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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Friday night, the bleachers of Babson College’s Webster Center were packed with a marching band, mascots, and students screaming for the people they see in class every day.
But the students weren’t college kids and the players weren’t Babson Beavers - it was the annual Broadmeadow-Mitchell School faculty and parents game.
Under the eye of their students, a student marching band, and the occasional smirking Babson student on an elliptical machine overlooking the court, the teaches were placed in five teams that played against each other in 3-minute games.
Mitchell started out strong, taking three of the first four games before Broadmeadow finally put a win on the board. Powered by two three-pointers from Arthur Elzon, both punctuated with a cocky three finger gesture toward the Mitchell bench. The 8-0 victory stopped the bleeding and halted Mitchell’s momentum. In the group’s second game together, with the game scoreless and less than ten seconds left, Elzon would sprint down the court and find Matt Siciliano for a buzzer beater to take the game 2-0.
At halftime, Broadmeadow coach Mark Allen brought the kids onto the court to shoot free throws. Considering how big the crowd was and how loudly they reacted to each made basket, an impressive amount of kids were able to sink the shot.
Unfortunately for Broadmeadow, on one of the night’s rare shooting fouls, their free throw shooter would not be so clutch.
A Mitchell player tries to block the passing lanes while a Broadmeadow player cuts to the basket.
Just after the Elzon-Siciliano win, in a game with less than ten seconds left on the clock, one of Broadmeadow’s players was fouled in a 4-4 game. With a chance to win on the line, the crowd must have got to him - because after showing a smooth stroke on one of the side baskets during an off period, the free throw wasn’t close.
After the game, Coach Allen praised both his players and the event in general, while promising that he would be competing for years to come.
“Wilson Owens played great today but unfortunately he had a tough injury, hopefully he’ll ice it and he’ll be okay. Eric Kaplan played great, he’s a great ballplayer, he’s been in Needham for a long time, and he showed great leadership on the court today. I’ve been playing this five years now, and I have a four year old at home, so I think I’ll be in it for another seven years more.”
Mitchell’s star players were Katie Jacobs and Jason Chin. Jacobs showed great competitive spirit and a pretty midrange jump-shot throughout, while Chin’s movement without the ball led to him consistently finding open space just below the free throw line for jumpers.
Their coach pointed out that many of their players played well. “We had a lot of good players this year. I think the BC women’s coach Joanna Bernabei-Mcnamee did really well. We had a big starting five. Jon Croopnick played well. Everybody played well really.”
Still, while the basketball was the most exciting aspect, Broadmeadow Coach Mark Allen explained that community building is the real purpose of the night.
“It is a great event. I think any time you can get the schools together, I know so much goes on behind the scenes to pull it all together. But, the kids have a great time and we try to put on a decent show and come away without any injuries.”
