EHS boys basketball cruises past Somerville
The Everett High boys basketball team improved to 2-1 on the season with a runaway, 71-43 victory over Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Somerville this past Friday evening at the EHS gym.
The Crimson Tide scored off the opening tap on a bucket by sophomore guard Jayden Alsaindor and never looked back. Another fast-break bucket by Henrique Pinto and a trey by Somerville made it 4-3 in the opening 90 seconds, but that would be as close as the visiting Highlanders would get the rest of the way.
Crimson Tide senior center Geordielle Luna Morales (who finished with a game-high 21 points) then went on a personal 6-0 run with three hoops in less than a minute to boost Everett into a 10-3 advantage at 5:48.
With coach Gerry Boyce’s crew playing an aggressive, trapping-style of defense, the Tide continued to create numerous turnovers that led to transition buckets to leave matters firmly in Everett’s control, 21-6, after one period. The Tide stretched their bulge in the second period, taking a 41-22 lead into the half, and never were challenged the rest of the way en route to the victory.
“We approached this game with a clear focus on our defensive sets,” said Boyce. “Our goal was to get into those sets faster and control the pace of the game. The players executed our plan diligently, evident as we made in-game adjustments.
“We emphasized the importance of individual contributions within the team dynamic,” Boyce continued. “Geordiell Luna Morales had a standout performance and a breakout game and his scoring ability helped us build momentum.
“But it wasn’t just about one player. Christian Vasquez had 10 points and Jayden Alsaindor contributed with nine points, adding to a well-rounded effort from the entire team,” Boyce added. “Additionally, Adam Aitmessaoud made a significant impact off the bench, contributing six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Adam was our second-leading rebounder and really stepped up when we needed him. His energy and hustle on both ends of the court were vital to our success.
“This was a great team win that allowed us to get back on track,” said Boyce. “We’re moving in the right direction, and if we continue to work hard and stay focused, I believe we have a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season. With this victory under our belt, we aim to carry the momentum into our upcoming games, building on the strides made in this game.’
The victory was a nice bounce-back win for the Tide after last Tuesday’s 69-52 loss to GBL rival Lynn English on Disco Night in which disco hits from the 1970s reverberated in the EHS gym throughout the evening.
The contest was a hard-fought battle through most of the first half. The Tide held a 12-11 lead with 1:14 left in the first period, but the Bulldogs closed out the quarter with two hoops for a 15-12 advantage. The teams traded buckets through the first part of the second period and with 3:45 to go in the half, the Tide trailed by three, 25-22, after a hoop by Luna Morales.
However, the final few minutes of the first half proved crucial, as English closed out the half with a 14-3 run to take a 39-35 lead into the locker room. Although Everett played English evenly the rest of the way, they never were able to take a bite out of the Bulldogs’ double-digit lead.
“This was a competitive matchup against Lynn English,” said Boyce. “Our team faced a challenging loss that, while disappointing, provided valuable lessons. This was a good loss for us, highlighting areas where we need to be more disciplined and consistent with our fundamentals.
Senior captain Tyson Chunn and Luna Morales led the Crimson Tide in the scoring department, both reaching double-figures with 13 points. “Their efforts were commendable, but we recognized that we could have done a much better job in key areas such as defense and sharing the ball,” noted Boyce.
“As we move forward, our focus will be on reinforcing the principles of the game and our team concepts,” Boyce added. “We have a group who is still working to gel, and with continued effort, we are confident that we will improve. This experience will serve as a stepping stone for our growth, and we look forward to applying what we’ve learned in our next games as we keep pushing forward.”
Boyce and his crew are set to take part in the King Philip Regional H.S. Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday. They will meet Lincoln-Sudbury in the preliminary round at 7:00 on Friday and then face either King Phiip or Medfield on Saturday. The Tide will resume play against their GBL foes in the New Year next Thursday (January 2) at Lynn Classical.
Impressive performances for EHS boys track team
Although the Everett High boys indoor track and field team dropped its season opening meets to Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals Medford (59-31) and Revere (53-47) in a tri-meet last Thursday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, a number of coach Jehu Cimea’s Crimson Tide turned in impressive performances.
Junior Kayshaun Eveillard took first place vs. both Medford and Revere in both the 55 meter dash with a sprint of 6.83 seconds and the 300 dash in a time of 37.31. Even more impressively, Kayshaun had the-fastest time of the day in the 300 dash among all GBL competitors (all eight of the GBL schools were holding their meets at the Reggie that day) and was second in the 55 dash.
Other first-place finishers for Everett vs. Medford were Kawan Medeiros, who won the long jump with a leap of 17’-1”, and Fabrice Michaud, who led a Tide sweep in the shot-put with a winning toss of 39’-11”. Fabrice’s toss was the third-best toss among the GBL schools.
Also scoring points vs. the Mustangs were: Yuriel Ortiz with a third in the 55 dash; Carlos Pagan Landeo with a third in the 1000; Lucas Nunez with a third in the mile; Gaetano Foster with a second in the shot-put (he was fourth among all of the GBL throwers); Trevon Carrington with a third in the shot; Luvens Hector with a second in the 55m hurdles; and David Huevo-Erazo with a third in the two-mile.
As for the Revere portion of the meet, in addition to Eveillard’s wins in the 55 and 300 dashes, Michaud also bested all of the Revere shot-putters and Hector grabbed first place in the 55 hurdles.
A number of Tide grabbed second-places vs. Revere to add three points to the Everett scoresheet: Adrien Reyes in the 600 dash; Lucas Nunez in the mile; Gaetano Foster in the shot-put; and Davis Huezo-Erazo in the two-mile.
Adding third-place points against the Patriots were: Tyre Lule in the 600; Carlos Pagan Landeo in the 1000; Jereny Whitlow in the mile; Kawan Medeiros in the long jump; and Bryan Lewis in the two-mile.
On the girls’ side, point-scorers for the Lady Crimson Tide in the meet with Revere were: Yelsa Garcia with a second-place in the 55 meter dash with a sprint of 8.26; Isabella Pimenta with a third-place finish in the 55 dash in a clocking of 8.40; Shashi Pokrei with a third in the mile with a run of 7:26.52; Graziella Foster with a second-place shot-put throw of 26’-00”; Fahema Coudo with a third in the shot with her toss of 25’-5.5”; and Devon Gomez-Walrond with a third in the 55 hurdles with a time of 11.21.
In the contest with Medford, Foster took first-place in the shot-put and Gomez-Walrond topped the Lady Mustangs with a first in the 55 hurdles. Additional Everett point-scorers were: Garcia with a third in the 55 dash; Zyelle Cannon-Mathis with a third in the 300 dash (51.36); Akanksha Neupane with a second in the 1000 (4:07.08); Pokrei with a third in the mile; and Coudo with a second-place in the shot.
The next GBL meet for both the boys and girls is set for January 9 vs, Lynn English at the Reggie Lewis Center, which is the venue for all of the GBL’s meets this season.
Emila Maria Babcock scores 28 for EHS girls
Despite a 28-point effort from senior captain Emilia María Babcock, the Everett High girls basketball team came out on the short end of a 42-36 decision to Greater Boston League rival Lynn Classical this past Thursday.
Emilia was an all-around force for the Lady Crimson Tide. In addition to her 28 points, the talented and hard-working senior made seven steals and grabbed seven rebounds on the night.
Junior Nicole Damaceno also turned in a defensive strong effort, pulling down eight boards and playing tough defense all game long.
“It was a hard-fought battle and a tough defensive effort from our girls,” said EHS head coach Riley Dunn. “We’re going to keep building.”
Dunn and her crew are scheduled to play two contests over the vacation break, both against non-league opponents. They were set to travel to Lawrence this past Monday afternoon (December 23) and then will trek to Acton-Boxborough this Saturday.
The Lady Tide will resume their GBL schedule on Thursday, January 2, at Chelsea.