Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Friday Night Lights Not Kind to the Raiders Boys Hoops in a Lopsided Loss

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The Boys Basketball Team came into Friday Night’s game versus Wilmington winless in two games and desperate for a win and looking for some Friday Night magic on their home floor. Wilmington had the same goal after starting its’ season 0-2 as well. But, as the rules state, only one team can win a basketball game — there are no ties — and that team would be the Wildcats, who put a lickin’ on the Raiders by the score of 55-30. 

The game started tight and clean and efficient as both teams executed with purpose, and even though the game was only a few minutes old, the 5-5 game had the makings of a good one. Scrap that keen observation. Wilmington played out the rest of the quarter on an 11-0 run, led by senior guard Ryan Gray’s 9 points. By the half it was 27-9 Wilmington, and all nine Raider points were scored by junior Michael Nshanian. Gray, in the meantime, already had 21 points. The Raiders early season woes are many.

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JIM’S VIEW: Girls Basketball Pulls Out to an Early Lead and Never Looks Back

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Week two of the early season found Watertown Girls Basketball at 1-1 after a win at home versus Belmont and a road loss to Woburn by 20. Into the Victor J.Palladino Gymnasium at the Watertown Middle School came the Wilmington Wildcats and a 1-1 record of their own. So who went home with a 2-1 record at the end of the night? The Watertown Raiders to the tune of a 45-26 win that was never close. Wilmington averaged 49 points in their first two games, but tonight they couldn’t put the ball in the hoop if the ball was the size of an award-winning pumpkin at the Topsfield Fair and the basket was the size of 10 little red riding hood baskets for granny stitched together into one. And the irony is they ran their half court offense pretty well, and in some ways more smoothly than Watertown, but they could not finish. The ball and the the rim were worst of friends. They missed a lot. Are we clear? Watertown led 13-0 before Wilmington finally scored with a minute and a half left in the first quarter. At quarters’ end it was 17-4 Raiders. The second quarter was no friendlier to the Wildcats — they mustered one basket and trailed 25-6 at the half. Watertown was led by Brook Lambo with 8 and Natalie Haley with 7.

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JIM’S VIEW: Boys Basketball Goes Down to Defeat to Woburn in Home Opener

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Watertown Boys Basketball has enjoyed a rich history the past 31 years, all under the stewardship of Head Coach Steve Harrington. Three State Titles (’07, ’09, ’18), as well as appearances in five title games and nine Final Fours. Beyond those numbers are the many young men who have passed through the program and accomplished great things on the Watertown hardwood, and quite often beyond. There is never a time when Watertown basketball goes into a season expecting anything less than competing for the Middlesex League title and a trip to the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament. This year is no different, but the challenges facing this squad as they try and reach those goals are greater than years past. Last night’s 57-46 loss to the Woburn Tanners at the Watertown Middle School inside the Palladino Memorial Gymnasium made that very clear. The Raiders (0-2) fell behind early in this contest, committing way too many turnovers which Woburn (2-0) was more than accommodating converting into points. Junior guard Aiden Brown was the leader among five Tanners on the scoresheet in the quarter, his sweet jumper and smooth stroke counting for 10 points. Raiders junior forward Michael Nshanian did his best to keep the score close, scoring 6 points on a variety of moves, but the Raiders trailed 21-12 after one quarter. The Raiders are minus their big man of the past two years, as Will Carty moved onto prep school over the summer while choosing to repeat his junior year.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Girls Basketball Rides Youth Movement In Season-Opening Win Over Belmont 

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The lights are back on at the Watertown Middle School Gymnasium and the 2025-26 Basketball Season is underway. While Boys Hoops travelled to Belmont to open their campaign, the Girls opened at home to begin the the third and final interim season of hoops at the Middle School before beginning play at the new High School Gym in December of 2026. Coach Mike Tempesta, in his third year at the helm, and his young and small (as in only ten dressed) squad got off to a good start with a 63-54 win over the cross-town rival Marauders. The Raiders graduated four seniors, all starters, so change was in the air, but at the same time, not so much. The starting five on this night included senior captain Sophia Setouhi, who played a significant role on last year’s team. It also included returning  junior Aisling Brennock, fresh off an excellent Field Hockey campaign and ready to play a more significant role on this year’s team.  Brooke Lambo, the third Lambo girl on the way to being a hoops star in Watertown and beyond, returns after a fine Freshman season. And rounding out the starting five were two fabulous freshman, Natalie Haley and Natalia Keuchkarian, who contributed significantly to last year’s 14-8 team as eighth graders, and already seemed ready to take on starring roles. Tonight’s game did not play out like a first game of the season, full of nerves and turnovers and lack of a shooting eye. Well, don’t get me wrong, all those things were in play, but up and down competitive basketball was just as much the theme. Neither team ever led by double digits, and lead changes were as frequent as honking horns at the Common Street rotary. Sophomore Guard Sarah Geller had 7 first quarter points for Belmont on the way to a 16-12 lead after one quarter. But Watertown picked up its defense in the second, especially after going to a 2-3 zone, although they didn’t have an answer for forward Sophia McClendon, who had 8 in the quarter.

Sports

Watertown Boys & Girls Basketball Teams Both Tip Off Seasons Against Rivals

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The Raiders hope to celebrate more State Tournament wins in 2025-26. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Basketball is back for Watertown High School (well, at Watertown Middle School for one more year). The season tips off for the boys and girls varsity teams on Friday when each face rival Belmont, as both look to return to the MIAA State Tournament. Boys Basketball

In 2024-25, the Raiders boys squad went 15-7, and defeated Oakmont in the first round of the State Tournament. Abington ended Watertown’s season in the Round of 16.

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Watertown Girls Basketball Rolls Past Previously Unbeaten Oakmont in State Tourney

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Watertown senior Caroline Andrade led the Raiders in scoring against Oakmont in the Round of 32 State Tourney game. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

On paper. A common-used phrase when analyzing a game that has yet to occur is “on paper,” as in the Oakmont High School Girls Varsity Basketball team, on paper, should be feared. They won 20 in a row, and only a loss in their last game kept them from being undefeated. And so, despite  coming into tonight’s Round of 32 MIAA Div. 3 State Tournament game against Watertown as the  18-seed, perhaps “on paper” Watertown, the 15-seed, should be worried- and the underdog? The MIAA determines seeding based on strength of schedule, a.k.a. quality of opponent, margins of wins and losses, and record. As far as Watertown was concerned, they knew they earned their 13-8 record, 11-5 in a very competitive Middlesex League. Oakmont, located west of 495, plays in the Mid-Wachusett League, and clearly the MIAA didn’t believe their record alone, while impressive, was enough to warrant a higher seed. Well, boys and girls, the MIAA got it right. Watertown came out of the gate strong, played an almost-flawless first quarter on the way to a 19-5 lead after one, and never looked back.  Watertown came away with a 63-43 win in a game that got unnecessarily chippy at the end, but fortunately no one got hurt.

Sports

Watertown Boys Basketball Has Eye on Tournament After Closing Regular Season with a Win

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Watertown junior Will Carty and the Raiders look for a tournament run after beating Excel in the final regular season game. Here he celebrates during the Raiders’ victory over Shawsheen in a 2024 State Tournament game. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

When something ends, invariably something else begins. What ended on Thursday afternoon Feb. 20th at the Victor J. Palladino Gymnasium at the Watertown Middle School was the Boys Varsity Basketball’s regular season. What begins is hopefully a long run in the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament that gets under way next week.

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Watertown Girls Basketball Closes Regular Season on High Note, Waits for Tourney Seeding

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Watertown senior Adrianna Williams helped the Raiders close out the regular season with a win against Ursuline Academy. Here she dribbles against Newburyport in the 2024 State Tournament. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Who doesn’t love nostalgia? Young people, of course, because they’re too young to know anything. But someday seniors Adriana Williams, Alani Garey, Victoria Dicker and Caroline Andrade will look back and remember putting together a pretty darn good season on the hardwood for Watertown High School. On Wednesday night Feb.