It’s Another Final Four for the Lady Dogs

Photo by Andy_illesphotog.

March 11, 2023

It took a 10-0 run to end the 1st half and an 11-0 run to begin the second half for the Rockland Girls Basketball team to overcome a 14 point deficit and go on to beat Dover-Sherborn 48-37 on Friday night in their elite eight game.

Down 27-13 midway through the 2nd quarter, what inspired the Lady Dogs?

A good, old-fashioned, uptempo team oriented defense, that’s what! And when the girls went into the locker room at half-time, down only by 4 (27-23) the loud, supportive (and green) student section was going crazy to say the least. When the girls came out of the locker room, their defense and the crowd continued to frustrate Dover-Sherborn’s top guns. Rockland’s offense was spread around pretty well too and soon it was a complete reversal with the Lady Dogs up 34-27, a point from which they never looked back, holding D-S to only 5 points in the third quarter and 10 points in the entire second half.

It certainly looked like it was going to be a long disappointing night when the game began. Errant passes, missed shots, missed rebounds, missed defensive assignments…(D-S’s Scalabrine with 10 first quarter points). You name it, nothing was going right for the girls….except finally, an unlikely source of offense: senior forward Emma Cameron, who came off the bench to rectify the rebounding problem and proceeded to score 6 big points underneath (8 points if you count the shot that really did beat the buzzer at the end of the first half).

Emma’s buzzer beater with .2 seconds in the half (that was ruled no good!)

Overall, freshman Zariah Ottley led the scoring with 14 points, 11 of those in the third quarter. Junior Maggie Elie followed with 12 points 6 rebounds and two assists. Senior Sydney Blaney had 9 points and 3 assists, and senior Maddy Hermenau had 7 points and 5 steals. Zariah Ottley also had 8 rebounds. The girls shot 68.75% from the free throw line.

To see more awesome game photos go to Andy_Illes photog

Now, it’s on to the State Semi-finals. The opponent will be a familiar one: St. Mary’s of Lynn, the #1 seed in D3. This will basically be the third year in a row, state tournament-wise, that Rockland and St. Mary’s have matched up. We all remember that the girls faced them in the State Finals in Lowell last year, losing only by 2. St. Mary’s was also the opponent for the girls’ last pre-pandemic game when the Lady Dogs faced them in the Eastern Mass. Championship (considered the State Finals when the tournament was called off) at TD Garden in March 2020. Rockland competed well in that game but ran out of gas at the end.

So, lots of history with St. Mary’s precedes this upcoming game, but Rockland is certainly ready to compete and to perhaps write a brand new ending to the saga. No one is counting them out, that’s for sure!!

It’s Deja Vu for the Lady Dogs

March 8, 2023

The Rockland Girls Basketball team has won two games in the MIAA D3 tournament since they opened up last Friday at home.

Emma Cameron

Maddy Hermenau

Molly Lucas

Cailey Kelleher

Maggie Elie

Zariah Ottley

Photos by AndyIlles_Photog

Friday, March 3

With the #4 seed, the girls matched up with #29 Apponequet in the opening round. It was a total team effort that gave Rockland the win 61- 28.

Zariah Ottley led with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Maddy Hermenau had 11points, Charlie Kelleher had 10, and Maggie Elie had 7 points to go along with 9 assists. Sydney Blaney played her usual stellar defense.

This game was never in doubt as the Lady Dogs led at the end of 1, 18-7. At halftime they had stretched the lead to 29-10 and by the end of 3 it was 51- 14.

Tuesday, March 7

Next, Bishop Stang came to town on Tuesday night, just as they did last year in the second round. This win was much more difficult especially since the Dogs’ shooting was a bit off the mark early on. In fact Stang went out to a 6-0 lead early in the first. But Rockland found a way to get on the board thanks to Zariah Ottley and Maddy Hermenau and the quarter ended with Rockland up 8-6.

In the second quarter Ottley went on a scoring spree (scoring 9 of her team leading 22 points) while Sydney Blaney and the rest of the Rockland defenders were holding down Stang’s 1,000 point scorer, Bridget Markey. The half ended with Rockland up 22-18. Rockland built the lead to 33-24 by the end of the 3rd but the game was still tense until Charlie Kelleher, early in the fourth quarter, hit three bombs from behind the arc (9 points in all). The game ended with Rockland getting by Stang 53-32. Here’s the whole story.

Hawaiian Night at the Dog Pound!

Charlie Kelleher hits a 3

Sydney Blaney goes to the hoop

Maddy Hermenau grabs a rebound

Photos by AndyIlles_Photog. To see more photos from the Stang game click the link.

The rest of the game stats for the Bishop Stang game went like this: Maddy Hermenau had 9 points with 8 rebounds and 3 huge steals. Maggie Elie had 5 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Sydney Blaney had 8 points, 2 steals with solid defense.

So, for the second year in a row, Rockland defeated Bishop Stang in the “Sweet Sixteen” to make it to the “Elite Eight.” Their opponent in the next round this year? Same as last year: Dover-Sherborn. Talk about Deja vu!

The Lady Dogs are hoping that the outcome this Friday night is the same as last year, (a win), but it would be nice to have a little bit more of a margin of victory. You might remember that last year’s game with Dover-Sherborn went right down to the wire with Rockland pulling out a 46-44 win.

Rockland is surely ready for another battle and they know that the Lady Raiders will be looking for revenge. It should be a great game between two teams who have most of their line-ups back from last year!

Go Dogs!

Rockland Girls Gain Fourth Seed in D3 Tourney; Five Lady Dogs Chosen as SSL All-Stars, Maggie Elie chosen Player of the Year in the Tobin Division.

February 26, 2023

The final power rankings and tournament brackets for boys and girls basketball were released on Saturday, Feb. 25 . The Lady Dogs with a record of 18-2 found themselves in the fourth spot for Division 3 behind St. Mary’s (1), Norwell (2) and Bishop Fenwick (3).

The seeding would potentially give them three home games, if they can make it that far, before what many believe will be a rematch with St. Mary’s, this time in the semifinals. But Coach Newcomb, while optimistic, is also aware that getting there will be a difficult task since the road to the Final Four may have to go through two teams looking for revenge that the girls beat last year on their way to the State Finals….Bishop Stang and Dover-Sherborn.

But first things first. The girls must wait until Friday for their first round game in Rockland at 4pm. This is a change in time from the original 6:30 pm time. They will play Apponequet, the winner of Monday’s preliminary play-in match-up of Apponequet (29) vs. Shawsheen Valley Tech (36).

Below is a screenshot of the D3 brackets; you can click on this link for a larger version. Also, here are the power ranking metrics.

Regular Season ends with win at North Quincy

Rockland finished up the regular season with a hard fought 63-55 win at North Quincy on Feb. 17.  Leading the scoring were three girls with 17 points each: Sydney Blaney, Maddy Hermenau and Zariah Ottley.   Hermenau also had 10 rebounds.  Charlie Kelleher added 9 points.

The girls started out strong and took a 5-0 lead early before NQ called time-out. They upped the lead to 9-2 before NQ came back and got it to 9-7.  Rockland then reeled off 8 points and with a minute left in the 1st quarter led 17-8.   NQ scored on a pick and roll to make it 17-10; the quarter ended with a Rockland buzzer beater that rimmed out.

NQ got to within two points early in the  2nd quarter but Rockland tightened their defense which led to an 11 point lead (30-19) with  a little less than 2 minutes left in the half, thanks also to a three pointer each by Charlie Kelleher and Sydney Blaney. The half ended with Rockland ahead 32-23.

Zariah Ottley opened the third quarter by burying a three point shot from the corner (35-23) but that 12 point lead didn’t last long as NQ answered with a 3 of their own.  By now, all indications were that North Quincy was not going to go down easy. And that’s the way the rest of the game played out.  In fact, Rockland had  a 17 point lead midway through the third (49-32), due in part to a couple Maddy Hermenau steals, but again the Lady Raiders came back and got it down to 49-40 at the end of three quarters.

Rockland maintained a 7 to 9 point lead over North Quincy for much of the fourth quarter until North Quincy took advantage of some Rockland miscues and defensive lapses and got to within two (55-53) at the three minute mark. But Rockland did not panic and did what they had to do to get the win, 63-55.

Congratulations to our All-Stars!

On Friday, Coach Newcomb announced that three seniors Sydney Blaney, Charlie Kelleher, and Maddy Hermenau along with junior Maggie Elie and freshman Zariah Ottley were named to the SSL All-Star team.  

Maggie Elie was also named the Player of the Year for the Tobin Division!

Congratulations to all the girls for a great regular season and an undefeated South Shore League Championship!!

Now it’s on to March Madness!!!

A Good Week: Girls Advance in D3, Seniors Honored

February 19, 2023

It was a productive week for the RHS Girls Basketball Team as they added two more wins to their record which now stands at 17-2.

On Monday the Lady Dogs traveled to Weymouth where they came away with a 60-53 win. Leading the way for the girls was senior captain Sydney Blaney with 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half when the rest of the Lady Dogs were trying to find an offensive rhythm.

When the game began, it looked like it might be an easy night as the girls went out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter. But Weymouth roared back with a 7-0 run of its on. The Dogs held on to take a 10-7 lead at the end of one. The score remained close throughout the 2nd quarter with Blaney scoring 11 points in the second frame. The girls also shot 8 out of 10 from the foul line in the second quarter as they took a 28-22 lead into half-time.

In the second half Zariah Ottley, the girls’ leading scorer with a 15.1 average, found her range. She scored 15 of her 19 total points in the 2nd half. She was also 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. Those shots were sorely needed as Weymouth came back to within 2 points (55-53) thanks to a few turnovers and hurried shots by the Lady Dogs.

Team support from the sidelines!

Emma Cameron battles on the boards

Zariah hits from the line late in the game

More photos from the Weymouth game taken by @AndyIlles_photog. Away at Weymouth.

Charlie Kelleher also scored three big hoops (9 points) in the second half to answer Weymouth’s offensive charge. Blaney added 4 for 6 from the line in the fourth quarter as well.

Next up was Thursday’s match with another tough non-league opponent, North Quincy. It was also Senior Night and the five seniors Sydney Blaney, Emma Cameron, Maddy Hermenau, Charlie Kelleher and MaryKate Leoncavallo were introduced before the game in a nice ceremony led by Coach Newcomb.

Seniors from left: Sydney Blaney, Charlie Kelleher, Maddy Hermenau, Emma Cameron, MK Leoncavallo and Sam Woodward.

Each senior was introduced by one of her teammates who spoke about the impact each of the seniors had on the team and on them as underclassmen.

First, Anna Santos introduced MK Leoncavallo. MK was then joined at half-court by her father Paul, brother PJ, and sisters, Mady and Judi.

Next, Kay-Lijah Oehschlagel spoke on behalf of Captain Emma Cameron. Emma was met at half-court by her parents, Maureen and Bill Cameron.

Molly Lucas next introduced Maddy Hermenau who was joined by her parents Jojo and Bill Hermenau.

Cailey Kelleher then spoke about her older sister and captain Charlie Kelleher. Charlie was met at half-court by her parents Irene and JJ, and siblings, Cailey and Cooper.

Last, Maggie Elie spoke on behalf of 2 year captain Sydney Blaney. Sydney was escorted by her parents Joe and Jeanne, and sister Steph.

Then it was on to the game. The girls came away with a 61-41 win. It wasn’t as easy as the score makes it seem as No. Quincy put up a tough battle throughout. Rockland only led 28-22 at the half. In the second half they found some offensive and defensive consistency and got the lead up to 45-28 at the end of three.

The girls’ scoring was led by Zariah Ottley with 21 points (15 in the second half). Steady throughout were seniors Sydney Blaney (12 points, 9 rebounds), Maddy Hermenau (10 points and 6 steals), and Charlie Kelleher (9 points). Junior Maggie Elie added 5 points and 5 assists.

The girls’ next game is on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 21) at 3 pm. It will be a rematch with No. Quincy. This will be a key game for them in determining their seed in the tournament.

Good luck girls!!

These photos are from Senior Night. More can be found on dropbox by Andyillesphotog.

Girls Go Undefeated in SSL

February 11, 2023

With last night’s 60-31 win at home against Carver, the Rockland High School girls’ varsity basketball team can now claim a South Shore League Tobin Division Title, their second in a row. This year, however, the girls added “undefeated” to their SSL championship title. The girls’ record is now 15 wins, 2 losses and 13-0 in the league.

The last four games, two on the road and two at home have featured wins: at Abington on Jan. 31, at Mashpee on Feb. 7, against Hull at home on Feb. 8, and against Carver at home on Feb. 10.

In last night’s game, senior Charlie Kelleher fired up six three pointers on her way to a game and career high 20 points!

Senior Maddy Hermenau added 13 and senior Sydney Blaney hit double figures with 10 points. Junior point guard Maggie Elie directed the offense once again and had 11 assists overall.

Despite the 60-31 final result, Carver played hard throughout the 32 minutes and gave Rockland tough competition as the Lady Dogs had to work hard to counter Carver’s intensity.

It was youth teams night at the Dog Pound on Friday night and the excitement of the Lady Dogs’ final league game was even more amped up as the youth teams cheered the varsity team on to their 60-31 win over Carver. The 4th grade teams played at half-time.

Photos from last night’s pregame and half-time exhibition!

Coaches Devine, Beatrice and Kelleher pregame!

Captains Emma Cameron, Charlie Kelleher, Sydney Blaney and Maggie Elie.

The JV’s also won. Molly Lucas hits a shot from the corner.

Highlights from the last two weeks.

at Abington Tuesday, Jan. 31: Rockland won this one, 58 to 26. With the win, Rockland was 12-2 and 10-0 league. Leading scorer was freshman Zariah Ottley with 20 points. senior Maddy Hermenau had 8 points while junior Maggie Elie had 8 points, 5 assists and 7 rebounds. Senior Sydney Blaney contributed 9 points. and played her usual great defense.

at Mashpee Tuesday, Feb. 7: The result was a surprising Rockland 60 Mashpee 20. The leading scorer was again Zariah Ottley with 17 points. Maggie Elie had 13 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. Sydney Blaney, solid on both ends of the floor, had 10 pts.

Hull Wednesday, Feb. 8: The road trip finally ended as the Lady Pirates came to Rockland on a Wednesday night. This was a make-up game from Friday, Feb. 3 that was postponed due to the cold weather and sub-zero wind chills in the area last weekend. Despite playing their second night in a row Rockland won this one 62 to 36.

Freshman Zariah Ottley led with 26 points, a career high which included two baskets from behind the arc and numerous pull-ups and lay-ups, all made with her signature soft touch. Seniors Charlie Kelleher and Sydney Blaney each had 10 points while junior Maggie Elie had 7 assists. Seniors Maddy Hermenau and senior Emma Cameron contributed their usual spark. Everyone contributed in this game!

Another highlight of the last two weeks was Coach Newcomb’s news that Ryen will be a big sister this coming August! Congratulations to our coach, to Colleen and to Ryen!

Below are some great photos taken by Andyilles_photog during the Hull game.

Anna Santos breaks through a double team.

Cailey Kelleher fires up a shot against Hull

Charlie Kelleher brings the ball up

Kay-lijah Oehlschlagel has her eye on the basket against Hull.

Maddy Hermenau drives to the basket

Maggie Elie gets an assist

Top fan, Ryen Newcomb takes the floor during half-time.

Sydney Blaney goes up for a jump shot against Hull’s pressure.

Zariah Ottley shows her form on the way to her career high 26 points against Hull.

In each of these games, all the Lady Bulldog players got significant time on the floor, something that will prove valuable as the team enters the final stages of the season.

Next up is Weymouth on Monday night Feb. 13 at Weymouth. This will be a big game in determining the team’s power ranking. Right now they stand at #4 in Division 3.

The Dogs finish up their regular season against North Quincy for a home and away series on Thursday Feb. 16 and Tuesday, Feb 21 at 3pm.

Thursday’s game will be senior night! Sydney Blaney, Emma Cameron, Maddy Hermenau, Charlie Kelleher and MaryKate Leoncavallo will be honored before the game!

Win Streak Up to Seven

January 27, 2023

The Rockland girls are continuing to ride a hot streak. Their record after last night’s win at Cohasset is now 11-2 and 9-0 in the SSL.

To recap the last three games:

On Jan. 17 the girls traveled to East Bridgewater to take on the always tough Lady Vikings. The Vikings were down two all-stars however, and Rockland did what they had to do coming out with a relatively easy win 50-26. Zariah Ottley and Sydney Blaney both had 12 points for Rockland.

On Tuesday night, Jan. 24 the girls avenged two straight losses in Norwell and came away with a hard fought win against Norwell 59-45. Zariah Ottley led with 17 points. Maddy Hermenau had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals. Her play in the first quarter when she scored eight points, was key to taking away any jitters the girls might have had early on. The girls led at the end of the half 20-10.

Maggie Elie played a solid game and had 10 points and 10 assists. Sydney Blaney had 11 points, and 4 steals and played a great defensive game. Charlie Kelleher was once again a steady threat from the three point line, hitting two big three’s in the first half. She added good defense and some key rebounds to a solid effort. Emma Cameron was once again a force off the bench.

On Thursday, Jan.26 the girls, still on the road, defeated Cohasset 49-19. Maddy Hermenau had 13 points while Zariah Ottley led with 16. Maggie Elie had 6 points and 9 assists, and Sydney Blaney turned in another defensive gem.

At Cohasset, both teams started off slowly but Rockland finally got going on the offensive end in the second quarter. At the half, they led 29-9, thanks in part to Sydney Blaney’s three point basket to beat the clock at the end of the first half.

The Dogs dominated especially on defense from the opening whistle in the second half holding Cohasset’s scorers to limited touches and only five points in the third quarter. The score at the end of three was 44-14.

Rockland’s defense gets set in Norwell

Kay at Cohasset

Maggie goes up for a lay-up

MK posts up against Cohasset

Sydney sets up the offense

These last three wins have come against some of the best teams in the South Shore League and the next game at Abington (Tuesday, Jan. 31) will be a huge one in the team’s quest to maintain their first place standing in the Tobin Division.

Despite what might appear to be easy wins in this current 7 game win streak, Coach Newcomb is far from being overconfident and has cautioned the team to not take any team lightly. With every team now looking to knock off Rockland there will be no nights off as far as the Lady Dogs are concerned, and it all begins with discipline and hard work at practice. Go Dogs!

Girls Getting It Done with Teamwork

January 16, 2023

The Rockland Girls Varsity Basketball team is riding a four game win streak to a 6-0 league record and 8-2 record overall. Their record has allowed them to crack the unofficial Top 20 rankings of The Boston Globe and Boston Herald. More importantly, the MIAA’s first Power Rankings came out last week and the Lady Dogs are seeded #6 in Division 3.

There’s a long way to go though and the girls will be on the road for four more games.

Since their Christmas tournament loss to Feehan, Rockland has picked up their game both offensively and defensively and the results have been fun to watch. Coach Diana Newcomb says that the “offense and defense are starting to click together” and “they are playing as a whole unit.”

On Jan. 3 the girls had an easy victory at home over Randolph 50-25. Everyone on the roster made it into the scorebook in this win.

On Jan. 6 the girls hosted Mashpee HS which was undefeated in league play. Mashpee billed this game as the biggest in their program’s history. Hyperbole aside, it was a big game for both teams who were undefeated in league play. On paper Mashpee looked to have the edge as they had two 1,000 point scorers in their line-up who certainly had their sights set on lighting up the Rockland nets.

Rockland had their defensive plan, however, and executed it well, limiting Mashpee’s two sharpshooters to 18 points total and their team to 39 points.

Maggie Elie plays defense against Mashpee.

For Rockland freshman Zariah Ottley continued to gain confidence and led the scoring with 19 points. Senior captain Sydney Blaney had 13. Here’s the game story from the Enterprise.

On Tuesday (Jan. 10) the girls hosted Middleboro and the results were basically the same: Rockland 53 Middleboro 39 as the Lady Dogs broke the 50 point plateau again while holding their opponent under 40. Zariah Ottley had 12 points and 5 assists. Maggie Elie had 12 assists. Sydney Blaney had 10 points and Charlie Kelleher and Emma Cameron both had 9 points in the win!

With the win, Rockland was 5-0 in SSL and 7-2 overall. It was this record that gave them the D3 Power Ranking of #6.

Last Friday night (Jan. 13) as the girls began their extended road trip the results again were the same with Rockland coming out on top with 54 and Carver 34.

Thus, Rockland is 8-2 and 6-0 in the league. At Carver Charlie Kelleher put the Lady Dogs on her back early as she had 14 points in the first half. These included four, nothing but net three’s. For the night, Zariah Ottley had 24 points with 4 steals. Sydney Blaney had 12 points and Maggie Elie had 12 assists in the win!

Now it’s on to East Bridgewater for another big game on Tuesday, Jan. 17 and then the Lady Dogs have the rest of the week to prepare before they visit the Norwell Clippers on Jan. 24.

Rockland Gears Up for Game on Friday

Jan. 5, 2023

The Rockland girls basketball team, after going 1-1 in their Christmas tournament last week, opened up the New Year with a 50-25 win at home against Randolph. This brings their league record to 3-0 (Cohasset, Hull, Randolph). In Tuesday’s game with Randolph each of the girls scored for the Lady Dogs with two freshmen, Zariah Ottley and Cailey Kelleher leading the way with 12 points and 9 points respectively.

An early bid for first place in the Tobin Division of the South Shore League is on the line Friday when the girls play Mashpee which is also undefeated in league play. The game is in Rockland at 6:30. Mashpee features 1,000 point scorers Amiyah Peters and Hialeah Turner-Foster.

Rockland has a balanced offensive and defensive attack to counter the Mashpee duo.

The Lady Dogs’ overall record is 5 wins and 2 losses. As always, Coach Diana Newcomb has not shied away from putting tough non-league opponents on the schedule and that proved true in their Christmas tournament, sponsored by WRPS.

Coach Newcomb expressed the team’s gratitude to WRPS, for sponsoring the Christmas tournament this year. She said, “They provided t-shirts for each of the four teams along with trophies for the all-tournament teams and the championship team.

In the first game on Dec. 27, the girls defeated Duxbury 55-40. Sydney Blaney led with 14 points (4 threes). 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Zariah Ottley had 7 rebounds, 6 assists to go along with her 12 points. Maggie Elie had 7 rebounds, 5 assists 3 steals and 8 points. Maddy Hermenau had 6 points 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals Charlie Kelleher had 9 points.

In the finals on Dec. 29 the Dogs lost to an excellent Bishop Feehan team, 54 – 39. Zariah Ottley had 11 points 10 rebounds. Charlie Kelleher had 9 points while Maddy Hermenau had 8 points.

Maggie Elie, with 8 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals in the Feehan game and 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 8 points in the Duxbury game, was selected for the all-tournament team. About her junior point guard, Coach Newcomb said that she played “2 great all-around games filling out the stat sheet in 4 categories each game.”

Elie and all the Lady Dogs will be looking to compete one game at a time on their way to another successful season. Don’t miss the game on Friday night!!

The seniors will be ready to take on Mashpee Friday night. From left, MaryKate Leoncavallo, Charlie Kelleher, Sydney Blaney, Maddy Hermenau and Emma Cameron.

Rockland Girls enter Holidays with a 3-1 record.

2022-2023 Varsity Team: Back left to right, Maggie Elie, Sydney Blaney, Maddy Hermenau, Emma Cameron, Charlie Kelliher, MaryKate Leoncavallo, Sophie Levy. Front: Molly Lucas, Anna Santos, Cailey Kelliher, Zariah Ottley and Kay-Lijah Oehschlagel

Dec. 27, 2022

The Lady Dogs finished up their pre-holiday schedule with a big win at Hull on a rainy, windy Thursday night, Dec. 22. The score was Rockland 45 Hull 26. Against Hull Zariah Ottley had 14 for Rockland. The nice thing was that everyone on the roster got to play and contribute! Rockland takes a 3-1 record into today’s (Dec. 27) Christmas tournament in Rockland.

In the young season, freshman Zariah Ottley has emerged as an offensive threat and has led the scoring in the last two games. On Tuesday, Dec. 20, Ottley led Rockland with 20 points 5 assists 4 steals in their 58-41 victory over Cohasset at home.

This is not to say that the Dogs are one dimensional. Senior Maddy Hermenau also has shone on offense leading the team in scoring in their first two games with a big 22 points in the first game. In the Cohasset game junior captain, Maggie Elie had 10 rebounds 8 assists, Hermenau had 12 points, senior captain Charlie Kelliher added 9 and senior captain Sydney Blaney had 8 points. Blaney continues to play shut down defense and Elie is a great floor general for the girls.

The only blemish on the girls record was a 36-43 loss on Dec. 16 to Bridgewater-Raynham, a tough D1 opponent. The Lady Dogs had their chances and played well. For Rockland: Maddy Hermenau had 13 pts, Sydney Blaney, 10 pts, 3 steals, 2 assists, Maggie Elie: 8 rebs, 5 assists, 3 steals, 4 pts, Emma Cameron: 5 rebs, 5 steals, Zariah Ottley: 6 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals.

Some photos from JV and Varsity games against B-R.

Today’s games feature the Lady Dogs facing Duxbury at 5:30; Norwell will play Bishop Feehan at 4. These are all quality teams and this promises to be the best Christmas tournament in the area!!

Girls Advance to State Finals!

March 21, 2022

The girls basketball team, as just about everyone reading this knows, lost a tough game to the St. Mary’s Spartans from Lynn, 46-44 on Friday, Mar. 18. It was the State Championship game for Division 3 and marked the first time the Lady Dogs had made it to the State Finals in 22 years.

The game, held at Tsongas Arena in Lowell was as exciting as any game can be. And while the result wasn’t what Bulldog Nation was hoping for, the game itself did not disappoint the hundreds of Rockland fans who came out to support the team.

The many hghlights in the game included the Lady Dogs coming back from a 7 point deficit at half-time (26-19) and taking the lead numerous times throughout the third and fourth quarters.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs took their first lead since the first quarter (4-2) with a 7-0 run. Charlie Kelleher buried a corner 3-pointer off a feed from Julia Elie and Maddie Hermenau (7 points) scored on a layup to cut the deficit to 34-33 at the end of three. Free throws, one each from Hermenau and Elie, gave Rockland a brief lead at 35-34.

Sydney Blaney hit a pair of free throws and then Hermenau assisted on a Kelleher 3-pointer that gave the Bulldogs a 42-41 lead with 2:30 to play. Preira hit a jumper, but Hermenau got the Bulldogs the lead back with a layup with 1:49 to play.

Every girl played a part in this game with Julia Elie scoring inside, rebounding, and blocking several shots.

Maggie Elie and Sydney Blaney handled some intense pressure from the quick St. Mary’s guards and played great defense at the top of the zone against those same guards. Charlie Kelleher hit some big shots for the girls.

Maddie Murphy also rebounded and played her part defensively. Maddy Hermenau came off the bench and really sparked the team’s comeback in the third and stayed in to score some big hoops. Emma Cameron drew one of her patented offensive fouls and helped on the boards as well.

The bench as the above photo shows were immense in their support of their team.

Here’s the box score:

The biggest accomplishment was holding down St. Mary’s dynamic offense to only 46 points. They have averaged 70 points a game for most of the season.

“I thought we executed absolutely perfect in the second half,” said Coach Diana Newcomb. “They’re a good team, they’re going to make shots. We wanted to make things as difficult as possible. To hold that team to 46 points, I think we did our job defensively,” said Coach Newcomb

But St. Mary’s defense was up to the task as well and on a night when limiting the opponent to 46 points would be good enough to win, Rockland couldn’t get over the hump due to the quickness and athleticism of St. Mary’s highly recruited players.

But it was a great game with back and forth action to keep everyone on the edge of their seats, including in the last 2.2 seconds when Rockland, perfectly executing an out of bounds play, got their game-tying opportunity at the basket only to have it deflected away as time expired.

Getting to the State Finals

On Tuesday night, March 15, in what would be the Lady Dogs last victory of the year (their 21st) the girls demoralized #1 seed Medway by a score of 48-22 in the State Semifinals held at Quincy High School.

Here’s the game story from the Enterprise

Medway had no answer for the combination of inside and outside scoring threats of Julia and Maggie Elie, Charlie Kelleher and Sydney Blaney. While Medway may have had a colder than normal shooting night as their coach said, it was not the first game that Rockland has held a team down with well-executed defensive pressure and schemes, tough rebounding and also a solid running game.

With the momentum of Tuesday and their three home tournament wins the Lady Dogs went into Friday night’s game guardedly optimistic. They knew St. Mary’s reputation but were certainly up for the task of neutralizing their outside shooting game and their quick drives to the hoop.

While the season ended in a heart-breaking fashion the Lady Dogs had no need to hang their heads after the game and certainly not after such an awesome season.

As the coach said, “”I would take those girls that wear a Rockland uniform over any other team.”

Ending their careers for Rockland are the four seniors: Julia Elie, Maddie Murphy, Jordan Stec and Carol Lage. These four provided great leadership and showed what Bulldog pride and commitment is all about.

The underclassmen will be back next year to carry on what has become the yearly expectation and goal: to defend their SSL championship and to once again make a deep tournament run, maybe even get to that final game again.

Congratulations to the girls, the coaches and Coach Newcomb for completing an exciting season that people in Rockland got behind and supported!

Fans came out to support the girls Friday night at the State Finals

The Lady Dogs manage to smile after the game. It WAS a great season and a great game. MIAA photos

Coach Newcomb said in a Tweet: “I would like to thank everyone who makes our program successful beyond just the players! Thank you to my amazing coaching staff and managers, our administration, WRPS staff, custodians and amazing AD. My parents, my wife, my family and friends. All the parents of the players!”

And in turn, we all wish Coach Newcomb and Colleen the very best in their upcoming blessed event that we are all looking forward to!

Elite Eight to Final Four! Play Medway on Tuesday

The girls basketball team and coaches after their big win over Dover-Sherborn.

March 12, 2022

The girls basketball team gutted out a tremendous win on Friday night against Dover-Sherborn 46-44 in their  round of eight Division 3 tournament home game.  

The win puts them back in the final four, a feat they also accomplished two years ago.

This win took resilience and all out team effort from everyone as Julia Elie led the way and literally took the team on her back with 27 points and 13 rebounds.  She got lots of help especially on the boards  as the Lady Dogs battled for every possession against a little bit taller Dover-Sherborn team who showed all night why they too deserved to be in the Elite Eight.

Dover-Sherborn led at the end of one, 13-10.  Julia Elie was guarded tightly throughout but finally scored two baskets in a row inside. But Rockland’s outside game hadn’t shown up yet and at 6:12 of the second quarter the girls were down 17-10. Sydney Blaney hit a 3 at that point bringing the deficit to 13-17. 

Rockland was only down by one at halftime 23-22 thanks to two free throws by Charlie Kelleher after a three point attempt in the corner.

 After the half Julia Elie came out with a vengeance and took over inside the paint scoring Rockland’s first 8 points and giving Rockland the lead 30-25. At the end of the third quarter the score was 33-30 Rockland as Blaney hit another three. 

Throughout the third both teams battled back and forth and both offenses missed opportunities.

Blaney opened the fourth with a three and the score was 36-30 Rockland. A hoop off an offensive rebound upped Rockland’s lead 42-34 at the halfway mark of the 4th.

But Dover-Sherborn was not going down easy, and at 2:14 they had run off 7 straight points to make the score 42-41.  Julia Elie finally answered with a lay-up to make it 44-41 but Dover-Sherborn tied the score 44-44 thanks to a three point shot from an unlikely source.  That was with 1:02 left in the game.

Maggie Elie scored the game winning basket on  an off-balance layup  with 37 seconds left in the game but it wasn’t over yet. After a phantom offensive foul was called on Rockland with 19 seconds left,  Dover-Sherborn had one last attempt at a game tying or winning shot.  But Rockland’s pressure defense saved the day and D-S’s best shooter’s attempt at a game winning three bounced off the back rim.  Rockland got the rebound as the game clock expired!

For Rockland, Julia led with 27 points,  13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Sydney Blaney drained three 3-pointers and Maggie Elie chipped in 7 points, including the game winner and 6 rebounds. 

After the game Coach Newcomb said, “[I’m a] very proud coach. We have come a long way since the beginning of the season. This is no small feat but I knew they had it in them. New faces leading the way after our sectional title 2 years ago, but the same Rockland toughness.”  Most would say that there’s no one tougher than the coach.

Rockland now goes on to play #1 seed Medway on Tuesday night at 7:15 at Quincy High School.   Sign-ups for fan bus will be Monday and it will be a free ride! But tickets to the game must be purchased on the Gofan website.

The Road to the Final Four

Rockland’s placement at the #4 seed in Division 3 earned them three home games.

On Friday, March 4 they defeated Cardinal Spellman, 60-33 in the round of 32.  In this game Julia Elie led with 18 points including eight points in the opening 13-0 run.   Junior Emma Cameron had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Seven of the 10 Bulldogs scored including second high scorer junior Maddie Hermenau who had 15 points. Senior captain Maddie Murphy scored 6 points and senior  Jordan Stec had 5 points.

On Tuesday, March 8 they defeated Bishop Stang 63-42 in the round of 16. Rockland was led once again by Julia Elie who erupted for 14 of her game-high 21 points in second half as the Bulldogs  pulled away late. Kelleher had 12 points including four three-pointers.   Maddie Hermenau and Sydney Blaney each scored nine points.

Friday, March 11,  it was Dover-Sherborn in the Elite Eight: 46-44.

The fan support has been key in all three games and it is sure to be the same in the semifinals!!

The next game will be played on Tuesday night at Quincy High School at 7:15 pm against Medway who beat EB on Friday night. See you there!!! Get tickets here.

Dogs Open with Win

March 5, 2022

The girls basketball team opened their tournament season last night with a convincing 60-33 win over Cardinal Spellman.  

The atmosphere in the gym was loud and raucous at times even though the game was never close as Rockland went out to an 13-0 run to open the game.   They never looked back taking a 35-8 lead into the locker room at half-time.  But give Spellman’s girls and their fans credit.  They played and cheered hard for 32 minutes.

Leading the way for Rockland were Julia Elie with 18 points including eight points in the opening 13-0 run.   Junior Emma Cameron had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Seven of the 10 Bulldogs scored including second high scorer junior Maddie Hermenau who had 15 points. Senior captain Maddie Murphy scored 6 points and senior  Jordan Stec had 5 points.

By virtue of their fourth place seeding the girls get another home game: this one on Tuesday night against #13 Bishop Stang who defeated Saugus on Thursday night 55-30. This should be a more closely contested game.

But the Lady Dogs hope to build on  their team oriented offense while playing up tempo defense and competing hard on the boards.  As always they will be ready!!

Here’s the tournament bracket. 

and

Here’s the story and photos from the Enterprise:

Sydney Blaney has the Rockland fans behind her as she drives to the hoop.

Maggie Elie

Maddie Murphy left and Jordan Stec

Rockland girls basketball finishes strong, earns 4th spot in D3 tournament

Rockland heads to tournament after winning the SSL Championship in the Tobin Division with a record of 17-3.

March 1, 2022

The Rockland girls basketball team finished its season with three solid wins against Mashpee, Carver and Brockton in the last week and a half of the regular season.   This brought their record to 17-3 and earned them one of the top four positions (#4) in the Division 3 power ranking system.  It also earned them the South Shore League’s Tobin Division Championship!!!

Also, announced was Julia Elie as the Player of the Year in the Tobin Division, and the SSL All-Stars, Julia and Maggie Elie, Sydney Blaney and Charlie Kelleher.  Coach Diana Newcomb was named Coach of the Year in the Division and Rockland came in #2 in team Sportsmanship voting.

Wrapping up the season with solid overall play the girls traveled to Mashpee on Valentine’s Day and came away with a 65-40 win.  Leading the way for the girls were Julia Elie with 21 points, Maggie Elie with 13 and Maddie Hermenau with 9.  They clinched the Tobin Division title with their win.

On Tuesday, Feb. 15 the girls traveled to Carver and came away with another double digit victory, closing out their league schedule at 11-2.  Julia had 22 points in that game along with Maddie Hermenau’s 21 points and 7 rebounds.  Maggie Elie chipped in with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. After this game Coach Newcomb expressed her pride in the team saying, “I really do love this team and I have realized that I don’t tell them often enough.  You are amazing young women….You make me a very proud coach.”

During Feb. vacation week, the Lady Dogs defeated Brockton by a score of 62 to 43.  Only up by 29-26 at the half, the girls had a great third quarter starting with  a 10 – 0 run and outscoring Brockton 25-5 in that quarter. Sydney Blaney led the Bulldogs with 13 points. Charlie Kelleher, Julia Elie and Maddy Hermenau each had 12 points.

Now they are preparing for their Friday night tournament opener in Rockland against Cardinal Spellman (#29) which defeated Putnam on Tuesday night 56-53 on a buzzer beating 3 point shot.

The Lady Dogs will be ready!!  

Here’s the tournament brackets.

Click on photo to enlarge gallery photos.

SSL All-Stars: Charlie Kelleher, Julia Elie, Sydney Blaney and Maggie Elie

Player of the Year Julia Elie with Coach of the Year, Diana Newcomb

Coach Newcomb with seniors Maddie Murphy, Jordan Stec, Carolayne Lage and Julia Elie

Girls Get Big Win on Senior Night

February 11, 2022

It was Senior Night and the Rockland Girls Basketball team defeated a tough Mashpee squad 55-34 to close out their regular season home schedule. 

The four seniors, Julia Elie, Carol Lage, Maddie Murphy and Jordan Stec all contributed in the win which was an important one in the divisional race for the Lady Dogs who now stand at 9-2 in the SSL and 14-3 overall.

Senior Night

From left: Jordan Stec, Julia Elie, Maddie Murphy and Carol Lage

Carol’s Family

Julia with her parents and sister, Maggie

Jordan with her parents

Maddie with her parents

For the seniors, Julia led with 13 points, Maddie had 7, Carol  had 6 and Jordan had 4 points.  The rest of the scoring was evenly distributed as Charlie Kelleher had 9, Sydney Blaney had 6, Maggie Elie had 4, and Maddie Hermenau had 6 points.

Nervousness in the first quarter led to the girls only scoring 8 points, igniting fears of an upset on senior night.  However, Rockland exploded in the second quarter for 24 points as they hit the offensive boards and got their transition game in gear.  They led at half-time 32-15 and went on to continue playing good team defense and limiting Mashpee’s outside shooter and 1,000 point scorer, Amiyah Peters,  to well below her average.

After tonight’s game and three win week that started on Monday night at home against Cohasset with Julia Elie’s 1,000 point accomplishment, and continued in Hull on Tuesday with a 50-28 win, the Lady Dogs will play back to back games next week again,  traveling to Mashpee on Monday night (2/14) for a make-up game and going to Carver on Tuesday to finish out their league schedule.  The girls will finish out the regular season at Brockton on Feb. 23 during vacation week.

Big Night for Julia and Her Teammates

With this shot senior Julia Elie became the latest 1,000 point scorer in Rockland girls basketball history!

February 8, 2022

Senior co-captain Julia Elie led the Rockland girls basketball team to a 61 to 45 win over division rival Cohasset last night with 31 points, a career high, and 14 rebounds.  Her scoring total included her 1,000th career point on a lay-up at the 2:21 mark of the first quarter. 

After the presentation of the game ball by Coach Newcomb, Julia and the Lady Dogs continued the game, battling a tough Cohasset team. A timely 3 pointer by Charlie Kelleher right at the end of the half upped the lead to double digits at the break, 33-22. Although Cohasset went on a run in the third quarter getting them to only a 4 point deficit 35-31, both Elie’s, Maggie and Julia, along with the rest of the Bulldogs upped the intensity and assured the crowd that Julia’s big night would not have a sour ending. Maggie wound up with 10 points and 7 assists.  Junior co-captain Sydney Blaney finished up with 9 points and played solid defense.  Senior co-captain Maddie Murphy also contributed to the Lady Dogs win along with Charlie Kelleher, Maddie Hermenau and Emma Cameron who executed some big charge calls with superior defensive positioning.

The win brings Rockland’s record to 7-2 in the league and 12-3 overall.

Next up will be Hull tonight, and a double dose of Mashpee on Friday at home and on Monday, Feb. 14 at Mashpee.  These are all divisional games that the Lady Dogs need to win to maintain their position at the top of the Tobin Division of the SSL.

Of note at the game was the great support of the youth basketball players and coaches who packed the gym along with members of the Elie family and several RHS girls basketball alumni. The 6th grade team played at the intermission and the 7th graders got to hang out with the varsity in the locker room  before and after the game.

Below is a gallery of photos from the game and celebration!

Lady Dogs Update: Feb. 4, 2022

The girls varsity basketball team came away with a big win on Tuesday against Abington 61-25.  Julia Elie had 21 points and Maddie Hermenau and Sydney Blaney had 12 apiece.

The girls record now stands at 11-3 overall.

Speaking of Co-Captain Julia Elie, she is 6 points away from joining her sister Caroline (and many other girls basketball players) on the 1,000 point banner hanging in the RHS gym.   She, along with her teammates, were excited about this upcoming game, but even more excited to continue their winning streak on Friday night against Cohasset at home. However, the ice and sleet predicted for Friday night has led to the game being postponed to Monday, Feb. 7.   

The girls defeated Cohasset the first time around but it wasn’t easy as a second half upgrade in their offense and defense was needed to get the win in Cohasset by a score of 43-32.

Good luck to Julia and all the girls in their big game on Friday night.  

Julia Elie (right) looks to join her sister Caroline on the 1,000 point banner. Caroline is a sophomore at Rogers Williams; Julia has committed to Bentley next year.

Girls Rebound on Friday after Tuesday loss

Jan. 30, 2022

The girls varsity basketball team came away with a hard fought win on Friday night at Notre Dame Academy 45-37.  The girls put themselves in a hole in the first half scoring only 14 points to the Cougars’ 21.  Turnovers and missed opportunities plagued the Lady Dogs in the first 16 minutes.

In the second half the girls climbed back to take the lead 27-25 at the end of the third quarter.  Leading the way in the 3rd were Charlie Kelleher with two three’s and Maggie Elie with 4 points. However, it was the uptick in defensive intensity that turned it around as the Lady Dogs held ND to only 5 points in the third.  The fourth quarter saw the girls pull away as they outscored Notre Dame 18 to 12.  Charlie Kelleher finished up with 15 points, all three’s, and Julia Elie had 17 points in all.   Foul shooting remains an area of concern for the girls, however, as they shot a dismal 8 for 22.

On Tuesday the Dogs fell to Norwell 53-37.  They were never in this game as the Clippers dominated throughout.

The girls will take on Abington and Cohasset at home this week  on Tuesday and Friday. Game times are listed as 6:30 for varsity and 5:00 for JV.

 

The girls wore pink at Notre Dame on Friday night to support NDA’s Pink Out Night.

Three Wins, One Disappointing Defeat

January 22, 2022

The Rockland girls’ varsity basketball team opened up the week of Jan. 17 with a loss on Tuesday to East Bridgewater. As Bill Belichick would say, the Lady Dogs were outplayed in every phase of the game.

photos Enterprise Sports

Julia Elie as usual led the scoring for Rockland with 27 points but her supporting cast did not come through and EB went home with the 54-48 win.

Losses, though, tend to illuminate the areas that need upgrading, so the girls went back to practice and worked on distributing the ball better, reducing turnovers and playing better defense.

Next up on Thursday, Jan. 20 was Randolph away and it was a true team effort as Rockland outscored their divisional opponents 72-14. Maddy Hermenau had the hot hand for the Bulldogs with 27 points.

Carver fared no better against the rejuvenated Bulldogs as Rockland won handily on Friday night, Jan. 21, 55-16. Once again it was a team effort and the team was especially successful with their defense, running game and timely outside shooting. Julia Elie led with 13, Charlie Kelleher had 12. Tied in their division with Carver before the game, this win put the Lady Dogs on top of the Tobin Division of the South Shore League.

Back on Jan. 13 the girls had also gained a win against Hull 69-37. So, their record is now 9-2 overall.

Next week the Lady Dogs have one home game with Norwell on Tuesday night and are at Notre Dame of Hingham on Friday.

Rockland, as of Friday before game time, was ranked fifth in an MIAA basketball state tournament power ranking for Division 3. Norwell, also in Division 3, was ranked in the 4th spot, so this game will have significance in that respect.

But rankings aside, the team is focused on playing better basketball and next week will certainly put that to the test. Good luck Lady Dogs!!

Girls Resume Play with 54-41 Win at Middleboro

January 11, 2022

After more than a week away from practice due to some cases of COVID-19 on the team, the girls basketball team got back to practice on Thursday, Jan. 6 to prepare for a resumption of play on Jan. 12. 

Postponed games from the first week in January included the January 4th game at Randolph (rescheduled to January 20) and the January 7 game with Hull (rescheduled for January 13).

Coach Diana Newcomb had told her players to use their layoff as a break and to relax and rest.  When they came back practices were designed to get the girls back in condition.

The girls were just a bit rusty as they opened up against the undefeated Middleboro Lady Sachems in Middleboro last night.  But another excellent night from Julia Elie (22 points, 8 rebounds) and a great performance from Maddy Hermenau (19 points, 8 rebounds) gave the Lady Dogs the win 54-41.  

The girls led at halftime 32-22.  The win brings their record to 6-1. 

As stated, the game with Hull will be played this Thursday night, January 13 at home followed by an away trip to Mashpee on Friday night, January 14.

Check arbiterlive for the full updated schedule. 

Maddy Hermenau

Julia Elie

Rockland Shows Up BIG at Fenwick Tournament

December 29, 2021

The Rockland Girls Basketball team took home the hardware at the Bishop Fenwick vacation tournament last night beating the host team by a large margin 60-38. The game saw Rockland take on Fenwick, a D2 team, ranked in the top ten of most polls in the state. Playing with confidence and fearlessness, the Lady Dogs, (ranked #12), gave their best performance of the year at a most opportune time.

Senior captain Julia Elie had 21 points and 15 rebounds and was voted Tournament MVP. She was supported by balanced scoring from her teammates. Maddie Hermenau had her best game so far with 11 points, while junior captain Sydney Blaney chipped in with 8. Blaney made the All-Tournament team for her offensive and defensive efforts in both games of the tournament. (Rockland downed Masconomet on Monday night 48-45).

Charlie Kelleher (7 points), Emma Cameron (6 points) Maggie Elie (5 points) provided the balanced scoring that teams need.

Rockland, with a 5-1 record overall, resumes its league schedule on Tuesday at 5:00 at Randolph. They hope to continue to bring the same intensity into each upcoming game with their South Shore League opponents.

See arbiterlive.com for the schedule.

Julia Elie against Masconomet on Monday night. photo by Peter McClelland

Emma Cameron and Maddie Murphy on defense/ photo by Peter McClelland

Tournament Champs on Weds. night!

Rockland Survives in Cohasset

Sydney Blaney guards Sarah ChenetteC

Coach Newcomb at a time-out

December 22, 2021

The Rockland girls basketball team didn’t have their best night on Tuesday, Dec. 22. But a win is a win and coming away with a 43-32 victory in Cohasset on a night when their shots wouldn’t fall early is something to build on.

Senior tri-captain Julia Elie led the scoring with 19 points and contributed at a steady pace even while Cohasset double and triple teamed her, an easy decision for the Lady Skippers since no one else it seemed could hit a shot from the outside for Rockland until the second half.  Cohasset’s tough defense was also helped by Rockland’s inability to hit on any of their free throw opportunities until the fourth quarter.

The Lady Dogs led at the end of the 1st quarter 9-6 but fell behind in the second and were down by two 17-19 at the half.  At the end of the third Rockland had taken a three point lead 28-25 thanks to Maggie Elie’s 3 point shot and Julia’s six points in the paint.

In the fourth quarter the offense and defense came alive for Rockland as junior tri-captain  Sydney Blaney’s pressure defense in the backcourt seemed to be a catalyst for her getting a hot hand from the outside. She sparked the Bulldog attack with two 3’s and 10 points overall in the fourth. Blaney had 13 total points.  The Lady Dogs also hit some free throws converting 5 out of 9 in the final frame. Rockland outscored Cohasset 15 to 7 in the last quarter.

Another factor for the Bulldog surge in the 4th quarter was holding Cohasset’s main offensive threat, sophomore Sarah Chenette scoreless in the final frame.  She had 17 points in the game.  

This win makes the girls record 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the league as they go into next week’s non league tournament at Bishop Fenwick H.S. in Peabody starting with Masconomet Regional High School on Monday, Dec. 27 at 5:30 pm.  They will also play on Wednesday, Dec. 29

 

Lady Dogs Begin Season with Two Wins

December 21, 2021

The girls varsity basketball team has opened up the season this year with two wins followed by one loss.   On Dec. 10 the girls traveled to Hanover where they were led by tri-captain Julia Elie’s 27 points in a 56-39 win.  The girls outscored Hanover 17-9 in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach of a tough Hanover squad.

On Thursday Dec. 16 the girls opened up at home and again led by Julia Elie’s 23 points they defeated Brockton by a score of 54-31.  Tri-captain Sydney Blaney had 11 points.

The girls suffered their first loss on the next day as they faced a very good Bridgewater-Raynham team. The score was 50-40.  

Tonight (12/21) the girls travel to Cohasset where they will play their first league game against the Lady Skippers.  They will look to hold down sophomore Sarah Chenette who last year as a freshman was the Tobin Division’s Player of the Year when she averaged 16 points per game.

The schedule for the girls can be found on Arbiterlive.com

Date/Time		Opponent	Location	Result	League
Tue Dec 7 5:00 PM		North Quincy High School	Rockland High School		S
Fri Dec 10 6:30 PM		Hanover High School	Hanover High School Gymnasium	56 – 39 Win	N
Thu Dec 16 6:30 PM		Brockton High School	Rockland High School Rockland Middle school	54 – 31 Win	L
Fri Dec 17 6:30 PM		Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School	Bridgewater-Raynham Regional HS Gymasium	40 – 50 Loss	L
Tue Dec 21 6:30 PM		Cohasset High School	Cohasset HS Gym		L
Mon Dec 27 5:30 PM		Masconomet Regional High School	Masconomet Regional High School		L
Wed Dec 29 TBA		Bishop Fenwick High School	Bishop Fenwick HS		L
Tue Jan 4 5:00 PM		Randolph High School	Randolph HS Gym		L
Fri Jan 7 6:30 PM		Hull High School	Rockland High School		L
Tue Jan 11 6:30 PM		Middleborough High School	Middleborough High School MHS Gym		L
Fri Jan 14 6:30 PM		Mashpee Middle/High School	Mashpee HS Gym		L
Tue Jan 18 6:30 PM		East Bridgewater Jr/Sr High School	Rockland High School		L
Fri Jan 21 6:30 PM		Carver Middle/High School	Rockland High School		L
Tue Jan 25 6:30 PM		Norwell High School	Rockland High School		L
Fri Jan 28 6:30 PM		Notre Dame Academy – Hing	Notre Dame Academy-Hingham Notre Dame Academy		L
Tue Feb 1 6:00 PM		Abington High School	Rockland High School		L
Fri Feb 4 6:00 PM		Cohasset High School	Rockland High School		L
Tue Feb 8 6:30 PM		Hull High School	Hull HS Joseph Berman Gymnasium		L
Fri Feb 11 6:30 PM		Mashpee Middle/High School	Rockland High School		L
Tue Feb 15 6:30 PM		Carver Middle/High School	Carver Middle/High School HS Gymnasium		L
Wed Feb 23 3:30 PM		Brockton High School	Brockton HS Gym 1

Rockland High School Varsity Roster

2020-2021

The Girls Varsity Basketball Roster for 2021-2022

Name	Grade	Jersey Number
Julia Elie*	12	20
Carolayne Lage	12	23
Maddie Murphy*	12	10
Jordan Stec	12	15
Sydney Blaney*	11	5
Emma Cameron	11	14
Maddy Hermenau	11	21
Charlie Kelleher	11	4
Maggie Elie	10	12
Sophie Levy	10	33
Kay-lijah Oehlschlagel	10	00

Coach Mitchell Podcast

Coach Mitchell talks about all things Rockland Girls Basketball! Worth a listen. Very inspiring! Makes you proud to be a Lady Dog!

ALL-SCHOLASTICS ANNOUNCED

April 14, 2021

SYDNEY BLANEY

Sophomore is already a two-year starter. … Strong defender from the guard position. … Helped Bulldogs win the Div. 3 South Sectional title as a freshman in 2020. … Scored 8 points in a South Shore League Tournament win against East Bridgewater. … “Sydney brings smarts to every practice and game and she is looking forward to having a breakout junior year,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb.

JULIA ELIE

Junior averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. … Forward has led the Bulldogs in scoring each of the past two seasons. … Had big scoring outputs against Notre Dame Academy (29 points), Cohasset (21) and East Bridgewater (25). … Was a key cog on Rockland’s 2020 Div. 3 South Sectional champion team. … Three-time Enterprise All-Scholastic. … Expanded her game to beyond the 3-point line this season. … “Julia is poised to set her mark in Rockland history even after a shortened Junior season,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb.

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MAGGIE ELIE

Freshman started every game this season at point guard. … Despite a late start to the shortened season, Elie quickly found her groove at the varsity level. … Named a South Shore League All-Star. … Scored 16 points in a win over Randolph. … Scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in a loss to Norwell in the SSL Tournament. … Also plays volleyball. … Comes from a family of talented Bulldog basketball players. … “Maggie can finish with both hands and handles pressure way beyond her years,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb.

All-Stars 2021

Feb. 20, 2021

Congratulations to our SSL All-Stars junior Julia Elie, sophomore Charlie Kelleher and freshman Maggie Elie!

It’s the 3rd time for Julia and 1st for Charlie and Maggie.

Also congratulations to the TEAM for getting the Sportsmanship Award!

Girls Fall to Norwell

Back left to right: Maddie Hermenau, Emma Cameron, Maggie Elie, Julia Elie, Maddie Murphy and Sam Woodward. Front l to r: Mgr. Anna Santos, Carolayne Lage, Charlie Kelleher, Sydney Blaney, Jordan Stec and Mgr. Cailey Kelleher.

Feb. 18, 2021

The Lady Dogs fell to Norwell yesterday (Feb. 17) by a score of 50-45 in the SSL semifinals.  It was Rockland’s third loss to the Lady Clippers this year; but in the fourth quarter it looked like they just might get over the hump.

The girls opened up the game with an offense that looked a little out of sync. However, Norwell wasn’t much better as they only took a 10-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter Rockland missed many opportunities but thanks to freshman point guard Maggie Elie who had 8 of her 10 points and junior Julia Elie who had five points, Norwell only extended their lead to a manageable 9 points 28-19.   

Rockland regrouped in the second half and put together an exciting 12-0 run at the end of the third quarter and the first four minutes of the fourth, as they came all the way back to tie the score.  Down 38-30 in the fourth, Maddie Hermenau hit a three pointer, followed by Carolayne Lage with a basket in the paint.  Julia Elie’s three knotted the score at at 38 at the 4:54 mark. Norwell was not to be denied though and they responded with a run of their own.  Rockland stayed in striking distance for the rest of the game but had to foul in the last minute.  Norwell, to their credit, hit their free throws and negated another comeback bid for Rockland.

Julia Elie battled Norwell’s   center, Grace Oliver, all game holding her to 11 points.  But Oliver had the same thing in mind and held Elie to only five points in the paint.  However, Oliver couldn’t stop her opponent’s shooting  from behind the arc as Julia hit three big threes in the Dogs’ fourth quarter comeback bid.  She finished with 14 points, 4 steals and 4 assists.

Freshman Maggie Elie had 10 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds for the night. Sophomore Sydney Blaney hit some big shots throughout the game finishing with 8 points. Meanwhile the girls had numerous steals and forced Norwell to turn the ball over  as they confidently picked up their defensive intensity in the second half.

Get the whole story here: https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2021/02/17/norwell-girls-basketball-advances-south-shore-league-cup-final/6790269002/

The good news is that the girls gained valuable experience in this weird, COVID shortened year in which they went 9-4.  It’s certainly a plus that they finished as one of the top four teams in the SSL!  Coach Newcomb praised the improvement and hard work she saw from her young group which includes 4 juniors, 5 sophomores and one freshman.  

The game plan now is for each girl to get better and stronger and for the team to continue the progress they made this year!   

 

Girls Advance in SSL Playoffs

Feb. 16, 2021

The Rockland girls varsity basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the SSL playoffs with a big night from junior Julia Elie who had 25 points, 21 in the first half alone. The girls defeated East Bridgewater 47-19. Sydney Blaney added 8 points and Emma Cameron got some big rebounds and took a key charge early in the game.  Everyone played well in this first round game.

This article tells the whole story.  But suffice it to say that the girls now have their sights set on avenging two losses this season to Norwell who they will meet on Wednesday at 3 pm in Norwell in the semifinals.  The Lady Dogs will be ready!

Good luck girls!

Girls Open Up At Home in SSL Tournament on Monday, Feb. 15

Feb. 13, 2021

The varsity girls will have their first game in the SSL tournament on Monday, Feb. 15 at 1 pm. The game will be at home against the fifth seed, East Bridgewater.  Rockland got the 4th seed with a 6-2 league record.  They are 8-3 overall.  EB’s record is 6-5.

If successful the girls will play the winner of the Randolph/Maspee vs. Norwell game. This semifinal round would take place on Feb. 17.

Good luck girls!

 The chart below gives the seeds and match-ups for the tournament.

 

On Friday night, Feb. 12, the girls traveled to Middleboro for a nonleague game.  Rockland held a slim lead most of the game, until Middleboro went up by one late in the fourth quarter.  But a trifecta of shots from behind the arc from Sydney Blaney, Maggie Elie and Charlie Kelleher helped Rockland maintain and then push ahead. Meanwhile, the defense, that worked hard all night, held Middleboro at bay, giving Rockland the 44-36 win in this important lead up to the tournament on Monday.  Julia Elie was active on offense and defense and hit for 18 points and 12 rebounds.  Maggie  and Sydney had 8 points and Charlie had 6 points to round out the score sheet.   Commenting on the varsity’s season so far as they enter the tournament, Coach Newcomb said, “I am very proud of how we have come together defensively as a unit.”  She also praised her team for  “working hard to create shots for all on offense.”

 

The JV girls had their tournament last week and ended up with one win over Middleboro leading to a second round game with Norwell. Rockland lost this game but ended the season on a high note as they saw improvement from the beginning of the season to the end.  

Coach Newcomb congratulated the team for “a season that showed great progression.” She also encouraged players to “keep up the hard work in the off-season!”

Congratulations to Coach Devine and the girls on the JV team.

Girls Getting Their Game On

Feb. 6, 2021

Charlie Kelleher is contributing to the Lady Dogs win streak.

The girls’ varsity basketball team recorded two more wins last week to add to their winning regular season totals, now at 7-3 overall and 6-2 in SSL league play.

Junior Maddie Murphy is happy to be back on the court for the Lady Dogs.

On Weds. night the girls traveled to Abington for their third road game in a row. The girls wasted little time in getting out to a commanding 1st quarter lead of 11-0, finishing the quarter 20-3. Leading the way was sophomore Charlie Kelleher with two shots from behind the arc. Sophomore Sydney Blaney added a three while junior Julia Elie, sophomore Maddie Hermenau and sophomore Emma Cameron took care of the rebounding in the first quarter and throughout the game.

In a game that saw all players getting in on the scoring freshman point guard Maggie Elie contributed 7 points in the second quarter. Her totals for the game were 7 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals.

 Julia Elie finished with 11 points, Kelleher had 12, Sydney Blaney had 9 and junior Jordan Stec had 7.  The final score was 59-27.

On Friday night (Feb. 5) the girls again went out and got a lead on a dangerous Carver team.  Leading the way to a 16-3 1st quarter lead were Kelleher with two threes, Maggie Elie with  four points, and Julia Elie with four points, one block and six rebounds.  Emma Cameron also had a basket in the quarter and took a big charge in what was an excellent defensive effort for the entire team.

The girls took a 23-6 halftime lead and finished a very good team effort with a 43-23 win.  Julia Elie had 15. Charlie Kelliher had 12. Julia blocked 3 shots overall.

Friday’s home game would have been Senior Night for the Lady Dogs but this team has no seniors! That is a great sign of not only things to come next year but also of the progression of this young team this year.  There’s no question the team has improved in all phases of the game and Coach Newcomb, whose teams are always playing for a championship, will set the team’s sights on the South Shore League playoffs to see just how far the team can go this year.

 The playoffs for the varsity are scheduled to begin on Sunday or Monday, Feb. 14/15. The JV girls will be having a game in the JV playoffs at home on Weds. at 4 pm!

 

A Good Week: Jan. 25-29

January 30, 2021

After a tough week last week in which the girls varsity basketball team lost a home game to Middleboro,  the girls  may have looked forward a little apprehensively to going on the road to Mashpee and Randolph on Tuesday and Friday nights. But the team came up with convincing wins in both games, and, especially on Friday in Randolph, they appeared to turn the corner in upping their team’s offensive production, meanwhile improving their record to 5-3 and 4-2 in the league.

First on Tuesday night: Going to the Cape, especially on a snowy night is never easy but the Lady Dogs came away with a 43-32 win. However, the offensive output was still not what Coach Newcomb was looking for from her team.

Junior Julia Elie had 10 points and sophomore Maddie Hermenau also had 10 as the team was still looking for three of the starters: sharpshooting sophomore Charlie Kelleher, freshman point guard Maggie Elie and sophomore Sydney Blaney to contribute more in the offense.

On Friday night, after a week of team talks according to Coach Newcomb, the entire team played with intensity on defense, and came away with a much better and balanced offensive production, defeating Randolph 68-19.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs were four players in double figures!  Julia Elie with 17 points, Maggie Elie with 16, Charlie Kelleher with 15. and Maddie Hermenau with 11 points.

Rockland will have to be ready on Wednesday for the Green Wave who may be looking for revenge from last year when Rockland took home the championship of the Shawn Cotter February tournament in Abington.

Next week the girls wrap up the regular season with another road game this time @ Abington on Wednesday (changed from Tuesday due to storm forecast for Monday into Tuesday). Then they will finish at home on Friday against Carver.  On Feb. 9th, it’s on to the play-offs!

Hopefully this young team will continue their climb to the top of their game; the return of junior Maddie Murphy will also add depth to their inside game.  Good luck girls!!

Check our Twitter page for the links to each of the games next week.

 

 

 

 

The girls JV team got their second win on Friday night at Abington as former girls JV coach and now boys JV coach Chuck MacDonald filled in for Chris Devine for the night.

 Congrats to the JV’s!  Below is the JV roster!

 

Jan. 18-22, 2021: Girls split two games this week

January 24, 2021

Sydney Blaney, Hannah Wyllie, Caroline Elie, Julia Elie, Maggie Elie and Maddie Hermenau last year at the Garden. Sydney, Julia, Maggie and Maddie are back this year for the Lady Dogs.

The Rockland girls basketball team opened the week on Weds. Jan. 20  with a win at Cohasset 49-46. Junior Julia Elie led the way with 20 points and Maddie Hermenau had 13.  

This game for the Lady Dogs showed their offensive inconsistency as they had trouble with Cohasset’s defensive tenacity at times.  The Dogs got down 10-2 in the first quarter but came back when Julia Elie who was nursing an ankle sprain came off the bench and scored 6 points. The period ended with Rockland in front  14-12.  The score remained close with the Dogs leading 28-27 at the half thanks in large part to Maddie Hermenau’s 8 points in the 2nd quarter.

The Lady Dogs were behind 40-35 at the end of 3 but rallied in the fourth and clung to a 46-44 lead with 1:05 left in the game.  In the last minute they put another three points up and came away with a valuable road win, 49-46, against a tough Lady Skippers team.

On Friday the Lady Dogs played well early on against Middleboro but couldn’t stem a fourth quarter barrage from the more experienced Sachems, losing by a score of 59-43.  It was a disappointing loss at home for the Bulldogs who still are having trouble scoring both inside and outside.

The Middleboro game began with two charge calls against the Lady Sachems and things looked good defensively and offensively too for Rockland. Sydney Blaney had 4 points and Charlie Kelliher hit a three in the first frame to go along with Maddie Hermenau’s 3 points and Julia Elie’s 2, and the Dogs led 12-9.

At halftime the Dogs were up 24-22 thanks to another three from Kelleher along with Elie’s 8 points in the 2nd quarter.

But in the third quarter Middleboro outscored Rockland 14 to 8 to take a 36-32 lead. Entering the last quarter the roof fell in for Rockland. The Dogs missed numerous scoring opportunities that led to Middleboro conversions.  Rockland was outscored in the period 23-11. Hermenau had 6 points in this frame and wound up with 10 points for the night.  Elie finished up with 16 points.

The Rockland girls are scheduled to go on the road in the upcoming week first to Mashpee on Tues. Jan 26 and then to Randolph on Jan. 29.  They will wrap up the regular season at Abington on Feb. 3 and at home against Carver on Feb. 5.  The play-offs are scheduled to begin on Feb. 9.

A work in progress, the girls’ record stands at 3 wins and 3 losses, 2 and 2 in the league. This week, look for these Lady Dogs  to get their scoring attack on track (while upping their defense too). They hope to be back to full strength as a team and will do their best to come away with two league wins on the road.   Good luck girls!  

Look on Twitter to see where you can live stream the games.  Mashpee Athletics has a Youtube channel you can access on day of game.

Girls are 2-2 in first four games of 2021

January 16, 2021

The Rockland High School girls varsity basketball team opened their season with a 47-34 loss at Norwell on January 8. The girls were outgunned by Norwell but held their own until the last few minutes when turnovers sealed their fate. Looking for revenge the girls faced Norwell last night (Jan. 15) and once again stayed close to the Lady Clippers until they finally fell 49-42. Leading the scoring was Julia Elie with 14 points.

 

Rockland’s two wins came at home on Monday and Tuesday last week as they defeated Notre Dame on Monday, 50-34. Rockland was led by junior captain, Julia Elie who had 29 points and 13 rebounds. Elie had 21 of those 29 points in the second half as the Lady Dogs pulled away in a game in which they led by 3 at halftime. Emma Cameron, Maggie Elie, Charlie Kelleher, Carol Lage, Sydney Blaney and Maddie Hermenau played well for the girls.

Julia Elie battles Archbishop Williams in South Sectionals two years ago.
photo by Marc Vasconcellos

Against East Bridgewater on Tuesday the girls came away with a 44- 27 win. For Rockland Julia Elie had 13 pts and sophomore Charlie Kelleher had 12 pts (4 3’s in the first half).

The Lady Dogs who went all the way to TD Garden for the State Semifinals last March lost six seniors to graduation.  This year’s team is young but talented. They start one junior, three sophomores and one freshman.  Coming off the bench are three more juniors and a pair of sophomores  (see roster above).

Despite their relative inexperience,  Coach Diana Newcomb believes in this team’s potential and is optimistic about their chances in the next five games leading up to the play-offs.  

The next game will be on Weds. Jan. 20 against Cohasset.

 

 

Sports Talk Interview with Coach Newcomb and Caroline Elie

Boston Herald, Boston Globe Honor Caroline Elie as All-Scholastic; Hannah Wyllie, Hannah Murphy and Julia Elie Honored as Enterprise All-Scholastics

Caroline Elie in pregame warm-up at the TD Garden on March 11.

April 22, 2020

The Boston Herald and Boston Globe Newspapers’ Sports Departments have chosen RHS senior Caroline Elie to be part of their All-Scholastic Girls Basketball teams for the 2019-2020 year.

Caroline’s talent as the Lady Dogs’ point guard for the last four years is well-known to Rockland fans.  This year she scored her 1,000 career point and ended her career with 1,262 points.  A South Shore League All-Star for the past four years, Caroline was also named the SSL’s Player of the Year two times: in her sophomore and senior years.

Caroline was captain of the team for the last three years and as Coach Diana Newcomb has often has said she was the floor leader and an extension of the coach as she directed the offense from her point guard spot.

This year Caroline and the other members of the team carried the team to a Division 3 South Sectional Final Championship and a trip to Boston Garden for the Eastern Mass. title game with St. Mary’s of Lynn.  Although the team did not win that game they accomplished the team’s first So. Sectional Championship and trip to the Garden since the year 2000 when the Lady Dogs won its only State Championship.

Caroline said, “It feels great to get these recognitions. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates pushing me to be better everyday. I’m so thankful to have had such an amazing last season with such great coaches, teammates and support from everyone along the way!”

Yesterday Caroline was also named as a Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) Girls’ All-Sectional Team for the South Region.  She will play next year at Rogers Williams.  Coach Newcomb said last year: “Caroline is the epitome of hard work and a team player. She practices every day just as hard as she plays in games, never takes a possession off.”

Coach Newcomb, who was also named the Division 3 Coach of the Year by the Globe also announced that RHS senior Hannah Wyllie was selected  to the MBCA’s All-Academic team for the South Region.  Hannah will take her talents to Colby in the fall.   Hannah was a Boston Globe All-Scholastic in Volleyball this year!

 

Caroline with game ball

Captains Hannah Wyllie, Caroline Elie and Hannah Murphy with the So. Sectional Trophy

Seniors after their last home game

Coach Newcomb after the win.

Caroline Elie guarded by Katie Galligan on Monday Feb. 3. photo by AndyIlles_Photog @AndyillesPhotog

Team!!!

Enterprise All-Scholastics

CAROLINE ELIE

Senior guard finished her career with 1,262 points. … Two-time South Shore League Player of the Year. … Four-time SSL All-Star and three-time Enterprise All-Scholastic in basketball. … Averaged 14.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. … Connected on 27 3-pointers. … Three-year captain. … Favorite class is math. … Favorite athlete is Marcus Smart. … Will study biology and play basketball at Roger Williams University. … “Caroline is the epitome of hard work and team player,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb. “She practices everyday just as hard as she plays in games, never taking a possession off.”

JULIA ELIE

Sophomore doubled her production from her freshman season. … Averaged 15 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. … Recorded eight double-doubles during the season. … Two-time Enterprise All-Scholastic in basketball. … South Shore League All-Star. … Most memorable season moment was playing at the TD Garden in the Div. 3 state semifinal. … Favorite athlete is Giannis Antetokounmpo. … Favorite class is math. … Referee for town league basketball. … “Her overall growth has made her one of the top names in the area and brought our team to a new level,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb.

HANNAH MURPHY

Senior captain was a four-year varsity player. … Led the team in drawn charges and was second in 3-pointers. … Averaged 5.2 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game. … Stands at 5-4. … Helped the volleyball and basketball team win sectional titles this school year. … Favorite athlete is Kevin Garnett. … Most memorable season moment was played at the TD Garden in the state semifinal. … Enjoys babysitting, volunteering and making people laugh. … Favorite athlete is Kevin Garnett. … “She played with her heart on her sleeve and had so many big and little moments this season that helped define who we were as a team,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb.

HANNAH WYLLIE

Senior center averaged 7 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game. … Tallied six double-doubles and two triple-doubles. … Two-time South Shore League All-Star and Enterprise All-Scholastic. … Over 500 career points. … Hit two winning free throws in the final seconds against Hingham. … Helped Bulldogs win their first sectional title since 2000. … Favorite athlete is teammate Caroline Elie. … Two-time South Shore League MVP in volleyball. … Div. 3 South champion in volleyball and basketball this season. … Coaches middle school volleyball and swim lessons. … Bulldog Buddies Mentor. … Will attend Colby College to study environmental science and play volleyball. … “Hannah has become one of the best leaders in high school sports, on and off the court,” said Rockland coach Diana Newcomb.

 

 

Girls’ Quest for State Championship Comes to an End

March 11, 2020

The Rockland Lady Bulldogs ended their season with a loss to St. Mary’s Lynn on Weds. March 11.  The score was 53-37.   Their season ended with a record of 22-3 and the girls and their coaches, despite the loss, can hold their heads  high.

The game itself was a good one with Rockland’s intense defense holding down St. Mary’s vaunted offense for three quarters.   The Dogs went out to a 9-5 first quarter lead.  Key in their defense was the inside presence of Hannah Wyllie and Julia Elie who grabbed key rebounds and did not allow St. Mary’s any second efforts.  Wyllie blocked two shots in the first quarter.  The second quarter saw a little more offense for St. Mary’s as they came back to tie the score with a 6-0 run just as the half ended 18-18.  Still Rockland’s game plan was working  well as 18 points was well below St. Mary’s 60-70 point per game average.

The second half was just as close and despite St. Mary’s 5 point lead at the end of the 3rd quarter, Rockland was in striking distance until the 4:53 mark of the fourth.   When St. Mary’s decided to go to a smaller line-up, their quickness and outside shooting began to take its toll on Rockland despite their giving it their all out best.

In the end, with the impending suspensions and cancellations of tournaments, this would be the last game that both teams would play, which could be a bit of consolation to Rockland not getting back to Worcester for a chance at the State Championship.

But most of all, the Lady Dogs are happy and proud to have gotten the team back to the Garden for the first time in 20 years.

Some of the players reflected on a spectacular season a few days later.

Senior captain Hannah Murphy:  “Getting the opportunity to play in the TD Garden is one I’ll never forget. Being in the spotlight was not frightening for me since we got so far in volleyball. Standing on the court, you can hear everything. So while I could hear all my friends and family cheering me on, I could also hear the other fan section and their comments, which sometimes can be tough. My experience was unforgettable and I am so proud of my team. We worked so hard this season and it showed. After our second loss is where I believe our team came together as a family and I’m going to miss them and the game so much.”

Senior captain Hannah Wyllie:  “It’s hard to put into words what this season has been like, playing at the Garden, beating Archies to win the South, and everything else we accomplished this year have been unforgettable memories that I am so happy I will have for the rest of my life. Although there were some things we did not accomplish this year I think that the amount of growth we went through as a team and the amount of fun we had while doing it was remarkable. The experience of playing at the Garden was incredible to say the least, after watching so many great athletes play there and hearing Ms. Mitchell talk about her experience playing there, to run out onto that court with my teammates and represent Rockland was surreal. It hurts knowing that was the last time my classmates and I will put on Rockland basketball uniforms but I am so happy to have had that experience with my teammates, coaches, and with the school and town there to support us. I hope that our season and our team inspired the younger generation to achieve what we did and more. I wish this season never had to end, but I am so proud of my team and truly could not have asked for a better senior year. This year and this team will always be so special to me.”

Senior Taylor Anzivino:  “Going to the Garden has always been a goal of mine and being able to go with this team and senior class has been absolutely an honor. It was such a great experience being able to play there, one I will never forget. We made a great run in the tournament knocking off Archies, which was a great and intense game, one of my favorites to be apart of. This season has been ultimately my favorite throughout my career with the friendships I’ve formed as well as having fun on and off the court, playing with smiles on our faces. I truly am going to miss everyone next year. This has been an unforgettable season!”

Our next post will focus on some statistics and the numerous awards that will be coming in for these Lady Dogs and their historic team and accomplishments.

Here’s a gallery from the Garden!

 

 

 

Rockland Girls Handle Archies on the Way to the Garden

Caroline Elie holds trophy

Captains Hannah Wyllie, Caroline Elie and Hannah Murphy with the So. Sectional Trophy

Captains and Gary Graziano, Athletic Director

Team after win

Coach Newcomb after the win.

Back at the gym.

March 6, 2020

As the saying goes: defense wins championships. That was never truer than tonight as the Rockland girls basketball team went out to a 10-0 first quarter lead on their way to a convincing 53-37 win over Archbishop Williams to take the Division 3 South Sectional Championship.

The Lady Dogs may have had a bit of a chip on their shoulders since most news outlets had picked Archies to repeat as So. Sectional Champs for the eighth straight year.

With something to prove, Rockland’s bigs, Hannah Wyllie and Julia Elie, took on Archies’ inside scoring threat, Jessica Knight, and limited her touches early while forcing her to the bench with foul trouble in the first quarter.

Wyllie had several buckets  in the first half (12 points in all, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) including a nice drive from the elbow that left her defender behind. Julia Elie who had 15 total points, also played tough defense inside and got some important early buckets along with 9 rebounds in the game. She blocked one shot.

Meanwhile Caroline Elie played a solid game and took the team on her back in the 2nd half scoring all 16 of her points.  Defensively she had 3 steals and also held Archie’s second best scoring threat to 5 total points and added 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Also playing well was Hannie Murphy who hit two big threes including one at the end of the first half to squelch a Bishop’s come back attempt.  Rockland led 19-12 at the half.

Freshman Sydney Blaney played her best game all year, defensively limiting Archie’s talented  point guard from impacting the game in any way.  She also hit a big three and had three assists on the night.

Now it’s on to Boston Garden for the Lady Dogs. The last time the girls played on the parquet was in 2000 with Coach Newcomb as the team’s point guard.  The game will be on Wednesday at 2 p.m. vs. the winner of the North Sectionals: St. Mary’s Lynn or Amesbury.

Click on the graphic on the left to see a better view.

For the complete game story and more photos, go here.

Girls Prepare For South Finals

March 4, 2020

The girls liked the way this game ended. It’s on to the So. Finals on Friday night!

Rockland defeated Dedham on Sunday, Mar. 1 in what turned out to be a fairly easy victory 67-43 in Taunton in the Division 3 South Semifinals.  But really, it wasn’t easy at first.

The Lady Dogs put up 32 points in the first half thanks to three 3 pointers from Charlie Kelleher and one each from Caroline Elie and Sydney Blaney.  Hannah Wyllie and Julia Elie contributed as usual underneath. But Rockland’s defenders came out flat, giving up 27 points to Dedham’s 3 point shooters and other scorers.

After regrouping in the locker room at halftime, Rockland tightened up on defense and with Julia Elie’s 12 points in the 2nd half (18 in all) along with Hannah Murphy’s two 3’s and one regular hoop (8 points in all) the Lady Dogs were on their way to their first So. Sectional Final in 20 years.

Caroline Elie had 14 points to go along with her sister’s 18.  She also contributed 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals.  Julia had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks while Hannah Wyllie’s totals were 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and 5 assists.

Their opponent is of course Archbishop Williams who trounced Ursuline in the other semifinal match and who knocked Rockland out of the tournament last year in the semis.

Rockland is ready to continue the revenge tour they’ve been on all season, but more importantly they will be ready to show what this group of seniors, sophomores and freshmen have put together this year: a hardworking, defensive-oriented collection of talented players on a mission to compete at the highest level.  It doesn’t matter who their opponent is…this game will be a Dog fight!

Sign-ups in the caf today and tomorrow for the fan busses to Taunton on Friday!

To read more about the Dedham game, go here.

Girls Get Wins in First Two Rounds of Playoffs

Alyssa Patten, Caroline Elie, Hannah Wyllie, Maryn Monett, Hannah Murphy, Taylor Anzivino on Thursday night after their big win against Fontbonne.

Feb. 28, 2020

The Rockland Girls Varsity Basketball team is on a roll and have come out with two big wins in their first two rounds of the Division 3 South tournament.

Hannah Wyllie with one of her 10 blocked shots against Abington. photo by Bill Marquardt

On Tuesday, Feb. 25 senior Hannah Wyllie led the way with a triple double performance: 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Julia and Caroline Elie had 12 and 11 points respectively in the Lady Dogs’ 55-32 first round win over league rival Abington. The girls were consistent in their offensive attack and on defense,  leading 32-16 at the half.  Next up was a brief wait to see if another league opponent, East Bridgewater could get by Fontbonne in their opening game.  But Fontbonne prevailed at EB, setting up the Ducks’ trip to Rockland on Thursday night.

On Thursday night, Feb. 27, Rockland came out with a smothering defensive performance, the best of the year, holding Fontbonne to 1 first quarter point, and only three points in the entire half (all foul shots). The score at the half was 27-3.

Taylor Anzivino provided a huge spark off the bench for Rockland on Thursday night. Enterprise photo by Marc Vasconcellos

The only chink in the girls’ armor was a bit of foul trouble.  But senior Taylor Anzivino took care of that problem with an inspiring performance off the bench. Anzivino, who like the four other seniors, Hannah Wyllie, Caroline Elie, Hannah Murphy and Alyssa Patten, was playing her last home game as a Bulldog, sparked the offense and the defense, scoring two baskets, and three foul shots in the second quarter while filling in under the boards and down low on defense. She finished the night with eight points while chipping in with five rebounds.

The final score of the game was 57-26. Leading the stat sheet overall for the Lady Dogs were Julia Elie with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Caroline Elie with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and six assists.  Hannah Wyllie had four rebounds and five blocked shots.  She was five of six from the free throw line.  Charlie Kelleher, Maddie Hermenau, Maddie Murphy, Carolayne Lage and Alyssa Patten also played well off the bench for Rockland.

Seniors say goodbye to their home court where they dominated opponents, going 12-0 at home this year.

The girls finished up their home games going 12-0 and are now 20-2 overall.

They now hit the road for their semifinal match with the winner of tonight’s game between Middleboro and Dedham.  The game will be played on Sunday, March 1 at noon at Taunton.

True March Madness has begun and right now the Lady Dogs hope to continue upping their game.

Our JV Girls 2019-2020

As the Varsity Girls open up postseason play at home tonight against Abington, we want to congratulate the Junior Varsity Girls who had a great year with a record of 12-4 under Coach Chris Devine. The girls  workied hard all year and  helped to make our girls’ basketball program competitive year after year.

Here are the girls from this year’s JV team!

2019-2020 JV Girls: Front row from left: Anna Ramponi, Kelly Kearns, Janelle Glavin, Abbie Loughlin, Emma Radzik, Nadia Dutton, Lexie McKenna. Back row: Tori Hynes, Mary Kate Leoncavallo,  Sam Woodward, Emma Cameron, Sophie Levy, Julia Bahnuk, Shea McDougall, Maggie Elie, Coach Devine.

Rockland Girls Finish Regular Season

Wednesday February 19, 2020

The Rockland girls basketball team finished the regular season tonight by defeating Plymouth-South, 68-24 taking home the Shawn Cotter Tournament Championship in Abington.  The convincing win gives the girls a record of 18-2 on the season and places them in the top 2 of Division 3 as they enter the postseason tournament next week.

Caroline Elie who had 18 points tonight was named tournament MVP and Julia Elie was named to the all-tournament team. Julia had 19 points tonight.

On Monday, the girls defeated Whitman-Hanson in a tight, closely contested game, 41-37. Caroline Elie had 18 points, 10 rebounds and played incredible defense. Julia Elie had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

As the girls wait for their postseason match-up, to be determined on Friday, they can be confident that they are playing well as a team,  having won their last 12 games, and they will continue to work in the next week to make sure that they fine tune their play.

Julia Elie was named to the all-tournament team with Dan Norton

Caroline Elie was awarded Tournament MVP with Dan Norton

Caroline and Julia Elie

Captains Caroline Elie, Hannah Wyllie, and Hannah Murphy with Coach Diana Newcomb

 

 

Rockland Girls Get Two Big Wins

From left: Maryn Monett, Caroline Elie, Hannah Wyllie, Hannah Murphy, Taylor Anzivino and Alyssa Patten were honored on Senior Night, Feb. 13 before the game with Middleboro.

February 14, 2020

Revenge Week is over and it was a good one for the Lady Dogs who pulled out two hard fought wins against two teams to which they had lost earlier in the season: Norwell and Middleboro.

On Tuesday night Rockland came away with a 45-42 win against Norwell in an intense battle which went to OT and saw two SSL Players of the Year, Rockland’s Caroline Elie and Norwell’s Kristy Viera, foul out.  But for Rockland it was Caroline who led the way with 21 points, followed by Julia Elie with 17 and Hannah Wyllie with 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.  That win put Rockland into the #1 spot in Division 3 for the time being with a record of 15-2.

This was a battle all the way and the Bulldogs had to fight back from a 9 point deficit half way through the 4th quarter to tie the game at the end of regulation.

The score went back and forth in the extra four minutes and when Caroline Elie fouled out with 44 seconds left, many wondered if Rockland would prevail.  But Julia Elie scored the last four points for Rockland on a lay-up and two free throws to make the score 45-42.

On Thursday night, Senior Night, the Lady Dogs got the win over Middleboro 50-40. Rockland had lost to the Sachems by a score of 47-45 in Middleboro and that loss is the one that they would love to have back since it probably cost them a share of the SSL title.

Pregame instructions from Coach Newcomb.

But last night was a different story and the seniors were not to be denied on their night. Leading the way again in the Bulldog win were Caroline and Julia Elie, each with 18 points.  Hannah Wyllie once again led in rebounding with 13. She also had 6 assists.  The team’s record now stands at 16-2.

Maryn Monett scores two points on a lay-up against Middleboro.

Before the game seniors Caroline Elie, Hannah Wyllie, Hannah Murphy, Taylor Anzivino, Allysa Patten and Maryn Monett were honored for their leadership and dedication to the program.  In a nice show of support for Monett who has been sidelined all season with an ACL tear, she was inserted into the starting line-up and got the first basket of the night. Thanks go out to Middleboro for their agreement to share in this fitting tribute to a great player who was sorely missed this season.

Now it’s on to the final two games of the season at Abington in the Feb. vacation tournament.  Rockland will go up against Whitman-Hanson at 2:30 p.m. on Monday and will once again be looking for revenge as the Panthers defeated Rockland last year in the tournament.   The second day of the tournament will be Wednesday and the Dogs will play either Abington or Plymouth South, hopefully in the finals of the tournament.

Here’s photos from Senior Night.

Hannah Wyllie, her brother, Brendan, her father, Brian and her mom, Betsy.

Hannah Murphy, with her sister Maddie, her mom, Gail, and her dad, Steve.

Caroline Elie with her sisters, Julia, and Maggie, her mom, Jill and her dad, Matt.

Maryn Monett with her dad, Mike.

Taylor Anzivino with her mom, Christine and her dad, Fred.

Alyssa Patten with her mom, Tami and dad, Eric.

Sydney Blaney talks about Maryn Monett.

Jordan Stec gets a big hug from Hannah Wyllie after she introduced her.

Carol Lage talks about Taylor Anzivino.

Julia introduces her sister, Caroline.

Maddie Murphy talks about her sister, Hannah.

Maddie Hermaneau gets a hug from Alyssa Patten.

 

 

 

 

Rockland Girls Hit Their Stride

Caroline Elie guarded by Katie Galligan on Monday Feb. 3. photo by AndyIlles_Photog
@AndyillesPhotog

February 5, 2020

The RHS girls basketball team has continued to win.  Since qualifying for tournament on Jan. 26, at Cohasset, they followed that win with three more and have tallied 13 wins and two losses, so far with five games to go.

Against Carver on Jan. 28, the team and Julia Elie hit their highest point totals for the season as Rockland ran away with an 81- 49 win.  Julia Elie had a season and career high 31 points and sister Caroline had 23.  On Friday, Jan. 31 the girls defeated East Bridgewater at home with a 57-35 win. Julia Elie had 14 pts, 11 rebounds and  4 blocks. Hannah Wyllie had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Caroline Elie had 14 pts and 5 assists. Hannah Murphy chipped in with 9 pts, 4 assists and 5 steals. For more on the EB game go here.

No win was bigger than last night’s 55-45 win against Pembroke that was a highly contested battle from beginning to end at their opponent’s gym.

Julia Elie in Dec. against Pembroke. Julia had 29 points against Pembroke on Feb. 3

Rockland got the edge at half-time thanks to the offensive output of sophomore Julia Elie who had 29 points total for the night. With Hannah Wyllie providing added presence in the paint, the score at half-time was 30-19.

The game was seemingly in hand with 2:36 left in the 3rd quarter after Julia Elie and Hannah Wyllie had hit two lay-ups, putting the Lady Dogs up by 17, 38-21.  But no one who has seen Pembroke’s tenacious defense and their talented 1,000 point scorer, senior Katie Galligan, would call the game a lock at that point, and it wasn’t.

At 2:01 of the 3rd, Galligan hit a step back 3 pointer and started Pembroke on a 9-0 run. After Galligan hit two free throws, two Rockland turnovers under Pembroke’s basket led to easy baskets, to bring the host team back 38-30. It wasn’t until Coach Newcomb called a time-out with 30 seconds left in the quarter that Rockland settled down a bit.  Caroline Elie’s block of a shot and pass ahead to sister Julia stopped the run and brought the score to 40-30 as the 3rd quarter ended with a Rockland steal.

Rockland had to survive another Pembroke run which brought the Titans within 3 at the 5 minute mark of the fourth quarter. But Caroline Elie, and Hannah Wyllie hit lay-ups and Hannah Murphy knocked down a three to put the Lady Dogs back up 49-42 at the 3 minute mark. Julia Elie scored on a lay-up and Caroline hit on two one and ones in the last minute to put the game out of reach for the never-say-die Pembroke team.

This was a big win on a tough opponent’s home court and will be a source of confidence for Rockland as they finish out the season.

Next up will be an up-and-coming Hanover team at home on Thursday, Feb. 6.  Then the long awaited rematches with league rivals Norwell and Middleboro will be on tap on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, both at home. Rockland will host Senior Night on Feb. 13 and honor their six seniors before the game.

 

 

Rockland Girls Qualify For Tournament With Big Win at Cohasset

The 2019-2020 girls varsity basketball team qualified for tournament tonight with a 58-29 win at Cohasset.

Jan. 24, 2020

The Lady Dogs have won four in a row since Jan. 10 and have now reached the 10 win mark to qualify for postseason tournament.  For the four year varsity seniors, Hannah Wyllie, Caroline Elie and Hannah Murphy, it is their fourth tournament qualification.

For history buffs, this is the 49th time the Rockland girls basketball teams have qualified for postseason starting back in 1967.

Back to the present, in this team’s four game win streak (started after losing to Norwell on Jan. 10) the Lady Dogs have been on fire offensively with scores of 65, 56, 58 and 58.  They have held their opponents to 28, 38, 42 and 29. The secret to their resurgence is a commitment to defense and a focus on transition.  The running game has certainly served the Lady Dogs well.

Along with Wyllie’s and Caroline Elie’s steady play night after night, sophomore Julia Elie has stepped up her game at both ends of the floor. She has been a huge factor in the Lady Dogs’ offensive and defensive  success.  Tonight in the girls’ 58-29 win at Cohasset, Caroline led in scoring with 17 points and Julia had 16.  Julia had 11 rebounds while Caroline had 10.

Next week Rockland hopes to continue their successful run with games at Carver on Tuesday and at home on Friday against East Bridgewater.

Julia Elie Gets Lady Dogs Back on Track

Julia Elie leads Rockland to big win at Abington on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. photo by Robin Chan, Enterprise photographer.

January 14, 2020

Sophomore Julia Elie led the Rockland Girls to a 65-28 win at Abington last night with a 22 point performance.  She also had 12 rebounds and 4 steals. She can credit her sister Caroline, as many of  her 9 assists found Julia under the basket for nicely finished lay-ups.

Senior Caroline had 14 pts. and 6 rebounds to go along with her 9 assists.  Hannah Wyllie contributed 11 rebounds in the effort which saw the Lady Dogs bounce back from a devastating loss at Norwell on Friday night.  That score was 38-47.

Now the Bulldogs will get ready for their next game on Friday night at home against Hull. They hope to add to their record that now stands at 7 wins, 2 losses.

 

Caroline Elie Gets Her 1,000th Career Point!

Team!!!

January 7, 2020

Senior Caroline Elie now has her own page in the RHS Girls Basketball history book. With her 17 point performance in a 48-31 win against East Bridgewater tonight, Elie has scored 1,002 points (so far) in her stellar four year career as the Lady Dog’s point guard.

Elie’s 1,000th and 1,001st points came on a put back in traffic in the third quarter of a competitive game with league rival East Bridgewater. Traffic is what Elie had to put up with all night but the perennial all-star is used to double teams and triple teams and had teammates who helped tonight to relieve the pressure.

One such teammate was her sister Julia Elie who had 10 points and freshman Sydney Blaney who started the Dogs off on the right track with 10 first quarter points. The Lady Dogs led after 1 quarter 18-4 and withstood an East Bridgewater run early in the second half to cruise to the win.

Read more about the game here.

Julia and Caroline

Team!!!

Caroline’s family

Elie sisters

Elie family

Caroline with game ball

The 1,000 and 1,001 points

Posting up

Drive

Before the game

Adiza and Caroline

The Lady Dogs now will get ready for another important road game at Norwell on Friday night. Norwell is undefeated in league play while Rockland has one league loss (to Middleboro). They will be looking to even things up on Friday night.

Rockland Wins Amos A. Phelps Holiday Tournament

Coach Newcomb and players react to Hannah Wyllie’s second free throw giving Rockland the 45-44 win over Hingham. Photo by Alyssa Stone

Dec. 30, 2019

The Lady Dogs ended the year with two big wins in their Christmas tournament.

On Friday, December 27, Rockland took on Stoughton and came up with a 20 point win.  Caroline Elie led the way in scoring with 21 points.

In the other tournament game on Friday, Hingham got a close one point win over Hanover, setting up a Rockland -Hingham final on Monday.

The Monday game was as close as you can get with Rockland coming away with a one point win in the final second, 45-44.

photo by Enterprise photographer Alyssa Stone

This gave Rockland its first holiday tournament championship in the seven years that it has been held.

Getting tournament MVP honors was senior captain Hannah Wyllie who sank the two winning free throws after being fouled with less than a second left.   Caroline Elie who had 15 points was named a tournament all-star.  The Lady Dogs were led in scoring by Julia Elie who had 16 points.

The closing seconds of the game saw several lead changes, the most notable when Hingham’s all-star Grace Bennis sank a three point shot with only 6.9 seconds left in the game.  A foul was called on the play and Bennis proceeded to sink that shot giving Hingham a one point lead 44-43.

Rockland got the ball upcourt to get a last second shot that missed.  However, Wyllie was in the paint (after inbounding the ball in the backcourt) and put up the rebound.  The shot fell short as time seemingly ran out, but Wyllie was fouled, giving her two free throws. The officials put .5 seconds back on the clock as Wyllie went to the line.  Calmly sinking the shots, Rockland held on as Hingham inbounded the ball as time ran out, ending any chance of another lead change in this closely contested battle.

This article in the Enterprise describes the game.

The girls now enter 2020 with a record of 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the league.  They face Duxbury on Jan. 3 and then begin what looks to be a tough league schedule next week with games against EB and Norwell on Tuesday and Friday respectively.

Caroline Elie is 30 points away from the 1,000 point mark.  The senior captain who just committed to Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island has led the Lady Dogs in scoring for the past four years.

Rockland Girls Even League Record at 1-1

Dec. 23, 2019

The Rockland girls varsity basketball team defeated Randolph at home tonight by a score of 50-28.  This evens their league record at 1 win and 1 loss.  Caroline Elie led the scoring which was a balanced team effort.  She had 10 points.

Rockland’s  loss came on Friday night against Middleboro, 47-45.  The Lady Dogs were in that game all the way but couldn’t convert on several put backs and allowed Middleboro’s shooters to score at key moments in the game.

The Lady Dogs are now 2-1 overall and will be getting ready for their Christmas tournament when they will host Stoughton at 4:00 pm on Friday, Dec. 27.  Hanover will take on Hingham at 1:00 pm.

The 2000 State Championship team

Before the 4:00 game a celebration will take place to honor the 2000 RHS girls basketball State Championship team.  Members of the team will be present and memorabilia will be on display; the varsity team will be selling athletic gear to mark the 20th year anniversary of the one team to win a state championship in RHS girls basketball history.

 

 

Girls Start Season With Big Win

The 2019-2020 Rockland High School Girls’ Basketball Team

December 18, 2019

With senior forward Caroline Elie scoring the final nine points of the game, the Lady Bulldogs got a big home opening win against Pembroke, 56-50, on Wednesday night.

Elie led all scorers with 22 points, including 17 in the second half. She hit four clinching free throws to ice the win.

The game was a highly contested, back and forth game with both teams hurting themselves with fouls (Pembroke), and turnovers (Rockland).

But the Lady Dogs pulled through when the game was on the line and it was truly a team effort with tenacious defense from all five on the floor which included starters, Elie, Hannah Wyllie, Hannah Murphy, Julia Elie, and Sydney Blaney. Off the bench were Taylor Anzalone, Carol Lage, Charlie Kelleher, and Maddie Murphy who contributed, holding their own against the experienced Pembroke squad.

Wyllie had 14 points and 13 rebounds along with 3 blocks, while Julia Elie chipped in with 9 big points.

Go here to see photos and game story.

Brockton Enterprise All-Scholastics 2019

CAROLINE ELIE

Junior makes it 3-for-3 as three-time South Shore League all-star and Enterprise All-Scholastic.. … Averaged 17.0 points per game for the Bulldogs this season, upping her career mark to 13.3 PPG. … Also averaged 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game. … Two-time South Shore League all-star in volleyball. … Favorite athlete is Tom Brady . … Favorite class is chemistry. … Hopes to continue her basketball career in college following high school graduation in 2020. … “Caroline is the epitome of hard work and a team player. She practices every day just as hard as she plays in games, never takes a possession off,” Rockland coach Diana Mitchell said.

JULIA ELIE

Freshman joined forces with her sister, Caroline, on Rockland’s tourney team which advanced to the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional semifinal round … Forward averaged 8.3 rebounds, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game for the Bulldogs … Three-sport athlete plays volleyball and competes in spring track at Rockland. … Favorite athlete is Al Horford. … Favorite class is biology. … “Julia proved she could not only step into a starting role but into an important offensive rebounding position that the team was in need of,” Rockland coach Diana Mitchell said. “Julia’s growth over the season was a huge asset to the program and with an intense offseason coming up I cannot wait to see what the Elie duo is capable of next year.”

MARYN MONETT

Junior guard averaged 7.8 points (second on the Bulldogs’ tournament team) and 3.5 steals per game. … Tossed in 28 3-pointers over the course of the season. … Enterprise All-Scholastic in soccer in 2017, also plays the outfield in softball. … Most memorable moments of season were wins over Norwell in the regular season and tournament. … Favorite athlete is Kyrie Irving. … Favorite class is history. … “She made our transition game a threat,” Rockland coach Diana Mitchell said. “Her athleticism on the defensive end caused fits for teams and she was willing to get out and run every possession on the offensive end.”

HANNAH WYLLIE

A major inside presence, junior center averaged 9.4 rebounds, 7.7 points and 4.2 blocked shots per game. … Junior registered seven double-doubles over the course of the season. … Also plays volleyball for the Bulldogs where she was an Enterprise All-Scholastic and selected South Shore League Player of the Year in 2018. … Member of environmental club, travel club and Bulldog Buddies. … Favorite athlete is Tom Brady. … Favorite classes are chemistry and Spanish. … Enjoys cooking and baking. … “Hannah has expanded her game offensively and defensively this year. She is one of the premier shot blockers in the high school game and is the backbone of our defense limiting teams touches in the paint,” said Rockland coach Diana Mitchell.

Athletic Banquet Held on March 20

Mr. DeVine and his JV team with their certificates at the awards banquet Weds. night.

The girls’ varsity and jv basketball teams received their certificates and awards at the winter athletic banquet on Wednesday night, March 20.  Coaches DeVine and Mitchell introduced their teams and spoke about the success of their seasons.

The varsity team with Coach Mitchell.

Ms. Mitchell especially thanked the three seniors, Nicole and Maddie Blonde and Ashley Murphy for their contributions and dedication to the program for four years.   She also revealed the news that four of the varsity players, Caroline Elie, Julia Elie, Maryn Monet and Hannah Wyllie were selected to the Brockton Enterprise All-Scholastic team!

Ms. Mitchell was presented with a basketball denoting her 100th win and a booklet with letters from coaches and students!   Also, super fan and team poet, Colleen Newcomb read one last poem dedicated to the seniors!

A reminder to the returning players to work on their skills over the summer and a video highlight film by Hannah Wyllie wrapped up the evening!

Hannah Wyllie, Ms. Mitchell, Ashley Murphy and Caroline Elie.

 

 

 

Rockland Girls Open Up With Win

December 13, 2022

The 2022-2023 Lady Bulldogs opened their season with a 48-39 win at home over Notre Dame Academy of Hingham on Tuesday night.

Charlie Kelleher launches a three point shot making the score 25-21 in the third quarter. Hudl photo

In the first quarter of the new season the girls looked a little tentative and had trouble putting points up, allowing NDA to go out to a 9-0 lead. A well timed time-out brought the girls out of their funk and they proceeded to tie the score 9-9. In the second quarter they traded baskets with the young but talented Notre Dame team. The score at half-time was 18-18.

The girls came out in the second half with a change in defense and much better offense and outscored NDA 14-5. The quarter ended with the Dogs up 32-23.

Rockland maintained their nine point lead, with each team scoring 16 points in the final frame, making the final 48-39.

Senior Maddie Hermenau who led the team in scoring with 22 points had 15 of her points in the second half; senior Charlie Kelleher hit two important three point shots, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth.

Freshmen Zariah Ottley had 9 points and did a good job rebounding for the Lady Dogs while senior Emma Cameron provided important interior defense taking a charge and plugging up the middle.

Senior Sydney Blaney had six points and did a good defensive job especially on NDA’s high scorer Ava Orlando who as a sophomore is close to scoring 1,000 points. She had 18.

Junior Maggie Elie was a steadying influence at the point especially breaking the pressure defenses that are NDA’s hallmark.

The girls (1-0) will now face Bridgewater-Raynham in another non-league game at home on Friday night.