WHS Sports Roundup

Boys Basketball Grounds the Falcons

The Winthrop High boys basketball team put it all together this past Tuesday evening to earn a 60-52 victory over the Danvers Falcons at the WHS gym.

Winthrop featured a well-balanced offense which saw four Vikings reach double-figures in the scoring column: Zack Bogusz hit for 13 points; George Galuris and James Faretra struck for 12 points apiece; and Alex Daigneault added 10 points.

In addition, Jeremy Matias contributed eight points.

“We played a nice game,” said WHS boys head coach Mike Triant. “Our man-to-man defense was great early. 

“We struggled to score a little in the first quarter (in which the Vikings netted just six points), but we ran the floor very well from beginning to end and really pushed the tempo of the game,” Triant continued.

Fortunately, the Winthrop defense was solid in that opening period and the Vikings trailed only by a point, 7-6, at the first buzzer. The Winthrop offense came to life in the second period, scoring 18 points, to take a 24-20 advantage into the locker room.

The Vikings maintained their four-point edge through the third period (39-35) and then pumped in 21 points in the final eight minutes to seal the win.

“We were up between four and eight or 10 for most of the night. Their big kid gave us a tough time down low in the second half,” Triant added. “The refs put him on the line a bunch, but we adjusted and started taking away his spot much better late in the game.  Eddie Ramadani did a very good job focusing on what was being asked of him and helping to shut him down on Danvers’ last few possessions. That helped us put it away.”

Triant also noted the fine play of the freshman and junior varsity squads.

“All three levels got wins,” said the coach. “I’m really proud of our sub-varsity teams for their hard work this year.  We have some nice talent in the 9th and 10th grade for sure.”

Triant and his crew travel to Swampscott tomorrow (Friday) and will return home to entertain Beverly next Tuesday.

The Vikings presently are ranked 31st in Division 4 in the MIAA power ratings, a position that would ensure them a spot in the post-season state tournament. The top 32 teams in each division are guaranteed entry into the tourney, with teams that are ranked below 32, but that have a .500 and above record, also qualifying.

13th-Ranked Girls Host Swampscott

The Winthrop High girls basketball team, which is ranked 13th in Division 4 in the MIAA’s most recent power rankings, will host Northeastern Conference rival Swampscott tomorrow (Friday) evening.

The opening tip for coach Anthony Hatzisavas’s crew on the Chris Tsiotos Floor at the Holland Gymnasium is set for 6:00.

The Lady Vikings traveled to Danvers this past Tuesday and sailed home from the Lady Falcons’ nest with a 40-22 victory.

After tomorrow evening’s match, Winthrop will trek to Beverly next Tuesday.

WHS Gymnasts Vault Past Marblehead

The Winthrop High gymnastics team hosted Marblehead last Saturday evening at the Winthrop Gymnastics Academy (WGA). Although the outside temperature was polar-like, the Vikings were on fire inside the cozy confines of the WGA, dispatching their visitors from the North Shore by a score of 131.65-117.95.

Winthrop started out on bars with Sara Jurovich leading the way with her fancy new dismount. Brooklyn Banfield followed with a clean routine, scoring a 6.5. Captain Shannon Abbott performed a flawless routine, scoring her season high of 7.5.

Junior captain Ellie O’Donnell followed with a new freehip to a handstand, scoring a 7.7. Freshman Zoe Rey scored a 7.8, her best of the season.

Closing out the first event, the duo of Isabella Rice and Alayna Ronan tied with scores of 8.3, boosting Winthrop into a 32.1-28.4 lead (only the top four individual scores from each team are counted in the team total).

The vault was next for Winthrop, with Banfield starting off with a score of 7.9. Jurovich, up second, scored a season-high 8.15. Julia Hurley, trying her new half-on, full twist-off, scored an 8.1.

Not to be outdone, teammate Abbott tried the same vault and scored an 8.6. Rice did her new tsukahara vault and scored an 8.2. Finishing up strong for the Vikings was Ronan with her signature, full-twisting handspring, taking first place with the second-highest score of the meet, an 8.7.

The final tally in the vault gave Winthrop a 33.65-31.7 advantage.

The balance beam — “The event that makes or breaks a team,” according to WHS co-coach Christa Vaccaro — was next on the docket for Winthrop.

Jillian Buonopane led the way, sticking her routine to score a 6.5. Hurley hit her routine, refusing to fall off the beam and scoring an 8.0 that would prove to be the third-place score in that event.

Rey and O’Donnell tied with marks of 7.85. Ronan and Rice both fell off the beam, but both still scored an 8.1, giving the Vikings the win in that event, 32.05-28.75, and raising the Winthrop lead to 97.8-88.85 going into the last event, the floor exercise.

Hurley and Buonopane both received scores of 8.0. Abbott and Rey both hit their routines, also earning marks of 8.0.

Rice fell on her full twisting layout and moved off the mat, but Isabella finished strong and came away with a score of 8.35. O’Donnell and Ronan performed clean routines, scoring 8.85s to clinch the victory for Withrop.

Winthrop will host two-time defending state champ Masconomet tomorrow (Friday) evening at 7.00 at the WGA.