Fans who follow the Wachusett girls’ basketball team are in for quite a season of spectating with the wide array of basketball talent the Mountaineers will face this season.
Wachusett has already defeated Western Mass. power Minnechaug and dropped a game to Division 1 state finalist Braintree.
Ahead, the Mountaineers have games against defending Central Mass. champion Westford Academy, North sectional champ Andover, and always-tough Cambridge Rindge & Latin, in addition to their difficult Mid-Wach A schedule.
“We load our schedule up because we know that even if we drop some games against some teams outside of Central Mass, we won’t see anything in Central Mass. like some of the teams we’re playing,” Wachusett coach Jim Oxford said. “This just gets our kids ready to be competitive in our own district, as well as get us ready when we go to districts to play well in the playoffs.”
The Mountaineers advanced to the Central Mass. Division 1 final last season before the loss to Westford. They last won a Central Mass. title in 2015.
“When you play teams like that, you become afraid of no one,” said Oxford, who is in his 11th season as Wachusett's head coach. “We know our kids benefit from that level of competition. When we play games in our own district against Shepherd Hill or Holy Name, we feel like those games have gotten us very prepared to play the best Central Mass. players.”
This past Tuesday, in an early-season showdown with previously undefeated Shepherd Hill, the Mountaineers posted a statement-making 63-41 victory on the Rams’ home court in Dudley.
“We’re playing well, we've played some good teams and we’re making progress,” Oxford said. “We like the way we’re playing, we like the style we’re playing and we like how the kids are all playing together. We have some great chemistry.”
The chemistry comes from a great mix of seasoned veterans along with a handful of newcomers who have jumped right into the fray.
Senior captains Hallie Johnson (8.4 points per game) and Laura Vinton (6.6 ppg) have provided excellent leadership thus far. The third senior, tri-captain Brigid Griffin, will return to action soon from a knee injury that has sidelined her since the start of the season.
“Hallie and Laura both lead by example in everything they do,” said Oxford. “Once we can get (Bridget) back we’ll have a terrific roster.”
While the seniors bring about a wealth of experience, Oxford has been equally impressed by the play of his talented junior class.
Sharpshooter Reagan McDonald leads the team in scoring at 11 points per game, while Rachel Vinton (6.8 ppg) and Courtney Lanpher (4.6 ppg) have also been steady starters. In addition, freshman Nariah Scott has made a big splash, averaging 10.2 points.
“The juniors have really stepped up their game this year and have also started to become leaders on the team,” Oxford said. “Each of them does something different that makes us better.”
He also exuded the contributions from other players, such as juniors Abby Head, Rachel Layden and Jill Post, sophomores Cat Davis and Belle Lanpher, and freshman Avery Bierfeldt.
“We lose great players every year, but our kids coming in are very skilled,” Oxford said. “We have a good travel league system that keep feeding the high school program. We have a good steady flow of quality kids. They’re easy to coach and fun to be around.”
Westboro’s Irish connection
Night in and night out it appears as though Mid-Wach B boys' basketball is simply a division where teams take turns knocking one another off.
Westboro is one of two teams in the division that is undefeated to this point, with Groton-Dunstable the other, as squads realize they’re in for a battle every night.
“It’s been a crazy year so far, with people knocking each other off,” said Westboro's Brian Willar, in his seventh year as head coach. “I think every game this season is going to be a battle.”
Last Tuesday, the Rangers defeated a somewhat depleted Marlboro team (playing without leading scorer Chris Doherty), 54-48.
To this point, Westboro has been bolstered by a junior lineup, as well as contributions from several other key team members.
“We start predominantly five juniors every game and have only three seniors on the team,” Willar said, “so we rotate our center (Declan Donovan) and many players are getting quality minutes.”
The junior starters include Matt Doherty (14.0 ppg) and Mike Doherty (13.5) ppg, as well as Domenic Casparriello (13.0 ppg), Quinn Donovan and Jack Lentine.
The Dohertys are twins, while the Donovans are brothers.
“We have quite the Irish connection out there,” joked Willar, but we also have guys like Alex Badger (5.0) getting into the mix.”
With a 3-1 start, the Rangers are hoping to qualify for the postseason and go a little further than last season when they lost to Groton-Dunstable in the quarterfinals. Westboro’s last Central Mass. title came in 1991.
“This has been one of our best starts. In past years, traditionally, we have started out slow and didn't really hit our stride until the seventh or eighth game,” Willar said. “We’re just taking advantage of what we have in front of us, and whichever player shows up that’s who we’re going to play against.”
Rounding out the Rangers' roster are seniors Kaeden Bentley and Eduardo Marfurte, junior Zach Walker and sophomore Evan Burlile.
The road doesn’t get any easier for Westboro, which despite a tough league schedule, has also picked up Needham, currently one of the top teams in the state, as well as North Andover, Hopkinton and Grafton as non-league games.
“We went out of league and picked up some big games because these kids are competitors,” Willar said. “They're pretty good basketball players and they wanted to challenge themselves.”
It will certainly give the Rangers some firepower as they hope for a Clark Tournament bid, as well as a trip to the playoffs.
“They're a great group of kids, it’s an old school term but they’re gym rats,” he said. “I love getting to practice every day and it’s so much fun to be teaching them something new every day. We throw a lot at them and they pick it up pretty quick.”
— Contact Mike Richard at mikerichard0725@gmail.com