By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

Despite having to play under the Covid-19 rules last winter, the Hopedale girls basketball team still managed to run the table.

 Participating is a bubble situation, where they squared off against a smaller version of the league as well as the schedule the Blue Raiders were able to go undefeated. However, while the team didn’t drop a single game there would be no tournament play under the abbreviated season.

As the 2021-22 season gets underway the Blue Raiders will have a new Coach in Jason Rojee patrolling the sidelines. Rojee, the Medway boys’ basketball coach for 12 years and still coaching the girls’ soccer team for the past 19 years, will be looking to get Hopedale back into tournament play once again. Prior to his leaving Medway, Rojee had built an impressive program winning four Tri-Valley League Championships while earning a Sectional Finals appearance. During his 12-year stint with the Mustangs, Medway only missed advancing into the tournament once. 

About 5 years ago the now Blue Raider coach moved his family to Hopedale. Although still teaching in Medway, Rojee left basketball in 2018 to spend more time with his family. However, after three years being away and having his kids grown, an opening popped up for the girls’ basketball Coach in his new town.

“Hopedale is a highly established program and it’s just down the street from our home, about a mile and a half. The drive is not all that bad, and I am still able to be home early enough for my kids,” the new Blue Raider Coach said. “Athletics here is owned by the community where they value their success; it’s such a unique feeling. Now that I am living here, what value do I bring to the town to help them succeed.”

In order to once again demonstrate that Hopedale is not only a top tiered team in the Dual Valley Conference, but the state as well, Rojee will have to rely on his co-captains Bri Frongillo and Lilah Casey. According to the Coach, Frongillo, a point guard, runs the show on the court an possesses a generational talent for the game. 

“Bri has already committed to Division 1 Bryant University and in addition to playing the game she has the ability to read the game. Her vision is on another level, which forces the rest of the girls to read at a higher level as well,” Rojee said. “Coaches can only do so much with their teams, but players like Bri certainly help. She is infectious and can do just about anything on the court.”

Frongillo averaged about 28 points per game last winter and also brings an unbelievable ability to handle the ball.

Casey, the other co-captain, is also another guard on the squad who can handle the ball at a high level. She brings a strong presence to the court while possessing a high-level leadership to the team. She fits into the team as the perfect second distributor and the Blue Raiders will be leaning on her heavily to pick up the scoring, especially when Frongillo is double teamed.

Two other seniors, forward Caroline Hurley, and the team’s third guard Nora Hodgens will start alongside Casey and Frongillo as well as providing leadership on the court. 

“Caroline will play more on the outside. She has a quick first step allowing her to slash to the basket and brings a solid presence on the defense,” the Hopedale Coach said. “Another great defender, probably one of the best is Nora. She’s a lockdown defender with a knockdown shot who is returning to the sport after a few years off.”

Rounding out the Hopedale starters will be eighth grader Phoebe Carroll. Having once again last year being a strange situational season, Carroll was unable to swing back and forth between the varsity and junior varsity team, so Rojee believes she didn’t see all that much action on the team. This year Carroll has come out firing and is prepared to play an import role on the Blue Raiders run to the tournament. At 5’11” she brings a low-post presence that ever team needs to be successful. She’s the anchor to the center of Hopedale’s game.

The remainder of the team will consist of five sophomores and one freshman. Bea Hava will be the first off, the bench giving the Blue Raiders some instant offense, while averaging about 9 points per game. Emma Gosselin will provide excellent defense much like Hodgens and will see some time on the wing. Sienna Bayley is an athletic forward, who although not that big will still be able to provide the team some good minutes on the floor. 

Callie Costanza knows the game really well and brings a high basketball IQ to the court in addition to her jump shot. Antonia Rolo, a quick and aggressive point guard is the team’s final sophomore. According to Rojee, she is still learning how good she can actually be. She is still unsure of her speed and how she can use it to her ability and once improves her confidence, especially with her ball handling, she is going to be a dangerous player for Hopedale.

The team’s lone freshman is Mackenzie Reynolds, who will see a lot of time at wing in addition to back-up point guard. The freshman is quick and athletic and gives the team yet another option off the bench.

In his first season with the team Rojee is not looking for too much to change. He wants his team to go out and get better each and every day and while scrimmaging some of the better teams in the state the girls will be ready for the post-season when it arrives.

“By playing good teams you find out what you can and cannot do and what needs to be fixed,” Rojee said. “I’m looking for them to continue to take steps forward. The first team makes the second teams better and son on down the line. We just need to step up and make each other better.”

As in the past, the goal is to win the whole thing starting with capturing the Dual Valley title and then putting themselves in a good seeding position as they enter the tournament to make a run. 

“If you don’t expect to win the whole thing then you’re selling your seniors short,” the Coach said. “We need to go out onto the court and do more than what is expected of you and then we’ll have as good a chance as anybody to take home the Championship.”

Hopedale is not as stranger to tournament play, but after not being able to have a post-season last winter the Hopedale girls’ basketball team is more than excited about getting back to the tournament and making a long run through it.