By Phil Stacey
OK, if you really want to nitpick, go ahead.
No team from this newspaper's readership area will participate in the state basketball championships tomorrow at the DCU Center in Worcester. Nor will any local hockey squads skate at the TD Garden Sunday in hopes of claiming a state hockey crown.
There. Are you happy?
Other than that, North Shore sports fans had dozens of reasons to rejoice this winter, with plenty of teams experiencing a multitude of success while individuals also shone on the big stage.
Let's start on the hardwood, where several of our boys and girls basketball programs left their mark indelibly on the 2009-10 campaign.
Perhaps the grandest and proudest of all North Shore hoop programs, Salem High turned back the clock by winning its first North championship in 15 years. The seventh-seeded Witches won their first three tournament games by two, three and three points, respectively, before dispatching Reading in the Division 2 North final by a comfortable nine points. Although their ride was derailed by Falmouth in the Division 2 state semifinals at the TD Garden, it couldn't take away from a season that went far beyond anyone's expectations.
St. John's Prep (21-3) also had a fantastic season, arriving, by all accounts, one year ahead of what many people figured they would. Without a senior in the lineup, the Eagles won the Catholic Conference title, finished 21-3 and reached the Division 1 North final before falling to top seeded Catholic Central at the Garden. Pat Connaughton emerged as one of the top scoring threats in Eastern Mass., spearheading a group of tough, resilient players.
Speaking of Connaughton, both he and Salem High star Antonio Reyes reached the 1,000 point mark this winter — as juniors. Meanwhile, point guard Cody Addison led the Pingree School boys hoopsters to a sterling 26-6 mark while surpassing 1,000 career assists.
On the girls' side, Bishop Fenwick emerged as this year's surprise. Becoming battle tested in the tough Catholic Central League, Fenwick emerged as a No. 7 seed in Division 3 North and won three tournament games, including a 22-point win over second-ranked Ipswich, to reach the North final, where unbeaten Pentucket knocked them off. Amy Pelletier led a cast of Crusaders that meshed well and played their best ball at the most critical times.
Speaking of girls hoop in Peabody, it was good to see the Tanners of Peabody High back among the elite programs in Eastern Mass. They won 19 games and earned a spot in the Division 1 North semifinals.
Meanwhile, despite its playoff loss to Fenwick, Ipswich won its fifth straight Cape Ann League Small title behind the hot hand of scoring star Hannah O'Flynn. Even Marblehead, which had gone winless for two-plus seasons, went through a rebirth under head coach Skip Likins by winning their fair share of games.
On the ice, it was another terrific season for local teams, almost all of whom experienced varying degrees of success.
Marblehead not only got to experience the thrill of a lifetime — playing a night game under the lights at Fenway Park against Winthrop — but parlayed that into a season for the ages, winning 20 games (tied for second-most in program history) and capturing their second Division 3 North crown in three seasons. Star defensemen Anders Gundersen and Jake Kulevich, scoring stars Chris McLeod, Ryan Dempsey and Alex Whitmore, and goalie Tony Cuzner were just a few of the stars that made the Headers click.
There was plenty of joy in Peabody as well, as the Tanners went unbeaten (13-0-1) to win the Northeastern Conference Large title and, for the first time ever, won three postseason games in a row to reach their first-ever North final. The "Three Amigos" line of Andrew Bucci (58 points), Matt Rodgers (56) and Derrik Pereira (46) were all constants on the scoresheet, with Rodgers finishing as the school's second all-time leading scorer while Bucci sits third.
Leading the girls hockey teams locally was the Beverly High co-operative team, which had its best season ever at 14-4-4, won the first North Cape League championship (going unbeaten in league play) and also claimed the program's first-ever playoff victory.
Things went swimmingly for St. John's Prep, which captured its fifth straight Division 1 state swimming title. The trio of Brian Brennan, Aaron Athanas and John Bateman (all from Beverly) helped the Eagles to yet another crown.
Marblehead also had a stellar season in the pool, winning yet another Northeastern Conference title.
In winter track, the name of Jackson MacDonald stood above all others. The Hamilton-Wenham star capped off a brilliant season by setting a new state mark in the long jump at 23 feet 3 inches in the All-State Meet (just minutes after placing fourth overall in the hurdles). Just days later, he won the state pentathlon event with a meet record 3,546 points.
Both the Hamilton-Wenham boys and girls track teams captured Division 4 state titles as well.
Wrestling saw St. John's Prep star T.J. Crabtree, a junior captain, finish the year 50-9 at 135 pounds, finishing second in the Division 1 North sectional, third at the Division 1 State Meet, fourth at the All-State Tournament and sixth in New England.
Another wrestling star, 112-pound Nate Hooper of Masconomet, concluded his brilliant career with the Chieftains as the school's all-time wins leader (129) while also advancing to New Englands.
Not to be outdone, the St. John's Prep fencing team won its sixth straight state title (going unbeaten in the process), while the Marblehead High girls ski team won its second consecutive alpine state championship.
