The Bromfield boys were the victors in an intense matchup against the Ayer Shirley Panthers last Friday, Jan. 22, beating their rivals decisively, 81–66. The team now ranks third in its league, with a 5–2 record in league play and an 8–4 record overall.
Senior Jake Frackiewicz started the night off well, scoring nine of the Trojans’ 14 first-quarter points. Ayer Shirley’s crowd cheered loudly and often from the get-go, spurring the Panthers to a 15-14 lead as the quarter ended, six of their points coming from Ben Hebert.
The Trojans got the second quarter going with a layup from senior Ben Neville and 13 more points from Frackiewicz. Other Bromfield players contributed an additional six points, pushing Bromfield past Ayer Shirley to take the lead, 36-32. Panther Hebert had the last word, however, with a half-court shot that banked in as the second-quarter buzzer sounded.
Trojan Ben Neville added nine points in the third quarter while Frackiewicz scored five more, setting the pace steadily as the team scored 20 points in the quarter. However, the Panthers countered each Trojan shot with one of their own, adding an equal number of points and keeping the game close heading into the fourth quarter. When the third quarter ended, the score was 56–52.
In the fourth quarter, Bromfield barraged Ayer Shirley with 25 points, with Frackiewicz providing eight more, while Neville put five on the board. The Panthers mustered 14 points, unable to keep up after an intense game for three quarters against the Trojans. Frackiewicz finished the night with 35 points, while Neville had 18. Senior Trojan Mark Schwiegershausen also contributed throughout the game with 15 points.
Bromfield was next scheduled to play at home against West Boylston on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Michael Jarosz is a 2015 graduate of the Bromfield School.
