With an Agawam player in pursuit, Westfield’s Emma Pedolzky is all concentration as she drives for a layup Friday night in the Whip City. (Photo by Bill Deren)
WESTFIELD – Three up, three down.
The Westfield High School girls basketball team welcomed their third opponent of the 2018-19 regular season in similar fashion to the previous two.
Kaela Mochak scored 20 points and made nearly a half-half-dozen blocked shots, Olivia Hadla chipped in with 15 points, and the Westfield Bombers downed the Agawam Brownies 54-29 for their third straight win to begin the season.
“We pressed, pressed, and pressed, and ran the ball,” Westfield High School girls basketball head coach Cyndi Fillion said. “We took it to them hard.”
Westfield opened up with a first-quarter lead of 22-13. The Bombers held Agawam scoreless in the second quarter, and led at the half 35-13.
“This team is coming together,” coach Fillion said. “These players are taking what we’re doing in practice and doing it in games.”
Emma Pedolzky finished with eight points for Westfield.
“We were so young last year,” coach Fillion explained. “The basketball IQ of these players is finally coming together. It’s fun to just watch them play and learn and feed off each other.”
Westfield’s reward for a perfect start: a Tuesday night showdown against defending Western Massachusetts Division 1 champ Central.
“We’re going to go in with everything we’ve got,” coach Fillion said of their upcoming opponent. “Hopefully, we can take it to them. (Our girls) are playing their hearts out. That’s all I can ask for.”
BOYS BASKETBALL
Rams net thrilling win
Southwick 58, Smith Academy 57 (OT)
Dylan Parrow (15 points), Connor Roy (12), and Cade Billings (9) fueled Southwick’s thrilling overtime victory against Smith Academy at the Falcons Holiday Classic.
Smith Academy’s Jack Zigmont scored a game-high 35 points, and Carter Woodward (19 points) made five 3-pointers.
Cortis nets double-double
Smith Vocational 49, Gateway 36
Evan Cortis scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead Gateway at the Falcons Holiday Classic.
Bombers grow by leaps and bounds
Monument Mountain 70, Westfield 65
Monument’s Dion Brown (20 points) and Ty Higgins (17) combined for more than half their team’s points (37 total) to ground the visiting Bombers.
Westfield’s Riley Coughlin scored a game-high 34 points, Tony Torres had 11, and CJ Flores finished with eight. Flores also delivered a monster effort on defense.
Westfield led for much of the second half, but got into foul trouble late.
“A little bit of inexperience caught up with us in the end,” Westfield High School boys basketball head coach Josh Balestracci said. “This was a 100 percent … step in the right direction. Our players put us in position to win. We’re growing as a team. If we continue to grow, we will have the opportunity to compete with anybody.”
Willenborg, Pepe pace Saints
Monte Tech 61, St. Mary 27
Luke Willenborg and Mike Pepe each scored six to lead St. Mary against a Division 1 school on the road at Athol’s Red Raider Holiday Tournament.
GIRLS SWIMMING
Bombers stay unbeaten
Westfield 132, Central 61
Three meets into the 2018-19 regular season, the Westfield High School swim program appears to be holding its own – above and below water – quite well.
On Friday, the Westfield boys and girls swim teams improved to 3-0 with wins over visiting Central.
Lizzie Fraser won two events to pace the Westfield girls, capturing the 200 individual medley in 2:21.75 and 500 freestyle in 5:32.22.
Fraser also teamed up with Allie Russell, Chloe Schumacher, and Alexa Richter to win the medley relay (2:08.57).
Kathryn O’Connor (200 freestyle, 2:09.51), Schumacher (50 free, 29.53), Claudia Tossi (diving, 203.05), Emily Mihalek (100 butterfly, 1:06.95), Richter (100 free, 58.20), and Russell (100 backstroke, 1:10.39) won individual events for Westfield.
The Bombers 400 free relay team (Kathryn O’Connor, Carly O’Connor, Anastasia Ochenko, Richter) also placed first in 4:30.63.
BOYS SWIMMING
Beaulieu, Bombers prevail
Westfield 106, Central 69
Jack Beaulieu won two events to lead Westfield – the 50 freestyle (24.46) and 100 butterfly (59.44).
Matt Morash placed first in the 200 free (2:04.29), and nearly won a second event, the 100 backstroke, being out-touched by Central’s Benjamin Russell (59.87). Morash finished in 1:00.41.
Cole Viamari (200 IM, 2:19.77), Kevin Hayes (diving, 221.20), Patrick Lurgio (500 free, 5:45.20), and Dominic Navarrete (100 breaststroke, 1:12.92) each won an event for Westfield.
The Bombers 200 free relay (Morash, Beaulieu, Lurgio, Viamari) and the 400 free relay (Morash, Lurgio, Navarrete, Joseph Adamscyzk) placed first in 1:39.23 and 4:02.38, respectively.
“It was a pretty good day for us – we swam very well,” Westfield swim head coach Tom Lewis said. “We had a few blips … but all in all we’re in pretty good shape going into Chicopee Comp on Tuesday, and then Christmas practices the week following.”
BOYS ICE HOCKEY
Bombers sink Canalmen
Westfield 4, Bourne 1
Gavin Carzello, Aidan Fitzgerald, Danny Antonellis, and Scotty Bussell scored one goal apiece; goalie C.J. Czarnecki delivered a solid outing in net; and, Carzello and Liam Webster gave strong defensive support to help Westfield topple Bourne.
