The Berkshire County Basketball Officials All-Star Game is Friday night at the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires in Pittsfield and 45 local basketball players were invited. The game is played in memory of North Adams native Oswald Tower.
The matchup a sell-out crowd came to see. Drury's Jorge Bond drives baseline against Hoosac Valley defender Qwanell Bradley.
MIKE WALSH — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLETower, who played and coached at Williams College, was the basketball rules interpreter from 1915 until his retirement in 1960. Tower is also enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, as a member of the first-ever class.
The citation for Tower reads "The game was born in the mind of Dr. Naismith, but was nourished in the mind of Oswald Tower."
The evening's events begin at 6:15 p.m., with player introductions.
When the game begins, there will be four quarters. Two will be played by the girls teams and two by the boys. The first two quarters are 12 minutes long, with the other two quarters 8 minutes long.
There will be a Hot Shot contest and a 3-point shooting competition. The Hot Shot will take place between the boys and girls first quarters, while the 3-point competition will take place just after halftime.
The Berkshire County Basketball Officials, IAABO Board 25, will also present the player and coaches sportsmanship awards, and give out two Oswald Tower Scholarships.
Drury's Megan McGrath drives to the rack for 2-points.
MARC J. WRZESINSKI — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTSam McLaughlin of Wahconah and Megan McGrath of Drury are the player sportsmanship award winners, while Drury coach Jack Racette is the coaches winner. McGrath scored 18 points on Wednesday night in top-seeded Drury's win over No. 4 Saint John Paul II in the MIAA Division V State semifinals to help the Blue Devils to the state title game. Racette coached Drury to its first Western Mass. Class C title since 2023.
Lenox's Claire O'Brien goes after a rebound.
MARC J. WRZESINSKI — EAGLE CORRESPONDENTClaire O'Brien of Lenox and Tamia Andrade Loor of Lee are the recipients of the Oswald Tower Scholarships.
It would be expected that Pittsfield girls players Bre'Jai Ellerbee, Harolyn Castillo, Caprese Conyers and Kyana Summers won't be playing, due to their date this weekend in the MIAA Division III girls basketball state championship game.
Four players from Drury — Ella Bond, McGrath, Delaney and Ashlyn Hayden, along with Hoosac Valley's Adan Wicks and Qwanell Bradley could be in the same position. Wicks and Bradley led Hoosac to a comeback win over Roxbury Prep to reach the state finals, their second in three years.
Pittsfield's Quincy Abellie goes up for a bucket.
JESSE KOLODKIN — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLERacette and Monument Mountain coach Joe Valerio will be the coaches of the two All-Star teams. The teams are named for longtime officials Mike Kinne and Dick Rozak.
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Team Mike Kinne
Coach: Jack Racette
Girls
Pittsfield: Bre'Jai Ellerbee, Harolyn Castillo, Caprese Conyers, Kyana Summers.
Taconic: Kiannah Josephs.
Lenox: Grace Julieano, Claire O'Brien.
McCann Tech: Aiden Champney.
Mount Greylock: Madison Powell, Tanley Drake.
Hoosac Valley: Reagan Shea, Genevieve Lagess.
Boys
Taconic: Quincy King.
Wahconah: Aidan Hagmaier, Cooper Calvert, Sam McLaughlin, Jack DuCharme.
Drury: Jorge Bond, Conner Hinkell, Shane Faucher.
McCann Tech: Zach Howland.
Lee: Joey Abderhalden.
Team Dick Rozak
Coach: Joe Valerio
Girls
Wahconah: Madison McCarthy, Sammie Kaley, Danielle Hagmaier, Anna Doyle.
Drury: Ella Bond, Megan McGrath, Delaney Hayden, Ashlyn Hayden.
Lee: Giana Carlino, Mika Diller, Tamia Andrade Loor.
Monument Mountain: Mallory Lucey.
Boys
Pittsfield: Quincy Abellie, Bri'Awn Thompson.
Mount Everett: Darius Taliaferro, Brady Carpenter.
Hoosac Valley: Adan Wicks, Qwanell Bradley.
Lenox: Jason Sibley, Duke Jaehnig.
Mount Greylock: Brady Auger.
Monument Mountain: Dom Calautti, Finn Wheeler.
