A difficult night for both teams in Everett-Methuen tournament game
The Everett High boys basketball team traveled to Methuen last Wednesday for their preliminary round contest in the MIAA Division 1 state basketball tournament.
Although the Crimson Tide, who entered the tourney as the 39th seed in D-1 with a 12-10 record, came up short to the Rangers (the 26th seed with a 9-11 mark), both teams were playing with a heavy heart.
“While the final score was 63-41 in favor of Methuen, the story of the night was never about the scoreboard,” said EHS head coach Gerard Boyce. “Our program would like to publicly acknowledge the incredible strength and resilience shown by the Methuen players, staff, and community. Taking the court just hours after the loss of their assistant coach, James Staples, was an act of profound courage.”
Staples, who was only 33 when he passed away after a seven-year battle with cancer, was a beloved figure in the Methuen basketball community, having coached for many years at both the youth and high school levels.
“From our sideline, we had a few situations arise right before the game that affected us as well, but we were not ready to execute,” Boyce continued. “The graduating seniors will be missed and we are back to the drawing board trying to get a defensive presence on the court.
“We at Everett High are proud to have shared the court with the Rangers on such a difficult night,” Boyce added. “Basketball is a competitive sport, but moments like these remind us that empathy and sportsmanship are the most important lessons we can teach our student-athletes. Our deepest condolences go out to the Staples family and the entire Methuen High School community.”