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2010-2011 Season

Tashanna Brown                     Hannah Byrne Classical girls basketball savors success   The Classical girls basketball team, like the Jets, had some holes to fill coming into the season. But the Rams filled them and qualified for the state tournament, losing to eventual Division 2 state champ Arlington Catholic. Coach Tom Sawyer and his staff handed out several awards at Thursday's banquet at Gannon Golf Course. Among the recipients were Jenna Kulakowski and Rosanne Batista, coaches award; Tashanna Brown, most improved; and Hannah Byrne, MVP and academic achievement. Subvarsity awards were also given to Alyssa Ouk, freshman coaches award; Linda Khuth, freshman most improved; Danesha Brown, JV offense; Shaina Cruel Reynoso, JV defense; Kim Eldred, JV coaches; and Messeret Kebede, JV academic achievement.

Senior Night and Girls Basketball Team Beats Beverly, gets into Tournament Play

The 2011 Team

Coach Sawyer and Asst. Coach Alicudo             Hannah Byrne                   

       Taylor Dumas                    Tashanna Brown

Bobby Dee Regan                               Monta Connolly

Jenna Kulakowski                     Kristin Lauria

Rosane Batista                        Francesca Galeazzi

      Samantha Earp                               Danielle Moran          

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Danvers, Gloucester, Marblehead and Classical are in the NEC Playoffs this season.

The Falcons, with Kellie Macdonald leading the way, could be poised to make a lot of noise in D2. The Falcons took Revere -- which is undefeated in the Northeastern Conference/Large -- down to he wire before bowing.

Even if Classical doesn't advance very far, hats have to come off for the job Tom Sawyer did in what most people would have considered to be a rebuilding season.
 

Revere 65, Classical 51

At Revere, the Rams hung in there but undefeated Revere (19-0) pulled away with a strong second half, scoring 20 points in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth. Morgan Jenkins had 20 points and Gena Restiano, 17 points, for Revere. Monta Connolly had 16 for the Rams, Tashanna Brown, 15, and Hannah Byrne, eight points.

"The kids really played a very nice game against an undefeated opponent," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.

Classical is 11-8 with English on tap for Friday.

Classical 52, Everett 42

At Everett, the Rams (11-6) got off to a slow start and by the half, trailed 27-17. They picked up the pace the final two quarters thanks to excellent defense and stellar free-throw shooting (19-for-25).

"The first half was not our best effort, but the kids were resilient," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.

Tashanna Brown had a season-high 13 points. Kristen Lauria checked in with 13, Hannah Byrne with nine and Franki Galeazzi with eight points. Lauria and Byrne also had eight rebounds each.

 

Classical rebounds with win over Peabody

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item

Saugus 60, Classical 45

At Saugus, the Sachems had a strong team effort across the board, even impressing opposing coach Tom Sawyer.

"You have to tip your hat to Saugus tonight. They rebounded and shot much better than my team tonight, they played a very good basketball game," Sawyer said.

Leading the way for Saugus was the trio of Jackie Doherty (17 points), Alyssa Furtado (14 points) and Jackie Nicholas (14 points). The trio combined to score 45 of Saugus's 60 points. Classical received a strong shooting night from Jenna Kulakowski (9 points). Freshman Franki Galeazzi had 12 points, Hannah Byrne, 10 points and Kristin Lauria, nine points. Classical is now 8-6.
 

Danvers 50, Classical 37

At Danvers, the Rams were in this one until late in the fourth quarter, but a couple of turnovers allowed the Falcons to start pulling away down the stretch. Classical was forced to start fouling and Danvers converted from the line.
"We obviously started out slow, but once we got going, we were right with them all night," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "It was a three to five-point game until late in the fourth quarter.
Hannah Byrne led the offense with 15 points and Kristin Lauria had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Sawyer was also happy with the defensive effort of Tashanna Brown and Franki Galeazzi.

Danvers; Kellie Macdonald led all scorers with 20 points. "She's a really good basketball player," Sawyer said. "She has a nice jump shot. She can handle the ball well. She's a tough player. She's tough to defend."

The Rams (8-4) are off until Friday when they play Gloucester.

Classical girls get past Everett By Mario DiNitto / For The Item The Classical High girls basketball team keeps finding ways to win with Everett the latest victim, 63-53, at Classical. "This was probably our best game, offensively, of the season," coach Tom Sawyer said. "We're moving the ball well, finding open players. We started off a little slow in the first quarter, but once we got going we started hitting some shots." Freshman Kristin Lauria scored a career high 22 points. She also got the job done on the boards with 15 rebounds. "She's starting to get more and more confidence," Sawyer said. "She's not overwhelmed out there. She's very competitive." Hannah Byrne (17 points) and Tashanna Brown (6 points, 11 assists) also came up big for the 8-3 Rams.

 

Classical 44, Swampscott 30   At Classical, the Rams (7-3) played what coach Tom Sawyer considers their best first half of the season so far. They scored 34 points to take a 34-14 lead into the locker room. Hannah Byrne led all scorers with 17 points. Franki Galeazzi had eight points and Kristin Lauria, seven points and 11 rebounds. "We were moving the ball well, being unselfish, and looking to make the extra pass," Sawyer said. "We got some open shots that we were able to hit." Niki Laskaris had 11 points and Caroline Murphy, six points, for the Big Blue.

 

Classical survives a late surge by Winthrop By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item The Classical High girls basketball team defeated Winthrop, 46-43, Tuesday but not without a few anxious moments. The Rams led most of the way, but the Vikings made things interesting when they took a five-point lead with four minutes remaining. Classical regrouped and outscored Winthrop by eight points down the stretch to pull out the win. "I was very impressed with the kids,' Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "They're very resilient. They hit big time free throws in pressure spots." Freshman Franki Galeazzi led the Rams with 13 points. Tashanna Brown was a rock at the line, hitting eight of 10 to finish with 12 points overall.

 

Classical 46, M'head 36                                                                                                         At Classical, this one was up for grabs for the first three quarters with the Rams leading by one heading into the final eight minutes. Senior Hannah Byrne (16 points) and freshman Kristin Lauria (15 points) scored six and seven points respectively in the final quarter to help the Rams pull away. Senior Jenna Kulakowski (8 points) also contributed offensively. Katheryn DiGiammarino led the Magicians with 10 points.

 

English's Shannon Calnan (23) defends as Classical's Kristin Lauria (25) shoots at Classical on Tuesday. (Item Photo / Reba M. Saldanha) Late surge gets Classical girls past English By Matthew Roy / For The Item LYNN - With a little over four and a half minutes left in regulation on Tuesday, it looked for all the world like the Lynn English girls basketball team might be on the way to continuing its dominance of cross-town rival Lynn Classical. The Rams were down by two and had just seen Hannah Byrne called for her fourth personal foul. Yet just when it seemed like the Bulldogs were on their way, Classical turned the tide. Freshman Kristin Lauria's back-to-back baskets gave the Rams a lead they never relinquished as Classical closed the game on an 11-0 run to take a 44-35 win over English. "At one point I heard someone say that we were outworking them and that's what it was going to take to win this game (Tuesday)," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "It's the little things like people diving on the floor to get loose balls and get extra possessions that won this game." Another thing that won the game for the Rams on Tuesday was their sheer tenacity on the defensive end. English led from early in the first quarter on but Classical stayed close with its defense and then turned it on, holding the Bulldogs to only four fourth quarter points. "You're not going to win any game when you score four points in the fourth quarter," English coach Fred Hogan said. "We reverted back to our 19 points per game form but that's a credit to Classical. They outworked us and outplayed us." English led 31-30 heading to the fourth quarter but saw Classical's Jenna Kulakowski hit a three to begin the final period to give the Rams their first lead since 3-2 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs fought back to take a 35-33 lead on Diondra Woumn's layup with 5:00 left. Byrne was then called for her fourth foul to further help English's cause. The Bulldogs, however, couldn't extend the lead and Lauria hit a layup to tie the game. Her putback on Classical's next possession made it 37-35 with 2:30 left. Monta Connolly added two free throws after a turnover and the Rams suddenly led 39-35 with 120 seconds to go. "Kristin was just immense on the boards for us," Sawyer said. "And it wasn't the glamorous ones, it was the offensive rebounds that keep possessions going." English failed to convert on its next two possessions but Classical kept missing free throws to keep the game in striking distance for the Bulldogs. It wasn't until Byrne hit two freebies with 25.6 ticks left that the Classical contingent could finally exhale. "We didn't have the energy we usually have (Tuesday)," Hogan said. "We usually run through a wall and we didn't (Tuesday). It was really hard watching that game, I'm sure and it was really hard coaching it." English was in control most of the first half leading 8-7 after a quarter and then extending the margin to 23-13 with 2:20 left in the half. The Rams called time out and put together an 8-1 run to cap the half as Kulakowski's three cut the margin to 24-21 at the break.

Classical 43, Tech 18

The Rams spread their scoring around evenly in rebounding from Tuesday's loss to the Spartans.

Hannah Byrne and Monta Connolly had eight points apiece, and Francesca Galeazzi had six to lead the Rams.

For Tech, Meybelin Salmeron had four points, as did Hattie Watkins. Lhyeshia Robinson had three.

 

Revere 63, Classical 34 At Classical, it took a while for the 4-0 Patriots to get going but once they did, their balanced attack was too much for the Rams (2-2) to overcome. "Anybody who thinks Revere is just a one-player team is very mistaken," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "They are very balanced." Morgan Jenkins led Revere with 19 points but she had help as Gina Restiano and Marisa Parent added 14 points each. "All three of them played fantastic games," Revere coach Diana DeCristoforo said. "It was a really even attack for us." Classical was led by 15 points from Hannah Byrne.

 

Classical's Francesca Galeazzi goes up against Salem's Ashley O'Keefe (32) as the Witches' Holbrook Phelan (24) watches the play in Lynn on Tuesday. (Item Photo / Reba M. Saldanha) Galeazzi helps Classical girls hoop defeat Salem By Matthew Roy / For The Item LYNN -- The Lynn Classical girls basketball team used a suffocating defense and a standout effort from freshman Franki Galeazzi to get past Salem, 50-38, on home turf Monday. The Rams never trailed all night as the Witches were as close as two points twice in the first quarter before Classical put the hammer down...with Galeazzi being the catalyst. The freshman racked up 10 of her 16 points in the first half and then hit a pair of critical baskets to begin the fourth quarter after Salem had climbed its way back in the game. "You have to love to see a freshman come in who's not overwhelmed by the pace of the game," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "Frankie played really well." Classical (2-1) started swiftly by getting out to an early 10-2 lead. The Witches fought back and cut the lead to 10-8 when Maria Rodriguez hit back-to-back 3-pointers. That deficit, however, would be as close as things would be the rest of the night. Classical changed its defense and Salem was unable to adjust before the game had gotten out of reach. "We challenged the kids to get in and out of defenses all night," Sawyer said. "And that's the thing about this team. They play hard for every second." Classical led 16-9 after a quarter thanks to Galeazzi's 10 points and continued to pull away in the second period, eventually taking a 30-14 lead on Monta Connolly's layup that closed an 11-4 spurt. Salem fought back again and cut the lead to 32-20 at halftime before Classical charged out of the locker room to begin the second half. Hannah Byrne, who finished with a quiet 13 points, triggered a quick 7-0 run to start the half and when Jenna Kulakowski hit a jumper, the Rams had a 39-20 lead. Salem, though, wasn't quite ready to head to the bus yet. Amanda Wilkins' back-to-back buckets helped trigger an 8-2 run and suddenly it was a 13-point game heading to the fourth quarter. "Salem is a good team and they play hard the whole game," Sawyer said. "It's never a comfortable lead against them." Just as suddenly as the Rams' lead had been cut into, its two freshman starters helped restore order. Kristin Lauria and Galeazzi turned the game upside down as they rattled off six straight to begin the fourth and Classical led by 19 again. Salem got only as close as 12 twice over the final seven minutes as the Rams closed things out easily. "We hit our free throws and were able to keep the lead at a safe distance," Sawyer said. "We got off to a nice start early and were able to handle their run at us."

 

Classical comes up big on OT to defeat Beverly By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item The Classical High girls basketball team came close to letting one slip away, but the Rams came up big in overtime to defeat Beverly, 42-39, at Endicott College. Classical led most of the way, but the Panthers turned up the heat late in the fourth quarter and took the lead, only to see Classical freshman Franki Galeazzi hit a runner to tie the game and send it into overtime. Although they fell behind in overtime, the Rams (1-1) had enough left in the tank for one more comeback. Monta Connolly scored to put Classical up by three and the lead held up the rest of the way. "The kids were resilient," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. Hannah Byrne had 11 points for Classical. Galeazzi finished with nine and Jenna Kulakowski with eight. Freshman Kristin Lauria had four points and was immense on the boards with 17 rebounds. Byrne had 10.

 

VARSITY  ROSTER

NAME	#	GRADE	POSITION
ROSANE BATISTA	32	12	FORWARD
TASHANNA BROWN	12	12	GUARD
HANNAH BYRNE	5	12	FORWARD
JENNA KULAKOWSKI	23	12	FORWARD
MONTA CONNOLLY	20	10	FORWARD
TAYLOR DUMAS	10	10	GUARD
SAMANTHA EARP	40	10	GUARD
ALINA GARITY	30	10	GUARD
DANIELLE MORAN	44	10	FORWARD
BOBBIE DEE REGAN	13	10	GUARD
FRANCESCA GALEAZZI	35	9	GUARD
KRISTIN LAURIA	25	9	FORWARD

Coaches:                                                            

Tom Sawyer – Varsity                                          Dennis Baldini – Junior Varsity

Cara Baldini – Freshmen                                       Jay Alicudo – Varsity Assistant

 

Peabody 47, Classical 39

At Peabody, Brittany La Fave, the only returning starter for Peabody, had a monster game for the Tanners. She scored 27 points, going 7-for-8 from the line.

"It's always nice to win that first one," Peabody coach Jane Heil said. "We have to take care of business at home. Classical gave us everything we could handle."

Katie Brunelle had nine points and Kelly Donahue, seven, for the Tanners (1-0). Hannah Byrne led the Rams with 18 points. Freshman Kristin Lauria had seven points and Franki Galeazzi, another freshman, contributed six.

Classical started out strong, taking an early 7-0 lead, but Peabody got hot in the second quarter and took the lead for good.
 

Classical 23, Malden 14

The Rams jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the early going and were never seriously challenged from there.

Kristin Lauria and Hannah Byrne led Classical with seven points. Jenna Kulakowski chipped in five for Classical.

 

Hannah Byrne (in green) will play a bigger role for the Classical girls basketball team. ITEM FILE PHOTO For Classical girls hoop, there's hope with Hannah By Matthew Roy / For The Item Coming off an 11-10 campaign last season that saw them earn a surprising berth in the Division 2 North tournament, the Lynn Classical girls basketball team will look to continue their stellar play this season. The Rams, however, will have to fill some big holes if they want to make a return trip to high school's version of March Madness. Classical will have to replace three starters, including Northeastern Conference all-star Diamond Doe, who is now plying her trade at St. Joseph's College in Connecticut. "It's going to be an interesting year with out Diamond that's for sure," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "She was our leader on defense and we've gotta replace that. But we have some capable folks who can fill her shoes." Leading those returnees is NEC all-star Hannah Byrne. A two time league all-star, Byrne's athleticism has been a problem for team's to defend and with Doe now gone, the junior will be called upon even more. "We need for her to lead us at the offensive end of the floor," Sawyer said about Byrne. Running the show for the Rams will be senior Tashanna Brown. The speedy point guard will be the catalyst for any attacking Classical would like to do. Roseann Batista and Jenna Kulakowski join Brown and Byrne as returnees from last year. After that, the Rams, for lack of a better word, are green at a lot of positions. "Its pretty much up for grabs after Hannah and Tashanna so we're gonna be real young," Sawyer said. "But that's the fun part. Teaching the kids the fundamentals and watching them progress as the year goes. That's what coaching is all about." Sophomores Monta Connolly and Taylor Dumas will join the varsity after spending last year on a very successful freshman team for the Rams. Freshmen Kristin Lauria and Frankie Galeazzi, both of whom were varsity contributors in soccer this fall, will also be expected to help shoulder the load. "This year, we're probably a bit under the radar and that's fine and probably rightly so," Sawyer said. "Hopefully that will make the kids work a little harder. Classical opens its season on December 14 with a game at Peabody. The Rams also will have to deal with archrival English and resurgent Revere along with Salem and Beverly in a very challenging NEC North. "All six teams are good and skilled. They have go-to players so you need to be on your game every night," Sawyer said.

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2008-2009 Season

(  Scroll down for 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Seasons )

The Classical High girls basketball team held its end-of-the-season banquet Thursday at Gannon Golf Course. From left are captain-elect Diamond Doe, seniors Francis Mathieu, Sochitta Men and Pierina Mora, and captain-elect Hannah Byrne. Byrne was also named the team Most Valuable Player.( ITEM PHOTO / REBA SALDANHA)

Girls BB Team Banquet : Diamond Doe and Hannah Byrne are Next Year's Captains

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, March 27, 2009

LYNN -- The Lynn Classical girls basketball team put an end to its season on Thursday at Gannon Golf Course as the team held its annual awards banquet.

The Rams, who missed the tournament for the second time in three seasons, struggled in the first half of the season but rallied down the stretch to give several of the Northeastern Conference's heavy hitters a run for the money.

"I found this season to be very rewarding," Rams coach Tom Sawyer said. "Certainly we would have like to have won more games and made the tournament but it was so rewarding in so many other ways."

Sophomore Hannah Byrne, who led the team in scoring and rebounding, was named the team's MVP. Frances Mathieu and Pierina Mora received coaches awards and Sochitta Men earned the Academic Achievement award for her success in the classroom.

MacKenzie Coppinger was named the junior varsity team MVP with Gabby Galeazzi, Rosanna Batista and Cristina Rodriguez receiving coaches awards. For the freshman team, Christa Martin earned most improved honors while Kim Eldred and Roziny Nhem took home coaches award trophies.

Byrne and Diamond Doe were chosen as captains-elect for the varsity squad next season.

Lynn English's Kayla Murkison keeps the ball away from Lynn Classical's Hannah Byrne Thursday at Classical. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Girls BB Loses to Undefeated NEC Champion English

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, February 13, 2009

The English High girls basketball team went into Thursday night's game against Classical with most of the things on its "to-do" list already checked off.

The Bulldogs had already qualified for the state tournament and they had already won the Northeastern Conference North title. The only business left to tend to before heading into the postseason was to go undefeated in the NEC. The Bulldogs accomplished the feat with a 46-22 win over the Rams at Classical.

"To make it with a 16-0 record is really special," English coach Fred Hogan said. "We accomplished one of our goals this year (in winning the NEC). Now we have to win a state championship."

Although the game wasn't an artistic success (the score was a woeful 15-7, English, at the half), the Bulldogs did what they had to do. Jeanette Anderson shouldered the load in the early going, scoring 12 of English's 15 first-half points. Miranda Hogan stepped it up in the second half by burying three threes (she had four total and finished with 14 points) in the third quarter to finally put the Rams safely in the rear-view mirror.

"Classical played their hearts out," Hogan said. "I give them lots of credit."

Hogan said he cautioned his team about looking past Classical.
"A team like Classical will knock you off," he said.
Although the Rams (7-13) struggled offensively the entire game, the defense had the Bulldogs frustrated well into the third quarter.
"We made them work," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "To only give up 15 points in the first half to a really good team was something."
Classical scored the first two points of the game, but that was the only lead the Rams would have. Anderson hit the next three for the Bulldogs and the Rams found themselves trying to play catch-up the rest of the way. English's lead hovered around 10-12 points most of the first half.
Hannah Byrne was top scorer for Classical with six points. Sophomore point guard Brianna Capone had five and Frances Mathieu and Sochitta Men had four each. Seniors Mathieu, Men and Pierina Mora were playing their final game for the Rams.

English's Anderson, who was named the Northeastern Conference North Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, led all scorers with 17 points. Jenicia Duggins and LaShaunda Hogan were also named to the NEC North All-Star team.

English will wrap up the regular season this weekend in the Spartan Classic tournament at St. Mary's. The Bulldogs will face Andover, one of the toughest teams in the state, in the first game.

Item Roundup

The Peabody freshman team, coached by Stan McKeen, finished its season undefeated and the junior varsity finished 15-1.

Salem 55, Classical 46

At Classical, a 21-13 first quarter run by the Witches proved too much for the Rams to overcome.

"(Salem) did a real good job of hitting some threes in the first quarter," said Classical (7-11) coach Tom Sawyer. "We picked it up on defense and only gave up 20 points in the second half. We just let them get too far in front early."

Ram Hannah Byrne was Classical's high-scorer with 15 and also had a team-high seven rebounds along with Frances Mathieu who scored six. Classical outscored the Witches by two in the second half, but it was not enough to bounce back from 11-point halftime deficit.

Salem (13-4) got 15 points from Amanda Wilkins. Erica Mendez had 14.

"Tonight the kids really came out to play ... It was nice to see them put together a solid effort against a very good team," Sawyer said.

At Revere, Diamond Doe scored 16 points - a career high - as Classical raised its record to 6-10.

Doe also figured in prominently on defense as well, chasing Revere's Morgan Jenkins while the rest of the team sat in a box and one. Jenkins scored 14, "but she had to work for everything the got," said Rams coach Tom Sawyer.

Hannah Byrne was immense on the boards with 21 rebounds.

Classical 49, Mt. St. Joseph's 27

At Classical, Hannah Byrne had a career-high and game-high 17 points for the Rams (5-10). Fifteen of Byrne's points came in the first half as Classical took a 29-16 lead.

Frances Mathieu added seven points and five steals for Classical. Pierina Mora had seven points and eight boards.
 

Classical 50, Marblehead 25

At Classical, the Rams (4-10) led 26-11 at halftime. Hannah Byrne led all scorers with 14 points (9 rebounds). Frances Mathieu and Sochitta Men had seven points each and Pierina Mora and Brianna Capone had six apiece. Halie Pliner led Marblehad with seven points.

                 Varsity  Roster                                   Grade           Number      Position   

JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM

FRESHMAN TEAM                                                      

Danvers 57, Classical 28

At Danvers, Kelly McDonald scored 20 points as Danvers moved to 8-4. Hannah Byrne led the Rams with eight points.

Danvers only led by one (18-17) at the half, but poured it on in the final two quarters.

"The effort's there," said Classical (3-10) coach Tom Sawyer, "but we're not having much success."

Salem 58, Classical 53 (OT)

At Salem, Diamond Doe led the Rams (3-9) with 12 points, closely followed by Frances Mathieu and Pierina Mora, with 11 each. Mora pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds; Hannah Byrne had 11 boards and Doe had nine. The teams were tied at 49 before Salem outscored Classical 9-4 in the extra period.

"Our defensive intensity in the second half picked up tremendously," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said, "spearheaded by Doe. It was by far her best game of the year."

Inexperienced Classical Girls Reeled in by Gloucester

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, January 16, 2009

LYNN -- The way Classical girls basketball coach Tom Sawyer sees it, inexperience is something you just have to put up with.

The only way you gain experience is to play ... and to learn from your mistakes, keep practicing, and keep getting better.

The Lynn Classical girls basketball team's had its entire spectrum of adjectives on display last night. The girls are very young, very athletic, very willing to try and learn ... but very raw. The Rams only have three seniors, and have had to start from Square One. And it showed. They took an early lead against Gloucester, but then things began to happen ... good for the Fishermen, and bad for the Rams.

The result was a 55-39 loss ... not totally devastating, to be sure, but frustrating just the same.

"It's frustrating," Sawyer said, "because we played very well the other night against Winthrop. We may not have won the game, but we played great. If we'd played like that tonight ... I don't know whether we would have won, but it might have been a better game."

It was a choppy game in the first half, with neither team able to find much in the way of rhythm. Thanks to a hot start by Shanece Berberena, who scored all her eight points in the first quarter, the Rams jumped to a 10-8 lead after the first eight minutes.

But it was all Gloucester after that. The more experienced Fishermen developed a semblance of a flow midway through the second quarter, and by halftime, they'd overtaken Classical to cling to a n 18-15 lead at the break.

"We've been having trouble with our intensity," said Gloucester coach Jon Flanagan, whose teams shook off a mild two-game losing streak to run its mark to 6-4 at the halfway point. "But I thought we came out in the second half, and contested everything. That made it difficult for (Classical) to slow us down."

Gloucester got big contributions in the second half from both Hannah Cain (16 points overall) and Lindsay Rogers (who also scored 16) as the Fishermen slowly pulled away until the lead peaked at 18 (53-35) midway through the fourth quarter.

"Our goal," said Sawyer, "was to keep them from penetrating. And we did that early. We played well in stretches, but we got sloppy with the ball in the second half."

However, what killed Classical was its difficulty in finishing.

"That's a mark of inexperience," said Sawyer. "With experience comes the ability to make better decisions.

"Right now, we're rushing everything," he said. "If you get an offensive rebound, for example, it doesn't have to be hot potato. You don't have to get rid of it right away. Come down, gather yourself, and go back up strong."

Diamond Doe led Classical with nine points ... all in the second half whilel sophomore Hannah Byrne and senior Sochetta Men had seven. Byrne did some yeoman work underneath for Classical as well.

Winthrop 54, Classical 46

At Winthrop, the Vikings (4-6) have struggled in the early going this season, but Courtney Finn continues to give the oppositions nightmares.

The Bentley College-bound senior, who eclipsed the 1,500 career-point milestone against Salem last week, had 24 points.

Classical was in this one all the way, leading 26-23 at the half. Hannah Byrne had 12 points and nine rebounds, Pierina Mora had eight points and six rebounds and Diamond Doe had six points and five rebounds

Swampscott 71, Classical 42

At Classical, Tara Nimkar scored a game-high 23 points and added 14 rebounds for the Big Blue (9-0). Allie Beaulieu had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Kara Gillberg also finished in double figures with 17 points.

Pierina Mora scored a career-high 19 points, while tearing down six rebounds to lead the Rams (3-6).

Classical 57, MSJ 34

At Mt. St. Joseph's in Brighton, Frances Mathieu led the Rams (3-5) with 22 points. Sochitta Men had 10 points and nine rebounds, Diamond Doe added six points and 10 rebounds, and Pierina Mora had six points and eight rebounds for the Rams, who shot 16-for-20 from the free-throw line and led 23-13 at the break.

Saugus Girls Hoop Prevails against Classical

By Erik Johnson / For The Item, January 6, 2009

Lynn English's Jeanette Anderson comes down with a rebound on her way to 1,000 career rebounds Saturday afternoon against Lynn Classical. (ITEM PHOTO / JONATHON M. WHITMORE)

English Girls Hoop Routs Classical

By Christian Mielcarek / For The Item

LYNN -- Round Two of this season's Classical-English girls basketball rivalry was less competitive than usual, but that will not prevent the Bulldogs' 64-24 victory from staying on the minds of those seated in the Cavanagh Field House.

English (6-0) senior Jeanette Anderson entered the game 11 rebounds shy of 1,000 for her career, and 1:07 into the third quarter, the forward pulled down the offensive board and Bulldog history was made.

"It feels good," Anderson said. "This is the first time I've ever done something that has meant something to other people."

The referees were aware of the impending milestone and whistled for a stoppage in play to celebrate Anderson's accomplishment. Her coach, Fred Hogan, spoke to his player and the crowd expressing his admiration and respect. Anderson received a plaque, a teammate-signed basketball, flowers and embraces from her friends and family before the contest resumed.

"Jeanette is special. She's a hard-hat worker," Hogan said in an interview following the game. "When she was younger, all she did was rebound. Now, she has moves on the offensive end and has developed a jump shot. She's the complete package. It's been a real honor to coach Jeanette Anderson."

Anderson began the season with 903 career rebounds after 367 as a junior, 392 as a sophomore and 144 as a freshman, and finished Saturday's win with the landmark-setting 11 to go along with 15 points. She needs 132 to also have 1,000 career points.

English, which defeated the Rams 50-39 in the final of the Boverini Tournament on Tuesday, showcased its aptitude at full-court pressure defense and forced a flurry of Classical miscues, therefore minimizing its opposition's field-goal attempts.

The Bulldogs created 24 first-half Ram turnovers to build a 20-2 lead at the end of one and a 36-9 advantage at halftime.

"It was disappointing because we worked on handling their pressure defense for two days," Classical (2-4) coach Tom Sawyer said. "But it wasn't for a lack of effort. That's a very good team. It just wasn't our night. We started bad and couldn't get over the hump."

English controlled the tempo and flow with its suffocating pressure defense. Jenicia Duggins, who was the game's high scorer with 19, made seven steals, Miranda Hogan had six to go along with six points, and Brianna Vaughan had eight points and three steals.

"Last game against Classical, we came out too amped-up and turned the ball over a lot," Hogan said. "We came out under control and slowed down on offense. We created turnovers, got easy baskets and limited their shots."

Reserves Brianna Capone and Marina Fernandez led the Rams in scoring with five points apiece. Pierina Mora had six rebounds and three points, and Frances Mathieu grabbed six off the glass and scored a basket.

"For whatever reason, we did a better job of handling their pressure last time," Sawyer said. "We need to match the intensity of our opponents, and tonight we just didn't do it."

The Bulldogs tied a season high for points scored, while their defense allowed a season low. After years of building, Hogan may have crafted a true contender, and his star player has noticed.

"We were never that good before, but now we are," Anderson said. "We've worked really hard, so it feels good."

English will continue its season, and Anderson will carry on her quest for 1,000 points, Tuesday at Marblehead (7). Anderson has averaged 17 points per game this year.

A scramble ensues between, from left to right, Ceselia Muise of Tech, Tashanna Brown (directly behind ball) of Classical, Sochitta Men of Classical, Fanice Jean-Baptiste of Tech and Frances Mathieu of Classical. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

 Classical Advances to Boverini Tournament Girls Final

By Jonathan Weiner / For The Item

Classical (2-2) registered the first 13 points against the Tigers in the opener, with guards Tashanna Brown and Shanece Berberena hitting from Three-Point Land to begin the game. Forward Jenna Kulakowski connected on a three in the final seconds of the opening quarter to put Tech on the board.

Unfortunately for Tech (0-3), the team would be plagued by turnovers and missed shots, and Classical would take advantage. Forward Pierina Mora outleaped everyone for a putback of a teammate's miss early in the second, and guard Marina Fernandez added a three-pointer late in the quarter (she had seven of her game-high 12 points in that period), and the Rams opened a 31-3 halftime edge.

"We did a very good job rebounding, and the kids played hard the entire game," said Classical coach Tom Sawyer. "Kevin (Tech head coach Kevin McDormand) was with us last year (as an assistant), and I'm glad to see him have an opportunity as a head coach."

The Rams outscored Tech, 15-6, in the second half.

Berberena added seven points for Classical, while teammates Hannah Byrne and Frances Mathieu chipped in with six apiece. Guard Jenaya Dube and forward Ashley Ramirez also had three points for the Tigers, as all the Tech points came on three-pointers.

"We struggled offensively," McDormand said. "I thought defensively we were a lot better than we've been. Basically, I thought my team worked hard throughout the game. They didn't give up in spite of the score.

"I'm proud of them as a coach, and I look forward to playing (Tuesday)."

Peabody 47, Classical 34     12/23/08 (Item Roundup)

At Peabody, Hannah Byrne had a strong night in a losing effort. She scored a game-high 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Pierina Mora had a strong night with seven points and 11 rebounds for the Rams.

Beverly 46, Classical 22

At Beverly, the Panther (2-0) defense held the Rams (1-1) to just eight points in the first half while scoring 30 to coast to the win. Brianna Capone led Classical with five points, and Diamond Doe had 10 steals to go along with a made free throw.

_________________________________________________________________

Tight Win Starts new Season Off - Classical 44, Revere 42

from The Daily Item of Lynn

At Classical, the Rams (1-0) opened their season by draining five free throws down the

stretch to overtake the Patriots.

"It was a tight game throughout," coach Tom Sawyer said. "It was a four-to-six point

game the whole way, but they came back and tied it."

Hannah Byrne, who missed her freshman season with an injury, led all scorers with 15

points while Pierina Mora chipped in with nine and Sochitta Men, six. Morgan Jenkins

had 12 points for Revere.

Classical Has Some Shoes to Fill

The Daily Item of Lynn, December 10, 2008

The Classical High girls basketball team is coming off a 10-10 season that ended at the hands of a talented Lexington team in the state tournament.

Coach Tom Sawyer lost six players from that group to graduation, including Northeastern Conference All-Stars Christina McKenzie and Keila Brown. McKenzie was the team's leading scorer and Brown drove the opposition crazy with her tenacious defensive and fearless drive to the basketball.. Jill Reddy, Shardaye Berry, Shante Berry and Bryanna Connolly also graduated and Ashley Flores, a guard, is out for the season with a knee injury.

That's the bad news. On the up side, Sawyer's three senior captains, guard Frances Mathieu and forwards Pierina Mora and Sochitta Men, are back and ready to pick up some of the slack. Sophomore Hannah Byrne, who missed nearly all of her first season due to an injury, is also back.

Five players are making the leap from junior varsity including junior forward Diamond Doe and four sophomore guards, Shanece Berberena, Marina Fernandez, Tashanna Brown and Brianna Capone. Sawyer is also hoping a couple of freshmen, forward Danesha Brown and guard Jessica Stevens, will contribute.

Sawyer said graduated 90 percent of his points, rebounds and minutes played, but he's still encouraged by the improvement he's been seeing on a daily basis.

"It's a good challenge," Sawyer said about the work that has to be done. "We expect them to play hard, play smart, hustle and at the end of the game, we'll check the scoreboard and see what it tells us."

If this year's group needs any inspiration to succeed, all it needs to do is look a couple of former players who are helping out the team. Former Classical standout Takeya Faison, who just graduated from Merrimack College, is lending a hand, as is Paula McGinn, a newly-minted Endicott College graduate. Faison played basketball at Merrimack and McGinn, who was an NEC hoop all star as a Ram, played soccer and softball at Endicott. Shardaye Berry, who just graduated from Classical this year, is also helping out.

Sawyer also has plenty of staff returning. Dennis Baldini is coaching the JVs, Matt Ridley is his varsity assistant, former player Cara Baldini is coaching the freshmen and Henry Breckenridge is assisting.

Classical opens against Revere Friday at home.

DUCHANE JAMBOREE   Classical 24, Saugus 15

The Rams withstood a frantic comeback spearheaded by Saugus' Liz Dean, who scored a team-high six points for Saugus. Pierina Mora was a force underneath the rim for Classical. The Senior Captain had a team-high 10 points and pulled down 15 boards.

"Pierina always plays hard," Rams coach Tom Sawyer said. "I thought she played well tonight."

Sophomore Shanece Berbavena scored all five of her points in the final minute of play, putting the game too far out of reach for the Sachems.

"This was Shanece's first taste of varsity play," said Sawyer. "So I'm sure she was nervous at first. She is a talented kid. She just needs to stay calm."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2007-08 SEASON

TOM SAWYER NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR,   

Classical Coach
After seeing his team fail to make the state tournament in 2007, Sawyer managed to overcome the loss of several key players and get the 2008 Rams into the postseason with a 10-10 record ... Team lost to Lexington in the first round.

 Keila and Christina are All-Stars
KEILA BROWN, Classical - Senior point guard ... NEC all-star ... Averaged 12 points per game and two assists ... Ran the show ... Extremely aggressive ... Team co-Player of the Year.

CHRISTINA MCKENZIE, Classical - Senior guard ... NEC all-star ... Averaged 12 points per game ... Co-leading scorer on the team and co-Offensive Player of the Year for the Rams ... Led team from the free-throw line (75 percent).

Season Roundup from the Lynn Journal

Lynn Classical came into this season having graduated six seniors from their previous edition. After a 10-9 regular season and one playoff appearance (a 54-31 loss to Lexington High on February 28), the Lady Rams are right back where they started.
 “We’re going to graduate six seniors again, and we’re surely going to miss them,” said head coach Tom Sawyer. “I was glad for them that we were able to qualify for the state tourney after not making it last year.”
Each of the six played a significant role for the 2007-2008 Rams, and each one will leave a different sort of void that must be filled by whoever steps up to take her place. Keila Brown, for example, was a dynamic floor general whom Coach Sawyer described as “the ultimate point guard”. In addition to being a confident ball-handler and play caller, Brown was a tenacious defender who had a knack for making the hustle plays.
Shardaye Berry, on the other hand, was a solid inside scoring threat who knew how to establish her position in the paint and go up with the ball or make the extra pass. Bryanna Connolly, meanwhile, was one of Classical’s top scoring options from the outside, and also was cited by Coach Sawyer as being the Rams’ best perimeter defender.
The Rams will also have to find a way to replace the offensive output of Christina McKenzie.
 “She was our leading scorer and a very good outside shooter,” said Sawyer. “She was kind of a zone buster. When you play against teams that like to play the zone defense, you have to find someone who can knock down the outside shot and keep them honest.”
Another strong outside shooter and ball-handler who will be graduating is Shante Berry, whom Coach Sawyer described as a “steadying force for our team”. Last, but not least, the Rams will need to replace the leadership of captain Jill Reddy, who was often called upon to guard the top post threat of the opposition and was also a player who did all the little things that don’t necessarily show up in the scorebook, but are essential to any competitive team.
It was due in large part to the efforts of those six seniors that Coach Sawyer never had to deal with any notions of his Rams being in “rebuilding” mode. Sawyer is hopeful that he can count on his returning players to do the same in 2008-2009.
Three current juniors, Francis Mathew, Pierna Mora and Sochitta Men, have emerged this season as leaders of the next wave of Lady Rams. Men has developed into a major presence in the paint with her nose for the ball and good hands around the basket, while Mora and Mathew have become two of Classical’s biggest contributors in the backcourt.
Ashley Flores has also demonstrated a nice touch from the outside and to be the heir apparent to McKenzie as the player who keeps opposing defenses honest with accuracy from the perimeter. Freshman Hannah Byrne is sure to come back hungry after her promising start was cut short by a injury when she suffered a broken nose in the fourth game of the season.
“We’ve got a nucleus of returning juniors and sophomores, and I think some freshmen as well have the potential to help next year,” said Sawyer. “That’s what I told all the kids at the end of the year. ‘You have the potential to be a good basketball team next year.’ It’s going to be up to those girls to play AAU ball and play in the summer and continue working hard.”

Bryanna Connolly had eight points for Classical in a loss to Lexington on Wednesday. (ITEM FILE PHOTO)

Classical Girls Fall to Lexington in Tournament

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, February 28, 2008

LEXINGTON -- The Lynn Classical girls basketball team came out of the locker room in the third quarter and proceeded to play as if it was 0-0.

The only problem was ... it wasn't 0-0. The team was down by 19, after having scored only 10 points over the first 16 minutes.

Things didn't get better, in terms of math, in the final two quarters. The 19-point deficit grew to 23 by the end of the game, and the Classical girls team lost, 54-31, in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 North tournament, as Lexington maintained its edge through the latter part of the game.

But as far as Classical coach Tom Sawyer was concerned, his girls didn't simply pack it in and go through the motions.

"We came out after the half, and really competed with them," he said. "We scrambled to make things happen, but we just came up short."

Classical had no match for Lexington's height ... or its defensive tenacity.

"We won," said coach Paul McManus, "because we played defense. Our trap really worked tonight, and that was a big factor."

The Minutemen put on a halfcourt trap from the outset, and Classical had trouble getting the ball over halfcourt. The trap also led to some errant passes by the Rams, as the Minutemen scored a lot of points off turnovers.

"In the first half," Sawyer said, "we just couldn't get off the mark. A lot of shots went in and out, and it did seem as if there was a lid on the basket.

"But that's a good team over there," he said, referring to Lexington. "That halfcourt trap gave us a lot of trouble. But our kids played hard to the end, and that's what we do at Classical."

"They're a good team," said McManus. "We knew what they could do. We've seen them. (Christina) McKenzie and (Keila Brown) ... they're good players."

Lexington scored 11 points before Classical scored its first two -- on a basket by Brown. McKenzie had the other hoop in the first quarter, and Shardaye Berry hit a free throw.

It was more of the same in the second quarter. Lexington, led by the game's high scorer, Nina Ugwuomo (22 points), and Alyssa Zahka (11), scored seemingly at will, while Classical, again, couldn't put the ball in the basket. Finally, at the end of the quarter, Bryanna Connolly hit two free throws and another bucket to put Classical in double digits.

The Rams came to life in the third quarter, outscoring Lexington, 14-13, but it was clearly too little, too late.

McKenzie and Connolly had eight points apiece to lead Classical.

"We graduate six seniors, and we're going to miss them a lot," said Sawyer. "But I'm proud of them."

Lexington will host Peabody Friday (7) in a quarterfinal game.

Classical's Keila Brown and English's Jenicia Duggins collide during Friday's game at Classical. ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA

Girls BB Team Loses to English

By Christian Mielcarek / For The Item,  February 15, 2008 

LYNN -- On Senior Night at Classical, the Rams hosted their inner-city rival English and took a moment prior to the contest to honor both schools' graduating class. Once the pleasantries were finished, it was the Bulldogs who sent their seniors home with one last regular season victory over their arch nemesis.

English took advantage of a myriad of early Ram turnovers, found their stroke from the beyond the arc and ultimately completed the three-game season sweep over Classical with a 59-49 win.

"All these girls know each other and respect each other," said Bulldogs coach Fred Hogan. "It's tough to play a team three times and beat them all three times in the same season, especially in this kind of hostel environment. The girls really grew up here tonight."

English (12-6) opened on a 7-0 run thanks in part to five Ram turnovers in the opening 2:38. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 10-2 before a 6-0 Classical run to close the first quarter tightened the score at 12-9.

The Rams (10-10) continued their hot streak in the early moments of the second quarter. Frances Mathieu pulled down an English free throw miss, raced down the court and was fouled while banking home a lay-up. Mathieu hit the ensuing free throw to tie the game at 12 all.

"Frances has really come on at the end of the year," said Ram coach Tom Sawyer. "She had a career-high 18 points tonight. She has a nice touch around the basket, and she's quick enough to actually get to there."

Mathieu (six rebounds, two assists) continued her torrid pace and propelled her team to an 11-3 run and a 20-15 lead.

Sixteen seconds later, the Bulldogs were right back in it. Sophomore sparkplug and point guard Jenicia Duggins was fouled while shooting a three, sunk it off the glass and hit the free throw to bring English back within one. Both teams exchanged baskets for the final four minutes of the half, and the Bulldogs entered the intermission with a slim 31-28 advantage.

English maintained its lead in the third quarter, but Classical remained pesky and kept the score within a few baskets. The Rams pulled as close as 38-34 midway through the quarter, but a 21-9 Bulldog run proved to be the demise of Classical. English built its lead to 16 before a few late baskets in the waning moments brought the deficit back down to 10.

"I think it was a little bit of Senior Night jitters," Sawyer said in response to his team's 21 turnovers (13 in the first half).

"It's kind of the way we play. We don't take care of the ball like we should, but we always battle back and give ourselves a chance. You hope they learn from their mistakes, and I think the girls do. That's all you can ask for as a coach."

A major reason the Bulldogs were able to triumph over their adversaries was because of the dominance of Northeastern Conference Large MVP Jeanette Anderson. Anderson matched Mathieu for the game-high 18 points and also had 14 rebounds.

"She's a dominant player. She's relentless on the boards and always gives us the same consistency," Hogan said.

"I told her and Jenicia (Duggins) we were going to need them to step up tonight, and they did."

Duggins finished with four of her team's ten three pointers and 17 points. She also five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block.

For the Rams, Christina McKenzie, Shante' Berry, Sochitta Men and Pierina Mora all had six points apiece.

Varsity

Junior Varsity

Freshmen

 Peabody 52, Classical 43 The Daily Item Roundup 2/13/08
At Peabody, the game was tied at the half and after being outscored by the Tanners, 23-10, in the third quarter, the Rams (10-9) managed to make it a game down the stretch. They cut the deficit to four with about two minutes remaining, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Peabody's Tawny Palmieri had 13 points and Lindsay Federico was good for 12 as the Tanners upped their record to 14-3, 13-2 Northeastern Conference. Federico also had 13 rebounds. The bench also provided some clutch play along the way for Peabody.

Classical's Christina McKenzie tries to shoot past Peabody's 

Michelle Grifoni Tuesday at Peabody High School.  (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Classical's Keila Brown and Peabody's Kristen Federico reach for the ball on Tuesday at Peabody High School. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Girls BB Team Qualifies for State Tournament

( Beats Salem Team 55-53 )
At Classical, the Rams spared coach Tom Sawyer a few gray hairs by defeating Salem to qualify for the state tournament. Classical (10-8) missed the cut last year. Had they lost to the Witches, the Rams would have needed to defeat either Northeastern Conference North champion Peabody or English, which is 11-5, to make the postseason.

Keila Brown led Classical with 19 points and Pierina Mora contributed 10 with 16 rebounds. Christina McKenzie (8 points), Frances Mathieu (13 rebounds) and Bryanna Connolly (5 points) also came up big.

Connolly was key down the stretch, hitting a free throw to put the Rams up by two, 55-53. Salem got the ball back and had a chance to tie or take the lead with a half of a second on the clock, but Connolly deflected the ball to end the game.

Classical Girls Impress vs. Mt. St. Joseph's

From The Daily Item of Lynn, 2/8/08

Beverly 44, Classical 40

At Beverly, the Rams (8-8, 6-7 Northeastern Conference) couldn't get into a rhythm, although they did trim a nine-point deficit down in the final few minutes. Keila Brown had 11 points for Classical and Christina McKenzie added nine. Pierina Mora also played well with nine points.

Classical 55, Revere 52

At Revere, the Rams (8-7, 6-6 Northeastern Conference) kept their tournament hopes alive, although there were a few anxious moments in this one. Classical trailed by four with two minutes remaining, and then the Rams held their breath when a Christina Cavagnaro last-ditch shot that would have tied it missed. Keila Brown (14 points) and Christina McKenzie (13 points) supplied an offensive lift for Classical along with Pierina Mora, who had nine points.

Revere (6-10) continues to play just about everyone tough. Morgan Jenkins led the Patriots with 14 points and Cavagnaro finished with 11.

Classical 44, Marblehead 31

At Marblehead, the Rams (7-7, 5-6 Northeastern Conference) rode the hot hands of Keila Brown and Christina McKenzie, who each had 11 points. Pierina Mora added eight. Laura Kanarski led the Magicians with eight points.

Classical 63, Mt. St. Joseph's 37

At Classical, the Rams (6-7, 4-6 Northeastern Conference) got the job done with a balanced scoring attack, solid defense and much-improved free-throw shooting. Frances Mathieu led the offense with 15 points and Christina McKenzie was good for 13 points. Shardaye Berry (7 points) and Pierina Mora and Sochetta Men, six points each, contributed as well.

 Danvers Beats Classical, 47 - 38

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, 1/25/08

Danvers High sharpshooter Danielle Sherry needed eight points to hit the 1,000 career-point milestone heading into Friday night's game against Classical and she didn't waste any time doing it.Sherry hit the jackpot on a free throw in the first quarter and went on to lead her team to a 47-38 win at Classical. Sherry finished with 22 points.
"She's very difficult to defend," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "She's a very good outside shooting, but she can also take the ball inside."
Classical hung in most of the game, but fouls down the stretch helped swell the final scorer.
"Turnovers killed us," Sawyer said. "We had too many trips down the floor where we didn't' even get off a shot."
Christina McKenzie had 10 points for the Rams, who are 5-7. Danvers has won four in a row and six of its last seven games.
"Classical played very tough," Danvers coach Pat Veilleux said. "It was nice to get a win on the road and for Danielle to get her 1,000th."

Gloucester 48, Classical 43
By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, 1/19/08
At Gloucester, junior forward Pierina Mora scored 16 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to keep the Fishermen at bay. Shante Berry had eight points and Francis Matheiu, six points. Jill Lukegord had 15 points and Hannah Cain, 12, for Gloucester (7-4).

 Winthrop's Finn Scores 1,000th Career Point, Beats Classical

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, January 15, 2008

Winthrop guard Courtney Finn needed 17 points to reach 1,000 career points heading into Tuesday's game against Classical, and for most players, that would be a stretch. For Finn, however, it was just another day at the office.
The junior buried seven 3-pointers to finish with 30 points, nearly twice as many as she needed to earn a spot on the banner at Winthrop High School. The Vikings won the game, 55-32, at Classical.
"It was a good show," Winthrop coach Peter Grimes said. "It was worth the admission."
Finn accomplished the feat in only 56 games. She's now chasing another great Winthrop High player, Liz Doherty, for the all-time scoring record at the school. Doherty had close to 1,300 points. Grimes wasn't sure of the exact number.
Although the Vikings (8-1, 6-1 Northeastern Conference) were without one of their top guns, Katarina Mallios (ankle), the rest of the team more than picked up the slack. Nicole Giaquinto finished with 11 points and Kristen Finn with 10 points.
Classical (5-5, 4-4 Northeastern Conference) couldn't do much to offset the potent Winthrop attack. Bryanna Connolly finished with 11 points and Christina McKenzie had seven.
"Courtney Finn almost outscored us by herself," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.

 Swampscott Girls Hoop Beats Classical

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, 1/12/08

SWAMPSCOTT -- Too much Tara Nimkar.   Classical High girls basketball coach Tom Sawyer knew heading into Friday's clash with Swampscott his team would have to find a way to at least slow down Nimkar. It didn't happen.
The Big Blue won 58-36 and Nimkar supplied half the offense with 24 points.
Allie Beaulieu threw a little salt in the wound with 17 points.
"Too much Tara Nimkar," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
"That was the problem. She does a tremendous job getting herself in an open position to receive the ball ... Even when we tried to fully deny her she was able to shake the defense and get herself open."
Swampscott (9-1) went on a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take the lead for good, but Classical (5-4) stayed within striking distance until midway through the third quarter.
Back-to-back threes by Beaulieu and Jenn Cleary turned a seven-point spread into a 13-point lead in a hurry.
"We didn't really do a good job executing our game plan, but you have to give credit to Swampscott for that," Sawyer said.
Although she didn't score a point, Swampscott guard Marissa Gambale provided the Big Blue with the early spark.
"She really got us going early," Swampscott coach Jack Hughes said.
"She did a good job pushing the ball up the court, hitting people, making them have to get back quickly."
Hughes said he very happy with the way his team is progressing, particularly Kara Gilberg (8 points) and Cleary (5 points).
"They're getting more confidence which means you can't stack everyone up on Nimkar and Beaulieu," Hughes said.
Senior guards Bryanna Connolly and Keila Brown each had eight points for Classical with Shardaye Berry checking in with six.
"Bryanna Connolly gave everything she had. She left it all out on the floor," Sawyer said. "She's quick and she uses her quickness."
Swampscott, whose only loss was to Pentucket in the Haverhill tournament, plays Revere next.
Things don't get any easier for the Rams next week. They'll play Winthrop at home on Tuesday.

Winter Game Schedules:

Classical's Bryanna Connolly is out in front of English's Jenicia Duggins during last night's game at the Bulldogs' gym. ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA

Lady Bulldogs Beat Classical for Best Start in 15 Years

Christian Mielcarek / For The Item, January 5, 2008 

LYNN -- English's campaign to rule the Northeastern Conference garnered support and gained momentum with its 54-50 victory over archrival Classical.
The win improved the Bulldog's record to an impressive 6-1.
"This is the best start the school's had in 15 years," said English coach Fred Hogan.
For much of the contest, it was a battle of the two point guards. While neither had a monster scoring night, they both set the tone for their teams and the pace of the game.
Bulldog Jenicia Duggins had a stellar night and continued to impress early into her high school career. The 5-4 sophomore dropped in 11 points to go along with seven boards, six assists and six steals.
"She played very well," Hogan said. "We always say 'Our young girls are getting the chance to grow up on the court'."
Keila Brown only had five points for the Rams, but her style of play caused a persistent problem for English. Brown weaved in and out of the defense and played with her typical reckless abandon and compiled six rebounds and four assists.
Classical (4-3) opened the game on a 7-2 run, but the Bulldogs methodically crept back throughout the first quarter, and at the conclusion, they trailed 13-12.
The second quarter was a back and forth battle. Both teams swapped the lead six times, and as they headed into their respective areas for halftime, the score was even at 26.
English took control of the game in the early moments of the second half when its 12-3 run in the third quarter provided the team a lead they would not relinquish.
"We need to execute better," said Ram coach Tom Sawyer. "It's easy to execute in practice, but we need to do it in a game situation. When emotions are flowing and the crowd gets going, we need to be able to focus and execute."
Classical raised the tension level in the fourth quarter and were as close as five on multiple occasions but never managed to pull any closer than the final four-point deficit.
The Bulldog made the focal point of their defense Ram's tri-captain Christina McKenzie and held the scorer to six points.
"We have a lot of respect for her," Hogan said. "She's their offense. After the game, I told her we played defense the way we did because of her. We respect her skills a lot."
Classical received an especially strong effort from two of their bench players. Junior Sochitta Men scored five points and pulled down 11 rebounds (five on the offensive end) and Pierina Mora earned mention from her coach as a result of her ten point performance.
"Coach (Kevin) McDormand works with all the forwards," Sawyer said. "He focuses on the fundamentals, and Sochitta has been getting better and better every game."
Along with Duggins, Jeanette Anderson played another solid game for English. Anderson was a force under the glass and had 12 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals, all while playing fewer minutes than normal due to early foul trouble.
Kayla Murkinson also played well and scored ten points for the victorious home team.
The Bulldog's collective effort not only earned them their sixth win, but something maybe equally as important to the team: a weekend free of practice.
"The girls get two days off in a row for the first time this season," Hogan said. "After four straight days of practice after the (Walter) Boverini tournament, we promised them if they beat Classical they could two days in a row off, and in the locker room, they chose Saturday and Sunday."

Christina McKenzie had 14 points for the Rams and Keila Brown had nine. The Tanners (4-0) had a big game from Michele Grifoni (20 points with 9-for-10 free-throw shooting) Lindsay Consoles had eight points and eight rebounds and Janelle Rodriguez had four points and eight rebounds.
"The kids brought the effort. It's not a lack of trying," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
Peabody coach Jane Heil was pleased with her team's effort and happy with the competition in the Northeastern Conference.
"Every night is a challenge," Heil said. "We're working extremely hard to get these wins."

Lynn Classical 55, St. Mary’s 47

Reprinted from the Lynn Journal
The Rams looked sharp early on, charging out to a 16-9 advantage after one quarter, but the Spartans would slowly hack away at the lead. St. Mary’s actually took a lead late in the third quarter but junior forward Sochitta Men quickly put the Rams back on top with a lay-up. Spartans freshman forward Tori Faieta scored a two-point field goal on the last possession of the period to tie the game at 36 heading into the fourth quarter.
At the start of the fourth, both teams caught fire. Christina McKenzie got things started for the Rams with a three-pointer to open the quarter. The Spartans answered with a lay-up from freshman forward Cassie Amenta. Shante Berry promptly followed with another three for the Rams, but St. Mary’s answered right back again with a three at the other end from Amy Bozarjian.
Classical all but salted the game away minutes later when they went on an 11-4 run, capped off by a field-goal from Christina McKenzie. McKenzie played a starring role for the Rams with 21 points. Keila Brown was second on the team in scoring with 10 points.
“McKenzie played well,” said Rams head coach Tom Sawyer. “She is a force offensively, and she’s playing better and better defense. You’ve gotta be able to play both ends of the floor and she’s improved each and every week… The kids hung tough and executed down the stretch. That’s what we’ve been looking for all year long and they brought it today.”
The Spartans were led in scoring by Tori Faieta, who finished with 17 points, while Jenna Blydell added 14. “I thought we played better than we’ve been playing,” said St. Mary’s head coach Jeff Newhall. “I saw a lot of good things happen. We had our opportunities. We’re a young team and coming into a new situation sometimes we struggle but the next time we’re in that situation I anticipate we’ll do better.”

Classical Outlasts Salem

Reprinted from the Daily Item, 12/19/07

The Classical High Girls Basketball team survived a scare, and still managed to pull out a 45-39 win over Salem Tuesday at Salem.
The Rams held a seemingly comfortable 25-6 lead at the half, but the Witches fought their way back into the game and at one point came to within three points.
"We weathered the storm and came out victorious," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
Shardaye Berry was the big gun for the Rams, scoring 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Schitte Men also had a good game, scoring seven points with 10 rebounds. Christina McKenzie (10 points) cooled down a little from her first two games, where she scored 23 and 21 points, but she still helped out with 10. Keila Brown also had seven.
"We told them at the half that Salem will make a run and they did," Sawyer said, adding his team was up by as many as 19 early on.

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Classical's Keila Brown runs into Beverly's Alex Vavladells on Friday evening at Classical. Christina McKenzie of the Rams watches in the background. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Classical Girls Hoop Stuns Beverly

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, Friday, December 14, 2007

LYNN -- Christina McKenzie scored 19 second-half points, including a 3-pointer with 42 seconds remaining, to lead the Classical girls basketball team to a 54-47 come-from-behind win over Beverly Friday at Classical.

McKenzie, who only had two points in the first half, found her groove and then some after the break. She scored three of her five threes in a 3 1/2 minute span in the third quarter to bring the Rams, who trailed 30-18 at the half, back.

"The most important thing is that we trailed for three quarters and the kids stuck with it, they executed well," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "Here's a kid (McKenzie) whose shot wasn't going in in the first half. We told her (and the other players), if you're open, shoot the ball. You can't worry about the last one or you'll miss the next one."

Beverly coach Matt Smith knew McKenzie, who scored 23 points against Peabody earlier in the week, could do some damage, but stopping her proved easier said than done.
"You can't leave a good shooter by herself," Smith said. "We didn't execute defensively."

Beverly (0-2) still led (37-33) heading into the fourth quarter, but the Rams (2-0) didn't let up. McKenzie hit another three to close the gap to 39-36 and Shardaye Berry (8 points) hit a bucket to cut the lead to one.

The Panthers started to pull away again with just under four minutes remaining, taking a 45-40 lead on two free throws, but Classical didn't buckle. Keila Brown, who kept the Rams in the running with 11 first-half points, supplied the late-game heroics defensively and at the free-throw line.  Brown, who finished with 20 points, had a hoop and a free throw to help close the gap to 47-45 with 1:14 remaining. That set the stage for McKenzie, whose 3-pointer with 42 seconds remaining put the Rams ahead, 48-47.

Beverly still had time to pull this one out, but Brown stole the ball at midcourt on the ensuing possession and got fouled in the process. She hit both shots to make the score 50-47.  At this point, the Panthers had to foul to get the ball back. The Rams hadn't been impressive at the line earlier in the night, but McKenzie nailed a pair with 16 seconds remaining and Brown hit two more in the waning seconds. The two combined went 6-for-6 from the line in the final 18 seconds.

A Strong Start    Written by Christina Mckenzie

The girls basketball team had their opening game last night vs Revere at Revere and we were proud of the  way we played. Of course, there's still work that needs to be done, but with a whole new bench, we couldn't be prouder.
Returning seniors  include Keila Brown, Shante Berry, Shardaye Berry, Jillian Reddy, Bryanna Conolly (who's out on an injury,) and me, are ready to do business. Also returning are Frances Mathieu, Sochitta Men, and Ashley Flores. We have a newcomer who's a freshman, Hannah Byrnes. The younger players are bringing a lot to the table and we hope they keep it up. 

Last night we started a little rusty in the first quarter but we then pulled it together and kept it together for the last three quarters . We played with heart and confidence and it pulled us through for a win. When the time came we dug deep and it paid off. Our coach Tom Sawyer is another top reason why we won. He identified the issues and addressed them to his players, gave us the corrections, and we went out there and did what we could to perfect them. He did an amazing job and we believe he has high expectations of us. 

The way we played last night makes me believe that we can beat anyone in the NEC. We just have to play hard every quarter of the game and, most of all, stay together as a team. We do this and we will be just fine, ladies. I'm proud of us all and I'm confident we can get to were we want to be.

Game 1 -Classical 63, Revere 53
Reprinted from the Daily Item 12/12/07
At Revere, the Rams (1-0) struggled defensively in the first quarter, giving up 17 points. But they would settle down from there and used 23 points from Christina McKenzie to get the win.
"I was very happy with the effort that the kids brought," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
Kayla Brown also reached double figures with 15 points and Sochitta Men had seven of her eight points down the stretch to put the game away.
Revere (1-1) got 13 points from Christina Cavagnaro and nine from Morgan Jenkins.
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Classical Steps Up for Duchane Jamboree
The Paul Duchane jamboree got the girls basketball season off to a rousing start Saturday night at Lynn Classical.

The Rams used strong runs to begin and close the game in their victory. Classical sprinted to a quick 9-0 edge behind the hot shooting of Christina McKenzie, but they saw their advantage shrink to just 12-8 at the break.
Wakefield fought back to tie the game at 16, but the Rams went on another run to seal the win. They outscored Wakefield 13-2 over the final five minutes, with Frances Mathieu and Shante Berry providing some instant offense.
"I liked the energy tonight," said Classical coach Tom Sawyer. "We talked a lot about energy and effort. If they bring it (every night), we have a chance to compete with anyone."
McKenzie led the Rams with 11 points, while Keila Brown chipped in 7.

Classical Girls Prep for 2007-08 Season

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, Wednesday, November 27, 2007

Classical coach Tom Sawyer is counting on a solid contingent of returning seniors and an assortment of talented underclassmen to get the job done this season. The Rams finished 7-13 last year.

Graduation took its toll on Classical. Taneka Brown, the Rams' main offensive threat, is playing at Merrimack College and Tonisha Tate has graduated. Tate missed most of her senior year with an injury. Lauren Kolodziej and Cierra Campbell also graduated.

The good news for the Rams is that 51 players showed up for the first day of tryouts, including 18 freshmen. Sawyer was very happy with the freshman turnout, particularly given the fact the players turned out despite having to make the bus ride from Fecteau-Leary to the O'Callaghan Way school.

Among the returning players are senior captains Jill Reddy, Keila Brown and Christina McKenzie. Reddy is a forward and Brown and McKenzie are guards. They'll be joined by fellow seniors Shardaye Berry (forward), Shante Berry (guard) and Bryanna Connolly (guard).

"We're counting on Keila Brown to run the show, to get her own points and set up her teammates," Sawyer said, adding he's looking for McKenzie to pick up some of the offense he lost.

"Everybody is going to have to pick up their game," he said.

Sawyer will be joined on the sidelines by Kevin McDormand and Matt Ridley, who will help out with the JV and varsity. Dennis Baldini will coach the junior varsity and Cara Baldini, a former Classical High player, will coach the freshmen along with Caileen Mahoney, a teacher at the school who played at Lynnfield High under former coach Brian McDormand.

"We want to play hard, be competitive, play good defense and see what that brings us in terms of wins," Sawyer said.

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2006-2007 Season

Varsity Girls Basketball Team 2007

Seniors and Captains

Girls Basketball Junior Varsity Team 2007

Team Roster - - - Carisa Brown , Katrina Mishel , Kim Sandiford, Diamond Doe, Shelby Innes, Diedra Archibald, Terresa Laboy, Dora Malila, Iraday Matoes, Danielle Murphy, and Charianna Torres

Congratulations to TANEKA BROWN, named as a League All-Star from Classical: Senior guard ... NEC/ North MVP ... averaged 16 points per game, six rebounds, four steals and four assists ... led team in all four categories ... three-year league all-star ... ability to not only create her own shot, but penetrate and create good shots for teammates ... will play at Merrimack College.

Head Coach : Tom Sawyer  

Assistant Coach :   Chris Warren

 JV Coach :  Dennis Baldini

 Taneka Brown has Memorable Night for Classical

Taneka Brown had a senior night to remember, scoring 25 points to help the Classical High girls basketball team to a 75-49 win over Gloucester.

"(Brown) played a complete game at both ends of the court," Rams coach Tom Sawyer said. "All of the seniors had a great night, but (Brown) led them all."

The Merrimack College-bound Brown also finished with assists and six steals. Fellow senior, Savanna Clemens was only two points away from a double double, with 10 rebounds. Lindsey Rogers (16 points) and Jillian Lukegord (15 points) led the Gloucester offense.

After the win, Classical is 7-9 and 5-7 in the NEC. The Rams need three wins to make the tournament.

English's Jenicia Duggins goes up for a shot with Classical's Jillian Reddy Friday at Classical. Photo/Reba M. Saldanha

Classical Girls Hang on to Put Away English

By Christian Mielcarek, For The Daily Item of Lynn, 1/27/2007

LYNN -- The Classical girls basketball team hung on for dear life last night, withstanding a furious last-minute rally by English to take a 59-52 win over the Lady Bulldogs in the first of two intra-city games this season.

The Lady Rams seemed to have the game won with two minutes to go and a 10-point lead. All they needed to do was hit their foul shots and ice the game. But English was intent on a different ending.

English engineered a late 10-3 run, and seven consecutive Ram free throw misses allowed the Lady Bulldogs to claw within three with 13.7 seconds left. However, the Lady Dogs could not stop Classical standout Taneka Brown, who scored when it mattered most, carrying her team to a 59-52 triumph in another cross-town classic.

"It would have been nice if we could have hit our free throws at the end," said Classical coach Tom Sawyer. "It would have made it a lot less interesting."

Brown made the most of her free throw opportunities, shooting 15 of 20 from the charity stripe (11 for 14 in the second half) and led all scorers with 23 points to go along with four steals and three assists.

Sophomore forward Jeanette Anderson was a force on the glass, and her 26 rebounds were single handedly more than  Rams pulled down collectively. Anderson also dropped in 16 points and was her team's high scorer along with co-captain Renay Hamilton.

Hamilton got off to a slow start and only managed two first half points, but she bounced back in the latter portion of the game to finish with a double-double of her own. The feisty guard filled out the stat sheet, totaling 16 points, 10 boards, four assists, three steals and a block. Her eight of 10 shooting from the free throw line in the second half was a key component to the Lady Bulldog's spirited late game comeback.

"We never say die," Hogan said. "That's the attitude we have. No matter the situation we have a chance to come back. We believe in that philosophy and our team is built on our never say die attitude."

Although English trumped Classical 58-54 in the first round of the City Championship earlier this season, Sawyer insisted that loss was not a motivational factor heading into last night's match-up.

"You don't need any motivation when English and Classical play each other," Sawyer said. "It doesn't matter what the sport is or what the records are, you know it's coming down to the wire."

The win pushed the Ram's record to 6-7, while the loss dropped the Lady Bulldogs to 7-5.

Classical-English Basketball Rivalry to Write Another Chapter Tonight

By Joyce Erekson, The Daily Item of Lynn, 1/26/07

Throw out the record books.

Every time Classical and English play each other, no matter what the sport, the "throw out the record books" cliché gets trotted out and sometimes it even ends up being true. There have certainly been plenty of upsets over the years, but for the last decade or so, at least in girls basketball, Classical has pretty much owned the rivalry.

English coach Fred Hogan is looking to change that when the teams meet tonight at Classical (7). This will be the second time they've played each other this season and English is up 1-0 in the three-game set, having defeated the Rams in the Boverini Tournament over Christmas vacation.

Although the jury is still out on whether the win constitutes a shift in power or the beginning of a much more balanced rivalry, the English girls are shaping up as a team to be reckoned with this season and in the foreseeable future.

English heads into the game with a 7-4 record and Classical is 5-7. The Rams have been without one of their big guns, Tonisha Tate (broken foot), for several games and her absence has been felt.

"It's definitely going to be a good game," Hogan said. "They're still a good basketball team over there. Taneka Brown is one of the best players in the league ... We're going to be well-prepared for Lynn Classical. We expect them to come out really pumped up. We won the Lynn tournament this year and that was their trophy for the last two years."

After getting off to a rocky start this season, English strung together a five-game winning streak that went a long way toward putting last year's 4-16 season in the rear-view mirror.

Although Hogan has seen several of his younger players, including freshman Jenicia Duggins and sophomore Jeanette Anderson, make huge strides this season, the heart of the English attack is still senior guard Renay Hamilton.

Hamilton is averaging 16.9 points per game. Anderson, a forward, is averaging 12 points per game and a whopping 18 rebounds. She had 157 rebounds as a freshman and is already up to 200 this year. Duggins has also had a big impact, averaging 10.8 points per game. She leads the team in threes with 15. Diaysha Brewington is coming off what Hogan said was her best game of the season, scoring 16 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in the Bulldogs' last game.

Teams tend to have different ways to get motivated and English is no exception. After a particularly tough loss to Beverly early in the season, Hogan had his players out running the Lynn Commons the next morning at 8 a.m. The Bulldogs went on to rattle off a couple of wins and now the team, at the players' urging, runs the Commons on a regular basis.

Classical coach Tom Sawyer is expecting a good game tonight.

"We hope it's going to be a very competitive game," Sawyer said. "Both teams are fairly equal and the first game was really close (English won 58-54)."

Although this is Sawyer's first year as head coach, he was on board for several English-Classical games during his tenure as former coach Gene Constantino's assistant.

"Since I've been here, we've been very fortunate to have some very good teams," Sawyer said.

Sawyer will be counting on senior Taneka Brown, who's averaging about 14 points a game; junior Keila Brown, who has been steadily improving all season; and Christina MacKenzie, to shoulder a lot of the offensive load.

Although English has become much more of a force this year, Sawyer said the Northeastern Conference probably has eight or nine teams that can get the job done on a given night.

"You have to be on your 'A' game every night," Sawyer said. "The game in front of us is always the most important one."

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Taneka and Keila Swish Classical to Victory over Gloucester

By Joyce Erekson, The Daily Item of Lynn, 1/17/07

It was a productive day for the Classical, English and Tech girls basketball teams, with all three picking up wins.

At Gloucester, the Rams (4-5) have been struggling lately, but they got the job done against the Fishermen. Junior Keila Brown had a huge game, scoring what coach Tom Sawyer believes was a career high: 16 points. She also had five assists and four offensive rebounds. Point guard Taneka Brown led all scorers with 23 points.

"Taneka had another outstanding game," Sawyer said.

Classical trailed 26-25 at the half, but the Rams turned up the heat defensively after the break and started to pull away. Jill Lukegord had 10 points for Gloucester (2-8) and Alicia Unis added eight.

"We played much better defense in the second half," Sawyer said.

Varsity Roster

 Girls Freshmen Team 2007

 Difficult Night for Classical Girls

By Joyce Erekson, The Daily Item, 1/10/07

It was a tough day on and off the court Tuesday for the Classical High girls basketball team. The Rams lost to Danvers, 51-36, at Danvers, and they did it without three key players, Tonisha Tate, Lauren Kolodziej and Jill Reddy. Tate, who averages approximately 10 points per game and dominates the boards, is out four to six weeks with a broken foot, and Kolodziej and Reddy are mourning the death of their cousin, former St. Mary's High hockey player Patrick Reddy, in a car accident Monday night.
"It's just heartbreaking," Classical High coach Tom Sawyer said about Reddy's death. "I just feel so bad for those kids (Jill and Lauren)."
Danvers coach Pat Veilleux also felt for the Classical team playing under such difficult circumstances.
"We know it wasn't a full Classical team," Veilleux said. "They (Classical) hung in there."

Discussing his missing players in yesterday's game, Sawyer said, "We could never get over the hump ... We must have had eight to 10 traveling calls alone. We didn't play good defense. We gave up too many points."
The coach added that turnovers hurt his team as well.
Taneka Brown led the Rams (3-5) with 15 points.
The Falcons (5-4) had another strong game from Danielle Sherry (16 points), Kayla Corbett (14 points) and Ashley Burnham (10 points).

Sawyer said the team has another tough one on Friday when Beverly comes to town.
"We have to come out and play better defense and take care of the ball," he said. "If we can do that, we can play with anybody, but if we don't do that, we're going to struggle."
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Swampscott Girls Hoop Stops Classical in Season Opener
By Matthew Roy / For The Daily Item of Lynn, Wednesday, December 13, 2006

It might say December on the calendar, but there was a tournament feel at Swampscott on Tuesday as the high school season kicked off.

     The Big Blue and Lynn Classical were back-and-forth for 32 minutes before the hosts came away with a 62-55 win thanks to 17 points and 15 rebounds from sophomore Tara Nimkar.

     "Boy, it really felt like a championship tournament in here (Tuesday)," Swampscott coach Jack Hughes said. "Classical is very good but I was happy with our kids' effort."

     The Rams (0-1) certainly didn't make life easy for the defending Division 3 North champions as Taneka Brown maneuvered through the Swampscott defense for a game-high 21 points.

     "This is a tough place to play and I thought we came in and competed really well," first-year Classical head coach Tom Sawyer said.

     Brown's performance even had the attention of Hughes on the Swampscott bench.

     "She (Brown) is a heck of a player. She made a couple of moves that were great, but I think we did a real good job on her. She had to earn her points," Hughes said.

     Things started off on the right foot for Classical as it ran out to a 7-1 lead before the Big Blue responded to lead 10-9 with nine minutes left in the half.

     Brown would then be the spark of a 13-5 Rams spurt over the next three minutes that gave Classical a 22-12 lead on Christina McKenzie's pull-up with 5:00 left in the half.

     The Big Blue, who were cold from the floor for the first 11 minutes, finally got going when McKinley Tennant buried a three from the left corner.

     Allie Beaulieu added a pair of hoops in a 14-2 half-closing run that gave Swampscott a 26-24 lead at the break.

     "We looked a little rusty and unsure of ourself early, but this group has confidence in each other and I knew that they would get in it," Hughes said.

     Classical played most of that first half without Tonisha Tate, who was in foul trouble. She returned at the start of the second and brought the Rams within a point twice before leaving with four fouls at the 11:00 mark.

     Swampscott proceeded to exploit the Rams' weakness down low thanks to a constant pounding of the glass. The Big Blue's lead grew to a game-high eight at 40-32 with 8:10 to go.

     Classical wasn't quite ready to pack it in as McKenzie and Brown led the Rams on a 9-4 stretch that closed the gap to 46-43.

     The margin was still three as the clock ticked under 2:00 left before one of the Big Blue's seniors, Tara Driscoll, got a long rebound and buried a three from the right wing with 1:40 left for a 55-49 lead.

     Tennant and Beaulieu would then go 7-of-10 from the line in the final 1:21 to salt away the win.

     "The kids competed all night and I couldn't be any more proud of them for that," Sawyer said.

Duchane Jamboree Excites Girls Basketball Fans
By Jonathan Weiner / For The Daily Item of Lynn, Monday, December 11, 2006

Aficionados of girls basketball flocked to Lynn Classical this past Saturday for the 14th Paul Duchane Jamboree. According to Classical athletic director Dick Ruth, the jamboree raised more than $2,000, the most it has ever raised.

     Classical got ready for the first season of the Tom Sawyer era by falling to Masco, 25-16. The Rams scored the game's first two points on a pair of free throws by Tameka Brown just nine seconds into the contest, but went cold from the floor until teammate Jill Reddy netted the squad's first field goal with 2:58 remaining in the first half.

     "Tonight we wanted to knock the rust loose, and to see how we did with our defense," said Sawyer, who replaced longtime coach Gene Constantino. "The kids have been competing every minute they've been out on the court, and my system isn't a whole lot different than Gene's. We do a lot of the things he did."

     The Rams trailed 12-5 at the half, and closed the gap to 12-9 early in the second half. Yet Masco, which fell to Melrose in the Division 2 North final last season, took control the rest of the way.

     Brown led Classical with nine points, while Reddy added five.

Classical Opens Season versus NEC Powers Swampscott and Winthrop

Story and Photo by Cary Shuman, The Lynn Journal, December 6, 2006

Think of being Wisconsin and playing Ohio State and Michigan in your first two Big 10 football games.
And that’s the challenge facing new Lynn Classical girls basketball coach Tom Sawyer, whose club faces Northeastern Conference co-favorites Swampscott (Tuesday) and Winthrop (Friday) in the season’s first week.
Swampscott and Winthrop met in last year’s Division 3 North final with Swampscott prevailing in overtime. Both teams have several of their players returning, and along with Jeff Newhall’s St. Mary’s Lady Spartans, they represent the teams to beat in Division 3 North.
Sawyer has planned his preseason schedule accordingly. The Rams have scrimmaged Masconomet and Peabody. They’ll play Andover Friday and Masconomet again on Saturday in the Paul Duchane Jamboree. Masconomet, Peabody, and Andover are all reigning league champions and state title contenders.
“We tried to get the best scrimmages to get us ready for the season,” said Sawyer. “We want to play the best.”
Sawyer will look to captains Taneka Brown, Tonisha Tate, and Lauren Kolodziej to lead the Rams back to the Division 1 tournament. Classical was 17-5 last year under former coach Gene Constantino.
The other returning players are Savanna Clemens, Christina McKenzie, Shardaye Berry, Jillian Reddy, Jen Saravia, Bryanna Connolly, and Keila Brown.
Looking at Games 1 and 2 on the schedule, Sawyer said, “It doesn’t matter if you play those teams early or late in the season. Swampscott and Winthrop are really good teams, and if you want to be successful against them, we’re going to have to play really well.”
Swampscott features returning players Tara Driscoll, McKinley Tennant, Gwen Luke, Tara Nimkar, and Ali Beaulieu. Winthrop is led by sensational sophomore guard Courtney Finn, who scored more than 400 points as a freshman. Other returning players are sophomores Meredith Soper, Katerina Mallios, and Kelley Mahoney and juniors Kristen Finn and Nicole Giaquinto.
“Swampscott and Winthrop are loaded again,” said Sawyer. “Winthrop has a number of players who are basketball smart and can shoot the ball, and they’re well-coached as well.”

Jillian Reddy and Bryanna Connolly have been named as the captains of the 2007 Lynn Classical girls soccer team. Coach Marcy Durgin announced the captains at the team’s break-up banquet Thursday night. Reddy and Connolly are forwards and three-year varsity players. They are also members of the school’s varsity basketball team.

     Sawyer said he had approximately 40 girls show up for the first day of tryouts, including between 15-18 freshmen. Classical will open at Swampscott on Tuesday, Dec. 12. The Rams will tune up for that one in the Paul Duchane Jamboree on Saturday, Dec. 9, at Classical They'll face Masconomet in that one.