Basketball recaps

The first career MetroWest basketball game for this year’s 4th grade girls travel team did not disappoint. The team was fearless under the bright lights of the Adams Gymnasium playing a well-paced game beating Lexington 36 -18, in which astoundingly, every Holliston player notched a first career basket – Catherine Levasseur (10), Alaina Chaufty (6), Lily Ennis (4), Harper Sochanek (4), Lilah Rowe (2), Brighton Swenson (2), Sadie Adamson (2), Adalyn Cicciarella (2), Anna Maria DellaRocca (2), and Madeline Cooper (2). The team’s defense first mentality led to multiple fast break points in which the team was not shy to capitalize on.  PHolliston 4th Grade Girls travel next weekend to the big City of Framingham.

It was an awesome first day of league play for the 5th grade girls with a 19-12 victory over Arlington. The team came out strong defensively against some excellent ball handlers and talented players.  Being first to loose balls and going after offensive and defensive rebounds were the keys to the game. The team worked hard to make all the right hustle plays, allowing their defense to create offense. Josie Brower led the team in scoring with 7 points and 7 rebounds. Signe Strand played strong inside adding 4 points with some great interior passing! Millie Guellnitz played outstanding defense with 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Vera Finn and Maggie Mulik created a bunch of jump balls when the offense player exposed the ball. Nora Corcoran played an excellent game on both sides of the court making outstanding passes to teammates and playing lockdown defense, Bella DiPippo scored 2 points at a critical time for Holliston helping create the momentum needed to secure a W. Izzy Bartels worked hard on the offensive glass and played tough-nosed defense. Olive Bennett and Lennon King did a great job bringing the ball up for the Panthers and distributing to their teammates with Lennon adding 4 points and 3 steals. The duo also connected for 4 assists. It was a great day for the 5th grade girls as they kicked off the season. Heading into a bye week, the 5th grade girls wish all other Holliston teams good luck and look forward to their game on 12/22 against Hopkinton!

The Holliston 5th grade girls (black) team traveled over the river and through the woods all the way to Winchester to take on the Red and Black for their first game of the season. And what an awesome start to the season it was!

The Holliston girls walked away feeling proud and excited to have won their first game, 28 to 6. Katelyn Klein and Amelia Parker led the team with a combined score of 21 points. Winnie McHugh stood tall under the hoop and helped to put up another 4 points. Willa Drummey’s speed and aggressive rebounding was impressive and she also added another basket to the teams final score of 28.  Everyone played strong defense and hustled the entire game.

We are looking forward to our next game versus Hopkinton in 2 weeks!

The 6th grade girls Panthers (white) season opener was met with a fast and furious defense from the Winchester team, the full court press deemed impossible in the first quarter. However, entering the second quarter, Emma Whitehead had keen offensive skills and drove through the defense like a hurricane on a mission, a quick foul earned her one bucket at the line. The first half ended with determination to regain points on the board. During half time the rookie coaching duo advised the team to continue the press and hopefully send steals down the layup route. Entering the court a quick and thirsty steal by Charley Marcuad put her on the points list, Brooke Sawicki had her turn at guard and obtained a steal to send her too, to the foul line easily sinking a shot. Offensive notes to mention, Aarya Sharma managed to try for a few split-second shots, missing but coming oh, so close. The fourth quarter was easily won by Holliston, entering the court Whitehead continued her tear of 2 more buckets for a game total of 5 points. Effort and thought from Ruby Smith, Sam Baweja, and Lauren de Vlaam-Siegers gave hand to quick turn overs in Holliston’s favor. This reporter would be remiss to not include the highly sought after and anticipated return of Elise “the defender” Ferguson; Ferguson took last year off but thankfully fulfilled a much-needed void to come back on the court.

The 6th grade Holliston Panthers (red) took on a tough Milford team that beat Holliston 26-14 to open up the season. Holliston was led in scoring by Gwen Rosen who notched 6 points and 8 rebounds, while Ellie Brown, Ryckie Reichheld, and Brianna Cooper each had a basket.   Rebecca Lindros dominated the paint with 13 rebounds and Kendall Hanlon notched 4 assists. The team started out slow but came alive in the 4th quarter led by the aggressive defensive play of Molly Starr and Ailla Howden which produced 7 turnovers in the 4th quarter alone. In the post-game interview, Emma Sochanek noted that “the team is going to ride the 4th quarter into next week’s game,” which takes the Panthers on the road for a showdown with Somerville. 

The Holliston 7th grade girls (White) team traveled to Dover/Sherborn to take on the Raiders. Holliston’s strong defense led to 8 first-half steals and a 12-2 lead. The team’s stellar defense continued in the 2nd half and helped by some unselfish offense, Holliston won 29-7.  

Elle Lessard had 10 points and 6 steals. Domenica Bellamy also had 10 points and helped out with 4 rebounds.  Sophya Teixeira played great in the point guard role with 6 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Lindsay Haynes played the entire game and had a strong all-around performance with 3 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. The team will be home this Sunday, taking on Medway.

The 7th grade girls (red) team traveled to take on Winchester for their first regular season game. Winchester came out strong scoring 8 straight points on the Panthers.  Holliston started to close the gap early in the second half, but Winchester proved to be too much for Holliston, pulling away with a 24-17 victory. Despite the loss there were many highlights for the Panthers. Ella Bennett led the team with 12 points as well as 4 steals. Aahana Kulkarni was a spark off the bench with 4 points, 3 rebounds while hounding the quick Winchester guards all game. Gwen Miranda had a strong inside game with 3 points and 6 rebounds for Holliston. Holliston looks to bounce back in week two against Medfield. 

The 8th grade girls (white) came up just short against a very good Milford team, losing 28-19 after a furious second half comeback. Lucy Downin led the way with 7 points, several key steals and set the tone for the offense. Emma Starr was an absolute force under the basket with 6 points and 6 rebounds, allowing the team to run in transition after several successful defensive possessions. Ashten Arsenault set the tone on defense with several key steals and frustrating Milford’s star guard at the top of the zone. 

The 8th grade girls (red), travelled to Hopkinton to face a very familiar opponent.  Hopkinton has had some successful seasons, and the two teams played each other a week ago in a preseason tournament. Holliston is the beneficiary of some off-season growth spurts, as they’ve become a very tall team, and the scoring reflected it with 20 of Holliston’s 22 points coming from down low.  Riya Yedugani led the team with 8, Mackenzie McDonald with 7, and Chelsea Dufault with 5.  Holliston also had success frustrating Hopkinton with their press leading to Emerson Harrington’s 4 steals and 2 more from Sedona Cicciarella.  Unfortunately, Hopkinton was able to put up 39 points to Holliston’s 22.  Nonetheless, the girls played great and are ready for a big matchup with Milford next week.

BOYS:

The Holliston 4th grade boys (white) team kicked off their regular season with a tough road game against a formidable Southboro team, ultimately falling 38-11. Despite trailing 26-4 at halftime, the boys showed remarkable grit and determination in the second half, tightening up their defense to hold Southboro to just 12 points while adding 7 of their own. Their improved offensive execution, particularly in setting and utilizing picks—something emphasized in recent practices—was evident. This game was a snapshot of the progress the team has made in the young season, a testament to their hard work.

Leo Patka made his presence felt on defense and contributed 2 points, while Max Burian and Aiden Doss each chipped in 4 points, showcasing solid efforts on both ends of the floor. The Effort Award for the week goes to Benjamin Leach, David Girgis, Jayce Sweet, Oskar Peterson, Charlie Ogoreuc, Leo Patka, Max Burian, and Aiden Doss, who silenced their “I can’t” voices and pushed through to finish strong during their final ladder sprint in practice. Their commitment to growth and teamwork sets a promising tone for the season ahead.

The Holliston 4th grade boys (red) team had an exciting start to their Metrowest Basketball careers. They opened on the road against a tough, physical Dover/Sherborn squad and didn’t back down an inch despite a noticeable size difference in the front count. The 31-17 loss does not give justice to how close the game was and to how hard the boys fought. At halftime, the score was tied and after 3 quarters the Holliston boys were only down 4 points. Despite being short handed, minus two players and losing defensive stalwart Declan Langlois to 5 fouls mid-way through the 4th   quarter, the boys battled to the end. Tommy Baker had a debut to remember narrowly missing a Double-Double. T Dizzle brought the sizzle finishing with 9 points and an astonishing 10 rebounds from the point guard spot.  Keegan ”Baby Big Baby” Flannery was a force all day, finishing with 6 points/8 rebounds and a Dikembe Mutombo style block on DS’s much larger Power Forward. JT Barry made his presence known with great hustle and a sweet 2-point shot.  The first of many to come for sure this season! The team’s defense started great, pitching a shutout in the first quarter.  Dover/Sherborn had no answers for the lockdown combination of Jameson Drake, Henry Paine and Robert Chung.  Their hustle, speed and energy are going to be key for a successful season. Cam Chiantera is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most intelligent and feared screen setters in Metrowest 4th grade history. This observer heard comparisons in the crowd to a young Rudy Gobert.  Now it’s just up to Cam to grow an additional 3 feet and to learn to speak French. Next weekend the boys are back in action with a double dip of exciting games as they look to get into the win column. Saturday afternoon the team has its Home opener at Robert Adams Middle School against a talented Wellesley team. Rumor has it that tickets are already sold out and prices are exploding on the aftermarket at a rate New England hasn’t seen since Taylor Swift hit Foxborough.    Just like the Swifties the team hopes to put this weekend’s loss in the rearview mirror and “Shake It off”! Sunday’s tilt against neighboring Medway also has the makings of an instant classic. This season is all about growth, being good teammates and learning the game for these boys. If the rest of the season mirrors week one it will be a success regardless of wins and losses.

The 5th grade boys (white) team tipped off Sunday for their first game of the season against a very talented Westwood. team. The Holliston defense started strong, keeping their opponent to 6 points in the first quarter, however Holliston struggled offensively only responding with one basket by Tyler Crean. The second quarter was another strong defensive quarter for both teams, with Holliston baskets from Dylan Maillet and a long basket from Emerson Vail. In the second half Holliston’s defense struggled to contain Westwood’s offense with Westwood outscoring Holliston 22-4 with a basket from Jesiah Varghese in the 3rd and Jake Looney in the 4th. The Holliston team is taking this 35-12 loss as a learning and growing experience to prepare for their next matchup at home against Somerville.  

The Holliston 5th grade boys (red) team kicked off their 2024-2025 campaign against a very tough Natick team. The boys came ready to play and kept the score close through halftime trailing by only 1 (17-16). The boys came out firing in the third and took a lead into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the team could not hold on and dropped their first game of the season 39-30. Scoring was led by George Taylor (10), Sam Wagner (7), Ayen Hemaratne (4), and Liam O’Leary (4). The defensive tone for the day was set by Max Cohen, who chased ball handlers around the court with a max effort and had multiple blocks. George Taylor also played lock down D cutting the passing lanes and leading the team in steals. Max Cohen also made one of the plays of the game when he banked in the team’s only 3 of the game in the third period. Fans and players went wild! The enthusiastic Holliston fan section will be out in full force this week as the boys take on Weston this Sunday, December 15th at 10:50am at the Robert Adams Jungle.

On Sunday 12/8, the 5th Grade Boys (black) started out the season strong with a 32-21 victory at home against Millis (white). The game was a defensive struggle early, before Darian Harris scored the first 2 buckets of the game.  Cade Burke hit a nice shot in the first half and came down with several rebounds.  Holliston led 18-11 at halftime.

The second half saw Millis close the gap, but ultimately good shot selection and solid defense helped Holliston hold off a solid Millis team. P Darian Harris was a force defensively and on the boards the entire game, and ended up with 6 points and several steals. Grady Gum led a17 points. Grady hit the boards strong, played great defense, and fouled out late in the 4th. Andrew Levasseur also fouled out late but played tenacious defense the entire game and scored 2 points. As the 2nd half lead dwindled to 5 points, Grady took the ball strong to the rim for a score and then Jack Donahue scored a big bucket on a pick and roll, with the assist from Darian Harris, to again stretch the lead.  Jack was huge on the boards and played great defense.  Ronan Ojha played a strong all around game with 2 points, some nice assists, and solid defense. Yamori Richardson scored 1 point, had some big assists, and set nice picks that led to goals for his teammates. Logan Rivard came down with a big rebound late in the game and played solid defense. Cooper Garran played tenacious defense and also set some nice picks to free up his teammates.  

Holliston will be back in action at home Sunday 12/15 at 1:30 against Needham (white). Needham is also coming off a win, beating Milton (silver) last week 37-11.

The Holliston 6th grade boys team (white) had an exciting game against Dover/Sherborn Blue this weekend. The highlights came not from a single star, but from a true team effort on both ends of the court. David Blackerby scored 5 points (3 in the first half, 2 in the second), showcasing his hustle and determination. Ryllan Kelley led the offense with 6 points (2 in the first half, 4 in the second), delivering clutch shots when it mattered most. Austin Cordero had 2 steals, making the opponents work for every inch. Despite their valiant attempts on defense and offense, the team faced a formidable opponent that proved too challenging to overcome. The team did their best to block shots, intercept passes, and assist their teammates, with some success. But, ultimately, the opposing team surged ahead, securing a 31-11 victory. Next weekend the team will go on the road again to face Dover Sherborn White.

The Holliston 6th grade boys team (red) lost a tough matchup against Ashland on Sunday 38-36 at Adams Middle School. Holliston got off to a hot start, taking a 12-7 lead after the 1st quarter. Ashland had a strong second quarter, taking a 24-14 lead into half time. Holliston outscored Ashland 12-4 in the 4th quarter, but ultimately came up just short. The team played their best game of the season, nearly avenging their 20 point loss to the same Ashland team in the Hopkinton Tap Off Tournament. 

Seven different players scored for Holliston. George Floeckher led the way with 11 rebounds and 8 points. Ryan Baker had 13 points and Logan McDonough had 5 points and 4 rebounds. Donovan Vail had a basket and 3 rebounds. 

Holliston kicks off a 5 game road trip on Sunday afternoon in Brookline. 

The Holliston Grade 7 Boys (black) team started their 2024-2025 campaign in strong fashion with a 45-27 home win over Norwood (White). Each player made a significant contribution to this team win. Leo Wagner led the way with 17 points; Jackson Gannaway scored 11; Laksh Khatri, 6; Leo DeFazio 5; Tanyin Holley 4, and Evan Utke added a bucket. Daniel Levens, Kirill Stotski and Noah Keller opened up offensive opportunities under their basket, while also playing sound, aggressive defense. On Saturday, the team travels to Milton and on Sunday plays host to Parkway.

The boys 7th grade panthers (white) dropped its season opener to Norwood by a score of 23-45. Leading the team in scoring was Nolan Burke with 8 points, followed by Dylan Perrett (6), Logan Kanavich (4), Lincoln Daniels (3), & Patrick Coletti (2). Patrick Coletti led the team in rebounds (9), followed by Stone Secaur (5), Dylan Perrett (4), Lincoln Daniels (4), Dylan Dimmick (3), Luke Bartels (2), Logan Kanavich (2), and Nolan Burke (1). Earning the teams “Money Maker” award was Patrick Coletti for his hustle and defensive prowess. The team is now 1-3 on the season and hosts Hopkinton Sunday night in its first home opener. 

A short-handed 7th grade boys team (red) shook off the early season rust to secure their first win of the season against Needham. Despite a slow start and a 15-15 tie at the half, the boys found their scoring rhythm ending up with a 48-22 win. Joseph Lawendi was the leading scorer with 11 points, followed by Gavin Bausch and Devon Doray who both chipped in 9 points. In addition to the offensive onslaught, Holliston’s defense came alive in the second half holding Needham to 7 points to nail down the win. The boys take on Ashland next weekend.

The Holliston 8th Grade Boys (red) team hosted Bedford on Saturday afternoon, a 13-1 powerhouse from last season.  The boys started strong with good defense and ball movement, and took advantage of opportunities as they arose. They built a 13 point lead into the second half by containing their opponents sharp outside shooting.  Ultimately, however, Bedford battled back and started hitting their 3 pointers and Holliston fell narrowly in the last minute 46-42. Tristan Snyder was an absolute beast on both sides of the court, putting up 12 points (including a 3 point buzzer beater to end the first quarter), 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. It was a well balanced scoring attack with Ben Furey and Orson Daniels following with 7 points a piece, Will Hayes (6), Quinn McErlean (4), Achyut Pingali (3), Andrew Ferguson (2) and Eli Boggess and Sam Israel with a point a piece. Daniels also led the team with 11 rebounds and Chris Baker led the team with 4 steals. The boys played great as a team and the season looks very promising.  Next week, the boys will travel to Wellesley to face a familiar foe.

Last Sunday, December 8th, the 8th grade boys Panthers (white) faced Medford in their first Division 5 game, falling just short in a hard-fought 41-35 loss. The boys showcased excellent ball movement and rebounding, repeatedly breaking Medford’s full-court press. Jake Miranda led the team with 9 points, while Cam Baker contributed 8, keeping the Panthers in control for three quarters. Facing a tough inner-city opponent in their Division 5 debut, the team displayed impressive energy, commitment to team-based defense, and relentless effort on both ends of the floor. With this strong foundation, the Panthers are poised to bring the intensity to their first home game of the season next week against Weston.

The 8th grade boys team (black) traveled to Westwood for their first game of the 2024-25 season. Holliston started off slowly as Westwood began the game with an effective full court press. The boys were able to withstand the tenacious pressure, only trailing 14-6 after the first quarter. 

In the third and fourth quarters, Westwood extended their press to half court, which allowed them to extend their lead. The Panthers figured out how to break the press by improving their ball movement – making several nice baskets to close out the game.