Vasquez’s bucket with 2.4 to go lifts EHS boys over English, 50-48
The Everett High boys basketball team earned a pair of important victories last week, defeating Greater Boston League rivals Lynn English, 50-48, and Somerville, 59-50. The twin wins improved the Crimson Tide’s record to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in the GBL.
“Last week was crucial for us, and I’m incredibly proud of how the team responded to some tough competition,” said EHS head coach Gerard Boyce. “Our victory over Lynn English was a huge GBL road win against a very strong opponent in a difficult environment.
The contest was a nip-and-tuck affair, especially in the final minutes when the contest was a one-score battle.
Senior captain Cristian Vasquez, who led the Tide in the scoring column with 17 points, sank a pair of clutch pull-up jumpers down the stretch to lift Everett to the win. Cristian’s first hoop gave the Tide a 48-45 advantage with 2:30 to go, but English sank three free throws to eventually puil even at 48-48 with 56 seconds remaining.
After an Everett miss and a huge offensive rebound by Nathanel Nelson, Boyce called a time-out with 22 seconds to go. After the inbounds play, Vasquez coolly took charge, dribbling the ball from beyond the arc as the clock ticked down, and then driving to his left before pulling up from about 15 feet out on the left wing and swishing the game-winner with 2.4 seconds showing on the clock to give the Tide the big win in the Bulldogs’ gymnasium.
Samir King-DaCosta (13 points) and Jayden Alsaindor (12 points) also reached double figures for the Tide.
“We knew coming into their gym it would be a battle. It was a tight, back-and-forth contest, and I credit the boys for their mental toughness and composure in the final moments,” said Boyce. “We were down for much of the game, but never let the deficit reach double digits. The defensive intensity was exactly what we needed to secure the victory. Making key stops and capitalizing on some crucial turnovers down the stretch made the difference. Securing a win in such a close game like this just might benefit us come tournament time.”
Two nights later, Everett knocked off Somerville, another key GBL opponent. Alsaindor led the way with 17 points, with Vasquez striking for 13, Nelson hitting for 10, and captain Adam Aitmessaoud adding nine.
“After the intense game against English, it was good to get back on our home court and focus,” said Bpyce. “Our approach here was a clear focus on defensive sets and controlling the pace, which the players executed diligently. We set the tone early with aggressive defense and managed to find open shots through effective ball movement.
“We were able to maintain a lead for most of the game, and while Somerville pushed back, our team’s resilience shone through in the second half to seal the win,” Bpyce continued. “It was a solid team effort all around, and the win felt good for team morale as we continue to gel on the court.”
The victories ended what had been a tough stretch for the Tide, who had come up short in their five previous contests, including a 75-62 loss at Lynn Classical, which always is a tough GBL opponent.
“We’ve faced some quality non-league and tournament opponents early in the season that have provided valuable learning experiences, even if the scoreboard didn’t fall our way,” said Boyce. “This was a challenging game where Lynn Classical came out strong. We struggled with consistency, particularly in the second half, where we had difficulties finding our offensive rhythm. We used this as a learning experience, focusing on film sessions to correct our defensive rotations and rebounding.”
In the King Philip Regional High School holiday tournament, the Tide dropped both of its contests. “In the King Philip holiday tournament opener, we faced a tough Bishop Feehan squad,” Bpyce said. “The game was closely contested in the first half, but we weren’t able to sustain the intensity needed in the second half. Credit to our players, who continued to fight despite the outcome.
“In the consolation game the next day, we came up short against Old Rochester,” Boyce continued. “The quick turnaround after the Feehan game tested our depth. We had some good moments, but issues with rebounding and defensive consistency hurt us. We’ll use the film from these games to improve our performance as the season progresses.”
Boyce and his crew were scheduled to play at Revere last night (Tuesday) and will host Medford tomorrow (Thursday) evening for a 7:00 opening tip-off.
They will embark on the second half of their season on the holiday on Monday afternoon vs. Brookline in the Hoop Dreams Magazine Winter Classic at Cathedral High. They will travel to Malden next Tuesday.he boys have had a busy stretch. We’re building a strong program here, and every game, win or loss, is a stepping stone for our growth and resilience.
Eveillard, Nunez set school records at Northeast Invite
A contingent from the Everett High boys and girl indoor track and field teams competed in this past weekend’s MSTCA Northeast Invitational Meet, a meet that attracted hundreds of competitors from across the northeastern states.
“It was a great meet for our athletes,” said EHS head coach Jehu Cimea. “We set a lot of personal records and two school records were broken.”
The top performer for the Crimson Tide was senior captain Kayshaun Eveillard, who earned a second-place medal in the 200 dash with a sprint of 22.52, which was just 0.05 off the winning time, among a field of 246 entrants, and then took third place in the 300 dash in a clocking of 35.59, a time that broke his own Everett High school record of 36.14.
“This was Kayshaun’s first meet back from injury, and he had an amazing performance,” said Cimea. “He broke his own school record in the 300 meters and the next day he ran a 22.5 in the 200 meters, a personal record (PR) for him. Kayshaun is ranked 3rd in Division 2 in the 300 meters and 7th in the state.”
Lucas Nunez also had a great weekend, breaking the EHS record in the 1000 meters with a time of 2:46.95, bettering the previous record of 2:47.28 that was set by Aimen Salih in 2018. The next day, Lucas ran a PR in the 800, finishing in 2:09.41.
Additional Crimson Tide performers who turned in strong performances were Kervens Joseph, who finished 17th (out of a field of 282) in the 55 meter dash in a time of 6.84, and Gaetano Foster, who placed 21st in the shot-put with a throw of 40’-6.25”.
On the girls’ side, senior captain Shinead Riley sped to a 26th place finish (among the field of 240 entrants) in the 55 meter dash with a sprint of 7.85 and a 35th place finish in the 200 dash in 28.53.
Junior Graziela Foster ranked 27th in the shot-put with a throw of 27’-9.5” and sophomore Kimberly Fuentes Chavez finished in 66th spot among 93 girls in the 800 with a clocking of 2:51.84.
Everett girls roll
past English, 52-22
The Everett High girls basketball team returned from its vacation break in a big way with a 52-22 triumph over Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Lynn English last Tuesday.
Katerin Landaverde Vasquez turned in a monster performance with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and six steals. “Katerina really stepped up for her teammates,” said EHS head coach Riley Dunn.
Julianna Rivera reached double figures in the scoring column with 11 points and Abigail Falkowski hit dubs in the rebounding department, pulling down a team-high 12 caroms.
“Abigail was relentless on the boards,” said Dunn. “She displayed consistent hustle on every play.”
Casey Martinez turned in a near double-double with a solid eight points and eight rebounds. Coming off the bench, Ashley Heath and Amanda Verteiro had key defensive steals and kept the intensity up on defense the entire time they were on the floor.
“I was proud of this team effort,” said Dunn. “This was a true team win.”
Two nights later, the Lady Crimson Tide trekked to GBL foe Somerville and came up short by a score of 54-24. “Somerville was a tough night for us offensively,” said Dunn, Landaverde Vasquez and Rivera both had seven points for Everett.
“I was proud of my girls’ fight until the final buzzer,” Dunn said. “They never quit and that is something to be very proud of.
“We’re going to continue to stack the days and keep sticking together,” the coach added. “We’ll continue to respond to adversity with grit and resilience.”
The Lady Crimson Tide, who stand at 2-3 on the season, were scheduled to host GBL foe Revere last night (Tuesday). They will travel to GBL rival Medford tomorrow (Thursday) and return home to entertain non-league opponent Marblehead on Friday for a 6:00 opening tip-off.
They will entertain GBL rival Malden next Tuesday (Jan. 20) with a 7:00 opening tip-off.