Lady Indians have bright future

By Steev Riccardo

First of all, let me give a big shout out to this column’s current sponsor, Drapery Blinds and Interior Design, in Webster. Check out their advertisement below! Drapery Blind’s own Jimmy Karapanos was a former star cornerback and return specialist for the Bartlett Indians a few years back and is a long time friend of this writer, and we are happy to have him sponsoring this column!

For a lot of high school seniors we are getting down to the nitty gritty in their high school careers and in weeks to come, we will be having some announcements on where some of these

Bartlett Seniors Miranda Smith, Meaghan Dwyer,
and Lindsay Bond. Photo by Steev Riccardo

local stars will be taking their talents. Stay tuned!

By the time you read this we will be right smack in the middle of Clark Tourney Mania and hopefully the local three will still be alive vying for a title. Bartlett is the most recent victor, taking the crown in 2006 and Oxford was victorious in 2000. Of course the dream match up would be Bartlett vs. Oxford in the championship game, but as I sit here writing this on Saturday morning perhaps I am just dreaming.

Lady Indians Blast Pioneers 47-41

Senior Lindsay Bond scored a career high 21 points and fellow senior Meaghan Dwyer also scored a career high 13 points, including a huge three pointer late in the game that sealed the deal and led the Indians to a 47-41 win over arch-rival Southbridge. Miranda Smith, the third senior on the squad, added eight points in the win.

The Bartlett seniors wanted to end their careers on a positive note. “We really wanted this and we played our hearts out. It was our last home game and all our energy came out right and it turned out well.” said Dwyer.

Indians’ leading scorer Bond added, “I came out shaky at the start but we pulled it all together and told all the girls this is it for us, the three seniors want to win this game. We lost by five last time and we wanted to beat them this time.”

Bartlett coach Chris Delvecchio was upbeat about his team’s performance. “From the moment we walked out of their gym the last time we met after losing a tough game, we had this game circled on our calendar. We knew it was going to be senior night, a chance to avenge the loss out at their place, a chance to prove to people that we really have gotten better as the season has gone along.”

The coach went on to compliment the play of his senior shooting guard. “Dwyer has about as much heart as anyone that I have ever coached. She wanted it really badly. She knocked down a huge three-pointer with one second on the shot clock at a critical point in the game.”

Bartlett Girls looking forward:

“Record wise we didn’t finish where we hoped to be, beyond that everything about the season has been a positive. The team played really hard. The girls really bought into showing up and doing their job every day which was a tribute to our seniors, our leaders on the floor, they have been outstanding.”

One player who is graduating and will be surely missed and hard to replace is Bond, who scored over 600 points in her five-year career on the varsity, which Delvecchio calls “no small feat.”

Junior Ashley Morio, who will be a key contributor next season, was lost to injuries during the season, but still showed a “great commitment to the team even when she was unable to play, which resonated through to the girls and she set a great example.”

Delvecchio is rightfully excited about where his team is heading. “The development of our young players and even just the fact that we have so many young players in the system who are playing key roles points towards us being more successful in the future.

Eighth grader Olivia Mandeville, who appeared in every varsity game, has the chance to really excel. “Her growth has been noticeable at multiple positions. She can handle the ball and she can play down low as well as she gets stronger and gains knowledge of the game. Through experience she is going to become a much more dangerous player next year as a freshman with a whole season of varsity already to draw upon.”

Another eighth grader who has all the tools to become an impact player next season is Katy Kobel, who is the younger sister of Bartlett boys’ star Nick.

“She stepped in and it’s almost like they took a little piece of Nick’s brain and put it inside of her,” said Delvecchio.

“She reacts and responds to things on the floor instinctively, it’s stuff that you can’t teach. She has no fear, she is a leader on the floor, and you don’t even have to tell her (what to do).”

5’9” Sophomore Kayla Podell, who has had to battle through injuries this year, is another player who has great potential and one that Delvecchio said he has high hopes for.

He also spoke about freshmen Ashley Iwanski, who has a “fantastic attitude and a high confidence level.”

There are several other players returning, including junior Kayla Sizer, a major contributor who played great defense all year, junior Jen Grooms, sophomore Danyelle Stone, and freshmen Lindsay Finkel, who is tough and plays as hard as anyone.

Delvecchio and his staff have plenty to be excited and optimistic about when it comes to the future of the Indians’ girls basketball program.

Bartlett Spring Coaching Staff Announced

Varsity Baseball – Jonathan Way

Junior Varsity Baseball – Enrique Sanchez

Varsity Softball – Colleen Nasis

Junior Varsity Softball – Sarah Kane

Girls Tennis – Phil Alston

Boys Tennis – Van Constantine

Boys Track And Field – Paul Lango

Girls Track And Field – Karen Crosby

Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any sports news that you would like to see in The View!