It was certainly a memorable week for St. Mary’s High School and its outstanding athletic program.
The first of two major announcements was that alumnus Dave Brown had accepted the position as head coach of the boys basketball program. Brown was a 1,000-point scorer for the Spartans and then went on to further greatness as a player at Westfield State College where he was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Lynn basketball observers watched Brown turn Winthrop High School, the smallest school in the Northeastern Conference, into a perennial powerhouse, culminating with a state championship in 2011. A highly respected officer in the Winthrop Police Department, Brown not only coaches the game well but is a true mentor to his players and a keen developer of talent, including current St. Anselm College star Dino Mallios, who led the nation in assists this season.
We have no doubt that Brown will continue the excellent work done by retiring coach Kevin Moran and bring excitement and energy to the St. Mary’s program and give the city of Lynn a state title-contending team to watch in years to come.
The other big announcement came Monday when junior star Brianna Rudolph accepted a full athletic scholarship to play college basketball at UMass/Lowell. Rudolph’s development into a Division 1 college prospect under the direction of head coach Jeff Newhall has been enjoyable to watch the past three years. Rudolph was a starting player and key performer for the Spartans’ 2010 state championship team and through her hard work on the court and in the classroom, she became the first Division 1 recruit at UMass/Lowell, a fine university.
The honor also speaks well of the leadership of the school’s administration including Principal Carl DiMaiti, former Head of School Dr. Raymond Bastarache, Head of School Grace Cotter Regan, and Athletic Director Jeff Newhall who have created an atmosphere where students are able to thrive in the classroom and pursue excellence on the athletic field while each facet of the St. Mary’s experience complements the other in a positive and productive manner.
The good news for Lynn basketball fans is that they will be able to watch Brianna perform next season for a very talented St. Mary’s team that should be one of the top teams in Massachusetts. And the following year she will be playing at the highest level of college basketball in her home state and not far from Lynn. So we join the St. Mary’s community in proudly welcoming back Dave Brown to a position of leadership at his alma mater and congratulating Brianna Rudolph on her tremendous achievement of a full college scholarship opportunity in excess of $100,000.
Go Spartans!