Hatzisavas’ Legendary Individual Run to Winthrop’s State Hoop Title

By Cary Shuman

It was 15 years ago that Anthony Hatzisavas had one of the greatest individual finishes to a basketball career in WHS history.

Hatzisavas, a 6-foot-3-inch senior center for Dave Brown’s 2010-11 contingent, had 22 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocked shots in a 71-58 victory over Georgetown in the North sectional semifinals at the Roy G. Finn Gymnasium in Malden.

The headline in the ensuing edition of the Sun-Transcript was: How Do You Spell Dominating? H-a-t-z-i-s-a-v-a-s.

Hatzisavas had another outstanding two-way game in Winthrop’s 55-40 win over St. Mary’s (Lynn) in the sectional final. Hatzisavas saved his best and most clutch performance for last, leading the Vikings with 17 points and 13 rebounds in a 58-55 victory over Cohasset in the state championship game at the Boston Garden. Hatzisavas set the tone for the Vikings with an offensive rebound and putback for Winthrop’s first basket of the game. One of the other heroes in the march to the title was Quinton Dale II, current head coach of the Winthrop High School boys basketball team. Former Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo was among the legion of Winthrop fans at the Garden on that memorable day that continued with a police escort back from the town line to the high school for the newly crowned 2011 state champion Winthrop High boys basketball team.

For Hatzisavas, it was a performance for the ages that still brings incredible joy and stirring memories to his teammates and coaches, and to the fans who turned out to support the team during its unforgettable journey to the top of Massachusetts basketball.