Connolly left legacy as area's all-time leading scorer

Each time he to took to the basketball court in the mid-1990s, the level of excitement rose. Sean Connolly's reputation as a tremendous shooter grew with every basketball game he played in a Bishop Fenwick uniform.

As more and more hoop fans flocked to see the Crusader scoring phenom — who would finish as the North Shore's all-time leading scorer (2,473 points) — Fenwick athletic director Jim McHugh and his assistant, current AD Bob Tierney, went out of their way to schedule games in bigger venues to accommodate not only the fans who came out in droves to see him, but also the many college scouts that attended his games.

They did so even thought it meant sacrificing the homecourt advantage Fenwick held in its tiny bandbox of a gym.

"We played at Peabody High, Reading, Salem and St. John's Prep," recalled Tierney. "People came from all over on a Friday night to see for themselves if Sean Connolly was as good as the hype. It was a carnival-like atmosphere every time he stepped on the court; something very exciting to watch.

"And Sean was a great kid. Sophomore year I was his homeroom teacher, and he was always one of the first ones to arrive to put an extra hour studying."

Expectations were sky high from the time Connolly came to Fenwick as a higlhy touted 14-year-old from Peabody. Tierney recalls the incredible amount of pressure Connolly faced, and the way he handled it from Day 1 until graduation.

He pointed out that Connolly was "a young man of outstanding character who never lost sight of what was important: his family, his teammates, his head coach, Mike O'Brien, and the school he represented. He was always humble; confident but never cocky."

Over his four years as a Crusader, Connolly averaged an amazing 28.4 points per game as the team went 77-10 record in games he played, including a remarkable 47-game Catholic Central League winning streak. He left Fenwick in 1998 as the fourth leading boys scorer in Massachusetts basketball history and the sixth overall after leading his team to four straight CCL titles.

He set the school record for points (56) and 3-pointers (13) in a game against Savio Prep on January 21, 1997. He also broke the all-time BF scoring record of 2,166 set by Casey Arena against Cathedral in 1998, and surpassed Salem High's Scoonie Penn for the North Shore record of 2,189 career points two days later against Matignon.

"Playing for Fenwick was a great experience for me, but I think the one game that stands out in my mind was that Savio game," said Connolly. "It was a big league game because we were always the two best teams. I was lucky to have some great players with me, who set screens and passed me the ball. Without them I could never have done it."

Connolly — who played collegiately at Providence College and Ohio State, and his now the head basketball coach at Fenwick — led the entire state in scoring his junior year, recording 649 points and averaging 34.2 per game despite missing three games with meningitis. Four times during he scored 50 or more points.

"I knew people had a lot of expectations, but I always figured if you outwork everybody you should do well," said Connolly. "I put the time in and expected to be successful."

Photos

Sean Connolly became the area's all-time leading scorer in basketball in 1998, breaking Scoonie Penn's record of 2,189 points versus Matignon. Connolly averaged 28.4 points per game in his Bishop Fenwick career and his teams had a record of 77-10. Courtesy photo