McClelland Miscellanea

December 28, 2021 · 1:56 am

Rockland holds off Masco 48-45

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(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.

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

December 18, 2021 · 12:55 am

Manchester-Essex holds off Amesbury 53-51

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Brennan Twombly (18 points) surrounded by Amesbury defenders

(Amesbury MA) “It was hard to defend them early,” said Manchester-Essex junior Brennan Twombly afterwards.

Amesbury jumped out to a 9-0 lead, and it looked like a long night for the Hornets.

But the Indians cooled off and ME took the lead for good three minutes into the fourth quarter.

The final was Manchester-Essex 53, Amesbury 51.

This was a one-possession game for the last three minutes, but Amesbury couldn’t put a stop together with points.

“It was our first game,” said Amesbury coach Tom Comeau post-game. “We’ll get better.

Matt Welch (22 points) led all scorers.

The Indians raced out with scores from four different starters (Cam Keliher, Rocco Kokinacis, Max LaPointe, Matt Welch) and had their student section roaring with each possession.

“Amesbury stuck it to us a little bit in the beginning,” said ME coach Tim St. Laurent afterwards.

“We had a lot of success against Newburyport in the zone,” added Coach St. Laurent, “but tonight we made a good adjustment to man-to-man and rebounded.”

The Indians kept on putting up points, however, and led, 26-13, 3+ minutes into the second quarter.

Key moment was Matt Welch getting his third foul at that point and sitting out the remainder of the second quarter.

While Matt sat, the Hornets reeled off nine straight points. The contributors were; Patrick Cronin, Brennan Twombly, Cade Furse, and Sam Athanas.

The Amesbury lead was reduced to 28-24 at halftime.

Rocco Kokinacis surrounded by Hornets defenders

Both teams had plenty to get excited about in the third quarter. There were five lead changes. Matt Welch and Cam Keliher (17 points) carried the Indians.

“They (Amesbury) have two guys who can really score,” said Coach St. Laurent.

The Hornets were led by Brennan Twombly (18 points) and Cade Furse (15 points).

Amesbury took a, 38-35, lead into the final two minutes of the third quarter.

Manchester-Essex took over from there running nine unanswered points. A Sam Athanas triple ended the streak of consecutive offense with the Hornets now ahead, 44-38, three minutes into the final quarter.

Amesbury was unable to recover.

“I think we got a little tired in the second half,” said AHS coach Tom Comeau. “We didn’t rebound as well.”

“It was great team defense that won this game for us,” said ME coach Tim St. Laurent. “We defended the ball.”

“We came out with more energy after those first couple of minutes,” recalled Brennan Twombly.

Patrick Cronin (10 points) was the third Hornet in double figures.

Endicott commit Cam Keliher made a three to start the game and closed a game with a fall-away three that put him into the Amesbury student section.

Cam had Sam Athanas on him most of the game and found very little open space.

“Cam knows that the teams we face will try to find ways to stop him,” said Coach Comeau.

Returning Hornets starter AJ Pallazola was not in uniform. He told me pre-game that he was injured playing football and that it would be several weeks before he would be playing basketball. He also told me that he hadn’t made a college choice yet.

That the Hornets could defeat both Newburyport and Amesbury without AJ in their lineup suggests that they should have a very good season.

Manchester-Essex 10 14 15 14 = 53

Amesbury 18 10 10 13 = 51

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

Brennan Twombly (18 points) at the line late in the game

Matt Welch (22 points) gets off a shot near the basket

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Tagged as Brennan Twombly, Cade Furse, Cam Keliher, Coach Tim St. Laurent, Matt Welch, Patrick Cronin

December 16, 2021 · 1:18 am

Triton recovers to defeat Saugus 43-39

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(Byfield MA) Two nights ago Triton started out, 13-0, against Swampscott on the road and ended up losing, 40-39, in overtime.

No resemblance to that game tonight against Saugus.

The Vikings were the ones doing the early trailing tonight (by as many as twelve in the second quarter) but at the end they had a satisfying, 43-39, win in their home opener.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” said Triton coach Bryan Shields afterwards. “They made one early and we made a run late.”

The Vikings (1-1) pulled ahead of Saugus, 29-27, early in the final quarter on a rebound basket by Lia Hatheway.

Credit the Sachems (0-1), they stayed around on a clutch three by Ashleen Escobar and a layup by Fallon Millerick.

The teams were tied, 35-35, with 2 ½ minutes left.

The Vikings took the W by getting the next six points.

Free throws were crucial in closing time. Maeve Heffernan and Isabella Basile had one each and Caitlin Frary hit two. Liv Kiricoples turned an offensive rebound into a basket.

Meanwhile, things weren’t going as well for Saugus. During those same two minutes, the Sachems missed the front end of three straight one-and-one’s. Ouch!

Kendall Liebert and Caitlin Frary paced Triton with eleven points each.

Eighth grader Peyton DiBiasio was the scoring leader for Saugus with twelve points including two 3’s.

Triton struggled mightily throughout most of the first half. Saugus pressure led to plenty of traveling calls and bad passes. The Vikings had sixteen turnovers (by my count) in just the first quarter!

“We started off a little shaky,” said Triton senior captain Maeve Heffernan post-game.

Saugus took advantage, riding three’s by April Aldred and Ashleen Escobar to run off twelve straight points and gain a, 12-2, lead with 2:20 to go in the first quarter.

Two free throws and a layin by Kendall Liebert followed but Triton’s struggles didn’t end. For almost all of the next eight minutes of playing time, stretching well into the second quarter, the Vikings didn’t score a point and the turnovers continued.

Saugus had a great chance to gain some significant separation but didn’t. The Vikings defense began to have an effect. Triton’s zone forced Saugus to rely on outside shots and there were very few offensive rebounds for the visitors.

“Triton was tough,” said Saugus coach Mark Schruender afterwards. “Their zone was good. They have great length.”

“We like to play physical,” said Maeve Heffernan. “There will be fouls because we’re pressing.”

Triton was a different team in the second half.

“We captured the momentum late in the second quarter,” recalled Coach Shields. “It was about sticking in. It was a team effort.”

The Vikings reduced their turnovers and used their size advantage to score on the inside or get to the foul line.

Triton had twenty-three turnovers in the first half but only six in the entire second half.

“As the game went on, we found ways to break through their defense,” said Caitlin Frary. “We found the pockets and got our shots up.”

The Vikings put a five-point spurt together in the closing minute of the third quarter (Maeve Heffernan 3-pointer, and two Caitlin Frary free throws) to finally catch Saugus, 27-27.

The Sachems did regain the lead (30-29) on a Samantha Shea free throw and there were two ties after that. But crunch time belonged to the home team.

“You try not to let the closeness of the game get into your head,” said Kendall Liebert regarding the closing minutes. “I’m glad we pushed through it. We’re a good team. We work well together.”

“We had our seniors back in at the end and they closed the game,” said Coach Shields. “Molly (Kimball) had a huge block for us.”

Eighth grader Peyton DiBiasio was the game’s top scorer. “She’s a tough kid,” said Coach Schruender. “Peyton said she wasn’t nervous. She liked the moment.”

“You expect the fouls and turnovers in December,” added Coach Schruender. “At this point, the kids are more athletes than basketball players.”

Coach Schruender got a technical called on him when he put the wrong number in the scorebook. “That’s inexcusable,” he said. What probably hurt more was that Triton’s Kendall Liebert made both free throws.

Coach Schruender’s brother Ted coaches the Triton boys’ basketball team and was at tonight’s game. “I’m sure my brother will have lots of notes for me,” said Coach Schruender laughing.

Triton 6 7 14 16 = 43

Saugus 12 9 6 12 = 39

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

Caitlin Frary shoots a free throw late in the game

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Tagged as Caitlin Frary, Coach Bryan Schields, Coach Mark Schruender, Kendall Liebert, Maeve Heffernan, Molly Kimball, Peyton DiBiasio

December 15, 2021 · 1:07 am

Newburyport defeats Manchester-Essex 53-26

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Plenty of pressure applied by the Clippers

(Newburyport MA) Don’t let the final score fool you.

The final was Newburyport 53, Manchester-Essex 26.

But the Hornets were more than holding their own into the second half.

In fact, the visitors were ahead, 22-21, 2 ½ minutes into the second half.

But the one constant was the Newburyport pressure defense. In the second half, that defense created points in bunches and ME couldn’t keep up.

“We had a great first half,” said ME coach Lauren Dubois afterwards, “and we handled their pressure better.”

“We struggled, however, against it in the second half,” she added. “Newburyport picked up the intensity and we ran out of gas a little bit.”

MaKenna Ward stole the ball and went the full length of the court to give the Clippers the lead for good, 23-22, in the second half.

After that the non-stop pressure set up a steady flow of productive possessions for Newburyport.

“When we play our defense,” said MaKenna Ward, “we get steals and we run.”

Olivia Foley and MaKenna Ward turn up the defensive pressure

“We work on a lot of different defenses,” added MaKenna.

In the first half, the Clippers were primarily man-to-man and while they created twenty turnovers (by my count) those turnovers weren’t leading to a flow of points.

In the second half, the double-teams started. Makenna Ward, Deirdre McElhinney, and Olivia McDonald swarmed the Hornets’ ballhandlers into miscues. In the second half, the takeaways often turned into points.

“Our team is fast,” said MaKenna. “When we push, we score the most.”

Newburyport’s Emma Foley (14 points) had all of those points in the second half.

“We held them to six points in the second half,” said Clippers coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “That was the difference.”

Coach Grutchfield couldn’t help but reflect on her team’s first half: “It was frustrating. We missed a lot of layups and free throws.”

“But,” she added, “we overcame the first-half adversity and I think we can enjoy our play in the second half.”

One thing that both coaches could agree on was the impressive game that ME’s Emma Fitzgerald had.

Coach Dubois: “Emma brings intensity. She’s a great leader. She battles hard on every possession.”

Coach Grutchfield: “We had trouble with #3 (Emma Fitzgerald). She’s a very good player.”

Emma led all scorers with sixteen points. She tallied all of ME’s second-half points.

MaKenna Ward and Deirdre McElhinney both had thirteen points for Newburyport.

This was a game played almost entirely on the inside. No three’s were made and very few were attempted.

When Newburyport went into organized offense, they were intent on getting the ball inside to Emma Foley. That strategy was the key to Emma’s productive second half.

This was the season opener for both squads.

Free throw shooting was an adventure for both teams. They combined to miss twenty-five freebies. ME was 10/25 while Newburyport was 13/23.

Coach Dubois: “Newburyport is a great team with a lot of experienced players back.”

Coach Grutchfield: “The win was nice, but we all have a lot of improving to do.”

MaKenna Ward: “I think that we were a little bit scared in the first half and not playing our best defense.”

Newburyport 11 – 8 – 17 – 17 = 53

Manchester-Essex 9 – 11 – 4 – 2 = 26

The Clippers scored the last fifteen points of the game.

(All of the pictures will enlarge if you click on them.)

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Tagged as Coach Karen Grutchfield, Coach Lauren Dubois, Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Fitzgerald, Emma Foley, MaKenna Ward

December 11, 2021 · 1:18 am

Niya Morgen and Yirsy Queliz guide St. Mary’s past Pentucket 59-37

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(West Newbury MA) St. Mary’s got better as the game went along defeating Pentucket, 59-37, on Friday night.

The Spartans junior guards (Yirsy Queliz and Niya Morgen) were a game-long problem for Pentucket in their season opener.

“They might have the best backcourt in the state,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara afterwards.

Niya had seven three’s in twenty-seven points while Yirsy added eighteen points.

Action in front of the Pentucket student section

The points were one thing, but the defense and court-sense of both players was noticeable.

“Our guard play eventually took the game over,” explained Spartans coach Jeff Newhall post-game.

“They’re good friends,” added Coach Newhall. “They play AAU together. They are used to playing together. There is no weakness in their games.”

The Pentucket student section was in place as was an ever-playing band. There was a playoff-game atmosphere.

The Sachems started well, and even had a 6-2 lead, as St. Mary’s tried to settle in.

But as time went on, it became apparent that Pentucket was going to have trouble scoring and that St. Mary’s wouldn’t.

Yirsy Queliz created a turnover with seconds left in the first quarter and cashed it in to give the visitors their first lead, 9-7. They would build on that lead the rest of the game.

Niya Morgen carried St. Mary’s in the second and third quarters. The Swampscott transfer drained six three’s in those quarters.

One of Niya’s three-pointers was a step-back three.

“Niya made some big shots to keep us alive,” said Coach Newhall.

The Spartans extended a 24-18 halftime lead to 41-28 after three quarters.

The Pentucket problem wasn’t a lack of shots. The issue was making some shots.

“We had some good looks,” said Coach McNamara, “but against a good team you have to make shots. The defense can only hold on for so long.”

Abby Dube paced Pentucket with fifteen points. Gabby Bellacqua added eleven points mostly on free throws.

This game was an endowment game so it will have no effect on tournament standings.

“We haven’t played Pentucket in ten years,” said Coach Newhall. “The last time was in 2011 when we beat them in the Division 3 North semi-finals and went on to win our first state championship. Before that, we used to play them all the time.”

“John (McNamara) and I planned to have this game last year but couldn’t,” said Coach Newhall. “Any time we can play a quality opponent on the road that can challenge us we’re willing to do it. Some teams aren’t willing to host us.”

“We had nothing to lose in scheduling them,” said Coach McNamara, “since it’s an endowment game. We knew that they were loaded. It was a learning experience for us. We start our season next week against Georgetown.”

It was easy to be impressed with Yirsy Queliz. Coach Newhall summed her up this way: “Yirsy has been a starter since she was in eighth grade. She does everything. She may not score a ton but she’s a tremendous ballhandler. She’s probably the best on-the-ball defender in the area.”

Yirsy’s teammate, Niya, is equally good at handling the ball and tonight showed the ability to hit outside shots and get to the basket.

“St. Mary’s is probably one of the top five teams in the state,” said Coach McNamara. “They have four kids who can create their own offense. There are probably three scholarship kids on that team.”

Coach Newhall was happy with the win and especially liked his team’s play at the end. “I was impressed with our fourth quarter defensively and using the clock for good possessions,” he said. “We had Yirsy with the ball, the court spread, and ran good sets.”

Yirsy said afterwards that “Pentucket was a tough team.” Niya added that the “team had to chill out without fouling.”

Yirsy Queliz sets a pick for Niya Morgen

Both girls agreed that because they have played together so much, “they’ve built chemistry.”

Yirsy and Niya ran a perfect pick-and-roll in the fourth quarter.

This is the last season in the current Pentucket gymnasium. Coach McNamara said afterwards that he was going to miss the place.

“One of my best memories of this place was beating a very good Masco team here my first year of coaching,” said Coach McNamara. “They had been to the Tsongas the year before and had everyone back. We were the new kids on the block.”

Bob Romeo (former Masco coach and now North Reading coach) was in the house tonight. I also saw Coach Dollas and some of his Amesbury players in attendance.

Graduated outside shooter Arielle Cleveland was also spotted afterwards. Pentucket could have used her shooting tonight.

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

Yirsy Queliz gets deliberate late in the game

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Tagged as Abby Dube, Coach Jeff Newhall, Coach John McNamara, Niya Morgen, Yirsy Queliz

November 26, 2021 · 3:26 pm

Connecticut Shocker: Naugatuck 14, Ansonia 7

Naugatuck coach Chris Anderson with the NVL trophy

(Ansonia CT) In eleven years you can build up a ton of frustration.

But when it ends, the elation is notable.

The Naugatuck faithful poured onto the Jarvis Stadium field after the Greyhounds stunned Ansonia, 14-7, on Thanksgiving Day.

“We don’t own the NVL (Naugatuck Valley League) anymore,” surmised Ansonia coach Tom Brockett afterwards. “We just got beat.”

In the last 103 meetings against NVL opposition, the Chargers had “owned” the league. But no longer.

The last NVL win against Ansonia was exactly eleven years ago.

The behavior of the Naugatuck afterwards said a lot about the stifled pain they had in falling short year after year. Everyone was hugging someone. Greyhounds’ coach Chris Anderson was up on the players’ shoulders.

Comparable for me was the American League playoffs in 2004 against the Yankees. Down three games to one with a lengthy history of losses to New York, the four-win recovery was about as sweet (for me) as it will ever get. What happened after that is a faded memory, but that playoff win over the Yankees will never die.

And I’m sure that many will recall today’s game in a similar light even though it was only a regular-season event.

There are playoffs ahead this week for both teams. Class L Naugatuck (#2 seed) will host Masuk on Tuesday night. Class S Ansonia (#3 seed) gets Seymour on Tuesday night.

After today’s victory, the Greyhounds (9-1) will enter the playoffs as the NVL champions.

The NVL title was the prize for the winner of today’s game. Ansonia (9-1) was certainly the favorite. Both reporters from the Connecticut Post picked them. Despite Naugatuck’s impressive record, you knew their history against Ansonia.

The last time the teams met on Thanksgiving (2019) it turned into a 52-8 Ansonia rout.

The Chargers also had a nine-game win streak going against Naugatuck. The game was at Ansonia. No reason to expect a Chargers’ surprise.

But it happened.

How?

“Our coaches had a great game plan for us,” explained Naugatuck senior Mikey Deitelbaum afterwards. “We left everything we had on the field.”

Mikey had a remarkable game for the Greyhounds. Some of his highlights: scored the game winner in the 4^th quarter, recovered a fumble in the 4^th quarter, snapped on punts.

“It’s crazy to think that it has been so long since they were beaten in the league,” added Mikey. “For us to be the one to beat them is pretty remarkable.”

To win this game, Naugatuck had to be almost perfect. And that they were.

Chris Kaminski chased by Arron Barnes (68)

Ansonia needed to be off their usual game for Naugatuck to have a chance. And they definitely were that.

“What we did today really surprised me,” said Coach Brockett. “What Naugy did, didn’t surprise me. They’re a good football team.”

No fumbles, interceptions, costly penalties for the visitors. For the home team? Multiples in each area.

When Ansonia had its act together, they marched seventy-five yards in the last five minutes of the first half to a touchdown.

Ansonia QB Chris Kaminski under pressure

Key play in the drive was a catch-and-run by star tailback Darell McKnight.

Quarterback Chris Kaminski plowed in from a yard away after Dave Cassetti nearly scored the play before.

Ansonia’s halftime lead (7-0) was significant because, despite numerous miscues, they were leading. Also, Ansonia’s defense was able to stuff all three of Naugatuck’s first-half possessions on fourth downs.

“We knew that this game would be won on the defensive end,” said Mikey Deitelbaum. “We allowed a first-half score off a lot of mistakes. In the second half, we fixed those mistakes. We shut down the run and made them a little uncomfortable and took the game from there.”

The combination of Naugatuck’s upgraded defense and a continuation of Ansonia mistakes keyed the final result.

“They made plays,” said Coach Brockett, “and we didn’t. We dropped balls all over the place. We roughed a punter. We couldn’t have been any sloppier. You play like that, and you deserve to lose.”

Carlos Pinto (66) sends Jett Hall (30) flying

In Naugatuck’s productive second half, they used big plays on their first two possessions to produce points.

Meanwhile, Ansonia had THREE fumbles on their first second-half possession, and a long run called back because of a penalty.

Sophomore Jett Hall was huge in the two Greyhounds’ scores.

On Naugatuck’s first touchdown, Jett turned the right corner and outran three Ansonia defenders fifty-two yards to the end zone.

Jett Hall pulls away from the Ansonia defenders

The extra-point kick evened things.

Next possession, Ansonia continued with its miscue tendencies. Two more fumbles, a dropped pass, and a snap over the quarterback’s head, ruined this possession for the Chargers.

The Greyhounds followed with the game winner.

Jett Hall, the runner, keyed the touchdown on the previous possession. On the game-winning possession, which stretched into the 4^th quarter, we saw Jett the passer.

Naugatuck QB Jibree Bartell rolled left and handed off to Jett going the other direction. The trickery enabled Jett to set himself and get off a pass to 6-5 Aidan Robertson.

Just as the ball reached Aidan, the defender slipped eliminating a battle in the air. Aidan wasn’t tackled until the play covered forty-nine yards to set Naugatuck up at the Ansonia 12.

Ansonia defender slips as ball reaches Aidan Robertson (1)

Aidan Robertson (1) gained yards after the catch

On the first play after the productive flea flicker, Mikey Deitelbaum entered a big hole up the middle and reached the end zone.

Mikey Deitelbaum carries tackler (8) into end zone

The EP gave Naugatuck a, 14-7, lead with eight minutes remaining.

Plenty of time left for Ansonia but their luck continued to be very bad. Their final two possessions ended in turnovers (fumble and interception).

The interception, by Dave Bien in the final minute, put the Greyhounds into kneel-down territory and the celebrations began for Naugatuck.

A frustrated Coach Brockett certainly had it right afterwards when he said, “We didn’t take advantage of opportunities.”

“Ansonia is a great team,” said Mikey Deitelbaum. “They’ll always be a great team. To beat them you have to leave it all out there, and we did.”

I was very impressed with Ansonia defenders Carlos Pinto and Alex Romanowski.

Carlos Pinto (66) and Darell McKnight (9) pregame

Mikey scored three touchdowns in their win over Woodland on November 12^th.

Naugatuck coach Chris Anderson had two state champions while coaching Woodland. Chris was also an All-State player at Derby.

The Greyhounds have qualified for the playoffs four times since 2010. They haven’t, however, won a playoff game since 1993. Maybe this year?

Coach Tom Brockett has led Ansonia to the playoffs in all fifteen years of his being head coach there.

In the Naugatuck/Ansonia Thanksgiving series, the Chargers have seventy-six wins, thirty-five losses, and ten ties.

The atmosphere at today’s game was special. There was a lot at stake, and you could feel it.

Weather was perfect with temperatures close to fifty degrees with plenty of sunshine.

Continue to wonder why team rosters are so hard to find. There was a program but only Ansonia had a roster in it. Trying to identify players shouldn’t have to be such an adventure IMO.

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

Stopping the Chargers running game in the second half

Chance Conklin (3) ready to make a tackle

Mikey Deitelbaum (38) finds hole up the middle for game winner

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November 21, 2021 · 5:32 pm

Brookline tops Newton North 2-1 in 2nd OT

Brookline gets the win in second overtime

(Lynn MA) He wasn’t where he was supposed to be……and the Brookline Warriors boys’ soccer team can be thankful for that.

Brookline (#9 seed) won the Division 1 title yesterday at Manning Field in Lynn, 2-1, in the second overtime over Newton North (#3 seed).

Both teams are from the Bay State Conference.

Brookline, with the victory, notches its first boys’ soccer title.

Isaac Hoffess put a knee to an incoming ball from Julian Gravereaux to end the game in the final two minutes of the second overtime.

The tense struggle, however, might never have reached OT if not for Brookline senior Toby Prabhu-Schlosser.

Toby is part of the Brookline defense, not offense. He plays back. He protects. But with a one-goal deficit and a season on the line, Toby felt a need to be elsewhere.

“Normally, I stay back but there wasn’t much time left,” said Toby afterwards. “It was kind of an impulse on my end.”

Toby became an extra body in the box area and, as it turned out, was one more body than the Tigers’ defense could account for.

“My left wing (Rafael Matta) played me in the middle,” recalled Toby. “I didn’t feel a man on my back, so I turned toward the goal. I saw the top corner open, and I just went for it.”

Toby hit the open top corner and, with 6:48 left in regulation, Brookline was even (1-1) with Newton North.

“I don’t think I was supposed to be there, but Coach (Beaulieu-Jones) wasn’t mad about it,” added Toby with a laugh.

I detected no madness from Coach Beaulieu-Jones post-game: “Toby has been really defensive this year. That was probably the first real shot he’s taken this year. It was a missile into the far corner.”

In every previous post-season game, the Warriors (14-3-6) had won by only one goal each time. They were used to the tight finishes.

Brookline entered today’s title game with a scoreless tie and a 2-1 win against Newton North this season.

“We came back in the regular season when they (Newton North) scored with eight minutes left,” recalled Warriors’ goalie Max Kuriyel afterwards. “We knew we could do it.”

The Warriors needed a comeback after Rialto Janeiro put the Tigers up, 1-0, sixteen minutes into the second half.

Rialto and teammate Marc Hiranandani generated pressure in the Brookline end on numerous occasions.

The only breakthrough, however, was Rialto’s second-half tally.

“(Will) Rooney put a shot on and I deflected it,” said GK Max Kuriyel. “The ball came off the post and Rialto got it by me. It was a rebound and nothing I could do.”

Rialto Janeiro (7) gives Newton North the lead in the second half

Max did lunge for a save attempt, but the ball was past him.

The Tigers’ lead held up until Toby Prabhu-Schlosser evened things seventeen minutes later.

Both teams threatened in the first fifteen-minute overtime. Will Rooney had the best chance and did everything but score in that first OT on a shot from the left from close in.

There were corner kicks and free kicks in both overtimes that could have led to an ending in this one, but they didn’t.

Recalling the game winner, Issac Heffess said, “Julian (Gravereaux) had the ball. I knew he had good technique, so I started making a run toward the goal. The ball came to me, and I kneed it over the keeper.”

There was actually no time for Isaac to do anything but knee the ball. “I was in very close when I got the ball. He (the keeper) came out and I think was a little bit hesitant so I had a chance to get a knee on it……..and it bounced in.”

“It was crazy,” added Isaac. “It still hasn’t settled in that we’ve won. It feels great.”

“Isaac has been a humble star for us,” said Coach Beaulieu-Jones. “All he needs is a moment.”

Oscar Kulkarni splits defenders Matty Gillen (17) and Emiliano Gisholt (8)

“Once Isaac got in there, I knew he was going to finish,” said Max Kuriyel.

Isaac is committed to UNH next year.

Max Kuriyel: “I really started to focus after their goal and the saves started coming. I knew that I had to do it for my boys in the back line. They’ve played so well all season.”

Coach Beaulieu-Jones: “We’ve played each other several times. We suspected that those games might be a preview of the state title game. Newton North transitions faster than any team in the state. That makes them extremely dangerous. Every time we played them has been tight. Either team could have won today.”

The weather was cold but not too cold.

Terrific crowd. I have been to Manning Field many times and I don’t recall a crowd this size. Lots of students with plenty of chanting and enthusiasm.

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

Will Rooney (10) has a corner to shoot at

Toby Prabhu-Schlosser (10) celebrates his goal

Evan Guttell (7) and Akash Sahadevan (11)

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Tagged as Coach Kyle Beaulieu-Jones, Isaac Heffess, Julian Gravereaux, Max Kuriyel, Rafael Matta, Rialto Janairo, Toby Prabhu-Schlosser, Will Rooney

November 20, 2021 · 1:15 am

North Reading reaches D5 Super Bowl after 31-14 win over Pentucket

Matt Guidebeck (8) and Ryan McCullough (7) celebrate a 4th quarter TD

(Lynn MA) North Reading has been averaging nearly forty points per game.

Ryan McCullough had two long punt returns

When they only had six points at halftime versus Pentucket tonight at Manning Field, you had to suspect that a scoring storm was coming.

And it did.

The Hornets (10-1) big second half gave them a, 31-14, win over Pentucket. It also gave North Reading (#1 seed) a berth in the Division 5 Super Bowl against Swampscott (#2 seed) at Gillette Stadium in December.

“I’m so happy to get a chance to play at Gillette,” said NR quarterback Alex Carucci afterwards.

Alex ran for one score and passed for another.

The Hornets had scored four times this season on their very first play from scrimmage.

Didn’t happen tonight. However, the first time North Reading had the ball in the second half came on a punt return.

Ryan McCullough (7) returned this punt for a 78-yard touchdown

Johnny Igoe (20) chased by Anthony Pino (79)

Ryan McCullough went seventy-eight yards with that return to give the Hornets the lead for good.

“I was just trying to take it to the house,” recalled Ryan. “I thank my punt-return teammates. There was a wall there.”

Pentucket (#4 seed) was still in this one early in the fourth quarter (17-14) after Chase Dwight’s second short-yardage touchdown.

The Sachems (8-3) were able to get the ball back with a chance to pull ahead.

Ryan McCullough and Paul Parachojuk battle

Credit the NR defense. They forced another punt.

Ryan McCullough was again on the punt receiving end and again had good blocking.

“I nearly had a second touchdown but #11 (Paul Parachojuk) caught me,” said Ryan.

Ryan’s 42-yard return set up the Hornets at the Pentucket five.

From there, quarterback Alex Carucci rolled left looking to pass. Nothing there, so he crossed the field to the right side and connected with Matt Guidebeck for the score.

“It was a broken play,” said Alex. “I just tried to make something happen. Fortunately, my receivers got open for me.”

“I was in the slot on the right,” recalled Matt Guidebeck. “It was a scramble and we had worked all this week on what to do. I moved around until a found a spot to stay.”

“Alex (Carucci) is a smart player,” said NR coach Ed Blum. “When he’s had to scramble, he’s been able to make some plays.”

Matt Guidebeck’s touchdown reception and his kicking conversion put North Reading ahead, 24-14, with five minutes left in the game.

Craig Rubino’s interception ended Pentucket’s next possession and North Reading was home free.

Two second-half interceptions (Ryan McGuire & Craig Rubino) and Ryan McCullough’s two punt returns were keys to the win.

“A couple of big plays really swung it in the second half,” said Pentucket coach Dan Leary. “North Reading makes you play all three phases of the game and defend the field.”

Not to be lost among all the “highlight” plays was the rushing of sophomore Will Batten (26 carries – 158 yards).

“Will put up some big numbers in the weight room last year,” said Coach Blum. “He’s been huge for us in this run.”

Will scored his 20^th touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Alex Carucci scores after a fake handoff to Will Batten

North Reading scored first. Pentucket got a heavy dose of Will Batten right down to their two-yard line. A fake to Will by QB Alex Carucci allowed Alex to score unnoticed.

“Will is a great player and they were keying on him,” said Alex afterwards. “I think they had eleven guys on him and no one on me.”

Pentucket answered with a touchdown greatly aided by a pass interference call. Chase Dwight, who spent most of the game either passing or running, plunged across from a yard away. Henry Hartford’s kick put Pentucket in front, 7-6.

The Sachems held that lead at halftime, but things changed in the second half.

“I told the team at halftime that they had to believe in everything they had done,” said Coach Blum. “We knew that we would face some adversity.”

Coach Leary: “I was proud of our effort.”

Ryan McCullough: “It is an amazing feeling to finally get this done. #4 (Chase Dwight) is a big, strong runner with a huge arm.”

Alex Carucci: “We were a little bit sloppy tonight. I know that we can play a lot better.”

Coach Blum: “Ryan (McCullough) trusted the blockers and made some good cuts on those punt returns.”

Pentucket lost to North Reading eight weeks ago (September 24^th), 20-0.

Both North Reading and Pentucket lost to Amesbury this season.

Che Condon had four catches for 111 yards.

Matt Guidebeck kicked a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter.

The Hornets have now won five straight.

North Reading 0 6 11 14 – 31

Pentucket 0 7 0 7 – 14

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

Sam Morelli (52) and Teddy Suny (77) get after Chase Dwight (4)

Alex Carucci looks to pass to Ryan McCullough (7)

Chase Dwight (4) scores his first touchdown

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Tagged as Alex Carucci, Chase Dwight, Matt Guidebeck, Ryan McCullough, Will Batten

November 18, 2021 · 11:32 am

Newton North’s Tony Oliveiro gets OT game winner versus Concord-Carlisle in D1 semis

Newton North Tigers celebrate Division 1 semifinal win over Concord-Carlisle

(Lynn MA) “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”

“Everything’s going through my head.”

Newton North senior Tony Oliveiro had just scored the game winner in the Division 1 state semifinals on Wednesday night.

The overtime winner at Fraser Field in Lynn sends the Tigers (16-2-4) to the finals on Saturday at the same place.

The opponent for the #3 seed will be a familiar Bay State Conference opponent…..Brookline.

The Warriors (13-3-5) have a win and a tie against Newton North this season. Should be a good one.

Tony Oliveiro’s goal broke the scoreless tie 3+ minutes into the first overtime.

“You knew that someone was going to rise to the occasion,” said NN coach Roy Dow afterwards. “I was glad it was someone on our team and not theirs.”

Concord-Carlisle (11-5-5) was the #18 seed and the underdog throughout their four tournament matches. But thanks, in part, to a magical run by Patriots’ goalie Ben Wasserman, had stayed alive.

Some of that magic continued in this game early in the second half. Rialto Janairo had a clean look and launched a hard shot. Ben was leaning left, but at the last split-second stuck out his right foot to deflect Rialto’s shot.

Concord-Carlisle GK Ben Wasserman sticks out right foot for a big save

“Tonight he (Ben Wasserman) saved a for-sure goal,” said teammate Carl Headges afterwards.

Tigers’ goalie Henry Baker had six saves. Most of them were in the first half.

“The ball was sitting in their end most of the overtime,” recalled Henry. “I didn’t have much to do, and that was good for me.”

Soccer is a team game and Tony Oliveiro was quick to point that out in my brief interview with him afterwards: “What a ride. What a team. What a team. I’m so proud of this team.”

The throw-in by junior Matty Gillen on the game winner was where it needed to be.

“We were trying to exploit some space that they gave us,” said Coach Dow. “We were finally able to do it.”

Tony Oliveiro established position on his defender to receive the bouncing throw-in.

Instead of trying to settle the ball, Tony opted to flip the ball up (and over) the defender.

Tony Oliveiro flips the ball over the defender

That maneuver worked. Tony found space and the ball behind the defender with GK Ben Wasserman ahead.

Tony Oliveiro finds space and gets off a shot

Tony got off a quick shot to Ben’s left that also went by another defender guarding the goal.

Tony Oliveiro’s shots goes into the left corner

When Tony’s shot went into the left corner the reactions were different to the extreme.

The effect of the game winner sets in on both sides

“I just saw the ball bouncing in,” said Newton North goalie Henry Baker. “It struck Tony’s foot and I was waiting for the ball to hit the back of the net. When it did, I started running down all the way to the corner.”

“I was a little bit behind the ball,” recalled Carl Headges. “I did see it pretty well. He (Tony Oliveiro) had a good touch. It was an impressive goal.”

“He’s got some abilities,” added Coach Dow of Tony Oliveiro, “and it came through in a big moment in a big way.”

Tony Oliveiro had missed the three previous Newton North tournament games because of a concussion. He did not play the entire game tonight…..and that may have helped him at the end.

“We were picking and choosing moments to give guys rest,” said Coach Dow.

Carl Headges regarding the tough loss: “We’ve got to keep our heads high. We weren’t an over-matched team. It certainly wasn’t the goalie’s fault. It’s a team effort. Ben (Wasserman) has been so big for us.”

The weather was cold but not too cold.

Rialto Janairo, Will Rooney, Danilo Talisayon, and Tony Oliveiro, were Bay State Conference All-Stars. Will Rooney was the league MVP.

Both schools had student fans in the seats providing plenty of cheering and chanting.

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

Danilo Talisayon (6) and Brady Poor (13)

Akash Sahadevan (11) and Ash Niemann (10)

Emiliano Gisholt (8) and Desmond Simon (20)

Danilo Talisayon (6) and Desmond Simon (20)

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Filed under Concord-Carlisle, Newton North

Tagged as Ben Wasserman, Carl Headges, Concord-Carlisle, Danilo Talisayon, Matty Gillen, Newton North, Rialto Janairo, Tony Oliveiro, Will Rooney

November 13, 2021 · 9:16 pm

Swampscott reaches Final Four with 2-1 win over Triton

Swampscott reaches the Final Four in Division Three field hockey

(Byfield MA) Swampscott edged #4 Triton, 2-1, on Saturday morning to gain the Division 3 state semi-finals.

The Big Blue (13-5-3) will face the #1 seed (Sandwich) on Wednesday night (7PM) at Norwell High School.

Sydney Marshall provided the game winner for #5 Swampscott in the third quarter assisted by Isabella Modica.

Both teams knew each other well.

“We had never played them before,” said Swampscott coach Courtney Russo, “but this is our fourth time this season.”

An earlier scrimmage was followed by two games in October. Triton won the first meeting (2-1) and tied the second (1-1).

“We played them a couple of times,” said Coach Donna Andersen of Triton. “It could have gone either way today. We knew it would be close.”

Brooke Waters’ goal in the first quarter was answered by Maddie Hillick’s goal in the second quarter.

Sydney Marshall’s game winner, in the third quarter (3:50), came just after Triton had done everything but score down the other end.

Nicolette Fraser (25) stops a Triton shot in front

Crowd gathers in front of Swampscott net

“Isabella (Modica) had a great shot into the circle that went right to me,” recalled Sydney of her game winner. “I was able to hit it off the right post and it went in. I was in the right spot at the right time.”

Sydney Marshall celebrates with teammates

The pattern was set for the Vikings (14-4-3) to get an answering goal. But that, however, didn’t happen this morning.

“We struggled to play a full sixty minutes of intense field hockey,” said Coach Andersen. “We had our moments, and we did play spurts of good hockey. At the end of the day, however, we didn’t maintain it.”

The Big Blue scored their first goal at 3:02 of the first quarter.

“Our first goal was set up by a shot from Isabella Modica,” explained Coach Russo. “She (Isabella) hit it in, and Brooke Waters knocked it in. She took a nice strong shot in the center.”

Early in the second quarter, Triton pulled even off a corner at 12:31.

“Our goal by Maddie (Hillick) was well executed,” said Coach Andersen. “The insert was good as was the hit off it. Maddie collected the rebound, protected the ball and put it away.”

Triton team celebrates Maddie Hillick’s goal

“Their corners are very strong,” said Coach Russo. “We wanted to eliminate some of them.”

The Vikings had five corners (by my count) during the game. Swampscott had one corner.

“I wanted to see more corners out of us,” added Coach Russo. “It was nice, however, to see us get two goals that weren’t on corners.”

Sydney Marshall’s goal in the third quarter impacted the way things went thereafter.

“It’s not the end of the world if you get scored on,” said Coach Andersen, “but in this game the momentum shifted, and we weren’t able to get it back again.”

Isabella Modica had a part in both Swampscott goals

“I was a little worried that going into the fourth quarter with the lead, might cause us to play defensively, to play it safe,” said Coach Ruffo. “But it didn’t happen. I’m proud of them and pleased.”

The Vikings did have a near miss in that last quarter off a corner. The shot taken hit Swampscott goalie Chloe Rakauskas’ pads and stayed out of the net.

Coach Andersen: “What hurts the most is that this was an upset. They’re #5 and we’re #4. If we had lost in the Final Four, it would be where we’re supposed to be.”

Remarkable weather with non-stop sun and reasonable temperatures.

(I haven’t covered a lot of field hockey and find the violations confusing. I hear plenty of whistles and frequently wonder what caused the whistle. But the game immediately moves on, without explanations, and I must admit that I like the pace of play.)

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