THE MELROSE High girls’ basketball team hopes to open with a win on Tuesday when they host Watertown at 5:00 p.m. Pictured is junior Sophia Smith. (file photo)
Melrose opens at home on Tuesday
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—After an unpredictable 2020 season, Melrose High girl’s hoop is in it to win it as they enter their 2021-22 campaign next week. They open at home on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at the Melrose Middle School gym where they will host league rival Watertown.
Melrose is coming off a season in which wins were tough to scramble for, but one year later the team is healthy, fully staffed and prepared for a complete 19 game season that will see them play rivals from across the Freedom and Liberty along with non-league teams like Medford, Malden and Methuen. There is a sense of optimism as winter sports teams see a more normal athletic season as they enter 2022.
Returning coach Bill Hirschfeld will be ready, and in their early practices and scrimmages, he’s pleased with both his improved returning starters and the new faces that decorate the roster. “Last season was really one of uncertainty due to COVID-19,” says the coach. “For the first five games of our season, we didn’t have a full team together. We played only 8 of our 10 games while very unsure if games would be happening. So it’s nice we are back to ‘normal’ so to speak with a long schedule and more depth in terms of opponents.”
If this team needed stability, it comes in the form of captains senior Ella Brennan and junior Gia Vlajkovic, who according to their coach have both done a great job getting the team ready for the season. He says, “Ella worked out all summer and has done and an incredible job keeping the team coordinated for training, and in her absence, Gia has also stepped up and done a good job with that.”
Both girls are entering their third seasons and are ready to step into that leadership role. Another returning starter entering a third season is junior center Chloe Gentile, who Hirschfeld credits for improving in the off-season. “She’s got height, obviously, but she is stronger and has a real confidence and stability in her game.”
Look out for the returning duo of Megan Casey and Sofia Smith, dedicated students of the game who got a lot of minutes last year and will be expected to assume starting duties. “Sofia works harder than almost anyone in the off-season,” says the coach. “She puts in the hours. She’s out there on the AAU circuit so we’re excited to have her out there.”
Megan Casey, meanwhile, brings a cool hand and basketball IQ. Hirschfeld also relies on her adaptability as a guard. “Meghan can play the 3, the 2, she’s interchangeable for us which is really valuable.”
Returning junior Lily Kavanaugh (a cross country star) may be the fastest Red Raider out there and that could pay dividends in the 19 game stretch. And watch out for senior southpaw Ava Burns, who is coming off a terrific volleyball season and returns for another hoop season. She has a wild card factor that will make her a key piece to the puzzle in 2022.
There is no reason to be anything but excited about the new faces that decorate the roster. They include sophomore Lily Nolan, freshman Scarlet D’Addio, junior Elaine Albuja, sophomore Ava Tormo and sophomore Emily Lucien. One thing Hirschfeld likes about these new faces is their self-assurance. “They bring confidence. There is no sense that they are afraid they are messing up. They take command out there. And I expect them all to contribute a lot to this team.”
One common factor on this team is that nearly every player is a two and three-sport athlete, bringing their own unique athleticism to the floor.
So far some early strengths include defense. Hirschfeld notes he expects big board defense from his top rebounders Chloe Gentile and Gia Vlajkovic. That kind of work will be key as Melrose opens their season and launches into 2022. Meanwhile, the Middlesex League will be as tough as ever, with the Freedom League packing some punch once more. “I expect Wakefield to be strong again and Burlington returns with a very talented guard.”
This weekend they will scrimmage against North Reading in a jamboree at Lynn Classical at 2:00 p.m. before opening on Tuesday.
Let the games begin.
