GIRLS:
4th Grade Girls Coach: Cooper
The 4th grade girls from Holliston played and lost a fast-paced game vs Lincoln-Sudbury, 31-24. Brighton Swenson carried the scoring load with 8 points to go along with 5 rebounds. All of Swenson’s baskets came in the second half, including 6 points in the 4th quarter. The late scoring brought Holliston back into the game and made it a 4 points game with 3:32 remaining. Even though L-S pulled away, Holliston fought right to the end. Catherine Levasseur also added 8 points, and Lily Ennis and Anna Maria DellaRocca each had two buckets. The Panthers look to rebound back in the friendly confines of the Adams gymnasium this weekend. The team will host Watertown this Sunday at 1:30.
5th Grade Girls (Black) Coach: Wing
The Holliston 5th grade girls (black) traveled to Natick to play against the Natick Redhawks this past weekend. The Panthers had a great game and were able to secure another win, increasing their record to 6 wins and only 1 loss. The girls had a slow start, but turned up the heat after the 1st quarter.
Willa Drummey played superb defense as well as put 4 points up on the board in the 2nd quarter. Amelia Parker made some killer passes and put up 8 points. Julia O’Shaughnessy was fearless playing the roll of David of David and Goliath by defending girls twice her size and never giving up.
Winnie McHugh did well grabbing rebounds and putting up the ball even though her shots did not fall. Katelyn Klein had numerous successful drives to the hoop, her top notch dribbling skills aiding in her ability to get around multiple defenders. Brooke McGrath had an awesome break away which resulted in a layup that put up 2 points. Her fierce attitude on the court also put her at the foul line where she sunk 1 of her 2 shots.
Both Olivia Darling and Olivia Wing set great screens that helped their teammates keep the ball moving. The Olivias also each had some clutch steals and great shot attempts. All the girls are really starting to step up their game and it’s really showing on the court.
We look forward to another away game this coming weekend at Hopkinton and plan to bring intensity, drive and determination to keep our wins going strong.
6th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: Cooper
The 6th grade girls (red) team extended the Panthers winning streak with a convincing 26-14 road win against Concord-Carlisle. The team came out hot, scoring 12 points in the first quarter behind 2 buckets each from Gwen Rosen and Emma Sochanek, who each led the Panthers in scoring with 8 points for Rosen and 6 points for Sochanek. It was a balanced attack for the Panthers with 7 different players registering points, led by the point guard play of Ellie Brown who finished the game with 6 assists and 5 steals. Brown set the pace for the Panthers the entire game. Rebecca Lindros and Ryckie Reichheld each had 4 points and a combined 13 rebounds. Ailla Howden grabbed 7 rebounds of her own to go along with 2 points. In the first half, the Panthers saw an Allen Iverson crossover dribble from Molly Star who then stuck a 12-foot jump shot to send the crown into applause. Starr added 4 steals of her own. Kendall Hanlon had a nice all around game also adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The team looks to extend the winning streak to 3 games next at home week vs Belmont.
6th Grade Girls (White) Coach: Smith
Holliston’s 6th grade girls are coming off a two week break with a key player Sawicki still on the DL; off the court during this time the team has been showcased at both Bentley College and Holliston High School. The management and front office have been working with Becca Lindros’ reps successfully signing her to a 5 week contract. Going into the game at Westboro, Holliston held their own, giving only 2 points up in the first quarter. Emma Whitehead proved several times why she is a key player, with 3 steals and two rebounds, contributing was Lindros with two rebounds in the first quarter alone. Entering the second quarter Elise Ferguson provided not one but three strong picks to advance passing in the paint. Holliston’s own Dr. J aka Charley Marcuard had two hail Mary side hook shots, putting up 4 points for Holliston. Marcuard tried her hand at point guard to provide expert passing with a few new plays the team has been working on during their two-week break. Lauren de Vlaam used speed and court knowledge to press the few breakaways Westboro had and provided several key rebounds. The moment of the game came when Ferguson provided another pick and roll for Ruby Smith to get a sharp chest pass from Whitehead, Smith being 10 feet out stunned she was not being guarded, SMITH SHOOT and SWISH, all net. Heading into the last quarter Westboro was feeling the pressure provided by Sam Baweja and Ferguson and provided several questionable fouls (opinion of reporter only) refs also agreed as a Technical Foul was placed on Westboro, Baweja took the shots for Holliston while both teams had to wait at half court. In the end Westboro took home this win but Holliston played their best few quarters of the season.
This coming weekend, the girls will play a double header with both games on home turf; Saturday’s game (Arlington at 6:45), and Sunday (Northboro at 12:10).
7th Grade Girls (White) Coach: Roche
The Holliston 7th grade girls (white) were at home vs. a tough Belmont team last weekend. Even though Holliston couldn’t buy a basket and outshot Belmont in the 1st half, the girls were down by 10 at halftime. Holliston came back early in the 2nd half to cut the deficit to 6 but ended up losing 20-8.
Elle Lessard continued to be a force on both ends of the floor with 6 points, 5 steals, and 4 rebounds. Chloe Roche chipped in with 2 points and 2 assists. Dominica Bellamy played some amazing defense, shutting down Belmont’s top scorer in the 2nd half, and finished with 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
The team travels to Bedford this coming Sunday to take on the Lady Buccaneers.
7th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: McAdams
The 7th grade girls (red) team welcomed the Wildcats of Milton to Robert Adams Middle School for a Sunday morning hoops battle. Holliston started sluggish as they tried to shake off their early morning drowsiness, however, once the game got moving the Panthers took over. Holliston continued to add onto their lead throughout the game finishing with a 34-22 point win. It was one of the highest scoring outputs for Holliston while they kept their opponents at under 22 points for the 6th of 8 games this season. Aahana Kulkarni provided another spark for Holliston with 4 points to go along with 4 steals in the backcourt. Addy McAdams continued her season- long strong all around game adding 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals as well as some excellent interior help defense. Ella Bennett aka ‘the Answer’ pulled her another Allen Iverson like game with 10 points, 4 steals and 4 rebounds. Audrey Mancuso had the hot hand on Sunday with 6 points on 3 long range jumpers as well as 4 rebounds from the wing position. Gwen Miranda had another fantastic game with 4 inside points, 8 key rebounds and was driving to the hoop throughout the game. The team heads east to Watertown this coming Sunday tipping off at 1:00.
8th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: McDonald
Holliston’s 8th grade girls (red), traveled to North Quincy this past weekend. A bit short handed, the girls arrived to find an energetic, physical North Quincy squad that was ready to play. A hard fought first half established an aggressive matchup with both teams administering a full court press. Between aggressive defense and shots not falling, Holliston maintained a 12-8 lead at halftime. At the end of three quarters, Holliston’s lead was down to 3. Things went back and forth in the fourth quarter with Holliston ultimately holding on for a 30-24 win, again proving that this team has the heart of a lion. Chelsea Dufault led the offensive with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Shamili Pottur contributed with 5 points, Mackenzie McDonald 8 rebounds, and Emma Arsenault had 5 rebounds and scored 4 points. The press and the press break were a major factor in the game with Emerson Harrington, Brooklyn Lessard, and Mackenzie McDonald winning some hard-fought battles. The girls travel to Milton this coming weekend.
BOYS:
4th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Flannery
The Holliston 4th grade boys squad (red) lost a tough battle this past Sunday morning at RAMS against Medfield. Big Blue bested our boys 32-17. The first half was again the Holliston squads undoing, falling behind early and never being able to close the gap significantly. One positive is that in the second half the Holliston squad played even basketball, with both teams scoring 12 points. Tommy “60 pounds of Fury” Baker led the way with 10 big points, many of which came as a result of tough, death defying, drives to the hoop. We are going to have to check JT Barry’s birth certificate because he must have been born in Croatia or France the way he was “EuroSteppin” to the hoop. JT made one of the prettiest buckets you have ever seen with the Eurostep…Wemby and Giannis would approve big time! Declan Langlois continued his strong play leading the team with 6 big rebounds. Despite playing with a double ear infection, not diagnosed until after the game, Keegan Flannery nailed a nasty 3-point jumper and finished with 3 rebounds and a block. The combination of Jameson Drake, Keagan Shaw, Cam Chiantera and James Eaton worked their butts off on Defense and Robert Chung grabbed one of the best rebounds off a free throw miss this reporter has ever seen. Using perfect form, he snagged it away from a much larger opponent. Up next is a road match-up on Super Bowl Sunday against a very tough FLBC squad.
4th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Peterson
Holliston’s 4th grade boys (white) team traveled to Medway this past Sunday, for a rematch against the team they played in their first game of the season, talk about Groundhog’s Day. Unfortunately the outcome reflected this as well, with the hometown boys falling again, this time by a score of 50-21.
Trailing 31-8 at the break, the Panthers played a much better second half, closing the gap to 20-13. Max Burian and Oskar Peterson paced the team in scoring, each scoring 6 points. Aaron Wang’s aggressiveness got him to the free throw line, where he converted 4 free throws. Aiden Doss (3) and Charlie Ogoreuc (2) rounded out the scoring for Holliston. Jayce Sweet was active on defense and the boards in the Panther’s cause.
The effort award for this week goes to Youssef Lahaini, who continues to play with heart and aggression, consistently going after loose balls and making some good box-outs. Youssef is ferocious when fighting for possession, never letting go until he hears the referees (sometimes multiple) whistle.
For their next game, the boys will host Hopkinton this coming Saturday afternoon (February 9th).
5th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Gum
The Holliston 5th grade boys (black) welcomed Milton (black) to the friendly confines of the Adams gymnasium this past Sunday after playing three games on the road. The first quarter was a defensive battle and finished tied 4-4. Holliston finally had some shots drop in the 2nd quarter and led at halftime 14-10. The second half was more of the same with lots of tough defense being played causing both teams to miss more shots than they made. Holliston never trailed in the game and walked away from this slugfest with a hard fought 28-22 win.
Holliston was led in scoring by Grady Gum with 14 pts, Andrew Levasseur with 8 pts, and Darian Harris with 6 pts. Rebounding played a huge part in the game and saw Gum and Harris each pull down 8 boards, Yamori Richardson grabbed 4, Levasseur snagged 3, Cade Burke had 2, and Ronan Ojha, Logan Rivard, Cooper Garran, and Jack Donahue each grabbed 1 rebound. The aggressive defensive play led to 3 steals each by Harris and Donahue, while Garran, Burke, and Levasseur each had 1 steal.
Holliston takes a 5-3 record on the road this coming Sunday (February 9th) for a 10:30 tip off where they’ll face an undefeated Walpole team.
5th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Taylor
The Holliston 5th grade boys (red) team took to the road and traveled to the “Birthplace of American Liberty”, Lexington MA. The boys were hampered by sickness and injury but gave it their best effort in trying to beat a stacked squad from Lexington. The usual sure shooting Panthers had a hard time scoring and stopping the boys from Lexington in the first half, falling behind at half time 19-8. In the second half the boys stepped up their defense and intensity and matched Lexington shot for shot. However, when all was said and done, the boys ended up losing the battle 37-25. Scoring was led by Harrison Cirillo (17) and George Taylor (8). The boys look to get back their winning ways this Sunday February 9th when they take to the road and travel to Westborough.
6th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Cordero
Holliston’s 6th grade boys (white) faced off against a very tough Wellesley team. The final score (65-33) wasn’t reflective of the relentless spirit the boys showed on the court. Ryllan Kelley led the charge for Holliston, putting up an impressive 14 points. Austin Cordero added 10 points to the board and grabbed three key defensive rebounds. David Blackerby had a standout performance with 7 points, 4 defensive rebounds, 4 offensive rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal – a true all-around effort! Paul Antony contributed 2 points, and William Finneran showed his hustle with an offensive rebound. While the outcome wasn’t in their favor this time, the Panthers showed great potential and determination. Up next, they’ll face Wayland (orange) at home on February 9th – an opportunity to turn things around and showcase their growth.
6th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Lyskowski
The 5th grade boys (white) traveled to Watertown this past Sunday afternoon and brought with them solid enthusiasm after their win against Somerville last weekend. The team got out to a slow start struggling to find the basket and only scoring 6 in the first quarter vs Watertown’s 16. The boys were able to find some energy in the second quarter and reduced the deficit to 6 at the half. The team woke up in the second half and outscored Watertown by 6. Leading the team in that effort was Jesiah Varghese who came out of the gate with three straight baskets and lit the fire that sent the team into overdrive in the second half. Through the hard work of the boys, tough defense, and playing their offense the team took Watertown into overtime. Intense defense by Holliston’s Trevor Lyskowski, Emerson Vail, and Tyler Crean contributed to the team’s ability to hold Watertown to within striking distance. In OT, Watertown came out with a quick two baskets but Holliston was able to keep it at that. Down by 2 with 4 seconds left Holliston had a solid attempt with a contested layup but failed to score and finished the game down by two for a very hard fought loss.
For their next game, the boys will host Weston this coming Sunday morning (February 9th).
6th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Sgarano
The Holliston 6th grade boys team (red) lost to a tough Hopkinton team 32-23 in Holliston this past Sunday afternoon. Hopkinton got off to a hot start and never looked back. Holliston’s comeback attempt fell short, despite outscoring Hopkinton in the fourth quarter.
Seven different players scored for Holliston. Logan McDonough led the way with 6 points. Ryan Baker and Owen Jacquet each had 4 points. Anderson Langlois hit a big 3 pointer in the 4th quarter. George Floeckher had 9 rebounds and Cole Dennison had 5. Ty Looney and Joe Sgarano played tough defense.
For their next game, the boys will take on Westborough at home this coming Sunday morning (February 9th).
7th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Kanavich
The 7th grade Panthers boys team (white) lost to Westwood 22-27 this past Sunday. Despite coming back from a 10-23 deficit the team was not able to overcome the deficit. Leading the team in rebounds and points was Patrick Colletti (10/6), followed by Luke Bartels (6/4), Nolan Burke (4/0), Lincoln Daniels (4/2), Stone Secaur (3/2), Micah Baltisoto (3/0), Dylan Perrett (2/6), and Logan Kanavich (1/2). The team’s “Savage” award was presented to Dylan Perrett for his leadership and hustle. The team returns to face Holliston Black this coming Saturday afternoon at RAMS tipping off at 5:30.
7th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Magoon
Holliston’s 7th grade boys (red) got back on track with a 59-26 win over Milford. The boys turned in their best game of the season, combining their typical lights out defense with an offensive barrage. Joseph (“Juice”) Lawendi was the player of the game, playing heads up basketball the entire game and providing on-floor leadership. Ryan Magoon was the leading scorer with 13 points, followed by Nate Eppinger and Devon Doray (12 points each), then Joseph (8 points), Austin Maguire (5 points), John Gebski (3 points) and Gavin Bausch and Nick Gorham each added 2. Overall, the Panthers played great from the opening jump to the closing whistle, with everyone contributing to the win.
This coming weekend, the boys will travel to Westwood for 9:50 tip off on February 9th.
7th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Keller
Holliston’s 7th grade boys (Black) hosted Hopkinton Saturday afternoon and got off to a fast start and did not let up while limiting Hopkinton to two points in each of the first two quarters and holding them scoreless in the third. This was an entire team performance on both offense and defense for the full 32 minutes. Laksh Khatri led the way with 10 points; Jackson Gannaway, Tanyin Holley and Leo Wagner each added 6 while Leo Defazio, Evan Utke and Daniel Levens all added a bucket. The victory gets the team back to .500 before a weekend doubleheader that starts in Westwood this Friday night and concludes on Saturday afternoon with a battle against “cross-town rival” Team Kanavich.
8th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Furey
The Holliston 8th grade (red) boys team had a double header this past weekend. On Saturday, the boys hosted Medford in a make up game from earlier in the season. The boys played hard, but ultimately fell to Medford 52-43. Quinn McErlean led the scoring attack with 9 points. Also chipping in offensively were Ben Furey, Orson Daniels and Tristan Snyder with 7 points a piece. Andrew Ferguson (5), Charlie Bowser (2), Sam Israel (2), William Hayes (2) and Achyut Pingali (2) also contributed on that side of the ball.
This past Sunday, the boys traveled to Natick and played one of their best games of the season. Their full court press proved to be very effective, and built a 20 point lead at halftime. Natick battled back in the 2nd half behind some clutch 3 point shooting, collecting 6 of their 9 total treys in the game. The game went to overtime, and unfortunately Natick came out on top 61-60. It was an impressive offensive showing, led by Ben Furey (11 points), Quinn McErlean (10), Orson Daniels (10), William Hayes (7), Tristan Snyder (7), Andrew Ferguson (6), Sam Israel (3), Chris Baker (3), Charlie Bowser (2) and Eli Boggess (2). Tristan Snyder and Orson Daniels were both very effective under the boards. A trend that has been developing in the past few weeks is that more and more of the boys are contributing offensively. It’s becoming a very well balanced offensive attack and everyone is picking each other up. It has been fun to watch and we look forward to seeing this continue as we approach the playoffs. Next week, Concord Carlisle will travel to our home court in a rematch of a tournament game from November (a Holliston victory!).
8th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Ennis
The 8th grade boys team (black) team hosted a home game against Westwood this past weekend. The game was characterized by a competitive first half, with the boys initially leading 5-0 after Zach Ennis scored a three-pointer and grabbed three rebounds. However, Westwood rallied to tie the score at 7 after the first quarter.
The second quarter became a defensive struggle, with CJ Lander breaking the tie with an offensive rebound put back finishing the game with a total of eight rebounds. At halftime, the boys trailed by one point.
The second half saw the boys play their most impressive half of the season, conceding only two points in each quarter. Each player intensified their defensive efforts, preventing easy passes and baskets. Zorik led the team in scoring with 15 points and four rebounds, while Bior contributed three points. Keirnan Capela had two points and three rebounds, and Nic Skaf grabbed four rebounds. In addition, Paul Kuttab scored two points and grabbed three rebounds.
The team’s hard work paid off as they secured their first victory of the season with a score of 27-17. The boys will resume their season this Sunday on the road against Medway.
8th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Negri
The 8th grade boys Panthers (black) played four complete quarters of basketball this past Sunday and defeated Millis by a score of 50-23. With each shift giving 100% effort on defense, the boys shut down their opponent in the second half, only allowing 9 points. Jake Miranda, with 20 points, and Colton McGrath, with 9 points, set the tone of the game early-on with backcourt pressure and trapping from the opening jump, applying consistent offensive production and ball movement throughout, including a dazzling spin move by McGrath in the 4th quarter that brought the crowd to their feet. A full team effort, I wanted to highlight the defensive intensity and effort of Jack Firmani, who has adapted to our defense this year and is an integral part of this team, and Zorik Sahakyan who played with our team Sunday learning the defense on the fly and playing a fantastic all around game. Great win boys! This coming weekend, the boys will travel to Newton for 9:20 tip off on February 9th.
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