GIRLS:
4th Grade Girls Coach: Cooper
The 4th grade girls dressed 6 players in a showdown with Milford with the injury and sickness bug continuing to strike the team. All 6 players, Addie Cicciarella, Harper Sochanek, Anna Maria DellaRocca, Madeline Cooper, Bright Swenson, and Lily Ennis each had season highs for logged minutes for one game. Holliston lost the game 34-14, but the game was not without its bright spots. DellaRocca led all Holliston with 10 points while Bright Swenson and Lilly Ennis each chipped in with a basket. Swenson also added 5 rebounds in the power forward position. Addie Cicciarella and Madeline Cooper combined for 9 steals and pressured the Milford guard’s the entire game. Harper Sochanek wowed the crowd with a threw the legs dribble in the closing minutes that left her defender in the dust. After a two-week road trip, the 4th Grade Girls return to action next week at home against Bedford.
5th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: King
The Holliston 5th grade girls (red) had a nice win over Natick this past weekend with a score of 30-14. The team had some breakout performances by Olive Bennett and Richa Yedugani who played outstanding overall games, consistently taking the ball to the basket and playing great defense. Olive scored 6 points while Richa added 8. The girls played with intensity and focus and set the tone for their teammates. Izzy Bartels also had an outstanding defensive and offensive performance adding an impressive 4 assists. Josie Brower and Millie Guellnitz had a strong presence in the paint and with their willingness to play physical and their defensive presence. Overall, everyone contributed in an important way to the team victory! While there is still lots to work on, the biggest highlights of the weekend included willingness to take the ball to the basket, moving without the ball, and a high number of assists. The team is continuing to progress and demonstrate how to play basketball in a competitive environment!
5th Grade Girls (Black) Coach: Wing
The Holliston 5th grade girls (black) traveled to Arlington to play the Arlington Spy Ponders. Holliston, unfortunately, suffered their first loss, but played with lots of heart and determination.
Holliston’s defense was not their strongest to start the game and the girls experienced a bit of bad luck with shots not falling. Arlington immediately took advantage of this by getting multiple shots and driving up the score in the first half. Additionally, the Spy Ponders’ defense was tight and strong, making it challenging for the Holliston Panthers to score in the beginning of the game.
However, the girls were able to turn things around in the second half and were neck and neck in the final minutes of the game. Even though our girls put forth a solid effort, we were unable to get those last several points on the board. Our girls did, however, demonstrated what it looks like to turn a game around by pouring all their energy and grit into the final quarter.
Some highlights of the game included Olivia Wing inbounding the ball with 3 seconds left in the 3rd quarter to Olivia Darling, who scored a clutch basket. Brooke McGrath also showed grit facing players twice her size and driving to the hoop to make an awesome layup. Brooke, Olivia Wing and Julia O’Shaughnessy all played aggressive defense, which often led to jump balls or turnovers. Katelyn Klein and Amelia Parker both put points on the board as they strategically maneuvered their way into the paint. Willa Drummey used her speed to get to loose balls multiple times, preventing the other team from gaining possession. All the Holliston girls played hard and didn’t stop playing until the final second of the game. We hope to start our next game against Bedford with the same intensity that we displayed at the end of our game vs. Arlington. Come cheer on our girls at home this Saturday night at 6:45 pm!
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 took on Lexington in an epic battle this past weekend. The visitors came out on fire scoring 16 points in the 1st quarter. Lexington hadn’t shot that well since they faced the red coats in 1775. Holliston battled back to close the lead to 5 points in the 3rd quarter after 6 quick points by Ella Bennett. However, Lexington was not to be denied and took the contest 47-31. Ella Bennett led the Panthers with 13 points and 4 steals. Addy McAdams added 6 points to go along with an impressive 10 rebounds. Gwen Miranda continued to impress the crowd with 4 points and strong inside play grabbing 7 rebounds. Audrey Mancuso had another strong showing with a couple of sweet jumpers and 4 rebounds. Holliston will be looking to get back in the winning track against Southboro this coming Saturday (January 25th) at 3PM.
8th Grade Girls (Red) Coach: McDonald
The 8th grade girls (red), had another busy weekend with games on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday they hosted a tough Medford team. In a very physical game, the girls battled as Medford’s best player was very strong and was using her physical strength to her advantage at every opportunity. The girls fell behind 7 points with 4 minutes left in the game but was successful in their defensive pressure and tied the game with 30 seconds left. With 10 seconds left, the Medford player previously mentioned drove the ball the length of the court to go ahead by 2 and Holliston’s attempts at heroics went unsuccessful. Emerson Harrington led the team with 8 points, Mackenzie McDonald scored 6. Chelsea Dufault was a force under the glass with 7 rebounds and 4 points, and Emma Arsenault grabbed 5 rebounds and scored 4 points of her own.
This past Sunday (January 19th) the team traveled to Sharon to face a team that they lost to a year ago, and like the Medford team had one player who was the team’s primary offensive weapon. With their second physical battle in two days, and with the distraction of a Sharon coach who made others uncomfortable in how he addressed people, the girls never softened their stance, matching physical play with physical play. After being tied at the end of the first quarter, the girls pulled away in the second, never looking back and cruising to a 31-21 win thanks to a strong press applied by Brooklyn Lessard, Shamili Potturi, Emerson Harrington and Caroline Coughlin. Sedona Cicciarella, Mackenzie McDonald, Emma Arsenault and Chelsea Dufault combined for 24 rebounds. Emerson Harrington scored 10 points and Mackenzie McDonald scored 6. The girls host Parkway (red) this coming Sunday (January 26th) in what is expected to be another good matchup.
BOYS:
4th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Flannery
The Holliston 4th grade red boys squad (white) had a double dip of action this past weekend. Unfortunately, both games ended in losses, but the team can take pride in the fact that they improved greatly from Saturday to Sunday.
Saturday’s game against Thanksgiving day rival Westwood was as tough to swallow as bone dry 3-day old Turkey. Westwood shot the lights out in the first half cruising to a 45-18 victory. Among the highlights for Holliston was the triumphant return of James Eaton. James fought his way back from a broken arm he suffered in the Fall to rejoin his teammates. He was a welcome addition to the squad bringing great defensive energy and chipping in with his first bucket of the season! Jameson Drake contributed his first basket of the year too with a smooth mid-range jump shot and led the team with 2 steals. Declan Langlois had another strong performance leading the team with 6 points/3 rebounds. JT Barry chipped in with 4 points and sweet dance moves on the bench.
This past Sunday (January 19th) the team traveled to Canton and played an outstanding all-around game. Although the 30-29 outcome did not go their way, the boys left the gym knowing they played their best game of the year. For the first time all season every player had at least one rebound. Henry Paine was on fire playing like a young Dennis Rodman…before all the tattoos and hair dye…grabbing a team high 6 boards. Lefty Keegan Flannery had his jumper working, finishing with a game high 12 points and 5 rebounds ….between his dribble handle and shot he looked like James Harden out there…he just needs to work on the beard. Tommy Baker had more steals than the Hamburglar finishing with 6 to go along with 10 big points. Keagan Shaw had a strong showing with 2 points and 3 rebounds. In a David vs. Goliath matchup, Robert Chung battled against Canton’s much larger Center for multiple trips down the court and more than held his own finishing with 2 Rebounds. It just goes to prove it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the DAWG! WOOOF WOOOF!!!
Next up for the team is a friendly scrimmage on Tuesday at halftime of the Boys HS Varsity game against the Holliston 4th Grade White squad. The boys then welcome Hopkinton to RAMS early Sunday for a Tri-Valley battle.
5th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Gum
The 5th grade boys (black) extended their winning streak to 3 games by beating Dedham (McLaughlin) 52-22. Holliston jumped out to a 10-2 lead and never looked back. Holliston was led in scoring by Grady Gum with 23 points and Darian Harris with 13 points. Grady also added 6 boards, 1 block, and 1 assist and Darian added 4 boards and 4 steals.
Yamori Richardson had a solid game with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block. Jack Donahue had a great all around game with 6 points, 5 boards, 5 steals, 1 block, and 1 assist. Ronan Ohja also had a nice game with 2 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists.
Holliston takes its 4-2 record to Bellingham, also 4-2, on January 26th at 4PM.
6th Grade Boys (White) Coach: Cordero
In what was an undoubtedly challenging game, Holliston’s 6th grade boys (white) faced off against a very tough Weston team and ultimately fell short – with a final score of 10-57. Despite the loss, Ryllan Kelley contributed 2 points and grabbed 2 defensive rebounds. David Blackerby was a defensive powerhouse, securing 7 defensive rebounds and adding 2 points to the scoreboard. Austin Cordero led the scoring effort for Holliston with 5 points. The rest of the team displayed unwavering determination and played their hearts out, showcasing true sportsmanship and resilience throughout the game. The boys are looking to bounce back on the road this coming weekend vs. Medford (white) at Medford High School at 11:30AM.
6th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Sgarano
The Holliston 6th grade boys team (red) lost a tough battle in Chelsea on Saturday morning, 27-24. After a back and forth first half, Holliston went into halftime with a 3 point lead. Chelsea pulled away in the second half as Holliston struggled to score against their tough zone defense.
Seven different players scored for Holliston and every player had a rebound or a steal. Ryan Baker led the way with 7 points and 10 steals. Donovan Vail and 4 points and Declan Aldredge had 3 points.
Holliston returns home for the first time in 7 weeks to take on Somerville this Sunday afternoon (January 26th).
7th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Keller
The Holliston 7th grade boys (black) traveled to Medway this past Sunday looking to end their two-game skid. Holliston was firing on all cylinders early posting a 10-0 lead after one. Medway turned to the 3-pointer and full-court pressure to get back in the game, trimming the lead to 2 points with a minute to play. Tanyin Holley added a free throw in the closing seconds for the three point lead which held up as Medway’s final shot at the buzzer rimmed out, securing the victory for Holliston. Leo Wagner led the way with 15 points, followed by Laksh Khatri with 8, Kirill Stotski with 4 and Tanyin Holley with 1. The team is off this week before returning to game action Saturday, February 1 when they host Hopkinton.
7th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Kanavich
The 7th grade Panthers boys team (red) lost to Blackstone-Millville by a score of 30-53 this past Sunday. The Panthers drop to 3-3 in the division and 4-7 overall. Leading the in team scoring was Micah Baltisoto (7), followed by Dylan Perrett (6), Stone Secaur (5), Nolan Burke (5), Logan Kanavich (3), Dylan “Dubbs” Dimmick (2), and Lincoln Daniels (2). Leading the team in rebounds was Stone Secaur (16), followed by Patrick Colletti (13), Lincoln Daniels (8), Micah Baltisoto (5), Luke Bartels (4), Dylan Perrett (3), Dylan “Dubbs” Dimmick (2), Logan Kanavich (2), and Nolan Burke (1). The teams Money Maker award was given to Stone Secaur for his career high rebounding and scoring. The team looks to rebound on the road against Milton this coming Sunday (January 26th) at 10:00AM.
7th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Magoon
Holliston’s 7th grade boys (red) moved to 5-1 with a physical 47-38 win over Medway. This was a battle, with the teams having more fouls than points in the first quarter. Nathan Eppinger was the player of the game, turning in his best performance of the season by scoring a season high six points to go along with an intensive defensive effort. Devon Doray was the overall leading scorer with 13 points, followed by Joseph Lawendi with 9 points, Brody Stanley with 8 points, Nick Gorham with 7 points and Austin McGuire with 1 point. Ryan Magoon, Gavin Bausch and John Gebski may not have gotten into the scoring column, but all three were ferocious on defense throughout the match helping Holliston hold Medway to 3 points in the first quarter. Holliston is tied at the top of their divisional standings with Blackstone and takes on Milton this Sunday (January 26th).
8th Grade Boys (Red) Coach: Furey
The Holliston 8th grade (red) boys team hosted Parkway this weekend. It was a battle from the tip off and the boys found themselves in early foul trouble. But they fought tough, kept their composure, and ultimately came out on top 50-36 after a strong 2nd half. It was a well balanced attack with all suited players contributing on offense. Orson Daniels led all scorers with 12 points. He was followed by Quinn McErlean (9), Ben Furey (8), Tristan Snyder (6), Achyut Pingali (4), Sam Israel (4), Chris Baker (3) and Andrew Ferguson and Eli Boggess with a key bucket each. Sam’s points came with composure at a critical time when the team was closing out an early deficit. The boys were huge on the boards pulling down 27 rebounds as a team. Orson Daniels and Tristan Snyder each had 7, followed by Eli Boggess (5) and Quinn McErlean (4). The boys will host Bellingham this Sunday (January 26th) at 1:30PM, where Bellingham will be looking to avenge a playoff loss from last year.
8th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Ennis
The 8th grade boys (black) team had a home game against a well-balanced Millis team this past weekend. The boys got off to a better start than in prior weeks trailing by just a point after the 1st quarter. The Millis team turned on the press which led to a few easy buckets in the 2nd quarter – in the 2nd half the boys worked hard to narrow the gap, with Vinny Lima and Zorik Sahakyan each hitting several 3 pointers. Overall, the boys played against a very good and determined Millis squad; however, it wasn’t enough for the boys to take home a win, with the final score being 52-25. Leading the team in scoring was Zorik Sahakyan with 11 points and 8 rebounds, Vinny Lima had 3 points along with 2 steals, Zach Ennis had 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, Bior Ayuen had 3 rebounds, CJ Landers 4 rebounds, Sam Peters chipped in with 5 points with 4 rebounds, and Joey Harkin kept the excitement alive with two rebounds.
The boys continue to put In the hard work at practice during the week and are looking forward to seeing their efforts pay off in their upcoming games this coming weekend against Westborough on Saturday and at Milton on Sunday (January 25th & 26th).
8th Grade Boys (Black) Coach: Negri
Exceptional defense, sharp passing, and overall good team play were the highlights for Week 6 for the panthers; but unfortunately the boys came up short against rival Hopkinton, 45-48. A well balanced attack, leading scoring for the boys were Aaron Javier (11 points), Jake Miranda (10 points), Colton McGrath (9 points), and James Negri (9 points). A game that went down to the very last second, the Panthers should be proud of their defensive intensity, their continued progression of their offensive sets, and their overall effort. I know their coach is. Next week, the boys are home again against Lincoln-Sudbury.
Sign up and get automatic delivery of headlines to your inbox.
Thank you for subscribing!
