TURNERS FALLS — The Mahar girls basketball team showed what it is capable of during the Franklin Tech Girls Summer Basketball League.
The Senators took down Athol in the quarterfinals before grinding out a win over Pioneer in the semifinals to punch a ticket to the championship game, where they faced off with Keene for the title.
The Blackbirds — a Div. 1 team in New Hampshire — proved to be too much for Mahar to handle, Keene building an 18-2 lead early before taking a 29-4 lead into the half.
The Senators were unable to close the distance in the second half, as the Blackbirds took home the championship with a 46-19 victory.
“That’s a really good team,” Mahar’s Hayden Comeau said. “They challenged us. I play with them in AAU so I knew them going in. We’re all friends. Playing Keene is a challenge for us and I like playing them.”
With a young team and a new coach coming in, the Senators used the summer to try to gel as a unit and learn how to play with one another.
Comeau, a rising senior, said she saw her team make progress from the beginning of the campaign to Thursday’s championship game, something that will help give the Sens confidence going into the high school season.
“For a team that hasn’t really played together and a team that is young, we did very well,” Comeau said. “We hustled and that’s all I can ask for in a team. We learned how to play with each other and how to communicate on the court the proper way. We’re coming together and doing a pretty good job. We’ll be something this season.”
Comeau led the way with six points, Stasi Sanders and Marley Partridge each scored four points, Jaya Eady tallied three points while Adeline Almeida added two points in the loss for Mahar.
Harper Zalaski scored 19 points and Payton Margaitis added 12 points in the win for Keene.
“We’re building our confidence,” Comeau said. “That’s what summer league is for. It doesn’t matter win or loss, you want to see people learn to shoot, learn to pass, learn a post move you haven’t done.”
Golf
Solheim Cup
The Thomas Memorial Women’s League held its 6th Annual Solheim Cup on Wednesday, with the International Team earning an 8-6 victory over Team USA.
Maggie Valentine, Hilda Worden, Barb Laczynski, Katelyn Mailloux-Little and Joanne McGowan won in match play, Karren Sacco and Karen Hopkins took points in match play while the pairings of Cynthia Parker and Chante Jillson as well as Kate Dwyer and Cindy Scully won 2 person scrambles for the International squad.
Barb Bilz, Shayla Demers and Joanne Whiteman won in match play, Sally Malloy and Deb Demers earned points in match play, Terry Adams and Deb Cote won a 2 person scramble match while Kimberley Morin, Bonnie Rae and Sarah Rae Fisher won a 3 person scramble for Team USA.
Ann Cairl won closest to the pin on No. 7 (11 feet, five inches).
Timmons-Messer
Andy Sena and Sunny Lucas won a match of cards over Ed Marvell and Scott Powers to take first with a score of 34 in the Timmons-Messer League at Northfield Golf Club Wednesday.
Don LaCoy and Jeff Holmes won a match of cards over Matt Deane and Dan Castine to card the low net (24). Dave Snow won closest to the pin on No. 6 (7-3) and Steve Lanciani won it on No. 7 (5-1). Marvell was the medalist with a 34.
Maynard Road Race
The Don Maynard Memorial Road Race returns to Greenfield in September, with the race scheduled for Sept. 20.
The race is changing from a five miler to a 5K race this year, beginning at the Greenfield Municipal Swimming Area at 9:30 a.m. Online registration is available at RunSignup.com. Any questions or to volunteer call or text Chuck Adams at 413-522-6688.
High schools
Franklin Tech seeking soccer coach
Franklin County Technical School is looking to hire a JV/varsity assistant boys soccer coach for the upcoming fall 2025 season.
Anyone interested should email a letter of interest and resume to Joseph Gamache, Athletic Director/Dean of Students (jgamache@fcts.us).