
BOYS:
4th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Peterson
The 4th Grade Boys (white) returned to action this past Sunday, traveling to Natick bright and early on a crisp morning to face the Redhawks. The game served as a welcome chance to get some exercise, improve, and gain experience, even as the Panthers fell 53-13. Despite the loss, the boys more than doubled their point total from last week, and had a balanced scoring attack, with 5 players providing points, Charlie Ogoreuc and Max Burian with 4, Youssef Lahaini and Jayce Sweet with two, and Oskar Peterson knocking down a free throw to round out the Panther attack. All-in-all, Holliston gave great effort, and never gave up, making the 4th quarter their best of the game, and perhaps the season.
The “Effort Award” this week goes to David Girgis, who worked ferociously on defense and was a key to our improved performance in the 2nd half and 4th quarter.
This coming Sunday (January 19th) the team plays a home game against the Warriors of Medfield at 5:30.
5th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Lyskowski
The 5th grade Boys (white) took on Lincoln/Sudbury (LS) this Sunday and showed up ready to play outscoring LS 28-13 for their second win of the season. The team took command of the game right from the tipoff and set the tone that would continue throughout the game. The team’s victory was attributed to the strong shut down defense forcing a total of 27 turnovers. The team’s offense was led by Tyler Crean putting up 10 points followed by an impressive outing from Jesiah Varghese with 8 points. Jake Looney and Emerson Vail both contributed 4 points each. Overall the entire team showed up ready to play and gave it their full effort. The boys are looking forward to the week’s preparation for their big in town matchup against Holliston’s Red team Sunday evening.
5th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Gum
The 2-2 Holliston 5th grade boys (black) traveled to Roxbury Latin School to take on a big and aggressive Parkway (Blue) team on Sunday 1/12. The beginning of the game was a defensive struggle, and Holliston held only a small lead throughout the first half as shots just weren’t falling. However, Holliston began to pull away in the second half as the team improved its passing, shots finally started falling, and Holliston really increased its defensive intensity. Holliston lead from start to finish in this one and moved to 3-2 with an impressive 41-19 victory.
Holliston was led in scoring, rebounding, and steals by the always scrappy Darian Harris with 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. Ronan Ojha had a breakout game with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Yamori Richardson had some good looks early that just rimmed out, but found his shooting touch in the 2nd half and finished with 8 points and 6 big boards. Andrew Levasseur and Grady Gum had solid games with each scoring 4 points and pulling down 3 rebounds. Jack Donahue continues to play great basketball and had 2 points, 4 boards, and a couple blocks. Cade Burke had a couple good looking shots rim out and played great defense with 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Logan Rivard had a few shot attempts that didn’t fall and played his best defensive game of the season with 3 rebounds and he deflected several passes.
Holliston looks to take its 2 game winning streak on the road again this coming weekend against a Dedham team that is still looking for its first win.
6th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Cordero
In an electrifying match between the Holliston 6th grade boys (white) and Watertown (red), the Holliston boys demonstrated true grit and determination. Clay Duffy, who was celebrating his birthday, led the team with outstanding huddle and unwavering spirit throughout the game, inspiring his teammates. Owen Callahan and Oliver Bennett gave it their all, leaving everything on the court. Their relentless effort set the tone for the game. Defensively, William Finneran was a force with 3 crucial defensive rebounds, while Max Metivier showcased his shooting prowess with several key shot attempts. Ryllan Kelley contributed significantly with 6 points and 2 defensive rebounds. Jacob Snow was a defensive powerhouse, recording a block, an offensive rebound, a defensive rebound, and adding 2 points to the scoreboard. David Blackerby was versatile with 4 points, 2 defensive rebounds and 1 offensive rebound. Austin Cordero was the hero of the night, scoring 7 points, including a thrilling 3-pointer at the end of the game. He also tallied 3 defensive rebounds and 1 assist. Paul Anthony made a memorable return to the court, grabbing 3 defensive rebounds and bolstering the team’s defensive efforts. Despite their performance, the Holliston boys could not clinch the victory falling 21-24 to Watertown. This game was a testament to their collective effort and resilience, leaving fans eager for their next matchup. The Holliston boys are determined to keep their fighting spirit going in their next game @ home against Weston on January 18th.
6th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Sgarano
The Holliston 6th grade boys team (red) won their third straight game on Sunday in Lexington, 23-12. Holliston was dominant defensively, giving up just 1 point in the first half.
The win was another great team effort, as every player contributed. Seven different players scored and every player had a rebound or a steal. Cole Dennison led the way with 7 points and Owen Jacquet had 5 points. Joe Sgarano and George Floeckher each had 3 steals.
Holliston plays their final game of their 5 game road trip this coming Saturday (January 18th) in Chelsea.
7th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Keller
The Holliston 7th grade boys (back) hosted Blackstone-Millville, the team that sits atop our division standings. Although dressing only 6 players for this match-up, Holliston was dominant early, taking an 11-2 lead after the first quarter. Blackstone-Millville had a strong second quarter, applying pressure and turning to the outside shot to storm back. Despite impressive efforts (and minutes played) from each player in the second half, Holliston could not quite close the gap and Blackstone-Millville came out victorious, 39-29, led by four three-pointers. Jackson Gannaway led all scorers with 14 points; Daniel Levens got his first bucket of the season with an impressive jump shot. Laksh Khatri contributed 7; Leo Wagner had 4 and Leo DeFazio added 2. The team will look to rebound (both during the game and as a result of a victory) Sunday against Medway at 1:55.
7th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Magoon
Holliston’s 7th grade boys (red) team secured a hard fought 33-17 win against rival Hopkinton. The boys started off sluggish, but turned on the defense and rebounding in the second half, limiting Hopkinton to 6 points in the last two quarters. John Gebski was the player of the game, grabbing at least 8 rebounds and providing shut down defense in the final minutes. Holliston’s scoring was evenly distributed, led by Austin McGuire and Devon Doray (with 6 pts each), then Ryan Magoon (5 pts), then Brody Stanley and Joseph Lawendi and Nathan Eppinger (4 points each), rounded out with Gavin Bausch and Nick Gorham (2 pts and 5 rebounds each). Another great team win. Next, the boys take on the always-tough Medway at home this Sunday (January 19th) at 2:50.
8th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Furey
The Holliston 8th Grade Boys (red) team traveled to Winchester this past weekend. Despite falling in the end 33-29, there were some positives to come out of the game. After falling to a 15 point deficit early on, it would have been easy to give up and accept the loss. However, the boys didn’t give up and fought back to take the lead in the 2nd half. They showed grit and determination in battling back, which was terrific to see. Ultimately Winchester took the ‘W’, but the boys should be proud of their efforts. Offensively, Orson Daniels led the charge with 7 points, followed by Ben Furey (6), Quinn McErlean (6), Eli Boggess (4). Chris Baker and Achyut Pingali both nailed a clutch 3 pointer when they were needed. Orson Daniels (7), Tristan Snyder (4) and Andrew Ferguson (4) led the team in rebounds. Next week, the team will host Parkway as they look to get back in the win column.
8th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Ennis
The 8th grade boys (black) team traveled down the 95 corridor to face off against a fiery Foxboro team. The boys began the 1st quarter with tenacity and continued to play with heart and determination. At halftime, they were trailing 28 to 12. Entry to the 3rd quarter jump started the boys as they decided to flip the script and play full court defense. The intensive pressure led the boys to score a couple of easy buckets. The lead was cut down to only 6 points. However, the Foxboro team hit their shots to remain ahead with a final score of 46- 33. Leading the team in scoring was Zorik Sahakyan with 9 points and 12 rebounds. Paul Kuttab had 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 steals. Zach Ennis had 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 8 steals. Bior Ayuen had 4 points and 2 rebounds. CJ Landers had 2 points and 6 rebounds. Nic Skaf had 6 points with 3 rebounds.
The boys are eager to get back to work this week as they prepare to host the Millis this Sunday.
8th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Negri
On January 12th, the 8th grade boys (black) Panthers traveled to Lincoln-Sudbury to face off against another tough division rival, losing 44-27. Facing a relentless defensive press the entire game, our boys never lost their focus, and should be proud of their effort and intensity the entire game. A whole team effort, the Panthers played every defense in their repertoire but came up short in the end. With a balanced scoring effort of 7 players scoring between 3 and 5 points on the team, this reporter will focus this write-up on defensive effort; with Charlie Peterson and Jake Miranda showcasing the hallmarks of this team these past few years; defensive intensity and effort throughout. The boys host rival Hopkinton at home this coming weekend.
GIRLS:
4th Grade Girls Coach: Cooper
The 4th grade girls were short-handed this week with the team dealing with multiple injuries and sickness, but all dressed players were willing to pick up the slack starting with Sadie Adamson who led her team with 4 points. Adamson used her killer cross-over to keep Concord-Carlisle off balance, despite C-C wining the game 26-7. Ann Maria DellaRocca chipped in 3 points and led the game in minutes played. Brighton Swenson had a personal season high 4 steals and agitated C-C on the defensive end all night long. Harper Sochanek played every position when called upon and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals for the Panthers. The Holliston 4th grade girls look to rebound this coming weekend against neighboring Milford. The crosstown matchup will be a good test as the Panthers have been installing new parts of their offense each week. When in doubt though, this has been a defense first minded team all season.
5th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: King
The Holliston 5th grade girls (red) had a huge overtime victory against Wellesley this past weekend with an 18-16 win. Their hustle, tenacity, composure, and resilience in a very high intensity, fast-paced game against a super talented team was a turning point for the girls in terms of knowing how hard they can play. Wellesley displayed impressive individual talent and depth and was easily the best competition these girls have faced so far this season. The Holliston girls did not back down for one second. Playing strong all game and continuing at that high level through the overtime demonstrated just how committed these girls are to getting better and playing competitive basketball. With impressive defensive hustle, poise and fierce determination, Josie Brower set the tone. She pushed the pace offensively, grabbed a bunch of rebounds, and made a significant impact on both ends of the court. Izzy Bartels also played a strong game getting a quick, early bucket to give Holliston a small cushion in the first quarter with solid all around defensive play. Richa Yedugani, Olive Bennett, and Lennon King demonstrated composure bringing up the ball against a solid defensive team. Lennon scored 10 points in the game – with 4 in OT. Bella DiPippo also played a great game on both ends of the floor showing defensive and offensive composure. Nora Corcoran and Signe Strand played tough defense. Signe grabbed some huge rebounds and Nora was solid overall playing excellent help defense. Kudos to this group for continuing to improve and for demonstrating competitive fire! Back at it this weekend at home vs. Natick! Good luck to all teams!
5th Grade Girls (Black) Coach: Wing
The Holliston 5th grade girls (black) had their first home game, bright and early, vs. the Dover-Sherborn Raiders. Holliston had yet another successful game and walked away with a win, continuing their undefeated streak.
The game got close in the first half as the Holliston Panthers lost some steam, but the girls able to recover in the 2nd half and really stepped up their defensive game. The team also started driving more to the hoop, which resulted in multiple baskets.
Katelyn Klein led the team with 7 baskets and sunk both her foul shots, putting 16 points on the board. Olivia Wing also delivered with a pretty “swish” basket and made both her foul shots. Amelia Parker had three successful shots and Katelyn, Olivia and Amelia all did an awesome job powering through defense to put points on the board. Odelia Nkam stood tall under the hoop and had some great offensive rebounds, one which resulted in a great “off the back board” shot. Brooke McGrath, may have not scored, but her killer passes and solid screens aided in multiple baskets and allowed for teammates to get around Dover-Sherborn’s defense.
Everyone put in a solid effort and did well pushing through the team’s initial slump to really bring it to a successful end. The girls are most certainly showing up this season and we hope to stick with our winning streak as we face the Arlington Spy Ponders this coming Sunday in Arlington.
6th Grade Girls (White) Coach: Smith
Holliston’s 6th grade girls 2025 opener ended in an upsetting loss against Belmont 9 to 27. Aarya Sharma provided several blocks and rebounds, handing off to power forwards Ruby Smith and Lauren de Vlaam both of which drove the ball down to the other end of the court several times. Emma Whitehead has been working on both her offensive and defensive skills, clocking in 3 steals and 2 buckets to help the team stay in the game. Whitehead routinely sets in motion a nice set up for Elise Ferguson and Brooke Sawicki to pick off and head downtown to the hoop. A fantastic set up from Whitehead and Ferguson gave the ball to Sam Baweja to provide a bucket; giving Baweja her 4 straight game she’s scored (a star this reporter will be following). Sawicki passed it back and forth to Smith, sparring off the defense then Smith hit a 7 foot shot with ease found only in the most experienced players. Charley Marcuard proved once again her power off the court is helping with the long-haul throws from half court in tough breakaways; she was able to go 1:1 at the foul line making it look, oh so easy. A delay in the write up was due to awaiting X-rays, hearing late Sunday night entering the DL will be Sawicki with a broken ankle, the team is currently assessing options as this hurts the line up; more details to come. The team will be taking a 2-week hiatus to collect and review options, stay tuned for an early morning 2 February game in Westboro.
6th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: Cooper
Kendall Hanlon brought the juice for the 6th grade girls (red) team’s game vs Westborough, scoring a game high 6 points to go along with 4 steals and 3 assists. Hanlon was relentless all game, scoring in 3 out of the 4 quarters. In a back-and-forth game that saw 5 lead changes, Holliston fell 22-17. The Panther’s defense was a brick wall that forced 14 turnovers led by Ellie Brown who was persistent on defense and hit a clutch free-throw to close out the first half. Emma Sochanek added a free-throw of her own. Holliston found itself down 3 with 1:55 to go in the game but a late 3-point attempt by Brianna Cooper rimmed out. Cooper added 5 points on the day and Gwen Rosen, Ailla Howden, and Molly Starr each added a basket. Howden also grabbed 8 rebounds to control paint for the Panthers. The team is going into a bye week, and players will use this time in the trainer’s room to get ready for the second half of the season.
7th Grade Girls (White) Coach: Roche
The Holliston 7th-grade girls (white) team traveled to play a very talented Arlington team this past Sunday (January 12th). Arlington took an early lead and never looked back. Unfortunately, the team’s scorebook went missing after the game so we are unable to report any of the team stats or the final score. The girls look to rebound from last week’s loss when they take on Newton at Adams gym this coming weekend.
7th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: McAdams
The 7th grade girls (red) team welcomed 1st place Northboro to Robert Adams Middle School this Sunday. Northboro came out ready to play in the first half leading 14-9 entering the 3rd quarter. Holliston came out on fire in the 3rd outscoring Northboro 13-3 led by Ella Bennett’s 6 points. The team’s full court press and excellent half court defense turned up multiple steals leading to easy baskets by the Panthers. Holliston didn’t let up in the 4th either with another 10-4 advantage finishing the game with a 32-21 point win. It was a great team win with all 8 girls giving their full effort in the victory. Audrey Mancuso gave her mom the best 30th birthday present with 6 steals, 8 rebounds and 2 points. Ella Bennett sealed the win on a long 3 pointer and finished with an amazing 16 points. Her highest point total this year. Gwen Miranda was relentless on the inside battling the much taller Northboro players and finishing with 6 points and 12 rebounds including a swish to finish the game. Mia Malvey kept the Northboro guards at bay with 2 points and 5 steals in addition to some excellent help defense. Aahana Kulkarni was like glue on the Northboro players. She had an impressive drive to start the game and ended the day with 2 points and 5 steals. 2-2 Holliston takes on Lexington this coming weekend.
8th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: McDonald
The 8th grade girls (red), hosted two games this weekend and it was certainly the tale of two stories. On Saturday (January 11th), they played a tough undefeated team from Barrington, RI. The girls battled but found themselves down 19-7 at halftime, with 8 of the opponent’s 19 points coming from one player. With some defensive adjustments that player was held to 2 second half points and the Holliston girls never quit even in a 36-23 defeat. Mackenzie McDonald led the team with 8 points, Emma Arsenault led the team with 4 rebounds and scored 5 points, and Olivia Kerchner had 2 steals and scored 4 points.
Sunday (January 12th) was a different story as a struggling team from Boston came to Holliston. Unfortunately, it really wasn’t a matchup as Holliston dominated in rebounds, steals and scoring, cruising to a 57-3 win. Emma Arsenault led the team with 7 rebounds, Riya Yedugani and Mackenzie McDonald had 6 each, and Chelsea Dufault had 5. Sedona Cicciarella, Shamili Potturi, Emerson Harrington, Caroline Coughlin, Brooklyn Lessard and Emma Arsenault had a combined 15 steals. Scoring came from Chelsea Dufault and Riya Yedugani (10 each), Mackenzie McDonald (9), and Sedona Cicciarella, Emma Arsenault and Shamili Potturi (8 each). The girls host Medford and travel to Sharon this coming weekend, in what are expected to be two even matchups.
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