Dartmouth off to great start, hungry for more
First-year coach, Indians are 13-1, far from satisfied
Nick Simonetti’s first year at the helm at Dartmouth is shaping up to be record breaking.
Led by a ferocious tandem in Aiden Smith and Hunter Matteson, Dartmouth is a scorching 13-1 while also holding a key road win over Brockton as it pursues its best win total in program history. As the season heads to its home stretch, the Indians rank as the No. 7 seed in Division 2, according to the MIAA Power Rankings.
“I just wanted to ensure our chemistry on the court got better this year when I took over,” Simonetti said. “We have most of the same guys as last year since we only had one senior a year ago. But we needed to learn to play better together and the kids have done that.”
Throughout the winter, the Indians’ offense has been explosive, scoring at least 60 points on all but one occasion. They have reached the 70-point total in half their games. One look at the Indians and it’s easy to see why their offense has been so prolific. Smith is quickly developing into one of the premier guards in Eastern Mass. as his quickness allows him to get to the basket while his anticipation makes him a
nightmare at the defensive end of the floor. On the year, Smith is averaging 15 points and five assists a night with a highlight 37-point performance coming in Dartmouth’s win over the Boxers.
Then there is Matteson who, at 6-foot-7, has been a force in the Southeast Conference. Not only is the junior proving to be a quality finisher around the basket but his athleticism allows him to run the floor while his physicality provides a strong presence on the glass. Matteson is averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds per game.
“Aiden has commanded the offense at such an impressively
high level,” Simonetti said. “He gets people the ball at the right time. Then when you have someone like Hunter, he is just a catalyst down low.”
Surrounding the two are key pieces, including Adam Mogawer and Dylan Gomes. Mogawer provides a third scoring option while Gomes serves as the team’s natural glue guy. It has all combined to provide Dartmouth its most inspiring team since 2008 when the Indians fell to Catholic Memorial in the Division 2 South sectional final.
“Our effort and attitude going into games that we have lost in the past has been tremendous,”
Simonetti said. “We have already clinched a tournament spot but now it’s about achieving other goals. We have a chance for the most wins in Dartmouth program history if we get to 19. So, we have a long way to go to prove something.”
Around the rim
Tuesday night was an exciting one for Kate Olenik as the senior scored her 1,000th career point in Medfield’s win over Holliston. Olenik, who is averaging over 22 points per game this winter, is the leader of an undefeated Warriors team primed to be the team to beat in Division 2.
A premier Boston City
League matchup is set for Monday when Charlestown visits Burke. It’s the second meeting between these two statewide
contenders with the Townies knocking off an ill-stricken Bulldogs team the first time, 84-68.