Latin’s unprecedented week
School captures four titles
Boston Latin spent the first month of the winter season wondering if it was even going to have one.
The Wolfpack ended it as the kings and queens of the Dual County League.
In a span of a mere days last week, Boston Latin went four-for-four in postseason tournaments, capturing the DCL title in both boys and girls basketball as well as boys and girls hockey.
“These kids were just so resilient through the whole time,” said Boston Latin athletic director Jack Owens. “Our school is tough enough with the academic workload and to have to wait four weeks later than everyone else in the league to start was special. Our kids could have easily gotten down, but they embraced it as an opportunity and they rose to the occasion.”
The era of good feeling could be felt throughout Avenue Louis Pasteur, the home of the venerable Boston Latin School.
“What an absolutely amazing week,” said Boston Latin girls basketball coach Keri Orellan. “I remember sending text messages to everyone saying it’s a good week to be part of the Wolfpack.”
The good feeling wasn’t always there.
Owens was no different than any other coach and administrator affiliated with the Boston Public Schools. The COVID-19 numbers were not promising, leading to some natural pessimism. While Owens understood, part of his job was to make sure no one was hanging their heads.
“I know the city was taking a cautious approach, but I could sense some doubt,” Owens said. “All I was trying to do to was keep everyone as positive as possible while waiting for the green light.”
That moment came Jan. 11 when the city was given the green light to resume athletic activities. For Owens, it was as if a boulder was lifted off his shoulders.
“What an awesome feeling it was to finally be able to call the coaches and tell them they could get back out there,” Owens said. “It was great for the kids to finally be able to get together again since we’ve been remote for the most part.”
Of the four teams, the one which figured to take the most lumps was the boys hockey team. Not only were they replacing nine regulars, but they were way behind the eightball, something which reared its ugly head on opening night when they lost to DCL power Lincoln-Sudbury, 11-2.
The same two teams met a few days later and head coach Frank Woods learned a valuable lesson about his team.
“They really put it to us the first game, but the second game we were down 3-2 at halftime (before losing 6-2) and we showed that we could compete and play with some toughness. I realized with practice and experience that we were going to be OK.”
They entered the postseason with a 1-5 mark, but clearly peaked at the right time. They defeated Cambridge, 5-2, in the DCL 2 semifinal, then put it all together by beating Wayland, 8-2, to capture the title.
“We really started to hit our stride at the end of the year,” Woods said. “Our kids started slow, but they showed that they were a resilient bunch.”
Tom McGrath’s girls hockey team followed a similar route. After a 1-6 start, the Wolfpack closed with six straight wins, including a 3-1 win over Wayland/Weston in the DCL 2 final, followed by an 8-1 win over Latin Academy.
Standout goalie Ellen Linso was up to the task down the stretch. In the title win over Wayland/Weston, it was the youngsters who stepped up. The goal-scorers were freshman Maeve Murray and junior Sydney Hanlon.
Unlike the hockey programs, hopes were high for the girls basketball team. Junior Emelia O’Gilvie headlined a group looking to bring the school its first league title in 21 years.
Orellana, however, was dealing with more pressing issues.
“I’m a basketball junkie, but with the way everyone was pushing dates back, I wasn’t sure in my mind that we were going to have a season,” said Orellana. “Then our family was hit with COVID, everyone got it with the exception of my youngest daughter, so that was tough.”
Once the season started, the Wolfpack lived up to the billing. They were 7-2 entering the DCL 2 final against Bedford. Boston Latin struggled early on, falling behind 8-4, forcing Orellana to do something she rarely does.
“We were freaking out at the beginning, so I called a timeout which I never do that early,” Orellana admitted. “One of our players said we were complaining about everything, we just needed to stop that and just play our game.”
Of course, having a leader like O’Gilvie around makes things easier. She scored 21 of her 28 points in the second half as Latin rallied to win, 50-39.
“I’ve been watching Emelie since the fifth grade,” Orellana said. “I told her she put in too much time and work and let’s make it happen.”
The boys hoop team also had high expectations. Jake Harrison and Ryan Donahue led a veteran group expected to compete for a DCL 2 title.
“It’s tough for a school like ours to win the Div. 1 North title, so our first goal every year is to win a DCL title,” said coach Brendan Smith. “It’s a special group of kids, led by Jake and Ryan — they are committed yearround basketball players who will be playing in college.”
After the long sabbatical, Boston Latin opened the season against a solid Weston team, losing by just a point. Smith felt after that game there was a good chance the two paths would cross again.
That opportunity came in the DCL 2 final. Playing inspired defense against Weston big man Sawyer Mayhugh, Boston Latin rolled to a 67-46 win. Harrison had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Donahue added 15 points and nine rebounds.
“Jake is a young kid who won’t be 18 until July, but he always wants to prove that he’s the best player in the game,” Smith said. “I was very happy for Ryan because he was injured last year and we weren’t sure he was ever going to play again.”
As the wins piled up, Owens sat off to the side, beaming like a proud papa. He knows full well how close this season was to never happening.
“I think what we all learned is to take nothing for granted,” Owens said. “Our kids embraced the opportunity, adhered to all the protocols and never once complained about it. We had no positive tests and I could not be prouder of every single one of them.”