League champ girl’s hoop returns to action

a win over Stoneham is a great start

Published December 20, 2019

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—The Melrose High girl’s hoop team returns after an exciting 2018 season that saw them clinch the Middlesex Freedom League with a 16-3 record before battling for Sectional rights. It ended with a crushing overtime loss to Tewksbury, 52-49, but the team is putting that memory behind them as embark on a new season. They started their mission last Friday with a 36-29 win over Stoneham at home to begin 1-0. 

Expect to see some new faces on the court this year. Melrose graduated much of their starters who led them to a league title, and additionally, League MVP Sam Dewey transferred to Brooks Academy on the offseason, so there are a lot of spots to be competed for and a junior-heavy roster fighting for spots. 

Melrose will be led by senior captain Mary Kate Mahoney, who is already showing leadership on the court. On Friday, she was one of Melrose’s more consistent shooters. Head coach Bill Hirschfeld will be counting on her leadership this year. “She’s our experienced player,” he said. “This is her 3rd year and she has developed into a sharp player who knows her role and has delivered so far.”

Returning seniors Olivia Scarpa and Maggie Sullivan got playtime last year and will be staples on the court. The same goes for junior Kira Maté, who is proving to be the team’s most spot-on shooter and junior Emily Hudson, the team’s starting center with a nice height advantage. New players include juniors Sofia Centrella, Adriana Centrella, Meghan Fogarty, and Jenna Champagne, along with sophomore Ella Brennan and freshman Chloe Gentile. 

Fans got a nice glance at the team during Melrose’s win over Stoneham last Friday. Emily Hudson and Olivia Scarpa headed the offense and helped Melrose keep pace with the Spartans in the opening minutes of the game. A trey by Maggie Sullivan at the close of the first gave Melrose an 11-9 lead they wouldn’t surrender. Emily Hudson and Jenna Champagne took care of business in the second and helped Melrose grab a 17-11 lead at halftime. In the third, Kira Maté got on board with a three-pointer that doubled Melrose’s lead 26-13. Sharp defense by Sophia Centrella and speed by her sister Adriana Centrella made the difference and helped limit Stoneham to 18 points entering the third. Ella Brennan drew a foul on a layup and Adriana Centrella nailed a shot with 5:00 to go to increase the Melrose lead to 34-21. Melrose took the game by a final score of 36-29. 

Hirschfeld was overall pleased with the result, defensively at least. He’d still like to see Melrose generate more offense and make quality shots. “It was a pretty abbreviated pre-season so I think we’re still ironing things out. I love the speed and aggression of the team. With more practice time and workouts I think our offense will pick up.” 

The league meanwhile, is as unpredictable as ever. But expect Melrose to fit in just finely. “On any given night, one team beats another so there are no givens. I don’t see a favorite.” 

At press time, Melrose was slated to play a talented Arlington team on Wednesday. After that, they hit the road to Watertown on Friday night. Fans can check them out at home again on January 3 when they host rival Wakefield at 7:00 p.m. 

A full schedule is listed below. 

Season schedule

December 13 vs Stoneham  W 36 – 29

December 17 vs Arlington 6:00pm

December 20  at Watertown  5:15pm

December 23  at Medford  TBD

December 30 at Lynnfield 6:00pm

January 3 vs Wakefield 7:00pm

January 7 at Woburn 6:00pm

January 10 at Burlington 5:15pm

January 14 vs Belmont  6:00pm

January 17 vs Wilmington 7:00pm

January 21 at Stoneham  6:00pm

January 22 vs Medford  6:00pm

January 24 vs Watertown 5:15pm

January 28  at Reading 6:00pm

January 31  at Wakefield 7:00pm

February 2  vs Lynnfield 6:00pm

February 4  vs Winchester 6:00pm

February 7 vs Burlington 5:15pm

February 11 at Lexington 6:00pm

February 13th at Wilmington 5:15pm