Holliston Youth Basketball – Week 10
From Derek Cordon and Michelle Friedman
When there is a loose ball, you dive on the floor – When a game is played, you look here for the score
Have you ever wondered who is handling the 4th grade boys’ team? A team who is brand new to travel basketball needs a supportive coaching staff. The head coach for the 4th grade boys is Greg Magoon. Greg is assisted by Jon Kanavich and special assistant, Brent Magoon. Brent is a senior at HHS and came up through the HYBA program, so who better to guide the first timers. Thank you all for being a part of their inaugural travel season.
This week on the hardwood we saw some incredible individual efforts – triple doubles, double doubles, 20+ point scorers, 10+ rebounding performances and multiple steals and blocks. As we approach the end of the regular season, we are also seeing squads come together at the right time and playing phenomenal team defense, in hopes of making a deep playoff run.
Boys’ 4th Grade
The Holliston 4th grade boys team battled through two tough games this weekend at the Adams Middle School. Unfortunately, they dropped both games despite fighting right up to the buzzer. For the first game against Milton, Brody Stanley led Holliston’s scoring with 10 points, Ryan Magoon grabbed 10 rebounds while chipping in 5 points, and Akhil Ande showed his toughness grabbing several big fourth quarter rebounds. It wasn’t quite enough as Milton came away with the 36-23 win. In the next game, Southboro came to town and beat Holliston 20-11. The entire Holliston squad played tremendous defense, limiting a high-powered Southboro offense that averaged 33 points a game to just 20 points. Offensively, Joseph Lawendi led all scorers with 6 points. The 4th grade boys have a bye this weekend and play their last game of the season at Southboro on Feb 27th.
Boys’ 5Th Grade (White)
The Holliston 5th grade boys (White) team had a double header this weekend. The Holliston team had 3 weeks off from games due to multiple cancellations and started the game rusty, giving Milford an early lead. But, as the rust started to wear off, Holliston found their legs led by Quinn McErlean who had one of his best games with a double/double of 22 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals to lead his team to a 41-34 victory. Many players contributed to the bounce back performance including Tyler Hodgdon who played incredibly tough defense. Marcus Burian, Raphy Morcos and Charlie Peterson all contributed to the second half comeback. The Holliston team’s second game was an away matchup against an undefeated and a very strong Dighton-Rehobeth team that ended in a 50-28 defeat. Despite the final score, this was a close game until the 4th quarter and the Holliston boys battled toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the division. Solid performances by the likes of Chris Baker, Nick DiPippo and Charlie Peterson, along with Marcus Burian, Andy Heller and Quinn McErlean kept the boys in the game. Despite the defeat, Holliston’s record now stands at 6-2, alone at the top for first place in the division. The team hopes to get back on the winning track next week when they play another double header against Canton on the road and Berkley at the Adams Middle School.
Boys’ 5th Grade (Red)
The Holliston 5th grade boys (Red) team traveled to face Mansfield this week. Down a few players, the boys moved the ball and played a great team game with excellent defense and rebounding to come away with a 33-9 victory. Ben Furey and Colton McGrath led the team in scoring with 11 points and 6 points, respectively. Charlie Bowser, Andrew Ferguson, Tate Garran, Sam Israel and Sam Peters also got in on the offensive scoring attack. Andrew Ferguson led the team defensively. The play of the game went to Tate Garran. In the closing seconds of the first quarter, he stole the ball, drove, and buried a jumper at the buzzer! Next week, the team will travel to Brookine for a rematch where the boys will look to avenge a narrow loss earlier in the season.
Boys’ 6th Grade
The Holliston 6th grade boys hosted Bellingham in an exciting mid-week home makeup game. Holliston took a commanding lead early going up 14-7 in the first quarter. Sean Sullivan grabbed 6 rebounds in the first quarter alone (finishing with 11 boards). A second quarter drought allowed Bellingham to sit on top 21-14 at the half. To start out the second half, Grayden Vaughn and Anthony Faletra both wowed the crowd with their assists to Sullivan for layups inside the paint. Next, key buckets from Nick Flannery and Faletra made it a one possession game. The game remained within a three point margin for the rest of the third quarter as the team rallied back to within one. Holliston regained the lead 34-33 at the start of the fourth and then took a six point lead. Colin Doherty was instrumental in breaking the press, and Nate Howell was a presence on defense with 3 blocks. Connor McDonough made a great pass to Gavin McGann for an easy layup, and a double digit margin when Faletra hit McDonough for another easy lay in. When it was all said and done, the final score of this team effort was a well-earned 48-41 defeat of Bellingham. In a Saturday matchup at the Adams Middle School, the 6th grade Panthers ran out to an early 16-0 shutout first quarter and a huge 25-6 halftime lead against an overmatched Needham team and never looked back. Paced by Sean Sullivan’s 11 points, Holliston saw huge production from Jack Whitten who pulled down 4 rebounds and had 2 steals. Max Colletti was instrumental defensively as well, with 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block. Holliston got some much-needed minutes from guard Kolby Sweet, who played persistent man-to-man defense and initiated several great passes supporting his team as the ultimate team player. Holliston took the victory with a 41-28 win. The boys head to Milton this weekend sitting atop their division at 8-2.
Boys’ 7th Grade
The 7th grade boys hosted Southboro, the highest scoring team in the division. The game was close throughout with only a 1-point differential after the first quarter, and Southboro with a slim 18-14 lead at halftime. Once again, the Panthers came out with a tremendous team effort on defense to hold Southboro to just 18 first half points which is well below their average. However, Southboro had a combination of tall forwards and quick guards which made their zone defenses tough to break. The game remained close into the 4th quarter with Southboro leading 32-27 with 6 minutes remaining, then went on a 12-0 run to extend their lead to 45-27 with 1:30 remining. However, Holliston did not give up and went to their press defense and scored on an assortment of shots from turnovers to cut the lead to 6 points with under 10 seconds remaining. Holliston simply ran out of time before they could finish their comeback and lost the game 45-39. Jack McDonald led all scorers with 16 points, Luke McHugh added 7, and Ethan Suhajda collected 5 rebounds along with 4 points for the Panthers. The following day the 7th grade boys returned to action playing Mansfield. Holliston jumped out to an early lead 15-7 after one quarter with a ferocious press defense led by Jake Brodsky who had his best all-around game of the season collecting 7 rebounds to lead all players and added 5 assists helping the Panthers to the quick start. Brodsky and Ethan Suhajda connected multiple times to offset Mansfield, who was lights out from long distance, cutting the lead to just one point at halftime. The game was close throughout and remained a one-point contest deep into the fourth quarter. Then Luke McHugh and Jack McDonald connected on a couple of long passes in response to an intense man to man press by Mansfield. The Panthers finished the game on an 12-1 run to win by a score of 42-32. McDonald led all scorers with 17 and Suhajda finished with 16 points. Next up on the schedule for Holliston is Hopkinton, who will make the trip to the Adams Middle School on Sunday.
Boys’ 8th Grade (White)
The Holliston 8th grade boys (White) team lost to a tough Milton team on the road 63-31. Edward Daniels and Bhumin Karunakar controlled the paint with several rebounds and led the team with 9 points each. Liam Brannigan had 7 points and Joshua Higgins chipped in 5 points. Even with the lopsided score, the team played hard to the end. Holliston has a pair of games this coming weekend where they will take on Milford Saturday and Medway on Sunday. Both games will be at the Adams Middle School.
Boys’ 8th Grade (Red)
The Holliston 8th grade boys (Red) team made the trip to Westwood this weekend to take on the rival Wolverines. The game marked the first in 6 games against an opponent with more than 1 loss. The Panthers had another good start jumping out to 30-17 first half lead behind an impressive 10-point display from Jayden Hayes. Hayes would finish with 13, adding 3 second half free throws. However, the Wolverines did not go away peacefully though as the game got scrappy in the second half. With equal scoring across the board, Holliston was able to hang on and eventually pull away, securing a 51-36 victory to bring their record to 5-4. The Panthers benefited from the healthy return of Robbie Howell who contributed 3 three pointers and several rebounds along with Tommy Quinn’s 9 points and the now trademark swarming defense, thundering rebounding, and overall high compete level of the team as a whole. Alex Robie had a particularly notable game on defense, along with Max Maurao, who together worked to suppress a second half comeback by the Wolverines. The team travels to Lexington this week to take on the 1 loss Minutemen.
Girls’ 4th Grade
The Holliston 4th grade girls team welcomed the Milton Wildcats to Adams Middle School on Sunday. Holliston took command early in the game and cruised to a 22-10 victory. The Panthers collected 19 team steals against the Wildcats. Ella Bennett led the team in scoring with 10 points while also contributing 5 steals. Avery Palma added 2 points, 2 steals and 4 rebounds for Holliston. Aahana Kulkarni was a defensive standout with 4 steals and 3 rebounds. The team now stands at 7-2 for the season. The Panthers welcome Northboro and Southboro to Adams Middle School for a pair of games on Sunday.
Girls’ 5th Grade
Hosting Westwood this week, the Holliston 5th grade girls team faced one of their most challenging defensive opponents. Every time Holliston tried to drive to the basket, they were met by multiple defenders who were aggressive, sending Holliston to the free throw line for the most free throw attempts this season. Down 10-3 at halftime, the girls never gave up. They continued their own aggressive defense and did their best to overcome Westwood’s aggressive play. The girls matched up evenly with their opponent in the second half but couldn’t overcome the first half deficit, with the game ending 20-12 in Westwood’s favor. The final three minutes didn’t pass without some excitement as Holliston applied its full court press that has proven to be effective all year. Westwood needed to take multiple timeouts and Holliston made some great steals, but it just wasn’t enough. Mackenzie McDonald led the team in scoring with 8 points and Sedona Cicciarella led the team with 6 rebounds. Next week, the girls host Franklin at the Adams Middle School.
Girls’ 6th Grade
The 6th grade girls team proved it is made up of conditioned athletes who came to the hardwood to compete and win. They victoriously out-matched undefeated Belmont 45-39 at the Adams Middle School through patience, confidence, and a whole lot of sweat! Intense defense led to a powerful offensive attack. Lauryn Mulvaney led the team with 14 steals, and she netted 9 points and was relentless for every minute she was on the floor. Cate McCarron grabbed 23 rebounds and 10 steals and led the team on the scoreboard with 17 points, many coming from her lightning-fast breaks. Mia Faletra crushed it as the team’s point guard making smart plays against the full court press and driving the ball with power and skill. Ashleigh Dickinson was the team’s bold and fearless defender who spearheaded the press with her intense ball pressure, causing numerous errant passes which led to steals. Next up for the Panthers is a mid-week home game against Medway followed by another home tilt with Wellesley.
Girls’ 7th Grade (White)
The Holliston 7th grade girls (White) team hosted Hopkinton in a mid-week game at the Adams Middle School. Hopkinton came away with the victory 25-21 due to their pressing defense which gave Holliston’s offense some issues. Campbell Harris was the leading scorer with 8 points while Eliza Gebski and Kadence Lynch knocked down 4 points each. Kaitlyn Cordon pulled down half a dozen rebounds and forced several jump balls. On Sunday, the heavily favored, Woburn squad came to the Adams Middle School. Holliston set the tone immediately with intense and aggressive team defense, utilizing both zone and full court man to man coverage. Woburn struggled to adjust, and Holliston capitalized earning them the 24-19 upset win. This was a statement win for the team showing that they can compete with anyone if they play their game. The scoring was evenly spread out with Ella Coughlin scoring 5 points while Grace Schoenberg, Emma Kampersal and Kadence Lynch all had 3 points each. The defensive play of the game came from Adriana Bulmer. In the 4th quarter, Air-driana closed out on a Woburn 3 point attempt, defied gravity and blocked the ball directly back to the Woburn bench, thwarting any comeback effort. Holliston has a scheduled bye this week before the regular season finale in Natick on the 27th.
Girls’ 7th Grade (Red)
The Holliston 7th grade girls (Red) team travelled to West Roxbury on Sunday to take on Parkway. The Panthers took an early lead but couldn’t hold off Parkway down the stretch. Parkway managed to take down Holliston with a score of 44-29. Hanna Holden hit 2 free throws to pull Holliston within 6 at the start of the 4th quarter, but two late three pointers by Parkway put the game out of reach. Holliston was led by Reese Friedman’s 7 points and 3 rebounds. Aaria Prajapati was all hustle contributing 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals for the Panthers. Hadley McAdams chipped in 4 points and 3 rebounds. Paige Peabody added a steal, a rebound and played lock down defense on Parkway’s front court. Holliston will be looking to avenge this loss next weekend on the road against 8-0 Medfield.
Girls’ 8th Grade
The Holliston 8th grade girls had a fantastic weekend, winning both of their games with total team efforts. All players contributed; all players made their coaches proud. The key was once again defense. Their Red Hooded Sweatshirt approach ensured snug coverage, comfort, and staying hot. In Saturday’s game the girls were stifling, entering the 4th quarter with a 24-point lead against Natick and going on to win 30-10. Sophia Lynch paced the offense with 14 points, with Bridget Doherty adding 6, and Grace Whitten had 4. Lyla Feldman continues to have a knack for being in great position for rebounds. Lena Jankovsky has always been a force on the boards and has worked hard at practice on attacking the basket after gobbling up offensive rebounds and it’s starting to pay dividends. On Sunday the girls defeated their Hopkinton neighbors. Lindsay O’Connell led the way with 12 points, Claire Radcliffe used her offensive arsenal to add 6, ever steady Bridget Doherty had 5, and Kaitlyn Clark’s 5, all in the 4th quarter, sealed the victory. The previous day’s high scorer, Sophia Lynch, highlighted what the coaches have been preaching all year…it’s not about scoring individually, it’s about doing whatever the team needs to win. She eluded coverage all game and found the open player, piling up great passes that led to easy buckets for her teammates. First year player Julia Galipeau had a fantastic game, controlling the boards and playing outstanding defense. The jaw dropping athleticism of Claire Fitzgerald was also on full display as the smallest player on the court used her seemingly 40-inch vertical to repeatedly snatch rebounds in the paint. The girls will look to cement their position in first place on Sunday against Norwood at the Adams Middle School.
