By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

Playing on the Hopedale girls’ varsity basketball team as a freshman, Mackenzie Reynolds was fortunate enough to get to the Division 5 State Championship game. 

The Blue Raiders entered the tournament as the number three seed and edged Springfield ICS (the #2 seed) 58-56 in the Final Four to get to the Finals against number one seed Hoosac Valley. Hopedale went on to capture the Championship with a convincing 55-45 win.

Although part of the State Championship team, the then-freshman did not get to see any action during the game clinching win. 

“During the season I really didn’t get to play much and barely got any minutes. I got two minutes here and there, but I stayed positive and continued to work hard to improve my game so that I could get onto the court more,” Reynolds said. “I was upset that I did not get to play in the championship game, but I knew that if I continued to work in the off-season I’d be on the court the next time it happened.”

Renyolds, who has gotten a lot of support from friends and family, played for the middle school in seventh grade, but was elevated to the junior varsity squad during the eighth grade and eventually earned her spot the varsity team as a freshman. Going into the varsity tryouts as a freshman Reynolds found the process to be scarry with a lot of good players already on the team’s roster.

“I went in confident and hoped that all my previous hard work would pay off,” she said. “I was ecstatic when I was named to the team and honored to play along side some talented older girls, who would help me to improve my game. Playing with the older girls pushed my limits which I needed to get better.”

Although she was part of the varsity team the freshman saw more action sitting on the bench than she did on the court and wasn’t all that thrilled about it.

“Sitting on the bench was not that fun,” she recalled. “We had some really great players on that team and they helped me to get better, but it was still tough watching and learning instead of actually playing.”

Coach Jay Rojee remembers that during her freshman campaign Reynolds was behind one of the Blue Raiders best players in school history, Bri Frongillo, so needless to say her time was limited.

“As a freshman she drew the task of guarding Bri in practice and although days got frustrating at times, she showed her willingness to learn and grow; she knew that it was also the best possible position to be in to get better,” the Coach said. “Over her four years she has grown with each season and is now poised to take her game to the next level.”

Rojee went on to say that over her career Reynolds has played in 65 varsity contests where she has scored 350 points (5.38 per game), hauled down 150 rebounds and added 130 assists. He continued to note that he feels one of the most important stats to look at is the +/- differential; in that category Reynolds has a career +170 and has been a difference maker for the team through her attitude, energy and passion.

Through the early part of her senior season Reynolds has started out strong averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds per game. During the Millis Holiday Tournament, the Hopedale point guard recorded her highest scoring game knocking down 18 points. 

In addition to playing basketball, her number one sport, Reynolds also suits up for the soccer and softball team for the Blue Raiders and according to Rojee she excels in all three sports and is always playing the most unselfish positions.

“Kenzie plays the positions that don’t see the credit all the time, but if you don’t have those quality athletes in those positions the team will suffer and not be able to achieve what they are supposed to,” he said. “Teams need those unselfish leaders who push the others to be the center of attention and yet still hold the team together by playing the ‘glue” positions.”

As the team’s starting point guard Reynolds took on a lot of pressure by playing such a big role and although it defiantly took her time to get used to the position. In doing so, she found that she was able to contribute and help lift the team. 

Coming into this, her final one with Hopedale, the senior is continuing to work hard to improve while elevating the team’s practices so that everyone is improving where they can hopefully return to the State Championship game.

“I am really hoping that we can get back there and if we all give 100% we have a good chance of doing so,” she said. “If we can’t I am still super proud of being part of that team that did win a State Championship.”

Rojee, who has been coaching for 25 years now between Medway and Hopedale believes that he has never had a player with such leadership skills as Reynolds exhibits.

“She is not only a leader by example and being an incredible role model, but also one of the most sincere and honest players that I have ever coached,” Rojee said. “She holds herself to such a standard that the other players see that and inspire to better themselves. She makes others around her better and for high school sports that’s what we strive for.”

When the Blue Raiders season does come to an end, hopefully with another State Championship, Reynolds will continue to play basketball on the collegiate level. After taking part in a camp at Nichols College she fell in love with the school, the coaches and the athletes and committed to play basketball there.