by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, January 16, 2026
Charlie Gowel springs into defense to block a shot at Bromfield’s net by Narragansett player Brayden Richards. Behind them teammate Jake O’Neil watches for a rebound. (Photos by Hannah Taylor)
The Bromfield boys varsity basketball team suffered a 67-39 loss to Narragansett on Friday night, Jan. 9, on the Trojans home court, and barely missed a win against Tahanto, losing in the final seconds of the game 61-59, also at home, on Monday night, Jan. 12.
“We knew ’Gansett would be a tough game,” said Bromfield boys head coach Anne McWaters. “They’re playing really well this season and have a couple of kids averaging high double digits.”
Friday’s game opened with quick back-and-forth action, Narragansett building momentum through fast breaks and strong rebounding, ending the first quarter ahead 20-8. Senior co-captain Jake O’Neil was the only one to put Bromfield on the board, earning all eight of the Trojans’ points in that period.
Bromfield struggled in the second quarter with turnovers, particularly on errant passes, while Narragansett consistently pulled down defensive rebounds and quickly pushed the ball up court. With 1:45 remaining in the half, Bromfield trailed 30-14, before scoring a few late baskets to cut the deficit to 32-18 at halftime.
“Their team, in general, is quick,” said McWaters. “They crushed us with their fast breaks and got way too many easy buckets off of that.”
Bromfield showed early signs of a third-quarter rally as O’Neil hit a 3-pointer and junior Noah Petrossi sank two of his own. With 5:04 left in the third, the Trojans had closed the gap to 36-27.
The Warriors quickly responded with another run, however, and Bromfield entered the fourth quarter down 53-32. The Trojans appeared fatigued late in the game, as Narragansett maintained pace for a final score of 67-39. O’Neil led Bromfield with 18 points, but McWaters noted that in general Bromfield endured a cold shooting night. “Sometimes teams have a night like that, where you just can’t buy a bucket,” she said.
Jake O’Neil jumps high to catch the ball before shooting another basket for Bromfield. His teammates Noah Petrossi and Josh Pelak track the ball, ready to assist.
On Monday night, Bromfield went toe-to-toe against the Tahanto Stags in one of the Trojans’ toughest losses of the season, falling 61-59 in a game that stayed close from start to finish.
“We talked about needing to come out of the gate with energy and scoring early, which we did,” said McWaters. The Trojans kept the score tight throughout the beginning of the game, entering halftime up by one point at 30-29.
The Trojans continued to keep the pressure on in the third quarter, and big shots helped swing momentum their way. Three-pointers from O’Neil and Petrossi pushed Bromfield ahead, and the quarter ended with Bromfield leading Tahanto 43-40.
The fourth quarter brought physical play and high-stakes possessions. With 3:49 remaining on the clock, Bromfield held a 49-48 lead. A long pass from Petrossi to O’Neil across half court led to an easy layup, but Tahanto answered late with two clutch 3-pointers, narrowing the score to 58-57, with 44 seconds left.
Bromfield’s last attempt at the win ended with a stolen long pass at the buzzer and Bromfield down by one basket, 61-59. O’Neil was the game high scorer with 20 points.
McWaters called it a “hard fought game,” but said the final minute exposed areas to improve. “We need to work on end-of-game scenarios more in practice,” she said. “Those are the really tough losses and the ones that really hit you–the ones where you work so hard and are up by a slim margin all game and then it comes down to the last 20 seconds and it slips away.”
Bromfield is currently ranked fourth in Mid-Wach League Division 4. They will face South Lancaster Academy on Thursday, Jan. 15, away, and West Boylston, also away, on Friday, Jan. 16.