Basketball players from 19 area high schools have been nominated for the annual Dave Cowens Award, which will be presented to one male and one female player on Wednesday, March 28, at Greater New Bedford Regional High School.
Here are short biographies on Greater Fall River’s nominees:
BOYS
CHASE STAFFORD, Somerset Berkley Regional: A captain and three-year starter, the 5-foot-11 guard averaged 14.1 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals per game and threw in 23 blocks. He is a two-time league all stars and was SBR’s Otto Graham nominee in football last fall. Stafford is also a standout baseball pitcher. “Chase is arguably the best overall athlete to come out of Somerset Berkley since I started coaching there in 2000,” coach Bob Slater wrote in his nomination letter. Off the court, Stafford works with Toys for Tots, helps with the team’s annual food drive and works at the local food pantry.
JOSEPH CAMARA, Durfee High School: A three-year varsity letter winner, Camara helped the Hilltoppers to qualify for the state playoffs in two out of the last three years. He served as a captain this year and averaged 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal per game. The student body president, Camara lettered four years in golf and captained both golf and volleyball. His community service resume includes working for the Bristol County District Attorney’s basketball camp and volunteering for middle school sports and Unified Sports.
RYAN MOTTA, Diman Regional: One of the area’s top 3-point shooters, the senior swing man averaged almost 12 points per game while burying 40 3-pointers, the highest single-season total for a Bengal in the past 20 years. Motta played a gritty game as well, grabbing 126 rebounds and making 27 steals. He also averaged almost 3 assists per game. An honors student in the electronics shop, Motta ranks 53rd out of a class of 336 and boasts a 3.3 GPA. His only missed practice over the past two seasons was to sign his letter to join the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation.
DREW PLANTE, Case High School: A senior and two-time South Coast Conference all star, the 6-foot-5 senior was named the SCC’s Most Valuable Player this season, averaging 24.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 49 percent from the field and buried 37 3-point field goals. A stellar student-athlete, Plante carries a 4.32 GPA and has been involved with the Iberian Club, Spanish-Portuguese Club and is a member of the National Honor Society. Bound for Worcester Polytechnical Institute, his community resume includes Team Community Service, YMCA volunteer, and math and chemistry tutor.
MALIK MORRIS, Bishop Stang: A three-year starter, the gutsy Morris played much bigger than his 6-foot- frame, averaging 13 rebounds and two blocked shots per game. He also averaged 15.6 points and 1.8 steals from his forward slot. Owner of a perfect school attendance award, Morris has been nominated for the Boston Medical Program. He has volunteered for a soup kitchen in his home city of Fall River and has been involved in Creative Dance Production from 2014-2017. Morris was also one of Stang’s top golfers in the fall.
ANDREW CABRAL, Bishop Connolly: The Westport resident turned in very impressive numbers in 2017-18. A sharpshooting swing man, he connected on 80 3-point field goals in averaging 22.4 points per game. He also snared 7.3 rebounds per game and shot 81 percent from the foul line. He is a two-time MAC all star and two-time Herald News all-scholastic. He has a 3.3 GPA and has made honor roll 10 times through his first three-and-a-half years at BC. Cabral has worked as a counselor at the Old School Hoop Academy and has been a student ambassador for four years. His collegiate possibilities include Wentworth and Colby Sawyer.
NICK COLLINS, Westport High School: The senior forward delivered big time for the Wildcats this past season, averaging 22.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 3.1 blocked shots per game . He shot 49 percent from the field. A two-year captain, Collins is also a two-time MAC all star and two-time Herald News all scholastic. He was named WHS’s top male athlete last school year. Academically, he ranks fifth in his class, with a 4.183 GPA while taking A.P. classes in statistics, calculus and U.S. history. He earned the Adams award for a perfect MCAS score. Collins has volunteered at the St. John’s Church fair, at Special Olympics, at Gifts to Give and as a Westport Council on Aging driver. He has been accepted into the analytical mathematics program at UMass Amherst and has also been accepted at URI, St. Michael’s (full academic scholarship) and Bryant University.
GIRLS
EMILY FIOLA, Bishop Connolly: A two-year starter and a three-time team MVP, the senior forward this season led the Cougars in virtually every offensive category in helping the team to a Division 4 South tournament berth. She drained 59 3-pointers, an average of almost three per game, and had 160 rebounds, 41 steals and 43 blocked shots. Fiola shot 80 percent from the foul line. Also a volleyball all star, Fiola is a four-year honor roll student who last year earned a certificate of merit for the Society of Women Engineers. She has volunteered at a soup kitchen and participated in unified track with students from the South Coast Collaborative.
MOLLIE DUCLOS, Bishop Stang: A three-year varsity player, Duclos chalked up 69 rebounds and 69 assists while scoring 99 points. She also made 33 steals. She “was willing to sacrifice individual goals for team success and is a shining example to our younger players,” coach Eric Le Vie wrote in his nomination letter. A team captain in basketball and field hockey, Duclos has a 3.1 GPA taking a mix of honors and college prep classes. Her community service includes the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, Cardboard Tent City, MS Walk and Freshman Retreat.
KYLIE LECOMTE, Case High School: A two-year varsity letter winner, Lecomte this year grabbed 91 rebounds and shot 75 percent from the foul line. A Herald News field hockey all scholastic, Lecomte also shines in the classroom. She is ranked No. 1 in her class with a GPA of 4.5003. She won the Rensselaer Medal for Math and Science, the Harvard Book Award and the Superintendent’s Award. In college she plans to major in biomedical engineering/pre-med, with Harvard, Dartmouth and Tulane on her list of potential schools. She volunteers at the St. Anne’s Food Pantry and has volunteered at basketball and field hockey camps.
MAKENZIE TEIXEIRA, Diman Regional: A two-year varsity player and three-sport (soccer, softball) athlete, Teixeira averaged 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks per game. In her nomination letter, Diman coach Cathie Noversa wrote, “Makenzie is defined by the little things, always showing up to practice early, encouraging other players, and working hard.” A member of Diman’s respected culinary arts program, Teixeira has a community service activity resume that includes Relay for Life, Women’s Leadership Group, and Ginger Bread House making. She plans to attend Bridgewater State University to major in social work.
SHAELYN CARREIRO, Durfee: A four-year starter and two-year captain, Carreiro this season became just the seventh Hilltopper to join the 1,000 career points club. A 5-foot-9 center, she averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds per game and blocked 25 shots. She is a three-time Big 3 Conference all star. Academically, she is ranked 30th in a class of more than 500 and plans to study nursing and play basketball at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has volunteered at the Durfee Basketball Factory camp for three years, for the middle school athletics program for four years and has been part of the Seniors Helping Freshmen group.
MARIAH MAHJOORY, Somerset Berkley Regional: A three-year varsity player, Mahjoory started for two years and served as a captain this year. A true blue-collar player, she battled her way to 124 rebounds and also made 23 steals. She has been an honor roll student for all four of her years at SBR as well as a key member of the volleyball and softball teams. Mahjoory has volunteered at the Frank M. Silvia Elementary School in Fall River, for the Big Buddy (grades 9-10) program, for the Anti-Bullying Coalition (grades 9-12), Peer Leadership (grades 9-11) and at St. John of God Church. She will attend Michigan State University to study elementary education.
MADISON MARTINS, Westport High School: A three-year starter and a team captain this season, Martins this season averaged 8.2 rebounds, 6.5 points, 4.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest. She has also played girls’ soccer at WHS. In the classroom, Martins owns a 3.26 GPA and has earned STEEL (StudentsThat Exemplify Extraordinary Leadership) honors. She has completed AP courses in English and biology. She has volunteered for seventh grade orientation and for Westport Junior/Senior High Unity Day.
The other nominees, by school: Wareham High School, Nick Perry and Gabrielle Lefrancois; Taunton High School, Lens Esquil and Hannah Moniz; Old Rochester Regional, Jason Gamache and Katherine Tracy; Old Colony Regional, Jared Gomes and Abigail Cioper; New Bedford High School, Elijah Diaz and Erin Rezendes; Middleboro High School, David Bisnaw and Lianna Bernier; Greater New Bedford, Andrew Vinagre and Sarah Duarte; Fairhaven High School, Matthew Mitchell and Grace Pelletier; Dartmouth High School, Brett Cabral and Caitlyn Turgeon; Coyle & Cassidy High School, Kelvin Kariuki and Jenna Piatelli; Bourne High School, David Laine and Rhyan Ullo; Apponequet Regional, Andrew Johnson and Abigail Lauzon.