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Jonny Ratner

Soon after the tip off in the first quarter, senior captain Sean Cullen gets hit hard on a foul, as he attempts to claim the early lead.

The boys varsity basketball team was defeated 53-41 by the Acton-Boxborough Colonials in the Division 1 Central Final on March 8, marking the end of a historic season.

This was the first time in Tomahawks history that the team advanced to the CMass Finals two years in a row.

“You always want to go as far as you can, but this is back to back District Finals for us, and that hasn’t happened at Algonquin ever in Division 1,” coach Brian Doherty said.

At the end of the first quarter, the Colonials held a 11-3 lead over the Tomahawks, and held the lead for the entire game. However, the Tomahawks continued to fight back and stayed relatively close throughout the game.

“The kids played hard, they battled very hard and they came back and were down five in the third quarter, but we just couldn’t get on a streak and make those consistent shots to get us over the edge,” Doherty said.

Freshman Alex Karaban led the Tomahawks with 13 points, alongside junior Artem Segarra who scored 11 and senior captain Sean Cullen with nine.

“We knew they were probably going to play 2-3 zone, which they did, and we had practiced that week being able to set ourselves up with open shots and swinging the ball,” Cullen said. “I thought we did a good job throughout the game, we just didn’t hit our shots and we weren’t getting what we wanted.”

Throughout the season, the team found success not only on the court, but also in building team chemistry in the locker room.

“My favorite moments [of the season] were just the practices every day and the locker room moments with the boys,” senior captain Nick Redden said. “The bonds you make with everyone throughout the whole year are forever; it’s just family.”

Over the years many players, especially seniors, developed significant bonds that will continue even after the season has ended.

“I’m satisfied [with the season] because throughout the year it was about more than just basketball,” Cullen said. “I created some friendships and bonds with kids I wasn’t as close with before which will last forever, and I created memories with the team whether during games or practices or just hanging out with them outside of basketball.”

Looking forward to next year, the team hopes to build on the success from the past two years and claim the district title.

“Our goal for next year is of course to still win the district championship,” Karaban said. “We were so close for the last two years and hopefully third time’s the charm.”