LOWELL – Wareham head coach Steve Faniel confessed that he displayed a certain score from the regular season on the home court scoreboard during every practice as a reminder for his team to put in full effort and win every game.
In the end, the hard work and the subtle reminder paid off for the fairytale ending for the two-time state champion Vikings.
Wareham (23-3) was defeated by Bourne on their home court back on Jan. 26, 71-61. They intensified their efforts to finish what they had started. The loss to the Canalmen was the last defeat for the Vikings this season. They sealed their 12th win in a row with an 86-71 victory over the Canalmen, clinching the Div. 4 boys state championship for the second consecutive year at the Tsongas Arena.
“I’ve been observing these children since the fourth grade, we recruited them to come here, and we told them that if they did, this would happen. And for this to actually occur is incredible,” said Faniel.
“If the group stayed together and did what they were supposed to do, but it doesn’t always work out this way. They completed every chapter, every checkbox, and it’s been an incredible journey.”
The victory gives Wareham consecutive state titles for the first time in program history and sends nine of their seniors home as winners, including Ajay Lopes who finished with a game-high 25 points.
“I don’t like to talk about myself that much, but I know I am the leader of this team and I’m glad I am and glad they chose me,” said Lopes, who is leaning towards pursuing postgraduate schools after the year ends. “We had a 14-3 run at the end (of the half), and I kept saying – ‘It’s not over yet, they can still come back’.”
The game was close throughout, with the first quarter ending in a tie at 15-15. However, as Lopes mentioned, Wareham concluded the final 2:10 of the first half with a 14-3 run to take a 42-34 lead into the locker room.
Aaron Cote (15 points) made two consecutive three-pointers in the run, with the first giving the Vikings the lead for good at 33-31.
One of the few players coming back next season, Amare Rose, was exceptional with 19 points, 14 in the first half, as the freshman’s energy off the bench sparked the Vikings.
Cote finished with a corner three-pointer with the assist from Lopes as he drove into the paint at the halftime buzzer to give Wareham a nine-point lead.
“In this game, he had to prove something, and Aaron showed he is great and can do anything. He can defend their best player, shoot the three, and for him to take out Leo (Andrade) was huge, and it was great for the whole team,” said Lopes.
Andrade led Bourne with 17 points, but it was the crafty defense of Cote that restricted Andrade to only three second-half points. The Wareham swarming full-court press was a key factor down the stretch.
Bourne finished the season with an impressive 23-2 record and secured their first trip to the state finals since 1959.
“They are similar to us and have bursts of energy, but they are difficult to catch because they shoot the ball so well, have many athletic kids, and you can’t dribble the ball too much,” said Bourne head coach Scott Ashworth. “I give my guys a lot of credit. To play 25 games and win 23 of them is a pretty good year. This was a lot of fun, and we have some guys back, so you never know. Maybe we’ll take another run at it.”
The Canalmen reduced the deficit to seven points, making it 68-61 in the fourth quarter. This was thanks to Mike Dankert, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter alone. However, it wasn't enough as Lopes scored 10 points in the final five minutes, showcasing his leadership on the court to secure the back-to-back championship.
“The journey wasn't easy. It was really tough dealing with the offseason, practicing hard, facing tough competition, and meeting the high expectations of the community. However, they managed to stay composed throughout it all,” Faniel said. “When we don't perform well and fail to execute, we are vulnerable to defeat. We had a feeling we might face these guys again, and needless to say, I didn't have to motivate them for this game.”
