Belmont Girls Hoops Beat Back Reading With Strong 4th; Boys’ Quiet Rockets Early

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Photo: Maiya Bergdorf scored 7 of her 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Since the beginning of the season, Belmont High Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Melissa Hart had been waiting for her team to face a “tough” contest.

“I want to see just how good we really are,” she said.

Hart got her wish granted on Friday, Jan. 3 when the undefeated Marauders found itself down by eight, 20-12, after the first quarter against an energized one-loss Reading Memorial High squad playing before its fans.

“Reading’s a good team,” said Hart. “They work hard, they’re really tenaciously defensively and that makes them tough. They made us pay for mistakes, that’s for sure.”

Belmont remains unbeaten (7-0, 5-0 in the league) and is ranked in the top ten by both the Boston Globe (5th) and Boston Herald (3rd). On Tuesday, Jan. 8, the Marauders will host a strong Melrose team sporting a 6-1 record, only losing a close one to Tewksbury. Tip off is 6 p.m.

After going back and forth with the Rockets for three quarters, Belmont mounted a 10-0 run midway through the fourth, as the Marauders’ strength, height (out rebounding the Rockets by more than two-to-one) and ability to contest Reading’s shots proved the difference as Belmont came away with a ten point victory, 55-45.

“We just weren’t near the basket in the first half and we wanted to get close to take advantage of things,” said Hart.

Spearheading Belmont’s win were sophomore Maiya Bergdorf and senior Jane Mahon who stepped up during the game. Mahon, who finished with a team-high 14 points, hit first of her first six shots, each mid-range jumpers, then went four for four from the charity stripe in the fourth.

“Sure in the beginning, we lost the tempo because we’ve been playing teams that haven’t challenged us as much as Reading and we’re playing at their pace,” said Mahon. “In the second half, we said let’s play like Belmont.”

It took Bergdorf a while to get on track, before dominating the fourth quarter by taking the ball straight to the hoop, scoring seven of her 11 points in the final stanza.

“I was getting frustrated because my shot wasn’t falling. But they didn’t have much height so if I hustled into the paint, I’d have a scoring opportunity. And if I missed I’d have rebounds,” said Bergdorf.  

“She stepped up. She’s a player and doesn’t like to lose,” said Hart of her sophomore scorer.

It was also an advantageous time for Belmont that Reading’s league MVP-candidate Haley Lightbody had her first below par game on offense this season. While a threat on defense and one of two Rockets who battled Belmont under the boards, Lightbody struggled in the forecourt, making two baskets – both 3s – and going a dreadful 3 for 15 from the free-throw line (0 for 5 in the critical fourth quarter) for nine points, more than half of her season average.

After Belmont opened the game leading 6-1 (including two blocks), it was bombs away for Reading as they hit five three-pointers, a pair each by junior guard Celia Capone and freshman guard Jacqueline Malley, to take a 20-12 lead into the second.

Belmont came out in the second quarter and pressed the ball away from the basket more aggressively as the Rockets – whose tallest player is 5’8″ – could not solve the issue of Belmont’s ability to place four players near or greater than six-feet on the floor.

“We started our zone press and that helped and we stopped turning the ball over,” said Hart.

After Reading built their largest lead of the game, 27-18, midway through the quarter, Belmont began its comeback with a three from freshman Bridgette Martin (3 points). Mahon continued her hot hand, knocking down two baskets while freshman guard Nina Minicozzi (11 points) and senior Megan Tan (10 points) were able to drive and score with Tan scoring a hoop at the buzzer to cut the deficit to two, 27-25, at the half.

Belmont came out blazing in the third, a free throw by senior center captain Jess Giorgio, a layup by Tan and a three from Minicozzi gave Belmont the lead at 31-27 two minutes into the third. But the hosts came back highlighted by its quick defense and a three from Capone to lead 37-35 with a minute to play. But an inside basket by Giorgio and Bergdorf’s putback of a rebound with five seconds remaining gave Belmont a tenuous two-point lead, 39-37.

Hart started the fourth with her freshmen guard pairing of Minicozzi and Martin to run the show with Bergdorf wanting the ball. She was promptly fouled and hit 1 of 2 as did Minicozzi before Bergdorf was fouled as she hit a power drive and made the foul shot for an old-school three giving Belmont at 43-37 after two and half minutes. Another drive by the defense by the sophomore forward/guard, the first two of Mahon’s made free throws followed by Minicozzi baseline layup built the Marauders’ lead to ten, 49-39, midway in the fourth with the Rockets sensing the contest was over. Reading cut the lead to six with just under a minute remaining but it was a little too late for a comeback. 

For Mahon, the team’s success last year – a trip to the Division 1 North sectional finals – and the perfect start so far has placed a target on the team for other squads to take aim at.

“We came into the year with this expectation for us to fulfill what the past seniors left behind. People will be out for us so we have to remember to keep pushing ourselves every day,” said Mahon.

Belmont Boys Rocket Past Reading Early, Than … Meh

The Belmont High Boys team ran away and hid from host Reading – they were up 19-4 after the first quarter and 42-18 at the half – in the second game of the girls/boys doubleheader at Reading on Friday, Jan. 4.

But it soon became apparent that both teams would play the second half with the focus and intensity of a Sunday morning suburban dads league match. It could have been the knowledge that Belmont was cruising to another win (7-0 and ranked 8th by the Boston Globe), that it was already past 8 p.m. on a Friday night or that New Year’s was earlier in the week; for whatever the reason, the play deteriorated into lots of one-on-one match ups and sloppy play. Even the fans appeared ready to head home early.

Belmont’s sophomore guard Tim Minicozzi lead the Marauders with 14 points, several driving through traffic to the hoop while back court mate senior captain Danny Yardemian hit for 13 points with several Rockets following his every move as the teams got to the finish with Belmont ahead, 62-45.

Campaign To Name HS Basketball Court After Legendary Coach Lyons

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Photo: Paul Lyons at a recent Belmont High hockey game.

For David Ramsey, the proposal he and his colleague Ralph Jones are promoting “is a layup to me.”

Officials with the Marauder Basketball Association, Ramsey and  Jones believe it’s time for the town to honor one of its great coaches and residents, former Belmont High Boys’ Basketball headman Paul Lyons. And what more appropriate place than where he did most of his work.

If approved by the committee, the plan is to place a banner with Lyons name and achievements on the Wenner Field House wall and name the field house the “Home of Coach Lyons Court.” The campaigners said there would be no wording applied to the court surface, and the new name would only be mentioned when an announcer welcomes teams and fans to the site.

The pair came before the Belmont School Committee on Dec. 18 to have Lyons lionized for his sports leadership abilities and character. A one-time player at Boston College, Lyons coached the Belmont High boys’ basketball team for a quarter century and led them to the state championship in 1993 on top of five Middlesex League titles. By the end of his Belmont career, Lyons had racked up 335 victories (and 473 overall) and was installed in the Massachusetts Basketball Association’s Hall of Fame.

His legacy continues as one of the founders of the Belmont Youth Basketball Association in 1977 and the Marauders Basketball Association in 1986 which has supported both the high school teams as well as introduced thousands of elementary and middle school-aged children to the game. Nearly all the players of the current undefeated boys and girls high school teams started playing hoops in the BYBA.

But Ramsey and Jones also said they wanted Lyons to be known for how he coached, always with sportsmanship and teamwork in mind. 

“He was very competitive and always wanted to win, but [Lyons] did so with a great deal of class and integrity,” said Jones, who is a former selectman and noted local basketball historian whose daughters played.

The committee, as its policy, would not respond to the motion at last week’s meeting. According to district policy, the School Committee has sole authority over naming or re-naming buildings, interior facilities and grounds to a person whose “work or service has contributed significantly to the Belmont Public Schools or to the Belmont community.”

As for Lyons, he continues to display his modest demeanor when pressed during a chance interview at the Belmont/Woburn hockey match Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Skip.

“We’ll see,” he said.

Top 10 Belmont Boys’, Girls’ Hoopsters Off On Tournament Tour

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Photo: Belmont’s Jess Giorgio in the paint.

After starting their seasons with four relatively easy wins and each finding a place in the top 10 of the Boston Globe’s Top 20 Poll, Belmont’s Boys (ranked 10th) and Girls (number 9) Basketball teams will be finding a tougher crowd during the holiday recess as both heads off to meet some stiffer non-conference competition this week.

After entering the recess with wins against visiting Winchester in the Friday doubleheader matches, the Marauders have Thursday, Dec. 27 dates against small-school powerhouse and regaining Division 4 state champs Pope John (the boys) in Boston and Stoughton (the girls) at Newton North. On Friday, Belmont will play 19th ranked Burke High School of Boston.

Belmont’s start to the season has been a time to put together best performances – senior guard Danny Yardemian’s 46 point single-game points record and senior center Jessica Giorgio personal high of 24 points – and prepare for a series of games against top-notch Middlesex League rivals, starting away at Reading next Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. Both teams are showing an offensive punch – the Boys are averaging 85 points during the stretch while the Girls are just over the 63 point mark – while the Girls are stellar on the defensive end keeping opponents to just about 30 points.  

The Boys and Girls finished their respective early season run with comfortable wins over the Sachems. The Girls allowed only a single point in the first quarter while putting up 23, then put the game away in the second quarter as the Marauders took a 36-7 lead into the half. Head Coach Melissa Hart played everyone who suited up, allowing several reserves a chance to run the floor. Sophomore Maiya Bergdorf led Belmont in scoring with 17, followed by senior Meghan Tan with 13 and freshman guard Bridgette Martin who hit double digits with 10, as Belmont cruised to a 73-23 victory.

“It’s still a work in progress,” said Hart, who said she expects Stoughton, who played Belmont tough last year, will give the regular season challenge they have been looking for.

Yardemian found that he’s made a lot more friends on the court after breaking the long-standing points against Lexington as Winchester would drape two or three defenders on the league all-star when he would head for the basket. Winchester kept it close in the first, leading 12-9 with two and half minutes remaining in the opening quarter, before the Marauders behind Yardemian, senior center Daniel Seraderian, and sixth man sophomore forward Preston Jackson-Stephens (who had his second impressive outing) took the Marauders offensively and defensively on a 10-2 run to take the lead, 19-14, at the end of the first eight minutes. 

Belmont exploded for 23 points in the second quarter led by Seraderian with a three, a hoop and two from the charity stripe and reserve sophomore guard Tim Minicozzi who contributed six to see Belmont up the advantage to 42-27 at the half. The third prove decisive, as early on Yardemian hit a three and put in a driving layup, stole the ball that sent sophomore guard Mac Annus his own layup, the first two of nine points in the quarter. He joined senior shooting guard Ben Sseruwagi with 7 points to lead the Marauders to a 66-39 point lead at the end of the third and a comfortable 83-56 win. 

Asked why he tends to schedule tough as nail opponents each school break, 19 years Head Coach Adam Pritchard said he remembers what UMass (and current Kentucky) head coach John Calipari – whom he was an assistant – saying that you should play “anyone, anywhere, anytime” especially the best teams.

“You only go around once so why not make it interesting,” said Pritchard. 

Boys’ Hoops Set For Boston Garden Party Vs Algonquin Reg.; Sunday, Jan. 6 At 5 PM

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Photo: The poster for the invitational.

Belmont High Boys’ Hoops will be heading for a garden party on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m. as the Marauders battles the Tomahawks of Algonquin Regional on the parquet floor of TD Boston Garden as part of the annual Good Sports TD Garden Invitational.

Seeing the local team at the “Gah-den” is a special event as those who saw the Girls’ team win both games in 2016 and 2017 and the Boys’ battle it out until the final minute against a strong Somerville team in 2014 can attest. 

So, you may ask, where can I get tickets? Say no more:

Drillin’ for … Thermals As 7-12 School Project Gets Underway

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Photo: They’re drillin’ on the rugby field, lookin’ for geothermal heat.

It could have been mistaken for an oil derrick drillin’ for Texas Tea (1960s cultural reference) a few meters from the track at Harris Field adjacent Concord Avenue.

But what the team was boring 500 feet into the earth since Dec. 12 was to measure the underground thermal properties and used that information to design the geothermal system as part of the heating and cooling system for the new 7-12 grade school building on the site of Belmont High School set for completion in 2023.

It is just one part of a handful of on-site projects now underway under the care of Skanska, the multinational firm which was selected the project’s construction manager this past May.

According to Skanska, preliminary work on the new building is underway to prepare for the beginning of construction in June 2019:

  • Less than a week after town voters approved a $213 million debt exclusion to construct the new school, a complete survey of the entire campus site began on Nov. 14 and ran through Nov. 30.
  • The geothermal test wells will run through Jan. 11, 2019
  • On the same day as the drilling commenced, a trailer housing the project team was moved into the rear of Belmont High School and will remain through June 2019 when construction of the site begins.
  • And the day after the school goes on winter recess, the entryway to the Wenner Field House – from the outside doors near the weight room to the field house – will be closed as the ceiling is removed and fireproofing abatement begins, lasting until New Year’s Eve 2018. 

As for the derricks on the rugby field, three geothermal wells will be installed around the existing Belmont High School for testing. A closed loop HDPE pipe will be installed inside the borehole and the borehole will be completely grouted to form the geothermal well and thermal conductivity testing will begin. A temporary manhole cover will be set over each of the geothermal wells and the area around will be restored upon completion.

Guden’s 5 Point Night Secures Home Opener Win For Belmont Girls’ Hockey, 5-2, Over Medford

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Photo: Belmont’s Katie Guden scoring her third and game-winning goal.

The first half of Belmont High Girls’ Ice Hockey home opener at the “Skip” on Thursday night, Dec. 13 was all Medford High as the Mustangs held a 2-0 lead and were peppering the Marauders’ goal with scoring opportunities galore.

The second half was all Belmont’s Katie Guden. The junior forward would put on an offensive show having a part in all of the Marauders five goal in Belmont’s 5-2 victory over the Medford. After opening the season with an away win at Burlington, 5-4, the night before, Wednesday, Dec. 12, Belmont, under head coach Ken Murphy, now stands at 2-0-0.

Number 14 – the same numeral Guden wears as the all-star quarterback of the field hockey team – tallied four goals (one an empty net) and assisted on senior Morgan Chase’s marker leading the Marauders in a four-goal outburst in the final period.

After surrendering a pair of first period goals to Medford’s Brenna Forbes and Elizabeth Lazzaro, Belmont appeared still a bit discombobulated against the speedy Mustang forwards heading into the second period.

Belmont would turn it around by taking advantage of the power play as Guden popped in her first six seconds before the midpoint of the game at 7:36. The Marauders then survived going two down shortly afterward and took control of the game. Just three minutes into the third, Guden found space between the dots at the top of the slot to snap it by Medford’s goalie Terrell Pesaturo to knot the contest at two. Less than four minutes later, it was Guden getting her hat trick by sweeping around the net and back to the slot to wrist the shot high stick side to give the Marauders the lead. The senior nearly made it four a minute later as she “clanged” a shot off the post.

Trailing for the first time in the game, Medford found their energy again but Belmont’s senior goaltender Amanda Hanley sprawled to her left to take a puck off a stick at the side the goal. 

Belmont put the home opener beyond reach when Chase scored off a centering pass by Guden with two-and-a-half to play. Guden ended her big night with an empty-netter – with the assist from her field hockey teammate senior defense Jordan Lettiere – while finishing the game with nearly a “Gordie Howe hat trick” ending up in the box ’til the buzzer for a high stick.

Belmont will be at home Saturday, Dec. 15, for a 1 p.m. matinee facing Wilmington which is coming off a stunning upset of perinatal Middlesex League and state top 5  Woburn, 3-1.

Belmont Girls Hoops Clamps Down On Wilmington In Opener, 62-35

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Photo: Belmont’s sophomore center Emma McDevitt driving to the basket against Wilmington.

Belmont High Girls’ Basketball’s trademark smothering team defense was on display as the Marauders held Wilmington to 11 first half point to win going away, 62-35, in the season opener held at the Wenner Field House on Tuesday, Dec. 11. 

We’re still trying to find the best lineups to do certain things,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart. “But the lineup in the second quarter was very good defensively which was important because our offense is still pretty rough around the edges.”

That lineup had one common denominator, height. With senior captain Jess Giorgio (7 pts while leading the team in rebounds and blocks), seniors Jane Mahon (4 pts), Ella Gagnon and Megan Tan (5 pts) and sophomore Maiya Bergdorf, the Marauders forced Wilmington into a lot of weak outside shots or being swallowed up inside in a forest of arms and bodies that resulted in block shots, steals and defensive rebounds. The end product saw the Wildcats go nearly the entire eight minutes scoreless as the Marauders went on a 14-0 run to end the half up 26-11.

“They were good out there. They are large and they are quick. They’re tough,” said Hart.

Leading the way offensively was Bergdorf who was a threat on the drive and especially from the arc as she hit four 3s to end the game with 20 points, an encouraging sign after ending last season on the bench after an injury sidelined an impressive freshman campaign. 

It was an opening night in which several underclassmen shined including freshman point guard Nina Minicozzi who started the game and hit the season’s first three (ending with 8 points) while leading the offense. Sophomore Emma McDevitt came off the bench to register her first varsity double-digit effort with 10 points playing center and her fellow second-year classmate Kiki Christofori was a lively presence off the bench playing the point.

“We still have a ways to go with the offense being rusty,” said Hart who was able to empty her bench in the opener.

“And frankly, we wouldn’t want to play our best game tonight. So the good news is that we have a lot of room to get better,” she said.

Next game for the Marauders is the early match in the season’s first Friday-night doubleheader with the boy’s team at Lexington on Friday, Dec. 14.

 

Performing Arts Company’s Coffeehouse Fundraiser Set For Friday, Dec. 14

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Photo: Poster of the Winter Coffeehouse Fundraiser.

End the week with is an evening of entertainment, good food and festive celebration at the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s Winter Coffeehouse Fundraiser on Friday, Dec. 14 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Join the company as they transform the High School’s cafeteria into a cozy performance hall for this favorite annual tradition. Enjoy musical acts performed by Belmont High students, dinner and drink from local restaurants, along with tasty desserts. 

Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for students. Cost of food not included in admission price.

All proceeds go to support scholarships for students participating in the PAC’s Broadway Experience New York Trip in February.

Santa Is On His Way To ‘Turn On The Town’ Thursday, Nov. 29

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Photo: Santa and Mrs. Claus in Belmont!

The Belmont Center Business Association will host its 28th annual ‘Turn on the Town” holiday tree lighting on Thursday, Nov. 29.

The night’s events – including the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on a Belmont Fire truck, food, singing by the Belmont High School’s  Madrigal Singers and a petting zoo – will take place on Leonard Street between Channing Road and Alexander Avenue from 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Santa will arrive and light the tree – located adjacent to the Bellmont Cafe – at 6:20 p.m. He will then ride his sleigh to the Belmont Saving Bank main branch located at 2 Leonard Street to pose for free photos from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Inside the branch, attendees will also have the opportunity to win holiday prize stockings stuffed with goodies provided by local businesses.

Outside the branch, Bank employees will be handing out hot chocolate and offering free train rides on Moore Street. There will also be a petting zoo inside the bank’s garage.

Residents are encouraged to celebrate the season of giving and bring non-perishable food items or unwrapped toys to be donated to the Belmont Food Pantry.

Marauders Of The Week: A Global View And A Creative Thinker

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Photos: Courtesy photos

This week, the Belmontonian presents two seniors from Belmont High whose achievements and passions have earned them the title of Marauders of the Week:

Crystal Nayiga Magandazi

By Lillian Powelstock

Passionate about education and global issues, Crystal Nayiga Magandazi moved to Belmont her sophomore year from a high school with 24 students in the senior class. Crystal said it took her a while to find her niche.

“It was a little more difficult for me to find a group of people that I related with,” she said. “Just because I was in a specific class doesn’t mean that all of my friends would be in that class with me, which means it depends on which classes they took and which level.”

Despite this, Crystal eventually managed to find not only a group of friends but a level of personal fulfillment in classes such as Modern World History and Global Capstone. She cites Dr. Jeffrey Shea, teacher of Modern World History, as “one of my favorite teachers just because he is so encouraging and I can tell that he’s very passionate about his job.”

Crystal went on to take Global Capstone, another history elective taught by Jamie Shea (to whom Crystal says Dr. Shea has no relation). This class allowed her to focus on a specific subject throughout the year, which in Crystal’s case was global education. This makes perfect sense given that Crystal has made it her mission to spread understanding for individuals with a diversity of experiences.

Crystallk expresses a focus on immigrant and African American narratives, demonstrated by her enrollment in globally-oriented history electives and her heavy involvement in the club, Black in Belmont. Living in Belmont, Crystal describes her experience as very different from that of black students living in Boston, but aims to create more awareness in the form of giving them space to share their stories.

For those interested in Black in Belmont, the club meets every Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in room 134.

Phoebe Derba

By Claire Svetkey

Senior Phoebe Derba is creative, passionate and kind. Her favorite subjects are those that allow for creative thinking, especially chemistry and art because they are the only subjects where she tends “not to be discouraged by failure.”

The teacher Phoebe cites as being the most influential in her time at the high school is, unsurprisingly, the art teacher, Mark Milowsky, whom she has had as a teacher for her four years of high school. She credits him with not only improving her art skills but also teaching her not to take life too seriously.

Phoebe’s creativity extends outside the classroom: she has been the color guard section leader in marching band for the past two years, and this is her fourth year playing bass in the Rivers Youth Symphony in Weston. She is proud of her work in the marching band because “it’s very rewarding to see the success of the band arise in part from [her] own enthusiasm and willingness to help others,” and tries to help keep the environment of the marching band as positive as it was when she was a freshman. She feels that she learns the most about others through their taste in music, which inspires her when she plays bass.

In addition, Phoebe is passionate about movies – she said she could talk about them for “days on end” – and wants to be a filmmaker when she’s out of school. 

Phoebe has two pieces of advice for other students: The first is to not forget to be a kid; in her opinion, a lot of high schoolers waste their time thinking that they’re grown up. She reminds them to “please take the time to jump in a huge puddle.” Phoebe follows her own advice about being a kid; she says that if you hear someone screaming in the cafeteria, it’s probably her and she’s sorry. Her second piece of advice is that disliking a teacher is a waste of time because almost all teachers are trying to pass on the passion they have for their subject.

“If you’re not inspired by a subject, be inspired by their passion.”