Genevieve Lagess is first to Ashlyn Lesure in celebration, with Hoosac Valley teammate Emma Meczywor closing in, after the Hurricanes beat Renaissance. MIKE WALSH — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
All good things must come to an end. It’s hard to comprehend because 2024 felt like an amazing basketball season and yet somehow, 2025 one-upped it.
In 2023 Berkshire County had five teams in the quarterfinals, three teams in the semifinals, two in the finals and one (the Taconic boys) win a state title. In 2024 the county had six teams in the quarterfinals, four in the semis, two in the finals and one finals winner. Even better.
But this year the Berkshires put seven teams in the quarterfinals (most in the new system) and saw six of them win to go to the Final Four (also the most in the new system). The Monument Mountain boys and Hoosac Valley girls both won in the semifinals to reach Lowell, with Hoosac winning its second straight title.
That makes it three years running Berkshire County has won a basketball state championship. Pretty darn impressive for the oft-overlooked county at the end of Massachusetts. In fact, in the four years of the new statewide tournament, Berkshire County has three basketball titles and the rest of Western Mass. has combined for three.
It’s been an impressive winter overall both for Berkshire County and the 413.
I wrote at the end of the fall season how for the first time in the new format, Western Mass. failed to win a state title during a season. Not to mention that Berkshire County failed to reach a Final Four. Talk about a bounce-back.
Pioneer Valley won the D-V boys state title to give Western Mass. two basketball titles. The Mount Greylock boys and girls Nordic ski teams each won state championships. Wahconah’s Fritz Sanders won an individual state title on the boys side.
Monument Mountain's Manny Brown leans with his 3-pointer, as the Spartans crowd erupts. MIKE WALSH — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
Pittsfield High’s Eliza Mullen repeated her sweep of the slalom and giant slalom in the alpine skiing championships. Not to mention Wahconah’s West Dews, who wrestles for Taconic, won a state title at 144 pounds.
After being shutout in the fall, that’s an impressive response from Western Mass. and Berkshire County to reassert their athletic prowess. Last spring season was highly successful, with the PHS softball team reaching the Final Four and PHS baseball reaching the state title game. So we’ll see if 2025 will have more titles incoming.
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It’s no surprise that the leading scorers in the county were from the two teams that reached the state finals. Hoosac’s Ashlyn Lesure led all Berkshire girls with 410 points, while Monument’s Manny Brown led all boys with 657 points.
Lesure was third in points per game with 15.77, while Taconic’s Jaelynn Walker led all county girls with 16.33 points per game. Wahconah’s Madison McCarthy was second, just edging past Lesure by scoring 15.9 points per game.
Brown led all boys comfortably, scoring 25.27 points per game. Drury’s Jorge Bond was second with 20.8, while Hoosac’s Tre Moynihan was the only other player to average more than 20 points per game. He averaged 20.24.
Taconic's Jaelynn Walker drives through a sea of Mount Greylock hands to get to the hoop. JESSE KOLODKIN — THE BERKSHIRE
Bond led the county with a jaw-dropping 71 made 3-pointers, making almost three triples a game. Brown was second with 67 treys while Mount Everett’s Sean Warren sank 59. Hoosac’s Adan Wicks (55), Monument’s Griffin McElroy (53), Taconic’s Nate Reynolds (51), Cardoso (50), Moynihan (48), Wahconah’s Jack DuCharme (47) and Everett’s Matt Lowe (44) round out the top 10.
On the girls side, McCarthy was far and away the biggest threat from deep, drilling 61 treys. Hoosac’s Reagan Shea hit 49 to take second, Lenox’s Chloe Parsenios and Taconic’s Evellyn Croce both hit 35 while PHS’ Bre’Jai Ellerbee hit 33, rounding out the top 5.
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I wrote ad nauseam about the support the Lee community gave its football team this past fall. I saw that support translate onto the hardwood a week ago.
Driving out to Worcester last Tuesday to cover a semifinal game, there were basketball-shaped posters lining the street posts towards the lining the street posts towards the MassPike entrance with the name and number of every Lee girls basketball player and coach.
Drury's Jorge Bond dribbles against Hoosac Valley's Adan Wicks. GILLIAN HECK — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
Right before the on ramp was a massive traffic sign, the kind you’d see warning drivers about scheduled road repair. Except this one read “Good luck Lady Wildcats!” More impressively, this was a full 24 hours BEFORE Lee’s game against Renaissance in the semifinals.
Monument Mountain fans travel well in general but their support for the run the boys basketball team has been on the last two years has been excellent to witness. From packed houses during marquee regular season games, to a standing-room-only crowd to witness the Spartans smash Cohasset in the quarterfinals this year.
Great Barrington showed up in Lowell on Saturday to support the Monument Mountain boys basketball team. MIKE WALSH — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
There were two school buses needed to transport all the students to Worcester for the semifinal game and plenty more came via car. Not to mention the hundreds of community members who made the drive to watch their team make it to the state final for the first time in program history. A performance those folks repeated just a few days later to witness what was a heartbreaking, but thrilling, title game in Lowell.
On a similar note, Hoosac Valley’s fan section outdrew Renaissance’s by a considerable margin in Lowell. Hoosac fans are no strangers to girls basketball success over the last dozen years, but it’s still impressive to see the commitment year-in and year-out.
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I could fill more pages than are available to me writing about the best moments of the season. From the first War on the Floor to Pittsfield vs Monument in the Class B Final II. From Hoosac vs Drury in the state tournament to Monument’s victory over Holland Tech and so on and so forth.
But if you have favorite moments from throughout the season, please email them in at sports@berkshireeagle.com with the subject line: favorite moment, and let us know.
