by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, February 13, 2026
Jonathan LeGrand gets the ball to the rim. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The Bromfield boys varsity basketball team fell in two hard-fought contests against Narragansett on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Tahanto on Friday, Feb. 6, before bouncing back with decisive wins over Monty Tech on Monday, Feb. 9, and West Boylston on Tuesday, Feb. 10, securing their spot in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs.
The Trojans spent a week on the road battling for their shot at a place in the postseason, but the deciding factor came down to the game on Tuesday against the West Boylston Lions. The 17-point win proved to be a great way to celebrate senior night, which marks the last home game for the graduating players on the team.
On the road against the Narragansett Warriors, the Trojans showed considerable progress since the 28-point loss at a home game in early January. This time, Bromfield battled from start to finish, cutting the margin to 10 in a physical, high-intensity matchup.
Bromfield led in the first quarter and trailed by just 4 points at halftime.
“The second half saw an inordinate number of fouls called on our team,” said Trojans head coach Anne McWaters. “We ended the game with 25 fouls called to [Narragansett’s] 13.”
In the fourth quarter, seniors Jake O’Neil and Josh Pelak, and junior Noah Petrossi, all fouled out as the Warriors capitalized at the line, shooting 29 free throws in the game.
Sophomore Julian Kosciak was the game high scorer with 19 points.
Jake O’Neil (far right) fights for the ball in Tuesday’s win against West Boylston.
If the Trojans showcased growth at Narragansett, the game at Tahanto demonstrated their grit. Bromfield won the tip and struck first when Pelak scored just over a minute into the game. Kosciak followed with a deep three, and Petrossi was fouled on a 3-point attempt and calmly sank all of his free throws. Bromfield led 14-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Tahanto answered in the second, taking advantage of quick steals and second-chance opportunities to edge ahead 31-26 at the half.
Petrossi was game high scorer, finishing with 17 points, including three 3-pointers and a perfect eight-for-eight from the free-throw line. O’Neil delivered a 4-point play after hitting a three and converting the and one. Senior captain Owen Balsis added key buckets inside and a clutch 3-pointer, while junior Charlie Gowel drained a late triple to tie the game at 60 and force overtime.
In the extra period, Bromfield briefly grabbed the lead when Kosciak pulled down a rebound and scored to make it 65-64. But with nine seconds remaining, Tahanto hit a 3-pointer, edging them ahead by two with no time for the Trojans to respond.
“I was just so proud of our fight,” said McWaters. “We were up, we were down, but we never gave up. We played together and that’s what made us so good.”
The Trojans rebounded decisively against the Monty Tech Bulldogs on Monday night. The evening began with the most exuberant player introductions of the season, complete with rocket-launch sound effects and a booming announcer voice that set the tone for a high-energy matchup.
Bromfield seized control early. Balsis hit a 3-pointer and helped generate steals that kept the Trojans narrowly ahead in the first quarter. The lead grew in the second, sparked by O’Neil, who opened the frame with two quick 3-pointers in the first 50 seconds. Sophomore Isaac Balicky followed with back-to-back threes and converted a pair of free throws, helping Bromfield stretch the lead to 36-18 at halftime.
The Trojans dominated the third quarter, going on a run that pushed the lead to as many as 27 points. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Monty Tech mounted a brief surge, but Bromfield’s cushion was too large to overcome.
On senior night, Bromfield delivered a statement win in front of a packed home crowd, defeating the West Boylston Lions, 69-52, to close out the regular season.
Balsis set the tone early with a 3-pointer for the Trojans’ first points of the night. The Lions defense kept Bromfield working for every possession in a fast-paced, back-and-forth opening quarter that was tied at 13 midway through. A deep three from Balsis in the final minute helped Bromfield take a 24-20 lead into the second.
The Trojans tightened up defensively in the second quarter, forcing West Boylston to burn through the shot clock and disrupting their rhythm. Late 3-pointers from Petrossi and Balicky pushed the lead to double digits, and Bromfield entered halftime ahead 35-22.
In the second half, the Trojans continued to widen the gap, extending their lead to as many as 18 points.
The win capped an emotional senior night celebration honoring the team’s three graduating players and manager, and sent the Trojans into postseason play, riding momentum after one of their strongest stretches of the season.
“We’re playing our best basketball of the season at the right time of the season,” said McWaters. “Our shots are falling, our defense is locked in, and we’re playing together. That is exactly what we need as we prepare for the postseason.”
Bromfield is ranked fourth in the Midland-Wachusett Division 4 League. Power rankings for the MIAA postseason tournament will be released next week, as will playoff game schedules.