The good news and the not-so-good news came as a package deal for new Mount Alvernia girls basketball coach Marc Bluestein this week.
The good news was that the first day of hoop practice had arrived with the former Mustang assistant coach at the varsity helm of a defending sectional finalist. The not-so-good news is that many of the core players who made that run to the Division 4 North title game have since graduated and it will be up to Bluestein and a handful of promising holdovers to figure out a way to continue the tradition.
Bluestein takes over for Elaine Pagliarulo, who guided the Mustangs to a state final and the sectional final over past three years before leaving to take the assistant coaching post at Emerson College. Bluestein, who was Pagliarulo's top assistant the past two seasons, inherits a recent tradition of winning, but also inherits many open roster spots after Tribune All-Stars Michelle DeRoma (the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,464 career points), Olivia Joyce and Mary O'Donnell were among the five graduates from last year's senior-laden team.
``It was a good program and having Michelle helped,'' said Bluestein of the AIC impact freshman. ``We graduated five seniors and we have six kids coming back, some with limited experience. We'll be competitive, but we'll have to do it on defense and rebounding. We don't have the big scorer like Michelle was. She alone had more than 500 points last year.''
Varsity veteran senior Mackenzie Gordon leads the crew looking to keep up the winning ways under Bluestein this year. Katie Duggan is coming off a volleyball season in which she looked well on her way back from last winter's knee surgery for a torn ligament, while Bluestein is also expecting contributions from sophomore Bridget MacAnulty, junior Sarah Houston and junior Esperanza Wilson.
``We just have to instill some confidence in these girls that they can compete and play at a level that is now expected of them,'' Bluestein said. ``Before, I would imagine, (basketball) was just a bridge between and fall and a spring sport. Now the kids are expected to be successful. We, as coaches, expect the same.
``Will there be a drop off? There will be a drop off. But they will be better by the end of the year.''
Bluestein, a former Lexington Middle School coach who has also coached the Lexington High girls summer league team, said the schedule has eased a bit from the increasingly difficult slate Pagliarulo put together in recent years, and he feels the team can handle it.
``We have a good group of kids coming back,'' he noted. ``I think they will be ready to compete and play tough defense.''
Mount Alvernia opens up at home against Our Lady of Nazareth a week from Monday.
###
Gann Academy, the New Jewish School of Greater Boston, has put together a nice run of success with its boys and girls soccer teams in recent years.
This season, the cross country team joined in the fun as it captured its first Mass. Boys Independent League championship. Gann literally ran away with the title, placing seven runners among the top 12 finishers in the following order: Jared Rodman, Joe Shrager, Dan Mael, Alex Deardorff, Jon Roth, Kobi Goodwin and Rafi Goldman.
Rodman was the No. 2 male runner in the MBIL, while Shrager was No. 3.
Sivan Gompers led the girls team with a No. 3 overall finish.
###
The Brimmer and May School varsity girls soccer team had its most successful season ever - finishing the regular season undefeated at 11-0-2, which included big wins over both Waring and Gann.
The Gators finished in first place and won the Independent Girls League Championship. During the season, the team had an unprecedented 12 shutouts led by goalie Margaret Fawcett, of Belmont, who had a .4 goals-against average.
The team was selected to play in the prestigious NEPSAC tournament as the No. 3 seed. The following girls were selected to the IGL All-Star team: Emily Gibbons (Needham), Emma Pierce (Boston), Hannah Margolis (Sherborn), Fawcett, Heather Gates (Framingham) and Eliza Truscott (Weston).
The team also had 3 girls selected to the All League Team - Gibbons, Margolis, and Fawcett.
Award winners were Truscott for Most Improved Player, Margolis and Gates for Coaches Awards, and Gibbons and Fawcett for Most Valuable Players.
In other Brimmer news, a trio of local athletes were noted for their achievements this fall:
Micah Levy, of Newton Centre, received the Coach's Award for play on the varsity boys soccer team. This award is presented to an athlete who exemplifies sportsmanship, cooperation, motivation, and dedication.
Quinn Iuliano, of Waltham, captain of the thirds boys soccer team, received the Coach's Award.
Clayton Starr, of W. Newton, received the Most Improved Player award for play on the thirds boys soccer team.
###
Congrats to Clint Marchese, was was recently named captain of the Amherst College men's lacrosse team. Marchese was also selected to the New England Small College Athletic Conference 2008 All-Academic team for his outstanding achievements as a junior. Marchese is majoring in economics. ...
A belated tip of the scally cap to the Trinity Catholic girls soccer team for making the state tournament for the first time in program history. Though the game didn't go as well as hoped - the Falcons lost, 9-0, to Lynnfield - with senior goalie Molly Stone doing her best to keep her team in the game.
Stone's outstanding season was recognized when she was picked for the Eastern Mass. All-Star game played on Nov. 24. She was picked as a Division 3 First Team All-Star.
Senior Jenn Smallwood, senior Christine Lai and freshman Melissa Johnson were also picked, along with Stone, as Catholic Central League All-Stars.
###
And, finally, if the Brockton football team goes on to win the Division 1 Super Bowl this weekend then the Boxers might want to think about sending Waltham a note of thanks for toughening them up during a spectacular, 21-point comeback in a 35-28 loss on Thanksgiving.
The Boxers beat Dartmouth, 20-13, in the state semifinals last night and will face BC High - a 9-0 winner over Everett in the other semifinal - for the state championship.
(Scott Souza is the Daily News Tribune sports editor. He can be reached at 781-398-8006 or ssouza@cnc.com.)
