By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
The Walpole Timberwolves boys’ basketball team concluded their season by competing in the Davenport Classic Tournament at the state-of-the-art Sharon High School on Monday, February 17, and Tuesday, February 18, 2025. The tournament and gym are named in honor of former Sharon boys’ basketball coach and athletic director Dudley Davenport. This year’s participating teams included the host school, Sharon, along with Everett, Dedham, and the Timberwolves. Walpole faced Everett in the opening round.
The Everett Crimson Tide, a member of the Greater Boston League, provided a rare matchup against Walpole, as the two schools are more famously known for their football programs.
Earlier in the season, Timberwolf junior Ryan McDonald made headlines by tying Tim Collins Jr.’s Walpole High School record, scoring 46 points in a regulation game. McDonald’s outstanding performance earned him a spot as a finalist for Sports Illustrated’s National Boys Athlete of the Week.
In the tournament opener, Walpole (5-13 entering the tournament) fell to Everett (8-10) with a final score of 52-43. The game was tied 26-26 at halftime, and Walpole briefly took the lead at 31-30 midway through the third quarter. However, Everett shut out Walpole for the remainder of the quarter, taking a 40-31 lead into the fourth. The Tide maintained their advantage in the final period, securing the win. McDonald led the Timberwolves with 16 points, supported by Chukuwuma Odenbigdo with 8 and Matt St. Cyr with 7. Everett’s top scorers were senior captain Jevaun Berberena with 15 points and Geordiell Luna Morales with 11.
In the other preliminary game, Sharon (3-15) pulled off an upset against Dedham (11-7), winning 68-52.
For their final game of the 2024-25 season, the Timberwolves faced the Dedham Marauders, a former Bay State Conference Herget Division rival that moved to the Tri-Valley League in 2017. Dedham had already secured a spot in the Division 3 state playoffs.
Walpole started strong, taking an 8-0 lead within the first 90 seconds. Their solid defense helped them close the first quarter ahead 12-4. They extended their lead to 17-6 before Dedham rallied, leaving Walpole with a 32-30 deficit at halftime. The third quarter saw the lead change hands multiple times, and the final period began with the score tied at 47-47. Unfortunately, Walpole’s offense stalled in the last eight minutes, scoring only three points, resulting in a 63-50 victory for Dedham.
McDonald led Walpole with 25 points, followed by Cash Cantrell with 12. Odenbigdo contributed 5 points before fouling out. For Dedham, junior Justin Allison-Cardoso scored 20 points, while senior captains Dante Gutierrez and Sam Milligan added 17 and 11 points, respectively.
Everett entered the Davenport Classic needing a win to qualify for the Division 1 state tournament with a .500 record. Under pressure, they delivered, defeating Sharon 64-58 in the championship game.
Head coach Jenna Galster wrapped up her fifth season with optimism, looking ahead to the 2025-26 season to rebuild around returning high scorer Ryan McDonald, sophomore Shane Harrington, and freshman Cole Chase, among others. Under Galster’s leadership, the team grew both individually and as a unit. With nine seniors graduating, the Timberwolves will have ample opportunities for new players to step up and make an impact next season.
