Saturday concluded with a variety of wild finishes and surprising outcomes. The finest Massachusetts boys and girls high school basketball teams laced up their sneakers and competed for the coveted Massachusetts High School Basketball State Championship. There were teams such as Putnam and Braintree who looking to solidify their dominance and place in history, and there were teams such as Catholic Memorial who were looking to make a name for themselves. Let’s take a look at the results from the intense action over the weekend at the Worcester DCU Center.
Catholic Memorial vs. Putnam: Boys Division 1 Massachusetts Basketball State Final
Catholic Memorial used its formidable all-guard line-up to their advantage and defeated reigning back-to-back champion Putnam to win the Massachusetts Division 1 State Championship. Catholic Memorial used a strong 4th quarter serge to pull away and eventually defeat Putnam 80-70.
Central vs. Braintree: Girls Division 1 Massachusetts Basketball State Final
Braintree showed everyone why they have been one of the most dominant high school teams in ages. After going 24-0 during the season and winning every game, but one by double digits, Braintree did not disappoint and defeated Central 64-43 yesterday in Worcester. Central gave a valiant effort, but could not sustain it for the entire game.
Additional Scores and Results:
Boys
Danvers defeated Marlboro 52-49 to win the Division 2 State Companionship
Old Rochester defeated Hoosac 61-47 to win the Division 3 State Championship
Hamilton-Wenham defeated Sutton to win the Division 4 State Championship
Girls
Duxbury defeated Medfield 51- 42 to win the Division 2 State Championship
Archbishop WM defeated Hoosac 69-46 to win the Division 3 State Championship
Millis defeated Fenway 50-42 to win the Division 4 State Championship
The 2014-2015 Massachusetts High School Basketball Season has come to an end. Putnam failed to win three consecutive state titles, but ended their season gracefully and have enough young talent to be back competing for a title again next season. The Braintree girls finished off their historic season with a championship and put themselves into the conversation of greatest high school teams of all time.
Winning a high school state championship is not an easy feat and it is an accomplishment which the high school athletes on the winning teams will remember for the rest of their lives. If you are not currently involved in high school athletics, train hard over the summer and consider trying out for your high school team the following season. If you are already on a team and came up short this year of winning the championship, train hard, focus and be prepared to do it all over again next season. If you won the title, take a deep breath and be proud of your accomplishment and when you exhale, realize that every player, and every team is going to be out there next season trying to take the title back.
Contributing writer Jasen Sousa for Premier Hoops is the author of a number of poetry and fiction books for young people. Jasen has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and is a life-long participant and fan of the game of basketball.