THE VALITON sisters, Hayden (left, a sophomore) and Taylor (a senior captain) are the two returning All-Stars for a Pioneer girls’ hoop team that is looking forward to a great season in 2024-25. (File Photos)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — Sue Breen is back for her fourth year in her second stint as the head coach of the Lynnfield High girls’ basketball team this winter. Last year, the Pioneers went 7-12, just missing out on the state tournament.
In the Cape Ann League, they finished 5-10 as they were one of the youngest teams in the league.
Two seniors from that roster graduated in Ava Gamache and Addie Connelly, but Breen welcomed back nine veterans when practice opened on Dec. 2.
Three of them are this year’s senior tri-captains: Taylor Valiton, Emma Rose and Erika Pasquale. Valiton is in her second year as a captain. The forward was a Cape Ann League Second-Team All-Star last year as she averaged 7.3 points per game and a team-high 11.8 rebounds.
Rose is a guard while Pasquale will play both forward and guard.
While no juniors are on the roster, the Pioneers have six sophomores back: Hayden Valiton, (Taylor’s sister), Maeve Wertz, Faith Angelo, Hannah Doherty, Jordan Calichman and Chloe McEwen.
Hayden Valiton will play both forward and guard while Angelo will play center and forward.
Doherty, Wertz and Calichman are all guards while McEwen is a forward.
Hayden was a CAL First-Team All-Star last winter as she led the team in scoring averaging 9.7 points per game. She was also second on the team in rebounding averaging 7.3 boards per contest.
Four freshman are on the roster this year: Calleigh Caprio (guard), Olivia Braley (guard), Chloe Grieves (forward) and Vanessa Champy (forward- guard).
“I am excited about the team we have,” said Breen, about what she saw in the preseason. “The girls worked hard during the summer and they are in good shape since a lot of them played other sports in the fall.”
Lynnfield will play a 20-game regular-season schedule as they will play the Cape Ann League Kinney Division schools twice and the CAL Baker teams once with the exception of Manchester-Essex who they will play twice.
The other non-league games will be against Winthrop, Stoneham, Gloucester, Waltham and Swampscott.
Lynnfield fell to Manchester-Essex 45-40 on the road in the season opener on Friday night. They traveled to Pentucket on Tuesday after press time and will visit Hamilton-Wenham on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
