The boys varsity basketball team ended its regular season on a high note, beating rival Gardner 55-41 at home Feb. 15 in the last game before the state playoff tournament, for which Bromfield’s power ranking is 56. The Trojans also beat Assabet Valley at home Feb. 14, 47-35. Senior night, held on Monday, Feb. 12, might have been a disappointing loss for Bromfield against North Brookfield, 62-58, but the stands were packed, the gym was decorated, and the mood was jovial as the team heralded their graduating players.
All three Bromfield seniors started Monday night’s game against North Brookfield, including Luke MacLean, Christopher Demetros, and team manager Matt Hood. By the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 11-11, and neither team made much progress before the half was over. The Trojans were down 26-21. North Brookfield had a strong third quarter, scoring 21 points, but that didn’t deter Bromfield from coming out in the fourth to score 25 points and fight for the win all the way to the end. With just 23 seconds left in the game, the score was 58-56, North Brookfield. Bromfield scored, tying the game. North Brookfield sank a layup, pulling ahead again. With six seconds on the clock, the Trojans fouled a North Brookfield shooter who made his free throws, ending the game, and senior night.
Bromfield held the lead throughout the game against Assabet Valley on Feb. 14. By the end of the first quarter, the Trojans were up 10-6, and by the half, the score was 20-15. In what is becoming his signature move, junior Lucas Bala started the third quarter with two 3-pointers before a minute had even gone by on the clock. Game high-scorer and junior co-captain Ethan Russo helped bring home the 12-point win with his 22 game points.
While the Trojans had already secured their spot in the MIAA playoff tournament taking place the week of Feb. 26 (dates and locations are still to be determined), there was zero complacency in the game against Gardner at Bromfield on Thursday, Feb. 16. In a postgame interview, Coach Tim Skaggs talked about the pep talk he had given his players. “This is the last senior game at home. Whatever happens today, you can’t get this night back,” Skaggs said to his team. “You want to walk away from the gym knowing you did the best that you could. Like the [Nike] swatch on your jersey says, ‘Just Do It.’”
And do it they did. Senior Luke Mac-Lean took the high-scorer title with 22 points. The game was close at first, with Bromfield up by just 1 point at halftime, 27-26. The lead grew in the third quarter to 43-34 and finished with Bromfield ahead by 14 points at 55-41.
“All the guys contributed to the win,” said Skaggs. “Charlie’s presence [freshman Charlie Gowel] … he was a force. All the guys played their role. Luke [MacLean] did all the things he is capable of doing. It’s a puzzle, putting a group of personalities together.” Skaggs said he encourages the players to stop thinking about how many baskets they scored and play their roles. “Play the defense and the puzzle will come together,” he said.
The Trojans will scrimmage the girls varsity basketball team over the school’s winter break as both teams prepare for the playoffs. Bromfield’s power ranking in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 4 is 56, and while the top 32 teams are automatically entered into the tournament, the Trojans qualified based on their 11-7 season record, in which they’ve won more than 50% of their games.
Julie Gowel is a boys varsity basketball parent.
