Sports
High-Flying Ride Comes to an End for Falcons
The Danvers boys ended their playoff run Tuesday against three-time Div. 3 State Champion Watertown in the semi-finals. No matter the loss, the fact the Falcons pushed so deep into the playoffs was a success in itself.
The plane had to land eventually. The Danvers High boys’ basketball team’s flight ended in Woburn Tuesday night against three-time State Champions Watertown, 52-35.
The Falcons made it deep into the Division III North Sectionals tournament – a feat alone that had many surprised – defeating and . The last time Danvers was in the playoffs was 2005 and hadn’t won a tournament game since 2004, let alone two in a row. Falcons’ first-year head coach John Walsh left Watertown to coach in Danvers – in fact, his cousin Tim Harrington, was coaching the Raiders that night.
The Falcons led the game until halfway through the second quarter when Watertown drained two quick 3-pointers to snatch it away, 18-16. The game was tied at 23 at the half, but after Danvers went scoreless in the third, the Falcons entered the final quarter down 33-23.
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George Merry and Nick Bates contributed 12 points apiece – Bates had four 3-pointers – while usual high-scorer Sean Mahegan only netted six.
Danvers Selectman Michael Powers arrived late to Tuesday’s budget hearing, as he was returning home from Woburn. His nephew, Cormick Powers, is a co-captain with fellow senior Mahegan this year.
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Powers said Watertown threw up a high-pressure defensive effort and was able to minimize the Falcons’ height advantage by burying shot after shot from the perimeter. Still, Danvers put up a valiant effort, he said.
“They can look back on this with pride,” Powers said. He “loves” it whenever he sees a tale of hard work yielding such success.
“It’s a lifelong lesson,” he said, adding he believes that’s what high school athletics are all about.
Powers said Woburn High School was packed Tuesday with one whole section of the stands taken up by Danvers High students clad in white.
“It looked like a college game,” he said.
During the third quarter, his nephew collided with a Watertown player, sidelining Cormick Powers for the rest of the game. He was taken to the hospital and the elder Powers said his understanding was the teen did not suffer serious injury.
