Schools
SHS Basketball Player Tommy Bergin is This Week's Whiz Kid
The 17-year-old center and captain of the Stoneham High School boys' basketball team looks to lead his team to the State tournament this winter.
Stoneham Patch Whiz Kid of the Week
- Tommy Bergin, 17
- Accomplishment: Being named captain of the boys’ basketball team. Also, Bergin averaging seven points per game last season.
Key to Awesomeness: Coming off a 3-18 season last year, Bergin and the Spartans look to improve in the upcoming 2012 season. Bergin knows it will be tough due to the team’s lack of height.
“We are a very small team compared to other Middlesex League teams,” Bergin said. “Because of this, we need to be great on defense because most of our players will be covering someone three or four inches taller than them.”
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According to Bergin, the team’s number one goal this year is to make the State tournament.
“We would like to do this by coming in either first or second in the Middlesex League Small Division, but there are other ways we could accomplish this,” Bergin said.
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Bergin pointed out the team must improve on the offensive end of the floor and he stressed it starts with distributing the basketball.
“We mostly need to improve on offense. We simply did not score enough points last year,” Bergin said. “This year we have a lot of people who shoot the ball very well and we need to share the ball more.”
Bergin likes the idea that his team is the underdog in an always tough Middlesex League.
“We have a lot of speed and great shooters. We have great team chemistry and it shows by us being very unselfish on offense and working as a unit on defense,” Bergin said. “We plan on surprising some teams that take us lightly and making the tournament.”
Bergin knows he will have a lot of responsibilities playing center for an undersized team, but knows he needs to be physical and get more involved on both sides of the floor.
“I am small for a center in this league, but I need to be able to defend in the paint against the much taller centers I will be playing,” Bergin said. “I also need to be more involved in the offense than last year and add a presence down low which will open up shots for my teammates.”
As captain, Bergin knows he needs to lead his team on and off the court and he is ready for the challenge.
“I plan on leading this team by example,” Bergin said. “I need to go 100 percent at every practice and game so my teammates will put in the same effort.”
