GIRLS:
4th Grade Girls Coach: Cooper
Holliston’s 4th Grade Girls travel team closed out the 2024-2025 regular season in convincing fashion with a 18-12 win over Brookline. The team received contributions from all players who have shown great improvements over the course of the season. The highlight of the game came in the 3rd quarter when Holliston proceeded to complete 11 straight passes that led to an easy layup. Harper Sochanek and Catherine Levasseur led the team in scoring with 4 points apiece, while Madeline Cooper caused havoc on the defensive end with a game high 6 steals to go along with 5 rebounds. Holliston was only up 2 points with 6 minutes left in the game, but Lilah Rowe swished a clutch 10-foot jump shot to allow the Panthers to pull away. Reagan Taylor, Anna Maria DellaRocca, Sadie Adamson, and Lilly Ennis each recorded a basket and Addie Cicciarella and Bright Swenson played lock down defense while both in on multiple fast break opportunities. The is set for a strong playoff run.
5th Grade Girls (White) Coach: King
The 5th grade girls’ basketball team (white) capped off a perfect regular season with a victory over Brookline, securing a 10-0 record. In the final game, Josie Brower led the team with 11 points, while Olive Bennett added 8, Lennon King contributed 6, and Millie Guellnitz delivered a standout performance on both ends of the court, scoring 4 points and locking down her defensive assignment. The team showcased their ability to make smart in-game adjustments, demonstrating their growth and teamwork throughout the season. All players have continued to grow and progress. The girls hope that momentum is on their side as they are eager to take on the playoffs this weekend! Good luck to all Holliston teams!
5th Grade Girls (Black) [2 GAMES] Coach: Wing
The Holliston 5th grade girls (black) played two games this past weekend. In their first game, the girls hosted Newton for a Saturday night game – they then traveled to Wellesley for a late Sunday afternoon game. Unfortunately, both games did not go in our favor as the girls lost both games. Even though it was a very disappointing way to end our season, Holliston played hard in both games.
In Saturday night’s game, Newton started out strong and quickly put points up on the board. This shook our girls’ confidence quite a bit, leading to rushed shots and panic passes in attempts to catch up. Holliston did eventually get some momentum, but it wasn’t enough to put us out on top.
Sunday’s game was a shift from Saturday’s as Holliston started out with aggressive defense and a determined offense. It was an exciting, intense game and the girls were neck and neck with Wellesley throughout the entire game. Unfortunately, shots were just not falling for us and Wellesley’s defense was challenging to maneuver through. In the end, we only lost by a point, but the team took it hard and were upset to go out with a loss.
In both games, Amelia Parker and Katelyn Klein’s aggressive offense put points up on the board. Both girls made it to the foul line multiple times and made some of their foul shots. Winnie McHugh also put up a successful basket in each game. Julia O’Shaughnessy played with determination and heart on defense. Olivia Darling worked hard to try to initiate multiple steals in both games. Olivia Wing attempted multiple shots, but unfortunately none were successful. Willa Drummey played great defense and hustled throughout the games. Brooke McGrath also played top notch defense and showed off her high basketball IQ with some awesome passes in both games.
The Holliston Panthers should be very proud of their hard work, dedication and improvements over this year’s basketball season. These girls walked away with a 8-3 record, putting them 3rd in our division and I’d say that’s something to celebrate even if their last two games were losses. They did a great job all season long. It was a pleasure coaching all of them and I look forward to watching them grow and advance as basketball players in the years to come.
6th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: Cooper
The 6th Grade Red team ended its regular season on the road in Winchester on Sunday for a matchup of hardworking squads. The game lived up to expectations, with each team playing relentless, ball-hawking defense, scrapping for loose balls, and competing hard for rebounds. Winchester came out on top, 18-14, icing the game with a clutch free-throw with 12 seconds left to extend the lead to 4 and rendering Holliston’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer mute.
Ellie Brown was the star of the game for Holliston, controlling the ball and setting her teammates up for open looks. Brown, with help from Molly Starr and Ryckie Reichheld, led the team’s full-court pressure for much of the game, coming up with several early steals that helped the Panthers jump out to a 6-2 lead.
Gwen Rosen led the team with 6 points, including 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, grabbed what had to be a dozen rebounds, and blocked 5 shots. Emma Sochanek, Ailla Howden, and Becca Lindros each scored timely baskets, and Kendall Hanlon nailed a 15-footer to get Holliston to within 3 late in the 4th quarter. This team has won or been right in each of its last 5 games and looks poised to make a playoff run!
7th Grade Girls (White) Coach: McAdams
The Holliston 7th grade girls (red) team travelled east this past weekend to take on Watertown and Parkway. On Saturday, the Panthers battled Watertown to a hard fought 25-23 victory. Holliston led throughout the game and managed to sneak away with the 2 point win. Ella Bennett had another great game at point guard leading the team with 13 points and 3 steals. Addy McAdams dropped 8 points on Watertown with some excellent outside shooting to go along with 8 rebounds. Audrey Mancuso battled the larger Watertown front line to add 4 points and 4 steals. Mia Malvey had 5 steals and was the defensive stopper of the game.
This past Sunday, Holliston took on Parkway in West Roxbury. The game was a thriller from start to finish. It was a battle of Holliston’s speed against Parkway’s front court power. Parkway’s interior offense was amazing in the 1st quarter scoring 18 points inside the paint, however, Holliston was not going to give up. The teams continued to go back and forth throughout the game but Parkway snuck away with a 32-31 point victory. Holliston had a shot at the end to win but the ball just rolled off the rim with 3 seconds remaining. Gwen Miranda had her best game of the season leading the Panthers with 10 points including her 1st 3 pointer of the season. Ella Bennett added 8 points along as well as getting a crucial steal with 14 seconds left to give Holliston a shot at the victory. Addy McAdams scored 8 points for the Panthers on some nice outside shooting and added 4 rebounds. Jackie Schiavoni hit a sweet jumper from the top of the key early in the game and added 8 rebounds as well. Aahana Kulkarni was all-defense finishing with a team leading 6 steals. Audrey Mancuso battled inside all game and finished with 7 rebounds and 2 points. Holliston awaits their seating in the Metrowest 7th grade girls playoffs.
7th Grade Girls (White) Coach: Roche
The Holliston 7th grade girls team (white) traveled to Westwood to take on the division-leading lady Wolverines. Holliston was down 23-3 at the half but didn’t quit. The girls fought back and outscored Westwood in the 2nd half but ended up losing 45-25. While the girls defense spurred the comeback, Louisa Bigelow was the offense spark. She made three 3’s and finished with a season-high 11 points. Dominica Bellamy continued to play lockdown defense and had 4 steals and 4 rebounds, to go along with 4 points. Lindsay Haynes was great on the boards and led the team with 6 rebounds and 6pts with each basket coming off an assist from Elle Lessard. Chloe Roche wrapped up the scoring with 4pts and Selah Tetrault had a season-high 5 rebounds. The girls play Canton this coming Saturday in the 1st round of the MWL playoffs.
8th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: McDonald
The 8th grade girls (red) had a busy weekend with games on both this past Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, they traveled to Milton for a rematch against a team they beat by a very narrow margin a year ago. As expected, the game was a close one with Milton holding a slight lead during the second quarter. Things were back and forth until Holliston did what they are well known for, which was to ramp up its defense late in the game. With a one-point lead after three quarters, Holliston held Milton to one point in the fourth quarter for a 34-25 win. Mackenzie McDonald scored 9 points and had 8 rebounds, Emma Arsenault had 9 points and 5 rebounds, and Chelsea Dufault had 7 points and 8 rebounds. Emerson Harrington contributed with 5 points of her own while leading our press break with solid assistance from Olivia Kerchner and Brooklyn Lessard.
On Sunday, the girls hosted Stoughton for their youth basketball finale and their final game at Adams Middle School. Stoughton was well coached and made some early three-point shots to keep the game close for a while, but they couldn’t match Holliston’s grit and tenacity, as Holliston out muscled their opponent for a 21-15 point lead at halftime and a 45-28 point win. Scoring was widespread: Mackenzie McDonald (13), Emma Arsenault (10), Chelsea Dufault and Olivia Kerchner (6), Shamili Pottur and Caroline Coughlin (4), and while Brooklyn Lessard and Sedona Cicciarella didn’t score, they played instrumental roles in the offense with multiple assists and rebounds between them. Having finished the regular season with an 8-4 record, the best this team has done in their youth basketball careers, they were awarded a three seed in the playoffs, and for the third time in three years will matchup with neighboring Ashland in the playoffs this coming weekend.
BOYS:
4th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Flannery
The Holliston 4th Grade Boys squad (red) had their final tune-up before the playoffs when they hosted an entertaining game this past Sunday against neighboring Dover Sherborn. Holliston ultimately fell 43-17 but the game was much closer than the final score indicated. After the first quarter the game was tied, and Holliston was still within reach at the half. The second half was the home teams’ undoing as the boys just could not get any shots to fall. The combination of great DS defense and some unlucky rolls off the rim was just too much to overcome. Keegan Flannery led the team with 7 points/3 rebounds and several nice passes. Not to be outdone in the battle of Kee(a)gans, Keagan Shaw also had a very strong game chipping in with 4 points and 3 rebounds. JT Barry finished with 4 points and Henry Paine added 2 points and 2 rebounds. To quote Kevin Garnett “Anything is possible!!”…that’s the attitude the team is taking going into the playoffs. One thing is for certain, win or lose, this group of boys will give their best this upcoming Sunday and that’s all we can ask for!
4th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Peterson
The 4th grade boys Panthers (white) faced a grueling back-to-back schedule this past weekend, with a primetime road game against Westwood on Friday and a Saturday afternoon matchup against Southborough. Unfortunately, both games ended in losses for Holliston.
In Friday’s 51-25 defeat to Westwood, the Panthers showcased moments of brilliant play, though the late start time may have impacted performance levels—especially for the coaching staff! Max Burian led the offensive charge with 10 points while excelling as a point guard, setting up teammates with well-placed passes for open looks. Aiden Doss, Charlie Ogoreuc, and Youssef Lahiani each contributed 4 points, through their aggressive play, while Aaron Wang (2) and Jayce Sweet (1) rounded out the scoring. A special mention goes to David Girgis, who displayed incredible toughness by competing despite a finger Injury later confirmed as a fracture.
After a good night’s rest and a mid-day shoot around, the Panthers returned home to Robert Adams Middle School to take on Southborough. Despite their best defensive effort and competitive spirit, the shots simply wouldn’t fall, resulting in a 34-9 loss after trailing 16-1 at halftime. However, the score fails to reflect what was the team’s best performance of the season.
From an individual standpoint, Leo Patka played strong, active defense, while Benjamin Leach contributed key steals and strong transition plays, marking their best performances to date. Once again, Max Burian led the scoring with 5 points, including a buzzer-beater to end the game. Charlie Ogoreuc added 4 points, while Oskar Peterson played fundamental defense and was a strong presence on the boards.
This week’s effort awards go to two players. Max Burian continues to improve his all-around game, demonstrating increasing effectiveness in involving teammates while playing point-guard. Meanwhile, Charlie Ogoreuc has shown remarkable growth, attacking the basket with confidence and consistently knocking down shots.
With the regular season now complete, the Panthers shift their focus to the playoffs. Their postseason run begins this coming Sunday at 2:30 PM at the Dana Barros Center in Stoughton, where they will face the winner of the North Quincy vs. Dedham matchup. Good luck, Panthers!
5th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Taylor
The Holliston 5th grade boys (red) team had a busy finish to their regular season with three games in two days. First the boys took to the road to take on Westborough. The boys played some tight defense and wore down a hard fighting Westborough team. The game was pretty close into the fourth period until the boys from Holliston scoring started to explode.
Scoring was led by Max Cohen (9) who was hitting back cuts left and right on consecutive plays to put the game away. Scoring was rounded out by Harrison Cirillo (8) George Taylor (7), Sam Wagner (5) and Liam O’Leary (2). Later that night, the boys capped off a double header playing Ashland right here in Holliston. At the end of the third quarter the boys were playing well and took a 18-13 lead. However, the Clockers from Ashland came storming back and outscored the boys from Holliston and put them down by 2 with seconds left on the clock. However, an amazing rebound by Neel Lele and outlet pass led to put back by Harrison Cirillo as the clock expired, sending the game to overtime. The three minute overtime session was back and forth; however, Holliston could not get over the hump and lost a heartbreaker 29-28. Scoring was led by Harrison Cirillo (15), George Taylor (8), Max Cohen (3) and Liam O’Leary (2).
The boys wrapped up their season with a game against a very tough Wayland team. From the jump it was obvious the two prior games really took a toll on the boys, and they were sluggish through the first half trailing 19-6. However, the second half, the boys showed some fight out playing and out scoring the boys from Wayland 10-9, taking a strong second half performance into the playoffs. Scoring was led by George Taylor (6), Max Cohen (4), Neel Lele (3), Liam O’Leary (2), and Sam Wagner (1). Tough play by Ayen Hemaratne, Quinn Duffy, Brennen Carroll and Declan Carroll also led to the tough second half. As we turn to the playoffs. The first game is scheduled for March 9th at 4:20 PM versus either Westborough or Dedham at the Dana Barros Center in Stoughton.
5th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Gum
Holliston’s 5th grade boys (black) brought their 6-4 record into the final game of the regular season hosting Westwood this past Sunday afternoon. Holliston came out flat and Westwood led comfortably at halftime 20–9. However, Holliston turned up the defensive intensity and held Westwood scoreless in the 3rd quarter and only trailed by one point heading into the 4th. Holliston played great team basketball in the 4th and finished with a great win, 33-28!
Ronan Ojha handled the ball well and led Holliston in scoring with 8 points and added 4 rebounds. Andrew Levasseur played tenacious defense and had 6 points and grabbed 4 boards. Darian Harris gave it his all as usual and had 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 assist. Grady Gum had 6 points, grabbed 8 boards, 2 blocks, and 1 assist. Jack Donahue played a great game with 2 points, 6 rebounds, and had 2 really nice assists. Yamori Richardson played a great all-around game with 2 points, 6 boards, 2 steals, and 2 assists. Cade Burke had several shots just rim out and played great defense and came up with a big steal. Logan Rivard snagged 2 rebounds. Cooper Garren play solid defense and forced a huge turnover in the 4th quarter.
The boys finished the regular season 7–4 and are excited for the playoffs.
6th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Sgarano
The Holliston 6th Grade Boys Team (red) lost a close game in Waltham this past Sunday 39-33. Waltham got off to a hot start, taking a 25-13 lead into halftime. Holliston made some adjustments in the second half defensively and fought their way back into the game. Holliston got within 5 points, but Waltham held on for the win. Despite the final score, the coaching staff was proud of the way the team responded in a tough environment on the road.
Eight different Holliston players scored and every player grabbed at least one rebound. Ryan Baker and Cole Dennison led the way with 7 points each. George Floeckher had 6 points, while Ty Looney and Anderson Langlois each had 4.
Holliston finished the regular season at 6-5 and will battle Westwood in the playoffs this coming Saturday night in Hopkinton.
6th Grade Boys (White) [3 GAMES] Coach: Cordero 2/28/25
In a tough road matchup, Holliston (white) faced off against Southboro (white) but came up short in a 52-10 loss. Despite the final score, Holliston showed resilience and effort throughout the game. Ryllan Kelley had 3 points while also grabbing a rebound. David Blackerby battled in the paint, contributing 2 points and securing a team-high 5 rebounds. Austin Cordero added 5 points, showing his ability to find the basket. On the boards, Max Metivier, Connor Lydon, and Clay Duffy each fought hard, combining for 7 rebounds, with Lydon and Metivier pulling down 3 apiece. Though the result wasn’t in their favor, Holliston (White) showed heart and hustle, setting the stage for improvement in their next outing against Medfield.
3/01/25
The boys took on Medfield (Peters) at home but struggled to find momentum in a tough 59-8 loss. Despite the challenging matchup, the team continued to battle and showcase individual efforts throughout the game. Clay Duffy and David Blackerby each contributed 2 points, with Blackerby also leading the team on the boards with 4 rebounds and adding a block on defense. Paul Antony and Austin Cordero chipped in 2 points each, with Cordero also recording a block. Connor Lyndon worked hard on the glass, pulling down 3 rebounds, while William Finneran provided energy on defense with a steal and 2 rebounds. Jacob Snow also added a rebound to the team’s effort. Though it was a tough night for Holliston (White), the team showed resilience and effort, and they’ll look to bounce back stronger in their next matchup against Northboro.
3/02/25
The boys put up a strong effort at home but fell to Northboro (White) in a 41-17 loss. Despite the score, Holliston showed signs of growth and determination, with several players making key contributions on both ends of the floor. Clay Duffy and Ryllan Kelley led the team in scoring with 5 points each, while David Blackerby had a solid all-around performance with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and a block. Austin Cordero added 2 points, and Paul Antony chipped in with 1 point and a rebound. Connor Lyndon was a force on the boards, pulling down 5 rebounds, while Max Metivier added one of his own. Holliston continues to build on their effort and teamwork, and they’ll look to take these lessons into their next game as they push for a win against Sharon in the playoffs.
7th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Keller [2 GAMES]
In the first of two final regular season games, Holliston’s 7th grade boys (black) put together their best game of the season to this point. Holliston got on the board early and never looked back, leading for the entirety of the game – the final score was 33 to 29. The defense swarmed Milton forcing several turnovers while on offense all 7 players tallied points. Laksh Khatri led the way with 11; Jackson Gannaway had 8; Leo Wagner added 6 while Noah Keller, Leo DeFazio, and Danny Levens each scored a bucket. Tanyin Holley closed the scoring with a point from the free throw line.
The boys closed out the regular season this past Sunday with a tough loss in Foxborough (28-48). This was a game much closer than the final score (and the team’s body language) would indicate. Holliston used a gritty effort by Leo Wagner and a breakout performance by Danny Levens to keep pace with a much taller Foxboro team. A buzzer beater half-court three pointer in the first half put Foxborough up by five at halftime. Although Holliston continued to fight in the second half, Foxborough’s three pointers started to fall and too many of those that didn’t were converted by Foxborough’s significant size advantage underneath. Danny Levens and Leo Wagner set the pace with 10 points each. Leo DeFazio added 4; Tanyin Holley 2 while Laksh Khatri and Evan Utke each converted a free throw.
7th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Kanavich
The 7th grade boys (white) team defeated Sharon 30-23 in its final regular season game. The team finishes 6-6 in the division and 7-10 overall. Leading the team in scoring was Stone Secaur with 11 points, followed by Dylan Perrat the (4), Dylan “Dubbs” Dimmick (4), Patrick Coletti (4), Nolan Burke (2), Lincoln Daniels (2), Luke Bartels (2), and Logan Kanavich (1). Patrick Coletti lead the team in rebounds with 10, followed by Stone Secaur (9), Dylan “Dubbs” Dimmick (5), Luke Bartels (5), Lincoln Daniels (4), Dylan Perrett (4), Micah Baltisoto (2), and Nolan Burke (1). The team’s “Savage Starter” award goes to Stone Secaur for his career high scoring and rebounding.
The boys are looking forward to the playoffs – they will be traveling to Foxboro (Mass Premier courts) to play Northboro (white) this coming Sunday at 2PM.
8th Grade Boys (Red) oach: Furey
The Holliston 8th grade boys (red) team faced Needham this week in the final regular season game. The boys put up a tremendous defensive effort, keeping their opponent to only 10 points in the first half. But, unfortunately, they came up short in the 4th quarter, falling 37-30. Eli Boggess and Quinn McErlean led the offense with 8 points each. Orson Daniels added 6 points of his own and Sam Israel, William Hayes, Chris Baker and Achyut Pingali each added a bucket. Quinn McErlean pulled down an amazing 13 rebounds in the effort. Orson Daniels and Tristan Snyder both pulled down 6. The boys finished 5-7 on the season, but played better than their record shows with a few of those losses coming down to a couple unfortunate bounces. They are onto Westwood in the playoffs!
8th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Negri
This past Thursday, the 8th grade boys Panthers (white) capped off a great regular season on a high note; taking down division leading Newton by a score of 27-22, followed by a 47-38 victory of Winchester at home! The Panthers traveled to previously-undefeated (10-0) Newton to hand them their first loss of the season, their best defensive effort of the season. Holding them to 5 points in the first half, defensive chaos was sowed by Liam Forbes, Cam Baker, and Nick DiPippo – with James Negri (leading scorer with 7 points) and Colton McGrath dropping late 3 pointers to seal the remarkable victory. In our final home game of the season, Holliston White broke out to an early 9-2 lead but faced intense full court pressure for the remaining 3 quarters. A gritty win against a physical and athletic team, the boys persisted, led by season defining efforts by Jake Miranda (12 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals) and Aaron Javier (11 points, 10 rebounds), and another remarkable defensive performance by Nick Dipippo. Jake helped seal the win down the stretch getting his own rebound on multiple drives and sinking his foul shots. Closing with a three-game win streak, accomplishing a 6-6 season after moving up a division; the boys should be proud of what they accomplished this year! They start their playoff run this coming Saturday.
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