March 9, 2009 · 8:56 pm

Georgetown Girls Lose Finals to Millis – Pictures from the game

Georgetown girls coach Barri Ann Lorenzo looks on during closing minute of the Royals state finals loss to Millis at the BankNorth Garden on March 9th.

Georgetown girls coach Barri Ann Lorenzo looks on during closing minute of the Royals state finals loss to Millis at the BankNorth Garden on March 9th.

(Boston) The Georgetown Royals reached the state finals on this snowy March 9th afternoon but came away with only an appearance in the finals to show for it as they lost to Millis, 60-43.

“It was worth the trip,” said Coach Barri Ann Lorenzo afterwards in the press room.  “But it’s harder without the W at the end of the day. I am very proud of them and equally disappointed with them not in them.”

The Royals actually got off to a nice start as Taryn O’Connell nailed 3’s on her first two shots in the first 1 ½ minutes.  No one knew it then but those were half of the 12 points that G’Town’s all-time scorer would get in the game.

Georgetown, with five busloads of students cheering them on, led 10-8 after one period.  The second quarter was a different story and it was in the first 4 ½ minutes that the Mohawks took control of this game for good.  In thirteen possessions the Royals committed eight turnovers, missed two free throws, and Taryn had a shot blocked.  Meanwhile, Millis started getting production from junior Molly Breen (28 points – career high) and senior Amy Ingraham (20 points).

An Olivia Zitoli layup put Millis in front 11-10 and by the quarters end the lead was up to 29-22.  Breen had ten points in that quarter mostly on layups.

“The answer to #24 (Molly Breen) would have been help defense,” explained Coach Lorenzo.  “We had scouted Millis and knew about them.  We just didn’t defend very well.”  With just one day to practice after reaching the finals on Saturday afternoon you can understand that not only was there limited practice time but certainly a fatigue issue.  “Millis ended up with two days of practice (rest?) and we had one.”

In the third period the Royals put together of string of points (Shannon Hartford layup/Kelli O’Brien jumper/two Taryn free throws) and had narrowed things to 40-35 with 1 ½ minutes remaining.

This was where Molly took this game over.  The last eight points belonged to the 5’11” junior.  She repeatedly found her way to the basket and/or to the free throw line.  This was part of the game where that help defense vanished and when the quarter ended a mountainous 48-33 deficit was in place. 

The Royals could not dent that deficit the rest of the way and by the time the game ended every player on each roster had seen action on the BankNorth Garden floor.

That her team did so well in the tournament (won four games) did not surprise Coach Alonzo.  “I expected us to do well.” 

Georgetown had to have the vision to see the light at the end of the tunnel as they played through 15 losses during the pre-tournament season.  All those losses got them the bottom seed in Division 4 and put them in with the best area Division 4 teams early.  No problem except maybe the close one I saw versus Fenway at Greater Lawrence. 

Coach Alonzo was pleased with the fan support at the Garden.  “It was great because the girls don’t usually get the attention they deserve.”

It was ironic that the G’Town boys had a 14-6 season and had plenty of fan support.  They also were rewarded with a bye in the first round of the tournament and then ended up losing the first game they played.  Therefore, this was a year to follow the boys during the regular season and the girls in the tournament.

I had my camera handy at the Garden.  Anything that is underlined will turn into a picture if you click on it. 

Athletic director Guy Prescott and principal Peter Lucia pose before the game.

Jennifer Donovan and Kelly Gillen prepare to sing the National Anthem.

The Royals line up for the National Anthem.

The opening tip.

Assistant coach Bob Graffum looks on.

Plenty of fans from Georgetown made the trip.

The cheerleaders also performed.

Taryn O’Connell shoots a free throw with Haley Gisonno ready to rebound.

Rachel Sherman gets ready for an inbounds play.

Molly Breen puts in two of her 28 points.

Shannon Hartford studies the situation.

Michelle Reilly with Kelli O’Brien in the background.

Taryn O’Connell scans the floor late in the game.

Taryn, Haley, and Michelle watch from the bench as the game slips away.

Maria DeGenova holds the Division 4 finalist trophy.

The team lines up to receive their medals.

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March 4, 2009 · 8:43 pm

Plum Island Coffee Roasters Adds Store in Amesbury

Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) greet customers on opening day in Amesbury.

Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) greet customers on opening day in Amesbury.

They had the training to open a spa and the eye for a good location.  Toss in a talented family member and somehow it all turns into owning and operating two area coffee shops, one of which recently opened in the old Amesbury train station.

Back in 2004, Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) had finished the training required to open a spa.  But where to locate?

“Sam was taking a shortcut (in Newburyport) along the waterfront between Michael’s and the Black Cow and spotted a Space Available sign next to Hilton’s,” recalled Joyce.  “She took a look at the space, called me, and told me that she had found a space but it wasn’t for a spa.”

What Joyce found needed all the help the two of them could give it but, “It did have a little window on the water side and the light was just hitting it.”  For Joyce that clinched the idea that this was a space worth having.

The big question was, if not a spa, what should they do there?  One call that Joyce made was to her son Rob.  “He suggested that we do coffee since he was already in that business and could help.”

So began nearly nine months of renovations and the Plum Island Coffee Roasters opened on the Newburyport waterfront on March 1, 2005.  “Sam lived on Plum Island for a long time and loved it there so that’s where that part of the name came from,” Joyce told me.

Now nearly four years later they have opened up a second Plum Island Coffee Roasters.

Why a second one?  “Our spot on the Newburyport waterfront is tenuous, at best,” explained Joyce.  Billionaire Stephen Karp now owns the waterfront property and his plans are a mystery.  “We do know that our building will be the first one to come down.”

Concern for their future led Joyce/Sam to Amesbury and the former J Bucks Expresso and Wine Bar (address is Elm Street but the front door faces Water Street).  “We started renting in December 2008 and were pleased by how little needed to be done before we opened,” said Joyce.

Again, son Rob was involved.  He is the president and founder of a company called, Coffee Solutions. A check of their website will quickly reveal the expertise he brings.  Let me put his expertise another way, try to imagine having Bill Belichick available to help you draft and manage your 2009 fantasy football team!  “We’re the only people he actually roasts for,” said his mom.  “It gives us a real niche as far as what we get in quality.”

The shop opened in late February and its hours are currently 6:30AM – 6PM.  Joyce/Sam hope to have a liquor license in two or three months and then the hours will expand.

“During the daytime we’ll be a coffee house like the one in Newburyport,” said Sam. 

For the coffee connoisseur 23 different coffees are available.  “Even if we’re not brewing what they want they can get their coffee here in a French press,” said Joyce. “We’ll make it for them.”

“We’re sure that the average coffee drinker will like our light roast,” added Joyce.

“At night we’ll become more of a wine bar,” Sam explained.  “This will be an on-your-way-home place and provide the alternative to a big meal.”

“We have put together an impressive staff,” said Sam.  “We had fifty people come to an open interview.  The core of five that we hired all has restaurant experience.”

A cozy setting, skilled staff, and a variety of coffee flavors await visitors to Amesbury’s Plum Island Coffee Roasters.

( Prepared to appear in The Town Common on March 11th. )

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February 27, 2009 · 6:35 pm

Whose Fault is that 292-Foot Wind Turbine??

A 292-foot wind turbine, that only a visually-impaired environmentalist could love, looms large over Route One in Newburyport.

A 292-foot wind turbine, that only a visually-impaired environmentalist could love, looms large over Route One in Newburyport.

That 292-foot high wind turbine is quite a sight, isn’t it? Try NOT looking at it when you ride along Route One in Newburyport.

The Current hit the target when they referred to it as, “A 292-foot mistake,” on their February 27th editorial page.

But whose mistake was it?  The editorial leaves the impression that Mark Richey and his “experts” tricked the city council.  We’re to believe that these experts, employed by the wind turbine proponents, minimized the negatives and our city council didn’t catch on.  Are our councilors that naiveté? I don’t think so.

In my opinion, Newburyport is a community in which the care of the environment is very important.  When someone comes along with an idea that seems to head in that direction the resistance loses ground.

Mark Richey’s wind turbine was just such an idea.  The advocates touted its environmental positives and discovered that in this town they were preaching to the choir.  The disorganized opponents were dismissed as over-reacting and not able to see the big picture.

Well, now the wind turbine is in place.  One look tells you that it is a monstrosity and the happy environmentalist chatter will not change that.  Instead of admitting their complicity in the decision to allow the tower, the city council cowardly attempts to slide the blame elsewhere.

I suspect that many of the most ardent, “environment first – people second” advocates, do not have the wind turbine in their sight lines.  They assume that those that do will get used to it for the greater good of the community. 

When Senator Ted Kennedy was alerted to the fact that speck-sized wind turbines would be built off Hyannis, the champion of alternative and renewable energy lost the fire in his belly and made sure they weren’t built.  What is a hypocrite?

I believe that the “environment first – people second” crowd in Newburyport have given us a wonderful example of what their views look like in real life.  When they start trying to “walk their talk”, in the future, it is time to remember their 292-foot mistake.

(Prepared as a letter to the editor for the Newburyport Current on February 27th.)

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February 23, 2009 · 7:53 pm

Top Honors Go To Newburyport Indoor Track Team

Newburyport indoor track coach Tim Foley with Caroline Barnaby and Kyle LeBlanc.

Newburyport indoor track coach Tim Foley with Caroline Barnaby and Kyle LeBlanc.

The Newburyport indoor track team swept all of the “of-the-year” awards in the Cape Ann League Small division this season.

Newburyport coach Tim Foley was selected top coach in both girls and boys divisions while team members Caroline Barnaby and Kyle LeBlanc were the female and male athletes of the year.

Tim Foley started the indoor program at Newburyport with Don Hennigar in 1995.  “The AD at the time (Dave Canaan) informed us that there might be funding for an indoor program,” he told me. “It was something that Don (cross country coach) and I (outdoor track coach) had wanted to put in place for some time.”

Starting the program was one thing, actually operating it was quite another.  “It is pretty much the same throughout the Cape Ann League with everyone having facility stories to tell,” he joked.  “In the past years, we’ve used the Salvation Army, the Army Corps of Engineers building, Hope Church, and last year a warehouse.  This was the first year we used the high school.  It’s small but at least it’s in the actual school building.”

Despite what has to be considered inconveniences, the program has thrived, especially this season. The two teams only lost once within the CAL Small division.  “Our captains did a great job of recruiting and we had over forty kids involved,” he added.  “We find ways to make our time together fun and I think we have succeeded.”

It certainly helped the Clipper indoor track team to have talented performers like Caroline and Kyle on the squad.

Caroline has been with the track program for four years and although she specializes in the high jump (tied for the NHS record at 5’2”) her value to the team is a result of her, “versatility,” according to Coach Foley.

“When I was a freshman Coach Foley set up the high jump bar and asked some of us to try it just to see what we could do,” Caroline recalled.  “I kind of flew over 4’10” without any training and he decided that I should specialize in that event.”  Later she would add the 55-meter dash, hurdles, and relays to her event list.

Coach Foley knew about junior Kyle LeBlanc after watching him run track at the Nock Middle School.  “The first time I saw him run I knew he was a keeper.  He was that much better than anyone else.”

“Kyle has been undefeated in the 55-meter dash the last two seasons in the CAL and is the NHS record holder in the event,” said Coach Foley.  “He has been our best long jumper and also runs on a variety of relay teams.”

“The CAL track coaches nominate people for the end-of-the-year awards and provide statistics,” he said.  “Sometimes the final decision is hard to figure. Not this time. Kyle won the award easily.”

Kyle took up indoor track at the high school on the encouragement of some of his older friends.  “I had always played basketball in the winter,” he said.  “I came out for track and had a good season and really enjoyed it.”

Kyle told me that initially he thought that track might conflict with his first love – baseball.  “It has been just the opposite,” he explained.  “One of my biggest assets in baseball is my speed.  The training I’ve gotten in track has improved my running form and increased my overall speed.”

Coach Foley described Kyle as a “top-shelf kid.”  “He’s got a lot of things going for him.  He scored 12-14 touchdowns for the football team.  He’s the number one track athlete we have and he’s even better in baseball.  He’s also a top student.”

( Prepared for The Town Common for publication March 4th. )

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February 14, 2009 · 1:37 pm

Triton Wrestling “Rebuilds” to 20-4 Season

Triton westling team with Coach Shawn McElligott at the top left

Triton westling team with Coach Shawn McElligott at the top left

Somewhere before the 2008-09 season it was decided that this would be a “rebuilding” year for Triton’s wrestling team.

Now that the team has finished the regular season at 20-4, you have to wonder what folks were missing before the season started.

“I think the rebuilding idea came from our lack of experience,” was how Coach Shawn McElligott explained it to me before practice recently. “Only one of last year’s starters had gone to the state tournament. We did have a lot of guys back, however, who had earned varsity letters.”

The Vikings ended up finishing second in the Cape Ann League regular season and third in the recent Cape Ann League Open held at Triton.

A key to this team’s success has been the commitment team members have made. “You can’t be a three-month wrestler anymore and be successful,” he explained. “It is practically a year round sport. A lot of guys put in the extra work and it’s paying off now.”

Two of the top wrestlers on the team, junior brothers Danny (three year starter) and Joey Chandler (CAL All-League team), do a lot of wrestling in the off-season in a program at The Barn in Danville, New Hampshire.

“Another place that kids go to extend their wrestling is the North Shore Wrestling Club in Ipswich which is run by the Georgetown wrestling coach,” added Shawn now in his 11th season.

Coach McElligott explained to me that the programs away from high school are similar to AAU in basketball. “There is a group called USA Wrestling,” he said. “They start as early as March and they sponsor tournaments. Joey Chandler went down to Virginia for a national qualifier as part of it.”

Other key performers Coach McElligott mentioned are Colton Blanchette (CAL All-Star), Cody Miller (30 wins), and Brendan O’Neill (11-0 going into this past weekend).

Coach McElligott attended Triton (1990-93) and wrestled for four years when Con Madigan was coach. He then went on to Norwich University where he did club wrestling.

He returned to Triton in 1997 as an assistant wrestling coach. “We had about 12 or 13 wrestlers that year,” he recalled. “When I became head coach the next year the push was to improve the numbers. We got about 20 involved the first year and since then the average has been between 30 and 40.”

There are 14 starters in a meet, so I asked what keeps the rest of the team going. “We are on the lookout for other tournaments. St. John’s Prep, for one, has a JV tournament. I also rotate the lineup quite a bit.”

Coach McElligott believes that Triton’s wrestling program suffers from under-exposure. “We’re better known elsewhere then we are in this area,” he said. “We have the best program history-wise in the school. Look at the banners.” He was referring to the Vikings being state runner-ups in 1976 and 1983, state champs in 1984, and Division 3 North runner-ups in 2005 to prove his point.

There’s little doubt that when it comes to high school wrestling, Coach Dave Castricone of North Andover runs the most successful wrestling program in the area if not in New England with over 600 wins and 29 league titles to his credit. It is interesting that the second stop in Dave’s coaching career, after Masco, was at Triton where he won the state championship in 1984.

“North Andover was here for the CAL Open the other day and we did something special for Coach Castricone,” said Coach McElligott. “We fixed up the plaques from the 1983 and 1984 seasons and showed him our new banners for those accomplishments and he appreciated it.”

(Prepared for The Town Common.)

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February 14, 2009 · 12:57 pm

Museum Studies Class at Triton Searches for Answers and Help

Matt Denaro,Kathleen Corcoran,Kristin Kelleher,Molly Lovell, Andrea Sargent

Triton Museum Studies participants left to right: Matt Denaro,Kathleen Corcoran,Kristin Kelleher,Molly Lovell, Andrea Sargent

978-462-8171 (extension 514) is an important phone number as far as a class of students attending Triton Regional High School is concerned. 

If you have information on the opening of Triton in 1973, the students want to hear from you.  If you’ve got answers, they’ve got questions!

We all have our own way of visiting museums.  Most of us walk in the front door, wander around guided, or unguided, and tour the exhibits possibly offering a few “oohs” and “ahs” along the way. Then we walk back out the front door and return to our normal lives.

At Triton High School, a full-year elective course called, Museum Studies, looks at museums more thoroughly.

Led by Triton media specialist Andrea Sargent, Museum Studies gets into the inner workings of museums and explores what goes on behind-the-scenes. 

Wisely, Triton has program coordinator Kathleen Corcoran on board from Historic New England of Boston in what is a museum/school partnership.

Historic New England has the largest collection of New England art and artifacts in the United States.  They also own and operate 36 house museums in New England, four of which are located in Newbury.  The Museum Studies class has visited several of the Newbury sites to find out how they operate.

“I have worked with Kathleen and Historic New England before and they do a wonderful job,” said Andrea.

The first part of the course involved gathering knowledge about museums. The second part, which is now underway, is where the students will be using their acquired knowledge to create an exhibit featuring the towns within the Triton school district – Rowley, Newbury, and Salisbury.

Remember that phone number I mentioned in the first paragraph?  This is where it kicks in……….and you may be able to help.

The students in the course have decided on the time period they will use.  It will start the year Triton opened (1973) and end with the present.  Each of the students has one town to work on.

When the exhibit is finished at the end of the school year, an observer will be able to see an exhibit that highlights the past 36 years in Salisbury, Rowley, and Newbury.

Gathering information on recent times in the three towns is the easiest part.  It’s the earliest Triton days that they want help on. 

Some of you were part of the planning that brought the three towns into one district. Some of you were at Triton when it opened.  What are your memories?  Do you have some pictures and stories that the students could use?  The number to call is still in the first paragraph.

“I have started to interview people about Newbury and they’ve been very helpful,” said junior Kristin Kelleher, one of the class members.

Senior Molly Lovell (choice student from Amesbury) is covering Salisbury and wants the exhibit produced to make Triton look good.  “This is a very good school system and others need to know that. I am thankful for the opportunity to take this course and for the great support I’ve been getting from the staff.”

Another senior, Matt Denaro of Rowley, will be working on the town he lives in. Matt told me that a clear portrayal of the three district towns could benefit incoming students.  “Many of the students enter Triton knowing little about the other two towns.”

“It’s exciting to watch the way they go about this research part,” added Andrea Sargent.  “I think that they have a good vision of what they want to do.”

The road ahead will be a busy one for the course members as they search for exhibit materials.  If you have materials/information that could help them, they would appreciate hearing from you.

(Prepared for The Town Common.)

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February 5, 2009 · 4:22 pm

Ipswich Steelers’ Fan Has Super Birthday

John Yeannakopoulos - on hand for sixth Pittsburgh Super Bowl victory

John Yeannakopoulos - on hand for sixth Pittsburgh Super Bowl victory

John Yeannakopoulos of Ipswich responded to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and attended Super Bowl XLIII with his sister Denise (DeFrancesco) of Rowley in Tampa on February 1st.

“I was a Patriots fan until the 1970s when the black-and-gold of the Pittsburgh Steelers caught my eye,” he said.  “It’s been Pittsburgh ever since.”

The decision of the former Ipswich middle school teacher to go to the Super Bowl was last minute to say the least.  “My sister was talking about going to the game in mid-January but I didn’t think it was a good idea,” he recalled.  “However, a week later I was riding to a basketball game with a friend of mine and he urged me to take advantage of the opportunity.  I decided right then to see if my sister still wanted to go and if she could still make the arrangements.  She quickly put things together, as far as flights and tickets were concerned, and we headed to Tampa on Saturday.”

And what an exciting sporting event they witnessed.  They saw firsthand an end-of-the-game, 88-yard drive climaxed by Santonio Holmes’ miracle catch that gave their Steelers a thrilling win over the Arizona Cardinals, 27-24.

John reported that the crowd was overwhelmingly for Pittsburgh and the Steelers trademark Terrible Towels were everywhere outside and inside the stadium.  “The Cardinals were probably outnumbered 12-to-1.  Chants of ‘Here we go, Steelers,’ carried around the stadium before and during the game and every time a Steeler was shown on the jumbotron the fans would go nuts.”

The only time that noise let up, and became “stunned silence,” was when Arizona took the lead with under three minutes to play.  “We still were cautiously optimistic that a comeback would happen because (Steelers quarterback) Ben Roethlisberger had won games at the end during the season,” he added.

“When the game was over and we had won, my sister let everyone around us know that today (February 1st) was my birthday,” he said.  “One of the people nearby said that the Steelers had won because it was my birthday.”

John told me that Bruce Springsteen’s halftime show was spectacular even though The Boss didn’t do a favorite of his – “Born In The USA,” 

John said he learned that the so-called crowd that gathered around the stage was brought in from outside the stadium and had been recruited and prepped during the week.  “Once the show was over they were rushed out of the stadium.”

As good as The Boss was, John liked the pregame show of the active Bethune-Cookman marching band from Daytona Beach even better.  “They were absolutely phenomenal and the crowd loved them.”

John and Denise sat with other folks from away from the Pittsburgh area who supported the team.  “We had a family from California on one side and one from Buffalo on the other.  There are Steelers’ fans everywhere in the country.”

This makes six Super Bowl titles for the Steelers out of the forty-three that have been played.  “They renamed Pittsburgh, “Sixthburgh,” for the week after the win,” he told me.

Next year the Super Bowl will be in Miami on February 7th.  Will he attend?  “It’s not on my birthday, but if I’ve got a horse in the race, who knows?”

(Prepared for inclusion in The Town Common on February 11th.)

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February 2, 2009 · 7:51 pm

Rush to Rush’s Defense

Rush Limbaugh - Riles up Newburyport Current writer

Rush Limbaugh - Riles up Newburyport Current writer

No question the man gets under people’s skin.  I’m writing about Rush Limbaugh.

Mr. John Burciaga in the Newburyport Current (“Rush to Judgment” – January 30th)) took the bait and set out in his article to convince us that Rush is a “bad joke,” an embarrassment to his family, a “demagogue,” and a lot like a despicable priest named Father Coughlin. 

Other than that John is crazy about Rush and listens regularly from noon to three each weekday afternoon!  Probably not, on any of that!

I think what set John off was finding Rush’s recent quote, “I hope he fails.” Unconcerned about the context the quote came in, John, like numerous other Lefties, concluded that Rush wanted the country to fail. 

“I hope he fails,” and, “I hope the country fails,” are not the same thing. However, if “he” refers to some sort of king that folks have the audacity to hope can solve everything, then I can see the problem.  Would an Obama bumper sticker indicate people of that ditto-head mentality?

John must know that millions of people don’t want President Obama’s programs to become a reality.  They want him to fail when he attempts to get them through Congress.  That is what, “I hope he fails,” is all about.  I’m surprised he couldn’t figure it out.

John suggests that Rush will fade away during the Obama administration but he’s mistaken, in my opinion.  On the air since 1988, Rush has thrived (20 million listeners) whether Democrats or Republicans are in power. 

President Obama has unintentionally done nearly everything possible to build Rush’s audience after less than a month in power.  Talk radio audience stimulators are served up on a daily basis.  Who isn’t thinking about tax returns now and who isn’t aware that the president has nominated, and defended later, an assortment of tax cheats?

Here is a quote from Rush in the New York Post on the, “I-hope-he-fails,” furor:  “Remember, the Left needs a villain, a demon, to advance their agenda.  They cannot win a single argument in the arena of ideas, so they have to try to destroy the credibility and reputation of the person they feel most threatened by.  In that sense, I guess I have taken the place of President Bush.”

Maybe next time John will enter that “arena of ideas,” and come to Obama’s defense.  I would like to read his defense of Obama’s inclusion of known tax cheats in his administration.

(Prepared as a letter-to-the-editor of the Newburyport Current.)

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January 31, 2009 · 12:29 pm

Taryn O’Connell: Worthy of Notice

Georgetown coach BarriAnn Lorenzo with star senior Taryn O'Connell

Georgetown coach BarriAnn Lorenzo with star senior Taryn O'Connell

Taryn O’Connell not only plays under the basket but also “plays under the radar,” according to her basketball coach at Georgetown High School, BarriAnn Lorenzo. 

“In a league with big schools like Masco, North Andover, and Ipswich not much attention is paid to little Georgetown and Taryn O’Connell,” claimed Coach Lorenzo.

The neglect seems unfair since the Royals’ senior has been a four-year starter, has reached 1000 points, and is closing in on an even more impressive stat – 1000 rebounds. 

She is currently in the 900s in rebounds and her 12 per game average could get her to that 1000 mark by the end of this season.  That would put Taryn into the exclusive career quadruple/quadruple club that Ipswich High (UMaine recruit) Amber Smith just entered on January 27th. 

“When you stop and realize that rebounds only come one at a time and points can accumulate one, two, or three at a time you see how significant the 1000 rebound mark is,” explained Coach Alonzo.

Coach Alonzo has coached Taryn for four years.  “She is great at deflecting attention away from herself,” said the coach.  “For us, she is a leader off the court and the stat leader in all the categories on the court.”

Joining the varsity as a freshman, Taryn had ten points and eleven rebounds in her first game.  “I was 5-7 and the taller girls had graduated so I played right away,” said Taryn, recalling the start of a career packed with big numbers.

Those big numbers, through ten games this season, have Taryn with 47 (That’s not a typo!) double/doubles.

You would like to think that there was a highlight game somewhere in that run but Coach Alonzo couldn’t think of one.  “Taryn is always so consistent for us in points (20+ per game) and rebounds (12+ per game) that her numbers don’t fluctuate very much. Her reliability is her trademark.”

Taryn was quick to credit her parents with helping her get ahead in basketball. “My mom offered me the option in 5th grade of joining an AAU team,” she said.  “I accepted and when I started practicing those extra sessions I developed a love for the game.”

She added that her dad was her rebounder when she practiced at night in the summer in the backyard.  “He even landscaped the backyard so that we have a flat surface and put up a nice, glass backboard.”

The Royals qualified for the state tournament last season and hope to again this year despite a possible losing record.  “There is something called the Sullivan Rule,” explained Coach Alonzo. “If 70% of your schedule is against teams from higher divisions then you only have to win 50% of the games with the teams of your division size that you play against.  If we can defeat either Manchester-Essex or Rockport in upcoming games we’ll qualify.”

Next year Taryn expects to be playing basketball in college.  “I’ve been accepted at WPI and I’m waiting to hear from Hobart and Bates,” she said.  “I have talked with the coaches at those places about basketball so there could be opportunities for me.” 

“Taryn started in the post but when she stopped growing taller she realized that she needed to improve her ball-handling and outside shooting if she was going to play in college,” said Coach Lorenzo.  “With hard work she has developed into a 3-point shooter and sometimes will bring the ball up for us.”

Coach Alonzo started an email to me by saying, “I can’t wait to brag about Taryn.”  Now I know why.

(Prepared to appear in The Town Common on February 11th.)

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January 24, 2009 · 12:09 pm

Two Sets of Sisters Add Confusion to Amesbury Basketball Team

Dana and Deryn Zahoruiko with teammates Meaghan and Morgan Sydlowski

Dana and Deryn Zahoruiko with teammates Meaghan and Morgan Sydlowski

Are you called by the wrong first name regularly? 

It might happen if you have same-sex siblings close to you in age or if you look like other siblings in your family.

Some parents increase the odds considerably by giving, close-in-age, same-sex siblings, names that start with the same first letter.

Consider the Zahoruiko’s and the Sydlowski’s on the Amesbury girls’ basketball team.  There’s junior Dana Zahoruiko and sophomore Deryn Zahoruiko.  A further look turns up junior Meaghan Sydlowski and freshman Morgan Sydlowski.

The included picture of the four of them suggests to me that the confusion over their names doesn’t have to do with visual similarities.  It’s the names themselves.

I chatted with AHS coach Chris Perry now in his 19th season about the possible confusion over the names in a recent interview.

“With these two families you have to take things one step further,” he said.  “The Zahoruiko’s have an 8th grade sister (Delane) while the Sydlowski’s have a sister (Mollie) who just graduated. Mollie was on the varsity last year.”

That makes three “D’s” for the Zahoruiko’s and three “M’s” for the Sydlowski’s.

Coach Perry told me that he was raised in a family with first-name, first-letter similarity.  “My father’s name was Charles.  I had three brothers and a sister and everyone’s name started with a “C” except for one brother who was named, “Mark.”  Both of my parents are gone now and I never got an explanation for why my brother Mark didn’t get a name starting with “C.”

Chris added that he used to mix up the names of his own three daughters when they were very young.  “It happened all the time,” he laughed.  “I started calling them “1,” “2,” and “3.”  My wife didn’t like that and shut that down right away.”

Being called by the wrong name was something that the Zahoruiko and Sydlowski sisters are quite familiar with.  “It happens all the time at home,” said Dana.  Meaghan added that for them it happens, “at home and at school.”

Deryn told me that being on the same team with her sister was good.  “On the court we work pretty well together.”  Off the court?  Those of you with siblings can imagine what your answer would have been when served up a setup question like that.

Coach Perry called the Zahoruiko sisters, “basketball junkies.”  In the spring, they’re on an AAU team that practices three times a week and plays four-six tournament games on weekends.

For the Sydlowski sisters, this is the first time for both of them on the varsity.  “We help each other out because we’re just getting used to the varsity level of play,” said Meaghan. “We also play the same position.” 

Freshman Morgan said that she and Meaghan discuss basketball at home.  “She helps me figure out the plays.”

How do they respond when called by the last name?  Meaghan seemed to best summarize it best – “If they’re looking at you when they say the name, then you guess that they’re talking to you and you just respond as if they had the right name.”

Coach Perry teaches physical education at the Amesbury Middle School.  “My confusion with names usually happens there.  By the time I have players on teams at the high school I already know them.” 

Did that keep him from getting confused with the first names of the Zahoruiko’s or the Sydlowski’s?  “I mix them up sometimes,” he admitted, a point that the sisters confirmed with a smile when I interviewed them earlier.

(Should appear in The Town Common on February 4th.)

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