The Nashoba Boys basketball team ended their impressive season with a tough loss in the MIAA state finals to the Brighton Bengals. In a closely fought battle that is not reflected in the score, Nashoba lost 82-58. The boys played their hearts out and never gave up.  At the end of the first half with a lead 35-34, Nashoba kept right on the Brighton team. Although Brighton came back in the 3rd quarter scoring over 20 points, Nashoba brought it back to within 10. Although this was definitely a team effort, the leading scorers were  Justin Peirce, scoring 20 points and Andrew Fish with 16, many which were 3s. Nashoba also made many great defensive plays by Nate Mansour and Connor Ojerholm.

The Chieftains did not give up or fold, they held their own and made Brighton work for their win.  This team is known for playing hard until the buzzer hits zero.  Nashoba’s Coach Ortiz commented about the team. ” That’s what defines this team. That run that we had is a no quit attitude –  the fight was never down and  I didn’t expect anything less from these guys. [I’m] Proud of their efforts, we could have easily folded – they were a very athletic team. Over all it was a pretty good game”.

The season ended strong with a record of 21-4. This alone is something to celebrate, but the fact that the Nashoba Boys Basketball team made history by making it to the State championship is something that they should be proud of.

The season started strong with a 7 game undefeated streak, which lead to becoming the Mid- Watch League Champs by beating Milford in the first round of playoff. The boys headed into semi finals at the DCU Center in Worcester, and brought home a big win against Longmeadow. This was their first CMass district win since 1977. The team went a long way and built so much character by always bringing a positive attitude to their game, both on and off the court.

The boys had an incredible season. Congratulations to all of the seniors on the team for four  great years of basketball and for giving it your all. Trevor Manyak, a Senior captain on the team, stated “We  kept playing together, we built this bond that has carried us through out the years and that just ties in on how we trust each other”. The seniors want the team chemistry to carry on in the coming years . Boys Basketball are winners in the Nashoba Chieftains eyes; the team always thanks the tribe, the school’s fan section, for bringing school spirit and bringing the loudest fan section to the court. That is it for this season, until next winter.