Belmont Boys’ Basketball Throws 6s, Again, in Home Opener Win Over Melrose

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Photo: Belmont High School’s senior center Adam Kleckner grabs an offensive rebound vs. Melrose in the Marauder’s 66-50 win on Dec. 19, 2014. 

The number 66 is a spheric, triangular, hexagonal and a semi-meandric number. And being a multiple of a perfect number, 66 is itself a semiperfect number.

It is also been the number of points the Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball have averaged in their first two victories of the 2014-15 season. That calculation is a simple one as the Marauders have scored 66 points in those consecutive games.

On Friday afternoon, Dec. 19, at Belmont’s home opener against a scrappy Melrose High team, the Marauders led from start to finish, going ahead 11-1 before exploding for 27 points in the third quarter to win easily, 66-50, at the friendly, linoleum court confines of Wenner Field House.

“Don’t take anything away from Melrose. They are a good team with a great shooter [Cody Andrews, who topped all scorers with 23 points),” said Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard.

“We got our break going and grabbed the rebounds we needed to play our game plan,” said Pritchard.

And that game over the first two matches this season is speed and muscle as junior guard Matt Kerans came off a sub-par game (for him) at Watertown to match senior All-Star center Adam Kleckner in scoring both from the outside and close to the basket. While Kerans connected for a trio of treys for 9 of his 17 points, the big man (6-foot, 5-inches) Kleckner buried a pair from beyond the arc to round out a workman-like 13 points and a gaggle of rebounds.

After jumping out to a 10 point lead midway through the opening frame, Belmont kept the 10 point margin through the first half with starting third guard Jaemar Paul (12 points) sinking two treys and senior sub Peter Durkin going four-for-four from the line.

After Andrews’ five baskets in the second quarter cut the lead to eight at the half, 30-22, the Marauders displayed an ability to step on the gas and put the breaks on the opponent’s offense in the third quarter as Belmont outscored the Red Raiders, 27-11, as the team hit six threes, lead by the two-way play of senior guard Ben Lazenby (13 points) who scored 10 points (including two threes), dished out assists and created two steals.

By the end of the quarter, the benches started emptying for both teams.

“I wish I could say that it was all coaching that gives us the edge in second halfs  but I would be lying,” said Pritchard.

“[The players] know what needs to be done and they push themselves. There’s no big secret,” he said.

Froshs Standout in Girls’ Basketball Wins Home Opener, 56-40, Over Melrose

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Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball’s home opener victory, 56-40, over Melrose High Friday night, Dec. 19 was the quintessential “team” win with seven players scoring and a smothering defense stifling the Red Raiders’ attack that beat up Winchester just three days before.

But it’s hard not to notice when a pair of 9th graders are becoming important components in what could become a very interesting year for the Marauders. In just their second high school game, freshmen Jenny Call (10 points including a pair of three-point bombs) and Carly Christofori (game high 12 points with several steals and assists) scored in double digits with Christofori using her natural ball handling skills and to join senior Sophia Eschenbach-Smith (3 points) as the team’s point guard, who runs the team’s offense on the court.

“[Christofori] is so quick and aggressive and reads the floor so well,” said Belmont’s Head Coach Melissa Hart while noting that Call, who came off the bench, “got into a groove hitting those outside shots which started to spread out the court.”

“They are not only good athletes, but good basketball players with talent,” said Hart.

“I like being the leader on the court.” said Christofori, who is the younger sister of multi-sports starter Cal.

“But it’s easy because my teammates know the place they have to be and are there at the right time. So everything falls into place for me,” she said.

While the freshmen were one part of the story of the second game of the season (Belmont lost to a strong host Watertown team, 53-42, on Tuesday, Dec. 16) Hart complemented the play of senior forward Elena Bragg who was a presence on both ends of the court, scoring 11 points and grabbing numerous rebounds (just missing a “double-double” with nine grabs) and throwing herself after any loose ball in her vicinity.

Emerging as a central theme for the team this year is a “in-your-face” defense that puts pressure on the team once they step on the court. Led by senior center Linda Herlihy (7 points, three solid blocks and rebounds galore) and sophomore Irini Nikolaidis (7 points), the team kept the Red Raiders top scorer, junior guard Sarah Foote, under wraps and the team forced to take outside shots. Nikolaidis, with her speed and long arms, has become a nuisance for opposing team’s point guards.

The Marauders led from start to finish, leading 14-6 after the first quarter and when Melrose cut the lead to 16-12 at the halfway point of the second, Nikolaidis went 2 for 4 from the line in-between a Herlihy block (that brought cheers from the student bleachers) before a Bragg free throw gave Belmont a 20-14 half time lead.

The third quarter sealed the win with Christofori scoring on a drive, Nikolaidis hitting a three (Belmont’s three treys was the most beyond the arch in two years) and junior Sarah Steward (4 points on 4 for 6 from the charity stripe) running down a Red Raider who was on a solo breakaway to prevent the score to up the advantage to 41-19. The icing was on the cake when senior Lauren Noonan (2 points) hit a sweet jumper in the final two minutes.

Hart said the game was a distinct improvements over the Watertown game while improvements can still be made in terms of shot selection and “just scoring under the basket.”

 

“The five seniors

Sports: Boys’ Basketball Drains Watertown in Opener, 66-49

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Photo: Belmont’s senior swingman Seth Altman driving for two of his 12 points in the season opener with Watertown.

At the end of the first quarter, the score in the opening game of the 2014-15 Belmont High Boys’ basketball season: Watertown, 16; Adam Kleckner, 8.

Without the talented senior center and co-captain playing is “A” game in the first eight minutes of the game, Belmont – which many sports observers believe the team could have a long run in the playoffs in March – was not prepared for a hustling and cocky Raiders’ team playing at home.

“Kleckner (a game-high 23 points and about the same number of rebounds) is a very talented player who can shot threes and play the outside but he’s very tough under the basket and the free throws proved it,” said Belmont’s long-time Head Coach Adam Pritchard.

In fact, Belmont clearly stumbled out to the gate, missing shots and not quite handling the Watertown defense.

“Watertown has a good basketball team with two kids who can really shoot the ball,” said Pritchard of junior guard Brendan Hoban (13 points) and senior Mike Hagopian (18 points).

“We were a little bit tentative offensively,” he said, as Belmont seemingly couldn’t find an open shot in the first 10 minutes of the game as Watertown twice took an 11 point lead (20-9 and 22-11) two minutes into the second quarter.

Seeking to spark up the offense, Pritchard substituted in senior Seth Altman (12 points) and junior Cole Bartels (6 points) which paid off when Altman swept in on a drive to score his first varsity hoop to cut the deficit to seven (22-15). And despite back-to-back sequences where Belmont players couldn’t put in four under-the-basket “bunnies,” the tide began turning in the Marauders’ favor with the Marauders

“I have to say, having [Seth] Altman coming into the game and knocking down threes and Cole [Bartels] to hit shots makes us a very potent team,” he said as the team trailed by three at the half, 26-23.

With a shaky first half in the rearview mirror, Belmont’s starters stepped up the pressure on Watertown while some old friends, the backcourt duo of co-captains senior Ben Lazenby (4 points) and junior Matt Kerans (15 points), returned to their “slash and burn” ways – quick moves to the basket or long-range shots – as they partnered for four and nine points respectively.

A 39-38 deficit flipped to a two-point lead after Kerans buried three free throws (he was fouled throwing up a trey) with 56 seconds remaining and then saw his bomb hit the front of the rim before falling in to give him six points in the final 50 seconds and Belmont the lead for good at 44-39.

“We did a much better job defensively in the second half. It just took a little bit to lock down our defense on them,” said Pritchard.

When Watertown crept close at 47-44, Altman banged in the first of two threes that Bartels matched in the final quarter as Belmont outscored the Raiders 43 to 23 to win the opener, 66-49.

“We got off to a slow start, but we had a great comeback,” said Altman who Pritchard views as the team’s “swing” man.

“It’s the other guys that make it easy. I’m just doing the simple job taking the shots,” he said.

Sports: Girls’ Ice Hockey Edged by Top-Ranked Duxbury, 3-2, in Opener

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The winter season started on a down, yet still promising note, as the combined Watertown/Belmont high schools girls’  ice hockey team lost to their chief nemesis, the Duxbury High Dragons, 3-2, in the season opener on Saturday, Dec. 13 held in Kingston.

The Maraiders – combining the team’s Marauders and Raiders – held a 2-1 lead over the defending Dev. 1 state champions late in the first period by goals scored from Belmont’s Erin McLaughlin (on the power play with an assist by Belmont defenseman Serena Nally) and Watertown’s all-star Emily Loprete who took the puck the length of the rink to score on a backhand.

Yet Watertown/Belmont could not hold off this year’s top-rated team, with Dragon freshman Kelly McCarthy scoring the game winner on a breakaway four minutes into the final period.

It’s expected the Maraiders and the Dragons will meet up once again in the playoffs in March.

Sports: Belmont Football Snowed In By Watertown, 34-13, on Thanksgiving

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Belmont High School’s Harris Field was covered with a sheet of snow with only the yard lines and the Marauder mascot dug out in preparation for the frigid start to the 94th annual Thanksgiving Day football match with Watertown High School.

And for most of the game, the boys from Belmont could not shake off their equally cold start as the Marauders did not have an answer to Watertown’s down-hill running and swarming defense which dominated the first half of the game.

Despite playing the Red Raiders even in the final 22 minutes, Belmont (3-8) lost for the third year in a row to the Red Raiders, 34-13, before the largest crowd of the season.

“That was a great Watertown team and we have no reason to hang our heads,” said Belmont Head Coach Yann Kumin, whose first year at the helm saw the Marauders break a winless streak at home and for total games while winning three games in a row, the longest winning streak in close to a decade.

A pair of plays highlighted Belmont’s turkey day just before and after halftime. After Belmont’s defense stopped Watertown on the Belmont’s 10 yard line on fourth down, senior co-captain and running back Max Jones darted over his favorite right side of the line – behind senior center and co-captain Austin Lutz, senior right tackle Deshawn Frederick and sophomore right guard Justin Arroyan – to outrun the Red Raiders’ defensive backs for a 90 yard touchdown with 2:14 left in the half.

The second big play was a 30-yard strike from sophomore quarterback Cal Christofori to senior wide receiver Jaehmar Paul in the end zone that cut the lead to two possessions at 28-13.

But on the subsequent kickoff, Watertown’s senior running back Austin Farry took Darren Chan’s kickoff and ran straight up the field for an 80 yard touchdown to increase the lead to 21 points after the extra point was missed.

Belmont found itself in a deep hole as Watertown used its strong running game led by Farry, sophomore running back Zachary Rimsa and senior quarterback Nick Giordano to run out to a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Watertown defense focused its attention on stopping Jones who had an all-star caliber in the final three games with 10 touchdowns and nearly 600 yards rushing. Forced to pass due to Watertown’s emphasis on halting the run, Christofori was intercepted on his second attempt as Belmont trailed 7-0 leading to the Red Raiders’ second touchdown in the first quarter.

Belmont’s defense came to life as Watertown drove deep into the Marauders territory late in the second quarter. Led by good defensive plays by senior inside linebacker Marco Perrone and senior outside linebacker Bryce Christian as well as a diving tackle on fourth down by sophomore Ben Jones, Belmont took possession from Watertown. The next play was the scamper by Jones’ older brother.

But the defense could not stop Watertown from scoring the last of the four first half touchdowns just 70 seconds after Jones’ TD.

“We couldn’t stop [Watertown] when we got it down to 14 points despite grabbing the momentum,” said Kumin.

In the second quarter, Belmont’s defense were more assertive, including recovering a pair of fumbles. And while the offense did have a few flashes of inspiration – specifically junior running back Mekhai Johnson‘s nifty 20 yard run in the fourth quarter – Belmont tripped themselves up with an interception that was tipped three times before falling into the arms of a Watertown defensive back and being flagged for intentional grounding 30 seconds after the play after the Watertown coaching staff lobbied for that infraction to be called.

In the end, at the final huddle of the year after the game, Kumin praised his departing seniors briefly “because if I do it out here I’ll just start crying. I’m so damn proud of you.”

“I say it every week. They came to practice each day with purpose and dedication. They could have easily packed it in but they never did. I don’t know if I could have done it, but they did,” said Kumin.

For the new head coach and his staff, the next 10 days will be away from watching films, discussing strategy and motivating young players.

“But we’ll be in the weight room [on Monday, Dec. 8] preparing for next season,” he said.

The Game: Belmont Seeks Great Finish With Victory Over Watertown

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Make it four.

With a three-game winning streak and playing the annual Thanksgiving Game on its home field, the Belmont High School Football team and its young, energetic coaching staff are seeking to end the season with a win over a talented, playoff toughened Watertown High School team today, Thursday, Nov. 27.

The game, at Harris Field, will kick off at 10:15 a.m. Tickets are $8 at the gate.

Led by first-year head coach Yann Kumin, the Marauders (3-7) will take its strong running game behind senior running back Max Jones (10 TDs, more than 500 yards in the final three games) against the Red Raiders, who is led running backs senior Austin Farry and sophomore Zachary Rimsa. 

Hear a great interview with Kumin by Belmont Marauder Media.

 

Sports: Field Hockey’s Noone Commits to Holy Cross; Keene State’s Habelow Honored

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Photo: Senior Suzanne Noone, with Marauders’ Head Coach Jessica Smith.

Accolades for a pair of former Belmont High School Field Hockey players in the past two weeks.

Senior co-captain Suzanne Noone who finished a stellar three-year varsity career in the Marauders midfield signed a letter of intent on Friday, Nov. 14 to play field hockey with Div. 1 Holy Cross in Worcester beginning in 2015.

The two-time team MVP scored 22 goals and 39 assists as a Marauder while being named a two-time first team All-Middlesex League. She will join her sister, sophomore Catherine, on the Crusader team that plays in the Patriot League.

“I’ll really excited to play with my sister at Holy Cross where my father played baseball,” said Noone.

“But I’ll have to get into shape in the spring and summer for college field hockey so I’ll be working out a lot,” said Noone.

“Suzanne has the ability to play in the midfield or on the forward line. Her presence on the field and passing game continue to improve. A very hard worker off the ball,” said Holy Cross Head Coach Zowie Tucker.

Noone is well aquatinted with another student-athlete who signed with Holy Cross. Watertown’s all-star Emily Loprete – who never lost a game in her high school career – not only played against Noone on the pitch but was a teammate last year and this coming season on the combined Watertown/Belmont high school ice hockey team which will be a strong contender for the state Div. 2 title.

On the college side of the ledger, Keene State College senior defender Melissa Habelow was selection to the 2014 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association Division III New England West Region First Team.

Screen Shot 2014-11-24 at 5.03.50 AM

Habelow was named to the LEC All-Conference First Team this season and selected to the Second Team in 2013.

“I think her offseason training really helped her this year,” said Owls’ Head Coach Amy Watson. “She came back ready to play and I think that made a world of difference. This was by far Melissa’s strongest season as she was key for us on both the offensive and defensive end.”

Habelow anchored the top defensive unit in the conference, ranking first with eight shutouts and in goals against average of 1.15. Habelow also contributed on the offensive side as a specialist on penalty corners, registering nine goals, including four game-winners and five assists for 23 points and ranked tied for third in the LEC with seven defensive saves.

The Owls finished the year 19-5, which included a 15-game win streak, an undefeated LEC season, a second consecutive LEC Championship and NCAA berth.

Both Noone and Habelow played for Belmont High’s current Head Coach Jessica Smith.

Students: Get Your Turkey Game Tickets at the School Store

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Tickets are currently on sale at the Belmont High School’s School Store for the annual Belmont v. Watertown Thanksgiving Day Football game.

The school store is located in the Belmont High School Café. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. But be advised: the store will be closing at 10 a.m. on Wed. Nov. 26th

Pre-sale ticket prices are student $4, adults $6.

All tickets the day of the game are $8.

42 for 42: Chenery Football Ends Season a Success On and Off the Field

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Forty-two students arrived on a sweltering August afternoon to the Chenery Middle School playground for the first day of football practice.

Two-and-a-half months later, 42 now experienced and tested players ended the first season of middle school football in Belmont in several decades with a big win over Watertown, 22-8, played at Victory Field on Nov. 5.

“The big news was that we began and ended the season with the same number of kids,” said Chenery Head Coach James MacIsaac. 

“They showed a lot of dedication and grew as a team after each game,” said MacIsaac.

The season had its ups – playing on Harris Field vs Melrose, winning more games than they lost – and downs – losing at home – but above it all, the players spent the season improved their fundamental football talents on the field and learned life skills on the sidelines.

“I received a great deal of positive feedback and the kids all seemed to have fun,” said MacIsaac.

The 2014 Chenery Middle School football team included:

Ryan Hoffman, Mitchel Pereira, Joe Salvi, Peter O’Connor, Matthew Crisafi, Carlos Osgood, Robert Dolan, Jared Edwards, Frank Castagno Jack Hannibal, Avery Arno, Nareg Stapanian, Tommy Cranson, Tim Starr, Connor Estok, Rhaki Joseph, Sohail Hajri, Jake Parsons, Jason Santos, James Nally, Owen Strakowski, Joseph LaFauci, Brett Westgate, Connor Shea, Michael Alexander, Dijuan Moore, Ryan Santoro, Zachary Hubbard, Willy MacIsaac, Merrill Barnes, Parker Lutz, Emanual Clark, Thomas Brugger, Drew Finn, David Brennan, Joey Hurley, Brendan Noonan, Rafael Alejandre, Aiden Dowling, Demetri Stathadikis, Nathan Rose and Brendan Logan.

The coaching staff included MacIsaac, Robert Walker, Kevin Shea, John Arno and Mike Carew.

Blake-West Powers Belmont to Second in Div. 2 Swimming Championships

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During the MIAA Division 2 State Swimming and Diving Championships held Sunday, Nov. 16 at Harvard’s Blodgett Pool, Belmont High School long-time head coach Ev Crosscup would tap his chest with his fist when greeting his squad poolside.

“Our message was that we had worked well together as a team. We’re focused, worked hard together; we’ve supported each other. I told them that we were going to take it to the next level that we, as a team, we’re one collective heartbeat today,” said Crosscup.

On the night of a record and a slew of season best times, Belmont finished second to Attleboro’s Bishop Feehan, 270 to 239, a margin of a mere 29 points.

“I could not be more pleased in the effort from everybody; they all had best times from the week before [at the North Sectionals where Belmont finished third] when they had best times. That’s almost unheard of,” said Crosscup.

“We battled all the way to the end. We gave Bishop Feehan a good run, but we didn’t quite have enough to pull it out. But second doesn’t takeaway all what we accomplished today. I couldn’t have expected anymore,” he said.

Leading the way for the Marauders was junior star Jessie Blake-West who took returned to Belmont with three state championships – all obtained within a 40-minute time period – a feat matched only by Newton North’s Amanda Graf in the Division 1 championships held earlier Sunday.

“It’s great, it’s so great,” said Blake-West, who now has five state swimming championship titles in her trophy case.

“I’m just glad I could be here to celebrate it with the coaches and the team,” she told the Belmontonian.

The highlight of the night was Blake-West’s third victory in her specialty, the 100-yard butterfly. Taking on a talented field, Blake-West opened with a 25.71 second first 50 yards to win in a state championship record time of 56.28, winning by a full two seconds over freshman Alyvia Petrozza of Central Catholic.

Blake-West was the only individual swimmer in either division to break a championship meet record Sunday.

“Setting the meet record was one of my goals this season. Ideally I would have liked to have my best time here,” she said, disappointed that she didn’t reach her target of finishing in the low 55 second range which would have given her National High School All-American status.

“But I’m very happy how I swam. I couldn’t have asked for a better meet,” said Blake-West.

Equally impressive was Blake-West’s other individual victory in the 200 individual medley. In an event demanding proficiency in each stroke – butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle – Blake-West took a one second lead after the butterfly leg and stretched her margin to win by more than three seconds, 2:08.26 to 2:11.40, over Petrozza in a personal best time.

Blake-West started the night’s action joining senior backstroke and co-captain Maya Nagashima, junior breaststroke Emily Quinn and freshman freestyle Alison Sawyer to propel the favorite Belmont 200 medley relay to victory over Bishop Stang and Bishop Feehan. Blake-West’s 25.27 for the butterfly leg distanced the other teams during the third leg.

But it was Blake-West’s final event, as anchor on the 100 freestyle relay with Sawyer, fellow freshman Ophelie Loblack and junior Solvay Metelmann that demonstrated just how dominating her performance was at Harvard. Her 24.13 leg was the fastest 50 yard freestyle not only in the event but would have won the open 50 freestyle event by .05 seconds, and pushed Belmont from sixth to fourth in 1:43.72, behind victorious Westwood in 1:41.42.

At the end of the meet, Blake-West was involved in collecting 110 of Belmont’s 239 total points.

“Jessie’s was remarkable tonight truly remarkable,” said Crosscup.

For the second-year running, Belmont brought the best contingency of breaststrokers to the meet as the Marauders took four of the first nine places in the 100 breaststroke final.

Leading the way was Quinn who stayed with the leaders for the entire distance and crept up a place in the final yards to finish 3rd in 1:08.41, behind upset victor junior Sienna Lapalme of Bishop Stang who defeated Bishop Feehan senior and Costa Rican national swimming member Marisa Reidmeister, 1:07.32 to 1:07.61.

Senior Klaudia Nagrabska finished fifth in 1:09.59, knocking three-and-a-half seconds off her season’s best, and senior Sarah Osborne took 9th in 1:12.86. The surprise for Belmont was sophomore Dervla Moore-Frederick. Swimming in the heat before the final, Moore-Frederick took two-and-a-half seconds off her qualifying time to finish in 1:12.26 in 8th.

The quartet brought Belmont 50 points.

Events where the Marauders also picked up multiple points were in the 500 free with senior co-captain Eunice Lee and juniors Sara Noorouzi (14th, 5:40.61) and Elizabeth Levy (16th, 5:42.17), Nagashima (7th) and Quinn (11th) joined Blake-West in the individual medley and the youngsters Sawyer (12th), Metelmann (14th) and Loblack (16th) in the 50 free sprint.

Crosscup pointed to the “outstanding effort” of Lee in the 200 free (2:05.36 in 15th) and the “marathon” 5o0 free in which she overtook two swimmers in the final 50 yards with a 32.96 second final lap to finish 10th in 5:36.48, an improvement of 13 seconds from her qualifying time.

Swimming her final event wearing a Marauder cap, fellow co-captain Nagashima took home seven points with a 10th (1:02.47) in her speciality, the 100 backstroke, while Loblack was one of only three freshmen in a flight of 22 swimmers to swim the 100 free final, coming in 13th in 57.75.

And those Marauders who didn’t earn points took in the experience of a state championship while bringing down their season bests. Noorouzi and Levy took a second off their 200 free times while sophomores Molly Thomas (50 free and 100 backstroke) and Allie Beecroft (500 free) improved on their qualifiers.

Over at the diving area, amidst the noise and ruckus of the swimmers, Belmont’s junior Cynthia Kelsey stayed in the lead group for the entire meet as she accumulated points with dives that brought 9s and 8 1/2 scores. The school’s record holder placed third with an 11-dive total of 437.20 points.

Interestingly, Kelsey finished behind the event’s repeat winner, junior Hannah Phelan (who broke the meet record this year with 537.05 points). Yet unlike last year when she dove for Walpole High, Phelan earned the 20 points for her new school – and Belmont’s rival – Bishop Feehan.

Despite the great swimming and diving throughout the meet, Belmont trailed Bishop Feehan by two points with the Shamrocks the heavy favorite in the meet’s final event, the 400 free relay.

With Belmont’s quickest swimmers having reached their four-event participation limit and the Marauders sending out three underclassmen (Loblack, Metelmann and Noorouzi) and Lee, the only realistic chance for a Belmont state title would have been from a false start or a disqualification by Bishop Feehan.

That did not occur as Belmont took 11th (in 3:53.25, a five second improvement from their season’s best) and Feehan finished on the top spot for both the relay and the team championship.

Yet the cheers and smiles were just as joyful on the Belmont side of the pool as the team hoisted their runner-up plaque for all to see.