Rockin’ in Rockland
Bulldogs roll to third straight title
The Rockland girls are nothing if not consistent.
A year after advancing to the Division 3 South basketball quarterfinals, the Bulldogs brought back 4-of-5 starters this season, and the results have been predictably solid.
Earlier this month, Rockland wrapped up a third consecutive South Shore League title, and the Bulldogs went into the final weekend of the regular season with an impressive 16-3 record, a mark that should guarantee at least one home game in the state tournament.
“This group came in after Rockland had a drought of not winning the (league) title for about seven or eight years,” said Rockland coach Diana Mitchell, a member of Rockland’s 2000 state championship team under legendary coach Mal Lannin-Cotton. “But they came into the program determined to have their years put up on a banner in the gym. That has been their focus.”
Leading the way for Rockland this season is the four-player senior class of Danielle O’Brien, Erika Ochenduzko, Natalie Draicchio and Sydney McKenna — a group that has produced in every facet of the game to this point.
“What’s pretty cool about my seniors is that they’ve all contributed in their own way,” Mitchell said. “Danielle is a tenacious defender, and she is our biggest 3-point threat as she holds the Rockland record for 3-pointers made in a season, while Erika is a lengthy player who can play inside or outside — and she can shoot, and she is also our leading rebounder.
“Natalie is probably one of the best defenders in the state; she has had the responsibility of defending other teams’ best players after stepping into a starting role and she has completely embraced that role for us. And Sydney has given us some quality minutes and has made some shots when we needed her to this season.”
While its veteran senior core has provided the base for success, Rockland’s underclassmen have also found ways to leave their mark on a program with state championship aspirations, especially the two sophomores who start for Mitchell. Point guard Caroline Elie leads the Bulldogs in scoring, while forward Hannah Wiley is the their defensive backbone, averaging close to five blocks per game this season.
“Caroline is our leading scorer and she is a tough, hard-nosed kid that has all the characteristics of a great leader and she is just a great basketball player,” Mitchell said. “And Hannah is a lanky, 6-foot-tall girl who owns the paint for us. She doesn’t need to be the focus of our offense right not because she does all the other little things.”
After today’s nonleague game at Duxbury (3 p.m. tipoff), the Bulldogs will take the rest of the vacation week to prepare for what they hope is another long tournament run. Their focus will remain on improving team defense — Rockland has held opponents to 35.4 points per game in the 16 wins — and tightening up any loose ends on the offensive end. But in the end, it will be the collective toughness of growing up in Rockland that could prove the difference between an early tournament exit, and an extended run.
“When you play for Rockland, you’re a going to be a tough kid,” Mitchell said. “You’re never going to back down and you’re going to go out and do the little things to win. Having that overall, hardnosed grittiness to them is what should make this team successful moving forward.”
Crimson Tide rising
All signs are pointing to this finally being the season that the Everett boys get over the hump.
In four consecutive tournament appearances, the Crimson Tide have made it as far as the Division 1 North semifinal round only to see their run end short of the ultimate goal of a state championship. But this year’s edition of the Tide looks different.
Second-ranked Everett finished off a perfect 15-0 run through the Northeastern Conference Thursday with a victory over Lynn Classical, and with just two games left in the regular season, the Tide are sitting pretty at 17-1 with the top spot in the Div.1 North sectional tournament within grasp.
Headlined by a senior class that includes Isaiah Likely, Ghared Boyce, Jason Maitre, Caleb Jacobs, Anthony McLain and Marcus Alexis and the talented junior class of Monte Campbell, Jake Willcox, Nate Mehu and Eric Thompson, coach John DiBiaso’s team is setting up to make some waves.
“We have evolved as a team as the season has gone on,” DiBiaso said after his team’s win against Lynn Classical.
In Likely and Boyce, Everett has two strong options on the offensive end of the court, but it has been the emergence of players such as Jacobs and Mehu who have provided the Tide with other scoring threats, helping open space inside for McLain and Thompson.
It has been a recipe for success for a program that has been among the most successful in the state the past few years. This is clearly a team that is playing this winter with a purpose.
“I think we have taken a big step this season, but we just need to stay focused,” said Boyce, who is closing in on 2,000 career points. “We have two games left and we’re still trying to lock in on the number one seed (in Div. 1 North) and keep winning.”