Winter Sports 2022-23 -- One for the Ages

Boys Varsity Basketball (16-9, 11-1 HVAL)

Boys Twice Champs: Tops in HVAL and NEPSAC

The winter basketball season of 2022-23 will go down in school history as one for the ages. After matching the girls’ as winners of a Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) championship, the boys then went on to accomplish something only one other Harvey team had done before -- capture the New England Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class C Tournament Championship.

Head coach Denis Arnautovic and his assistant Connor Welles manned the helm of a team loaded with seniors who wanted to make the most of their last year as Cavaliers on the court, and they, along with their underclassmen teammates, played all season long like they wanted to leave a lasting legacy.

“We knew we had a good team going into this year, and our goal was to win the regular season and secure home court advantage for the playoffs,” Coach Arnautovic said. The Cavs did indeed take care of business in their own league, winning nine of their 10 regular season games, their only HVAL loss coming at the hands of Watkinson. The Cavs entered the playoffs as the top seed with Watkinson at No. 2.  A first-round bye, followed by a 45-44 win over Wooster in the semifinal, led to Harvey and Watkinson squaring off in the HVAL title game, where the Cavs pulled out a 49-45 victory to win the championship. “In the championship game against Watkinson we played with confidence and together as a unit, which was the reason we won Harvey’s first HVAL title in 28 years,” Coach Arnautovic said.

With the HVAL first-place trophy in hand, the Cavs earned the No. 4 seed in the NEPSAC Championship Tournament. Coach Arnautovic saw a Harvey team poised to do something big. “The confidence we gained in the HVAL championship game served us well in the NEPSAC playoffs,” the coach said, adding, “With each game our confidence grew and we believed we can go all the way.” And it didn’t hurt that the Cavs, by virtue of their No. 4 seeding, had the home court advantage as they hosted both the NEPSAC quarterfinal and semifinal games. Loud, supportive Cavalier fans packed the Fenstermacher Athletic Center to root their team on and were rewarded with victories in both rounds, first against Gann Academy, 72-60 in the tourney opener, then against Greens Farms Academy in the semifinal, a 74-51 win that sent Harvey to the NEPSAC final. The Cavs were slight underdogs in their matchup with No. 3 seed Lexington Christian Academy, who scored an upset in the semifinal against Hyde School, the team looking for its fourth straight NEPSAC championship.

In the championship game, sophomore point guard Jonah Kass, who had produced solid performances in the previous two games, was a force to be reckoned with by Lexington Christian in the final. Kass went on fiery spurts throughout the contest, hitting three shots from long distance in the first half and collecting 14 points total by halftime to pace the Cavs’ offense and help Harvey lead 28-23. He scored eight more in the second half when senior captain Kirk Ortega got hot and put in 11. Kass and Ortega, along with senior captain Sukie Vongveeranonchai who added eight of his own, helped Harvey hold its lead over LCA all the way until the final buzzer signaling game over and NEPSAC Class C championship Harvey’s. The entire Cavs team leapt for joy and celebrated n midcourt, along with their coaches.

Coach Arnautovic found great joy and satisfaction in seeing his team crowned the champion. “Winning the NEPSAC final was the summary of everything we worked on this season and it paid off,” the coach said.

Kass, who averaged 16 points per game in the three NEPSAC games, was named the Class C tournament MVP. Selected as both NEPSAC and HVAL All-League, Kass led the Cavs in points this season with 312 and in points per game average (ppg.) of 12.5 over 25 games. He was second in assists with 59. Coach Arnautovic  said that Kass established himself early on as the point guard of this team. “Jonah’s understanding of the game  and his ability to make plays for himself and for his teammates made it very difficult for opponents to predict what he would do next,” the coach said.

Second in scoring this season was Ortega, another NEPSAC and HVAL All-League selection. In addition to his 257 total points and a ppg. average of 10.3, Ortega recorded 61 assists, 55 rebounds, and 59 steals.  Coach Arnautovic offered praise to his four-year veteran. “Kirk grew into a leader and many times took the team on his back to victory. He became the most consistent player for our team. He always showed up  and played with great intensity and confidence.”

The versatile Vongveeranonchai, an All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention, was third in scoring with 179 points. He also had 29 assists and was the team’s second leading rebounder with 102. He recorded 102 steals and blocked 17 shots. “Sukie gave us security on the boards and provided us with great overall defense plus the ability to score in the paint,” Coach Arnautovic said.

Harvey’s third NEPSAC and HVAL All-League player was junior center Olaf Gorski, the team’s leading rebounder with 191. He also led the squad with blocked shots and was the protector of the paint. “As the season progressed, Olaf showed improvement on both sides of the court,” Coach Arnautovic said. He cleaned up the boards for us and his height and reach made opponents change the way they play,” the coach added.

Senior Marcus “MJ” Diaz, Harvey’s fifth starter and the team’s third captain, also had an outstanding season. He tallied 118 points, 33 assists, 81 rebounds, and 40 steals. Coach Arnautovic singled out Diaz for coming up big in key spots. “He was the guy who, in many games, shut down the opponent’s best shooter, got the big rebound and made the timely steal,” the coach said, adding, “Marcus hit some huge shots in crucial moments like the one 3-pointer against Lexington Christian Academy that gave us so much needed separation going into the last minutes of the championship game.”

In addition to the starters Ortega, Vongveeranonchai, and Diaz, the seniors coming off the bench -- Myles Feldman, Bradley Lederer, Brandon Mallon, Dante Meloni, Aaron Providence, and Charles Treseler – made their fine share of contributions to this double-championship season as did freshman Cameron Powell-Spruils, sophomore Jackson Saccomanno, and juniors Dylan Gueli and Wes Elkind.

Reflecting on his team’s extraordinary season Coach Arnautovic said, “This team, our starters and our great bench guys, all accomplished something that will be remembered for a very long time. With each week their game improved, the chemistry between them grew, and they started to believe that they could beat anybody. It was amazing to watch the impact this team had on the Harvey community, truly lifting the school spirit and bringing everyone together.”

Coaches Arnautovic and Welles announced the all-league selections and special team award-winners at the team dinner. The team award recipients were:

MVP: Kirk Ortega II

MIP: Olaf Gorski

Cavalier Spirit: Marcus Diaz

 

Girls Varsity Basketball  (22-3; 15-1 HVAL)   

A Season for the Record Books!                                                                                 

What a wondrous winter season it was for Harvey’s girls varsity basketball team, breaking school records, establishing brand new ones, and finishing as the champions of the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL).

Head coach Victoria Shopovick, in just her first season at the helm, saw a Harvey team set a new school record for most wins in a season on its way to capturing the first title in the Housatonic league since it replaced the old Hudson Valley Athletic League 15 years ago. Three Harvey girls teams (2004-2006) had won championships under the banner of the old league.

Coach Shopovick, along with second-year assistant Felicia Peterson, directed a squad that dominated the HVAL, losing only once, and winning seven of the eight games they played against nonleague opponents.  

From the very start of the season  something special about this year’s team was in the air as the girls opened the 2022-23 campaign by winning the Peg Duggan Tournament championship at Horace Mann School in Riverdale, first beating Masters in the qualifying round and then notching an impressive 51-22 triumph over Inwood Academy in the title game to win the tourney.

“Being able to set the tone of the season with a first place finish in that tournament was incredible,” Coach Shopovick said. “As a first year coach with a new group of girls, winning it gave me a boost of knowing I had a great team behind me.” As a harbinger of the kind of season she would have in her first year at Harvey, junior captain McKensi Forde was named Tournament MVP, finishing with a 17.5 per game average in the two games.

Following their tournament victory, the girls opened with two straight wins before falling to Watkinson 58-56,  the only loss the Cavs would have in the regular season against a league rival. With their record having fallen to 4-1, the Harvey girls then went on a hot streak, winning seven straight until a loss to nonleague New York Military Academy.

What followed the NYMA loss was pure dominance as the Cavs then went on a torrid 12-game winning streak, highlighted by a decisive victory at home Feb. 25, earning their 20th win in their final regular season game against arch rival Watkinson, a win that established Harvey as the No. 1 seed and Watkinson as the No. 2 in the HVAL playoffs that would follow three days later. It was a very special game for another reason as the girls established a new school record for most wins by a varsity basketball team.  “Breaking the record of the most wins in a season was another highlight of the season,” Coach Shopovick said. “Being able to do that felt great,” the coach said, adding, “The girls worked very hard for that record.” The previous high in wins was the 19 the 1994-95 NEPSAC champion boys team had.

With a first-round bye and a victory against Christian Heritage in the semifinal, Harvey hosted Watkinson in the HVAL championship game and beat the Rams handily 66-41 in front of a big crowd of home fans. McKensi Forde finished with a game-high, team-leading 29 points while senior captain Kira Ortega tallied 14 and ninth grader Peyton Forde added 11. “I was so happy for the senior girls who have been on the team since they were ninth graders.” Coach Shopovock said.

As a league champion, the Harvey girls earned a bid to play in the NEPSAC Class C Championship Tournament. Their season ended with a loss, however, in the first round to Millbrook School. Sad to see the season end with a loss, Coach Shopovick takes solace in knowing what an outstanding, history-making season her girls had. The coach said she enjoyed working with this year’s “amazing” squad. The coach said, “I saw each of the girls grow as individual players but also as a team and even a family. Their bond on and off the court was incredible to watch as they supported each other and knew how to push each other to help them get better.”

McKensi Forde, a NEPSAC All–Star, and an All-NEPSAC honorable mention and HVAL All-League selection, led her team this season with an average of 15 points per game, scoring a team-high total of 359 points. Ortega, Harvey’s second NEPSAC All-Star and All-NEPSAC and HVAL All-League selection, was second in scoring with a PPG of 11.7 after collecting a season total of 292 points. She concludes her extraordinary tenure at Harvey as one of the school’s all-time leading scorers, becoming only the sixth varsity basketball player to reach the 1,000 career-points milestone.

Another player averaging in double digits per game this season was junior Fernanda Alexandre with 10 points per game on 250 total points. She earned an HVAL All-League selection. Ninth grader Peyton Forde fell just shy of a double-digit per game average. She had a PPG of 9,2 with 240 points scored. The fifth starter, ninth grader Amani Carty, finished with 129 points scored, averaging 5.2 points per game.

In reflecting on the season, Coach Shopovick said she was proud of what the girls accomplished and in the way they played the game. “All I asked the girls was to play together and leave everything on that court. And that is what they did every game. As a coach all I asked from them is to learn and teach one another and they did that too.”

At season’s end the coaches awarded special team awards to the following:

MVP: Kira Ortega

MIP: Celia Baer

Cavalier Spirit: Juliet Jaques

 

Varsity Ice Hockey (7-6-1; 4-6-1 FAA) 

A Bit Short in Wins, Huge in Heart

What started out as a season in which big things might happen turned into disappointment near the end as the varsity hockey team came up short, finishing fifth in the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) and failing to make the playoffs.

Head coach Alex Morse, and his assistants Kyle Delaney and Doug Plaskett, knew going into the season they had a relatively short roster of players to take on the tough competition in the FAA, but as the season moved along, Coach Morse was impressed by how well his guys battled and met the challenge. “For the most part we were competitive throughout the season with a limited number of players,” Coach Morse said. “As a team we only played about nine or 10 players all season, so we stayed relatively healthy and we never gave up despite the odds being against us,” he said.

Their two games against a formidable Greenwich Country Day School squad serve to point out the toughness and resilience of the Cavs this season. In one game at home against the GCDS Tigers, Harvey battled back three times to secure a 6-6 tie. In their other game against the Greenwich team, the Cavs came back in the third period to tie the game twice forcing the overtime before losing in sudden death style. In a 5-4 win against Wooster, Harvey scored two goals in the last two minutes to turn a deficit into a victory. In a 2-1 win at Hamden Hall, playing back-to-back games, the Cavs scored with 1:20 left to get the victory. “In short, the team never quit and was best late in games,” Coach Morse said.

Senior wing Vincent Andren, an FAA Second Team All-League selection, led his Harvey team in total points on offense with 29 on 11 goals and 18 assists. Senior captain center Jordan Freund was first in goals with 13 and second in total points with 28. Junior center Zack Marvin, the team’s alternate captain, finished third in goals scored with 11. Standout sophomore defenseman Anthony Galtieri collected nine goals and four assists. He was selected as an FAA All-League Honorable Mention. Doing a yeoman’s job of minding the goal was ninth grader Richard Sullivan who recorded a remarkable 416 saves.

Coach Morse singled out three other players for “playing big minutes.” They are senior defenseman Spencer Whitman, senior wing Daniel Gittleman, and ninth grade defenseman Mark Miceli. “Maybe Spencer, Daniel, and Mark didn't have the stats, but they were key contributors to our successes and logged a ton of ice time playing multiple positions throughout the season,” Coach Morse said.

Offering his final reflection on the season, Coach Morse said, “Despite several lopsided results toward the end of the season, we exceeded all expectations by winning four games within the difficult FAA league schedule, and with a few better bounces it could have been more. Despite playing nine players for the most part, we were at our best in the final period, when legs were supposed to be lost. That says a lot about the heart, the effort and the drive to win of these young men."    

At the team dinner, the following players were named recipients of the special team awards:

MVP: Anthony Galtieri

Best Offensive Player: Jordan Freund

Coaches Award: Daniel Gittleman

Corsano Cup: Vincent Andren

 

Indoor Track & Field: Second Season in the Books

Year 2 of indoor track and field is in the books along with new school records and personal bests in several events. Head coach Christian Coscio and his assistants Megan Taylor and Alexandra Shen saw their team shine this season on several occasions.

Coach Coscio says the theme of season one last year revolved around starting the program while this year the focus was on developing it. “We grew the team from about 12 athletes last year to just under 40 this season, which is awesome,” said Coach Coscio who was pleased with the successes the team had in its second year of competing. “While we still have a ways to go, the overall highlight of this season was the growth of the team as a whole and our athletes as individuals,” Coach Coscio said.

The coach was pleased with the leadership of the team’s five captains – seniors Bennet Katzin, Jose Vasquez, and Luke Roberts, junior Iliana Hellinger, and sophomore Addy Shalov.

Coach Coscio points to several events that served as highlights of the season. Addy Shalov authored one of them when she ran the dreaded “distance triple” at the NHAGTC Classic. Shalov ran the 800, 1500, and 3000 and PRed/set the school record in each of the events. She finishes the season with personal bests in every event she participated in and holds the school records now in the 600 (2:05.68), 800 (2:47.11), 1000 (3:43.42), 1500 (5:42.43) and 3000 (11:55.11). Shalov is also on the school record 4x400 and 4x800 relays. “Addy showed toughness and grit throughout the entire season, often fighting through aches and pains,” said Coach Coscio of the sophomore captain.

Luke Roberts provided another highlight when he scored in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump at the NYSAIS championships. Roberts earned school records for the long jump (18-7), triple jump (37-6.5), and high jump (5-4). He was competitive in all competitions, placing high enough to earn medals or score points at every opportunity. Outside of occasional drills, he did all this with limited opportunity to practice the high jump and virtually no opportunity to practice the long and triple jump. “Luke’s perseverance and dedication to his events really shone through this season,” praised Coach Coscio.

The coach also singled out the varsity team’s youngest athletes, ninth graders Mollie Weisberger in the high jump and Maeve Lazzaro in the long jump and triple jump. Weisberger shined in her first season. Her speed and agility stood out in her 55m times. She set the school record in her first attempt at the event and broke it multiple times after. Additionally, she set the high jump school record about a week after trying it for the first time. “Mollie brings tenacity to the team that I love to see in sprinters,” Coach Coscio said.

Coach Coscio said he was proud of the character and the development of this year’s team “For that many athletes to want to come run in the cold, day in and day out, shows how great of a group they are. Their dedication goes beyond the sport, and this mentality will help them succeed in track, other sports, school, and life in general.”

MVP: Addy Shalov

MVP: Luke Roberts

Top Newcomer: Mollie Weisberger

Top Newcomer: Aidan Garcia

Most Improved: Maeve Lazzaro

Cavalier Spirit: Jose Vasquez

 

Ski Team Has Some Shining Moments

The Northeast didn’t get as much snow this winter as it had in past years, but that didn’t keep the varsity ski team from competing in Berkshire Hudson Ski League (BHSL) events. Head coach Simon Leibovic and his assistant Michelle Davies saw two of their skiers finish in the top 10 in races.

Coach Leibovic said two of the highlights of the season came in the third and fourth races when juniors Katie McCulloch and Emil Behuniak finished in the top 10 to score points for the team.  McCulloch , the team captain, produced the team’s best result when she placed second in the fourth race.

“While we do not have all league honors for the BHSL, Katie certainly performed at the top end of the league,” Coach Leibovic said. The captain ended the season as the team leader in points. Behuniak was second.

Coach Leibovic wished more of his skiers could have made into the top 10 in the races, but it was not for a lack of effort. “While many of our skiers struggled to break into the top ten, I appreciated how hard they worked on a daily basis at practice, and how much everyone improved over the course of the season,” the coach said.

He also singled out Lena Boyce, Blake Friedman, and Brady Campos for “having a great attitude all season long, and demonstrating outstanding improvement.”

At the team dinner, Coaches Leibovic and Davies gave team awards to the following recipients:

MVP: Katie McCulloch

Most Improved: Brady Campos

Cavalier Award: Katie McCulloch

 

JV Maroon Basketball (9-4)    

JV Maroon Boys Weave Second Half Magic               

Harvey’s JV boys maroon basketball team, guided by head coach Peter Everett and assistant Rob Griffin, enjoyed a very successful season, winning nine of their 13 games and having a penchant for making it count during crunch time of games.

The team had a six-game winning streak when they were clicking on all cylinders and it was their second-half success that most often led to victory. “I was proud of our second halves this year,” Coach Everett said. “We outscored our opponents in the second half in 10 of our 13 games.”

Coach Everett cited the team’s comeback win against the always tough St. Monica’s Stormers as a season highlight. “We got down early and then fought back to play a back-and-forth contest in the second half,” the coach said. “We made plays throughout the second half and ended up winning by 10.”

Sometimes a season highlight comes in a tough loss as was the case in a marathon the maroon team played against Cardinal Kung, a team that featured five players who are over 6-feet tall, including two who were 6-feet-4 inches. “Our double-overtime thriller against Kung was a phenomenal experience,” Coach Everett said. “We got down by double digits in the first half, but stormed back against a team with great size and made it a game. We were down by six with less than a minute to play when Brandon Levine hit two 3-pointers, including one with just two seconds remaining, to send it to overtime. We eventually lost by two in overtime, but our fighting spirit never wavered.”

Levine, a sophomore, made significant contributions to the team’s overall success. He led the Maroons in 3-pointers, hitting on 19, including six in one game. Levine was also the team’s best rebounder. Sophomore Daniel Bussey, a co-captain along with junior Terrell Raynor, was the maroon team’s best player throughout the season, both on offense and defense. He led the squad with an average of 13 points per game, and he also had the most blocks and steals..

Coach Everett sees the 2022-23 season as a success on several levels. "I'm proud of how they came together over the course of the season, particularly in the way they improved their ball movement and shot selection in the second half of the season,” the coach said. “There’s some real talent on this team, and some will be contributing heavily to the varsity team's success in the near future," he added.

At the team’s end-of-season dinner Coaches Everett and Griffin presented special team awards to the following players:

MVP: Daniel Bussey

Most Improved: Julian Marin

Coaches Award: Brandon Levine

 

JV Navy Basketball  (11-3)    

A Rewarding Winter for JV Navy Boys

The boys JV navy team had a very successful season, not only in terms of their won-loss record but in developing their skills and learning how to play the game as a unit, all pulling in the same direction.

Guided by head coach Matt Zazzarino and his assistant Gino Anelli, the navy team produced a season filled with memorable highlights. A victory on Valentine’s Day against King stands out. The Cavs played the game with only seven of their usual 10 players. Coach Zazzarino recalls, “King had beaten us at home the week before, and we managed not to get rattled going into their gym after that loss.” In the rematch, ninth grader Patrick Cuneo had a huge game, scoring 26 points, the most by a navy player in a game this season. The game also featured big 3-pointers from Micah Berni and Jordan Collins. In another season highlight, Wyatt Bland put up a 20-point game against Masters Dec. 14. A third top highlight came against Oakwood Friends in January when team captain Evan Vasile enjoyed a 17-point performance.      

The team’s stat leaders were Cuneo in scoring, Vasile in assists, and Bland in rebounds. Bland gave his team outstanding rim protection and interior defense. Thomas Schiwek contributed consistently strong perimeter defense and court awareness.  Coach Zazzarino also noted the timely and confident 3-point shooting of Schiwek, Vishal Thadani, and Jordan Collins.

While the navy team won 11 of their 14 games, Coach Zazzarino said not all wins are the same. “Some games we won through sheer talent and athleticism, but the more meaningful wins came as a result of patient, strategic, and unselfish play,” the coach explained. “By the end of the season, we had a powerful and effective system on offense, but it didn't always run like clockwork. What I appreciated most about coaching this team is that we could come together on a timeout, talk through a situation, and then see the adjustments made in real time.” By the end of the season, Coach Zazzarino said he saw a team that had “matured substantially.”

At the team dinner, Coaches Zazzarino and Anelli presented trophies to the following players:

MVP Offense: Patrick Cuneo

MVP Defense: Wyatt Bland

Cavalier Spirit: Thomas Schiwek

 

JV Girls Basketball  (4-6)

A Season Full of Highlights                                                           

When JV girls basketball head coach Nicole Tantillo reflects on this past winter season, she does so with great pride in not only how the girls played but also in how much they supported each other.

“We had a wide range of skills among our players and everyone worked to help advise and encourage their teammates,” said Coach Tantillo, who, along with her assistant Taylor Fisher, guided a team that had great chemistry and excellent leadership from their two captains, Loveleigh Viera and Bailey Gans. “They gave pointers to teammates about shooting and how to move the ball around the court, and midseason, Loveleigh rallied the team by sending a motivating message asking us all to bring some extra ‘umph’ to practices and games to have a strong finish to the season,” Coach Tantillo shared. Viera was the coaches’ choice for the Cavalier Spirit Award.

The season had its share of highlights, one of which came in the first game of the season against Westover. The Cavs led the entire game and Juli Rocco made some great shots, including a 3-pointer right at the start of the game. She went on to tally 13 points in the game, the first of only two players to hit double digits in scoring. Gans would score 10 points in a home game against the French-American School (FASNY). That same game served as another season highlight, according to Coach Tantillo. “Even though we didn’t come away with a win, the FASNY game went into overtime, which was a thrill,” the coach said.

Some games are noteworthy when something special happens during the course of the action. Such was the case on a Saturday on the road against Westover when two players, Belen Ayala Abad and Talya Langer, brand new to the game this year, both scored their first baskets. “It was a fun moment for the team to celebrate with Belen and Talya,” Coach Tantillo said. Abad would go on to be selected as the Most Improved Player.

Comeback wins are especially memorable, and Coach Tantillo counts a January game against Wooster as another major highlight of the season. Down but not deflated after a tough first quarter, the team mounted a comeback. “I was proud of how the girls regrouped and came together as a team to execute what we worked on in practice and come away with a win,” Coach Tantillo said, adding, “They didn’t let the mistakes of the first quarter get to them and they turned it around to lead the rest of the game and come away with a win.”

Sometimes a tough loss can provide a highlight. Against a formidable Greens Farms Academy squad in February, the Harvey JV team, despite suffering a loss, collected 29 points, their highest score of the season.

Rocco, named the team’s MVP, finished the season as the team’s leading scorer with 51 points. Viera was second with 48, and Gans third with 39 points. There were a few shining moments for a couple of other players.

In the team’s last game of the season, Mariana Kriuchkova played center for most of the game, going up against some strong low post players from Gunn. “Mariana held her own, making numerous rebounds, and even scoring four points herself,” said Coach Tantillo. The coach also singled out the newcomer Abad for “picking up on the nuances of the game incredibly fast.” Coach Tantillo said, “In several games, Belen made plays that demonstrated an excellent understanding of basketball, and her enthusiasm and support of her teammates was infectious.”

Coach Tantillo said the team’s competitiveness and desire to improve made coaching more enjoyable. “Even in challenging situations, they worked to keep their composure and support one another,” added the coach.

Coaches Tantillo and Fisher selected the following players for the special team awards:

Most Valuable Player: Juli Rocco

Most Improved Player: Belen Ayala Abad

Cavalier Spirit: Loveleigh Viera

 

MS Girls Basketball (3-7)

Eye-Opening Season for MS Girls Basketball 

Winning games in Middle School basketball makes playing fun, but losing games, while frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking, can often bear more fruit in the long run. This winter’s Harvey Middle School girls basketball team got a taste of victory, three times in fact, but it was a 32-11 loss to their arch rival and Bedford neighbor Rippowam that may have meant more to spark the development of the girls this season.

Head coach Marcie Hajem sees the Ripp game her team played down the road from Harvey in late January as a turning point for Harvey’s girls who went up against a team that played a hard-nosed brand of basketball. “Ripp was a physical team and our players responded with an awakening that drove them to want to do better,” Coach Hajem said. The Cavs stepped up their game and tried to go toe-to-toe with Ripp. Coach Hajem said Madison Boothe and Yamila Jackson were “relentless on offense and defense.”

Harvey hung in there in the first half, but the Cavs couldn’t get any of their shots to fall in the second half as Ripp built up a 21-point lead. “It was a heartbreaking loss, but it became the turning point for our players,” Coach Hajem said. “They worked harder from that point until our last game of the season.”

The second defining moment of the winter came in the team’s final game, on the road in Danbury against Wooster. It was a battle throughout as the two teams appeared evenly matched. Harvey had a 20-17 lead at halftime.  

The nip and tuck continued in the second half as the two teams traded baskets through much of the action. As the minutes ticked away, the nail-biting increased. Wooster opened up a five-point lead of 31-26 before Mallon Gilligan took a shot, made it and was fouled in the process. She made one from the line to put Harvey within two at 31-29. With time nearly expired, Rylan Gilligan, who had just re-entered the game, scored on a breakaway layup, to tie the game at 31-31 and send it to overtime where Rylan would play the hero again.

In the last minute and a half of OT, with the score still knotted at 31-31, Rylan scored on another layup to put Harvey up 33-31 with plenty of time left, however, for Wooster to tie it or even go ahead.  “All we had to do was play good defense, box-out if they shot and don’t let them score,” Coach Hajem recalled. Things did indeed go Harvey's way. “Wooster couldn’t get the ball in the basket and our defense was as solid as it could ever be.” Coach Hajem said, “We won in overtime -- a fantastic way to end our season.”

Eighth grader Sarah Fisher was the team’s leading scorer, tallying 104 for the season and earning the praises of her coach. ”Sarah did a fine job playing our point guard and getting our offense started,” Coach Hajem said. Yamila Jackson was second with 32.

Doing a great job on defense were Rylan and Mallon Gilligan, along with Ruth Doran and Samera Britton, who were both new to the game and were able to pick it up after just a few weeks of practice, Coach Hajem said.

The coach praised the overall contributions of the eighth graders, Sarah Fisher, Madison Boothe, Katya Stephens, and newcomers Ady Hayes and Mallon and Rylan Gilligan.

Coach Hajem and her assistant Deb Matero selected three players for special team awards:

MVP: Madison Boothe

MIP: Yamila Jackson

Coaches Award: Sarah Fisher

 

MS Maroon Boys (8-3)

Impressive Season for the MS Maroons

The Middle School maroon boys basketball team finished a successful season, winning eight of their 11 games. Even the three losses were closely contested games in the middle of the schedule.

The team was led by strong backcourt play throughout the year from Markus Jones, Jake Acosta, Daniel Lehman, and Cam Lederer. Markus and Jake often led the team in scoring. One of the team’s top all-around players was Zach Roberts, who scored, rebounded, and played excellent defense.

One of the more entertaining games of the season was a home game against the King School in the McConnell Gymnasium at Harvey. In front of a packed house, the team continued to come back against a very strong opponent, before falling short. Coach Brendan Byrne reflected, “The players really showed incredible heart and resolve and the atmosphere was electric. Losing a close game like that can actually be more valuable than blowing a team out.”

Following that tough defeat, the Maroons finished the season with three consecutive wins against St. Monica’s, Windward, and Brunswick.

Coach Byrne was impressed by this year’s squad. “I can’t recall another team that I have coached that put forth such an incredible effort game in and game out, up and down the lineup,” Coach Byrne said. He added, “The team was characterized by some experienced players and others who were newer to the game, but everyone found a way to contribute.”

The end-of-season team award recognitions were as follows:

MVP: Markus Jones

MIP: Ben Shaw

Sportsmanship: Leif Peters

 

MS Basketball – Navy (2-5)

Navy Team Gets Boatload of Experience                                                                     

"This group grew from an inexperienced bunch of newbies to a confident team capable of doing the little things that helped them become successful,” is how Mike Fink described his joy of coaching the Harvey Middle School boys navy team this season.

With a short roster of only nine players, all of them seventh graders, the team grew as a unit and produced their fair share of highlights. Their first win came against New Canaan Country School and featured six players getting on the score sheet. The navy’s second win was a lopsided affair which allowed opportunities for the less experienced players to get quality minutes. Once again, six players scored points.

Coach Fink also includes his team’s second meeting against Ridgefield Academy as a highlight, despite the disappointing outcome. It was the final game of the season and Harvey was hoping to avenge a loss to Ridgefield earlier in the season. For three quarters, it looked like the Cavs might get their revenge as they went toe-to-toe with Ridgefield, but the Harvey boys lost in the final minutes. “It was a tough loss, but our boys showed a tremendous amount of growth since the start of the season,” Coach Fink said.

The team’s leading scorer for the season was Zak Boujid who tallied 75 points. Playing the role of the team’s big man, Zak led the team in rebounds. Second in scoring was Theodore Yanni with 51 total points. “Theo really developed his all-around game: he became more comfortable with the ball in his hands, was unafraid to drive to the hoop, and turned into a great defender,” Coach Fink said. Brayden French finished third in scoring with 44 points. As the team’s point guard, he was a steadying influence on the court.

Despite a losing record, the Middle School navy team members gained a tremendous amount of experience to apply to next year’s winter season.

Coach Fink named the following players as award recipients:

Coach’s Award: Theodore Yanni, Zakaria Boujid, Brayden French

 

MS Coed Hockey (0-3)

Middle School hockey returned to action this winter for the first time in four years and head coach Doug Plaskett and assistant Angela Pignataro were glad it did. While the young skaters came up short in the victory column in two games against Rippowam Cisqua School and one against New Canaan Country School, the two coaches were pleased and delighted to see the team meet the preseason objectives they had set for the program.

“Our main goals for the Middle School’s coed hockey program this winter were to have our athletes learn the game, come together as a team, and get a taste of competition against other schools,” Coach Plaskett said. “And we met our goals through the dedication and hard work of our players,” he added.

Coach Plaskett made a point to single out and praise the team’s eighth graders, Sydney Boothe, Daniel Kiamie, Sophia Kimmel, Matthew Lerner, Sophia Thilo, and Jordan Sheppe. “They really helped lead the way to reaching the goals we had set for ourselves,” Coach Plaskett said.

Coach Plaskett believes the success of this year’s efforts bodes well for next winter. “We’re very excited for next year,” Coach Plaskett said.  “The trajectory for Harvey Middle School hockey is moving upward.”

Coaches Plaskett and Pignataro selected the following players for team awards:

MVP: Daniel Kiamie

MIP: Sophia Thilo

Coaches: Samuel Palevski