Despite Loss, Future is Bright for Kevin Branco's Lady Lions

The following questions were answered by 13th year Chelmsford High School girls basketball head coach Kevin Branco, who led the Lady Lions to the postseason before they were eliminated in the first round on Monday night during a 52-50 loss to Medford. The young team has high expectations for the future, graduation just one senior.

What was your reaction to the team's first round loss?

Despite the loss, it was a really good season. To win the Merrimack Valley Conference Small School Division title with one senior, a ton of sophomores and one freshman was impressive with these kids. We have a very good future coming. Monday night’s game was a great game. We were down 11 with four minutes left and they just hit a couple free throws at the end to get the win. All in all, a really good year.

Were you surprised with how well the team did this year?

I knew we had talent, but in the MVC, which is the best basketball league in the state as a whole, with young kids you don’t win a lot of games usually. And we did. We didn’t win a ton, but we won. Our captains did a great job meshing the kids together. The young kids stepped up and played well.

What does the team need to do to continue the growing process?

It’s just playing all the time. We have a bunch of kids that play AAU in the offseason and quite a few who work out in the offseason. We have seven or eight kids who are two or three sport kids, but a few who are basketball kids. Six or seven play basketball year round, and that’s what they need to do. You need to play, play, play as much as you can. Playing in the Woburn Summer League will be important. For the young kids, it’s just about working. This group will do that. I’m really looking forward to the next few years

What keeps you coming back each season?

I love it. I was born and bred in Chelmsford and coached three varsity sports for a long time. I just opened a restaurant and unfortunately had to stop coaching the other two. I love the kids, love the game. This group’s a hard working group and they’re fun. They want to learn and that doesn’t happen every year. They’re sucking every bit of knowledge I have out of me. They did a really good job this year. 

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