St. Mary’s extraordinary state championship victory is now in the record books – and what an incredible season it was.
So many schools start out trying to win a state title but only a few get to accomplish such a prodigious feat. It takes excellence, desire and great athleticism all around to gain a state championship – and this is exactly what the St. Mary’s girls basketball program brought onto the court this year.
It begins with great leadership.
Coach Jeffrey Newhall and his staff of coaches provided that brilliant guidance from the very first practice.
The team improved every step of the way with four captains leading the way on the court and some impressive newcomers jumping into the fray immediately.
St. Mary’s is small school that has accomplished a giant victory.
How can such a small school field such a great team and come away with a state championship?
It took hard work, outstanding strategy by the coaches and a group of players willing to put the team first and setting aside their individual statistics for the greater good.
These are important life lessons that young people on the rise take into the bigger game of life after high school.
St. Mary’s experienced two of the greatest moments in school history.
The team defeated a fantastic Coyle Cassidy team on the famous parquet floor at the TD Garden. The team then traveled to the middle of the state on Saturday and played a legendary Western Massachusetts team from the small town of Lee.
St. Mary’s rose up and dominated the game, opening up a 22-point lead.
Lee made a late flurry but Kirsten Ferrari said to herself, “No way. You will not take this moment away from us.”
Ferrrari swished the key shots that brought this magnificent season to its successful finish for St. Mary’s.
Congratulations to Principal Carl DiMaiti, head of school Dr. Ray Bastarache, Athletic Director and Coach Jeffrey Newhall, and his assistant coaches John Bozarjian, Mike Jalbert, and Jim Foley, Assistant Athletic Director Joe Farrell and the players who reached the mountaintop of girls basketball in Massachusetts.