not sure exactly. Probably somewhere local like Bridgewater State, Endicott, Keene State or UMass Boston. Won’t be playing basketball. I want to go into business.”

Anna Wyner: My top two choice are UVM and UNH. I am interested in the medical field. I have an interest in being a physician’s assistant.”

Hannah Lambert: “I want to study nursing. I am looking at Fairfield and James Madison.”

Full house at Pentucket for this game and they saw a beauty!

Pentucket box

Masco box

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Angelina Yacubacci forces a turnover

Cally McSweeney

Greta Mauer

Hannah Lambert’s layup

Mak Graves guards Angelica Hurley

Maria Lantzakis draws a charge on Anna Wyner

Paige Richardson

Pentucket seniors honored

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Filed under Masconomet, Pentucket

Tagged as Angelica Hurley, Angelina Yacubacci, Anna Wyner, Hannah Lambert, Liv Fillmore, MacKenzie Currie, Mak Graves

October 22, 2019 · 10:52 pm

Undefeated Masco downs Triton 5-2

Mak Graves had a goal and two assists for the Lady Chieftains

Freshman Maggie Sturgis (1) scored twice for Masco

(Byfield MA) Masco can score goals.

This afternoon the Lady Chieftains (14-0-2) put up five of them, including four in the first half, and that was enough for a field hockey win over Triton, 5-2.

Senior captain Mak Graves paced Masco with a goal and two assists. Teammate Maggie Sturgis added two scores for the team from Boxford.

That Masco scored was no surprise; they now have sixty-nine goals in sixteen games.

That Triton (10-4-2) scored against Masco was a big surprise. Why? The last time the Vikings had a goal against the Chieftains was on September 11, 2015! That shutout lasted seven games.

Triton broke a four-year scoring drought vs Masco today

Gianna Conte had a goal and an assist for the Vikings

D1 commit (UMass Lowell) Gianna Conte assisted on Triton’s first goal (first half) and tallied their second one in the second half.

Junior Brianna Hood was the Viking set up in the first half. That goals evened things at 1-1.

The Lady Chieftains responded with three unanswered goals over a ten-minute segment.

“I was proud of the girls for fighting back after being scored on,” said Masco coach Maggie Bridgeo. “It hasn’t happened very often.” The LC’s had only allowed SIX goals in their previous fifteen contests.

Two of Masco’s answering goals were by freshman Maggie Sturgis. In both instances it was sophomore Lily Conway assisting from the right.

Maggie Sturgis (1) gets a goal

“Lily did a great job of getting the ball down the wing and crossing it,” added Coach Bridgeo.

Sophomore Ava Collins pushed the Masco advantage to 4-1 with three minutes left, set up nicely by Mak Graves.

“They outplayed us, “explained Triton coach Donna Andersen afterwards. “We were, however, much better in the second half and they didn’t do a lot of subbing.”

Gianna Conte’s goal made it a two-goal game with twenty minutes left in the second half but the home team would get no closer.

Kate Zamagni

Kate Zamagni’s score with 8:24 remaining gave Masco a 5-2 lead and more than enough separation to gain their 14^th win of the season.

“Kate’s goal was probably the prettiest of them all,” said Coach Bridgeo. “It was a corner play and Kate took a straight shot.”

Coach Andersen was impressed with Masco: “They have a lot of speed and stick skills. They are very fast and very well positioned.”

Coach Bridgeo on Triton: “Triton played an unbelievable game. Their pressure cover defense befuddled our girls for a while.”

The Vikings entered this afternoon’s game undefeated in their last seven games. Last loss? To Masco (3-0) on September 23^rd at Masco. Maggie Sturgis, Cecily Paglierani, and Kate Zamagni were the goal scorers for the Lady Chieftains in that one.

Kate Zamagni (4) and Jamie Bell

The LC’s two ties have been to North Reading and Central Catholic. There is a rematch with NR ahead on the schedule.

The Division 2 Vikings have reached post-season six straight seasons.

Masco won the D1 North last year and fell to Somerset in the state semi-finals. The Lady Chieftains lost only two starters from that 19-2-2 team.

I have seen Mak Graves play basketball, now field hockey. The girl has multiple game!

“She was the Cape Ann League Player-of-the-Year last year in basketball and field hockey,” said Coach Bridgeo. “She’s a great athlete who is usually two plays ahead in everything. She picked up a lacrosse stick and was good at it without even knowing how to play.”

Mak Graves after scoring a goal

It appears that Mak will be attending Northeastern in 2020 to continue playing field hockey.

There was a side feature to Masco’s state semi-final loss in 2018 to Somerset; the opponent had two boys on their team. “In my opinion,” said Coach Bridgeo, “the title laws were created to make it equal for females. It is difficult to play against two males. There’s a big physical difference between 18-year-old boys and 18-year-old girls. Years ago, when I was in high school, Masco had a boy on their field hockey team, and they played in a co-ed state tournament. Maybe it’s heading in that direction.”

The stadium at Triton is very nice. The lights were good too on an overcast afternoon.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Andrea Walker

Ava Collins (23) scores

Ava Collins and Kelly Sharkey (12)

Brianna Hood had a goal for Triton

Cecily Paglierani (15) chased by Rylee Lucia (8)

Jamie Bell surrounded by Lady Chieftains

Julia Miller (12)

Maddy Peterson breaks in as Masco coaching staff looks on

Madison Hillick

Mia Gustafson

Sarah Burd

A second goal by Maggie Sturgis (1)

Mak Graves and Jamie Bell

Masco celebrates

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Filed under Masconomet, Triton

Tagged as Gianna Conte, Kate Zamagni, Lily Conway, Maggie Sturgis, Mak Graves

April 13, 2019 · 10:02 pm

Casey McLaren and Tyler Koglin lead Newburyport by Masco 2-1

Casey McLaren congratulated by teammates Tommy Murphy and Nick White

2B Tyler Koglin

(Newburyport MA) Casey McLaren didn’t even see the play.

The tying run on third. One out in the final inning.

Masco’s Matt Aldrich flaired a blooper to right with trouble written all over it.

“I headed for home,” recalled Casey afterward, “to back up a throw.”

But then Casey heard cheering. “It took me a few seconds to realize that we’d gotten an out.”

Newburyport second baseman Tyler Koglin caused the cheers by racing back into right and making a remarkable over-the-shoulder catch to keep Andrew Gotts from scoring from third.

Tyler then handled the final grounder and the home team (Newburyport) had a 2-1 win over Masconomet on a summer-like Saturday afternoon in Cape Ann League action.

“That play the second baseman made in the last inning saved the game for them,” said Chieftains coach TJ Baril. “That’s a real tough catch for a second baseman to make.”

Mark Rowe and TJ Baril

Newburyport coach Mark Rowe was equally enthusiastic about Tyler’s catch: “As far as making a big play in a special situation, his catch would rank near the top of the list in all the years I’ve been coaching.”

And then there was the pitching!

Senior Casey McLaren had a no-hitter going into the seventh and finished with a one-hitter.

Easy to overlook was Masco’s pitching but it was also solid. Freshman Erik Sibbach yielded only four singles in 3 innings while sophomore Aaron Zenus followed and held Newburyport hitless during his three innings of work.

Ryan Archer had an RBI single

“It was your classic pitcher’s duel,” said Coach Baril.

The Clippers (2-1) put three of their four hits together in the second inning and produced two runs out of it.

Parker McLaren singled to short center and went to second on a passed ball with no outs. Tommy Murphy followed with an infield hit moving Parker to third and then took second on an infield out.

A wild pitch brought Parker home and advanced Tommy to third. Ryan Archer’s bloop single to center scored Tommy with the eventual game winner.

Casey McLaren

Casey McLaren was overpowering. He retired the first eleven Masco batters before walking Pat Costigan in the 4^th. The Tufts commit had eight strikeouts.

An error (Tyler Koglin) gave Masco a baserunner with two out in the 5^th but Casey ended the inning striking out Ethan Cote.

The seventh inning was the big test for the Clippers. Casey walked leadoff batter Pat Costigan on four pitches. Andrew Gotts then lined Masco’s first hit to center.

“When Casey works ahead in the count, good things happen, “said Coach Rowe. “In the seventh he fell behind the first batter, walked him, and then anything could have happened.”

Last year the Chieftains slugged twenty-two homers. Almost all of those HR’s graduated. Therefore, this year Masco is developing other ways to score runs. One of those ways is to be aggressive on the bases. In their opening win (6-2) over Lynn Classical the Chieftains had five steals.

Seventh inning action with the tying run on third

Today in the 7^th with two on and no outs, the Chieftains successfully executed a double steal. Next thing you knew, a wild pitch led to Masco’s first run and moved the other runner to third with no outs. Suddenly the outcome wasn’t so certain.

But then Casey surrounded Tyler’s terrific catch with two infield grounders and the Clippers had their second win of the young season.

“It was a great Cape Ann League game,” said Coach Rowe. “Two pretty good teams that should be in it in the end.”

Casey said that he was aware that he hadn’t given up any hits. “I started thinking about it in the fifth inning. Last year I had several one-hitters so I wanted to finally get a no-hitter, but it will have to wait. Getting the win was more important. Both of my pitches were working well. My curve ball was big against the top of their order.”

The weather was very pleasant and brought out a good crowd.

Part of the crowd at Pettingell Field

Coach Rowe: “Casey was outstanding. He pitched some pretty good ones at the end of last season. It’s hard for me to rank them however in this one he was as in command as he has been in a long time.”

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Final out

Andrew Gotts had Masco’s first and only hit

Caught in a rundown

Erik Sibbach

Parker McLaren scores on a wild pitch in the second inning

Pat Costigan

Pat Costigan scores in the seventh

Ryan Archer steals second

Trouble in the field

Tyler Koglin about to throw to first

Shortstop Will Hunter and Tommy Greene

Shortstop Will Hunter fields a grounder

Tommy Murphy

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Filed under Marianapolis, Masconomet, Newburyport

Tagged as Casey McLaren, Coach Mark Rowe, Coach TJ Baril, Erik Sibbach, Pat Costigan, Ryan Archer, Tyler Koglin

February 17, 2019 · 10:05 pm

Masco girls rout Beverly 73-20 in Larry McIntire Classic opening round

Mak Graves (22 points) had eighteen of them in the first half

Hailey Anderson (3) guards Morgan Bovardi (12 points)

(Beverly MA) Masconomet coach Bob Romeo started individually naming players who had played well against Beverly this afternoon and then stopped himself and said, “It didn’t matter who I put in to play. Everyone did well.”

No one on hand for the opening round of the Larry McIntire Board 130 Classic would tell you otherwise.

The Chieftains (16-5) defeated Beverly, 73-20.

Note that I didn’t write, “humiliated,” because the Masco coaching staff was quick to pull starters, call off pressure, and curb fast breaks in a game that went totally south in the second half.

Marissa DuLucia (10 rebounds) in close

The obvious attempts to lessen the point disparity weren’t completely successful because each new layer of Chieftain players could play defense and put up points at the end of lengthy possessions.

Beverly (9-10) will have their final chance tomorrow to get the win (against Revere) to qualify for the tournament.

Panthers coach Seth Stantial was quick to praise Masco but was very disappointed with his own team: “Our energy was awful. We deserved to lose by that much. Apparently, I did a very bad job of getting us ready.”

The Chieftains are coming off wins over two of the Cape Ann League’s best teams; Amesbury and Pentucket.

Cally McSweeney scores

“Our loss to North Reading a couple of weeks ago was a tough lesson,” said Coach Romeo. “But look how we’ve responded. We’re riding the momentum of our games with Amesbury and Pentucket. It just carried into tonight.”

The Chieftains pressed full-court but it was in the half-court where they gave Beverly the most trouble.

“We brought intensity on defense,” explained Paige Richardson afterwards. “We locked down the people we needed to lock down.”

After a full-court layup by Sabrina Beaudry (10 points) Masco tallied the next twelve points in the first period to break loose, 16-2. Junior Mak Graves (22 points) dominated in this segment getting two regular three’s, as well as an old-fashioned three-point play.

The Panthers couldn’t penetrate the Masco defense for close-in shots. The best they could get were from beyond the arc and there was little good (1-for-19) to be found for them out there.

Paige Richardson guarded by Brooke Baekey

The Chieftains had their fast break working and were extremely effective when they had to run an organized offense in the half court.

Numerous times Masco executed picks-and-rolls for uncontested layups. “It looked as if we had never seen a pick-and-roll before,” said Coach Stantial, “but we have all season.”

Credit Beverly because after 4 ½ minutes in the second period the Masco lead was only, 23-10.

After that the wheels came off entirely for Beverly. Most sports have ways to shorten games that get out of hand, but basketball doesn’t. The next 14 ½ minutes of playing time in today’s game would suggest that it should be considered.

Tia Bernard

Masco outscored Beverly 39-2 during those 14 ½ minutes!

Sabrina Beaudry had Beverly’s only basket during the disastrous segment.

“They played harder than we did,” said Coach Stantial. “They played smarter. They were disciplined. You name it.”

Coach Romeo: “It’s defense. It’s sharing the ball. It’s playing fundamentally sound. Everything worked well.”

Masco faces Bishop Fenwick tomorrow. “It will be a big test for us,” said Coach Romeo. “They’re on a roll getting a big win over St. Mary’s recently. Sammi Gallant is playing terrific.”

Senior Marissa DeLucia had ten rebounds, four assists, and four steals for the Chieftains.

Morgan Bovardi ended with twelve points.

Kylie McCarthy

Mak Graves, Morgan Bovardi, and Paige Richardson were informed recently that they are Cape Ann League All-Stars.

Coach Stantial: “Masco would be very good in the Northeast Conference. They are always loaded.”

There was actually natural light in the Beverly High School gym today for this afternoon event.

Beverly box

Masco box

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Shayla Barker

Tia Bernard guarded by Paige Richardson

Jess DeLucia looks to pass

Krystal Zepaj launches a three

Mak Graves three

Mak Graves uses a Cally McSweeney screen

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Filed under Beverly, Masconomet

Tagged as Mak Graves, Morgan Bovardi, Paige Richardson

February 16, 2019 · 12:15 am

Masco avenges earlier loss downing Pentucket 56-43

Morgan Bovardi (17 points) on the move

Rebound battle

(Boxford MA) Masco coach Bob Romeo told his team afterwards, “if you play the way you did tonight you can play with anyone in Division 1 North.”

Hard to disagree after seeing his D1 Chieftains dominate Pentucket in the second half and take a 56-43 win on Friday night.

The Sachems (17-3) have the best record in Division 2 North.

Masco (15-5) lost to Pentucket in January (39-27) but played with much more poise this time around.

“We knew what this team (Pentucket) was capable of doing,” said Mak Graves (19 points) after the game. “We practiced hard to be ready for them.”

In the first meeting, Masconomet took a 17-11 lead into the second half and then stumbled through a 10-point second half.

Mak Graves (19 points) gets away from Maddie Doyle

This time around Pentucket had a 21-18 lead at halftime and it was the Chieftains pleasing the home crowd with a 38-point second half.

With the scored tied, 26-26, three minutes into the second half, Mak Graves took over. The flashy junior put a jump shot, a three (from Cally McSweeney), and two free throws together. Pentucket had just a free throw (Angelica Hurley) during this three-minute segment. Masco had separation, 33-27.

The game was far from over. Early in the 4^th quarter two free throws and a Jess Galvin three (from Maddie Doyle) had the Sachems down four, 39-35.

Later, a layup by Angelica Hurley (15 points), a free throw (Anna Wyner), and a three by Angelina Yacubacci (16 points) and Pentucket was within one possession, 44-41, with 3:50 remaining.

Angelina Yacubacci (16 points) chased by Marissa DeLucia and Sara Fogarty

On this evening, Pentucket couldn’t stay close down the stretch.

“We were outplayed in the second half,” explained Pentucket coach John McNamara. “We just didn’t have the legs to shoot the ball and defend at the end.”

Pressure games, tight games, always seem to come down to free throws in crunch time.

After an Olivia Filmore jump shot on an inbounds play started the final 3:50, the Chieftains paraded to the foul line twelve times. They made ten! “We made our free throws when we had to,” said Coach Romeo.

The Sachems had just two made free throws (in four tries) during the final 3:50.

That 14-2 finish for Masco was enough to give Pentucket a rare loss.

“Hats off to Masco,” said Coach McNamara. “They are aggressive on this court and a tough team to beat.”

Marissa DuLucia covers Angelica Hurley (15 points)

Morgan Bovardi had seventeen points for Masconomet. In the first meeting, Morgan was in foul trouble early and had a 3-point night.

Having both Mak Graves and Morgan on the court most of the night enabled the Chieftains to handle Pentucket’s non-stop pressure.

“You have to make plays against Pentucket because they play such great team defense,” said Coach Romeo. “They won’t give you anything easy.”

Coach Romeo: “Jenna DiPietro, Olivia Filmore, and Paige Richardson made important contributions in the win.”

Paige had ten points and ten rebounds.

You had to think that it might be Masco’s night when in their first-half struggle to score points they were able to bank in two 3-pointers.

“We got some breaks early when those bank-three’s went in but it was a good sign,” Coach Romeo said. “It loosened everyone up.”

In bounds play

Take those two shots away and Masco is down by nine at the half instead of three.

Both teams had surprising losses recently against teams they had defeated soundly in first meetings. For Pentucket it was Notre Dame (Hingham) and for Masco it was North Reading.

But that’s why we show up to games; you never know what will happen.

The Chieftains honored their two seniors (Sara Fogarty and Marissa DeLucia) before the game.

Pentucket box

Masco box

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Sara Fogarty

Anna Wyner in for two

Jenna DiPietro

Liv Cross

Mak Graves (19 points) gets loose

Marissa DeLucia

Morgan Bovardi (17 points) floats one up

Olivia Filmore guards Angelina Yacubacck

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Filed under Masconomet, Pentucket

Tagged as Angelica Hurley, Angelina Yacubacci, Mak Graves, Morgan Bovardi, Paige Richardson

February 1, 2019 · 11:17 pm

Masco dominates Newburyport 57-30

Mak Graves (16 points) heads to the basket after a steal

Good Masco defense

(Newburyport MA) “Stay solid on D and execute on offense.”

That’s what Masco coach Bob Romeo wanted, and he certainly got it as the Chieftains routed Newburyport, 57-30, on a chilly Friday night of Cape Ann League girls basketball.

The Clippers (8-7) scored the first basket (Meg Winn) but it was all downhill for them from there.

“They got the first hoop and went up 2-0 and I started thinking that this could be a tough night up here,” said Coach Romeo. “But we got that hoop back and had a whole bunch of stops. Once we were up, 11-2, everyone relaxed. Makayla got off to a great start.”

Paige Richardson looks to pass

Masco (12-4) had unanswered point streaks of eleven, eight, and sixteen before Coach Romeo permanently benched his starters with three minutes left in the third quarter. The Chieftains had a 49-14 lead at the time.

The first Masco run of points (eleven) answered NHS’s two-point start. A three by Mak Graves (16 points), a drive by Morgan Bovardi (16 points) and three baskets set up by Morgan sent Masco ahead, 11-2.

The second run of points (eight) happened soon after the first one. Free throws by Paige Richardson started it and that was followed by two Mak Graves drives and a Morgan Bovardi drive. This collection of points put Masco on top, 22-5, early in the second period.

Mak Graves gets an open three

Masco was able to get to the basket with ease. Lacking for the Clippers was any sort of help defense. Mak Graves hit from long distance and got to the hoop for twelve first-period points. Mak had only two points in the first meeting.

On this evening it was quickly obvious that the Clippers would have their hands full trying to defend the Clippers. Sometimes a team can score enough points to make up for it. Didn’t happen tonight!

The Newburyport offense had an even tougher night than the defense did. Anyone connected to NHS basketball may want to skip the next paragraph. Consider yourself warned!

Alex Locke (33) and Sadie Vandenberg (22) battle for control

Two free throws late in the second period by Maggie Pons put the score at, 33-14, with 1:50 left. The Clippers didn’t score for the next eight minutes of playing time (a full quarter of playing time). The visitors tallied sixteen points in a row. Morgan Bovardi had eleven of the points. The worst part of it all for Newburyport? They had thirteen turnovers during this trying time for them.

From where I was watching, most of the turnovers were bad passes in their half-court offense. The Masco defenders jumped passing lanes with great success.

The deadly combo of less-than-the-best offense/defense left Newburyport down, 49-14, with plenty of playing time remaining.

The Clippers totaled twenty-nine turnovers for the night. Masco had eight.

Olivia Filmore (24) covers Jess Rosseau (25)

“We play a team defense,” said Coach Romeo. “Everyone is helping.”

“We executed some good stuff and we had some good looks,” added Coach Romeo. “It’s that time of year. We should be executing. We’ve been in the gym for two months.”

Newburyport has two more tough games in the next six days; Amesbury and Pentucket. The games are at Newburyport. Pentucket had a two-point win over Amesbury on Tuesday. Pentucket has a win over Masco. Pentucket & Masco have a rematch this month at Masco.

Pretty impressive rendition of the National Anthem by a Newburyport freshman.

Newburyport box

Masco box

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Tie-up in the lane

Jenna DiPietro guarded by Anna Hickman

Lily Troupe to the hoop

Lucy Palmer (2) catches a lob pass beyond Sami Cavanaugh (5)

Meg Winn (14) into the lane guarded by Jess DeLucia

Meg Winn guards Mak Graves

Morgan Bovardi gets an open look

Morgan Bovardi (16 points) gets to the basket

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Filed under Masconomet, Newburyport

Tagged as Coach Bob Romeo, Mak Graves, Morgan Bovardi

January 27, 2019 · 10:30 pm

Gia Bramanti’s big final quarter leads Andover past Masco 45-41

Plenty of tough defense on display

Gia Bramanti (19 points) was huge in the final quarter for Andover

(Boxford MA) Andover’s Gia Bramanti came alive in the final four minutes and led the Warriors to a, 45-41, win over Masco on Sunday afternoon.

“Gia is a special player,” said Masco coach Bob Romeo afterwards. “Great players find ways to make big shots.”

Who could argue? The 6-1 senior shouldered the scoring load for AHS after Tatum Shaw’s 3-pointer put the Warriors close, 35-34, with 3:48 left in the non-league contest.

In the next 2+ minutes, Gia put five points on either side of a Morgan Bovardi triple and the visitors pushed ahead, 44-38, with 1:39 remaining. Masco had enough possessions thereafter to catch up, but the Andover defense wouldn’t allow it.

Gia Bramanti in the lane

“Gia made the big plays when she had to,” said Warriors’ coach Alan Hibino. “She wasn’t surprised by the moment. She wants the ball in those situations.”

Gia paced the Warriors with nineteen points. Morgan Bovardi led Masco with seventeen points.

The defense for both sides was tenacious. Open shots vanished after warmups. “Our kids played hard on defense,” said Coach Romeo. “There was nothing easy for either team. Andover is used to it every night in the Merrimack Valley Conference. We don’t see it as often in the Cape Ann League.”

Gia Bramanti turned out to be the shooting star at the end but for almost three quarters the Masco defensive combo of Marissa DeLucia and Cally McSweeney limited her to six points. But then in the final seconds of the 3^rd quarter, Gia drained her first three as the quarter ended tied at 29-29.

Shea Krekorian (2) made shooting difficult for Mak Graves (3)

This game had six ties and six lead changes.

The Chieftains (10-4) went up by seven (21-14) in the second quarter, eight (24-16) in the 3^rd, and six (35-29) early in the final quarter. Sophomore Morgan Bovardi (17 points) had a part in each of the Masco point surges.

Andover, however, was always able to put streaks of offense together and recover. They put eight straight in place in the third (two drives Taylor Landry, free throw Gia, triple Tatum Shaw) and ten unanswered in the fourth (two free throws Sarah Sullivan, triple Tatum Shaw, triple & layup Gia Bramanti).

A key to the Warriors’ win? The defensive job junior Shea Krekorian did on Masco’s top scorer, Mak Graves. Mak averages fourteen points per game and had two 3’s in the first quarter and a layup in the first two minutes of the second quarter. After that? Nothing.

“We’ve seen them (Masco) play a couple of times,” said AHS coach Alan Hibino. “Mak is the engine that makes them go. Shea Krekorian did a nice job on her.”

Morgan Bovardi (17 points) takes on three Andover defenders

The Warriors showed a zone defense in the last quarter. Normally Masco’s shooters make that into a bad idea. “Our shooters can make outside shots but Mak and Morgan need space and their defenders had length,” said Coach Romeo.

“I have no regrets on our level of effort,” added Coach Romeo. “Andover averages close to 70 points per game. Our kids played so hard on defense.”

Coach Hibino expected a tough game. “Coach Romeo reached out to us this summer to play this game. It’s nice to go out of conference and play an opponent of Masco’s caliber. Mak and Morgan are fantastic players.”

Gia Bramanti: “It was hard work out there. Masco is very good. Their two guards are definitely going to play in college if they want to.”

Hard screen

Andover’s thirteen wins give them more wins than any other team in Division 1 North. Masco, also in D1, has already qualified for the post-season. Plenty of D1 coaches in the crowd getting a look at two possible tournament opponents.

I asked Gia about her plans for next year: “I am looking to do a post-graduate year. I haven’t really decided where yet.”

Regarding her late-game heroics Gia said, “It always feels great when I can connect. It was when it really mattered. The adrenalin kicked in and I knew that I had to make a few shots.”

Taylor Landry scored ten for Andover and Tatum Shaw added eight including two 3’s.

Paige Richardson and Mak Graves each had eight for Masconomet.

Andover box

Masco box

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)