Looking Back at the Girls' Basketball Victory

It’s been two weeks since Medfield girls’ basketball gained attention on March 16, winning the Division II State Championship for the first time in Medfield basketball history. They played at the DCU Center in Worcester against Nashoba Regional High School, winning 54-36.

Medfield faced Reading at the TD Garden for the Division II state semi-finals on Monday, March 11. During the final minutes of the game, both teams went back and forth leading the game. After an intense game, the lady Warriors came out on top with the win, 59-51. The game went into overtime and the Warriors held Reading while gaining the lead to finish strong.

When I sat down with senior co-captain Jen Narlee, she was still glowing from the recent victory. When looking back on the season she stated, “We knew from the very first practice that it would definitely be a possibility to make it all the way since we were coming back with the same athletic team.”

Through the season the girls dominated the TVL, winning their fifth straight league title this year. 

“These girls worked incredibly hard the entire season and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Narlee. “I wish them the best of luck next year and hope they repeat history.”

When asked about his take on the girls’ accomplishment, Mr. Eric Scott, Medfield’s new Athletic Director said, “It feels awesome; the student athletes here are phenomenal and the internal drive they have is unbelievable, so it’s great to be a part of it all.”

Scott continued, “It was great to see. After being in the Tri-Valley League for 10 years before I came here, I got to see the other side of it. I think Coach Nickerson scheduling tougher games outside the league had a lot to do with the team’s success.”

Many strong players, including sophomore starter Payton Ouimette, carried the Warriors. Scott said, “The leadership with Jen Narlee, Lauren Petit and Kristin Fechtelkotter and the rest of them had a lot to do with the gelling of the team and playing their best basketball in the end.”

In an interview with Coach Mr. Mark Nickerson, I got the inside scoop on his thoughts:

How does it feel after many years of coaching to finally win the state championship?

It feels great to finally win a state championship. I am so excited for the girls and the team in general. The experience of the tournament, winning at the Garden and winning the state title at the DCU were amazing. The best part of the whole experience was seeing the excitement in the girls' faces at the completion of each game along the way. We took nothing for granted and the girls worked very hard in preparation for each opponent.

There is also a sense of relief. Expectations have been very high for this team and I am glad that we were finally able to achieve what so many people thought we should. The one thing I would add is that I don't think people realize how difficult it is to win a state championship. You need to perform at every level, have players step up their game and overcome some very difficult challenges.

As a coach, what did you do differently to prepare the girls for the intensity of the playoffs?

Honestly, the biggest difference this year was the development of our schedule. We opted out of many league games and picked up some very challenging opponents. The intensity of our non-league games helped us deal with the intensity of the tournament. We had played some of the best teams in the state in non-league games and scrimmages, and that definitely helped eliminate the shock of the tournament and playing good teams. Other than that, we attacked this season the way we have attacked every other season. In my mind, we are always preparing to play for a state title.

What are your hopes for the future and the returning varsity players?

I am very hopeful that we can compete for a state title again next year. However, we all need to realize that it is going to be very challenging to repeat. Teams are going to be focused on beating us. No one will take us for granted. We are going to get everyone's best game. Additionally, we are losing some spectacular players. Ali Gold, Katleyn Noschese and Jen Narlee have been such a huge part of this program. Jen, in particular, has been a constant in our starting line-up for the past four years. She scored over 900 points and had over 900 rebounds. You don't replace that with one player. Our returners need to really step up and try to minimize the loss of such a spectacular player.

Also, Jen and Ali have been our captains for the last two years. They have done a wonderful job leading this team. We have three new captains next year (Kristin Fechtelkotter, Lauren Petit and Kate Thomas.) These girls have big shoes to fill. I have no doubt that this group will work extremely hard to repeat as state champions and they will rise to the occasion.

Congratulations to Medfield Girls' Basketball!

This article was written by Lauren Harrity, a Medfield High School student and member of the student newspaper, The Kingsbury Chronicle. The piece is part of Medfield Patch's weekly series, "Warrior Weekly," helping provide information about MHS to the local community.