WORCESTER -- Together, the Hopedale players had done everything they possibly could to be ready for their title bout.
Together, they watched their favorite movie, ``Hoosiers,'' the Rocky of hoopdom, the night before the battle.
Together, they had dined on spaghetti and talked about how far they had come from their shaky 2-3 start.
Together, this team stocked with 10 seniors had gone through the same pregame ritual that had led Hopedale on a 20-victory gallop.
In front of the George Albert Draper Gym, a brick building that is as quaint as a village library, townspeople huddled to ward off a chilly breeze as they sent off their heroes yesterday morning. Hopedale had been decked out in loyal blue. A ``Go Blue Raiders'' sign greeted the players as they boarded a yellow school bus headed down the yellow brick road to the Worcester Centrum.
In front of Hopedale's tony high school, which looks like just another mansion along Adin Street, a large bulletin board read: ``Home of the Central Mass. Champions.'' If there were room, it might have added, ``Home of the Clark Tournament Champs.''
READY TO RUMBLE
Now this postage-stamp town of 5,000 was ready to rumble. The pep rallies and back-slapping had everyone jacked up. This Lilliputian high school of only 400 kids from grades 7 through 12 would come out swinging. ``The basketball team is all anyone is talking about,'' said Josh Federico, a junior JV player and friend of the Fab 10 seniors.
Hopedale had everything in place as it prepared to take on a physical and fast Newburyport High team for the Division 3 state championship. It had strong senior leadership. It had an inseparable team that bonded even more tightly after a devastating wake-up call, an early-season 30-point loss to Sutton. The players, weaned on community sports programs, had been working their whole lives to reach the top of the mountain where Hopedale hoopsters had never climbed.
The Centrum bubbled blue.
ROUNDHOUSE RIGHT
Bang! Hopedale floored Newburyport with a roundhouse right. Dazed, with 8:50 left in the half, Newburyport groped for the ropes and stared bleary-eyed at the scoreboard. Hopedale 11, Newburyport nuthin'.
But the Clippers from posh Newburyport were tougher than their ocean-side resort address may indicate. What they lacked in finesse, the Clippers made up for in heart. And they gallantly stemmed the tide. Trailing 11-0, the Clippers rallied to outscore Hopedale 43-20 over the next 22 and a half minutes. They held a 43-31 lead with two minutes left.
Newburyport had one distinct advantage: a 6-foot-2 senior guard named Harlan Davis who ran the court as if he were aboard a Harley-Davidson. He controlled the offense from the point and used his speed and size on defense to thwart Hopedale's perimeter sharp-shooting. The Clippers changed the pace of the game to an up-tempo affair and Hopedale couldn't contend.
``They are very athletic and had good size. We had to bring our `A' game and didn't,'' conceded Jon Tosches, the smallest competitor on the court at 5-7.
DIDN'T ALIBI
Tosches didn't alibi. The bigger and faster Clippers wouldn't allow him or captain Kevin Webber to get their 3-point strokes into gear. ``Usually teams sag off on our big men inside,'' he noted.
Paul Kampersal and Brian Bacon, the Dual Valley Conference Player of the Year, used their 6-foot-3 frames, boxing out and rebounding ferociously. Danny Thiffault scrapped on defense as usual. But the Clippers' speed took its toll and foul trouble ensued.
The game went slip-sliding away. Yet here Hopedale showed something that doesn't show up on score sheets. This is a quality that Tony Cordani, who assumed the coaching reins after Don Klocek's 30-year noble stewardship, may be most proud. Hopedale displayed character. The kids congratulated and consoled each other as they left the court. They praised the opposition and managed to smile in defeat.
NOT A CHEAP TEAM
``They aren't a cheap team, but a very classy team,'' Thiffault said. ``And so are we. We played scrappy, but not chippy. We can hold our heads up. I'm proud of this team.''
``They were just a better ballclub. They made the ones that counted. I'm very happy they won. They are a classy team. It's an accomplishment just to make it this far,'' remarked Kampersal.
``We had amazing support. A lot of credit for our success should go to the community, to our coaches and teachers, to our classmates,'' he added.
Chimed in Bacon, ``We stuck together all year. One guy would fall, another guy would pick him up. We are friends playing together, out there having fun and letting the chips fall where they may.''
GAVE 110 PERCENT
``Newburyport outplayed us. We gave 110 percent. Hopedale was unbelievable, filling up huge sections of the Centrum. Three-quaters of the town must have been here to support us,'' said Tosches.
Hopedale had done everything it could. ``We watched Hoosiers 11 times,'' Bacon said.
``Hoosiers had a little different ending,'' Thiffault sighed.
Perhaps this script did not have a Hollywood ending. Nonetheless it was a great movie. And as the credits rolled, the Hopedale crowd stood cheering and chanting, ``HHS, HHS.'' A wave of blue washed over the Centrum stands.
You could feel small town's pride. Hopedale springs eternal.
RAIDERS NOT BLUE AFTER LOSS
Steve Farley
March 19, 2000
WORCESTER -- Throughout its playoff run, the Newburyport boys' basketball team traveled to so many cities, coach Kevin Lucy began to think he was a rock star.
With yesterday's 50-43 win over Hopedale in front of about 2,000 fans at the Centrum, Lucy and his band of Clippers ended their season not with a Grammy, but with a Division 3 state championship.
``I feel like Mick Jagger,'' Lucy said. ``We've been from one place to another. This has been an unbelievable six games. We've been to the Tsongas Arena in Lowell to the FleetCenter in Boston. Then we played here (at the Centrum) today.''
Playing in its first state final, Hopedale jumped out to a 11-0 lead, but faltered in the second half. The Blue Raiders (22-4) saw their 20-game winning streak snapped, but didn't leave empty handed. They shared the Dual Valley championship, won the Clark Smaller Schools championship, and captured their third Central Mass. title.
DISAPPOINTING LOSS
``I'm very disappointed we lost, but I don't want to start crying over it because we lost it,'' said Hopedale's 6-foot-3 senior center Paul Kampersal, who finished with a game-high 15 points before fouling out with 1:44 to go and his team trailing, 43-31.
``Hey, what can you do?,'' Kampersal asked. ``This was our first state final and that's an accomplishment right there. How can you get upset with that? Some people are more emotional than others. We lost, but this is a great end to my senior year.''
Blue Raiders first-year coach Tony Cordani was proud of his squad. Ten of his 12 players will graduate this spring. Only junior Jason Chan and sophomore Steve Kampersal return.
``These guys had a great season,'' said Cordani, who replaced longtime coach Don Klocek to start the year. ``As disappointing as losing a state final is, the accomplishments of the season definitely overshadow the loss of this game.''
BACON FREE THROW
A Brian Bacon free throw pulled Hopedale to within 29-27 with 7:16 to go, but Newburyport (22-2) outscored the Blue Raiders, 19-4, over the next 5:28.
Harlan Davis' putback with just under a minute to go gave the Clippers a 48-31 lead. Davis, a 6-2 senior guard, scored 10 of his team-high 14 points during the decisive second-half run.
Hopedale made one final push. The Blue Raiders scored 12 points during the final 48 seconds, just three points fewer than they scored during the first 15:12 of the second half.
Kevin Webber and Jon Tosches (11 points) buried back-to-back 3-pointers followed by a Dan Thiffault (9 points) 3-point play, two free throws by Webber and a technical foul shot by Thiffault.
``I think it could've been a little closer,'' Kampersal said. ``I fouled out. Brian Bacon fouled out (with 2:15 to go). If that didn't happen, who knows? Maybe we could've gotten a few more put-backs. It could've gone either way. They (Newburyport) worked their butts off. They deserve it. That's the way it goes.''
TOUGH FIRST HALF
Both teams struggled mightily in the first half. Hopedale scored the game's first 11 points, but that took over seven minutes. A pair of Chris Sheehan free throws finally got Newburyport on the board with 8:30 remaining.
The Blue Raiders, who committed more than 30 turnovers, dropped in one field goal during the final 5:44 of the first half. Yet, they still led, 16-15, at the break.
``We couldn't score, but I kept telling my kids, `Hang in there, hang in there. Get us a score and we'll press,' '' Cordani said. ``Once we started running, that's our game right there. Everybody just gutted it up and kept their poise. Fortunately, we got a few shots to go.''
Tosches gave Hopedale its last lead, 18-17, with a finger roll 1:20 into the second half. The game was tied, 19-19 and 26-26.
Newburyport, which only produced three field goals in the first half, opened up its offense after the intermission.
``We try to play to our strength,'' Davis said. ``We like to fast-break. We didn't have many fast-breaks in the first half. Maybe it was just nerves. Obviously, it wasn't our defense because we held them to 16 points.''
HOPEDALE'S GREAT START DOOMS PANTHERS
THIFFAULT SPARKS DEFENSE AS RAIDERS RIDE INTO FINAL
Nancy Bates
March 16, 2000
WORCESTER -- Most basketball coaches will tell you defense wins games. You can add first-year Hopedale coach Tony Cordani to that list.
The Blue Raiders (22-3) dominated Pioneer Valley (16-9) on the defensive end in a 60-44 victory in the state Division 3 semifinals yesterday at the Worcester Centrum.
The win was Hopedale's 20th straight and puts the Blue Raiders into the state final for the first time in school history. They will face off with Newburyport for the state title at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Centrum.
Hopedale shut down the Pioneer Valley offense early. Tied, 2-2, in the opening minutes of the game, the Blue Raiders went on a 21-2 run over the next 11 minutes to virtually put away the game.
HUGE EARLY LEAD
Even more impressive was that the Panthers' two points came at the foul line early in the run and Hopedale managed to hold Pioneer Valley scoreless over the next 9:51 to take a 23-4 lead with three minutes remaining in the first half.
``Throughout the year, we've played good defense,'' Cordani said. ``And today we really played good team defense. Dan Thiffault had to cover (Kevin) Harrington and he's a great player. He's not easy to defend, but we focused on containing him because that's about all you can do.''
Harrington still finished with a team-high 17 points, but was the only player in double figures for Pioneer Valley.
After Hopedale's big run, Harrington hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:45 remaining, sparking an 11-2 Pioneer Valley run that pulled the Panthers within 25-15 at halftime. Harrington scored seven of those points, including a slam dunk off a steal with 1:29 remaining.
HAD TO RELAX
``We just had to settle down and regain our focus,'' Hopedale senior Paul Kampersal (21 points) said about Pioneer Valley's run. ``We went into the locker room and talked about defense. We knew we just had to relax and we could beat them.''
Relax they did. Hopedale pulled away again early in the second half, taking a 44-26 lead with about nine minutes to play.
Pioneer Valley closed to 44-36 with 6:21 left, but it was as close as the Panthers could get.
``We ran our offense pretty well. We got some good looks,'' Cordani said. ``Offensively, these guys are really unselfish with the ball. They make the extra pass a lot to get the ball inside and I think that was the key offensively.''
``Our motto for the season was, `Play as a team.' We're all very unselfish, one player doesn't try to score all of the points,'' senior Kevin Bacon (15 points) said. ``No one is looking for personal greatness. We spread the points around and it works for us.''
30-POINT LOSS
Many people, including Cordani and his players, didn't expect the team's final game of the season to come in the state final. Hopedale opened the year 3-2, including a 30-point loss to Sutton.
``We started out this year thinking we were unbeatable, but when a team beats you by 30 you get brought down really quick,'' Bacon said. ``It makes you work harder in practice, give a little more in the game. Sometimes losing can be a good thing.''
So now that they've gotten this far, how will Cordani prepare his team for the state final?
``The motivation is already there when you're playing for a state title. That in itself will get you up and ready,'' Cordani said. ``We've had to put together a pretty good run to get this far and win some really close games. I've seen an improvement in this team with every game and I think it will continue. They're ready for battle.''
``We just need to relax for now and if everyone gives 110 percent, I'll be happy with this team whether we win on Saturday or not,'' Kampersal said.
Bacon added, ``Our goal for this season was just to win the Central Mass. Tournament. Everything after that has just been icing on the cake.''
SCRAPPY HOPEDALE SACKS SUTTON AGAIN
Steve Farley
March 12, 2000
WORCESTER -- The numbers on their uniforms are peeling off, their style of play is far from flashy, and they actually like to rebound and play defense. Fundamentally, they're sound, but some might say they're boring.
However, they sure know how to have fun celebrating a Central Mass. Division 3 championship.
Second-seeded Hopedale, fueled by the one-two punch of 6-foot-3 seniors Paul Kampersal and Dan Thiffault, defeated top-seeded Sutton, 59-46, in front of about 1,000 fans yesterday at WPI's Harrington Auditorium.
The Blue Raiders (21-3), winners of 19 straight, will face 16-8 Pioneer Regional, the Western Mass. champion, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Worcester Centrum.
Sutton finishes its season 19-4.
Hopedale's championship is its third in school history. Under legendary coach Don Klocek, the Blue Raiders captured titles in 1985 and '91. Sutton posted back-to-back Central Mass. championships in 1995 and '96.
``We knew we had to keep our cool and play our game,'' said Thiffault, a forward, who dropped in a game-high 17 points, 11 in the second half. ``They want to fast break. We want to slow it down, take over the game, and play our tempo.
``Our league (DVC) has a lot of teams like Sutton in it,'' added Thiffault, whose team beat the Sammies in three of four meetings this season, including the final of the Clark Tournament. ``If it's a fast-break game, they'll roll you over.''
Kampersal, the center, who dominated the boards in the second half and finished with 18 rebounds, also netted 13 points, 9 in the second half. Senior point guard Jon Tosches added 12 points.
GUARDS LEAD SUTTON
Mike Niedzwiecki paced Sutton with 14 points. His partner in the backcourt, Rene Fuentes, scored 11. Jason Davis, a 6-foot-3 center, chipped in with 9, all in the second half.
The Blue Raiders' defense, rebounding prowess and opportunistic offense were evident in the second half. Sutton was held to just three field goals and 10 points during the final 10:13. However, it was the final three minutes that it made the difference.
Tied at 44-44 after Fuentes' 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:50 to go, Hopedale outscored the Sammies, 15-2.
Kampersal's 5-foot left-hander from the baseline with 2:23 remaining gave the Blue Raiders the lead for good.
PUT-BACK HOOP
A stolen ball off the subsequent inbounds pass gave Thiffault an opportunity for a 3-point play. Thiffault missed the free throw, but Kampersal was right there for a put-back basket to boost Hopedale's lead to 50-44 with 1:46 remaining.
To save time, Sutton was forced to foul. However, Hopedale converted 7 of its 10 attempts in the final 92 seconds.
Senior forward Brian Bacon sealed it with a layup with 21 seconds to go. Sutton's only basket was Davis' baseline jumper 41 seconds earlier.
The Sammies shot 7 of 16 from the line.
``We have 10 seniors on this team who know what it takes to win,'' said first-year Hopedale coach Tony Cordani, whose 12-player roster includes just one junior and one sophomore. ``We made the plays down the stretch. All year long, we've played great defense. (Defense) has allowed us to be in every game.
``They didn't get rattled,'' added Cordani, who used only six players yesterday. ``Everybody did a great job keeping their composure. These guys have played together a long time. They have great fundamentals and they work well together.''
`JUST GOOD ENOUGH'
``I was saying to my assistant coaches, we played pretty well, but they were just good enough,'' said Stephen Romasco, the Sammies' 24-year coach.
``Every rebound they needed, they got,'' Romasco continued. ``They're a really good rebounding team, and they have great size. They're a really good defensive team. It (win) really was about their defense. They don't give you much. They give you perimeter stuff, but not much else.''
Sutton was held to just three field goals and 10 points during the final 10:13.
Hopedale, trailing by as many as nine in the first half, settled down and led at the half, 28-23. Dan Largesse's baseline jumper gave Sutton a 20-17 lead, but the Blue Raiders closed with an 11-3 run. That was when Kampersal became focused.
``I just settled down,'' said Kampersal, who picked up two quick fouls early in the first half. ``I was very frustrated. I thought it was going to be a repeat of previous games. Everything came together in the second half.''
HIKED LEAD
Kampersal's layup and his jumper from the free-throw line, along with Thiffault's right-handed scoop layup, increased Hopedale's lead to 34-23 three minutes into the second half.
Sutton cut the deficit to 37-36 on back-to-back field goals by Niedzwiecki. Neither club could shake the other until it was 44-44.
``Honestly, I didn't see the score. I didn't know if we were up or down,'' said Kampersal, who will be playing at Mass. Bay Community College in Framingham next season. ``We stuck together and we played hard. We played very aggressive. We were fortunate to play them three times earlier.''
DIFFERENT RESULT FOR BLUE RAIDERS
THEY AVOID SEMIFINAL LOSS THIS TIME
Jay Gearan
March 7, 2000
WORCESTER -- Hopedale High seniors Paul Kampersal and Jon Tosches were settled on one thing. This Central Mass. Division 3 Tournament semifinal game would have a different ending than a year ago.
Last season, the Blue Raiders lost to eventual champion Tahanto in the semis. Last night, the Hopedale duo combined for 35 points while leading the second-seeded Blue Raiders to a 48-40 victory over sixth-seeded Ayer at WPI.
Hopedale (20-3) will face top-seeded Sutton here at 1:45 p.m. Saturday in the final. The two Dual Valley Conference rivals met 10 days ago with the Blue Raiders winning the Clark Tournament Smaller Schools championship.
``It definitely feels much better to win,'' Tosches said after a 17-point performance that included a trio of 3-pointers.
HARD TO FORGET
``After we lost last year in the semifinals, we wanted it more, and we had a little extra tonight,'' said Kampersal, who scored 18 points.
The Raiders had that ``little extra'' especially during the final five minutes after Ayer took a 37-36 lead on a putback by Mario Collins. That hoop followed Pat Pau's midcourt steal and rocking slam dunk that fired up the Panthers and their fans.
Over the final stretch, however, the Raiders stifled the Ayer momentum, and keyed by the steady foul shooting of Kampersal and Dan Thiffault, outscored Ayer, 12-3, to seal the win.
``We have 10 seniors and they don't seem to get rattled,'' Hopedale coach Tony Cordani said. ``They stayed even keel.''
The Raiders needed that kind of composure after the Panthers made a remarkable comeback in the first half.
Hopedale spun to a 12-2 lead early as Tosches buried a couple of 3-pointers and Kampersal found room down low for easy layups. Then Ayer answered with a 19-8 run that vaulted the Panthers to a 21-20 lead by halftime.
TOUGH INSIDE PLAY
Ayer's Anton Daley scored from inside, and Jeff Parker showed some classy moves driving to the hoop on his way to a nine-point night. Parker's foul-line jumper in the final minute gave Ayer the one-point lead at the break.
The second half was tied three times before Ayer pulled to its 37-36 lead at 5:59. Hopedale hoops by Kampersal, Thiffault and Tosches were answered by Callahan's reverse layup and a 3-pointer from the left wing by Anthony Gardner.
``When they went zone on us, we worked on getting the ball inside,'' Cordani said.
Pau lifted the Panthers with his six points until the Raiders quelled the rally.
``Their size just killed us,'' said coach Don Kelley of Ayer, which finished at 16-6. ``They really created problems for us on the baseline running picks and making mismatches.''
RAIDERS STUTTER, BUT RECOVER TO CAPTURE 5TH CLARK CROWN
Ken Powers
February 27, 2000
WORCESTER -- It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
The turtle taught the hare that lesson years ago, and Hopedale reminded Sutton of it yesterday in the Smaller Schools final of the 61st annual Clark Tournament, defeating the second-seeded Sammies, 46-34.
Sutton's swarming defense held fifth-seeded Hopedale without a shot for the first five minutes of the game, but the Blue Raiders righted themselves after intermission, using two six-point spurts to open the half with a 12-2 run and take a 23-19 lead halfway through the second half.
The 17-3 Sammies rallied, which is what you'd expect from a team that entered the tournament having won five of the last six titles, but with a vocal and seemingly pro-Hopedale crowd of more than 1,500 looking on in Kneller Athletic Center, the 18-3 Blue Raiders had a counter for every Sutton attack.
FIRST SINCE '91
The championship is Hopedale's fifth overall and first since 1991. The Blue Raiders won two under legendary coach Don Klocek, who retired last year after 30 years. He also guided the team to the title in 1985. Hopedale also wore the crown in 1957 (under coach Carlton Miner) and in 1963 (under Roger Hebert).
``I thought it was a bad news/good news situation at halftime,'' said first-year Hopedale coach Tony Cordani. ``The bad news was we had played terrible, probably couldn't play any worse, to tell you the truth. The good news was we were only down six, at 17-11.''
The Blue Raiders tied it a 17-all with 11:57 to play on a pair of 3-pointers, one by Kevin Webber, who pumped in a team-high 13 points, and one by Jon Tosches (8 points). Rene Fuentes gave Sutton its last lead of the game, 19-17, a minute later on a steal and layup, but Hopedale answered right back.
Brian Bacon (10 points, 8 rebounds) tied it at 19-all with 9:42 to play on a tip-in and then converted a spin move in the lane to give the Blue Raiders the lead for good, 21-19. Paul Kampersal (9 points, a game-high 13 rebounds) canned a turnaround jumper to make it 23-19 with 8:30 to play.
HOPEDALE HAYMAKER
Sutton cut its deficit to 23-22 on a short jumper by Mike Niedzwiecki (a game-high 15 points) and a free throw by Tim Haringa. Hopedale delivered the next haymaker, a 7-0 run that pushed the lead to 30-22 with 5:17 to play. Dan Tiffault (6 points, 5 rebounds) powered his way inside for a hoop and then Webber converted a three-point play and a pair of free throws.
The Sammies didn't get closer than six the rest of the way and trailed by as many as 13.
``I thought we defended well the whole game, we just couldn't get anything to go in,'' said Sutton coach Steve Romasco, whose team shot 21 percent (11 for 51) from the field, including 1 for 20 from behind the 3-point arc. ``But give them credit. They played great defense and then hit key shots at crucial points in the game.''
Hopedale didn't exactly shoot the lights out, hitting 11 of 29 shots (38 percent). The Blue Raiders, however, were 8 of 16 in the second half, compared to Sutton's 5 of 33. Hopedale didn't fare much better from behind the arc than its Dual Valley Conference co-champion brethren, canning just 2 of 12.
Sutton's defense forced Hopedale into 20 turnovers -- 11 in the first half -- and made 12 steals, while Hopedale harassed Sutton into 11 turnovers.
``Our defense kept us in the game,'' Bacon said. ``It's the backbone of our team. And that's also a key, the fact we're a team. It's not one individual. Anybody on any night can step up and win the game for us. A lot of guys have already. I don't know how many other teams out there can say that.''
``We weren't worried at the half,'' Webber explained. ``We've been a second-half team all year. We were behind Tahanto by the same margin (6 points) at the half the other night. We knew we could overcome the deficit if we just continued to play good defense.''
Kampersal said it was the Blue Raiders' win over Sutton late in the season that made the team realize it could be headed for a special season.
SUTTON, HOPEDALE ADVANCE TO FINAL
BLUE RAIDERS STUN NO. 1 SEED
Rich Garven
February 25, 2000
WORCESTER -- The Dual Valley Conference block party continues.
Hopedale assured the DVC of its ninth Clark Tournament Smaller Schools championship in 10 years with a come-from-behind, 62-51 victory over Tahanto last night before 1,200 boisterous fans at Kneller Athletic Center.
The fifth-seeded Blue Raiders shot 67 percent from the field in the second half as they wiped out a 30-24 halftime deficit to defeat the top-seeded Stags.
Hopedale (17-3) will face two-time defending champion Sutton at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the final. The teams split their regular-season meetings while sharing the conference crown.
``It's going to be a great game,'' Hopedale senior Kevin Webber said after collecting 7 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. ``It should be a lot of fun.''
Webber was fun to watch last night, particularly in the closing minutes as he scored all 7 of his points in succession.
Tahanto (15-4) had pulled within three, 51-48, when Chris Fournier banked in a transition jumper with 3:36 left. Webber then went to work, getting an old-fashioned three, two free throws, and a banked jumper from the lane that made it 58-51 with 1:20 left.
The Stags could only answer with three free throws by the incomparable Kevin O'Connell and, in fact, didn't score a field goal after Fournier's basket.
O'Connell, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, led all scorers with 26 points. He hit 9 of 14 field goals, including 4 of 7 threes, but couldn't carry Tahanto, which shot 26 percent in the second half.
``We didn't shoot well in the second half certainly, '' Tahanto coach Peter Maki said, ``and they outrebounded us by 2-1. That's the difference in the ballgame.''
REBOUNDING EDGE
The Stags were further doomed by the incredible, 40-18 rebounding edge Hopedale compiled. They just didn't have an answer for the Blue Raiders' across-the-board, 6-foot-3 front line of Brian Bacon (16 points, 12 rebounds), Paul Kampersal (12 and 8) and Dan Thiffault (6, 5).
````We're definitely an all-around team, which is good,'' Bacon said. ``You don't want one guy scoring all the points; you want everyone contributing.''
The shots were falling early for the Stags, and some of them were just plain unbelievable to boot.
Hopedale led, 18-17, before Tahanto closed out the first half with a 13-6 run over the final four minutes. Each shot was seemingly better than the last.
ACROBATIC HOOK
O'Connell dropped in an acrobatic hook over Kampersal before Fournier nailed a kick-and-shoot 3-pointer from the left baseline to make it 22-19. Jason Chan (6 points) answered with a trey for Hopedale, but O'Connell dropped in a three from the top of the key.
With 22 seconds remaining, Ryan O'Connell, Kevin's twin brother, went up and under for a layup off the glass. Hopedale came right back, Webber's halfcourt feed finding Wes Stafford alone under the basket for a layup.
Kevin O'Connell completed the feeding frenzy when he hit a double-pump 3-pointer to the right of the arc as time expired. It gave the Stags their biggest lead of the night, 30-24.
Tahanto shot 50 percent for the first half and thrived after Hopedale went from man-to-man to zone defense because of foul trouble. The Blue Raiders abandoned the zone at halftime and entered one of their own, reeling off nine consecutive points early in the second half to surge ahead, 33-32.
HOPEDALE HOLDS ON AT END
Rich Garven
WORCESTER -- Matt Lewis couldn't see what was going on, but he knew why everyone was watching.
The North Brookfield junior stole an inbounds pass at midcourt with two seconds to play, dribbled to the 3-point line and let loose as a trio of Hopedale defenders converged on him.
``I didn't really get to see the ball after I shot it,'' Lewis said later from outside the Kneller Athletic Center.
Lewis' shot caught rim, but not net as the Blue Raiders walked away with a 51-49 victory over their Dual Valley Conference rivals in a Clark Tournament Smaller Schools quarterfinal cliff-hanger.
``We were all praying, just for different endings,'' North Brookfield coach Rick Wheeler said.
The end result is fourth-seeded Hopedale (15-3) advanced to meet top-ranked Tahanto at 7 p.m. Thursday in the semis. Fifth-seeded North Brookfield (12-6) waits for the Central Mass. Tournament to start.
Lewis' shot was the second chance the Indians had to tie or win in the closing seconds.
Lewis faked a three and wove past two defenders for a layup to make it 51-49 with 35 seconds left. North Brookfield regained possession with six seconds remaining after Josh Carroll emerged from a mass of bodies under the Hopedale basket with a rebound.
After calling time, freshman Jeff Sandman sent an errant pass over Harley Patchen's head as the junior cut along the left baseline. For what it's worth, Patchen appeared to be out of bounds on the play.
Patchen finished with 11 points, hitting 3 of 5 treys. Sandman had 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and but 1 turnover.
Hopedale took a timeout to set up an inbounds play. Bacon tried to go long to Dan Thiffault, but Lewis intercepted the ball, leading to his last-gasp 3-pointer.
``I thought I had a good chance for it because I was pretty open,'' said Lewis, who finished with a team-high 17 points. ``I knew the clock was going down so I was just thinking of getting it off.''
Earlier this season, Lewis buried a 3-pointer from half court as time expired to give the Indians a win over Whitinsville Christian.
``We had our shot,'' Wheeler said, ``and we couldn't have asked for another player other than Lewis to take that shot.''
It was the third time this season North Brookfield lost to Hopedale, the defeats coming by a combined 11 points.
Once again, the Indians found it difficult to defend Paul Kampersal and Bacon, Hopedale's 6-foot-3 senior forwards. Kampersal netted 25 points to go with 9 rebounds and 3 blocks while Bacon had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
``We've got good chemistry together,'' Kampersal said. ``Brian's a real good passer.''
It was the first Clark appearance for Hopedale coach Tony Cordani, and this one won't be a passing memory.
``It's everything I was told it is,'' Cordani, who took over retired legend Don Klocek. ``It's an amazing tournament and great for high school basketball. It's a great experience for the players and a lot of fun for the coaches.''
BACON FRIES NIPMUC
Jim Wilson
January 22, 2000
HOPEDALE -- Brian Bacon scored 25 points and fellow frontcourt senior Paul Kampersal added 22 last night to help Hopedale down Nipmuc, 56-45, in Dual Valley Conference action.
Nipmuc senior Justin Ghelli scored 25 points and made six 3-pointers in a losing cause.
Hopedale trailed, 25-23, at halftime, but stormed out of the gate in the second half, going on a 13-2 run to seize the lead for the rest of the game.
``They were excited to play Nipmuc, and I'm sure it was a big rivalry here, and we have been playing consistently hard,'' Hopedale coach Tony Cordani said. ``Every night we're getting good efforts out of all our guys, and our defense has been improving, so I was definitely happy with the way we played.''
Bacon started the Hopedale rally by sinking two foul shots to tie the score, 25-25. After a Nipmuc turnover, Kampersal hit a jumper to give the Blue Raiders the lead.
Nipmuc (6-3 overall, 3-2 DVC) tied it after Ghelli made two foul shots, but Hopedale's size advantage paid dividends as senior Dan Thiffault scored off a rebound to allow the hosts to retake the lead.
Hopedale (6-3, 4-1) took control after Kampersal hit a layup. A minute later, Bacon added a foul shot to make it 34-27.
With 11 minutes remaining in the game, senior Jon Tosches made two foul shots to extend the Hopedale lead to 36-27, capping the Blue Raiders' run.
``The strength of our offense is getting the ball inside, and I think we were fairly successful putting the ball inside early in the second half,'' Cordani said. ``The defense was pretty solid. I thought we played pretty good defense on that little run, and the key was trying to get the ball and pound it inside a little bit.''
The white-hot shooting of Ghelli kept Nipmuc in the game. He sank two 3-pointers in a row from the top of the key to cut the Hopedale lead to three.
Ghelli had a hot hand all half, drilling five of his six 3-pointers in the last 16 minutes.
``He is a great player, and obviously a great shooter,'' Cordani said of Ghelli. ``Every time he has the ball, it's a question of whether he's going to score. Earlier he was definitely hitting those shots, so I was definitely nervous every time he touched the ball.''
However, the Hopedale inside game proved to be too much as the Blue Raiders consistently worked the ball inside to their big men, Bacon and Kampersal.
``Paul had a huge game and Brian had a huge game, and our guards played well,'' Cordani said. ``All the guys that were in there played tough, but they stepped up. Certain guys definitely stepped up tonight, which was nice to see.
``It was a good win for us because they are a talented team, and I'm pretty happy with that,'' Cordani said.
