It was an eye-opening performance from the Pioneer basketball team on Friday against Mahar.
The Senators entered the game following two strong performances to start the year. They held Hampshire Regional to four second-half points to pull out a win in their season opener and followed it up with a convincing win over rival Athol.
The Panthers, on the other hand, hadn’t played a game yet. But you’d never know it based on how they played.
Pioneer looked like a well-oiled machine from the opening tip on and what made it so impressive is it looked like a team that had been playing together for years. The ball moved around, everyone got touches and every player who took the court got in on the scoring action to pull away with an 82-35 win.
The dynamic on the Panthers roster is fascinating. They have a group of veterans who have been playing on the team for years, and also a group of freshmen who have been playing together since they were young. While sometimes that may lead to friction in a group, it hasn’t with Pioneer. Players on the team say that everyone understands their role and has helped chip in.
The Panthers are also a deep team with multiple offensive weapons, as evidenced by their 82-point outburst against a traditionally stingy Mahar defense.
“The good thing about this team is it doesn’t matter who’s playing,” Pioneer senior Jared Hubbard said. “We pick up wherever we left off no matter who gets subbed in or out.”
For the seniors, it helps having their own experience to relate to having once been in the same shoes as the current freshmen.
Hubbard said this team has a lot of similarities to the one he played on as a freshman.
“Every team is different but it reminds me a lot of the leadership we had my ninth-grade year when we lost to Drury at the Cage,” Hubbard said. “It’s a great balance between everything. We have such an unselfish team. It’s so fun to play on.”
Here’s some other thoughts after the first week of the winter season:
■ Despite big man Joe Thomson missing games with an injury, the show goes on at Frontier. The Redhawks continue to stack wins, their latest coming on Friday against a talented Greenfield team. After Monday’s loss to Drury they sit at 3-1 in the early portion of the season.
Frontier coach Ben Barshefsky has been pleased with how Erich Brown has filled in for Thomson down low while the Redhawks have been able to ride the sharpshooting of Dylan Martin on the offensive end.
Martin — a senior — scored 17 first quarter points on Wednesday and ultimately finished with 27 points to lead Frontier to a victory over Smith Academy. On Friday, Martin poured in 21 points to get the win over the Green Wave.
The Redhawks have a big week leading up to the holiday break. After the Drury loss, they next have a road trip to unbeaten Granby on Thursday.
■ Speaking of Drury, the Hampshire League South is shaping up to be the juggernaut everyone envisioned heading into the season.
We already talked about Pioneer and Frontier, who should compete for the league title. Mahar will be just fine despite the loss to the Panthers and the Green Wave have the size and skill to compete on a night-to-night basis.
Hopkins Academy returns the sharpshooting backcourt of Andrew Ciaglo and Colin Earle, Drury was 4-1 after Monday’s win over Frontier while Lenox’s only game came against the Blue Devils, an 87-57 loss.
■ On the girls side, just Athol, Franklin Tech and Frontier are at or above the .500 mark thus far. The Redhawks look like the team to beat thus far, riding the offensive output of Kylie Laford and Kaitlyn Mackin through their first two games this season.
Hannah Gilbert has totaled 33 points in the last two Tech games, both wins, while Reily Polana and Emma Bacigalupo have gotten the Bears off to a strong start this season following a season-opening win against Mahar.
■ Congrats to Athol boys basketball coach Brian Patria and Mahar girls basketball coach Steve Bonk on their first career varsity wins last week. Both first year coaches, Patria led the Bears to a 54-39 win over Franklin Tech on Friday while Bonk’s Senators defeated Greenfield, 51-45, on Thursday.
■ Mohawk Trail’s Octavia Crawford is a dual talent, singing the national anthem before starting for the Warriors during Thursday’s contest against Franklin Tech.