Lions unexpected success
Newton South is ready for postseason
For Newton South coach Steve Matthews, his team’s success is the furthest thing from a surprise. He just wasn’t sure this was the path his team would be forced to take.
Despite losing starting point guard Jaiden Soberanis in the preseason to injury, the Lions have managed to quickly become one of the more dangerous teams in the Division 1 South field, rattling off eight wins over their last 11 games.
“I had some big expectations coming in, but we had to reshuffle the deck a little bit based on the way the year started,” Matthews said. “Guys have really stepped up. I think over the last two to three weeks we’ve hit our stride. I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
While Newton South (13-6) excluded it on its schedule for tournament purposes, its 88-68 win over Catholic Memorial on Tuesday night still raised eyebrows across the section.
Leading the team are seniors Max Aicardi, Chris Menz, and Njavan Stewart. Stewart, a six-foot-five wing, is the team’s leading scorer with the ability to beat defenses with quickness, athleticism, ball handling, and shooting ability. Multiple times this season, Stewart has beaten his defender off his first move only to finish at the basket with a resounding dunk. His talents were on full display in the Lions double overtime win over Westford Academy, when he scored 27 second-half points. Menz and Aicardi, meanwhile, provide Newton South with a solid combination of rebounding and clutch scoring.
“As our three captains go, we kinda go as a team,” Matthews
said. “When those kids are locked in we can be pretty good. They have been instrumental in getting everyone involved both on and off the floor.”
The Lions have plenty of complementary pieces around their three captains. Itai Ilanski, whose family moved to Newton from Europe, is the team’s leading rebounder. Running the Lions spread, four-out onein offense is point guard Sam Prudovsky. Prudovsky has been in and out of the lineup due to his own injury but overall filled in well for Soberanis, providing the Lions with steadiness at both ends of the floor.
News and notes
• Woburn girls put the exclamation point on a perfect run through the Middlesex League with a 52-42 win over Belmont on Thursday night that put the Tanners a perfect 16-0 in conference play.
• A season ago, St. Joseph Prep was struggling to stay within striking distance of most opponents. Just under a year later and the program is headed to its first state tournament.
Despite being filled with youth — highlighted by freshman starters Tyrese Melo-Garcia and twins Nate and Ethan Robertson — the Phoenix support a 12-6 record. It’s a stark turnaround from a season ago when they went 3-17.
“It feels really good to be in this spot,” St. Joseph coach Alfred Chan said. “It’s the first time, which alone is big, but I’m just so proud of our guys. The day after we celebrated, everyone was ready to get right back to work to prepare now for the tournament.”
Nate Robertson is the team’s leading scorer at 20 points per game while Ethan scores almost 14 a night. Melo-Garcia has shown off his wide array of talents numerous times this season including putting a tripledouble.
• Senior Tyler Gelormini became the sixth 1,000-point scorer in Middlesex history on Jan. 22. Gelormini has been a scoring star but also a rugged rebounder and defender.