Westfield’s Isaiah Headley (15) blows past a Chicopee player during a 2014-15 regular season game. (Photo by Chris Putz)
WESTFIELD – While the REAL March Madness is still some four weeks away, the high school version is about to play out.
Anticipation is building for a handful of local high school boys’ and girls’ basketball teams as the state’s hoops’ tournament brackets are set to be unveiled Saturday.
One of those programs where the excitement level is running high is Westfield.
The Westfield boys’ and girls’ basketball teams ended their respective seasons with victories Thursday. The Bombers’ boys closed the book on the regular season with a convincing 73-48 win over visiting East Longmeadow. The Bombers’ girls defeated the Spartans, 49-37.
Westfield boys’ head coach Bill Daley is anticipating a road trip to Leominster if everything shakes out according to plan.
Westfield’s Karly Mastello breaks through the lane in the Ludlow Lions’ den. (Photo by Chris Putz)
“We beat everyone we were supposed to,” coach Daley said. “Now we’re going to go on the road and have to beat somebody we’re not supposed to.”
“We are clearly one of the top four to five teams in the area … We have seven seniors, a good group that has been playing together since the seventh or eighth grade when we were in the Western Mass. finals.”
Westfield missed the postseason each of the last two seasons with a sub-par mark of 9-11. This season, the hard work finally paid off in the form of a 13-7 record.
“These guys,” Daley said, “committed in the offseasons to playing together … For the most part, they know how to share the ball.”
The Westfield girls’ squad equaled the boys’ wins-loss totals, thanks to stellar play from players such as seniors Karly Mastello and Alicia Arnold, junior Alexa Morin, and others.
Simply put, when Westfield does not turn over the ball they are a deadly opponent.
Westfield coach Ralph Loos said that although his team is likely to take a road trip east to face Shepherd Hill, he welcomes that opportunity.
“Road trips are overrated (as being tough),” he said.
The Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School girls’ basketball team is also set for a long bus ride.
Southwick forward Morgan Harriman, right, elevates above the Ware defense. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Southwick assistant coach Rick Harriman said he expects a first round draw at Athol. The Rams posted a 16-4 record this season.
“It’s been a good four-year run,” said Harriman. “Now we will see what we do in the playoffs.”
The St. Mary High School girls’ hoops team also punched their postseason ticket thanks to a second-place league record of 5-3. Although the Saints finished the regular season just 5-15, all first- and second-place league finishers are guaranteed a spot in their division’s tourney as well as all those teams with .500 records or better.
The ice hockey tournament seeds will be announced Sunday.
Defending champ Westfield figures to draw one of the top seeds, and appears poised for a classic rematch against Agawam, which has quickly usurped Longmeadow as their chief rival.
Chris Sullivan controls the puck for Westfield. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
The Bombers’ biggest obstacles may include the Brownies, and figuring out how to overcome a key loss in senior forward Connor Sullivan, who suffered a recent season-ending wrist injury.
One player to watch this postseason is Chris Sullivan. Sullivan (no relation) has gone on a scoring barrage of late, and will likely be needed to do so for Westfield to bring home another WMass title.
Notes: While Westfield High does not have a girls’ ice hockey team to call their own, the Whip City will be invested in the outcome of the Cathedral Panthers this postseason.
Lexi Levere, Brittany Kowalski, and Madison and Mackenzie Pelletier, all of Westfield, were an integral part in Cathedral’s success this season. All four girls played for the Panthers’ hockey team as part of the co-operative program between the schools.
Cathedral finished with a record of 10-8-2, and now await their fate, along with the rest of the Whip City, the Greater Westfield area, the lower Pioneer Valley, Western Mass., and the entire state.
Let the Madness begin!
