The Medford High School (MHS) boys basketball team fell in the preliminary round of the Division 1 state tournament to Methuen, 69-65. Medford was ranked 42nd out of 42 teams. Methuen was 23rd.
“It was a great crowd, great atmosphere,” Medford coach John Skerry said. “I was really proud of our team. We fought for the entire game, and we put ourselves in a position to win it late, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach. They can hold their heads up high, and they represented the school and the city well with toughness and heart.”
Medford went up to Methuen in style, taking a luxury coach bus up to the game. Some people thought it was excessive, Skerry said, but the coach thought it was important to have the players enjoy the moment.
“And I also wanted them to be relaxed and comfortable since this was our longest road trip of the season,” he said. “We had some of our best practices of the season leading up to the tournament. Our focus and preparation was great. We were the last winter MHS team that was still playing, so we had the whole place to ourselves. We wanted our players to take in the entire experience, and I feel like they were all invested in the process. We were actually having a team lunch at Regina’s Pizza, when we found out who we were playing.”
Slow start in postseason game
Medford got off to a little bit of a slow start, which wasn’t totally unexpected since this was the first state tournament game for all of the players except one, according to Skerry.
The Mustangs had some good defensive possessions early on, which got Methuen to miss. However, they were getting killed on the offensive glass again and again, Skerry said.
“A lot of credit goes to Methuen for being engaged right away and their size,” Skerry said. “We didn’t get locked in on some of the finer and more important details right away. Some of that is on me as the head coach and some of that I think could be attributed to our nerves.”
Medford overcame its early-game jitters to keep within striking distance.
“We practice game situations all the time, so there was never any panic from our guys,” Skerry said. “Even late in the game they were saying that we practice this stuff all the time, so they were in a good state of mind. I was really proud with how we stayed together, and watching our guys take the lead during some timeouts. It shows a lot of growth and maturity on their part. I thought we did a good job mixing up our defenses. We played man-to-man, we played some zone and we pressed. Our guys did a great job changing up our coverages on the fly.
Medford had a chance to take the lead late, but fell just a little bit short. The team fought like crazy, according to Skerry.
“A lot of players from our sub-varsity teams were at the game, along with some talented eighth graders,” the coach said, “and I hope they got to see what we are about as a program, and they want to make the commitment to help us continue to be a tournament team that competes every night. We aren’t the largest Division 1 school but I think that it’s a special experience to play for your hometown.”
Teixeira-Kugler rose to the occasion with monster game
Junior Anthony Teixeira-Kugler erupted for 38 points and four steals against Methuen.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my seven seasons at Medford,” Skerry said. “He was scoring from outside, inside, and on the break. Methuen plays really good defense, too, so they don’t let guys put up big numbers. He kept us in it, especially when we made our run in the fourth quarter.
“Anthony had a terrific season for us. He was our leading scorer with around 18 per game. He is only going to get better, and he will be one of the best returnees in the state next year. We need him to take his game to the next level now, and that’s rebounding and good defense, especially,” he said.
“He’s an awesome kid, and he was also a member of our Unified basketball team. It speaks volumes about him as a member of our school community. When the leading scorer of one of the most popular teams in the school steps up and volunteers his time to help others, it shows just what kind of person he is, and it sets an example for everyone else,” said Skerry.
Vainqueur finishes strong
Senior captain Valdi Vainqueur was second in scoring with 14 points and eight rebounds.
“Valdi battled all night and all season,” Skerry said. “He is a four-year varsity player, and I even had him as a student in his freshman year. I got a little choked up after the game when I was addressing him and the team. He is a class act. He would always help out before and after practice. He also does sound and lighting at his church. He works well with kids at our camps and clinics. I think he can play D-3 ball, and some coaches were talking with him after the game. He is the only player on the team who was a part of our previous tourney team, so he was like our version of Obi-Wan Kenobi with his wisdom and experience.”
Kelly has ‘masterful’ performance
Senior captain Owen Kelly was masterful yet again, according to Skerry. He had six points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals against the Rangers.
He did a great job taking the ball out of bounds and throwing touchdowns during the game.
“We probably should have taken advantage of his arm throughout the year,” Skerry said. “He kept Methuen’s defense on its heels all night long with his bombs. Owen had an amazing season, and he’s definitely the most versatile player we’ve had in my seven seasons. He can guard bigs and smalls. He gets steals, blocks and rebounds. Scoring was never important to him, only winning. He never played point guard at the varsity level before this season, and for him to guide a Division 1 team to the state tournament is nothing short of amazing. He’s got great instincts and a good feel for the game.”
When Kelly comes to Skerry with an idea during a game, the coach always listened, and he was almost always right.
“Owen is one of the best athletes to come through the city in a while,” Skerry said. “I also have him in class this year, so I’ve seen him grow as a player and as a student. He especially excels in projects and presentations. He is old school, because he can take hard coaching. He can’t stand losing, which is one of my favorite qualities about him. We could tell during our fall leagues that Owen was going to be a force, and he did not disappoint. But for all his athletic abilities he’s an even better kid. When I was sick with COVID during the season he checked up on me every day, and that really meant a lot to me. He’s not the kind of person and player that you can easily replace.”
Promoted captains Hilliard, Roberts finish up with solid performances
Senior captains Owen Hilliard and Romeo Roberts both played the entire game to close out excellent careers. Medford promoted them to be captains with Vainqueur and Kelly right after it got its 10th win.
“I always believe that it’s never too late to make adjustments or improvements, and Hilliard and Roberts were every bit as deserving to be promoted to be captains with Vainqueur and Kelly,” Skerry said. “When I approached Owen Kelly and Valdi about naming Owen Hilliard and Romeo captains they couldn’t have been more open and accepting to the idea, which says a lot about the character of our guys.”
Hilliard is one of the most improved players Skerry has had. The coach wasn’t sure if he would make it through after his freshman campaign, but he competed and got better every year.
“This year he started every game,” Skerry said, “and he was our best 3-point shooter. He came up through our camps and clinics, and now he’s paying it forward as a counselor at those same camps and clinics. He’s a great kid and great student. He had a career-high of 18 points with six 3-pointers on the road at Minuteman. He orked hard every day, and always had a great attitude and good energy.”
Roberts was a basketball and soccer standout. He’s a quality person, and an outstanding student at the AP and High Honors level, according to Skerry.
“He wants to do computer science in college, and I have no doubt that he will excel on that path or any path he chooses,” Skerry said. “Romeo is personable, passionate and the guy that everyone on the team respects. Early on in the season, he wasn’t playing as much as he would have liked, and he never complained. He just kept working. He let his playing do the talking, and he fought all season long. He had a career-high 21 points in our overtime win at Chelsea. We don’t win that Chelsea game without him. It was a great season and career for him, and he will be missed.”
Seniors left their mark
Seniors Thomas Slowe and Robert Gambale both had distinguished four-year careers with the program. They are both high-quality individuals, and worked hard every day in practice, according to Skerry.
“Thomas is also an excellent MHS baseball player, and Robert was a member of our Unified basketball team,” Skerry said. “You can’t get to the tournament or have a good culture in your program without kids like Thomas and Robert. They are coachable, hard-working, punctual, selfless and all-around great kids. I’ve had both of them in class over the years, and they are excellent students. They’ve always helped out at our camps and clinics, and they are the kind of young men who set the example of how to do things the right way for the younger kids in the program.”
The Mustangs also said goodbye to seniors Bendjy Auguste, Brandyn Connor, Rudolph Ross, Marvin Bobo and Joe Keenan.
“I give all of them credit for sticking with it and showing up,” Skerry said. “Some of them dealt with some serious injuries over their high school career, and they could have walked away from basketball, but they stuck it out and it will pay off later in life. They got to be a part of a state tournament team, and we saw improvement in each and every one of them.”
Medford kept 11 seniors this year. That’s an unusually high number, Skerry said, but coaches Anthony Tortora and Skerry made the decision to keep all of them, because they were good players and good kids, who’ve had to overcome some really tough conditions the last two years, because of COVID.
“We wanted all of them to have the experience of being on a team,” Skerry said. “Obviously, they can’t all play as much as they would have wanted, but they never complained to me about playing time, and that isn’t the norm in this day and age. They have helped lay a good foundation for our program as we make our way out of the dark days of COVID.”
Hope for the future
The best returning player is Sam Orcutt, according to Skerry. Orcutt was limited to six or seven games, because of injuries. He blew out his ankle a week before the season started, and then he broke a bone in his hand during the second Malden game.
“If Sam is healthy the entire year we would have been an even better team,” Skerry said. “He is a GBL (Greater Boston League) all-star caliber player. I feel for him, because he is an intense competitor who wants to be on the floor. Sam can flat out score with the ball, and his rebounding picked up during the fall. He is a player to watch, for sure.”
Junior guard Joey Lu figures heavily into Skerry’s future plans. Lu is a combo guard, who made great contributions to the team all season long. He played especially well against Melrose, at Chelsea and at Lynn Classical in the win that put the Mustangs in the tournament.
Freshman guard Justin Marino did anything and everything the coaching staff asked of him.
“He’s already made a name for himself with his game-winning shot at Chelsea, but that is just the tip of the iceberg,” Skerry said. “He’s a competitor, who came and worked at it every day, and he made his way into the starting lineup and rotation. He’s also a standout on the football field, and when it’s all said and done he’s going to make his mark in Medford athletics.”
Junior forwards Will Budney and Danny Diskin were also major rotation players for Medford this season.
“Both of them did a great job making key plays to help us win games,” Skerry said. “Danny was instrumental in turning the tide against Melrose early on in the year with his physicality and a timely hoop. Will not only had the game-winning assist at Chelsea, but he also had a monster block on defense on one of the last plays of the game. They both got better as the year went on.”
GBL all-stars announced
Senior Owen Kelly and junior Anthony Teixeira-Kugler were named GBL all-stars recently for their exceptional play throughout the season.
Good vibes for 2023 and beyond
Skerry said he has good feelings about the state of the program, as it hopefully puts the COVID era in the rearview mirror.
“It was a grind throughout the season, and we got hit hard with injuries and COVID,” Skerry said. “I got it after the holidays, and it really took a lot out of me, so I appreciate that our kids followed protocols, stayed ready and didn’t make excuses when people had to miss time. We had great contributions from our coaches and former players since the end of last season, and any respectable program needs people who are willing to give their time, energy and knowledge back to the kids.”
Coach Tortora was awesome once again in his two roles as JV head coach and Skerry’s right-hand man with the varsity team. His lacrosse team is one of the best programs in the school, as well.
Steve Ruemenapp and Charlie Tolson did an amazing job with the JV-2 team. Volunteer assistant Jake Wisniewski brought a new voice and perspective to the program during the season, and he coached in the fall along with former Mustang captain Alex Milas. Former players Ben Ruemenapp and Jake Whisler coached returning players this past summer to get them ready for the season.
“We saw a lot of skill development and growth from the players on both sub-varsity teams, as well as the varsity team,” Skerry said. “We don’t get to the tournament without the help of all of our coaches.”
Senior Tom O’Leary was phenomenal as the head student manager, and Skerry thinks he would be a great addition to any college athletic department next year. Freshman Julia Alves did a great job as a student manager, as well.
It takes a village
Skerry wants to thank all the parents and families for their help and support during the season. Medford had great fan support from the student body during the season, and Skerry hopes they roll that momentum into cheering on the spring teams, and also again in the fall.
He also singled out Medford Travel Basketball Director Tim Southwick’s time and effort, and all of the coaches who work in the program.
“Almost all of our players have had some experience with travel basketball, and that level of competition helps prepare them for what’s necessary to compete in high school,” he said. “I want to thank our superintendent, principal, administration, teachers and staff for their support throughout the season. They take time out of their own personal schedules to watch our games, and it means a lot to the players and the coaches. I want to give a huge shout-out to the Eisnor family from Medford for all of their hard work to help us have an awesome Senior Day for our players. The Eisnors represent all that is good about Medford athletics. I also want to thank our athletic director Bob Maloney and assistant athletic director Rachel Perry for their continued support during the season.”
