Tewksbury 4th Graders Stay Competitive Through End of Season

(Editor's note: The following information was submitted by the coaches and administrators of the Tewksbury Youth Basketball Travel Team program.)

Finalizing the regular season, the Tewksbury fourth grade travel team has showed steady improvements. The team’s progression has been amplified by a collective team effort in the offense and continuous improvement in coordinated defensive moves.

On Saturday, February 12^th at the New England Pentecostal Ministries, Tewksbury showed Pelham, they are a team to contend with.  The game started rough in the first half, resulting in only 6 points by Tewksbury versus the 20 by Pelham before the half buzzer.   In the second half, the team’s collective efforts clicked.  With the offensive lead of Lucas Frost, Kyle Rossetti, Jared Rizzo, and Zach Tyler, Tewksbury outscored the Pelham team 15 to 4.  Kyle was the high scorer with 6 points, followed by Zach and Richie Markwarth with 4 points each.  Highlighting the overall team efforts, Chad Boschetti, Jared, Andrew Maresca, and Lucas contributed 2 points each.  In addition, Mike Rosenberg drew a foul down low and proceeded to make one of two free throws.  Derek Shoemaker and Nick Larsen showed heart in pulling down some big defensive rebounds.  Although Tewksbury ultimately lost 25 to 21 to Pelham, the boys did a sensational job in the second half, cutting it close at the end.

The next day, Sunday, Tewksbury versed Tyngsboro at the John F. Ryan School.  Looking for a win after the tight game the day before, the team kept the score close throughout the game.  Only three points behind at the half, Tewksbury couldn’t pull ahead and lost a nail biter 25 to 21.   Kyle continually found the driving lane, scoring an impressive 9 points.  Also leading the offensive push was Zach and Nick with 4 points each.    In addition, Lucas and Andrew contributed 2 points each.  Richie, Trace, and Derek played exceptional defense, blocking shots and shuffling their feet.

Coming off the losses from the prior week, on February 20^th, Tewksbury was given another shot at Tyngsboro.  They brought with them some new plays and a team attitude, resulting in the best game of the season.  The game began looking very similar to the prior Sunday with Tewksbury down 12 to 7 at the half, but this time Tewksbury turned up the heat with great defensive plays, keeping Tyngsboro off balance.  The stellar defense in the second half was highlighted by tight man on man defense by Trace, Richie and Jared.  In addition, Andrew with his quick hands led to several loose balls that were chased by Tewksbury, setting up for more possessions.  Mike and Nick showed some boxing out skills by grabbing some big boards.  The intense game was accentuated by the all around team effort. 

Leading the offense, Jared, Lucas, Chad, and Kyle consistently dribbled with heads up, resulting in great passing to the open man, making for easy baskets.  Ironically, the aggressive play by the Tyngsboro team fueled the intensity of the Tewksbury team, who slowly took over the game.  The final score Tewksbury won 23 to 16.  Offense was well spread throughout the game, showcasing the new plays, allowing almost every player to score.  The scorers were Jared and Kyle for 4 points; Chad with 3; Lucas, Zach, Derek, Mike and Andrew with 2; and Richie and Trace with 1 each.