Three moments defined Holliston’s playoff week. First: Reagan Taylor’s buzzer-beating bank shot that sent Coach Cooper’s 5th Grade Girls (Red) into overtime against Weston, a play now immortalized by her teammates. Second: Jake Looney’s interception with four ticks left that sealed Coach Lyskowski’s 6th Grade Boys (White) 32–30 upset of Framingham — their best game all year. Third: Coach Cooper’s 7th Grade Girls (Red) ripping off three straight wins to reach the semifinals, powered by a suffocating full-court press that forced 22 steals against Watertown alone. Elsewhere, Coach Wing’s 6th Grade Girls (White) overcame a sluggish start to win in overtime behind Amelia Parker’s 10 points, and Coach Donohue’s 6th Grade Boys (Black) “Hornets” engineered a revenge win over Westborough before bowing out to Ashland. Seasons ended for several teams, but the playoff lessons — composure under pressure, playing to the final whistle, believing when the scoreboard says otherwise — are the ones that stick.
GIRLS:
5th Grade Girls (Red)
Coach: Cooper
The season was on the line for the Holliston 5th Grade Girls Red Team first round playoff game against Weston, who found themselves down by two, 20-18, with 3 seconds left in the game. Reagan Taylor became a playoff hero after securing a rebound with 3 seconds left and then banking in a fadeaway jump shot as the clock expired to send the game to overtime and put the gymnasium into an absolute frenzy. Taylor’s last second heroics have since been coined by ESPN as the “basketball shot heard around the world.” In the post-game press conference, Taylor credited her teammates for playing all the way to the end of the game and never giving up.
In overtime, Holliston handled business with ease, winning the game 25-20 in which they did not let Weston score in the extra time. Taylor led the game with 8 points and 9 rebounds, while Sadie Adamson and Catherine Levasseur each scored 4 points. Mia Fosberg and Jaxy Mix had 2 points each to round out the balanced scoring attack for Holliston. Madeline Cooper led the game with 6 assists and Lilah Rowe was determined on the defensive end of the court, finishing with 5 steals. Addie Cicciarella had an outstanding 6 offensive rebounds on the day, continuously crashing the boards. Alice Dalbec was everywhere on the court highlighted by a great back door pass in the second quarter leading to an Adamson layup.
This group of girls who thrive under pressure, rely on their signature defense, and live for the gravity of the moment all season long. Round 2 of the 5th Grade Girls March Madness runs will take them to MA Premier Thursday night for a showdown with Wayland.
ROUND 2:
The Holliston 5th Grade Girls Red team ended their playoff run with a loss to Wayland, 14-13, after a Wayland made free-throw with three seconds left in the game. The down to the wire game has been the story of the year for Coach Cooper’s team. The team played in 9 games that were decided by 3 points or less which showed the resilience and toughness of this group, from the first second of the game all the way to the last.
Holliston, playing without Mia Fosberg due to illness, found themselves down 9-3 at halftime, after a Lilah Rowe free throw and a Catherine Levasseur basket, but coming out of halftime, Holliston was not going down easy and every member of the team continued to step to the plate. Rowe continued her defensive pressure, and Alice Dalbec started the half off with 2 steals to start the transition for 2 more Levasseur baskets. Jaxy Mix started 3fast breaks herself in the 3rd quarter, which jolted the Holliston offense.
Addie Cicciarela had 4 rebounds and 5 steals and was everywhere on the court. Reagan Taylor led the game with 8 Rebounds and 3 blocks, and Sadie Adamson player her signature game of grit and toughness, always keeping Wayland at bay. In the 4th quarter, Holliston trailed 13-9 with 1:29 left in the game when in a blink of an eye, the game changed. Madeline Cooper stole an inbound pass from Wayland and Cooper immediately hit a 7-foot jump shot after the steal to bring the game within two points. 19 Seconds later, Levasseur drove to the hoop and sunk a contested layup to tie the game. Wayland ultimately pulled ahead with a last second free-throw to win the game, but Holliston left the court with their heads held high after an amazing comeback.
The team ends the season with a 7-7 record including the playoffs. The team would like to specially thank Assistant Coach Amy Levasseur for always being a constant presence for the girls. Coach Levasseur’s energy and basketball expertise were greatly appreciated by all the girls and Coach Cooper.
6th Grade Girls (White)
Coach: Wing
The 6th grade girls (white) travel team had their first playoff game vs. Needham. The Panthers walked away with an exciting win!
Holliston started the game flat and struggled both offensively and on defense the first half of the game. However, after an awesome, “tough love” talk from Coach Crystal, the Panthers turned it and the girls brought us into overtime!
Signe Strand did a complete turnaround in the 4th quarter, grabbing rebounds and putting up shots. She ended the game with 9 points and scored the winning basket. Nora Corcoran played aggressive defense and had multiple steals along with a great outside shot that put 2 points on the board. Olivia Darling hustled and worked hard on defense. Julia O’Shaughnessy flew in for countless rebounds and played strong and hard the entire game. Olivia Wing had some great bounce passes and sunk one of her 2 free throws. Amelia Parker dropped 10 points and was all over the floor, grabbing loose balls and had numerous fast breaks. Izzy Bartels worked the floor, setting screens and making key passes. She also landed 2 buckets,
adding 4 points to the score. Maddie Joe Charette played good defense and had several rebounds.
The Holliston Panthers should be proud of the hard work they put into this game. We will need to bring more intensity at the start of our next playoff game on Wednesday vs. Framingham. Let’s gooooo!
7th Grade Girls (Red)
Coach: Cooper
The 7th Grade Girls Red team won their first-round playoff game over Somerville, 32-24, as the team is poised to make a deep playoff run. Entering the game, Holliston won 2 of their last 3 regular season games, hoping to ride the wave into the playoffs, and they did just that. Holliston was led by Ellie Brown who a game high 10 points, 6 steals, and 4 assists, along with Ryckie Reichheld and Charley Marcuard who each scored 6 points. Amazingly, all of Brown’s 10 points came in the second half to close out Somerville. Reichheld also had 9 rebounds on the day and Marcuard added 7 steals.
Holliston received big time contributions from Molly Starr who hit a 9-foot jump shot in the second quarter to bring the game to within2. Becca Lindros added 4 points of her own to go along with 7 rebounds. In the3rd quarter with Holliston needing a stop, Aarya Sharma had a signature block that sent the ball to outer space and riled up the crowd.
Emma Whitehead scored 4 points, paired with 4 assists and was a constant court presence. Kendall Hanlon and Emma Sochanek additionally made their presence felt on the offensive end, forcing Somerville’s guards to double team both players throughout the game. Sam Baweja grabbed 3 rebounds, and Brooke Sawicki added 2 steals. Holliston will be at MA Premier for a second-round showdown against the winner of Framingham and Watertown.
ROUND 2:
The 7th Grade Girls Red Team are on a destructive pace through the first two rounds of the playoffs, as the team knocked off Watertown in round two to advance to the semi-finals this Friday night, 25-18. The team’s full court press was relentless, causing 22 steals and frustrating Watertown all night long. Holliston looked to Charley Marcuard in the first half to keep the game close after falling behind 6-2 in the first quarter. Marcuard, who finished the game with 8 points, notched two quick buckets in the 2nd quarter to tie the game.
Emma Sochanek followed suit in the 3rd quarter to knocking down a huge 3 pointer that sent the crowd at MA Premier into a frenzy. Another quick basket by Sochanek quickly put the game out of reach as the Panthers opened up a 10-point lead. Ellie Brown and Ailla Howden each scored 4 points and Ryckie Reichheld added a basket of her own.
Ruby Smith pulled down 7 rebounds and controlled the paint all evening long for the Panthers. This is the first semi-finals appearance for the 7th Grade Girls, who have taken the road less traveled to each of the semi-finals. The team has won now 4 of their last 5 games going back to the regular season, and Coach Cooper noted to the Holliston Reporter in the press game post conference, “there will always be doubters, but inside the room, this team believes wholeheartedly that they can tackle any task that is put in front of them.” Holliston is waiting to find out who they will play in the semifinals game, but the team is hungry and ready.
ROUND 3!
The remarkable playoff run of the 7th Grade Girls Red Team came to an end this weekend losing to the #1 Seed Rochester 45-15. It was the deepest run this group has had in the team’s illustrious MetroWest career. Despite facing the high-powered offense of Rochester, Holliston went down fighting. Holliston was led by Brooke Sawicki and Molly Starr, who each had 4 points on the day. Sawicki entered the game at 6:20 mark and quickly deposited her first basket of the day to bring the energy to the Panthers, while Starr scored both of her baskets in the second half igniting a run of 8 unanswered points for Holliston. Ailla Howden and Charley Marcuard each joined in on the fun in the second half scoring, each tallying a basket. Emma Sochanek drained a 3 pointer in the first quarter. Sochanek led the team in 3 pointers season, one of which was a Caitlin Clark logo three-point shot. Ruby Smith and Aarya Sharma combined for 11rebounds to control the paint to go along with Sharma’s 3 blocks.
The team finished 5 and 10 on the season including the playoffs and saw huge improvements as the season progressed, including winning 4 of their last 6 games. This is a group to follow in the coming years. The team would like to thank Assistant Coach Sean Hanlon for his dedication to the team and his unwavering support throughout the season. Coach Cooper is incredibly proud of this group of players. The players are: Samyra Baweja, Molly Starr, Aarya Sharma, Brianna Cooper, Gwen Rosen, Rebecca Lindros, Charley Marcuard, Ruby Smith, Emma Whitehead, Ryckie Reichheld, Ailla Howden, Emma Sochanek, Kendall Hanlon, Ellie Brown, and Brooke Sawicki
BOYS:
4th Grade Boys (Red)
Coach: Javier
The short-handed 4th Grade Boys (Red) lost a bruising playoff game to the Bellingham-Josh team by a score of 38-22. The boys faced a Bellingham squad that was able to wear them down with its deep bench and physical defense that frequently knocked the boys around. But even in the season-ending loss, the 4th Grade (Red) boys demonstrated the attributes that highlighted their individual strengths and growth as a team. On an inbound play, Calder
Guellnitz (2 rebounds, 1 steal) went flying for an inbound pass, thankfully avoiding injury. The fall did not stop him from hustling on defense and aggressively fighting for rebounds. Ronan Brannigan (4pts 2 reb 1stl) was active in all phases of the game, picking off passes, driving to the basket and finding open teammates. Elliot Duemig (3 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals) used his high motor to his advantage, outrunning Bellingham players to rebounds and managing to get shots over much taller players, even in the paint. Matthew McCarthy (4 points and 2 rebounds) seemed to always be in the right spot to get a loose ball, catch a pass from a covered teammate or find an opening to hit long jumpers.
Cristian Robinson (2 points 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block) never stopped moving around the court and was a pest on defense, getting his hands on Bellingham passes and providing much-needed rebounding from the guard position. Declan Brannigan (4 points 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block) overcame a difficult shooting night to facilitate an improved 2nd half offense for the 4th Grade (Red) squad. He also hyped up the team with the rare point guard block. Meanwhile Caleb Javier (2 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks) provided an inside presence that did not back down from what at times was an overly aggressive group of Bellingham bigs. He consistently drove through contact and took hard hits in an attempt to
score inside. Meanwhile, Xander Gratton (3 points and 4 rebounds) continued to show more confidence in his offensive game and scored on a jumper that bounced on every part of the rim while also earning points from the foul line after a rebound and putback attempt. Every player showed growth through the season and will hopefully return in the 5th grade taller, wiser and eager to continue improving.
5th Grade Boys (White)
Coach: Peterson
The Holliston Panthers 5th Grade boys basketball team wrapped up an impressive season this past weekend at the year-end tournament, highlighted by a strong win over Millis on Saturday and a hard-fought loss to Westwood on Sunday.
On Saturday night, the Panthers squared off against Millis in a tightly contested matchup. The teams were deadlocked at the end of the first quarter, but Holliston’s tenacious defense began to take control as the game progressed. The Panthers limited Millis’ scoring opportunities while steadily building their own lead, ultimately pulling away for a convincing
31–19 victory.
Riding the momentum from their strong performance, the Panthers returned to the court Sunday afternoon to face Westwood. Holliston trailed by five points at halftime but showed resilience coming out of the break. The Panthers battled back with determination, tying the game by the end of the third quarter.
The final period proved to be a nail-biter. Both teams traded baskets in a tightly contested stretch, with Holliston briefly taking a one-point lead late in the game. Westwood, however, responded with a basket and added a late free throw to secure a narrow victory, ending the Panthers’ tournament run.
Despite the tough loss, the game marked the conclusion of a terrific season for the young Holliston squad. Coaches praised the players for their hard work, steady improvement throughout the season, and, most importantly, for their great sportsmanship and outstanding support for their teammates.
The town of Holliston can be assured that they were well represented by the players on the squad; David Girgis, Henry Paine, Oskar Peterson, Leo Patka, JT Barry, Finn Rogers, Youssef Lahiani, Charlie Ogoreuc, and Benjamin Leach.
With a season full of growth, teamwork, and determination behind them, the future looks bright for this group of Panthers.
5th Grade Boys (Red)
Coach: Flannery
The Holliston 5th Grade Red Boys team has come a long way this season. Those outdoor preseason Sunday morning shoot-a-rounds seem like a lifetime ago when you factor in the amount of growth and improvement each player has shown. The crew was hoping for a fairytale playoff run to keep their season alive, but sadly, following a 39-33 loss to a tough Waltham squad, that was not to be. Despite the disappointment and post-game tears, this team can hold their heads high knowing that they had an excellent season, that they played hard from start to finish, and that they represented themselves, their families and town well. This season served a steppingstone for greater things to come for this group. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this group.
The game itself was a back-and-forth affair between two evenly matched squads. Waltham controlled the boards during the first half, but Holliston was able to pass the ball effectively to find open shots. At the end of the first half Waltham held a slim 20-19 lead. Holliston was able to wrestle back some momentum in the 3rd and held a slim 1 point lead entering the final frame. The 4th quarter was a tense tug of war with neither side backing down. Holliston was able to keep Waltham’s big guns in check defensively, but they were victimized by the heroics of an unsung player hitting consecutive backbreaking jumpers in the final minutes. Those clutch shots proved too much to overcome.
Keegan Flannery balled out like he did all season and led the offense with 16 points (3 rebounds), including 2 three-point bombs from beyond the arc. Jayce Sweet knocked down 2 of his trademark midrange jumpers and finished with 4 points. Jayce is in the running for most improved player of the year. His ball handling and jumper are night and day better now when compared to the start of the season. Cam Chiantera had the unenviable task of battling Waltham’s large bruising Center. Cam more than held his own finishing with 4 points and gave countless words of encouragement to his teammates. Reid Polack had a strong game finishing with 3 points. This first-year player was a ball of energy all season and continued that ferocious play into the playoffs. He made several strong drives to the hoop and played tenacious D. Max Burian is one of the most talented offensive players in the class and he will continue to grow as a player. Max finished with 4 points. Jameson Drake played lock down defense all season and was the teams top “Tommy Point” hustle player of the year diving for countless loose balls. Max Page finished with 2 points against Waltham but had an absolute monster year. There were times during the season where he was the most impactful player on the court and that’s impressive for a first-year player. Another first-year player, Cole Butler Reichheld, could not attend the final game but he brought great athleticism and energy to team this season.
Although they did not reach their Championship goal, this season was an absolute success for this team! The fans expect BIG things from this group next season.
6th Grade Boys (White)
Coach: Lyskowski
The Panthers turned in their best effort of the season in the opening round of the playoffs against a big and skilled Framingham team, earning a 32-30 victory.
Holliston jumped out to a 29-20 lead midway through the 4th quarter before a flurry from Framingham made the score 29-28 with just over 2 minutes remaining. The boys weathered the comeback thanks to a spark from power forward Shyam Kollu, who scored a clutch bucket, and center Jevriel Perez who added a free throw that gave the Panthers a 32-30 lead in the final minute.
With 0:04 left, Framingham had an inbounds play at half-court, giving them a chance to tie or win with their dangerous 3-point shooters. After a timeout, guard Jesiah Varghese took the key assignment on Framingham’s 7-foot big man, denying the passing lane and forcing a backcourt pass that guard Jake Looney intercepted to seal the Holliston victory.
Round 2:
Round 2 didn’t go as well (Milton 38, Holliston 18). Jevriel Perez concluded his strong season with 10 rebounds. Jake Looney led the Panthers with 8 points, including 6 in the final quarter as Holliston finished the year with a strong final frame.
6th Grade Boys (Black)
Coach: Donahue
Holliston 6th grade boys (Black) “Hornets” wrapped up their season this week making it to the second round of the playoffs to face off against neighboring Ashland in a rematch of an earlier season game. The path to the playoffs over the last couple of weeks saw the boys take on Westborough back-to-back in the regular season final game and a rematch in the first round of the playoffs. In the first round, the fast paced and hard pressing Westborough team dominated the first half but the Holliston boys didn’t give up and came back to win the second half by 2 points. However, it wasn’t enough to catch up to the 12 point lead Westborough had established by halftime. Neel Lele led the scoring with 8 points following an explosive 4th quarter. Ronan Ojha added 6 points, 5 boards and 3 steals while Jack Donahue added 5, converting one of his free throws and added 5 rebounds. Symayan Alladi and Quinn Duffy added a basket each alongside 3 and 2 rebounds, respectively. Henry Cuneen rounded out the scoring with a converted free throw as well as 5 boards and 2 steals. Despite their comeback in the 4th quarter, the boys lost to Westborough 24 to 34.
The first round of the playoffs, brought the team back to face Westborough early Saturday morning in Hopkinton, seeking redemption from a tough loss the week before. The Holliston boys delivered, taking an early lead and never looking back! Jack Donahue delivered his best performance of the season, teetering on a double-double with 14 points, 9 boards and 3 steals. Symayan Alladi also gave his best performance of the season, contributing 6 points and 3 rebounds. Emerson Vail added 6 alongside 7 boards and 1 steal while Neel Lele chipped in 5 and 2 rebounds in the second half. Henry Cuneen converted 2 to end with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal while Ronan Ojha added a buzzer beater 2 pointer in the third quarter alongside 7 rebounds and 3 steals. The boys moved on to the second round of the Championship with this hard-fought and well-deserved 37 to 27 win.
The boys travelled to neighboring Ashland for the second round of the playoffs on Monday night hoping to continue their winning ways. In a well-matched game, the teams remained close throughout, with Holliston taking the lead in the 3rd with a classy 3 pointer from Ronan Ojha. Despite the Holliston boys’ gallant efforts, and with many of our shots just not dropping, Ashland pulled away in the 4th quarter to win 28-20. Ronan Ojha led the scoring with 12 points alongside 6 boards and 2 steals. Emerson Vail rounded off the season with 4 points and 4 rebounds while Henry Cuneen contributed 3 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Jack Donahue converted one of his free throws and added 6 boards and 1 steal. The boys end the season with pride, making a tough run for the Championship but it wasn’t to be this year.
7th Grade Boys (White)
Coach: Sgarano
The Holliston 7th Grade Boys Team (White) ended their season with a 42-27 playoff loss against Weston on Saturday morning. It was a battle throughout, with Weston taking a 6-point lead into the 4th quarter. Ultimately Weston pulled away and sealed the victory.
Despite the final score, there were many bright spots for Holliston. They had balanced scoring, with Ryllan Kelley leading the way with 8 points.
David Blackerby scored 7 points, Jacob Snow scored 6, Joe Sgarano scored 4, and Max Metivier scored 2. Cooper Lisi, William Finneran, Tommy Ogoreuc, and Owen Callahan each played tough defense and grabbed some great rebounds.
