You read the recaps here – now we are done until next year

Michelle and I would like to thank you, the readers, for tuning in each week for the game recaps.  We hope you all had as much fun reading them as we did putting them together.

We had 2 teams that played games after our playoff recap went out.  Here are their stories.

Boys’ Grade 5 (White)

The Holliston 5th grade boys (White) team played #4 Newton (orange) for their 3rd playoff game in the final four round of the playoffs.  Newton (orange) was a division 3 team that was dropped down to division 4 before being placed in our bracket.   The teams were evenly matched, and the game reflected it in a back-and-forth battle until the 4th quarter as Newton pulled away defeating Holliston 41-33 in the loss.  Quinn McErlean scored 16 points and finished the season as our leading scorer.  Jack Firmani scored 10 points finishing the season tied for second in scoring with Marcus Burian.  As they’ve done all season, Orson Daniels, Raphy Morcos, Nick DiPippo, Charlie Peterson, and Chris Baker formed the backbone of our team on offense and defense.  And Tyler Hodgdon, Andy Heller, and Animesh Gongireddy came a long way from the start of the season to make big contributions on defense, rebounding and passing.  The team had a lot to be proud of this season.  They finished 9-2 and won their division.  They made it to the final 4 in the playoffs before losing to a very competitive team.  But most importantly, they learned to play as a team and have fun throughout. Cheers to a great season!  Stop and savor the moment.

Girls’ 6^th Grade

The Holliston 6th grade girls are a dynamic and hardworking bunch to say the least! These talented girls moved up to Division 3 this season, finished 10-4, and made it to the Championship Round Semifinals! In their final game Friday night at Mass Premier, they faced a tough, tall, athletic Dighton-Rehobeth team.  The Panthers may have lost this one but expect big things from this group in the future!

A quick “highlight reel” of the players: Corinne Bailey and Skylar MacDonald’s basketball IQ and ability to adjust to multiple positions were key contributions to this team.   Cate McCarron and Lauryn Mulvaney’s innate ability to use their athleticism and height to control the floor were impressive. Everyone was able to witness Lily Ingoldsby and Keira Brannigan’s perseverance and courage.  Ashleigh Dickinson, Gianna Sgarano, and Maddy Moore’s growing understanding of the game and confidence were evident in both practice and games.   Mia Faletra and Lucy Mancuso’s dedication, development, and heart were seen by all.  We as coaches have been fortunate to observe these qualities throughout the season.  However, a complete stranger walked up after the final game with the following comment: “What a fun team to watch. Your girls play with such heart. They should hold their heads-up high walking out of this one.”  We could not be prouder of these girls!

Thank you to the HYBA board for making this a very special season through all the behind the scenes work of scheduling, managing, and delivering equipment, setting up and closing up the gyms for our games, and more!  Thank you to the parents who have supported this team not only since November, but throughout the year with summer camps and leagues. A special shout out to our two Team Grandpas, Dick Martin (Lucy) and Jack Dunn (Mia), for their dedication to our team. Thank you to Team Parent and Scorekeeper, the amazing Sarah Ingoldsby! And to Nichole Dickinson, my assistant coach who gives her all to each girl and to me all the time (and has been the amazing author of the rest of these recaps for us throughout the year).  Until next year…”Holliston on 3…1,2,3, Holliston!”