Southwick’s Devin Parrow goes up strong for the bank off the backboard during Monday’s high school boys basketball game against visiting Smith Academy. (Photo by Bill Deren)
SOUTHWICK – Nearly a quarter of the way through the 2018-19 regular season, the Southwick High School boys basketball team is earning “A” grades.
Southwick improved to 3-1 with a 61-48 win over Smith Academy Monday night at home.
Devin Parrow led the attack for Southwick, netting a double-double. He finished with 23 points and double-digit rebounds. Rams’ Cade Billings and Dan Scharmann chipped in 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Southwick came out firing. The Rams put together a 19-7 first quarter lead, led by 17 points at the half, and maintained a comfortable lead in the second half.
“Tonight we got the lead and held the lead,” said Southwick boys basketball head coach Peter Fiorentino, who saw his team squander a 21-point lead against Smith last week. “We withstood a couple of runs and this time we had an answer. This time, their 4-6 point runs didn’t turn into 10-12 point runs. That was big for us.”
Smith Academy’s Brett Gratz scored a team-high 19 points. Jack Zigmont had 14.
Moccio, Brownies emerge late
Agawam 64, Westfield 58
Zach Moccio scored 21 points, making 9-of-11 shots from the free throw line, and Mike Berthiaume finished with 18 points to help Agawam squeak past Westfield.
Westfield held a slim lead late before Agawam rallied. The Brownies held on by making their free throws at the end.
“Winning games with young teams is an oxymoron,” Westfield boys basketball coach Josh Balestracci said. “There’s not security blanket of having done it before, but we’re getting there.”
Will Cameron led Westfield with 15 points, filling in at the point guard position. Bombers’ C.J. Flores and Riley Coughlin each contributed 13 points, as well as solid rebounding and strong defense.
“They’re excelling on the defensive end,” coach Balestracci said of his young core. “We’re showing signs of getting better. We’re going to get there. We just need a little bit of time.”
Westfield sophomore Chris Barber contributed on the boards, and, according to coach Balestracci, equally important, “being a good teammate.”
WRESTLING
Foster worms way to runner-up at Early Bird
Cam Foster led the Westfield wrestling team at the Early Bird Tournament at Longmeadow High School Saturday.
Foster, a 160-pound junior, became the first finalist for Westfield in four years. The junior wrestler reached the finals by pinning East Longmeadow’s Adam McCarthy in a quarterfinals match in 36 seconds, and pinning Ludlow’s Jaiden Giza-Bilodeau in the semifinals in 1:36. He fell to top-seeded Michael Baldwin (Hampshire) in the finals.
At 138, Westfield senior Vitaliy Borodin finished third with a pin of Hampshire’s Case Baldwin, and a hard-fought 8-2 win over Chicopee’s Cedric Cruz.
Westfield seniors Ed Borodin (126 pounds) and Ed Towers (145) both claimed fourth place finishes. Junior Carlito Serrano (182) finished sixth for the Bombers.
Westfield next hosts Holyoke in a dual meet Wednesday.
BOYS ICE HOCKEY
Bombers silenced
Dartmouth 2, Westfield 0
Dartmouth shut out Westfield in the Canalmen Invitational championship Saturday. It was the first loss for the Bombers (3-1), who entered the game having won the semifinal matchup against Bourne 4-1 Friday night.
Westfield sophomore goalie C.J. Czarnecki finished with 28 saves.
