PITTSFIELD — The best of Berkshire County basketball gathered at the Boys and Girls Club of the Berkshires on Friday night, putting on a show for friends, family and fans in the 2025–26 Berkshire County Basketball Officials All-Star Game.

In a scene reminiscent of the Pro Bowl games of years past, the county’s top players took the floor in their school uniforms — many wearing them for the final time this season — inside a packed gym buzzing with energy. Players who spent the winter battling one another moved past any lingering rivalries, trading trash talk for cheers as they found themselves sharing the court with former opponents.

Passes zipped around the floor, 3-pointers rained down and even a handful of slam dunks brought the crowd to its feet. With the night centered more on celebration than competition, players loosened their defensive intensity at times, allowing teammates and rivals alike to show off their skills for the entertainment of the crowd.

For Wahconah senior Sam McLaughlin, one of the evening’s sportsmanship award winners, the event captured a side of Berkshire County basketball that fans do not always see during the heat of the season.

“When you’re out there during the season it’s all rivalries and everyone’s cheering for their own team,” McLaughlin said. “Then you come to something like this and everyone’s playing together and just having fun.”

The annual event, organized by the Berkshire County Basketball Officials (IAABO Board No. 25), celebrates the region’s top high school players while also recognizing several athletes and coaches for their sportsmanship and character.

McLaughlin, a captain for Wahconah this winter, said he tries to reflect those values whenever he steps on the court.

“I just try to lead by example,” McLaughlin said. “The guys on my team look up to me, so I try to be the best guy I can be out there.”

On the girls side, Drury senior Megan McGrath received the sportsmanship award after helping lead the Blue Devils to the MIAA Division V State Championship game.

“It means a lot to me,” McGrath said. “I always try to work hard and be aggressive on the court, but also stay humble — helping people up when they fall and just showing leadership while playing my game.”

Drury coach Jack Racette, who was honored with the coaches sportsmanship award, said that mindset is something he emphasizes with his players throughout the season.

“We talk about being competitive, but at the end of the day you’ve got to love the game and smile when you play,” Racette said. “When you win it’s great, and when you lose you’ve got to take it the right way.”

While the awards highlighted sportsmanship and leadership, the night also paid tribute to the legacy of Oswald Tower, the North Adams native and longtime Williams College player and coach who later served as basketball’s rules interpreter from 1915 until his retirement in 1960.

Tower, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class, is remembered not only for his contributions to the game but also for the integrity he brought to it. Each year, scholarships in his name are awarded to student-athletes who reflect those same values, with the proceeds from the evening going towards the scholarship fund.

This year’s recipients were Lee’s Tamia Andrade Loor and Lenox’s Claire O’Brien.

“My team is like my second family, so I’m really proud of all of them and everything we’ve accomplished,” Andrade Loor said.

For O’Brien, the recognition carried special meaning because of Tower’s connection to the community.

“It means so much to me,” O’Brien said. “I know Oswald Tower stood for such good things in our community, so it’s truly an honor.”

On the court, the All-Stars were divided into Team Kinne and Team Rozak, squads named in honor of longtime Berkshire County referees Mike Kinne and Dick Rozak. Kinne recently received his 60-year service pin for officiating in the county, while Rozak has spent roughly 55 years calling games across Berkshire County.

The unique format of the game saw girls players take the floor for the first and third quarters, with the boys competing in the second and fourth.

In between the quarters, players took part in shooting contests that kept the crowd engaged throughout the evening.

Wahconah’s Danielle Hagmaier won the girls Hot Shot competition with a score of 18, while Pittsfield’s Quincy Abellie matched that total to capture the boys title.

The halftime 3-point shootout also drew plenty of cheers from the crowd. Lee’s Giana Carlino tied Lenox teammates Grace Julieano and O’Brien with 10 made shots to share the girls title, while Drury’s Jorge Bond repeated as the boys champion with 14 makes from behind the arc.

When all four quarters were complete, Team Rozak pulled away for a 109-78 win over Team Kinne, though the final score felt secondary to the spirit of the evening.

Several Berkshire County teams that reached state championship games this season were also honored during halftime, including the Drury and Pittsfield girls teams and the Hoosac Valley boys. Though those players did not participate in the game as they prepared for their championship matchups, they received a warm reception from the crowd.

For one night, the focus was simply on celebrating the players, coaches and officials who make up Berkshire County basketball — a community where fierce rivalries during the winter can quickly give way to shared appreciation for the game.

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