The Everett High girls basketball team enjoyed a successful week, winning three of its four contests. The victories boost the Lady Crimson Tide to the .500 mark at 7-7 on the season, placing Coach Tammy Turner and her crew into prime position for making a run to the state tourney, which requires a .500 record for a team to qualify.
The Lady Crimson Tide opened their week last Tuesday with a big win, 50-45, over a chief Greater Boston League rival, Cambridge. Senior captain Savannah Spinney put together a superb game for the Lady Crimson Tide, scoring a career-high 23 points, of which nine came in the fourth period, to key a second-half rally that catapulted Everett to the victory.
“Savannah knows what it takes for a team to reach the tourney and that is a goal she has set for our team,” said EHS head coach Tammy Turner. “She had been on the bench with foul trouble in the third period, but when she went back into the game to start the fourth quarter, she caught fire and inspired our whole team.”
Free throw shooting down the stretch proved crucial for the Lady Crimson Tide, who sank 6-of-8 from the charity stripe in the closing minutes to fend off a Cambridge comeback bid. Talia Riccioli sank two free throws and Spinney was 3-for-4.
“We kept our composure in the face of their press and that proved key,” noted Turned. After Spinney’s 23, Riccioli was next on the scoring chart with 10 points, followed by Talia Mirra with six, Yemi Okhihan with five, Lunica Figueroa with four, and Netta Johnson with two
On Friday, the Lady Crimson Tide took the measure of another GBL rival, Malden, in a contest that was not as close as the final 38-30 final score might indicate. Everett turned a tight, contest at the half (18-13) into a double digit lead (33-16) after three frames that allowed Turner to give everyone on the team significant playing time.
“We really increased our defensive intensity to start the second half,” said Turner, whose squad limited Malden to just three points in the third period. “We were all over them, challenging every pass.”
Everett also picked up the offensive tempo in the third frame, keyed by a two three-pointers from Okhihan and one trey by Mirra. Spinney led Everett with 11 points on the night, followed by Riccioli with 10, Okhihan and Mirra with six, Feble with three, and Figueroa with two.
Monday night the Lady Crimson Tide defeated Saugus of the Cape Ann League, 45-39. Everett trailed 24-22 at the half, but once again picked up the defensive intensity after the intermission to spark their winning effort. The contest became a tight one down the stretch until Riccioli sank two free throws with 14 seconds to play to put the game on ice. The Lady Crimson Tide had difficulty hitting their shots from the charity stripe, but some fierce offensive rebounding by Netta Johnson off her teammates’ misses allowed Everett to maintain possession in the waning seconds.
Turner was high in her praise of Mirra and Johnson for their strong defensive work against Saugus’ top scorer. The coach also noted the defensive play of Andrea Battaglia, whose two steals and a defensive rebound on three successive Saugus possessions allowed Everett to make a run that provided some separation at the start of the fourth quarter.
Riccioli led the Lady Crimson Tide with 11 points, followed by Spinney with nine. Johnson and Feble netted eight apiece followed by Mirra with six and Okhihan with four.
Everett’s lone setback came last Thursday to Northeastern Conference rival Salem. Everett trailed by 18 points in the first half, but eventually fought back to close the gap to eight in the fourth quarter. However, the Lady Crimson Tide could not get over the proverbial hump and fell by a final score of 59-47. Okhihan had a banner game with 16 points to lead the Lady Crimson Tide.
Turner and her squad have a busy week ahead wit three homes games. They were set to host Marblehead last night (Tuesday), Somerville Friday, and Lynn Classical Monday.
Etienne wins GBL long jump title
Lorentz Etienne leapt past the field of competitors at Saturday’s Greater Boston League meet with a long jump of 19′-3,” more than two feet further than his nearest rival (and only three inches away from qualifying for the upcoming Division 1 State Meet) to claim the 2014 GBL indoor long jump title.
Lorentz’s long jump crown highlighted a superb meet for him, as he took third place in the 55 meter dash in a time of 6.99 seconds and ran the lead-off leg of the EHS 4 x 200 relay quartet that came home in fourth place and qualified for the states with a time of 1:39.18.
“Our four boys in the 4 x 200 relay (Etienne, Dominique Brown, Eric Senibaldi, and Jonathan Pharel) really came to the meet excited hopefully to qualify for states and they did it with their best time of the season,” said EHS head coach Shelanda Irish. The state meet is set for the Reggie Lewis Center February 13
Pharel narrowly missed taking the individual title in the 55 meter dash. His clocking of 6.97 seconds was just 0.03 behind the winner and only 0.3 off from qualifying of the states.
Other point scorers for Everett were: Eric Senibaldi with a sixth place finish in the 600 in 1:33.39; Raphen Vidal with a sixth in the 1000 in 2:55.91; Shea Kernan with a fifth in the two mile in 12:05.5; Steven Garrity with a sixth in the high jump with a leap of 5′-2″; Lucas Tejada with a fifth in the long jump with a leap of 16′-7″; and Felipe Andrade, sixth in the shot-put with a toss of 33′-10.5.”
The 4 x 400 relay crew of Jason Hansen, Carlos Acevedo, Fritzbert Jonathas, and Andrade took third place in 3:52.67 and the 4 x 800 quartet of Jason Vo, Kernan, Evan Senibaldi, and Alex Burgos came across in fifth place in 10:21.44.
On the girls’ side, Djenny Lorjuste scored in points in two events with a third place finish in the long jump with a leap of 13′-4″ and a fourth place performance i the 55 dash in 8.13. Other individual point-scorers for the Lady Crimson Tide were: Laurynns Joseph, sixth in the 300 in 47.97; Stephanie Perkins, sixth in the 1000 in 4:17.03; Kayla Mangan, sixth in the mile in 6:27.75; Vesna Ismirovic, fifth in the 55 hurdles in 11.18; Sabina Moreta, sixth in the high jump with a leap of 5′-4.”
“There were some events that we didn’t anticipate scoring in after reviewing the seedings for the meet. However, we had a few girls prove the seedings wrong,” noted Irish.
The Everett 4 x 200 relay team of Joseph, Moreta, Sheryl Steeves, and Lorjuste took fifth place and narrowly missed qualifying for the state meet with their time fastest time of the season in 1:57.79.
Another highlight of the meet for the Everett girls was the school-record breaking performance by the 4 x 800 quartet of Katelyn Castro, Mangan, Perkins, and Aholanny Soto with a clocking of 12:57.06.
The Everett 4 x 400 runners, Katelyn Castro, Debra Francilme, Imsirovic, and Shayrn Gladstone took fourth spot in 5:17.06.
“Our 300m runners did well running, their fastest times of the season,” said Irish. “Stephanie Perkins was able to score for us in a very fast 1000m run, as did Kayla Mangan in the one mile run. Vesna was able to place in the hurdles for the team.All but one of our distance runners on both the boys and girls side set personal records at this meet and that is terrific and especially at such an important meet like the championships.”
The JV GBL Championships at Cambridge Rindge and Latin are set for this afternoon (Wednesday).
EHS boys track defeats Medford
The Everett High boys indoor track team defeated Medford, 50-36, last week to wrap up its indoor dual meet season. The Crimson Tide captured four of the nine individual events as well as the 4 x 400 relay.
First place finishers for Everett were: Eric Senibaldi in the 600 dash in 1:29.5; Raphen Vidal in the 1000 in 2:45.8 (which led an Everett sweep in that event); Shea Kernan in the mile in 12:44.1; and Erick Browne with a shot-put toss of 36′-9.5″. The 4 x 400 relay quartet of Jason Hansen, Carlos Acevedo, Eric Senibaldi, and Felipe Andrade won their race in 4:11.9, compared to a clocking of 4:20 for their Medford rivals.
Depth proved be the key to an Everett victory, with six second place finishes: Steven Garrity in the 50 yard hurdles in 7.7; Loremtz Etienne in the 50 yard dash in 6.1; Dominique Brown in the 300 dash in 38.7; Evan Senibaldi in the 1000 in 2:57.6; Frtizbert Jonathas in the mix in 5:38.6; and Irvin Dorsainvil with a heave of 33′-8.5″ in the shot-put.
Crimson Tide performers with third place finishes that put Everett over the top were: Stephen Carlin in the hurdles in 7.9 and the high jump with a leap of 5′-4″; Jonathan Pharel in the 50 dash in 6.1; Edwin Gonzalez in the 600 in 1:34.1; Jason Vo in the 1000 in 2:58.1; Alex Burgos in the mile in 5:52.5; and Michael Traill in the two mile in 14:03.
“We knew this would be a close meet, but the boys were able to secure the first win of the season,” said EHS head coach Shelanda Irish. “This was one of those meets where both teams were fighting for each and every point.
“Fortunately, we came out on top by 14 points,” continued Irish “Steven Garrity and Stephen Carlin ran solid races in the hurdles. Dominique Brown ran the 300 yard dash for the first time this season and was able to get a second place. I thought he had a better chance of scoring for us in the 300 as opposed to the 50 dash, which is what he typically runs. Our distance group ran well. We swept the 1000 yard run, took second and third in the mile, and first and third in the two mile. Shea Kernan has run well in the two mile for us this season and he has been improving every week. Erick Browne and Irvin Dorsainvil had great performances in the shotput, throwing personal bests.”
Mangan wins mile event in Medford meet
The Everett High girls indoor track team dropped a 55-31 decision to Medford in the Lady Crimson Tide’s final meet of the season.
Kayla Mangan grabbed a first place for Everett in the mile run with a clocking of 6:47.7.
Many Lady Crimson Tide took second place in the meet: Sabrina Moreto in the 50 yard dash in 6.8 and the high jump with a leap of 4′-6″; Laurynns Joseph in the 300 dash in 44.4; Katelyn Castro in the 600 dash in 1:49; Wendy Ralon in the 1000 in 3:40.1; and Ashley Mulligan-DeGregorio in the two mile in 17:49.8.
Third place performances came from: Tanyam Bazile in the hurdles in 9.6; Eve Ducheine in the 30 in 45.0; Lillian White in he 600 in 1:55.2; Stephanie Perkins in the 1000 in 3:53.7; Angoori Rana in the mile in 8:47.7; Amber Lundberg in the two mix in 18:05; Kathy Phan with a high jump of 4-6; and Annie Pierreville in the shotput with a toss of 24-3.
“Going into this meet, we knew it was going to be close for both teams,” said EHS head coach Shelanda Irish. “On the girls side, after trying to figure out where we could score and where we realistically probably wouldn’t, I felt that Medford had a slight edge over our team.
“Our top hurdler, co-captain Elsbeth Colson was out due to an injury,” continued Irish. “Therefore we didn’t get as many points as I was hoping for in that event in particular. With that being said, Tanya Bazile was still able to get a third place for us in the event, running for the first time in a varsity meet. Sabrina Moreta ran the second fastest dash time for the team this season with a second place finish. Katelyn Castro ran her fastest time of the season in the 600 yard run. Kayla Mangan led the mile the entire race and it was nice to see Angoori score for us in the mile as well. As a team, the girls scored where they were supposed to. It was the final home meet of the season for our seniors and they put up a good fight.”