by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, February 6, 2026
Senior Josh Pelak (#22) races up the court to grab the basketball before his opponent in a game against Gardner last month. (Photos by Hannah Taylor)
The Bromfield boys varsity basketball team had a busy week both at home and away last week, playing Trivium in a game on Tuesday, Jan. 27, rescheduled after Monday’s snowstorm, and Murdock on Wednesday, Jan. 28, both at Bromfield. They headed to Ayer Shirley for the final game of the week on Friday, Jan. 30.
With two wins (Trivium 61-16 and Murdock 74-47) and a loss (Ayer Shirley 60-50), the Trojans have just four regular-season games remaining to clinch a playoff spot. They currently sit in fourth place, tied with Ayer Shirley, in the Midland-Wachusett Division 4 League.
Bromfield 74, Murdock 47
On Tuesday, Bromfield hosted the Murdock Devils in a game that began quietly but quickly grew competitive. The stands were sparsely occupied at the 6:30 p.m. tipoff but by the end of the second quarter began to fill.
Bromfield struggled early to finish shots, and with a minute and 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Murdock squeaked ahead 12–11. Senior Owen Balsis was fouled just before the buzzer and calmly sank both free throws to give Bromfield a 17–14 lead.
The Trojans widened the gap to 25–16 just 90 seconds into the second quarter. A crisp passing sequence ended with junior Jonathan LeGrand scoring in the paint, highlighting Bromfield’s ball movement. By halftime, the Trojans led the Devils 38–20.
Bromfield picked up multiple early fouls in the second half, putting Murdock in the bonus before the midpoint of the period. Late in the third, sophomore Isaac Balicky electrified the gym with a buzzer-beating heave from just under half court, pushing Bromfield’s lead to 56–36.
In the fourth, the Trojans pulled away. After a missed shot by Balsis, sophomore Julian Kosciak grabbed the rebound, shot and missed, and Balsis followed with another rebound and score, a play that embodied Bromfield’s persistence. A late surge extended the lead to 30, and the Trojans sealed a 74–47 win.
Despite the margin, Bromfield head coach Anne McWaters saw lessons to be learned. “I think we came out expecting things to be easy, which we cannot do,” she said in a postgame interview with the Press. “We’ve adjusted our warmups to match game intensity, and I’m confident that will help us start stronger.”
Isaac Balicky (#11) dodges around a Gardner player as he dribbles the ball up the court.
Bromfield 61, Trivium 16
On Wednesday, the stands were again nearly empty for the tipoff against Trivium. The Trojans controlled the tempo early, closing the first quarter ahead 13–6.
In the second, junior Alex Senykoff sparked the offense with a steal and layup that energized the bench. By halftime, Bromfield had stretched the lead to 29–8, much to the delight of the increased number of spectators that had trickled into the gym throughout the first two quarters.
The third quarter turned into a defensive showcase. The Trojans held Trivium to just one late basket in the quarter, leading 53–10.
The fourth quarter unfolded without drama, and Bromfield closed out a 61–16 win.
McWaters said games like this serve an important purpose beyond the scoreboard. “Our plan against Trivium was to work on offensive sets,” she said. “It lets us test our offense and make defensive adjustments against a team that doesn’t know all of our plays.”
Ayer Shirley 60, Bromfield 50
The week closed with a challenging matchup against the Ayer Shirley Panthers.
Bromfield started strong. Junior Noah Petrossi revved up the offense with a steal and a 3-pointer, then added another steal. Solid defense forced a late turnover, and LeGrand scored just before the buzzer to give Bromfield a 12–8 lead at the close of the first quarter.
Unfortunately for the Trojans, the second quarter flipped the game. Ayer Shirley capitalized on a string of Bromfield turnovers, scoring 26 points in the period while holding the Trojans to 11.
A midquarter delay caused by a loose light fixture briefly halted play for 25 minutes while a vertical lift was rolled onto the court by the facilities crew. After a few mechanical issues and a spray of sparks as the janitor cut a live wire, play finally resumed, but momentum stayed with the home team. Bromfield entered halftime trailing 34–23.
“We started well and our warmup intensity was better,” McWaters said. “But the second quarter did us in. Three turnovers in a row and they scored on every one.”
Bromfield clawed back in the fourth, holding Ayer Shirley to 11 points while scoring 17, but the deficit proved too large. Ayer Shirley closed out a 60–50 win.
“We finally got our drive and desire back in the fourth,” said McWaters. “Noah and [sophomore] Nick Becker were big in that [quarter], but we just ran out of time. The surge was too little too late.”
Looking ahead
With the regular season winding down, the Trojans need two wins in their final four games to secure a spot in the postseason.
The Trojans were scheduled to take their shot at redemption in rematches against the Narragansett Warriors on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and the Tahanto Stags on Friday, Feb. 6, both games on the road.