HS Roundup: Pioneer boys basketball defeats Greenfield, 61-44, to keep unbeaten season alive

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Staff Writer

Published: 01-29-2025 9:30 PM

GREENFIELD — In big games, you need your role players to step up. 

That was the case for the Pioneer boys basketball team against Greenfield on Wednesday. 

The Panthers led 28-22 at the half and extended the lead to 43-34 going into the fourth. To open the final frame, Pioneer went on an 8-0 run behind two scores inside from Jackson Glazier, a basket from Will Glazier and a layup from Judah Glenn. That run helped the Panthers eventually come away with a 61-44 Hampshire League South victory at Nichols Gymnasium. 

“I thought all seven of our kids contributed tonight,” Pioneer coach Scott Thayer said. “That’s the kind of thing when your top two or three guys are struggling to score, you have to have contributions from other people. That’s why we’re the team that we are. We can certainly be beat, I’m not saying that, but we have to keep putting ourselves in these positions. I’m more than pleased with this effort. It was a total team win.” 

After a heartbreaking overtime loss to Frontier on Tuesday, Greenfield (7-7) came out strong in the first half but was unable to sustain that effort for a full 32 minutes. 

“Frontier had back-to-back games going into our game,” Green Wave coach Angelo Thomas said. “They did their thing. We did for a half but we just lost it a bit in the second half. We have to rebound better. They had five straight offensive rebounds at one point. If you want to win games against good teams, stuff like that can’t happen. Consistency is the key to life.” 

Pioneer (12-0) led 10-9 after eight minutes and after falling behind 18-17 after a Grayson Thomas layup in the second quarter, the Panthers closed the half on an 11-4 run to take the lead at the intermission. 

While Brayden Thayer, Kurt Redeker and Alex McClelland carried the scoring in the first half, it was the remainder of the Panther lineup that stepped up in the second half with the Wave defense keying in on those top players. Ben Werner, Jackson Glazier, Glenn and Will Glazier combined for 20 of the Pioneer’s 33 second half points. 

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“We played with selflessness,” Thayer said. “We just played to hit the open guy. That’s when we can be a pretty good team. Brayden, Kurt and Alex are going to draw a lot of attention. When the other guys are open, they have to make those and punish them. They did that in the second half.”

It wasn’t just the Panther role players stepping up. Gavin Arsenault kept Greenfield in the game in the third, scoring seven of his nine points in the frame including a 3-pointer in the final minute that cut the lead to 43-34 going into the fourth. 

The Green Wave couldn’t find their offense in the final eight minutes however, as they didn’t get on the board in the quarter until the 3:13 mark when Jon Breor sank a free throw. Greenfield ended up finishing with only two baskets in the final frame. 

Redeker finished with 14 points, McClelland scored 13 points, Jackson Glazier recorded nine points while Thayer and Will Glazier each tallied eight points in the win. 

Freshman Grayson Thomas led Greenfield with 13 points, Caleb Murray tallied nine points while Jon Breor added eight points in the loss. 

Four Rivers 53, Putney School 33 — Cooper Whitney scored 24 and Meir Dragon added 22 points and eight rebounds in the Otters’ victory on Wednesday. 

Girls basketball

Mahar 32, Athol 15 — The Sens pulled ahead 18-3 after eight minutes to defeat their rivals in Orange on Wednesday. 

Hayden Comeau finished with 12 points, Thea Whitmore and Julia Hatch both scored eight points while Taylor Paluk added four points in the win for Mahar. 

Ava Adams scored seven points while Allison Robertson and Ava Martin both scored three points for Athol. 

Pathfinder 47, Mohawk Trail 41 — Leading 38-32 going into the fourth, the Warriors were held to three points in the final frame which led to a loss in Buckland Wednesday. 

Bella Pettengill recorded 15 points, Zephyr Jetzon scored 14 points, Natalie Lanoue finished with seven points while Valerie Bzomowski knocked down a 3 in the loss. 

Tuesday results

Boys basketball

Frontier 78, Greenfield 74 (OT) — Max Millette is on one heck of a heater. 

The Redhawk junior scored 39 points on Monday against South Hadley and followed it up with a second straight 39 point performance on Tuesday, helping Frontier pull out an overtime victory over the Green Wave at Goodnow Gymnasium. 

Greenfield led 50-39 going into the fourth before the Redhawks scored 30 in the fourth to tie it at 69 going into overtime. 

Alex Ellis tossed in 18 points, Garrett Dredge scored eight points while Diego Frazier tallied six points in the winning effort. Jon Breor led Greenfield with 27 points, Grayson Thomas scored 22 points, Caleb Thomas recorded 12 points and Caleb Murray added six points in the loss.