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girls' basketball

Local Notebook: Lorden takes the reins for Patriots hoops

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Superintendent Brad Morgan is excited to announce the homecoming of alum Dave Lorden, who has returned to North Middlesex High School as the new varsity basketball coach.

Lorden began in his new role earlier this month.

Lorden has coached junior varsity basketball and varsity volleyball at North Middlesex, since 2018.

As a North Middlesex alum, Lorden played under the guidance of long-time teacher and former high school coach Eric Dellasanta.

“I believe in creating an environment that goes beyond the game itself,” Lorden said. “It’s about instilling values, fostering personal growth, and creating a family-like culture where players feel supported and encouraged to reach their full potential.”

“We are beyond excited to welcome back Dave, who brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a deep understanding of our district’s values,” said Superintendent Morgan. “The fact that he is an alum adds an extra layer of pride for us, showcasing the enduring legacy of success that our students can aspire to achieve. Dave’s return embodies our commitment to fostering a family-like culture within North Middlesex.”

In addition to Lorden, North Middlesex is excited to welcome new additions to the basketball coaching staff, including junior varsity coach Israel Gonzalez and freshman coach Kyle McDermott.

Koziol named bench boss in Lunenburg

Lunenburg Public Schools athletic director Kevin Bigelow recently announced that Josh Koziol has been named the new head girls basketball coach at Lunenburg High School for the 2023-2024 winter season.
Koziol replaces longtime head coach Frank Greene, who accepted the girls head coaching position at Marlboro High School.

Koziol, who is also the school’s head softball coach, has been the Lunenburg girls’ junior varsity basketball head coach since the 2011-2012 winter season.

Koziol inherits a Blue Knights team that struggled to a 2-18 record last winter.

Fitchburg Hall taking nominations

The Fitchburg High School Hall of Fame Committee, which seeks to honor the greats in FHS athletic lore and to inspire those coming forth to compete scholastically for the fabled Red and Gray, is asking for nominations from the general public for its 12th Class induction, slated for Nov. 3, 2024, at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg.

Nominations for the 12th Class are open until the close of school on Friday, March 1, 2024 via email, while nominations mailed to the committee must be postmarked by that day; any nominations from the general public received after these dates will be held for consideration for a future class. Nominations will be accepted for individual student-athletes, coaches, contributors, or teams.

For student-athlete nominations, the candidate must have attended Fitchburg High School for at least two years—the junior and senior years especially—and graduated in 2014 or prior. In addition, the student-athlete must have shown outstanding athletic prowess as well as outstanding character on the field/court/pitch and in the classroom. Nominators must provide the committee with a biography, not more than two pages, outlining the student-athlete’s qualifications.

To nominate a coach, a candidate must have coached at Fitchburg High School for at least 10 years; the candidate must have had success as a coach as well as had a positive influence in the lives of the student-athletes under his/her charge. Contributor candidates must have contributed to the success of Fitchburg High School athletics. Biographies are also expected for coaches/contributors.

Team nominations will be taken for teams that excelled in competition for that specific season of competition.

For more information, email Committee Chairman Alan Twomley at twomleya@fitchburg.k12.ma.us.

MAYSSA Huskies aim for growth

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FITCHBURG — Building off the success of last year’s inaugural contest, the Massachusetts Athletic Youth Sports Scholastic Association (MAYSSA) were back at the outdoor basketball court at Parkhill Park on Sunday afternoon for the second annual Pick Up in the Park Title IX Women’s Exhibition Basketball Game.

“This is a fun way for us to be able to put a spotlight on these young ladies and all the effort and hard work they’ve put throughout the season,” said Rick Maynard, director of the MAYSSA Huskies. “It’s a great way to wrap up the season. We don’t make cuts; we have a spot for everyone that is interested in playing. Our season starts in March and runs through the end of August. It’s a lot of fun and the girls have a great experience.”

Twenty players made up the two teams and showed off their talents on the basketball court. Sunday’s exhibition consisted of four eight-minutes quarters.

Just like last year, the contest pitted the current MAYSSA Huskies against an organized of veteran all stars. Among those playing on the veteran squad was Ama Baker, an assistant coach for the Fitchburg State University women’s basketball team.

“It’s great having the chance to be a part of something like this. I grew up playing here on these courts here at Parkhill Park,” said Baker. “It’s really nice to have the chance to come back and help out and contribute to the girls and to this program.”

The Huskies program is open to females in the middle school level in the city of Fitchburg and, with the help of some generous donations, is free of charge for the athletes.

“We welcome anyone that wants to play, any skill level,” said Maynard. “Our goal is to try to help these girls develop as players and also as human beings. Being able to make it a free program for the girls here in Fitchburg is really important. Thanks to some generous donations we’ve been able to so that this year.”

The second annual MAYSSA Huskies Pick Up in the Park Title IX Women's Exhibition Basketball Game tipped off Sunday at Parkhill Park. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Michael James LeClair)
The second annual MAYSSA Huskies Pick Up in the Park Title IX Women’s Exhibition Basketball Game tipped off Sunday at Parkhill Park. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Michael James LeClair)

Among the local businesses that helped make Sunday’s event possible were Minuteman Press, Thumbs Up Barber Shop, Zeda’s Pizza, Mill City Pub, Northeast Promotion and Apparel, Sweets Pest Control and the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority.

In addition to basketball, the Huskies have added a volleyball program. The volleyball program is run by Susan Orsini, a former Fitchburg High School standout.

“During my time coaching at Fitchburg High, we had several girls who didn’t know much about the sport by the time they got to the high school. We would spend the first couple weeks of the season teaching the very basics of the sport. Since we don’t have a feeder program, we wanted to create a program where these girls could learn the game before they got to high school,” said Orsini, who spent six years as a member of the Fitchburg High School girls volleyball staff. “It’s been extremely popular. We have several girls that are involved in both basketball and the volleyball program. The number of girls involved has more than doubled.”

“Adding volleyball this year has been such a great addition,” added Maynard. “In addition to using the gym at the Longsjo Middle School, we’ve been able to have access to the gym at the YMCA here in Fitchburg.”

According to Maynard, the program is currently north of 60 girls.

Anyone interested in making a donation or lookng for more information on the MAYSSA Huskies is asked to text Maynard at 978 400-3411 or visit mayssahuskies.com.

Bernardians stumble in Division 5 tourney

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FITCHBURG — The St. Bernard’s girls basketball team saw its winter campaign come to a disappointing close on Thursday evening.

The 16th-seeded Bernardians bowed out of the Division 5 tournament following a 36-26 loss to No. 17 Franklin County Tech at the St. Bernard’s Activity Center.

The Eagles improve to 20-2 on the season, while St. Bernard’s wraps up its season with a 13-8 overall mark.

Franklin County Tech advances to the Round of 16 where it will once again hit the road, traveling to top-seeded Millis.

“Credit to Franklin County Tech, but we weren’t able to keep our composure during key moments of this game. Tonight we had the most turnovers in a game we’ve had all year,” said St. Bernard’s head coach Keith Boissoneau. “It’s not the way we wanted it to end, it’s a tough way to go out but the girls have a lot to be proud of this year.”

Angelys Alvarez led the Bernardians with a game-high 14 points, but it was the hosts’ inability to generate consistency on the offensive end of the floor that did them in on Thursday.

St. Bernard's Erin McNamara fires a shot over Franklin County Tech's Hannah Gilbert during Thursday's game. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Gary Fournier)
St. Bernard’s Erin McNamara fires a shot over Franklin County Tech’s Hannah Gilbert during Thursday’s game. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Gary Fournier)

“I saw them earlier this week and we knew that their pressure was going to a challenge for us,” said Boissoneau. “We just couldn’t settle tonight and it wasn’t just one or two players, it was the entire team and that falls on me. I have to do better job putting them in the right positions and we just couldn’t settle.”

The Bernardians scored the game’s first eight points, capped a 3-pointer from Alvarez with 6:09 left in the opening stanza. Unfortunately for the hosts, things quickly took a turn as the Eagles answered in a big way.

Franklin County held the Bernardians scoreless for the next 12 plus minutes of action as St. Bernard’s did not score again until the final two minutes of the second quarter when Alvarez knocked down another 3-pointer.

During the Bernardians scoring drought, the Eagles went on a 17-0 run and carried a 17-11 lead into the halftime break.

The Bernardians opened the third quarter looking to battle its way back into the game with a quick 7-2 run to pull within 19-18 with four minutes gone in the frame. Despite their best efforts, the Bernardians couldn’t take the lead in the frame as Franklin County held a 25-20 upper hand after three complete quarters.

The Eagles were ready to try and put the game at the start of the fourth quarter. Kyra Goodell (team-high 13 points) knocked down back-to-back buckets before Lillianna Inman added a putback and the Eagles enjoyed their biggest lead of the night, 31-20 with 5:40 left.

The Bernardians closed the gap six straight points, a free throw by Elizabeth Gardiner (three points) and five points from Alvarez and St. Bernard’s pulled to within 31-26 with 3:24 left.

The bad news for the hosts was those were the final points of the evening. The Bernardians took a hit when Gardiner got called for her fifth foul with 2:55 remaining and Gardiner spiked the basketball and was immediately called for a technical foul as her night came to a close.

St. Bernard’s Erin McNamara scored seven points and Bella Dee added two points for the Bernardians.

Local notebook: Fitchburg’s Bate steps up at Meet of Champions

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Regular seasons across all high school sports in the state are done.

And over the weekend, some of the area’s best and brightest stepped into bigger spotlights than any seen to this point in the winter season.

Look no further than Saturday’s Meet of Champions at the Reggie Lewis Center, which saw several local track and field standouts post strong performances amid the best of the best across all divisions in the commonwealth.

Coming up bigger than any other area athlete was Fitchburg High’s Stephen Bate, who qualified for the New England Track and Field Championship at the Reggie Lewis Center this upcoming weekend. The Red Raider senior placed third overall in the long jump, notching a leap of 21-7.5.

Nashoba Regional junior Adam Balewicz was eighth in the 2 mile (9:22.60), while teammate Gabriel Merrow was 22nd in the 300 (36.52).

Lunenburg senior Zach MacLure was fifth in the 600 (1:23.95) and was part of a 4×400 relay team that took fifth in 3:30.10. MacLure was joined by Chris Roy, Connor Martin and Tim Smith in breaking the school’s indoor 4×400 record.

Abby Rodriquenz finished 21st in the 1,000 (3:14.17) for the Blue Knights, while Carli Stanford was 22nd in the long jump (15-09.25), Alexa Jenkins took 24th in the shot put (30-03.5) and the 4×800 relay was 25th.

Leominster’s Diamani Canuto took 11th in the 300 (41.51) and 20th in the high jump (5-0).

Bulldogs, Blue Devils star on mats

Monty Tech’s Jonah Paulino was dominant at the All-State wrestling meet on Saturday, almost effortlessly winning the 132-pound title. He pulled out a 6-0 decision over Shawsheen Tech’s James Tildsley in the final to claim the title and earn a spot at the New England meet.

Fellow Bulldog Xaedyn Natal also qualified for the New England tourney after taking the runner-up spot at 145, while Faith Maldonado will compete at the girls New England tournament after placing second at 106 at the All-State meet.

Leominster High’s wrestling resurgence continued with several grapplers qualifying for the All-State meet, after three placed at the Division 1 state meet two weeks ago. Abby Muller had a strong showing at the girls All-State meet, taking fourth at 106 pounds on Saturday.

Two weeks ago, freshman Troy Greaney was the runner-up at the Division 1 meet at 145, while his twin brother Dan was seventh at 132 and sophomore Anthuan Lino-Diego (285) took sixth at the D1 meet. That trio competed at the All-State meet, but failed to place.

Bernardians nab girls hoops title

The St. Bernard's girls basketball team won the CMADA Class D title Saturday at Assumption University. (Courtesy St. Bernard's Athletics)
The St. Bernard’s girls basketball team won the CMADA Class D title Saturday at Assumption University. (Courtesy St. Bernard’s Athletics)

Before it kicks off its Division 5 state tournament run, the St. Bernard’s girls basketball team claimed the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association Class D title with a 38-32 win over Whitinsville Christian on Saturday at Assumption University.

The Bernardian boys fell in the CMADA Class D final that same night, dropping 53-36 decision to Whitinsville Christian, also at Assumption.

Both St. B’s teams will be in action this week in the state tournament. The girls are seeded 16th and host No. 17 Franklin County Tech Thursday at 6 p.m. in the round of 32. The boys are the 26th seed in Division 5 and host No. 39 Old Colony RVT Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Pairings released for hoops, hockey tourneys

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Let the postseason begin.

The MIAA released its initial pairings for the statewide hockey and basketball tournaments based on its power rankings on Saturday, with 24 hours allowed for corrections to be made. Multiple local programs will have the chance to compete for championships across several divisions on the hardwood and ice.

Times and dates for most contests were not immediately released.

Sixth-seeded Nashoba Regional (18-2) will await the winner of a prelim between No. 27 Plymouth South (11-9) and No. 38 Revere (10-10) in the Division 2 boys basketball pairings. Also in D2, No. 25 Leominster (10-10) will square off with No. 40 Chicopee Comp. (10-10) in a preliminary round game, while 26th-seeded Fitchburg (13-6) will play No. 39 Nauset Regional (12-8) in the opening round.

In the Division 3 boys basketball pairings, No. 8 Oakmont Regional (16-5) will await the winner of No. 25 Greater Lowell Tech (14-7) and No. 40 Nipmuc Regional (12-8), while 44th-seeded Monty Tech (13-7) has drawn a prelim against No. 21 Bishop Stang (8-12).

The Division 4 boys hoops pairings feature 19th-seeded Lunenburg (11-9) facing No. 14 South Hadley (13-7) in the round of 32, while St. Bernard’s (11-9) is the 26th seed in Division 5 and will face No. 39 Old Colony (16-4) in a prelim. Ayer-Shirley (12-8) is No. 27 in D5 and will play No. 28 Smith Academy (13-7) in the opening round.

Nashoba Captain Emily Quinn shoots while Westborough's Annabelle Semeter defends Tuesday night in Bolton.
Emily Quinn and Nashoba Regional are the 11th seed in the Division 2 tournament. (Sentinel & Enterprise File Photo)

The Division 2 girls basketball pairings have No. 11 Nashoba Regional (16-3) in the round of 32, awaiting the winner of a preliminary game between No. 22 Westboro (13-8) and 43rd-seeded Agawam (10-10). Leominster High (13-7) is the 19th seed and will play No. 14 Whitman Hanson Regional (13-7) in the round of 32.

In the girls basketball Division 3 pairings, No. 19 Oakmont Regional (12-8) will face No. 14 Watertown (10-9) in the round of 32.

St. Bernard’s (12-7) drew the 16th seed in Division 5 and will play No. 17 Franklin County Tech (18-2) in the round of 32. No. 11 Ayer-Shirley (16-4) is slated to play the winner of a prelim between 22nd-seeded South Shore Vo-Tech (16-4) and No. 43 Boston Collegiate Charter (9-2).

In the boys hockey pairings, both Nashoba Regional and North Middlesex Regional have games in Division 3’s round of 32. The 11th-seeded Wolves (10-5-5) will face No. 22 Groton-Dunstable (6-14-0) Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, while the 14th-seeded Patriots (9-10-1) are set to square off with No. 19 West Springfield (10-7-3) Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Groton School.

St. Bernard's forward Ben Stout controls the puck Thursday versus Lunenburg/Ayer-Shirley.
Ben Stout and the St. Bernard’s ice hockey team will compete in the Division 4 state tournament. (Sentinel & Enterprise File Photo)

In the Division 4 boys brackets, No. 34 St. Bernard’s (12-8-0) will play a preliminary game against No. 31 St. John Paul II (4-17-1), with the winner advancing to face No. 2 Sandwich (15-4-1). In the round of 32, No. 25 Fitchburg/Monty Tech (10-10-0) draws a contest against eighth-seeded Martha’s Vineyard Regional (12-8-0).

Leominster’s girls hockey team earned a berth in the Division 2 tournament. The Blue Devils (15-4-1) are seeded 27th and are matched up with No. 6 Sandwich (13-6-2).

Hot start not enough for Spartans

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WORCESTER — It was exactly the start the Oakmont Regional girls basketball team was looking for.

The Spartans were hot early and shut down Hudson High for much of the first quarter, taking a sizable lead over the top seed in the CMADA Class B final.

Then the Hawks came alive.

After starting the game on an 8-0 run, the Spartans watched as Hudson chipped away at the lead before taking control in the second half, claiming the Class B title with a 58-45 victory at Worcester State University.

The Spartans (12-9) held a 16-8 edge after one, but saw Hudson (19-2) catch fire in the second quarter. The Hawks ended the half on a 16-4 run over the final five minutes to grab a 26-23 at the break and never looked back.

Oakmont Regional's Cali Laliberte defends against Hudson's Madison Kiley during Friday's CMADA Class B final. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)
Oakmont Regional’s Cali Laliberte defends against Hudson’s Madison Kiley during Friday’s CMADA Class B final. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Nick Mallard)

“I loved the way we came out. A lot of energy and confidence and we were able to get some high percentage shots,” Oakmont head coach Matt LeBlanc said. “We knew Hudson was going to make their run and give us  battle. We knew we had to play 32 minutes.

“They just do such a great job getting up and down the floor. I thought we did a heck of a job hanging in there. … We battled all the way through.”

Hudson’s Madison Kiley scored a game-high 17 points, while Kaitlyn Puim chipped in with 11 for the winners. Audrey Lenox and Kristina Bruce each added 10 for the Hawks.

Oakmont’s effort was led by freshman Victoria Mays, who had 16 points to go with 10 rebounds and three blocks. Jada Sibley added nine points in the loss and Amaiya LeBlanc chipped in with eight.

The Spartans briefly held a 27-26 lead early in the third after a bucket by Cali Laliberte and a pair of free throws from Mays, but after Kiley hit a pair from the charity stripe to put Hudson ahead 29-27 with 6:05 left in the quarter, the Hawks never again trailed

.”They’re tough and physical and have a great pursuit of the ball,” LeBlanc said. “You saw that in the third quarter and on their second quarter run, too.”

Hudson continued to maintain its lead in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach with 2:06 left on a jumper by Samantha Collette that pushed the advantage to 50-41. The hosts added to that lead with the next five points before Oakmont answered with a drive by Sibley.

Oakmont opened the game with smothering defense, forcing five turnovers in the first quarter. Sibley and LeBlanc notched buckets and Mays scored four early points as the Spartans sprinted out to an 8-0 edge.

Hudson broke through with 3:49 left on the clock, finally scoring on a Puim free throw.