Despite Kerans’ Return, Boys’ Basketball Collapse in Woburn, 54-53

By Leave a Comment

In a season-deflating collapse, Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball team failed to score in the final two-and-a-half minutes in its matchup with host Woburn High, allowing the Tanners to run off nine points, including a steal and basket in the final 23 seconds to founder to a 54-53 loss on Friday, Jan. 9.

“I don’t know what to say. I don’t have a sound bite to give you,” said Adam Pritchard, Belmont’s head coach after the game.

The loss send Belmont to a 5-3 record and 4-2 in the Middlesex League, two games behind undefeated Arlington (7-0, 6-0 in the league) and a game behind Woburn (5-4) which is 5-1 in the league .

The defeat spoiled the return of starting junior shooting guard Matt Kerans thought to be lost to the team until late January after he was injured in a win over Cathedral High School over the winter recess. Since losing Kerans in December – who with senior center Adam Kleckner are the Marauders’ top scorers – Belmont is 1-3.

It was with 1:55 remaining in the first quarter when Kerans entered the game, pairing him with his long-time backcourt partner, Ben Lazenby (7 points). While rusty in his passing, Kerans (9 points) hit his first shot, a long-distance three point basket – the first of three threes in the game – to give the Marauders a 18-14 lead a minute into the second quarter.

While the Marauders’ took the game to the Tanners, leading 15-10 after the first quarter and 26-20 at the half, the only consistent scoring threat for Belmont was Kleckner, who finished with 17 points and double digits in rebounds. In the four quarters, only junior forward Justin Wagner (8 points) and senior co-captain Tim Martin (5 points including a three) scored more than one basket in any one quarter while no other Belmont player scored in double figures.

Led by Kleckner’s scoring and Wagner’s defense – including two blocks and grabbing several rebounds – Belmont took its biggest lead with Martin’s three upping the Marauders’ lead to 10 at 37-27 with 2:48 left in the quarter.

But a three point shot by Deion Williams (who finished with 16 points) followed by a three from Jimmy McRae quickly cut the lead to five at the end of three (40-35). 

Despite running at Woburn, Belmont saw its lead shrivel to one at 43-42 with six minutes to play. But a Kleckner driving layup, a Kerans steal, a three point shot from Lazenby and then by Kerans (from more than 18 feet from the basket) and  finally a Wagner easy put-in after Kleckner dove and stripped the ball away from a Tanner player saw the Marauders lead grow to eight with 150 seconds left.

But that was enough time for Woburn to use the time to apply double teams up and down the court and win the ball as the game got a bit chippy with Wagner ripping out the ball from McRae sending Woburn senior Matt Catizone (8 points) to the court with a thump.

A two point jumper, another three from Williams, a Belmont turnover and a bucket by Woburn reduced the lead to a single point with 40 second remaining. Pressure on Belmont resulted in the turnover to the Tanners and guard Daniel Muscot (who scored 10 of his 12 points in the final stanza) buried the layup with 23 seconds to play.

A quick miss by Belmont forced the team to foul Woburn three times in the backcourt – Woburn had only collected four fouls that point in the game – wasting valuable seconds on the clock. Catizone missed the one-and-one free throw with less than six seconds to play but Lazenby’s shot from the top of the key at the buzzer hit high off the backboard.

“We need to play smarter and better in this league to win,” said Pritchard.

Belmont Boys’ Basketball Unable to Overtake SpyPonders in Second Loss

By Leave a Comment

Despite 22 minutes characterized by numerous errant passes, missed shots and general sloppy defense, Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball team clawed its way to back into its game with undefeated Arlington in its Middlesex League matchup on Tuesday, Jan 6, at Belmont’s Wenner Field House.

Adam Kleckner‘s driving shot with little over two minutes remaining in the third quarter squared up the contest at 45 with the hope the Marauders could somehow sneak a victory from the visiting SpyPonders.

But a fast-break basket and a pair of foul shots upped Arlington’s lead to four (49-45) at the end of the third quarter. And those late points proved to be a springboard for the SpyPonders as they ran off 21 points to win running away by 15, 70-55.

For Belmont (5-2), the loss to neighboring Arlington (7-0) was a step back for a team that is struggling since two important pieces to a team that ran off four victories – starting shooting guard Matt Kerans and sixth man Cole Barets – are shelved for some undetermined period.

“Arlington’s a great team and you can’t beat that sort of team when you’re not playing good basketball,” Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard told the Belmontonian.

“We didn’t play physical, didn’t box out and made too many mistakes,” said Pritchard.

Belmont started out smartly as the Marauders took a 7-2 lead after three and a half minutes via a great assist from starting senior point guard Ben Lazenby (11 points) to Kleckner (15 points), along with a three point basket and a jumper from an offensive rebound by senior Seth Altman. 

Despite Kleckner picked up his second foul at four-and-a-half minutes, a pair of free throws from Altman (who scored a career-high 15 points) and two hoops from Kleckner’s replacement, junior forward Luke Peterson (6 points), had Belmont holding a 13-10 lead with two minutes to play in the first.

But Belmont next two times with the ball were stolen by Arlington who was led by senior guard Josh Lee (a game high 23  points) ran off 7 points in the final minute to lead 19-15 at the end of the quarter.

While a Lazenby drive to the basket brought Belmont within two (23-21), Lee (a pair of threes and a driving jumper) and his teammate, the outstanding soccer phenom Miles Robinson (6 of his 15 points) upped the SpyPonder’s lead to 8 (37-29) at the half.

Belmont got back into the game via Altman who hit a pair of threes and a nice floater to tie the game at 43 before it tied the game again at 45.

But the sloppiness of their play and the quickness of the SpyPonders doomed the Marauders to its second loss in the past three games.

Belmont’s King Breakfast Focus on Cost of Non-Engagement on Race

By Leave a Comment

Belmont’s 21th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast will take place on the King Holiday, Monday, Jan. 19, at Belmont High School, beginning at 8:45 a.m.

WGBH Senior Investigative Reporter Phillip Martin will present the keynote address, “What If We Do Nothing?:  Ferguson and the Cost of Non-Engagement.”

“The Human Rights Commission is very pleased to work with the Belmont Schools, Belmont Against Racism, the Belmont Religious Council, the Belmont METCO Program, Belmont High’s Belmontian Club and its many other partners in presenting the 21st annual MLK Community Breakfast,” said Barbara Watson, chair of the Belmont Human Rights Commission.

The annual breakfast draws anywhere from 250 to 400 attendees.

The breakfast serves as a critical fundraising event for the Belmont Schools’ METCO Support Fund, a fund established by Belmont Against Racism and managed by the Belmont School Department, providing financial support to many Belmont METCO related activities, including late-day transportation for high school students from Boston who participate in extracurricular activities at the High School.

The breakfast is a very special event in Belmont, said Watson.  It brings together people of all ages, Belmont residents, Boston residents who participate in, or are associated with, Belmont’s METCO program, town officials and administrators, town agencies, including the Police and Fire Departments, businesses, community leaders and volunteers and representatives of church groups, as well as others in surrounding communities, who are interested in gathering to celebrate and promote the values of Dr. King.

In addition to the Belmont Human Rights Commission and Belmont Against Racism, sponsors and conveners include, among others, the Belmont Religious Council, the Belmont School Department, Belmont High School, Belmont High School PTO, Belmont High School Belmontian service club, Belmont METCO program, Belmont Disability Commission, Vision 21, Chenery Middle School PTO, League of Women Voters, Belmont Gay Straight Alliance Committee and Belmont Special Education Advisory Commission.

The event receives support from many local businesses and individuals, including Quebrada Bakery.

Businesses and individuals who are not able to attend the Breakfast but would like to contribute to the Fund are asked to send their checks to:

BAR

PO Box 649

Belmont, MA 02478

Belmont Girls’ Hoops Torrid Second Half Key to Comeback Win over SpyPonders

By Leave a Comment

A combination of their hallmark hard-nose defense and a season’s best scoring effort highlighted a come-from-behind victory as Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball upped its record to 4-1 as the Marauders defeated neighboring Arlington High School, 62-54, in a clash of one-loss teams at the Wenner Field House on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

“They are a very good team with five who can score so this is a good win,” said Melissa Hart, Belmont’s head coach after her charges came back from a nine-point deficit (34-25) early in the third quarter to take a four-point lead (44-40) at the end of the quarter by going on a titanic 21-6 run by mixing their stiffling brand of ball-dogging pressure defense, winning rebounds all the while going on a scoring spree led by Irini Nikolaidis scoring 11 of her team high 16 points in the third.

“[Nikolaidis] was enormous on both ends of the court,” said Hart, as the defensive specialist was able to drive the lane countless times to receive the ball from senior point guard Sophia Eschenbach-Smith who dished out 10 assists and created three steals to go along with two points.

Unlike their three consecutive wins against league opponents, the SpyPonders entered the game with a winning record (5-1), a capable backcourt, a large center and players who could hit from the perimeter. After going ahead early, Belmont found it difficult corralling the SpyPonders’ shooting guard, junior Grace Carter (8 of her 13 points in the first quarter) and in the second quarter Arlington’s center, Mallory DeFeo (8 points of her game high 18 in the quarter).

With the rest of the team’s scorers falling silent, the Marauders were kept in the game by excellent shooting from freshman Jenny Call who went 4 for 5 shooting from the outside, scoring 8 of her 11 points in the quarter.

“I have to be ready when I get into the game to contribute,” said Call after the game.

Trailing at the half (28-21) for the first time since the opener at Watertown, Belmont began the comeback behind its active defense – the team finished causing an astonishing 19 turnovers by Arlington – and the ball handling of freshman Carly Christofori (who kept exploiting the SpyPonders’ defense to find teammates under the basket including senior forward Elena Bragg (4 points) and senior center Linda Herlihy (3 of her 7 points in the third).

The comeback was secured by Belmont’s edge under the boards as Bragg, Herlihy and Sarah Stewart (8 points) each who took down four rebounds.

Belmont upped the lead to 10 twice only to see the SpyPonders reduce it to four in the final two minutes but Christofori sealed the win with a three point shot and going 6 for 8 from the free throw line.

“We needed a game like this, where we have to fight back into the game, before going to Woburn,” said Hart, referring to Friday’s match with the undefeated leaders of the Middlesex League in Woburn.

Belmont Boys’ Basketball Ups Physical Play to Stall Rockets, 58-41

By Leave a Comment

With the grind of league play upon them, the Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball team took to the court on Friday, Jan. 2 against hosts Reading Memorial High School with the objective to get a bit more physical out there.

After suffering its first defeat of the season to a good Billerica team on Monday, Dec. 29, the squad hoped to move bodies around the court to allow the Marauders’ scoring duo of senior center Adam Kletchner and senior point guard Ben Lazenby a bit more room to hit their shots and, consequently, making it harder for the Rockets – just off winning a holiday tournament – offensively.

It worked; as Belmont (4-1) handled the Rockets (2-4), 58-41, in which Lazenby shouldered the bulk of the scoring lost with junior scoring guard Matt Kerans (bandaged hand) and 6th man Cole Bartels sitting on the bench.

“I liked what I saw. They showed a more physical side” of their play, said Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard.

The key to the win was the duel role Lazenby took, not only leading the offense but also taking shots usually handled by his partner Kerans. Lazenby finished the game with 21 points which included hitting four three point shots but only going 3 for 10 from the charity stripe.

Pritchard noted that Lazenby was not only doing double duty on the offensive end, “he’s also guarding their best backcourt player. His work rate is very impressive.”

Following Lazenby on the scoring sheet was Kleckner (20 points) who was Mr. Steady, scoring four, six, six and four in each quarter while making it difficult for the Rockets down low.

“Kleckner is Kleckner; he’s getting the job done, especially now when he need him to step up,” said Pritchard.

While no other Belmont player hit more than a single basket, the team’s defense was a marked improvement from Monday’s loss, lead by seniors Jaemar Paul (3 points from the line) and Seth Altman (an important 3 pointer early in the game to put the Marauders’ in the lead) and junior big man Justin Wagner (2 points), each contributing to the defense on the night.

Belmont Girls’ Basketball Puts on Defensive Clinic Blanking Reading

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The scoreboard is correct as Belmont shutout defending Middlesex League champions, Reading, 15-0, in the first quarter to win going away, 50-19. 

The scoreboard clock in the gym at Reading Memorial High School showed two minutes remaining in the second quarter after the Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball team racing to a 23-point lead.

The score: Belmont 23, Reading 0.

The game wasn’t even that close.

In a masterclass of shutdown basketball, the Marauders’ smothered the four-time Middlesex League champions, 50-19, on Friday, Jan 2.

Only a deep three-point shot from Reading guard Michelle Downey (her only basket of the game) with less than two minutes in the half prevented the shutout.

“I think I can remember when we were shut out for a quarter but I have never seen a team nearly keep another team scoreless for a half,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart who appeared a bit surprised by the level of intensity from a team that features 9th graders and seniors on the court.

Hart pointed out other factors hampering the defending champions: it is an inexperienced team, their point guard – the equivalent of the quarterback – was on crotches while the refs pocketed their whistles to allow for a bit more physical contact during the game.

But it was the Marauders who dictated how the game would be played and its foundation was a relentless defense.

Throughout the game, Belmont (3-1) used its athleticism and tight covering of their opponents to suffocated the Rockets (1-5) offense, reducing it to outside shots as the 30-second shot clock ran down. The Marauders – particularly freshman Carly Christofori (5 points), senior Sophia Eschenbach-Smith (2 points), Irini Nikolaidis (4 points) and junior Samari Winklaar (2 points)– were dogged in running down opponents, diving for balls, reaching in to disrupt Reading’s dribbles and stepping into passing lanes.

When Reading missed shots, Belmont’s veteran low-post players, junior forward Sarah Steward (2 points) and seniors Elena Bragg (8 points) and Linda Herlihy boxed out the opponents to take down the rebound.

Even after half time, the team stepped up their game, scoring the first four times they touched the ball in the third quarter while preventing Reading from scoring for the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half, leading at the time, 37-3.

Emblematic of that defensive mindset, despite leading by more than 30 points in the final minutes of the game, Steward was sent heavily to the floor after stepped in front of a Reading player driving to the basket to create a charging foul against the Rockets.

The resulting pressure produced opportunities on the other end of the court. Several times, Christofori and Eschenbach-Smith drove near the basket before dishing off the ball to Herlihy to put in a season’s high 16 points to go with three blocks and numerous rebounds.

In addition to winning the battle down low, Belmont upped its total from mid-range baskets, hitting a number of jumpers (Bragg opened the game’s scoring from outside) including a three-point shot from Christofori. The game allowed several bench players to play some significant minutes including senior guard Kayla Magno and junior Ani Maroyan (1 point each), junior point guard Meghan Ferraro (a nice 2 point basket) and sophomore guard Mary Kate Egan, who scored a career high 5 points in the fourth quarter to lead all scorers in the final eight minutes.

“This was a real team win,” said Herlihy, giving credit to the intensity the team brought to the floor.

“It’s great that we are coming together as a team. It makes scoring easy,” said Herlihy.

Belmont will need to show the same defensive skills on Tuesday, Jan. 6 as they take on one-loss Arlington at Wenner Field House at 7 p.m.

 

 

Depleted Belmont Boys’ Basketball Falls to Billerica, 66-60, for First Loss

By Leave a Comment

Despite 35 points and double digits rebounds from senior center Adam Kleckner and a late run led by fellow senior Ben Lazenby, the Belmont High School Boys Basketball could not recover from a “lousy” first quarter and suffered its first defeat of the season to undefeated Billerica High, 66-60, at Wenner Field House on Monday afternoon, Dec. 29.

While a combination of weak team shooting and ragged defensive execution were glaring inefficiencies on the court, two prime reasons for the loss by the Marauders was sitting on the bench. All-star junior shooting guard Matt Kerans had his left hand heavily wrapped in a bandage (obtained in the team’s impressive, come-from-behind victory over hosts Cathedral in Boston on Saturday) and co-6th man junior Cole Bartels sidelined with a viral illness.

“[Kerans] is one of the best players around so clearly we are a different team without him,” said Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard. Kearns has been a consistent points producer with the ability to drive to the basket or hit from distance while Bartels has become the most reliable three-point scorer when he’s on the floor.

In addition, Belmont was up against Billerica, undefeated and projected to challenge for the Merrimack Valley League title.

While he bemoaned the lack of offense punch, Pritchard pointed to the continued breakdown of the team’s defensive schemes by a quick, athletic Indians’ team as Billerica was adept at scoring from a number of offensive plays whether it was off the dribble/drive, off the screen or one-on-one under the basket.

“[Defense] is a team thing,” said Pritchard. If an opponent “gets by one of us or we don’t box out, then we’re a poor team,” said Pritchard.

Those defensive liabilities came to the fore in the game’s first eight minutes as the Indians rocketed to a 10-3 lead midway through the quarter. Led by senior guard Brad Fisher and 6-foot, 6-inch junior center Josh Bradanese, who battled Kleckner both inside and beyond the arc, each Indian starter scored including three three-point baskets, to take a 19-10 lead with Kleckner scoring eight points (going along with rebounds and a power block on Bradanese) with only senior guard/forward Seth Altman (2 points) scoring in the quarter.

Belmont finally found its footing in the second and behind Lazenby (13 points) who hit a three and Kleckner’s defensive stance (with another block and a steal along with nine points in the quarter) cut the lead to four points (26-22) on a junior Joe Shaughnessy layup.

But Billerica took advantage of the porous Marauder defense to end the half on an 11-2 streak to go into the half up 37-24.

Lazenby took charge in the third quarter with seven points and setting up Kleckner and senior forward Justin Wagner (4 points) but the lead stayed in double figures.

Despite 14 points in the fourth (in which his dominate play caused Bradanese to foul out), Kleckner could not bring the team back from the earlier deficit.

“We want to play teams like Billerica because they are good so we can get better,” said Pritchard.

Get Your Tickets Now for the Marauders Trip to ‘The Garden’ on Jan. 10

By Leave a Comment

It’s a trip of a basketball lifetime: Belmont High’s Boys’ Basketball will travel to the TD Bank Garden on Saturday, Jan. 10 to take on Somerville High as part of the 2015 Good Sports Invitational.

And you can join the Marauders as they play under more championship banners than any other arena in the country as fans will be treated to a professional-caliber game presentation, featuring music and instant replays on the Garden HDX scoreboard. Just imagine seeing 20-foot tall Adam Kleckner and Ben Lazenby hitting threes in high def.

The game will take place at 12:30 p.m. – the match is part of an eight game one-day tournament with some of the best high school teams from the Boston-area competing – which will allow enough time to get back home to see the New England Patriots’ playoff game that afternoon.

In addition, many fans will be taking the 10:27 a.m. MBTA commuter rail train from Belmont Center to the Garden. 

TICKETS are $14 ($15 at the door) and are being sold at Champions Sporting Goods, 53 Leonard St. and Rancatore’s Ice Cream, 36 Leonard St.

Belmont Boys’ Swimming Already Making a Splash this Season

By Leave a Comment

A dedicated group of seniors joined by a crop of energetic underclassmen has the Belmont High School Boys’ Swimming team off to a confident start of the 2014-15 season.

After winning its first duel meets by significant margins against Arlington on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and Burlington a week earlier, Belmont Head Coach Bobby Reardon has high hopes for the squad as it has already equaled the number of wins it had in the past two years.

“It’s a great group of guys with a lot of swimming experience who have already stepped up. There is a lot of possibility because of their attitude and hard work,” said Reardon, who believes that this year’s team could send at a minimum of  five swimmers to the state championship (last year only three went) and an entire complement of three relay teams.

Reardon said the team currently tops 35 members which is the most the squad has had in years, coming off last season which saw the team’s home pool, the Higgenbottom at the Wenner Field House, being lost due to electrical and pump issues.

“The team has a very diverse background with some who have swum competitively for years and others who are essentially self-taught who have swum in legal events,” he said.

Leading the way this year will be the team’s senior captains: Jake Carr, Dan Quinn, Ryan Touzjian, Brian Smith and Tom Zembowicz. 

They are proven leaders and they each do some practical things for the team such as keep statistics and lead the team exercise. They are going above and beyond what is expected,” said Reardon.

Joining the team this season includes a group of athletes with significant swimming backgrounds including Anthony Bulat, Ian Traxler, Nate Green, Will Findley, Bruce Westgate and Max Turkowski. They join a crew of strong swimmers that include Owen Luo, Erik Uhlmann, Ben Ackerson, Langston Chen, Eli Bai, Tom Choy and Spencer Fan.

In addition, Reardon praised “our core group” of swimmers –Jack Stewart, Bo Lan and Alex Sun – who came to each practice and meet despite the closure of the pool.

There are three divers this year: Sam Bozkurtian (first-year diving), Trevor Corning (second year) and Avery Pullman (first year) who will be coached by junior manager Cynthia Kelsey, Belmont’s record-setting girls’ diver who placed second and third in consecutive state championships.

In the Arlington meet, Zembowicz won the 200 individual medley, the 100 butterfly and was on the winning 200 medley relay. Newcomer Traxler took the distant events, the 200 and 500 free, while Touzjian won the free sprints, the 50 and 100.

While off to a great start, Reardon – who is assisted this season by Harry Delgado – knows the rest of the season will bring greater tests to his team.

“Obviously we have a hard road ahead as we’ll meet much deeper programs,” said Reardon.

“But we’re going to surprise them; Belmont will be a team that they have to be on their toes to beat,” he said.

IMG_3424

Boys’ Basketball Starts Fast, Races By Stoneham, 82-47

By Leave a Comment

Simply put, this edition of Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball was too quick, too big, too skilled and too good for Stoneham High on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at the Wenner Field House, downing the visitors, 82-47.

Just how dominate was the Marauders? In the first four minutes of the game, the starting five outscored the Spartans, 15-0 (the squad was ahead 13-0 two minutes in) and Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard had five subs on the sidelines ready to give his starters an early Christmas-Eve Eve rest.

While Stoneham did cut the lead to 7 (15-8) with a minute left, a pair of threes from junior forward Cole Bartels upped the lead to 21-10 at the end of the half.

Then the starters came back in and senior point guard Ben Lazenby knocked down the next 7 points (a drive through the lane, a break away and a deep three) as the defense clamped down on Stoneham led by big man senior center Adam Kleckner who either harassed or rebounded everything that came his way.

A drive by Kleckner and a rare four point play (hitting the three while being fouled) from junior guard Matt Kerans saw led grow to 38-15. In came the subs and soon the lead expanded to 29 (48-19) thanks to a pair from Bartels just before the half and a game high of 32 (58-26) midway through the third.

“Yeah, we were good out there,” said Pritchard, noting that Stoneham is not a walkover as it defeated a strong Winchester team last week.

When asked what did the team gain in a blow out, Pritchard said “[o]ur goal is to get better with each game and what I saw tonight is that [the team] played unselfishly and every game you do that, you benefit.”

Pritchard was able to clear the bench for an extended period allowing reserve senior forward Pablo Reimers and sophomore Bryan Goodwin to hit towering threes and injured senior captain Tom Martin the chance to bang in his first basket of the year to the cheers of the crowd.