High School: Basketball
Snapshot: Presenting Mr. and Miss Basketball Award winners
May, 1, 2013
May 1
9:56
AM ET
By ESPNBoston.com
Brighton High's Malik James and Reading High's Olivia Healy stopped by ESPNBoston.com's Foxborough office yesterday afternoon, where they were officially presented their trophies as the state's player of the year, the "Mr. Basketball" and "Miss Basketball" awards, respectively.
James, a 6-foot-1 point guard, was masterful in Brighton’s run to its first-ever MIAA Division 2 state championship in school history. He averaged 20 points per game over a six-game run through the tournament, which culminated with a 59-41 win over South Hadley in Saturday’s state final at Worcester’s DCU Center. Most dramatically, he led the Bengals to a comeback victory over Scituate in the Eastern Mass. final at TD Garden. Brighton trailed by 11 points with four minutes to go, but James sealed the victory with a three-point play with 1.8 seconds to go.
Healy, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward, led the state in scoring average (27.5 points per game), and shot 54.1 percent from the field -- including a 41 percent clip from three-point range. She also averaged 11.5 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.8 assists per game. She leaves Reading as the school's all-time leading scorer of either gender, at 1,897 points, breaking the previous mark set in 1985. In her four seasons with the Reading varsity, the Rockets went 86-7 with four Middlesex League titles, two MIAA Division 2 North titles, an Eastern Mass. Championship and the school's first-ever state title in 2012. The Rockets also endured a 48-game win streak, starting at the beginning of the 2011-12 season and snapping on March 11 in the Eastern Mass. Championship at TD Garden.
Both are expected to fulfill Division 1 aspirations following graduation. Healy signed a letter of intent with the University of Richmond last November, while James is expected to finish up next year at prep school. Yesterday, during the awards presentation, James received his first Division 1 scholarship offer, from Canisius College, for the 2014-15 season.
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Brendan Hall/ESPNReading High's Olivia Healy and Brighton High's Malik James receive their awards.
Brendan Hall/ESPNReading High's Olivia Healy and Brighton High's Malik James receive their awards.Healy, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward, led the state in scoring average (27.5 points per game), and shot 54.1 percent from the field -- including a 41 percent clip from three-point range. She also averaged 11.5 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.8 assists per game. She leaves Reading as the school's all-time leading scorer of either gender, at 1,897 points, breaking the previous mark set in 1985. In her four seasons with the Reading varsity, the Rockets went 86-7 with four Middlesex League titles, two MIAA Division 2 North titles, an Eastern Mass. Championship and the school's first-ever state title in 2012. The Rockets also endured a 48-game win streak, starting at the beginning of the 2011-12 season and snapping on March 11 in the Eastern Mass. Championship at TD Garden.
Both are expected to fulfill Division 1 aspirations following graduation. Healy signed a letter of intent with the University of Richmond last November, while James is expected to finish up next year at prep school. Yesterday, during the awards presentation, James received his first Division 1 scholarship offer, from Canisius College, for the 2014-15 season.
Canisius offers Brighton's Malik James
April, 30, 2013
Apr 30
7:10
PM ET
By Chris Bradley | ESPNBoston.com
Canisius College extended a scholarship to 2014 point guard prospect Malik James on Tuesday afternoon, while he was at ESPNBoston.com's Foxborough office this afternoon to receive the organization's "Mr. Basketball" award.
James took the MIAA by storm the past two years, leading Brighton to the state finals as a sophomore and bringing home the school’s first ever state championship as a junior. He separated himself as the MIAA’s best player during the state tournament, where he averaged 20 points per game.
In receiving his first Division 1 offer, James feels relief.
“Finally my mother won’t have to pay for college out of her own pocket," he said. "I’m just happy knowing that it’s my first offer, and also that there are many more to come. All that hard work in the gym has paid off. It’s really a blessing too, I’m very proud."
He will be playing against some of the best AAU competition in the country this summer with BABC, as part of the Nike EYBL circuit. Playing with BABC for Coach Leo Papile has already been a rewarding experience for James.
“Leo’s a very good coach, he really knows his X’s and O’s," James said. "If you listen to him and stay in his system, you’ll be good. So far the competition is obviously way better than the Boston City League or anything like that. I’m going up against other top point guards in my class."
With significant interest from several other Division 1 programs, James is currently in the process of deciding where he will play prep school basketball this coming fall.
James took the MIAA by storm the past two years, leading Brighton to the state finals as a sophomore and bringing home the school’s first ever state championship as a junior. He separated himself as the MIAA’s best player during the state tournament, where he averaged 20 points per game.
In receiving his first Division 1 offer, James feels relief.
“Finally my mother won’t have to pay for college out of her own pocket," he said. "I’m just happy knowing that it’s my first offer, and also that there are many more to come. All that hard work in the gym has paid off. It’s really a blessing too, I’m very proud."
He will be playing against some of the best AAU competition in the country this summer with BABC, as part of the Nike EYBL circuit. Playing with BABC for Coach Leo Papile has already been a rewarding experience for James.
“Leo’s a very good coach, he really knows his X’s and O’s," James said. "If you listen to him and stay in his system, you’ll be good. So far the competition is obviously way better than the Boston City League or anything like that. I’m going up against other top point guards in my class."
With significant interest from several other Division 1 programs, James is currently in the process of deciding where he will play prep school basketball this coming fall.
Providence offers Windsor (Conn.) SF Wilson-Frame
April, 29, 2013
Apr 29
7:11
PM ET
By Chris Bradley | ESPNBoston.com
Providence College became the first school to offer a scholarship to Windsor (Conn.) Class of 2015 hoops standout Jared Wilson-Frame last night. The offer comes following his strong play on consecutive weekends at the Nike EYBL circuit in Los Angeles, Calif., and Hampton, Va.
Wilson-Frame, who visited Providence unofficially earlier this month, was ecstatic about receiving his first offer.
“It’s really exciting to know that a school wants to give you a chance where you can get a free education and play basketball at a high level,” Wilson-Frame said.
He has been well-known on New England’s high school basketball scene as one of the region’s best players, especially after leading Windsor to a 49-6 record over the past two seasons. This season, the small forward was named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Team.
In an attempt to become a better-known prospect on a national scale, he accepted the invitation to play with Expressions Elite this summer.
“That’s one thing I always said to myself. I always go on ESPN or on Twitter and I’ll see kids getting offers who I have played against--kids who I honestly feel like I have played at their level or better," he said. "That really motivated me to want to play at a higher level."
Wilson-Frame is considering the prep school route next school year, but says for now he is focused on finishing this year strong academically and continuing to build his name on the AAU circuit. Expressions Elite has made quite a splash at Nike EYBL, sitting at 9-0 after the first two weekends of play.
“They’re good guys off the court," he said. "Our whole team was hand-elected, so we hadn’t played together before. But now we’re always on each other [off the court], joking and laughing…it really is a family environment."
Wilson-Frame, who visited Providence unofficially earlier this month, was ecstatic about receiving his first offer.
“It’s really exciting to know that a school wants to give you a chance where you can get a free education and play basketball at a high level,” Wilson-Frame said.
He has been well-known on New England’s high school basketball scene as one of the region’s best players, especially after leading Windsor to a 49-6 record over the past two seasons. This season, the small forward was named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Team.
In an attempt to become a better-known prospect on a national scale, he accepted the invitation to play with Expressions Elite this summer.
“That’s one thing I always said to myself. I always go on ESPN or on Twitter and I’ll see kids getting offers who I have played against--kids who I honestly feel like I have played at their level or better," he said. "That really motivated me to want to play at a higher level."
Wilson-Frame is considering the prep school route next school year, but says for now he is focused on finishing this year strong academically and continuing to build his name on the AAU circuit. Expressions Elite has made quite a splash at Nike EYBL, sitting at 9-0 after the first two weekends of play.
“They’re good guys off the court," he said. "Our whole team was hand-elected, so we hadn’t played together before. But now we’re always on each other [off the court], joking and laughing…it really is a family environment."
Last Wednesday was an emotional day for those associated with the Foran High School baseball program, and it had little to do with Foran's 5-0 loss to rival Law.
<img src="http://a.espncdn.com/espncitysites/boston/prod/assets/hs_connect_110.jpg" alt="Connecticut" class="floatright" />Earlier that day Foran named its baseball field after Ken Walker, who served as Foran's baseball coach from 1986 to 2003, and then from 2011 to 2012. He passed away last June at age 60.
Walker won 279 games during his tenure as Foran's baseball coach – all of his teams qualified for the state tournament – but he also guided the Foran football team to the 1994 Class M title.
Walker graduated from Milford High School in 1969 and then played baseball at Central Connecticut State. He was a three-sport athlete in high school (he also played football and basketball) and coached at all three Milford high schools: Milford, Foran and Law.
“I saw, probably, every public school athlete that came through Milford in the last 48 years,” former Milford baseball coach Dick Jeynes told the Connecticut Post. “In my opinion, he's arguably the best all-around. That's my opinion because he was outstanding at all three – football, basketball and baseball.”
Walker's son Garrett replaced is father as Foran's baseball coach.
“I've never thought about it as anybody else's field except his,” Garrett said. “In my eyes, it's finally getting the name I think it deserves.”
DIAMOND GEMS
Ten players to watch during the 2013 CIAC baseball and softball seasons:
Baseball
"Anthony Alicki, P/1B (Foran): Senior has committed to play at Franklin Pierce, one of the top Division II programs in the country.
"Charles Ameer, P/SS (Weston): Has been clocked in the low 90s. Will continue his baseball career at St. John's.
"Matt Blandino, P (Bristol Central): A possible selected in June's MLB draft, Blandino has committed to play at Central Connecticut State.
"Michael Concato, P (Amity): Concato, a senior, posted an 11-2 record with 108 strikeouts and a 0.61 ERA last season. He will play at Brown.
"Manny Cruz, P/INF (Wolcott): Hit .503 with 28 RBIs, and was 6-0 on the mound last season. Has committed to Southern New Hampshire University.
"Kyle Dunster, P/OF (Greenwich): Dunster, a junior, has committed to play at Boston College.
"Griffen Garabedian, OF (Notre Dame-West Haven): Batted .403 and stole 12 bases as a junior last season. Has committed to play at the University of Connecticut.
"Aaron Hill, INF. (Fitch): Hill has also committed to play at the University of Connecticut. He hit .395, scored 21 runs, collected 19 RBIs and stole 11 bases last season.
"Will Rios, P (St. Bernard): Only a sophomore, Rios has already committed to the University of Maryland.
"Ryan Testani, P (Shelton): Helped Shelton win the Class LL state championship last season, when his posted a 9-3 record and a 1.31 ERA. Testani has committed to Seton Hall.
Softball
"Fallon Bevino, OF (Foran): A three-year starter, Bevino hit .450 with 22 RBIs last season as a sophomore.
"Sydney Ferrante, SS (Southington): Batted .453 with 46 RBIs as a junior last season.
"Hannah Ford, C/3B (New Fairfield): Ford, a junior, hit .525 with 25 runs scored and 21 RBIs last season.
"Katelyn Haff, 2B (Waterford): Senior led her team with a .477 average last season, when she collected six triples, four home runs and 33 RBIs.
"Jess Harkness, P (Foran): Posted a 23-2 record with 270 strikeouts in 186 innings last season.
"Kaitlyn Lajoie, P (Rockville): Had a 22-2 record and a 0.76 ERA to help the Rams win the Class L title as a junior.
"Erika Leonard, SS (Rocky Hill): Hit .494 with 40 hits and 19 RBIs for last year's Class M champion.
"Katie Petroski, INF (Seymour): Had a .505 average with 55 RBIs and 45 runs scored last season as a sophomore.
"Jenn Vazquez, C (St. Joseph): Has committed to play at Manhattan College. Hit .468 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs last season.
"Kayla Votto, 2B (Coginchaug): Senior led her team in batting average (.500), triples (12) and RBIs (36) last season.
GREENWICH GIRLS START STRONG
The Greenwich girls' lacrosse program has won the last two Class L championships, and, judging by the early results, this year's team appears capable of extending that streak.
Greenwich is off to a 5-0 start and has outscored its opponents 84-36. Greenwich's latest victory was a 16-8 triumph over Stamford on Friday. The Cardinals were without leading scorer Emily Johnson (hamstring) for that contest, but senior Emma Christie stepped up and scored a career-high five goals against Stamford.
The Greenwich program has won nine games in a row, dating back to last season.
BOYS OF SUMMER
Players selected in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame Classic Military Bowl draft for the game that will be played June 29 at Rentschler Field:
Connecticut Marines Team: Quinn Fleeting, Windsor, QB; Cole Ormsby, Windsor, DE; Kevin Dean, Xavier, OL; Jeremy Clarke, Woodland, OL; Sean Merrill, Sheehan, OL; Mike LaSala, Wilton, OL; Ryheime Moore, Windsor, WR; Raeshaun Finney, Ansonia, WR; Teno Simpson, Hillhouse, LB; Rahmi Roundtree, Woodland, WR; Denzel Moscova, St. Joseph, WR; Devonte Dillion, Windsor, RB; Isiah Swain, Middletown, LB; Joe Pacheco, New Fairfield, RB; Andre Gee West Haven, S; Lamont Waites, New London, LB; Brandon Marquis, Farmington, DL; Nick Spitz, Southington, LB; Donery Evans, Hyde, DL; Eddy Williams, West Haven, LB; David Campbell, Bloomfield, RB/CB; Akeino Chamberlain, Middletown, LB; Caleb Camacho, New London, WR; Dennis Flanagan, Amity, OL; Sixto Acosta, Newington, LB; Jesse Adelberg, Greenwich, K; Mike Alexander, Bulkeley, S; Ian Auger, Coginchaug, LB; William Barrett, West Haven, OL; Nathan Bonafonte, Southington; S; Andrew Campbell, Middletown, LB; Brennan Diaz, Oxford, QB; Nygel Gladney, Crosby, LB; Cam Gravina, Hand, OL; Zak Hedberg, Newington, OL; Spencer Hill, Windham, FB; Rakim Jordan, Prince Tech, LB; Jevon Lawrence, Manchester, DL; Brandon Marquis, Manchester, DL; Terrance N'Dabian, Bunnell, CB; Emmett Odegard, Greenwich, LS; Lance Ormsby, Windsor, LB; Christian Outlaw, Middletown, OL; Rashad Ramsey, Windsor, WR; Roy Ricahards, Manchester, RB; Miguel Santos, Xavier, DL; Mike Semacik, Fitch, OL; O'Brien Sinclair, Middletown, WR; Carlton Steer, East Hartford, TE; Shane Steinman, Rocky Hill, RB; David Tanner, East Hartford, RB; Jh'mel Trammell, Ansonia, LB; Chris Traore, Windsor, LB; Jalon White, North Haven, QB; David Wilcox, Waterford, DL; Chuck Wooding, Glastonbury, RB.
Head coach: Rob Fleeting, Windsor. Assistant coaches: John Ferrazzi, Sheehan; Roy Roberts, Newington; Sal Morello, Middletown; Duane Maranda, New London; Harry Bellucci, Hartford Public; Scott Jenkins, Windsor; and Derrick Lewis, Bassick.
Connecticut National Guard Team: Tim Boyle, Xavier; QB; Nick Gaynor, Northwest Catholic, DB/RB; Zack Creeron, Xavier, OL/DL; Je'Vaughn Moore , Hillhouse, QB/DB;; Max Schumann, Xavier, OL/DL; Justin Potts, Platt, RB/DBback; Max Tylki, Xavier, LB; Terrell Huff, Windsor, DB; Chris Luster, Xavier, WR/DB; Jonah Dorsey, Xavier, OL/DL; Kyle Wilson, Ledyard, OL; Terrell Fairweather, Hillhouse, LB; Kadialy Toure, West Haven, LB; Marc Wildman, Housatonic, DL; Brandon Robertson , Montville, TE; Daequane Clark, New Britain, WR; Ed Croft, Shelton, K; Sam Miranda, New London, WR; Alex Borkowski, Branford, LB; Mick Pernell, Naugatuck, WR; Derek Villard, Cromwell, RB; Dan Herbert, Newtown, WR; Jelani Roman, Notre Dame-Fairfield, LB; Jake Pelletier, St. Joseph, WR; John Shannon, Bullard Havens, RB; Mike Nichol, Wolcott, QB; Saffwan Davis, Fitch, RB; Austin Kingsbury, Windsor Locks, FB; Antonine Byrd, Capital Prep/Classical Magnet, WR; Dillon McMahon, Derby, WR; Hector Rodriguez, Berlin, OL; Ryan Murtha, Montville, OL; Justin Pelazza, Branford, OL; Robert Roehrich, St. Joseph, OL; Mitch Blanchette, Berlin, OL; Ben Morales, Ledyard, OL; Bobby Bozym, Ledyard, OL; Abdullah Dukalay, Hartford Public, DB; Kevin Main, Berlin, DB; Justin Develis, Newtown, DB; Mustaphe Noibi, Fitch, DB; Christian Clark, Windham, DG; Cal Karpi, Ledyard, DB; Mike Pulaski, St. Joseph, LB; Chris Golger, Fairfield Prep, LB; Devin Stewart, Northwest Catholic, LB; Alex Kyprianou, New Milford, LB; Patrick Kirkwood, Fitch, LB; Miles Pompeii-Grove, Holy Cross, LB; Al Harris, Windsor, DL; Andrew Klarman, Branford, DL; Eric Collodel, Woodland, DL; Bryan Monaco, Masuk, DL; Lester Smith, Fitch, DL; Colton Schilling, Guilford, DL.
Head coach: Jim Buonocore, Ledyard. Assistant coaches: Sean Marinan, Xavier; Jemal Davis, Norwich Free Academy; Tim Shea, Woodland; Duncan Dellavolpe, Warde; Tanner Grove, Montville; John Marinelli, New Canaan; Andy Guyon, Xavier; Chris Silvestri, New Canaan; and Chris Eckert, Cromwell.
FITCH PICKS PANUCCI
Jodan Panucci, 26, was named Fitch's varsity football coach last Tuesday.
Panucci has spent the last five years as an assistant coach with the program. He was an offensive lineman at Fitch and a team captain in his senior season.
Panucci replaces Mike Emery, who stepped down last year after 17 seasons as Fitch's head coach.
FAIRFIELD LUDLOWE SELECTS DAILEY
John Dailey has been named the varsity boys basketball coach at Fairfield Ludlowe. He replaces Brian Silvestro, who retired following the 2012-13 season.
Dailey has been with the Fairfield Ludlowe program as a freshman coach, a junior varsity coach and a varsity assistant coach for the last six seasons. He coached the varsity team for four games last season while Silvestro dealt with a medical issue.
Roger Brown is a staff writer with the New Hampshire Union Leader, and has been covering high school sports throughout New England since 1992.
<img src="http://a.espncdn.com/espncitysites/boston/prod/assets/hs_connect_110.jpg" alt="Connecticut" class="floatright" />Earlier that day Foran named its baseball field after Ken Walker, who served as Foran's baseball coach from 1986 to 2003, and then from 2011 to 2012. He passed away last June at age 60.
Walker won 279 games during his tenure as Foran's baseball coach – all of his teams qualified for the state tournament – but he also guided the Foran football team to the 1994 Class M title.
Walker graduated from Milford High School in 1969 and then played baseball at Central Connecticut State. He was a three-sport athlete in high school (he also played football and basketball) and coached at all three Milford high schools: Milford, Foran and Law.
“I saw, probably, every public school athlete that came through Milford in the last 48 years,” former Milford baseball coach Dick Jeynes told the Connecticut Post. “In my opinion, he's arguably the best all-around. That's my opinion because he was outstanding at all three – football, basketball and baseball.”
Walker's son Garrett replaced is father as Foran's baseball coach.
“I've never thought about it as anybody else's field except his,” Garrett said. “In my eyes, it's finally getting the name I think it deserves.”
DIAMOND GEMS
Ten players to watch during the 2013 CIAC baseball and softball seasons:
Baseball
"Anthony Alicki, P/1B (Foran): Senior has committed to play at Franklin Pierce, one of the top Division II programs in the country.
"Charles Ameer, P/SS (Weston): Has been clocked in the low 90s. Will continue his baseball career at St. John's.
"Matt Blandino, P (Bristol Central): A possible selected in June's MLB draft, Blandino has committed to play at Central Connecticut State.
"Michael Concato, P (Amity): Concato, a senior, posted an 11-2 record with 108 strikeouts and a 0.61 ERA last season. He will play at Brown.
"Manny Cruz, P/INF (Wolcott): Hit .503 with 28 RBIs, and was 6-0 on the mound last season. Has committed to Southern New Hampshire University.
"Kyle Dunster, P/OF (Greenwich): Dunster, a junior, has committed to play at Boston College.
"Griffen Garabedian, OF (Notre Dame-West Haven): Batted .403 and stole 12 bases as a junior last season. Has committed to play at the University of Connecticut.
"Aaron Hill, INF. (Fitch): Hill has also committed to play at the University of Connecticut. He hit .395, scored 21 runs, collected 19 RBIs and stole 11 bases last season.
"Will Rios, P (St. Bernard): Only a sophomore, Rios has already committed to the University of Maryland.
"Ryan Testani, P (Shelton): Helped Shelton win the Class LL state championship last season, when his posted a 9-3 record and a 1.31 ERA. Testani has committed to Seton Hall.
Softball
"Fallon Bevino, OF (Foran): A three-year starter, Bevino hit .450 with 22 RBIs last season as a sophomore.
"Sydney Ferrante, SS (Southington): Batted .453 with 46 RBIs as a junior last season.
"Hannah Ford, C/3B (New Fairfield): Ford, a junior, hit .525 with 25 runs scored and 21 RBIs last season.
"Katelyn Haff, 2B (Waterford): Senior led her team with a .477 average last season, when she collected six triples, four home runs and 33 RBIs.
"Jess Harkness, P (Foran): Posted a 23-2 record with 270 strikeouts in 186 innings last season.
"Kaitlyn Lajoie, P (Rockville): Had a 22-2 record and a 0.76 ERA to help the Rams win the Class L title as a junior.
"Erika Leonard, SS (Rocky Hill): Hit .494 with 40 hits and 19 RBIs for last year's Class M champion.
"Katie Petroski, INF (Seymour): Had a .505 average with 55 RBIs and 45 runs scored last season as a sophomore.
"Jenn Vazquez, C (St. Joseph): Has committed to play at Manhattan College. Hit .468 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs last season.
"Kayla Votto, 2B (Coginchaug): Senior led her team in batting average (.500), triples (12) and RBIs (36) last season.
GREENWICH GIRLS START STRONG
The Greenwich girls' lacrosse program has won the last two Class L championships, and, judging by the early results, this year's team appears capable of extending that streak.
Greenwich is off to a 5-0 start and has outscored its opponents 84-36. Greenwich's latest victory was a 16-8 triumph over Stamford on Friday. The Cardinals were without leading scorer Emily Johnson (hamstring) for that contest, but senior Emma Christie stepped up and scored a career-high five goals against Stamford.
The Greenwich program has won nine games in a row, dating back to last season.
BOYS OF SUMMER
Players selected in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame Classic Military Bowl draft for the game that will be played June 29 at Rentschler Field:
Connecticut Marines Team: Quinn Fleeting, Windsor, QB; Cole Ormsby, Windsor, DE; Kevin Dean, Xavier, OL; Jeremy Clarke, Woodland, OL; Sean Merrill, Sheehan, OL; Mike LaSala, Wilton, OL; Ryheime Moore, Windsor, WR; Raeshaun Finney, Ansonia, WR; Teno Simpson, Hillhouse, LB; Rahmi Roundtree, Woodland, WR; Denzel Moscova, St. Joseph, WR; Devonte Dillion, Windsor, RB; Isiah Swain, Middletown, LB; Joe Pacheco, New Fairfield, RB; Andre Gee West Haven, S; Lamont Waites, New London, LB; Brandon Marquis, Farmington, DL; Nick Spitz, Southington, LB; Donery Evans, Hyde, DL; Eddy Williams, West Haven, LB; David Campbell, Bloomfield, RB/CB; Akeino Chamberlain, Middletown, LB; Caleb Camacho, New London, WR; Dennis Flanagan, Amity, OL; Sixto Acosta, Newington, LB; Jesse Adelberg, Greenwich, K; Mike Alexander, Bulkeley, S; Ian Auger, Coginchaug, LB; William Barrett, West Haven, OL; Nathan Bonafonte, Southington; S; Andrew Campbell, Middletown, LB; Brennan Diaz, Oxford, QB; Nygel Gladney, Crosby, LB; Cam Gravina, Hand, OL; Zak Hedberg, Newington, OL; Spencer Hill, Windham, FB; Rakim Jordan, Prince Tech, LB; Jevon Lawrence, Manchester, DL; Brandon Marquis, Manchester, DL; Terrance N'Dabian, Bunnell, CB; Emmett Odegard, Greenwich, LS; Lance Ormsby, Windsor, LB; Christian Outlaw, Middletown, OL; Rashad Ramsey, Windsor, WR; Roy Ricahards, Manchester, RB; Miguel Santos, Xavier, DL; Mike Semacik, Fitch, OL; O'Brien Sinclair, Middletown, WR; Carlton Steer, East Hartford, TE; Shane Steinman, Rocky Hill, RB; David Tanner, East Hartford, RB; Jh'mel Trammell, Ansonia, LB; Chris Traore, Windsor, LB; Jalon White, North Haven, QB; David Wilcox, Waterford, DL; Chuck Wooding, Glastonbury, RB.
Head coach: Rob Fleeting, Windsor. Assistant coaches: John Ferrazzi, Sheehan; Roy Roberts, Newington; Sal Morello, Middletown; Duane Maranda, New London; Harry Bellucci, Hartford Public; Scott Jenkins, Windsor; and Derrick Lewis, Bassick.
Connecticut National Guard Team: Tim Boyle, Xavier; QB; Nick Gaynor, Northwest Catholic, DB/RB; Zack Creeron, Xavier, OL/DL; Je'Vaughn Moore , Hillhouse, QB/DB;; Max Schumann, Xavier, OL/DL; Justin Potts, Platt, RB/DBback; Max Tylki, Xavier, LB; Terrell Huff, Windsor, DB; Chris Luster, Xavier, WR/DB; Jonah Dorsey, Xavier, OL/DL; Kyle Wilson, Ledyard, OL; Terrell Fairweather, Hillhouse, LB; Kadialy Toure, West Haven, LB; Marc Wildman, Housatonic, DL; Brandon Robertson , Montville, TE; Daequane Clark, New Britain, WR; Ed Croft, Shelton, K; Sam Miranda, New London, WR; Alex Borkowski, Branford, LB; Mick Pernell, Naugatuck, WR; Derek Villard, Cromwell, RB; Dan Herbert, Newtown, WR; Jelani Roman, Notre Dame-Fairfield, LB; Jake Pelletier, St. Joseph, WR; John Shannon, Bullard Havens, RB; Mike Nichol, Wolcott, QB; Saffwan Davis, Fitch, RB; Austin Kingsbury, Windsor Locks, FB; Antonine Byrd, Capital Prep/Classical Magnet, WR; Dillon McMahon, Derby, WR; Hector Rodriguez, Berlin, OL; Ryan Murtha, Montville, OL; Justin Pelazza, Branford, OL; Robert Roehrich, St. Joseph, OL; Mitch Blanchette, Berlin, OL; Ben Morales, Ledyard, OL; Bobby Bozym, Ledyard, OL; Abdullah Dukalay, Hartford Public, DB; Kevin Main, Berlin, DB; Justin Develis, Newtown, DB; Mustaphe Noibi, Fitch, DB; Christian Clark, Windham, DG; Cal Karpi, Ledyard, DB; Mike Pulaski, St. Joseph, LB; Chris Golger, Fairfield Prep, LB; Devin Stewart, Northwest Catholic, LB; Alex Kyprianou, New Milford, LB; Patrick Kirkwood, Fitch, LB; Miles Pompeii-Grove, Holy Cross, LB; Al Harris, Windsor, DL; Andrew Klarman, Branford, DL; Eric Collodel, Woodland, DL; Bryan Monaco, Masuk, DL; Lester Smith, Fitch, DL; Colton Schilling, Guilford, DL.
Head coach: Jim Buonocore, Ledyard. Assistant coaches: Sean Marinan, Xavier; Jemal Davis, Norwich Free Academy; Tim Shea, Woodland; Duncan Dellavolpe, Warde; Tanner Grove, Montville; John Marinelli, New Canaan; Andy Guyon, Xavier; Chris Silvestri, New Canaan; and Chris Eckert, Cromwell.
FITCH PICKS PANUCCI
Jodan Panucci, 26, was named Fitch's varsity football coach last Tuesday.
Panucci has spent the last five years as an assistant coach with the program. He was an offensive lineman at Fitch and a team captain in his senior season.
Panucci replaces Mike Emery, who stepped down last year after 17 seasons as Fitch's head coach.
FAIRFIELD LUDLOWE SELECTS DAILEY
John Dailey has been named the varsity boys basketball coach at Fairfield Ludlowe. He replaces Brian Silvestro, who retired following the 2012-13 season.
Dailey has been with the Fairfield Ludlowe program as a freshman coach, a junior varsity coach and a varsity assistant coach for the last six seasons. He coached the varsity team for four games last season while Silvestro dealt with a medical issue.
Roger Brown is a staff writer with the New Hampshire Union Leader, and has been covering high school sports throughout New England since 1992.
There was no shortage of candidates to replace Brad Parker as Champlain Valley Union's girls' soccer coach.
According to a story in the Burlington Free Press, a five -person search committee narrowed the field to five individuals – four of whom were interviewed – before selecting former CVU boys' soccer assistant coach Stan Williams.
Williams graduated from CVU in 1989, and was an assistant coach with the CVU girls program in 2001, 2003-04 and 2010. He also served as the program's co-head coach with Parker in 2002.
Parker, who resigned in February, guided CVU to a 340-45-42 record and 11 state championships in his 25 seasons as head coach. He was selected as the national coach of the year in 1997.
“It's a program with pressure, but also a program that anybody would want to coach,” Williams told the Free Press. “It's obviously an exciting position. This job has always been something I've held out there as a job I've wanted.”
CVU has won the last two Division I titles. Fifteen players are eligible to return from last year's team.
Williams has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the CVU boys soccer team. He also coached the CVU girls basketball team from 2002 to 2009.
MMU BASEBALL ADDS FAMILIAR FACE
The Mount Mansfield Union baseball team posted a 9-2 triumph over Milton in its first game under interim coach Bob Slayton, who agreed to a one-year commitment to the program when head coach Brian Chandler decided not to coach the team this spring after the birth of his second child.
Mount Mansfield appears to be in capable hands since Slayton, 66, guided MMU to four Division I state championships and 356 victories in 34 seasons before he retired in 2008.
Chandler was an assistant under Slayton for nine seasons before he became head coach when Slayton retired.
GOAL-ORIENTED
Rice Memorial's Emily Cutting recorded her 100th career varsity goal in a season-opening lacrosse victory over St. Johnsbury.
Cutting collected five goals in last year's Division III title game, a 13-11 triumph over BFA-St. Albans. She also scored five goals in Rice's second game of the season, a 10-9 loss to BFA-St. Albans. Kate Dillon scored with one second remaining to give BFA-St. Albans the victory.
ALL-STAR BASKETBALL GAMES RETURN
The Twin-State Basketball Classic, two all-star games between players from Vermont and New Hampshire, will be held July 13 at Essex High School. The girls game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and the boys game will follow.
The Twin-State Basketball Classic was once a must-see event for high school basketball fans in each state, but was discontinued in 2010 after a 30-year run. The New Hampshire boys and girls each have an 18-12 edge in the series.
The rosters and coaches for each team are expected to be released in May.
WILLINGHAM HEADED TO PREP SCHOOL
Rice Memorial forward Marcus Willingham announced that he will attend Tilton (N.H.) Prep next season. Willingham had 17 points and 14 rebounds when Rice defeated St. Johnsbury in last month's Division I championship game.
Roger Brown is a staff writer for the New Hampshire Union Leader and has been covering high school sports throughout New England since 1992.
According to a story in the Burlington Free Press, a five -person search committee narrowed the field to five individuals – four of whom were interviewed – before selecting former CVU boys' soccer assistant coach Stan Williams.
Williams graduated from CVU in 1989, and was an assistant coach with the CVU girls program in 2001, 2003-04 and 2010. He also served as the program's co-head coach with Parker in 2002.
Parker, who resigned in February, guided CVU to a 340-45-42 record and 11 state championships in his 25 seasons as head coach. He was selected as the national coach of the year in 1997.
“It's a program with pressure, but also a program that anybody would want to coach,” Williams told the Free Press. “It's obviously an exciting position. This job has always been something I've held out there as a job I've wanted.”
CVU has won the last two Division I titles. Fifteen players are eligible to return from last year's team.
Williams has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the CVU boys soccer team. He also coached the CVU girls basketball team from 2002 to 2009.
MMU BASEBALL ADDS FAMILIAR FACE
The Mount Mansfield Union baseball team posted a 9-2 triumph over Milton in its first game under interim coach Bob Slayton, who agreed to a one-year commitment to the program when head coach Brian Chandler decided not to coach the team this spring after the birth of his second child.
Mount Mansfield appears to be in capable hands since Slayton, 66, guided MMU to four Division I state championships and 356 victories in 34 seasons before he retired in 2008.
Chandler was an assistant under Slayton for nine seasons before he became head coach when Slayton retired.
GOAL-ORIENTED
Rice Memorial's Emily Cutting recorded her 100th career varsity goal in a season-opening lacrosse victory over St. Johnsbury.
Cutting collected five goals in last year's Division III title game, a 13-11 triumph over BFA-St. Albans. She also scored five goals in Rice's second game of the season, a 10-9 loss to BFA-St. Albans. Kate Dillon scored with one second remaining to give BFA-St. Albans the victory.
ALL-STAR BASKETBALL GAMES RETURN
The Twin-State Basketball Classic, two all-star games between players from Vermont and New Hampshire, will be held July 13 at Essex High School. The girls game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and the boys game will follow.
The Twin-State Basketball Classic was once a must-see event for high school basketball fans in each state, but was discontinued in 2010 after a 30-year run. The New Hampshire boys and girls each have an 18-12 edge in the series.
The rosters and coaches for each team are expected to be released in May.
WILLINGHAM HEADED TO PREP SCHOOL
Rice Memorial forward Marcus Willingham announced that he will attend Tilton (N.H.) Prep next season. Willingham had 17 points and 14 rebounds when Rice defeated St. Johnsbury in last month's Division I championship game.
Roger Brown is a staff writer for the New Hampshire Union Leader and has been covering high school sports throughout New England since 1992.
Brady Bajema named new hoops coach at Whitinsville
April, 20, 2013
Apr 20
12:17
AM ET
By Chris Bradley | ESPNBoston.com
Former Whitinsville Christian star Brady Bajema has been named the new head boys basketball coach at his alma mater, the school officially announced on Friday afternoon.
Bajema -- who teaches health, history, and physical education at the school -- will take over for his father, Jeff, who helped build the program into one of the state's most consistent across Division 3. The Crusaders won three consecutive Central Mass. Division 3 championships from 2010 to 2012, including a state championship in 2011 with the elder Bajema at the helm. Jeff Bajema was also Rick Martin’s assistant in 2005, when the Crusaders won their first state title -- with Bajema’s sons, Mitch and Brady, as the starting backcourt.
Brady matriculated to Gordon College, in Wenham, where he scored over one-thousand career points and led the Fighting Scots to the 2010 NCAA Division 3 tournament. Following his playing career, he spent two years at Gordon as a graduate assistant to head coach Tod Murphy before starting his career as a teacher at Whitinsville. This past season, he coached the Crusaders’ middle school team.
Speaking to ESPNBoston.com on Friday night, he expressed his excitement towards building his own program, but also continuing the winning tradition at Whitinsville.
"I’m pretty excited, I care about this school a lot -- it’s a special place," Brady said. "The basketball program has a great tradition...I appreciate the support from players, coaches, administrators. I’m excited about the group of guys that we have at WCS."
Brady and Athletic Director Leonard Krygsman met with members of the team during lunch hour on Friday afternoon, where he had an opportunity to talk to players and briefly lay down expectations.
"I got some good feedback from them. There are some tremendous leaders in this group," he said.
He received plenty of congratulations from his father as well, and said he will certainly draw from his father’s experience as he takes over a program that has been of the MIAA’s most storied over the course of the last decade.
"He’s been great," Brady said. "He’s willing to help in any way that I’d like him to help. But we both understand it’s my call now, that’s the way it needs to be, and I’ll definitely go to him for advice on certain things.
“It’s where I’m supposed to be. I understand the work and time [my dad] put in, and I’m willing to do the same to keep the basketball tradition [at Whitinsville].”
Bajema -- who teaches health, history, and physical education at the school -- will take over for his father, Jeff, who helped build the program into one of the state's most consistent across Division 3. The Crusaders won three consecutive Central Mass. Division 3 championships from 2010 to 2012, including a state championship in 2011 with the elder Bajema at the helm. Jeff Bajema was also Rick Martin’s assistant in 2005, when the Crusaders won their first state title -- with Bajema’s sons, Mitch and Brady, as the starting backcourt.
Brady matriculated to Gordon College, in Wenham, where he scored over one-thousand career points and led the Fighting Scots to the 2010 NCAA Division 3 tournament. Following his playing career, he spent two years at Gordon as a graduate assistant to head coach Tod Murphy before starting his career as a teacher at Whitinsville. This past season, he coached the Crusaders’ middle school team.
Speaking to ESPNBoston.com on Friday night, he expressed his excitement towards building his own program, but also continuing the winning tradition at Whitinsville.
"I’m pretty excited, I care about this school a lot -- it’s a special place," Brady said. "The basketball program has a great tradition...I appreciate the support from players, coaches, administrators. I’m excited about the group of guys that we have at WCS."
Brady and Athletic Director Leonard Krygsman met with members of the team during lunch hour on Friday afternoon, where he had an opportunity to talk to players and briefly lay down expectations.
"I got some good feedback from them. There are some tremendous leaders in this group," he said.
He received plenty of congratulations from his father as well, and said he will certainly draw from his father’s experience as he takes over a program that has been of the MIAA’s most storied over the course of the last decade.
"He’s been great," Brady said. "He’s willing to help in any way that I’d like him to help. But we both understand it’s my call now, that’s the way it needs to be, and I’ll definitely go to him for advice on certain things.
“It’s where I’m supposed to be. I understand the work and time [my dad] put in, and I’m willing to do the same to keep the basketball tradition [at Whitinsville].”
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its recipients in each sport for its Coach of the Year awards. Each coach will be recognized at the third annual MIAA Coach of the Year/Student-Athlete of the Month banquet on Wednesday, May 29.
Below are the winners:
Below are the winners:
Chris Gould, Amherst - Boys' Outdoor Track
Robert L'Homme, Bishop Feehan - Girls' Cross Country
Thomas Rivet, Chicopee - Boys Soccer
Donald Savi, Dedham - Girls Soccer
Chris Sweet, Duxbury - Boys Lacrosse
Friend Weiler, Duxbury - Girls Ice Hockey
Kirk Fredericks, LincolnSudbury - Baseball
Alyssa Schatzel, Masconomet - Girls Volleyball
Brenda Sullivan, Maynard - Field Hockey
Michael Kirby, Narragansett - Softball
Robert Ryan, New Bedford - Boys Tennis
Wayne Griffin, North Attleborough - Wrestling
Paul Worth, North Shore Tech - Football
Jose Rocha, Peabody - Boys' Cross Country
Shawn Thornton, Pope John XXIII - Girls Basketball
Jeff Nelson, Reading - Boys' Golf
Mark Pierce, St. Bernard's - Boys Basketball
Dullea introduced as new SJP basketball coach
April, 9, 2013
Apr 9
12:46
AM ET
By Chris Bradley | ESPNBoston.com
DANVERS, Mass. -– St. John’s Prep officially promoted assistant John Dullea to head basketball coach on Monday afternoon, in a press conference in the Xavier Hall building on campus. His promotion came following former coach Sean Connolly's decision to step down last month.
As assistant varsity coach since 2009, he worked with Connolly to guide St. John’s to the program's first-ever Division 1 state championship in 2011, and three Catholic Conference titles (2010, 2011, 2013). Dullea is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of the school’s Division 1 men’s basketball team from 2000 to 2003. He was also a member of the America East Basketball Conference All Academic Team.
“It’s a great honor to be coaching here at such a great establishment like St. John’s Prep," Dullea said. "Academics and athletics combined—there’s not a better player around to be coaching. They’ve shown confidence in me that I can keep the program going in the same direction with the success that there’s been the last five years."
The hire didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Dullea was a highly-respected assistant in the basketball community, especially among current and former players. Two of his returning players, sophomore Ben Judson and junior Quentin Bullen, both showed a lot of excitement about hiring the Peabody native.
“For me, I was really hoping for that. He’s the closest person who knows how [Connolly] ran the team,” Judson said.
Said Bullen, “He’s been the assistant here so long so we know him really well. Whenever Coach Connolly had to miss practice, he would step in and take things over. We’re already used to him. We’re kind of excited."
Another who was ecstatic about Dullea’s hire was storied Prep hero Pat Connaughton, who led the Eagles to their first-ever Division 1 state championship in 2011 and was the recipient of ESPN Boston's inaugural "Mr. Basketball" award. The Arlington native now plays both basketball and baseball at Notre Dame.
“I think it’s a great hire," Connaughton said. "Dullea has been there throughout this uprise of the program so he knows how to keep it in the right direction. He has a good future of coaching at the Prep."
Dullea was very complimentary of Connolly, who in his time at Prep quickly developed a reputation as one of the MIAA’s best coaches. Connolly took the Prep job in October 2008 after four seasons at his alma mater Bishop Fenwick, and in five seasons at the Prep helm amassed an 89-25 record, including 10-4 in the playoffs.
Bullen said that there were questions about the team coming into this past season season, especially after losing four valued seniors and seeing two other would-be starters transfer to prep schools. Connolly, with plenty of help on the bench from Dullea, did perhaps his best coaching job of his career with the 19-3 Eagles -- which is why Prep decided to make a hire in-house.
“I’ve been with [Connolly] for 10 years, but our relationship goes a lot further than that. I don’t think I would be in this situation without him,” Dullea said.
Athletic Director Jim O’Leary talked about continuity in explaining why the coaching search was such a quick one.
"We weren’t looking for a huge change because we liked the direction of the program here," O'Leary said. "I think you have worldwide searches when you think you need a change in the program. We don’t think we need a change in the program.
"The way he carries himself, the players play hard for him, which is the most important thing. The players like him and understand where he’s coming from."
Dullea's playing background, along with his systematic similarities to Connolly, has players and supporters feeling very optimistic for next season, already.
“If we had a new coach coming in, it would be a whole new system. We’ll know what to do because it’s the same system...and be able to get right back into it next year,” Judson said.
At the press conference, Dullea expressed an extreme amount of gratitude and excitement to get started with a team that will once again considered to be one of the state’s most talented next year. He plans on meeting with players this week to discuss workouts and summer plans.
“When the day comes next year coaching my first game, and my parents across the room, that will be a very proud moment for me,” he said.
As assistant varsity coach since 2009, he worked with Connolly to guide St. John’s to the program's first-ever Division 1 state championship in 2011, and three Catholic Conference titles (2010, 2011, 2013). Dullea is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of the school’s Division 1 men’s basketball team from 2000 to 2003. He was also a member of the America East Basketball Conference All Academic Team.
[+] Enlarge
Brendan Hall/ESPNBoston.comSt. John's Prep officially promoted John Dullea to head basketball coach in a press conference on campus Monday afternoon.
Brendan Hall/ESPNBoston.comSt. John's Prep officially promoted John Dullea to head basketball coach in a press conference on campus Monday afternoon.The hire didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Dullea was a highly-respected assistant in the basketball community, especially among current and former players. Two of his returning players, sophomore Ben Judson and junior Quentin Bullen, both showed a lot of excitement about hiring the Peabody native.
“For me, I was really hoping for that. He’s the closest person who knows how [Connolly] ran the team,” Judson said.
Said Bullen, “He’s been the assistant here so long so we know him really well. Whenever Coach Connolly had to miss practice, he would step in and take things over. We’re already used to him. We’re kind of excited."
Another who was ecstatic about Dullea’s hire was storied Prep hero Pat Connaughton, who led the Eagles to their first-ever Division 1 state championship in 2011 and was the recipient of ESPN Boston's inaugural "Mr. Basketball" award. The Arlington native now plays both basketball and baseball at Notre Dame.
“I think it’s a great hire," Connaughton said. "Dullea has been there throughout this uprise of the program so he knows how to keep it in the right direction. He has a good future of coaching at the Prep."
Dullea was very complimentary of Connolly, who in his time at Prep quickly developed a reputation as one of the MIAA’s best coaches. Connolly took the Prep job in October 2008 after four seasons at his alma mater Bishop Fenwick, and in five seasons at the Prep helm amassed an 89-25 record, including 10-4 in the playoffs.
Bullen said that there were questions about the team coming into this past season season, especially after losing four valued seniors and seeing two other would-be starters transfer to prep schools. Connolly, with plenty of help on the bench from Dullea, did perhaps his best coaching job of his career with the 19-3 Eagles -- which is why Prep decided to make a hire in-house.
“I’ve been with [Connolly] for 10 years, but our relationship goes a lot further than that. I don’t think I would be in this situation without him,” Dullea said.
Athletic Director Jim O’Leary talked about continuity in explaining why the coaching search was such a quick one.
"We weren’t looking for a huge change because we liked the direction of the program here," O'Leary said. "I think you have worldwide searches when you think you need a change in the program. We don’t think we need a change in the program.
"The way he carries himself, the players play hard for him, which is the most important thing. The players like him and understand where he’s coming from."
Dullea's playing background, along with his systematic similarities to Connolly, has players and supporters feeling very optimistic for next season, already.
“If we had a new coach coming in, it would be a whole new system. We’ll know what to do because it’s the same system...and be able to get right back into it next year,” Judson said.
At the press conference, Dullea expressed an extreme amount of gratitude and excitement to get started with a team that will once again considered to be one of the state’s most talented next year. He plans on meeting with players this week to discuss workouts and summer plans.
“When the day comes next year coaching my first game, and my parents across the room, that will be a very proud moment for me,” he said.
Shepard changing culture at Putnam
April, 1, 2013
Apr 1
4:11
PM ET
By Terrence Payne | ESPNBoston.com
Brendan Hall/ESPNBoston.comDivision 1 state champion Putnam has emerged as a powerhouse, in part because of the way coach William Shepard constantly challenged his players off the court.It was Friday, March 8, and inside the walls of the brand-new Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, the boys’ basketball team was still practicing. The Beavers were preparing to venture into unfamiliar territory. It had been 19 years since Putnam basketball had played this long into the season. The following night, the Beavers would square off with the defending state champions -- a rival school less than a mile down Roosevelt Avenue -- Springfield Central.
The Golden Eagles were expected to play for the Division 1 Western Mass. title that Saturday night while the Beavers still had its fair share of doubters, yet none of them were in that gymnasium that Friday.
Putnam head coach William Shepard talked to his team each day after practice, though, he tweaked the postgame speech a bit that day. Each member of the team read a line from Marva Collins’ poem “The Creed.”
“It applied to basketball,” Putnam senior forward Kayjuan Bynum said. “But it also applied to life.”
The poem represented the new culture of Putnam basketball, one that Shepard brought into the school four years ago when he decided to leave his head coaching job at Springfield Technical Community College, a position he held for a decade.
“High school is the place I wanted to be at from the start,” Shepard said. “I knew there could be great things to be accomplished. I always knew there was talent here.”
Shepard made the transition to high school ball to tap into the talent at an earlier age and develop these gifted players into discipline young men. When he began at Putnam, he set the expectations high, never lowering them until the goals were met. Four short years later, Putnam will add its first state title banner. More importantly, Shepard is challenging these student-athletes to apply the hard work and success they’ve achieved on the hardwood to the classroom and the community. There is one particular line of Collins’ poem that underscores how Shepard is changing the perception of Putnam basketball and the city of Springfield.
Society will draw a circle that shuts me out, but my superior thoughts will draw me in. I was born to win if I do not spend too much time trying to fail.
The bus ride to UMass-Amherst for the Western Mass. title game was loose, according to the players. They were listening to music, joking, but when they walked into Curry Hicks Cage, they had the opportunity to dethrone Central as the city/sectional power.
A year earlier, Putnam earned the No. 2 seed to Central, only to be bounced in the quarterfinals. The top two seeds remained the same this season with Central receiving the top spot for a tougher schedule. Sharing the same street puts Putnam in the figurative and literal shadow of Central, where the history of on-court success includes three state titles while producing NBA talent in Travis Best. Despite the 20-1 record, Putnam was still doubted for much of the season.
“It really got me mad when they thought we were Division 2,” junior guard Dizel Wright said, referring to one of the criticisms the team heard during the season.
The shifting of the powers started to begin when David Murrell launched a half-court shot, and, as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter, Murrell’s heave banked in, putting Putnam up nine.
“I let it go and I was like ‘We got this.’” Murrell said. “We got to take over now.”
From there, Putnam cruised to its first sectional final, 61-45, and the school’s first ever boys’ basketball title. Putnam was still the underdog in the state semifinals where the Beavers beat Milford. 52-39.
That trend continued in the state final against Mansfield. And it wasn’t until Ty Nichols hit a pair of free throws in overtime, as the Beavers held on for a 50-48 win, before Shepard’s mission became a reality.
Shepard, who was born and raised in Springfield, understands this wasn’t the only time his players had been counted out.
Failure is just as easy to combat as success is to obtain. … I have the right to fail, but I do not have the right to take other people with me.
Every day after practice, Shepard talked to his team, less about basketball and more about life and how the choices they make.
“I’ve told them, you’ve overcome adversity already,” Shepard said. “Basketball is the easy part.”
Shepard refers to his players dealing with the pressures of a city with many temptations and as a court officer in Springfield for 14 years. He has seen countless teenagers walk in and out of courtrooms for whatever reasons over the years, whether it is drugs, gangs, etc.
“We talk about a lot of life issues,” Shepard said. “It’s just not being a follower. To be honest some of their friends are selling drugs, not doing the right thing. They have a choice.”
“It’s easier for anyone to get caught up in that life,” Bynum added. “We use basketball as a sanctuary. We don’t need a gang family. We are each other’s family.
“No one needs to be out there when you can be in here with us, having fun, practicing, winning state championships.”
Through his time at Putnam, Shepard has become a role model and a father figure to those who needed the influence of a male role model in their life. Shepard is like his players, born and raised in Springfield. He won the Lahovich Award (awarded to the region’s top player) when he was in high school before starring in college at Western Connecticut State.
In his post-practice speeches, Shepard tells his players to not become followers, and challenges his team to be successful outside of the basketball court and in the classroom. Putnam serves as the city’s trade school, although, its six rotation players – Bynum, Murrell, Wright, Nichols, Jonathan Garcia, and Kishawn Monroe – all plan on attending four-year colleges. Within the first two years of his coaching tenure at Putnam, Shepard began to attract the attention of the city’s top players. Those, who had a passion for the game and were willing to be a part of something bigger then themselves.
“I had watched them play Northampton in 2011,” sophomore Jonathan Garcia said. “I remember I came to watch them and saw Putnam pull out a close one.
“I actually had to beg my mom to let me go to school here. She wanted me to go to Central.”
No longer was Central the place where all the talent in Springfield went. Putnam offered a solid education along with a trade in addition to what Shepard had to offer as a basketball coach. That’s exactly what Shepard and Putnam provided kids in 2012-2013.
Time and chance come to us all. I can be either hesitant or courageous. I can swiftly stand up and shout: "This is my time and my place. I will accept the challenge."
Ty Nichols stepped to the free throw line with the score tied, 48-48, in overtime of the state championship. He buried the pair of free throws, but coincidentally, the sophomore standing on the free throw line was the one that wanted to quit the team during his first season with Putnam.
“He wanted to quit,” Shepard said. “I have to give credit to his mother. She brought him into practice that day.”
Nichols, a transfer from Chicopee Comprehensive High School, admits it took some time for him to get used to the brand of basketball Putnam was building.
“Earlier in the year I wasn’t used to playing with these guys a lot,” Nichols said. “I was used to getting the ball, scoring more. I had to get used to passing the ball, so I had to adapt to how they were doing things at Putnam.”
Nichols, who transitioned into the sixth-man role this season for Putnam, will be one of the key players returning to next season’s team along with Murrell, Wright, Garcia and Monroe. After four years and with a new $114 million the perception of Putnam have been altered in the city of Springfield.
“Putnam is the place to be here,” Shepard said.
Thursday afternoon the team was getting their state championship rings sized. Bynum, a senior is done playing high school basketball as he is on his way to Southern Connecticut State to play football. He’s still pulled aside by Shepard as the two have a conversation in the school’s cafeteria. Times have changed at Putnam and with Shepard in the mix, it only serves as a positive for the team and provides a guiding influence to the city’s youth.
The middle of a recent school board meeting turned into a gripe session about the Winslow athletic director.
In early March, Travis Lazarczyk of the Morning Sentinel wrote a column about the situation of Johnny Lagasse, a sophomore wrestler at Winslow, who was seeded second in his class but did not compete at the regional or state meets. According to Lazarczyk's column, Lagasse was reported as failing an English class taught by Mark Pelletier, which would have made Lagasse ineligible to compete.
“Johnny emailed his English teacher, Mark Pelletier,” Lazarczyk wrote. “On Friday afternoon, Pelletier double-checked the grade. Pelletier said he found a calculation error that caused not just Lagasse, but the entire class, to receive a failing grade.”
When wrestling coach Kevin Fredette was not notified in time, Lagasse was ineligible for regionals, which made him ineligible for states. Lazarczyk wrote that because the school had an in-service day, Lagasse could not go directly to athletic director Carrie Larrabee to fix the mistake.
“Even so, Larrabee and Pelletier were both at Winslow High School that day,” Lazarczyk wrote. “After hearing from the Lagasse family, Larrabee could have gone to Pelletier's classroom to double check the grade.”
The last year has been tumultuous for Winslow athletics. Last spring, girls basketball coach Tom Nadeau resigned suddenly after compiling a 76-40 record over six seasons.
“Maybe, under different circumstances, I might not have stepped down,” Nadeau told the Sentinel. “Without getting into a lot of detail, I think there comes a time when one knows it's time to move on, and I think that time has come for me.”
Just two weeks later, Winslow softball coach Steve Blood resigned in preseason. Blood had won three state titles over three different coaching stints. In an interview with the Sentinel, Blood cited numerous complaints, including the administration not doing enough to field a junior varsity team that spring. Blood also said the school rarely had buses ready on time for road games, and that he felt compelled to mow the outfield himself three times the previous season.
On the other hand, Larrabee's recent hires have been well-received. She hired Lindsey Welch to replace Nadeau, and Welch was named Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B Coach of the Year. Jared Browne led Winslow to the Eastern B tournament this season, and new softball coach Steve Bodge, who stepped in just before preseason, is a well-liked coach with experience.
This winter, boys’ hockey assistant coach Andrew Cyr was removed from his job for reasons that have not been made public. Cyr's supporter's started an online petition, and the page “Save Mr. Cyr” on Facebook has nearly 800 “likes” (Winslow High School currently has less than 500 students).
A post on the page asked Cyr's supporters to come to a Winslow school board meeting in late March. More than an hour into the meeting, the board members tried to go into executive session to discuss another matter. A few dozen people who had come to support Cyr began yelling that they needed to be heard. When Superintendent Eric Haley and a board member explained that they couldn't discuss Cyr because he wasn't present and hadn't asked for a discussion, the crowd turned on Larrabee, who was at the meeting.
Residents brought up the Johnny Lagasse situation, and Haley apologized for it. As residents criticized Larrabee, saying among other things that the school should investigate whether she is pulling her weight, Haley did not show any signs of agreeing with the residents or defending Larrabee, who was in the audience.
BANGOR'S SANDERSON WINS TRAVIS ROY AWARD
Bangor forward Parker Sanderson won the Travis Roy Award, given annually to the top Class A senior player in the state. Sanderson had 25 goals and 26 assists this season, leading the Rams to the Eastern A final.
Sanderson is the first Bangor player to win the award since it was instituted in 1996. The other finalists were Scarborough's Nick Bagley, Grant Carrier of St. Dominic, and Cam McLain of Cheverus.
The best line of the day came from Carrier, a goalie at St. Dom's. The Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Carrier, in thanking his parents during his speech, said, “For those who don't know, St. Dom's tuition is not chump change, no matter who you are, and a set of new goalie equipment can be equal to the price of a used car.”
DOUBLE DUTY FOR MESSALONSKEE COACH
Tom Sheridan is preparing for another season as the Messalonskee boys' lacrosse coach. That's not unusual – he's in his 19th year. What is unusual is that he's also coaching the University of Maine at Farmington men's lacrosse team, which began its regular season two weeks before Messalonskee's first practice of the spring.
Sheridan is officially UMF's interim coach. He said there was one conflict where he would have had to be at two games at the same time, but that UMF changed that game.
“That's my life,” Sheridan joked to the Morning Sentinel. “I'm a three-season coach. Now I coach four teams.”
In early March, Travis Lazarczyk of the Morning Sentinel wrote a column about the situation of Johnny Lagasse, a sophomore wrestler at Winslow, who was seeded second in his class but did not compete at the regional or state meets. According to Lazarczyk's column, Lagasse was reported as failing an English class taught by Mark Pelletier, which would have made Lagasse ineligible to compete.
“Johnny emailed his English teacher, Mark Pelletier,” Lazarczyk wrote. “On Friday afternoon, Pelletier double-checked the grade. Pelletier said he found a calculation error that caused not just Lagasse, but the entire class, to receive a failing grade.”
When wrestling coach Kevin Fredette was not notified in time, Lagasse was ineligible for regionals, which made him ineligible for states. Lazarczyk wrote that because the school had an in-service day, Lagasse could not go directly to athletic director Carrie Larrabee to fix the mistake.
“Even so, Larrabee and Pelletier were both at Winslow High School that day,” Lazarczyk wrote. “After hearing from the Lagasse family, Larrabee could have gone to Pelletier's classroom to double check the grade.”
The last year has been tumultuous for Winslow athletics. Last spring, girls basketball coach Tom Nadeau resigned suddenly after compiling a 76-40 record over six seasons.
“Maybe, under different circumstances, I might not have stepped down,” Nadeau told the Sentinel. “Without getting into a lot of detail, I think there comes a time when one knows it's time to move on, and I think that time has come for me.”
Just two weeks later, Winslow softball coach Steve Blood resigned in preseason. Blood had won three state titles over three different coaching stints. In an interview with the Sentinel, Blood cited numerous complaints, including the administration not doing enough to field a junior varsity team that spring. Blood also said the school rarely had buses ready on time for road games, and that he felt compelled to mow the outfield himself three times the previous season.
On the other hand, Larrabee's recent hires have been well-received. She hired Lindsey Welch to replace Nadeau, and Welch was named Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B Coach of the Year. Jared Browne led Winslow to the Eastern B tournament this season, and new softball coach Steve Bodge, who stepped in just before preseason, is a well-liked coach with experience.
This winter, boys’ hockey assistant coach Andrew Cyr was removed from his job for reasons that have not been made public. Cyr's supporter's started an online petition, and the page “Save Mr. Cyr” on Facebook has nearly 800 “likes” (Winslow High School currently has less than 500 students).
A post on the page asked Cyr's supporters to come to a Winslow school board meeting in late March. More than an hour into the meeting, the board members tried to go into executive session to discuss another matter. A few dozen people who had come to support Cyr began yelling that they needed to be heard. When Superintendent Eric Haley and a board member explained that they couldn't discuss Cyr because he wasn't present and hadn't asked for a discussion, the crowd turned on Larrabee, who was at the meeting.
Residents brought up the Johnny Lagasse situation, and Haley apologized for it. As residents criticized Larrabee, saying among other things that the school should investigate whether she is pulling her weight, Haley did not show any signs of agreeing with the residents or defending Larrabee, who was in the audience.
BANGOR'S SANDERSON WINS TRAVIS ROY AWARD
Bangor forward Parker Sanderson won the Travis Roy Award, given annually to the top Class A senior player in the state. Sanderson had 25 goals and 26 assists this season, leading the Rams to the Eastern A final.
Sanderson is the first Bangor player to win the award since it was instituted in 1996. The other finalists were Scarborough's Nick Bagley, Grant Carrier of St. Dominic, and Cam McLain of Cheverus.
The best line of the day came from Carrier, a goalie at St. Dom's. The Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Carrier, in thanking his parents during his speech, said, “For those who don't know, St. Dom's tuition is not chump change, no matter who you are, and a set of new goalie equipment can be equal to the price of a used car.”
DOUBLE DUTY FOR MESSALONSKEE COACH
Tom Sheridan is preparing for another season as the Messalonskee boys' lacrosse coach. That's not unusual – he's in his 19th year. What is unusual is that he's also coaching the University of Maine at Farmington men's lacrosse team, which began its regular season two weeks before Messalonskee's first practice of the spring.
Sheridan is officially UMF's interim coach. He said there was one conflict where he would have had to be at two games at the same time, but that UMF changed that game.
“That's my life,” Sheridan joked to the Morning Sentinel. “I'm a three-season coach. Now I coach four teams.”
Videographer Greg Story followed Mansfield basketball during its run-up to the Division 1 state championship game and championship Saturday at the DCU Center.
The result is "Inside the Nest", which we are pleased to present to you here as an ESPNBoston.com original full-length documentary.
We hope you will enjoy:
The result is "Inside the Nest", which we are pleased to present to you here as an ESPNBoston.com original full-length documentary.
We hope you will enjoy:
THE SUPER TEAM
G - Kayla Burton, Sr., Newton South
Heralded as one of the state's premier lead guards, the 5-foot-9 Burton lived up to the hype in her senior season, leading the Lions to a surprise appearance in the Division 1 South semifinals as a No. 16 seed, which included a first-round upset of top seed (and archrival) Newton North. Burton will continue her career next year at Lehigh University.
G - Sara Ryan, Sr., Archbishop Williams
The Catholic Central League's MVP was the catalyst for the Bishops' blitzkrieg through the Division 3 state tournament, winning by an average margin of 19.8 points over six games and culminating with the program's third state title in eight seasons. Ryan will continue her career next season at Southern New Hampshire University.
G/F - Donnaizha Fountain, Sr., Cambridge
The Georgia Tech signee averaged 19.5 points per game, along with 9.5 rebounds, 3.6 steals and more than two blocks per game this season. Fountain nearly averaged a double-double for her Falcons career, with 16.4 points per game and 9.7 rebounds.
G/F - Olivia Healy, Sr., Reading
The 5-foot-10 Richmond signee will go down as one of the most decorated players in school history. She is the school's all-time leading scorer, recipient of this year's ESPN Boston Miss Basketball Award as well as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year, and catalyst for the program's first-ever state championship last season. Healy led the state in scoring average (27.5 points per game), and shot 54.1 percent from the field -- including a 41 percent clip from three-point range. She also averaged 11.5 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.8 assists per game. The Rockets went 86-7 in her four-year career, including a 48-game win streak from December 2011 to the Division 2 Eastern Mass. Finals earlier this month.
F - Casey McLaughlin, Sr., Central Catholic
After missing most of her junior season with a knee injury, the 6-foot forward came back this season more determined than ever, and elevated her game exponentially in the playoffs. The Raiders captured their second Division 1 state championship in five seasons this season on the back of McLaughlin, who scored 27 points in the state final win over Holy Name. McLaughlin will continue her career next season at Stonehill College.
BEST OF THE REST
Caitlyn Abela, Sr. F, Oliver Ames
Molly Bent, Soph. G, Barnstable
Jazmine Collins, Sr. G, Sabis
Brianna Frias, Jr. C, Holy Name
Jen Gemma, Sr. G, Fontbonne
Alana Gilmer, Jr. F, Archbishop Williams
Bridget Herlihy, Soph. F, Braintree
Sarah Hope, Sr. F, Medway
Samantha Hyslip, Jr. F, Westford Academy
Jaszala Laracuente, Jr. G, New Mission
Brittany Lomanno, Sr. G, Billerica
Morgan Lumb, Sr. G, North Andover
Kelly Martin, Sr. G, Scituate
Danielle Nickerson, Sr. F, Billerica
Lauren Petit, Jr. G, Medfield
Jen Narlee, Sr. C, Medfield
Michaela North, Sr. F, Duxbury
Molly Reagan, Soph. C, Braintree
Stephanie Young, Sr. F, Lee
Masey Zegarowski, Soph. G, Ipswich
G - Kayla Burton, Sr., Newton South
Heralded as one of the state's premier lead guards, the 5-foot-9 Burton lived up to the hype in her senior season, leading the Lions to a surprise appearance in the Division 1 South semifinals as a No. 16 seed, which included a first-round upset of top seed (and archrival) Newton North. Burton will continue her career next year at Lehigh University.
G - Sara Ryan, Sr., Archbishop Williams
The Catholic Central League's MVP was the catalyst for the Bishops' blitzkrieg through the Division 3 state tournament, winning by an average margin of 19.8 points over six games and culminating with the program's third state title in eight seasons. Ryan will continue her career next season at Southern New Hampshire University.
G/F - Donnaizha Fountain, Sr., Cambridge
The Georgia Tech signee averaged 19.5 points per game, along with 9.5 rebounds, 3.6 steals and more than two blocks per game this season. Fountain nearly averaged a double-double for her Falcons career, with 16.4 points per game and 9.7 rebounds.
G/F - Olivia Healy, Sr., Reading
The 5-foot-10 Richmond signee will go down as one of the most decorated players in school history. She is the school's all-time leading scorer, recipient of this year's ESPN Boston Miss Basketball Award as well as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year, and catalyst for the program's first-ever state championship last season. Healy led the state in scoring average (27.5 points per game), and shot 54.1 percent from the field -- including a 41 percent clip from three-point range. She also averaged 11.5 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.8 assists per game. The Rockets went 86-7 in her four-year career, including a 48-game win streak from December 2011 to the Division 2 Eastern Mass. Finals earlier this month.
F - Casey McLaughlin, Sr., Central Catholic
After missing most of her junior season with a knee injury, the 6-foot forward came back this season more determined than ever, and elevated her game exponentially in the playoffs. The Raiders captured their second Division 1 state championship in five seasons this season on the back of McLaughlin, who scored 27 points in the state final win over Holy Name. McLaughlin will continue her career next season at Stonehill College.
BEST OF THE REST
Caitlyn Abela, Sr. F, Oliver Ames
Molly Bent, Soph. G, Barnstable
Jazmine Collins, Sr. G, Sabis
Brianna Frias, Jr. C, Holy Name
Jen Gemma, Sr. G, Fontbonne
Alana Gilmer, Jr. F, Archbishop Williams
Bridget Herlihy, Soph. F, Braintree
Sarah Hope, Sr. F, Medway
Samantha Hyslip, Jr. F, Westford Academy
Jaszala Laracuente, Jr. G, New Mission
Brittany Lomanno, Sr. G, Billerica
Morgan Lumb, Sr. G, North Andover
Kelly Martin, Sr. G, Scituate
Danielle Nickerson, Sr. F, Billerica
Lauren Petit, Jr. G, Medfield
Jen Narlee, Sr. C, Medfield
Michaela North, Sr. F, Duxbury
Molly Reagan, Soph. C, Braintree
Stephanie Young, Sr. F, Lee
Masey Zegarowski, Soph. G, Ipswich
March was a pretty good month for Missisquoi Valley Union's Matt St. Amour.
After being selected as Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year for boys basketball, St. Amour finalized his college plans by choosing to continue his basketball career at Division III Middlebury College. St. Amour's other options included walking on at the University of Vermont.
"I've always been a Vermont kid and I felt I always wanted to continue to play in front of my Vermont fans," St. Amour told the Burlington Free Press. "UVM would have been a great opportunity, always been one of my dreams to play for them, but I feel Middlebury was a better fit."
St. Amour, a 6-foot-3 guard, was also named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. He averaged 30.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.4 steals per game as a senior, when he helped the Thunderbirds (13-9) reach the Division I quarterfinals. He completed his high school career as the No. 3 scorer in state history (2,064 points).
Middlebury has qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament in each of the last six years. The Panthers reached the quarterfinals this season, and finished with a 25-4 record.
"Middlebury told me I was their No. 1 option all along,” St. Amour said. “I know I can be an important role on their team. I felt they were interested in wanting me to play there," St. Amour said. "Middlebury doesn't like to lose that much and that's something that I enjoy.
"I plan on having a successful career and win a national championship -- that's definitely a goal."
TWIN-STATE GAMES MAY RETURN
After the Vermont boys and girls played New Hampshire in the 2010 Twin State All-Star Senior Basketball Classic, many thought the event was dead and buried.
The games lacked interest – primarily on the New Hampshire side – and sponsors became hard to find. Vermont recently received a commitment from the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches' Association, however, and the event may return as soon as this summer. Representatives from each state are scheduled to meet in April in an attempt to bring the games back to life.
The Twin State Classic has always been a doubleheader with the top girls basketball players from each state facing one another before the boys game. The games were last held at the University of Vermont's Patrick Gymnasium.
The New Hampshire boys and girls teams each hold an 18-12 edge in the series.
SHRINE ROSTER RELEASED
There are still three spots to fill on the Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl team, but a preliminary roster was released in mid-March. Vermont will play New Hampshire on Aug. 3 (5:30 p.m.) at Dartmouth College's Memorial Field. It will be the first night game in the event's history.
Jason Thomas of Burr & Burton Academy is Vermont's head coach. Mascoma Regional's Ray Kershaw is coaching New Hampshire's.
New Hampshire won last summer's game 62-24 to extend its winning streak to 12 games. New Hampshire leads the series 44-13-2.
Vermont roster: Zachary Rawling (Bellows Falls), Zachary Tarvit (Bellows Falls), Darren Callan (BFA-St. Albans), Dylan Callan (BFA-St. Albans), Lucas Kelsey (BFA-St. Albans), Doug Saffo (BFA-St. Albans), Ryan Wimble (BFA-Fairfax), Tyler Higley (Brattleboro), Billy Katon (Burlington), Chris Redding (Burr & Burton), Jake Stalcup (Burr & Burton), Alec Distler (Champlain Valley), Harvey Ottinger (Champlain Valley), Bobby Brigante (Colchester), Noah MacGillivary (Essex), James Olsen (Essex), Joey Picard (Essex), Joseph Ramada (Essex), Cody Bradish (Fair Haven), Dakota Euber (Fair Haven), Josh Claflin (Hartford), Nolan Frechette (Hartford), Taylor Potter (Hartford), Walter Odell (Middlebury), Wade Steele (Mount Abraham), Carter Glenn (Mount Mansfield), Dan Warnecke (Poultney), Billy O'Brien (Rice), Matthew Hock (Rutland), Jon Kilian (Spaulding), Ed Doton (Woodstock), Travis Gault (Woodstock), Jalen Peterson (Woodstock).
WINTER RECAP
Scores from the championship games in basketball and hockey:
Boys' basketball
Division I: Rice 48, St. Johnsbury
Division II: Vergennes 62, Burr & Burton 49
Division III: Williamstown 63, Thetford 39
Division IV: Rochester 68, West Rutland 43
Girls' basketball
Division I: Champlain Valley 47, Rice 42
Division II: Mount Abraham 44, BFA-Fairfax 28
Division III: Winooski 52, Williamstown 48
Division IV: Proctor 55, Arlington 38
Boys' hockey
Division I: South Burlington 4, Champlain Valley 2
Division II: U-32 5, Burr & Burton 2
Girls' hockey
Division I: BFA-St. Albans 3, Essex 0
Division II: Harwood 1, North Country 0
Roger Brown is a staff writer for the New Hampshire Union Leader and has been covering high school sports throughout New England since 1992.
After being selected as Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year for boys basketball, St. Amour finalized his college plans by choosing to continue his basketball career at Division III Middlebury College. St. Amour's other options included walking on at the University of Vermont.
"I've always been a Vermont kid and I felt I always wanted to continue to play in front of my Vermont fans," St. Amour told the Burlington Free Press. "UVM would have been a great opportunity, always been one of my dreams to play for them, but I feel Middlebury was a better fit."
St. Amour, a 6-foot-3 guard, was also named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. He averaged 30.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.4 steals per game as a senior, when he helped the Thunderbirds (13-9) reach the Division I quarterfinals. He completed his high school career as the No. 3 scorer in state history (2,064 points).
Middlebury has qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament in each of the last six years. The Panthers reached the quarterfinals this season, and finished with a 25-4 record.
"Middlebury told me I was their No. 1 option all along,” St. Amour said. “I know I can be an important role on their team. I felt they were interested in wanting me to play there," St. Amour said. "Middlebury doesn't like to lose that much and that's something that I enjoy.
"I plan on having a successful career and win a national championship -- that's definitely a goal."
TWIN-STATE GAMES MAY RETURN
After the Vermont boys and girls played New Hampshire in the 2010 Twin State All-Star Senior Basketball Classic, many thought the event was dead and buried.
The games lacked interest – primarily on the New Hampshire side – and sponsors became hard to find. Vermont recently received a commitment from the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches' Association, however, and the event may return as soon as this summer. Representatives from each state are scheduled to meet in April in an attempt to bring the games back to life.
The Twin State Classic has always been a doubleheader with the top girls basketball players from each state facing one another before the boys game. The games were last held at the University of Vermont's Patrick Gymnasium.
The New Hampshire boys and girls teams each hold an 18-12 edge in the series.
SHRINE ROSTER RELEASED
There are still three spots to fill on the Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl team, but a preliminary roster was released in mid-March. Vermont will play New Hampshire on Aug. 3 (5:30 p.m.) at Dartmouth College's Memorial Field. It will be the first night game in the event's history.
Jason Thomas of Burr & Burton Academy is Vermont's head coach. Mascoma Regional's Ray Kershaw is coaching New Hampshire's.
New Hampshire won last summer's game 62-24 to extend its winning streak to 12 games. New Hampshire leads the series 44-13-2.
Vermont roster: Zachary Rawling (Bellows Falls), Zachary Tarvit (Bellows Falls), Darren Callan (BFA-St. Albans), Dylan Callan (BFA-St. Albans), Lucas Kelsey (BFA-St. Albans), Doug Saffo (BFA-St. Albans), Ryan Wimble (BFA-Fairfax), Tyler Higley (Brattleboro), Billy Katon (Burlington), Chris Redding (Burr & Burton), Jake Stalcup (Burr & Burton), Alec Distler (Champlain Valley), Harvey Ottinger (Champlain Valley), Bobby Brigante (Colchester), Noah MacGillivary (Essex), James Olsen (Essex), Joey Picard (Essex), Joseph Ramada (Essex), Cody Bradish (Fair Haven), Dakota Euber (Fair Haven), Josh Claflin (Hartford), Nolan Frechette (Hartford), Taylor Potter (Hartford), Walter Odell (Middlebury), Wade Steele (Mount Abraham), Carter Glenn (Mount Mansfield), Dan Warnecke (Poultney), Billy O'Brien (Rice), Matthew Hock (Rutland), Jon Kilian (Spaulding), Ed Doton (Woodstock), Travis Gault (Woodstock), Jalen Peterson (Woodstock).
WINTER RECAP
Scores from the championship games in basketball and hockey:
Boys' basketball
Division I: Rice 48, St. Johnsbury
Division II: Vergennes 62, Burr & Burton 49
Division III: Williamstown 63, Thetford 39
Division IV: Rochester 68, West Rutland 43
Girls' basketball
Division I: Champlain Valley 47, Rice 42
Division II: Mount Abraham 44, BFA-Fairfax 28
Division III: Winooski 52, Williamstown 48
Division IV: Proctor 55, Arlington 38
Boys' hockey
Division I: South Burlington 4, Champlain Valley 2
Division II: U-32 5, Burr & Burton 2
Girls' hockey
Division I: BFA-St. Albans 3, Essex 0
Division II: Harwood 1, North Country 0
Roger Brown is a staff writer for the New Hampshire Union Leader and has been covering high school sports throughout New England since 1992.
Final Thoughts from 2012-13, and looking ahead
March, 27, 2013
Mar 27
8:15
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
Some final thoughts as we put a close on the 2012-13 high school basketball season...
***
A FLU SHOT HE'LL NEVER FORGET
After committing to Vanderbilt last August, Lynn English's Ben Bowden told ESPNBoston.com he was leaning towards not coming back out for basketball his senior year, saying "it delayed my pitching", that he lost "alot of interest" from some colleges "because I didn't throw hard as they wanted me to."
"I'm leaning that way so I can be fully prepared, because we've got the [MLB] draft and everything," Bowden told us at the time. "Where it's at right now, I don't see myself playing. But it was fun while it lasted."
Bowden, a 6-foot-4 lefty flreballer, is one of the state's most heralded prospects following his junior season, which started with a perfect game against Marblehead and ended with a spot on ESPN Boston's All-State Team and whispers of draft potential. He was 10 minutes away from spending his winter in the gym sharpening his craft, on his own; but a chance encounter on the first day of basketball tryouts changed all that.
The school was conducting flu shots that day, and the location just happened to be near basketball coach Mike Carr's office. As Bowden's girlfriend was getting her shot, Carr light-heartedly ribbed him about spurning one last winter with the team. After Bowden wished Carr good luck and the two parted ways, Bowden bumped into a half-dozen Bulldogs players, who gave him even more ribbing.
Bowden went home, thought about it, and by 5 p.m. had changed his mind.
And boy, was he glad. The Bulldogs captivated the City of Lynn over the second half of the season and throughout their sudden run to the MIAA Division 1 North finals, with Bowden starting at power forwrad, drawing fans from all four of the high schools to come see their wildly-entertaining brand of run-and-gun. He called the Bulldogs' wild 94-87 win over Everett in the D1 North semifinals "the best atmosphere I've ever played in any sport", and doesn't regret a minute of his time this winter.
"It got me into very good shape, obviously I have no regrets at all," he said. "Even if I got hurt, I wouldn’t have regretted playing at all. It was an awesome experience."
Vandy head coach Tim Corbin encourages multi-sport activity out of his high school recruits, a sentiment many high school baseball coaches support for a multitude of reasons -- primarily, that it encourages competitive spirit, and also works different muscle groups to keep the body in prime shape.
Carr heavily emphasized conditioning this year with his team, concluding practice each day with a grueling 10-minute session up and down the school's four flights of stairs, and it's paid off for Bowden. Headed into his first start of the spring, currently slated for April 10, he says this is the "best I've ever felt going into a baseball season."
"I feel my legs are stronger, I'm pushing off the mound better," Bowden said. "My core has gotten stronger. Everything we did for basketball has helped me in a positive way for baseball."
Talking about keeping his arm loose, he added, "I feel the best I've ever felt going into a baseball seasons, and I think it's because I've lost quite a bit of weight. I'm feeling a lot better and a lot lighter, and also because I was throwing more...By the time baseball started [this season] I was on my seventh week of throwing. I was a lot more ready than I was in any other season. I was smart about my decision to play basketball because I knew I had to get throws in."
As basketball becomes more individualized at younger and younger ages in this AAU-ized era of specialization, we sometimes forget that these sports can bleed into each other. Notre Dame hoop coach Mike Brey first heard about Pat Connaughton after a tip from the Irish's baseball coach. Soccer prowess helped Danvers' Eric Martin and Melrose's Frantdzy Pierrot become more elusive runners in the open floor. And some are quietly wondering if football may end up being the meal ticket for Wakefield super-sophomore Bruce Brown, who excels with the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) but also turned in a pretty nice campaign last fall at wide receiver. Same with another budding BABC star, Brendan Hill of Mansfield.
Unless you're one of the top players in the country at your position, I'll never understand why some physically-mature high school guards don't at least give an additional sport a try -- but that's a probably a topic for a whole other day. Know that for as much accolades as we've all poured on English's talented trio of guards, Bowden may have played the most important position of all -- the Joey Dorsey, the rock-solid post player down low counted on for rebounds that can keep possessions alive, and facilitate a whip-quick fast break going the other way.
And to think, if his girlfriend hadn't gone to get a flu shot that first day of tryouts, we might be talking about a whole different story in Lynn.
***
MORE THAN JUST 'WANTING IT MORE'
You have to think long and hard to find the last time a kid in the Merrimack Valley Conference went from benchwarmer on one team in one season, to league MVP on another team the next.
Chris Bardwell's transformation from garbage-time go-getter at Central Catholic in 2012 to an ESPN Boston Super Team selection at North Andover in 2013 is one that will be held up as a model example of will power. At least, that was the rhetoric being told this winter -- that if you want it bad enough as Bardwell, if you train hard enough, you can make the jump.
Sure, some of this transformation has to do with the mental element. But Mansfield wanted it just as bad as Putnam in the Division 1 state title game, and was unable to prevent the Beavers from continuously leaking out for some uncontested fast break points. Scituate wanted to just as bad as Brighton in the Division 2 Eastern Mass. title game at the Garden, but couldn't cleanly escape on-ball pressure from Nate Hogan long enough to prevent Malik James' last-second heroics.
I think of Bardwell -- also a lefty pitcher with reportedly mid to high-80's velocity -- and I think back to my first months at ESPNBoston.com, in the summer of 2010, when St. John's Prep star Pat Connaughton was one of the hottest names nationally on the recruiting front. In basketball, he was an ESPN 100 prospect with a lengthy list of suitors east of the Mississippi. On the mound, he was an overpowering righty with first five round potential, named by Baseball America as one of the nation's top 100 high school prospects.
Connaughton had big hype, and in turn put in a legendary summer workout regimen to back it up, sometimes putting in eight hours of training a day -- quite literally, treating it like a 9-to-5. After signing with Notre Dame, the results spoke for themselves -- a state championship, All-State recognition in both sports, and a Day 3 selection by the San Diego Padres.
OK, so Bardwell's not Connaughton. The point is, situations like Bardwell's are the product of both opportunity and preparation, and all that will power is for naught if you're not training right. Bardwell came into the last offseason more determined, but he also upped his daily cardio, played more basketball, and changed his diet, cutting out junk and carbonated beverages and increasing his protein intake. Training for both basketball and baseball certainly helped him stay sharp.
Let's not forget had Bardwell stayed at Central, he would have been battling for playing time among a deep stable of forwards, duking it out with the likes of Doug Gemmell, Nick Cambio, Joel Berroa and Aaron Hall. At North Andover, he could fit in snugly as a terrific compliment to one of the state's best bigs in Isaiah Nelsen -- though in the end, obviously, Bardwell turned out to be the star of the show.
Success stories come from anywhere. Just take a look at another former Central Catholic baseball product, Dennis Torres, who was cut four times by the varsity during his high school years yet was drafted by the Orioles last June after walking-on at UMass.
Like Bardwell, he wanted it badly. Clearly, Torres was sick and tired of being sick and tired. But as usual, it's never as simple as pure will power and mental maturation. There's a method, and Bardwell played it right.
***
RE-BIRTH OF THE RUN?
When you think of the MIAA's most dominant running teams of the 21st century, there are two programs that come to mind. One is the Charlestown juggernaut of the early 2000's, ranked nationally by USA Today and led by electric scorers like Rashid Al-Kaleem, Tony Chatman, Ridley Johnson and Tony Lee. The other is Newton North, winners of back-to-back D1 state titles behind one of the East Coast's best backcourts in Anthony Gurley and Corey Lowe.
Not about to call it a renaissance, but if there's one thing I'll take away more than anything else from this MIAA season, it's the return of quality running teams to the upper echelon. The two best running teams we saw this season represented two different styles.
There was Lynn English, pushing a white-knuckle pace, using more than 15 seconds of the shot clock only sparingly, and blitzing the opposition coming the other way with in-your-grill, full court man-to-man pressure. It took about half a season for Mike Carr's unique system to click -- but once it did, they were firing on all cylinders. The Bulldogs' backcourt of Freddy Hogan, Stevie Collins and Erick Rosario was as good as any in the state the second half of the season, with the former two earning ESPN Boston All-State honors earlier this week.
With just one real post pivot, senior Ben Bowden, the Bulldogs relied on their guards to generate transiton by forcing turnovers, sometimes flat out ripping the ball out of players' grips for easy fast break points. Carr's emphasis on conditioning was well-known, the the Bulldogs never looked tired.
Many will point to Central Catholic's stark rebounding advantage as to why they were able to lay a dump truck on English in the D1 North Final (they held a 28-7 advantage at the half), but -- follow me here -- that was practically by design. The Bulldogs flat out bailed on offensive possessions once the shot went up, surrendering the advantage and forcing Central's guards to make plays (they did, and did often).
That philosophy stood in contrast to what I felt was the state's best running team this year, Division 1 state champion Putnam. They seemed to play a physical brand of basketball in the City of Springfield this year, and nobody exemplified this better than the Beavers, who made up for lack of height with plenty of linebacker-like bulk in forwards KayJuan Bynum and David Murrell, both ESPN Boston All-State selections.
Throughout the season, Putnam coach William Shepard demonstrated enough faith in Bynum and Murrell's ability to get defensive rebounds that the Beavers' guards could continually leak out of possessions early to get fast break after fast break (Bynum and Murrell combined for 11.4 defensive rebounds, and 19.6 overall, per game this season). When an opposing team's shot went up, guards started strafing up the sidelines in anticipation of a long outlet pass. This led to a slew of production in the D1 state title game from guards Ty Nichols, Dizel Wright, Ki-Shawn Monroe and Jonathan Garcia.
Best of all, these two squads return a ton of talent to keep them in Top 10 consideration for the next two seasons. Both teams must find a replacement for their best big (English with Bowden, Putnam with Bynum), but feature a slew of talented backcourt and wing players to keep the tempo frenetic and the opposition uncomfortable.
***
INTERVIEWS OF THE YEAR
My personal favorites for interviews of the year. First, the short category...
And now, the long category...
***
WILL JACK EVER COME BACK?
After Brighton won its first ever state title, Bengals coach Hugh Coleman held court in the media room at the DCU Center, dedicating the state title trophy and season to his lifelong mentor, legendary former Charlestown boss Jack O'Brien.
Anyone familiar with the bond between O'Brien and Coleman knows it is strong. O'Brien came into Coleman's life at a very hectic time -- being born when his mother was 20, becoming the man of the house at just 6 years old, and watching a number of his family members get rung up on drug arrests. He was under supervision of the Department of Social Services when he first met O'Brien as a freshman at Charlestown in 1993.
O'Brien is probably most known for his run of five D2 state titles in six seasons from 1999-2005 at Charlestown, and Coleman was an assistant on the last three. It's worth noting the 2003 squad, which Coleman's brother Derek captained, was the last squad to win both a city and state championship before Brighton did it this year.
"The way Jack O’Brien came into my life...He never recruited me, no one ever said I was going to Charlestown, I ended up going there by chance, he ended up going to Charlestown and it was special," Coleman said. "I lucked out and got the Brighton job four years ago. I probably wasn’t supposed to get it, but I did. A lot of people recruited him out of middle school to go to different schools, but he ended up at Brighton with me. So I think that’s such a great blessing. I’m glad that I’ve been able to be a part of his life, and him a part of my life. He’s made me a stronger person and I hope that I was able to rub off on him. He led us to victory this entire season, including today.
"I definitely want to dedicate this to Jack O’Brien. He should be coaching. He should be coaching, and I have no idea why he’s not coaching in the state of Massachusetts. In my opinion, he is the best coach in the state of Massachusetts. He is, and not just because he won games. He changed the lives of so many of us young men at Charlestown during that time. We went on to go to college. We went on to be great men, fathers, husbands, and you know what? It’s because of what he helped us do from the inside out. He helped us to be great men.
"I’ll be honest with you, I coach and I took the coaching job because he’s not coaching. I couldn’t allow that to...When they said he couldn’t coach, or they wouldn’t allow him to coach for whatever reason, I said I’ve got to keep the legacy going. He’s healthy, he’s a 10 times better man, whatever lesson I guess he was supposed to learn. It’s a shame he’s not coaching, because he is all that and then some."
Wherever he has gone, O'Brien has had dramatic results, producing McDonald's All-Americans at Salem High and nationally-ranked squads at Charlestown. But he has remained out of coaching since his 11th-hour departure from Lynn English hours before the first practice of the 2006-07 season. His name has been linked to jobs throughout Eastern Mass. over the years, most notably Somerville in 2008, but it's unclear when he'll return to coaching.
Still, with 400-plus wins, six state titles, some of the Bay State's most captivating running teams of the last quarter-century, and his age (he just turned 55 last month), there remains faith that he will turn up somewhere. Just where is anyone's guess.
***
HALL'S TOP 10 FOR 2013-14
1. Mansfield
Hornets lost just one senior from their 2013 Division 1 state championship run and return the most talent of anyone in the state, including reigning Hockomock MVP Brendan Hill. A healthier Michael Hershman should bolster an already-deep lineup featuring Rocky DeAndrade, Michael Boen, Ryan Boulter, Kevin Conner and Kyle Wisniewski.
2. Lynn English
The returning backcourt of Freddy Hogan, Stevie Collins and Erick Rosario, along with wing Danny Lukanda, makes this team a preseason Top 5. Key will be the development of promising 6-foot-6 sophomore Johnny Hilaire, whose pogo-like leaping ability has begun to draw comparisons to former All-Stater Keandre Stanton.
3. St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Pioneers return arguably the state’s best backcourt in Davon Jones and Adham Floyd, along with a dynamic frontcourt of T.J. Kelley, Drew Vittum and Charlie Murray. Next year gets interesting in D1 Central, with stalwarts such as Franklin, Westford and Acton-Boxborough joining the fray.
4. Central Catholic
A returning core of Tyler Nelson and Nick Cambio makes the Raiders one of the premier perimeter teams in Eastern Mass once again. Six-foot-6 junior Aaron Hall has big shoes to fill in the frontcourt, with the graduation of center Doug Gemmell.
5. Brookline
If all goes as planned and everyone returns, you’re looking at a coach’s dream. Elijah Rogers is a virtuoso at the point, and a supporting cast of Obi Obiora, Anthony Jennings, Tyler Patterson and Mark Gasperini makes them a formidable foe on size and skill alone.
6. Springfield Putnam
Beavers stand a legitimate chance at going back-to-back as D1 state champs as long as they can find an able replacement for graduating senior post KayJuan Bynum. By season’s end this was the best running team in the state –- who knows what another season of David Murrell, Dizel Wright, Jonathan Garcia, Ty Nichols and Ki-Shawn Monroe will bring?
7. Brighton
All signs point to Malik James having played his last game as a Bengal in the state championship game, but freshman Javaughn Edmonds shows promise to potentially fill the point guard role. Should All-State forward Nick Simpson return, you’re looking at a front line of Simpson and 6-foot-5 sophomore Jason Jones that is as good as any across Division 2.
8. Melrose
Scary as his junior season was, reigning Middlesex League MVP Frantdzy Pierrot could turn in an even more monstrous senior campaign in 2013-14 for the Red Raiders. With realignment shifting many teams in the North, and a quality stable of underclassmen led by freshman point guard Sherron Harris, next year is as good a time as any to strike.
9. Wakefield
Sophomore Bruce Brown is expected to return next season, and that alone makes the Warriors a favorite in D2 North. The question will be whether they can turn their early-season promise into deep playoff production, and whether they can get past the semifinal round.
10. Springfield Central
The Golden Eagles are not without talent, with one of the state's most promising big men in sophomore Chris Baldwin. The question will be if the guards and forwards can get on the same page, and we think after some growing pains this year, cousins Ju'uan and Cody Williams will make this team sharper coming off a disappointing Division 1 state title defense.
Others to watch: Acton-Boxborough, Andover, Braintree, Boston English, Catholic Memorial, Danvers, Haverhill, Holyoke, New Bedford, New Mission, Newton North, St. John’s Prep, Wachusett, Watertown
***
A FLU SHOT HE'LL NEVER FORGET
After committing to Vanderbilt last August, Lynn English's Ben Bowden told ESPNBoston.com he was leaning towards not coming back out for basketball his senior year, saying "it delayed my pitching", that he lost "alot of interest" from some colleges "because I didn't throw hard as they wanted me to."
"I'm leaning that way so I can be fully prepared, because we've got the [MLB] draft and everything," Bowden told us at the time. "Where it's at right now, I don't see myself playing. But it was fun while it lasted."
Bowden, a 6-foot-4 lefty flreballer, is one of the state's most heralded prospects following his junior season, which started with a perfect game against Marblehead and ended with a spot on ESPN Boston's All-State Team and whispers of draft potential. He was 10 minutes away from spending his winter in the gym sharpening his craft, on his own; but a chance encounter on the first day of basketball tryouts changed all that.
The school was conducting flu shots that day, and the location just happened to be near basketball coach Mike Carr's office. As Bowden's girlfriend was getting her shot, Carr light-heartedly ribbed him about spurning one last winter with the team. After Bowden wished Carr good luck and the two parted ways, Bowden bumped into a half-dozen Bulldogs players, who gave him even more ribbing.
Bowden went home, thought about it, and by 5 p.m. had changed his mind.
And boy, was he glad. The Bulldogs captivated the City of Lynn over the second half of the season and throughout their sudden run to the MIAA Division 1 North finals, with Bowden starting at power forwrad, drawing fans from all four of the high schools to come see their wildly-entertaining brand of run-and-gun. He called the Bulldogs' wild 94-87 win over Everett in the D1 North semifinals "the best atmosphere I've ever played in any sport", and doesn't regret a minute of his time this winter.
"It got me into very good shape, obviously I have no regrets at all," he said. "Even if I got hurt, I wouldn’t have regretted playing at all. It was an awesome experience."
Vandy head coach Tim Corbin encourages multi-sport activity out of his high school recruits, a sentiment many high school baseball coaches support for a multitude of reasons -- primarily, that it encourages competitive spirit, and also works different muscle groups to keep the body in prime shape.
Carr heavily emphasized conditioning this year with his team, concluding practice each day with a grueling 10-minute session up and down the school's four flights of stairs, and it's paid off for Bowden. Headed into his first start of the spring, currently slated for April 10, he says this is the "best I've ever felt going into a baseball season."
"I feel my legs are stronger, I'm pushing off the mound better," Bowden said. "My core has gotten stronger. Everything we did for basketball has helped me in a positive way for baseball."
Talking about keeping his arm loose, he added, "I feel the best I've ever felt going into a baseball seasons, and I think it's because I've lost quite a bit of weight. I'm feeling a lot better and a lot lighter, and also because I was throwing more...By the time baseball started [this season] I was on my seventh week of throwing. I was a lot more ready than I was in any other season. I was smart about my decision to play basketball because I knew I had to get throws in."
As basketball becomes more individualized at younger and younger ages in this AAU-ized era of specialization, we sometimes forget that these sports can bleed into each other. Notre Dame hoop coach Mike Brey first heard about Pat Connaughton after a tip from the Irish's baseball coach. Soccer prowess helped Danvers' Eric Martin and Melrose's Frantdzy Pierrot become more elusive runners in the open floor. And some are quietly wondering if football may end up being the meal ticket for Wakefield super-sophomore Bruce Brown, who excels with the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) but also turned in a pretty nice campaign last fall at wide receiver. Same with another budding BABC star, Brendan Hill of Mansfield.
Unless you're one of the top players in the country at your position, I'll never understand why some physically-mature high school guards don't at least give an additional sport a try -- but that's a probably a topic for a whole other day. Know that for as much accolades as we've all poured on English's talented trio of guards, Bowden may have played the most important position of all -- the Joey Dorsey, the rock-solid post player down low counted on for rebounds that can keep possessions alive, and facilitate a whip-quick fast break going the other way.
And to think, if his girlfriend hadn't gone to get a flu shot that first day of tryouts, we might be talking about a whole different story in Lynn.
***
MORE THAN JUST 'WANTING IT MORE'
You have to think long and hard to find the last time a kid in the Merrimack Valley Conference went from benchwarmer on one team in one season, to league MVP on another team the next.
Chris Bardwell's transformation from garbage-time go-getter at Central Catholic in 2012 to an ESPN Boston Super Team selection at North Andover in 2013 is one that will be held up as a model example of will power. At least, that was the rhetoric being told this winter -- that if you want it bad enough as Bardwell, if you train hard enough, you can make the jump.
Sure, some of this transformation has to do with the mental element. But Mansfield wanted it just as bad as Putnam in the Division 1 state title game, and was unable to prevent the Beavers from continuously leaking out for some uncontested fast break points. Scituate wanted to just as bad as Brighton in the Division 2 Eastern Mass. title game at the Garden, but couldn't cleanly escape on-ball pressure from Nate Hogan long enough to prevent Malik James' last-second heroics.
I think of Bardwell -- also a lefty pitcher with reportedly mid to high-80's velocity -- and I think back to my first months at ESPNBoston.com, in the summer of 2010, when St. John's Prep star Pat Connaughton was one of the hottest names nationally on the recruiting front. In basketball, he was an ESPN 100 prospect with a lengthy list of suitors east of the Mississippi. On the mound, he was an overpowering righty with first five round potential, named by Baseball America as one of the nation's top 100 high school prospects.
Connaughton had big hype, and in turn put in a legendary summer workout regimen to back it up, sometimes putting in eight hours of training a day -- quite literally, treating it like a 9-to-5. After signing with Notre Dame, the results spoke for themselves -- a state championship, All-State recognition in both sports, and a Day 3 selection by the San Diego Padres.
OK, so Bardwell's not Connaughton. The point is, situations like Bardwell's are the product of both opportunity and preparation, and all that will power is for naught if you're not training right. Bardwell came into the last offseason more determined, but he also upped his daily cardio, played more basketball, and changed his diet, cutting out junk and carbonated beverages and increasing his protein intake. Training for both basketball and baseball certainly helped him stay sharp.
Let's not forget had Bardwell stayed at Central, he would have been battling for playing time among a deep stable of forwards, duking it out with the likes of Doug Gemmell, Nick Cambio, Joel Berroa and Aaron Hall. At North Andover, he could fit in snugly as a terrific compliment to one of the state's best bigs in Isaiah Nelsen -- though in the end, obviously, Bardwell turned out to be the star of the show.
Success stories come from anywhere. Just take a look at another former Central Catholic baseball product, Dennis Torres, who was cut four times by the varsity during his high school years yet was drafted by the Orioles last June after walking-on at UMass.
Like Bardwell, he wanted it badly. Clearly, Torres was sick and tired of being sick and tired. But as usual, it's never as simple as pure will power and mental maturation. There's a method, and Bardwell played it right.
***
RE-BIRTH OF THE RUN?
When you think of the MIAA's most dominant running teams of the 21st century, there are two programs that come to mind. One is the Charlestown juggernaut of the early 2000's, ranked nationally by USA Today and led by electric scorers like Rashid Al-Kaleem, Tony Chatman, Ridley Johnson and Tony Lee. The other is Newton North, winners of back-to-back D1 state titles behind one of the East Coast's best backcourts in Anthony Gurley and Corey Lowe.
Not about to call it a renaissance, but if there's one thing I'll take away more than anything else from this MIAA season, it's the return of quality running teams to the upper echelon. The two best running teams we saw this season represented two different styles.
There was Lynn English, pushing a white-knuckle pace, using more than 15 seconds of the shot clock only sparingly, and blitzing the opposition coming the other way with in-your-grill, full court man-to-man pressure. It took about half a season for Mike Carr's unique system to click -- but once it did, they were firing on all cylinders. The Bulldogs' backcourt of Freddy Hogan, Stevie Collins and Erick Rosario was as good as any in the state the second half of the season, with the former two earning ESPN Boston All-State honors earlier this week.
With just one real post pivot, senior Ben Bowden, the Bulldogs relied on their guards to generate transiton by forcing turnovers, sometimes flat out ripping the ball out of players' grips for easy fast break points. Carr's emphasis on conditioning was well-known, the the Bulldogs never looked tired.
Many will point to Central Catholic's stark rebounding advantage as to why they were able to lay a dump truck on English in the D1 North Final (they held a 28-7 advantage at the half), but -- follow me here -- that was practically by design. The Bulldogs flat out bailed on offensive possessions once the shot went up, surrendering the advantage and forcing Central's guards to make plays (they did, and did often).
That philosophy stood in contrast to what I felt was the state's best running team this year, Division 1 state champion Putnam. They seemed to play a physical brand of basketball in the City of Springfield this year, and nobody exemplified this better than the Beavers, who made up for lack of height with plenty of linebacker-like bulk in forwards KayJuan Bynum and David Murrell, both ESPN Boston All-State selections.
Throughout the season, Putnam coach William Shepard demonstrated enough faith in Bynum and Murrell's ability to get defensive rebounds that the Beavers' guards could continually leak out of possessions early to get fast break after fast break (Bynum and Murrell combined for 11.4 defensive rebounds, and 19.6 overall, per game this season). When an opposing team's shot went up, guards started strafing up the sidelines in anticipation of a long outlet pass. This led to a slew of production in the D1 state title game from guards Ty Nichols, Dizel Wright, Ki-Shawn Monroe and Jonathan Garcia.
Best of all, these two squads return a ton of talent to keep them in Top 10 consideration for the next two seasons. Both teams must find a replacement for their best big (English with Bowden, Putnam with Bynum), but feature a slew of talented backcourt and wing players to keep the tempo frenetic and the opposition uncomfortable.
***
INTERVIEWS OF THE YEAR
My personal favorites for interviews of the year. First, the short category...
And now, the long category...
***
WILL JACK EVER COME BACK?
After Brighton won its first ever state title, Bengals coach Hugh Coleman held court in the media room at the DCU Center, dedicating the state title trophy and season to his lifelong mentor, legendary former Charlestown boss Jack O'Brien.
Anyone familiar with the bond between O'Brien and Coleman knows it is strong. O'Brien came into Coleman's life at a very hectic time -- being born when his mother was 20, becoming the man of the house at just 6 years old, and watching a number of his family members get rung up on drug arrests. He was under supervision of the Department of Social Services when he first met O'Brien as a freshman at Charlestown in 1993.
O'Brien is probably most known for his run of five D2 state titles in six seasons from 1999-2005 at Charlestown, and Coleman was an assistant on the last three. It's worth noting the 2003 squad, which Coleman's brother Derek captained, was the last squad to win both a city and state championship before Brighton did it this year.
"The way Jack O’Brien came into my life...He never recruited me, no one ever said I was going to Charlestown, I ended up going there by chance, he ended up going to Charlestown and it was special," Coleman said. "I lucked out and got the Brighton job four years ago. I probably wasn’t supposed to get it, but I did. A lot of people recruited him out of middle school to go to different schools, but he ended up at Brighton with me. So I think that’s such a great blessing. I’m glad that I’ve been able to be a part of his life, and him a part of my life. He’s made me a stronger person and I hope that I was able to rub off on him. He led us to victory this entire season, including today.
"I definitely want to dedicate this to Jack O’Brien. He should be coaching. He should be coaching, and I have no idea why he’s not coaching in the state of Massachusetts. In my opinion, he is the best coach in the state of Massachusetts. He is, and not just because he won games. He changed the lives of so many of us young men at Charlestown during that time. We went on to go to college. We went on to be great men, fathers, husbands, and you know what? It’s because of what he helped us do from the inside out. He helped us to be great men.
"I’ll be honest with you, I coach and I took the coaching job because he’s not coaching. I couldn’t allow that to...When they said he couldn’t coach, or they wouldn’t allow him to coach for whatever reason, I said I’ve got to keep the legacy going. He’s healthy, he’s a 10 times better man, whatever lesson I guess he was supposed to learn. It’s a shame he’s not coaching, because he is all that and then some."
Wherever he has gone, O'Brien has had dramatic results, producing McDonald's All-Americans at Salem High and nationally-ranked squads at Charlestown. But he has remained out of coaching since his 11th-hour departure from Lynn English hours before the first practice of the 2006-07 season. His name has been linked to jobs throughout Eastern Mass. over the years, most notably Somerville in 2008, but it's unclear when he'll return to coaching.
Still, with 400-plus wins, six state titles, some of the Bay State's most captivating running teams of the last quarter-century, and his age (he just turned 55 last month), there remains faith that he will turn up somewhere. Just where is anyone's guess.
***
HALL'S TOP 10 FOR 2013-14
1. Mansfield
Hornets lost just one senior from their 2013 Division 1 state championship run and return the most talent of anyone in the state, including reigning Hockomock MVP Brendan Hill. A healthier Michael Hershman should bolster an already-deep lineup featuring Rocky DeAndrade, Michael Boen, Ryan Boulter, Kevin Conner and Kyle Wisniewski.
2. Lynn English
The returning backcourt of Freddy Hogan, Stevie Collins and Erick Rosario, along with wing Danny Lukanda, makes this team a preseason Top 5. Key will be the development of promising 6-foot-6 sophomore Johnny Hilaire, whose pogo-like leaping ability has begun to draw comparisons to former All-Stater Keandre Stanton.
3. St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Pioneers return arguably the state’s best backcourt in Davon Jones and Adham Floyd, along with a dynamic frontcourt of T.J. Kelley, Drew Vittum and Charlie Murray. Next year gets interesting in D1 Central, with stalwarts such as Franklin, Westford and Acton-Boxborough joining the fray.
4. Central Catholic
A returning core of Tyler Nelson and Nick Cambio makes the Raiders one of the premier perimeter teams in Eastern Mass once again. Six-foot-6 junior Aaron Hall has big shoes to fill in the frontcourt, with the graduation of center Doug Gemmell.
5. Brookline
If all goes as planned and everyone returns, you’re looking at a coach’s dream. Elijah Rogers is a virtuoso at the point, and a supporting cast of Obi Obiora, Anthony Jennings, Tyler Patterson and Mark Gasperini makes them a formidable foe on size and skill alone.
6. Springfield Putnam
Beavers stand a legitimate chance at going back-to-back as D1 state champs as long as they can find an able replacement for graduating senior post KayJuan Bynum. By season’s end this was the best running team in the state –- who knows what another season of David Murrell, Dizel Wright, Jonathan Garcia, Ty Nichols and Ki-Shawn Monroe will bring?
7. Brighton
All signs point to Malik James having played his last game as a Bengal in the state championship game, but freshman Javaughn Edmonds shows promise to potentially fill the point guard role. Should All-State forward Nick Simpson return, you’re looking at a front line of Simpson and 6-foot-5 sophomore Jason Jones that is as good as any across Division 2.
8. Melrose
Scary as his junior season was, reigning Middlesex League MVP Frantdzy Pierrot could turn in an even more monstrous senior campaign in 2013-14 for the Red Raiders. With realignment shifting many teams in the North, and a quality stable of underclassmen led by freshman point guard Sherron Harris, next year is as good a time as any to strike.
9. Wakefield
Sophomore Bruce Brown is expected to return next season, and that alone makes the Warriors a favorite in D2 North. The question will be whether they can turn their early-season promise into deep playoff production, and whether they can get past the semifinal round.
10. Springfield Central
The Golden Eagles are not without talent, with one of the state's most promising big men in sophomore Chris Baldwin. The question will be if the guards and forwards can get on the same page, and we think after some growing pains this year, cousins Ju'uan and Cody Williams will make this team sharper coming off a disappointing Division 1 state title defense.
Others to watch: Acton-Boxborough, Andover, Braintree, Boston English, Catholic Memorial, Danvers, Haverhill, Holyoke, New Bedford, New Mission, Newton North, St. John’s Prep, Wachusett, Watertown
Martha Veroneau’s season was driven by one memory, and capped with a flashback to another.
Veroneau was the star player on one of the most exciting teams in the state — the Waynflete girls, who won this year’s Class C state basketball title by defeating Calais in the final girls high school game ever at the Bangor Auditorium.
Although Veroneau set individual records in the 2012 tournament with 47 points and nine 3-pointers in a game, the Flyers lost to Hall-Dale in the regional final.
“Last year, after we lost in the regionals, everybody remembered sitting in the locker room and being so disappointed,” Veroneau said, “because we were so close.”
Veroneau was the major reason there were no such regrets this year. In five postseason games, she averaged 27.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 6.2 steals per game. She scored 19 points in the fourth quarter of the state final as Waynflete won by four.
“She’s the most impressive athlete I’ve ever coached — male or female,” said Waynflete coach Brandon Salway, who has also coached boys' basketball and soccer in his 24 years on the sidelines. “She raises the level of every team she’s plays on.”
The state final was Veroneau’s last high school game. She finished with 1,465 points and 186 3-pointers.
“She had the green light since she was a freshman — a bright green light,” Salway said.
Veroneau stands five-foot-six, but sometimes played the post on defense for Waynflete. On offense, the ball was in her hands as much as possible.
“She had tremendous ball-handling skills,” Salway said. “We really haven’t been pressed in four years. Teams try occasionally, but she was just able to break through the press with her speed and agility.”
Salways and Veroneau also brought up how much Veroneau enjoyed playing on this team with this group of girls. The Flyers got together recently in Salway’s office and watched the state championship game.
That night, things didn’t go so well for the Flyers for much of the game. Calais led 34-22 at the half, was up by as much as 14 in the third quarter, and still held a 44-36 lead after three quarters.
“I think we all could see [watching the game] that we were a little nervous to be on that stage,” Veroneau said. “Coach told me, ‘You’re better than this.’ I was shooting some way deep 3-pointers that I normally wouldn’t have, just because I was so nervous. I think I was trying too hard.”
The turning point, Salway said, was when tournament officials brought out the Gold Ball trophy and set it on the scorer’s table. Salway said Veroneau changed when she saw that, and Veroneau dominated the rest of the game, hitting several key free throws in the final two minutes.
It brought back memories of Veroneau growing up and shooting in her driveway, imagining that the state championship was in the balance and she was shooting the crucial foul shots.
“Those scenarios that I made up as a kid, I was actually in them,” Veroneau said. “It was just surreal.”
Salway said Veroneau has drawn a lot of attention from Division II and Division III schools, and there’s little doubt she’d be an impact player at the Division III level.
“At least one Division Three coach told me if she was his point guard next year, he’d be an NCAA tournament team the next four years,” Salway said.
The catch is that Veroneau won’t be anybody’s point guard next year. She’s headed to Boston College, she’s going to focus on nursing, and she won’t be playing sports.
“I just love the atmosphere there,” Veroneau said. “I’ve had second thoughts if that was the right call, because I’m missing basketball so much these past few weeks, but I think it will all work out.”
For Veroneau, it might be even tougher for her to realize that her high school basketball career is over.
“We had a great run at it,” she said. “We had memories together, and we had friendships that will last forever.”
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STAR EYES TRANSFER
Only a couple weeks after leading Penquis Valley High School to the Class C boys’ basketball state title, Isaiah Bess made it public that he wants to transfer to Hampden Academy. The Broncos won the Class A state title this year.
Marc Calnan of Examiner.com originally reported that Bess was transferring, then later reported the same day that the transfer was unofficial.
“I think the move will help me in terms of education and will help me prepare for college in a few years,” Bess told Calnan. “I am definitely a people person so seeing 750 new faces which involves meeting new people will be fun for me, also experiencing new challenges every day. The sports seasons should also be a good time.”
MAGNUSSON RESIGNS AT CONY
After leading the Rams to the Class A state championship game in 2012 and the regional final from the No. 9 seed this winter, Cony girls’ basketball coach Karen Magnusson resigned. Magnusson and her husband, Travis, the boys’ basketball coach at Dirigo, are due to welcome their first child in August.
“I felt like I was choosing between my own kid and my basketball family,” Magnusson told the Kennebec Journal. “It hurt because I want to be there. It’s going to hurt until I have my baby then I want to spend time with my child. I want to be a great mom.”
Magnusson was a star player at Cony and then the University of Maine at Farmington. Even while Cony was making a run through the Eastern A tournament. she provided color commentary on television broadcasts of some games in other brackets.
Magnusson told the Kennebec Journal she plans to return to coaching in two of three years. Cony athletic director Paul Vachon added that Magnusson “can work for us anytime.”
Veroneau was the star player on one of the most exciting teams in the state — the Waynflete girls, who won this year’s Class C state basketball title by defeating Calais in the final girls high school game ever at the Bangor Auditorium.
Although Veroneau set individual records in the 2012 tournament with 47 points and nine 3-pointers in a game, the Flyers lost to Hall-Dale in the regional final.
“Last year, after we lost in the regionals, everybody remembered sitting in the locker room and being so disappointed,” Veroneau said, “because we were so close.”
Veroneau was the major reason there were no such regrets this year. In five postseason games, she averaged 27.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 6.2 steals per game. She scored 19 points in the fourth quarter of the state final as Waynflete won by four.
“She’s the most impressive athlete I’ve ever coached — male or female,” said Waynflete coach Brandon Salway, who has also coached boys' basketball and soccer in his 24 years on the sidelines. “She raises the level of every team she’s plays on.”
The state final was Veroneau’s last high school game. She finished with 1,465 points and 186 3-pointers.
“She had the green light since she was a freshman — a bright green light,” Salway said.
Veroneau stands five-foot-six, but sometimes played the post on defense for Waynflete. On offense, the ball was in her hands as much as possible.
“She had tremendous ball-handling skills,” Salway said. “We really haven’t been pressed in four years. Teams try occasionally, but she was just able to break through the press with her speed and agility.”
Salways and Veroneau also brought up how much Veroneau enjoyed playing on this team with this group of girls. The Flyers got together recently in Salway’s office and watched the state championship game.
That night, things didn’t go so well for the Flyers for much of the game. Calais led 34-22 at the half, was up by as much as 14 in the third quarter, and still held a 44-36 lead after three quarters.
“I think we all could see [watching the game] that we were a little nervous to be on that stage,” Veroneau said. “Coach told me, ‘You’re better than this.’ I was shooting some way deep 3-pointers that I normally wouldn’t have, just because I was so nervous. I think I was trying too hard.”
The turning point, Salway said, was when tournament officials brought out the Gold Ball trophy and set it on the scorer’s table. Salway said Veroneau changed when she saw that, and Veroneau dominated the rest of the game, hitting several key free throws in the final two minutes.
It brought back memories of Veroneau growing up and shooting in her driveway, imagining that the state championship was in the balance and she was shooting the crucial foul shots.
“Those scenarios that I made up as a kid, I was actually in them,” Veroneau said. “It was just surreal.”
Salway said Veroneau has drawn a lot of attention from Division II and Division III schools, and there’s little doubt she’d be an impact player at the Division III level.
“At least one Division Three coach told me if she was his point guard next year, he’d be an NCAA tournament team the next four years,” Salway said.
The catch is that Veroneau won’t be anybody’s point guard next year. She’s headed to Boston College, she’s going to focus on nursing, and she won’t be playing sports.
“I just love the atmosphere there,” Veroneau said. “I’ve had second thoughts if that was the right call, because I’m missing basketball so much these past few weeks, but I think it will all work out.”
For Veroneau, it might be even tougher for her to realize that her high school basketball career is over.
“We had a great run at it,” she said. “We had memories together, and we had friendships that will last forever.”
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STAR EYES TRANSFER
Only a couple weeks after leading Penquis Valley High School to the Class C boys’ basketball state title, Isaiah Bess made it public that he wants to transfer to Hampden Academy. The Broncos won the Class A state title this year.
Marc Calnan of Examiner.com originally reported that Bess was transferring, then later reported the same day that the transfer was unofficial.
“I think the move will help me in terms of education and will help me prepare for college in a few years,” Bess told Calnan. “I am definitely a people person so seeing 750 new faces which involves meeting new people will be fun for me, also experiencing new challenges every day. The sports seasons should also be a good time.”
MAGNUSSON RESIGNS AT CONY
After leading the Rams to the Class A state championship game in 2012 and the regional final from the No. 9 seed this winter, Cony girls’ basketball coach Karen Magnusson resigned. Magnusson and her husband, Travis, the boys’ basketball coach at Dirigo, are due to welcome their first child in August.
“I felt like I was choosing between my own kid and my basketball family,” Magnusson told the Kennebec Journal. “It hurt because I want to be there. It’s going to hurt until I have my baby then I want to spend time with my child. I want to be a great mom.”
Magnusson was a star player at Cony and then the University of Maine at Farmington. Even while Cony was making a run through the Eastern A tournament. she provided color commentary on television broadcasts of some games in other brackets.
Magnusson told the Kennebec Journal she plans to return to coaching in two of three years. Cony athletic director Paul Vachon added that Magnusson “can work for us anytime.”
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott Barboza
Scott Barboza joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools editor/reporter in May 2010. He spent the previous three seasons working in the New England Patriots media relations department after a stint at the Taunton Daily Gazette, where he covered everything from Little League baseball to the Boston Red Sox. The Fall River native is a graduate of Emerson College. He can be reached at sbarboza@espnboston.com.
Brendan Hall
Brendan Hall joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools reporter/editor in May 2010, after four years covering high schools for The Boston Globe. The Westminster, Mass. native also served on the Globe's Bruins beat last season. Hall is a graduate of UMass Amherst. He can be reached at bhall@espnboston.com.
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