Sharon Academy Boys Win Opening Games

Sharon Academy Boys Win Opening Games By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

The Sharon Academy Phoenix boys’ basketball team opened their hoop season with a home contest against perennial rivals the Rochester Rockets last Wednesday, Dec. 3, and earned the win, 47-35.

Both teams were slow getting their first points, with Sharon scoring first. A Taylor Fuller foul put Sam Wood at the stripe and Wood went one-for-two for the opening point and first lead that the Rockets erased nearly two minutes later, when Jace Curtis deposited Rochester’s first basket, which gave the Rockets their one and only lead of the game, 2-1. Phoenix Otto Pierce scored his first two points, followed immediately by two more points by Wood. Colin Pope ended the quarter with a trey for the 8-3 Phoenix advantage.

Fouls had starters from both teams on the bench early in the second quarter with Michael Young-Ward and Colin Pope sitting for TSA and Taylor Fuller for Rochester. Sharon scored 10 points in the second quarter, while Ethan White hit from downtown for the Rockets. TSA led 18-8 at the break.

In the third period, Rochester outscored Sharon 15-12, with White nabbing the lion’s share of the Rocket tally with 10 points, while Otto Pierce scored half of his team’s 12 points.

TSA finished the game with a quarter-high 17 points and outscored Rochester by five. Ethan White finished the game with his second three-pointer and ended with a game-high of 16 points.

Otto Pierce was TSA’s high scorer with 13 while Sam Wood added 11.

TSA returns five seniors after losing only Luke Battey to graduation. They are captains Otto Pierce and Colin Pope, Sam Wood and Evan Frank. Three juniors and one sophomore also suit up; they are Luke Crocker, Alex Rogers, Michael Young-Ward, and Michael Landry.

Four junior varsity players will do double duty this year, as they will "swing" back and forth between J.V. and varsity. They are Seldon Levasseur, Galen Riddle, Bryce Lloyd and Joe Miller. Coach Tom Vashel returns for his second varsity season. Former Phoenix Luke Battey assists and also coaches the junior varsity.

J.V. Game

TSA won the junior varsity contest, 33-20. Levasseur had 15 points and Lloyd had 10 for the Phoenix. John Wardwell had 6 and Gavin Curtis had 5 points for the Rockets.

Win over Concord

The Phoenix are now 2-0 with a 19-point topping over their Wildcat hosts last Saturday in Concord with a 59-45 victory.

Concord held a one-point lead, 11-10, after the first stanza, before TSA took control of the ball in the third with 18 points, but the Phoenix tightened their defense in the fourth and shut down the Wildcats limiting them to just eight points. Sharon finished the second half just one point short of matching their first half tally with 29 points for the win.

Three seniors led the Phoenix, combining for 44 of the team’s total points. Sam Wood was high scorer for the Phoenix with 18 points, Evan Frank scored 15, including three treys, and Colin Pope finished with 11.

Coach Tom Vashel was pleased with his team’s output and said, "Our defense is definitely improving. It’s not where we want to be, but we’re getting there." Sharon hosts the West Rutland Golden Horde tomorrow.

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