A team can’t go undefeated unless it wins its first game, and that’s what the Marblehead High School boys basketball team (1-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 2-0 overall) did last Friday night (Dec. 12), when it defeated the Danvers Falcons in the opening round of the fourth annual Zach Markowitz Memorial Tournament hosted by Salem Academy, 58-51.
The Magicians then took on Salem Academy in the title game the next day, and defeated them going away, 72-40. The Navigators defeated Bishop Fenwick in their first-round game on Friday night.
In the game against Danvers, Marblehead jumped out to a big lead, but its NEC rival fought its way back to go ahead briefly, before coach Mike Giardi’s crew switched up personnel and defenses to regain the advantage.
Senior forward Cam Weaver ended up pacing the offensive attack with 17 points. Sophomore forward Tommy McGovern was close behind with 16, while junior captain Finn Baron ended up with nine.
The Marblehead boys then wiped out host Salem Academy in the championship game of the Markowitz Memorial Tournament, 72-40.
The Magicians jumped out to another big lead early in the first quarter, but this time they never looked back.
McGovern was the top scorer in this game with 15 points, and went on to make the All-Tournament team. Baron was next in line with 13. Senior Yamil Gil-Duran chipped in with 10. Weaver, the tournament MVP, poured in nine.
Altogether, Marblehead had nine players in the scoring column. They then went on to begin the NEC season against the rival Panthers in Beverly on Dec. 16 after press deadline.
“We are very excited about what lies ahead for us this season,” said Giardi. “We have some depth and some size, but still need to come together more as a team.”
Giardi says that the NEC appears to be a very balanced conference this year, which means his club has to come ready to play at all times. They did scrimmage Manchester Essex and Northeast Vocational to prepare for the games that count, and judging from last weekend’s tournament in Salem, it has paid off so far.
Looking back, looking ahead
Last year, Giardi’s team finished up the regular season with an 11-9 overall record (6-7 in the Northeastern Conference Dunn Division), before Archbishop Williams, the 29th seed, defeated them in the preliminary round of the Division 2 state tournament, 52-42. The Magicians were the 36th seed.
Senior guard Finn Gallup, who was the starting quarterback on the football team, and Baron are this year’s hoop captains.
Prior to the opener against Danvers, Giardi struck an optimistic note for a successful season, and the victory over the Falcons certainly didn’t diminish his positivity. “We probably have one of our deepest teams ever in terms of pure basketball ability this year, but not necessarily in terms of varsity experience,” he said, “and with that said, (Baron) will lead our offense, while (Gallup) will lead our defense.”
Besides Gallup, Giardi has eight other seniors, who are also capable of carrying the load as solid, contributing players this year.
Weaver comes aboard as a transfer student, whose athleticism should add a whole new layer to the entire roster, according to the veteran Marblehead coach.
Giardi also mentioned that seniors Adam Loughlin and Declan Gibson bring some toughness to the inside game. James Lancaster, Billy Fitzgerald and Gil-Duran will solidify the backcourt. Senior forward Finn Bowen has extensive knowledge of the game that allows him to play a variety of positions, which adds more versatility to the roster.
There just might be a midseason addition to the roster, when senior forward Rylan Golden comes back from his football injury, but on the other hand, Breydan Callahan appears to be out for the year, according to Giardi.
There are a number of players who are new to the varsity, including juniors Blake Hammond, Tyler Forbes and Ben Ross. Alex Boehning, also a junior, won’t be playing this year, because of an injury.
Sophomores Tommy McGovern and Blake Golden, Rylan’s brother, should literally make a big impact with their size alone. “Hopefully, they will create some matchup issues for opposing teams throughout the next two months,” said Giardi.
