SG Basketball: Senior Night & Farewell

After warmups, the six senior players came individually through the "tunnel" formed by other players and friends. Their career highlights were announced enthusiastically by Ms. Hessian. They received a special framed picture from Mr. Simard and posed for a photo with all their coaches. Each senior was also presented a Vermont Teddy Bear by Ms. Davis. The cute bears were personalized with a red T-shirt with the Stanstead logo on the front and their last name and uniform number on the back. They will be great mementos of their season(s)/career playing basketball at SC.

 

Before game time, the coaches had decided to have some of the seniors start (and eventually end) the game as the main players on the court. The referee eventually tipped off the ball and we were under way. It was a somewhat "inauspicious debut" as we started the game falling  behind to Richmond by a score of 8-2. We quieted the fans who had been excited by the celebration and ready to rock the packed Mac. We steadily began to take care of business with an 8-0 run, ending the first quarter ahead on four points by both Maya and Erika, and 2 from Miranda. 1Q Score: SC 10 - RR 8  

In the second quarter, we outscored Richmond 11-6 on a great 3-pointer by Charlotte, two buckets by Addy, and one each for Maya and Allie. 2Q Score: SC 21 - RR 14  

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair with SC scoring only 7 points and Richmond scoring 10. Three Spartans scored in that period with a bucket each - Bianca, Maya and Addy with Addy also adding a free throw. By this point the scoreboard showed a four-point game. 3Q Score: SC 28 - RR 24  

When Richmond scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, our lead had withered to two points. From then on, however, the Spartans showed their mettle. We went on a 16-2 run that carried through the rest of the game. There was balanced scoring in the final period with points spread across six players - 2 for Bianca, Nya and Allie; 3 for Erica and Maya; and 4 for Addy. Final score: SC 44 - RR 28  

 

Total scoring on the day for the Spartans included some underclassmen - Erika with 7 and Miranda with 2. Fittingly, all six senior players scored in their final game - Naya with 2, Charlotte with 3, Bianca and Allie with 4, and co-captains Maya and Addy with 11 points each. It was a great game with memorable moments to end the basketball season.  

 

The last formal event for the team was the Athletic Assembly in early April. Dinner was arranged with all teams eating together. Team pins and photos were distributed to all team members. At the actual assembly later that evening at Centenary, Ms. Davis spoke about the players and key aspects of the season. She awarded the Sportsmanship Award to Allison Morse; Senior "S" Awards to Charlotte, Clara and Erika; Major “S” Awards to Addison and Maya; finally, the Bess Ferguson MVP Trophy was co-awarded to Addison and Maya.

 

In the weeks that followed, Mr. Simard collected and printed individual sets of pictures (taken at recent games/events) for players to put on their wall, in photo albums or to distribute to family and friends.

 

As the season is now behind us, it is time for a few comments in the form of thanks and tributes. First of all, thanks to all of the players themselves and from them to those who helped us this past season. Thank you to the table official scorers and timers - the Skittles Crew. Thanks to Daniel B. for his support with uniforms, equipment and encouragement. Thank you to Mr. P. Thompson who stepped in with me to help coach the team in early February through the end of the season. Thanks to Ms. Davis who coached this group of student-athletes (for her first time at SC) throughout the entire season with positivity, care and compassion.

 

In one of my game stories this season, I wrote about the BCS-SC game where the BCS team had shown support to our team with flowers, a signed card and hugs. There was one aspect of that event that was touched on in the original story but was only made clearer to me later on. I had written that the BCS athletic director and coaches wore red - a color they obviously usually avoid - to support us on that day. Unbeknownst to me at the time but revealed to me later through a parent (who had been in contact with a BCS family), a BCS senior girls basketball player had suggested the honour to her peers. She had sent an email to the entire BCS student body which - to paraphrase her - asked them to come and support their team in BCS's last game of the season... but to please wear red to honour Mr. K. during that game. Wow - what a terrific heartfelt message! Ironically, I had actually met this young woman this past summer in Ayer's Cliff. I had no idea of the full story of her action until after my original story was published online. So here is the epilogue to it, with immense respect and thanks to Georgia J-P.       

   

Finally, a tribute to Mr. Kulakowsky. Though his time at SC was unfortunately brief, he touched many lives here as a teacher, coach and friend. The players were very affected by his passing, but they decided to persevere and continue the season with his spirit guiding them along the way. They have benefitted greatly from Coach K's knowledge of sports in general, his basketball coaching ability and his caring mentorship of them. Over the March break, three faculty members - Mr. M. Thompson, Mr. Simard and Mrs. Carruthers -  travelled ten hours each way to attend the funeral for Coach K to support Ella and the entire Kulakowsky family in Collingwood, Ontario. The venue was packed, and the tables were filled with lots of memorabilia and many great pictures. The event was beautiful, poignant, funny and sad. The speeches, music and general ambiance were all so very special. The number of young people Mr. K had previously coached who wore their team uniform was impressive. It was clear that Mr. K really was a hero in the schools he had worked at and within the general community of that region. He came to Stanstead on a sabbatical leave from his previous school board to allow his family an exchange experience in Quebec, likely for just a year or two. It leaves me feeling that Mr. Kulakowsky would have had an even greater impact on our school had we been lucky enough to have him for a while longer. He will be missed. May he rest in peace.

 

With respect,    

 

AS