BOYS 6TH GRADE TRAVEL REPORT
Date last updated 8:35 pm Nov 29th, 2007
6th Grade Boys Hoopsters Shine in Regional Tournament
Cohasset’s 6th Grade Boys Travel Basketball Team enjoyed some pre-season success last weekend on the shiny new floors of the fabulous Bridgewater-Raynham High School facility. A packed house filled the multi-court venue that hosted a regional collection of teams from Towns in and around the Patriot League. Cohasset was matched up against a stout team from Norton; a speedy group from Bridgewater; and two tough teams from Abington in a lineup that included four games over a two-day span.
Cohasset started the action at 8am Saturday morning with an eye-opening contest against an 8-man roster from Norton that included some nifty shooters and stingy defenders. After only two days of practice the week leading up to the tournament…the kids from Cohasset came out firing to get off to an early lead. Mark Brown led the way with steady play at the center position to dictate the tempo and drain some clean lay-ups down low. Brendan O’Connell directed the action from the point with some great dishes to his teammates setting up some easy baskets. Rocco Laugelle was a force on both ends of the court providing some lighting quick fast-breaks and equally damaging defense to disrupt Norton’s rhythm and passing game. Connor Green was a force on the boards throwing his medley of strokes at the opponent to snag any and every rebound within reach. But in the end, Norton would prove to be a little more than Cohasset could handle for breakfast that morning and ultimately fell in a close contest to drop their one and only match of the weekend 19-16.
After a brief hiatus…Cohasset returned Saturday afternoon to face host team Bridgewater in another close contest that showcased Cohasset’s strength and size that generated a steady stream of rebounds…good ball control…and smart shooting that kept the boys in blue ahead for most of the game. Mark McKenna gallantly lead the charge with a nice pace at point guard to set-up his forwards with some smart jump shots and crisp passing inside to the bangers on the boards. Mark Rattenbury drained some nice buckets across the court and denied Bridgewater many times with well timed blocks at the net. Chris Haggerty played terrific defense and handled the ball well in the forward position with accurate passes and good shot-making. Zach Coggins was always a threat on offense and played tough “d” with some timely steals and good overall pesky-ness to disrupt the opponent. Cohasset stayed ahead for the remainder of the contest to capture its first victory over a good club from Bridgewater.
Sunday afternoon offered up a back-to-back showdown with two scrappy teams from the Green Belt of Abington, MA. Cohasset never looks past an Abington opponent, as they know these kids mean business… and this cool November day in Bridgewater was no different…both teams were ready to rock n’ roll. Abington-A was up first, and this team was complete with a kid that looked like he was ready for boot camp with the size to match. Private 6th Grader may have had a couple of inches and a pound or two on Timmy Cavanaro…but no fear, Timmy would deny his opponent of any easy shots and maintained a solid presence on the boards to keep the ball in Cohasset’s hands in this close contest. Jack Stanganelli picked up an early release pass from the infirmary with a few doses of extra-strength antibiotic to ward off defenders with some steady ball control and strong defense. Jack Conte provided a speedy step at point guard and drained some nice shots from the outside to keep Cohasset in the game. This game was a battle from the get-go…which means Joe Buckley was not far away….this boy’s middle name is “battle”…battle for rebounds…battle for loose balls…battle for close range lay-ups…you don’t turn sixteen shades of red for nothing…this kid is a diesel engine heading down the highway….great fun to watch.
Back and forth all game long…messed up scoreboard…disgruntled parents in the balcony…more fouls than Frank Purdue’s hen house…great stuff…and yes, we have overtime. And, thankfully we have Henry Brown on our side…Henry was cool-hand Luke down the stretch…making some key jump shots to protect a thin lead in overtime that ultimately would lead to a second overtime…some clutch foul shooting by Brendan O’Connell and an eventual victory for Cohasset to go up 2-1 in the tournament.
The final match-up of the tournament was against a second team from Abington. Abington-B had a little less height than Abington-A, but no less speed, tenacity, and talent. Abington shot off to a quick 5-0 lead that had Cohasset scrambling for a good portion of the first half. Several turnovers kept Cohasset off kilter…but Doug Fitzgerald would steady the ship with his steely hand at the point with impressive outside shooting and terrific ball handling. Cohasset recovered from their early deficit to gain and hold on to the lead for the remainder of the contest to close out the weekend on a great note…3-1. A terrific weekend of basketball for a team that looks forward to a fun-filled season of success!