Bulldogs score big in playoff game, move to final four
Mar 10, 2023
The Old Rochester boys basketball team move onto the final four in the Div. 3 state tournament after a 73-35 win on Friday, March 10. Photos by: Sawyer Smook-Pollitt
High-flying Old Rochester player Liam Geraghty helped bring the Bulldogs into the final four during a game against Boston’s English High School on Friday, March 10.
Old Rochester player John Butler blocks a player from the opposing team.
Old Rochester player Braden Yeomans maneuvers his way through the opposition.
The crowd brought energy from the stands throughout the game.
Old Rochester players celebrate their win.
MATTAPOISETT — It took approximately 10 minutes for players from Boston’s English High School to score a single point against the Old Rochester Regional High School boys basketball team during a playoff game on Friday, March 10.
With each miss from Boston, the Dog Pound, filled with fans decked out in St. Patrick’s Day green, cheered louder and louder.
“Their shots weren’t falling and ours were, and that was huge,” said Old Rochester player Sawyer Fox. “Some people [might] want to say without that first quarter we wouldn’t have won, but that was just one part of the rest of the game.”
Calculated gameplay, disruptions and fast footwork kept the ball away from Boston’s players — securing a 73-35 win for the Bulldogs and a ticket to the MIAA Div. 3 basketball semi finals.
By halftime the score was 33-13 and a series of three-point shots kept the score rising to 48-29 by the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“We came in here, we didn’t know much about this team — we only had one day to prepare — last game wasn’t our best but this is who we are tonight,” said Old Rochester player Jacob Smith.
On Wednesday, March 8, the Bulldogs secured their place in the final eight Div. 3 teams with a 59-50 win against Martha’s Vineyard. Friday’s game marks the Bulldogs’ 15th straight win.
“We feel confident as ever, last year we lost in this round,” said Smith. “We sat there and watched them all celebrate and this year it’s our turn and we’re not done yet.”
In 2022, the Bulldogs lost 59-39 against Norton High School, ending the season before the semi finals.
“All that motivation from last year really built up into this game — trying to get into the final four this time,” said Old Rochester player Braden Yeomans. “We started off really good with a lot of defensive intensity and offensive rebounding.”
In the same time that the team from Boston scored six points, the Bulldogs racked up an impressive 25 points in the final quarter through a combination of layups, free throws and three-point shots.
“I think this is the best game as a team we’ve played all year,” added Yeomans.
The Bulldogs will go on to face either Lynn’s St. Mary’s High School or TechBoston Academy in a to-be-announced game.
