GREENFIELD — The summer is a good time to test yourself and work on your game. The Greenfield boys basketball team got its toughest test of the offseason to date on Wednesday night in the boys varsity championship game of the DRIVE League. 

Taking on Keene — a New Hampshire Div. 1 school that made the playoffs last winter — in the DRIVE League finals, a shorthanded Green Wave squad, playing with seven players, stayed in it early before the Blackbirds pulled away late in the first half. 

Greenfield trailed 15-10 with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half after Jon Breor made a pair of baskets inside but Keene turned it on from there, leading 35-19 with five minutes to go in the half. 

The Blackbirds closed out the first half on a 15-0 run before Grayson Thomas hit a 3 just before the buzzer for the Wave, cutting the deficit to 50-22 at the half. Keene kept its foot on the gas in the second half to take home the championship with a 78-33 victory. 

Despite the loss, there were plenty of things to learn and take away from the game and the summer as a whole as Greenfield got to be tested against tough competition, something that should pay dividends when the high school season rolls around. 

“We were talking about not just our team, but Greenfield sports in general, when we’re playing bad teams and winning, we’re all happy,” Breor said. “What really shows character is when we play in tough games like tonight against Keene and we’re down 10 points and someone has to step up and box out or guard their best player. That’s where we struggle but we still have plenty of time. We have the fall league and we know what we need to work on. We just have to come into the season with a positive mindset and know at the end of the day, all we have is each other.” 

Keene’s Javon Massiah was named MVP of the league, scoring 16 points in Wednesday’s championship game against the Green Wave. Fitch Hennessey added 21 points for the Blackbirds. 

Breor led Greenfield with 15 points. Thomas scored seven points, Erik Martineau also finished with seven points while Aiden Holliday and Krish Patel each had two points in the loss. 

The Green Wave reached the championship game after winning a competitive 63-60 contest against Easthampton. Greenfield only lost two games throughout the summer, one to Keene in the regular season before Wednesday’s championship game loss. 

“We were still the second seed and we went undefeated against everyone except Keene,” Breor said. “We struggled the first playoff game against Easthampton and it came down to the end but we were able to pull that one out. Other than when we’re losing, we play well and we were having fun."

The Green Wave improved throughout the summer, and plan to continue playing into the fall to prepare for the winter season. It’ll be a 2024-25 campaign where Greenfield will be looking to win another league title and once again reach the state tournament. 

“Instead of sitting home all summer tanning, we were out playing basketball getting better,” Breor said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

The boys JV championship game took place prior to the varsity championship game, with Easthampton beating Brattleboro, 60-52. Results from the men’s league championship game were not available at press time.