News Articles & Feature Stories

Hoosac's 2023-2024 girls AA basketball season has officially come to an end. The Owls, having finished with a 16-7 record overall, ranked 6th overall in NEPSAC, the best prep school league in the country. The season was highlighted by tenacious defense and high volume three-point shooting. 

Led by seven seniors, Rylie Rosenberg, Mariah Luke, Marasia Dyes, Hannah Richardson, Zoe Richardson, Lily Czub and Bojana Radnjic, the team showed great perseverance all season long. The season began with two convincing wins over Putnam Science Academy (70-23) and Storm King (71-48). All season long the Owls continued to improve, and the mix of seven seniors, four juniors and one sophomore gelled as a family. They went on a eight game win streak beating top tier programs like NMH (53-49), St. Andrews (53-43) and Worcester Academy (66-52).

Winning both home and away games against AA opponents such as MacDuffie, Winchendon, Storm King and Marianapolis helped Hoosac make the playoffs for the first time as members of the AA NEPSAC league. Junior Carolina Williams lead the team in scoring with 14 points per game and senior guard Rylie Rosenberg was second in scoring with 11 points per game. Seniors Mariah Luke, Hannah Richardson and sophomore Uliana Doronina were a combined force on the boards all season averaging between five and six rebounds per game. Bojana Radnjic, Lily Czub and Ava Mamone were huge sparks coming off the bench to give Hoosac an added spark during the eight game win streak.

Radnjic lead the Owls in assists per game with three and steals per game with two. Senior Guards Marasia Dyes and Rylie Rosenberg both hit milestones in their high school careers, reaching 1000 points scored.

While the season ended in a quarterfinal loss to Tilton, there was much to still be excited about. Junior guard Carolina Williams and senior guard Rylie Rosenberg were each selected to play in the AA NEPSAC All-Star game at the “Super Sunday". Head Coach Julie McBride was also selected as the coach of the East Team.

Hannah Richardson committed to Division 1 St. Bonaventure, Zoe Richardson committed to Division 1 Siena College, and Rylie Rosenberg committed to Division 1 Merrimack College. Marasia Dyes committed to Division 2 Goldey-Beacom and Lily Czub committed to Division 3 Swarthmore College. Mariah Luke and Bojana Radnjic remain undecided. Coach McBride stated that she is "excited for the future of Hoosac girls basketball being a part of the first AAA league".

For the first time in Hoosac's girls basketball program history, they were able to have a second team that competed against other NEPSAC schools in class D. This team, also highly competitive, finished #1 overall with an 11-4 record on the year. Practicing with and watching the AA team helped this young team grow and learn. The D team consisted of only three seniors, Rana Alahdab, Natalia Cervera Zorrilla and Evelyne Cote, and one junior, Julia Alvarez. The remaining students were all much younger playing up a level.

This team won their first six games, and even went on to win the championship at the Hyde School Tournament. Junior Julia Alvarez lead the team in scoring with 12 points per game while senior Rana Alahdab and 8th grader Hannah Seeberger was second in scoring with nine points per game each.

Other highlights from the season were beating Class D Runners Up Vermont Academy twice. The first game at Vermont Academy, Hoosac was down 18 points in the second half and rallied back to win 65-62. In February, Vermont came to Hoosac and everyone on the team contributed to this 64-49 win.

A final highlight was against St. Andrews D team, with Mikaila Vandenburgh leading the way with 17 points, and Amelia Mowlik with 11 of her own. Down by six with one minute to go, the girls rallied back with a barrage of three-pointers and clutch free throws to force overtime and eventually win the game. Coach McBride states that it was "great team effort and comradery all season!"