Genevieve Lagess scored 12 points to help push Hoosac Valley into the Round of 16.
MIKE HERMAN — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTCHESHIRE — Before the crowd had even fully settled into its seats at the Hoosac Valley High School gymnasium, the Hoosac Valley girls basketball team had already seized control.
The 9-seed Hurricanes wasted no time asserting themselves in their MIAA Division V Round of 32 matchup against No. 24 Snowden International School, opening the game on a 14–point run and never allowing the visitors to find their footing in a commanding 64–22 victory in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader with the boys team.
Hoosac Valley's Reagan Shea passes inside to a teammate.
MIKE HERMAN — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTFrom the opening tip, Hoosac, which won both the 2024 and '25 D-V State Championships, played with pace and purpose. The Hurricanes attacked early, pushing the ball up the floor and forcing Snowden to defend in transition before its zone could get set. A mid-range jumper from sophomore Genevieve Lagess was one of the buckets that got things started, and Hoosac quickly began finding seams in the defense.
By the time Snowden converted its first basket — a 3-pointer that briefly quieted the early surge — the Hurricanes had already built significant momentum. Reagan Shea started the game strong with eight points in the first quarter, and Hoosac’s defensive pressure began turning steals into easy layups.
At the end of the quarter, the advantage had swelled to 16–3 in favor of the Hurricanes, and the dominance only intensified in the second quarter.
Hoosac Valley's Isabella Klose puts up a 3-pointer.
MIKE HERMAN — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTHoosac’s crisp ball movement and patience against the zone stood out. Rather than settling for contested perimeter shots, the Hurricanes reversed the ball, attacked gaps and finished at the rim. Shea connected twice from beyond the arc in the second, and Isabella Klose added a 3 as Hoosac steadily stretched the margin.
Shea, who finished with a team-high 18 points, controlled the tempo and attacked the paint with confidence, earning trips to the free-throw line and knocking down shots from in the paint and outside. Lagess and Gianna Witek each added 12 points, and the Hurricanes’ defensive rotations limited Snowden to single digits again in the second quarter.
Head coach Jon Frederick and the reigning MIAA D-V State Champion Hoosac Valley girls basketball team are alive in the 2026 bracket.
MIKE HERMAN — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTBy halftime, Hoosac held a commanding 37–8 lead.
It was a performance that belied the Hurricanes’ 6–12 regular-season record — a mark shaped by one of the toughest schedules in Western Massachusetts.
“We knew we just wanted to get into the tournament,” head coach Jon Frederick said. “Once we’re in, we’ll make as much noise as we can. I’m really happy with the way they played.”
Frederick also acknowledged the unusual circumstances leading into the game. Hoosac had gone over 10 days between contests, an extended layoff that can disrupt a team’s rhythm.
“There’s a lot of pressure having such a long break — that’s not normal for us,” Frederick said. “A lot of credit to them for sticking it out and working hard the past two weeks of practice.”
Hoosac Valley's Reagan Shea pushes the ball up the floor. Shea had 18 points in the Hurricanes' win over Snowden International.
MIKE HERMAN — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTDespite the 29-point halftime cushion, the Hurricanes approached the second half with the same focus.
“At halftime, we told them it’s 0–0,” Frederick said. “We take it one quarter at a time, one minute at a time. If we execute what we go through in practice, we’re good.”
Hoosac responded by putting the game definitively out of reach.
The Hurricanes opened the third quarter on another 14–0 run, fueled by defensive stops and quick outlets up the floor. Witek scored 10 of her 12 points in the third, adding another triple to the Hurricanes’ total.
By the end of the third, Hoosac had stretched the lead to an astounding 39 points.
What stood out most was the team’s composure. With a roster that includes four eighth graders — Ava Jagiello, Peyton Crane, Kendall Moran and Avery Nadeau — along with freshman Witek and sophomore Lagess, Hoosac is one of the younger teams remaining in Division V.
Yet the signs of inexperience were few and far between, along with the mistakes.
The Hurricanes moved the ball unselfishly, communicated defensively and avoided the lapses that can plague young teams. Nine different players scored, including senior Izzy Tart, who added a basket in the fourth quarter after a strong performance on the glass, and Moran, who contributed at the free-throw line.
Snowden, led by Elida Vicente’s 16 points, continued to compete in the final frame and managed 10 fourth-quarter points, refusing to fold despite the deficit. But Hoosac’s defensive intensity and rebounding effort ensured the outcome was never in doubt.
Bradley's milestone night came amidst a combo explosion of 56 points from he and Adam Wicks, as the Hurricanes beat Pacific Rim in the Round of 32 at home.
The final buzzer sounded with the Hurricanes ahead 64–22, advancing to the Round of 16 — where a significant challenge awaits in Western Massachusetts champion Granby. The Rams, who beat Pioneer Valley Christian in the Class D Final, are the No. 8 seed and will host Hoosac on Monday at 6 p.m. Hoosac lost to Christian in the semis.
“I think we’re motivated,” Frederick said. “They’re the Western Mass champs. We probably threw our biggest goose egg against Pioneer Valley Christian earlier this year, so I think we’ll be fired up.”
Saturday’s performance served as a reminder that tournament basketball often tells a different story and for the past few years, that story has belonged to Hoosac.
“We’re still in,” Frederick said.
And with youth, confidence and momentum building at the right time, the Hurricanes may be poised to make more noise yet.
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