Loughnanes saved best for last
Younger brother a star
Mike Loughnane has spent over a decade shooting inside McNeice Pavilion. He is looking to ensure his final times walking the floor are most memorable.
Following in the footsteps of his two older brothers who have passed through the BC High program playing for his dad Bill, Loughnane has transformed himself into one of the top players in the region as the six-foot-three wing decimates teams with his athleticism, quickness, and long range shooting abilities. His talents are at the forefront of reasons as to why the Eagles are one of the top contenders for the Div. 1 State Title in 2021.
“As Mike likes to tell everyone, I made the mistakes on his older brothers and now he is getting the benefits on the court,” Bill said.
Mike has never had to travel far to find basketball. Like most kids of coaches, he began attending high school practices at a young age. By the time he was nine years old Mike arrived almost regularly dribbling in the corner or taking shots at one of the side baskets while his older brothers Alex and Jack wore the maroon and gold.
“Alex and Jack taught me all about competitiveness,” Mike said. “When we would play when I was younger they would always beat me and as a little brother that can wear on you. They showed me how important it is to fight through adversity.”
Mike made the varsity roster as a freshman and quickly took on a starting role on an otherwise inexperienced Eagles team. While not the player he is today, he still managed to carve out a
niche for himself as a quality three-point shooter and averaged over 11 points per game during his first campaign.
By the time his sophomore year came around, Mike showed signs of superstardom. While his constant hours in the gym fine-tuned his shooting and ball-handling, his time in the weight room allowed him to drastically improve his athleticism. What emerged is a doit-all playmaker who could throw down dunks while also lighting it up from beyond the arc.
“I think athleticism is wildly underrated by high school kids when they’re looking to get better. Mike’s athleticism is the differencemaker,” Bill said. “You have
to be a good athlete to play at a high level. You definitely have to be able to shoot, but if you’re not an athlete you cannot play defense.”
At home Mike took on the task of consistently trying to beat his older brothers oneon-one. Finally, early in his high school career when Mike appeared to surpass his now college-graduated older brothers, the games in the driveway came to a halt.
“The one time I took the lead on one of them, they quit, so I never have officially won,” Mike said. “And then after that my dad never let us play one-on-one ever again.”
After averaging over 20 points per game as a sophomore and junior to earn a pair of Boston Herald AllScholastic
honors, Mike is set out to accomplish more in his final campaign. In the Eagles’ Dec. 20 win over Needham, Mike scored 44 points, the highest total for a BC High player in two decades. Then on Jan. 11 he joined Jack as a member of the 1,000-point club in the Eagles win over Xaverian. Opponents have tried a variety of different looks against the Quincy native including face-guarding, 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone, a box-and-one, and full court pressure. Mike, however, always seems one step ahead with an ability to score in the post, from the elbow, or beyond the threepoint line. He plays on and off the ball while also serving as one of the Eagles top rebounders.
“When he was younger the older kids knew he would be a good player and were great at taking him under their wing,” Bill said. “Now as a senior he has the experience and he is now helping some of these kids who have not played as much learn the ropes. You need great leaders on a good team but also good followers who know that soon it will be their time.”
They’re loving it
A handful of the top locals have been nominated to participate in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game set to be played in Chicago.
On the girls side, Shay Bollin (Bridgewater-Raynham), Kayla Lezama (Noble &
Greenough), Sofia Berisha (Winchendon School), and
Lola Lesmond (Worcester Academy) have been nominated. Boys Danny Wolf and
Rowan Brumbaugh of Northfield Mount Hermon earned nominations. The top 24 boys and top 24 girls selected for the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Games will be revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 25 on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”
Tuesday, Cardinal Spellman coach Mike Perry earned his 1,000th victory combined between his boys basketball and girls soccer coaching tenures. Perry is in his 42nd season as the Spellman boys head coach and is the only girls soccer coach in school history. He has 524 of his wins on the court and 476 wins on the soccer field.