On Saturday, March 9th, the SHS boys’ basketball team will play in the third round of the MIAA State Tournament. At 6:00 p.m., Scituate will face off against 7-seeded Sharon High School at Stoughton High School. According to team captain senior Brian Good, at the beginning of the season, it’s fair to say that all focus was placed on one thing–“for the team to win a state championship.” 

This focus is intensified for several reasons, according to senior captain Michael Porter: “I want to win a state championship because no one has ever done it before in Scituate, and it’s our last year to do it,” Porter acknowledged.

“As far as winning a state championship, that would be a great way to go out,” senior captain Ryan Dunn added. All players, including 11 seniors, seem eager to put a banner on the wall. 

As for Saturday’s game, preparation has been critical this week. When asked how he felt going into this weekend, Porter said, “I’m feeling good–we’ve been watching the film, and we’re gonna go over what they do, and I think we’ll be ready to go.” 

In terms of execution, Dunn is hoping to replicate Tuesday’s win over second-seed Leominster High School. Dunn said their opponent has a solid defensive game and “two dominant players this time around, so we have to focus up on defense, too.” 

Good added, “We’re really going to have to prepare for Sharon’s top two players. They’re really good, both of them. Their whole team’s solid, but I think if we stick together, we’ll be good. Just play smart, as many shots as we can–limit the turnovers.”

Reflecting on the season and evaluating some of the team’s strengths, Good mentioned the grit and determination of the team: “For us this year, our best strength has been everyone can step up when we need them to. We’ve had a lot of guys out sick or even injured all year. So just having people step into those roles and take the responsibility really helps us.”

This year has been relatively tough for the team, as many players have been out for multiple reasons throughout the season. 

Coach Poirier elaborated on the team’s struggles this year: “We have had a much more difficult early season due to sickness and injuries. This road has not been easy, and it’s only now going to be even more challenging.” 

Nevertheless, the team has persevered, as shown in their 20-4 record.  This success can be attributed to the importance of hard work. Poirier commented, “You cannot expect to achieve anything without sacrifice, endurance, stamina, willingness to endure being uncomfortable, daily sense of urgency and acceptance of process. This team is similar to past teams because they have understood this fact. They have also understood that talk is cheap–actions matter.”

In addition to depth, the team demonstrates other notable strengths. “As a team, our greatest strength is communication. I think whenever things are going bad, we talk through how to fix it. And when things are going well, we’re able to identify what’s going well and how to keep doing it,” said Porter. 

Dunn attributed much of the team’s success to their work ethic and team bonding: “Our chemistry is a huge thing, too. We’ve been playing together for a really long time.” 

There’s no doubt this team has what it takes to bring home a state championship. This year marks the 100th season of Scituate basketball, making this playoff run even more electrifying.

Poirier mentioned the atmosphere as a final point, remarking that Saturday’s game will be “memory-making.” With his usual enthusiasm, Poirier said, “I think the atmosphere will be remembered by everyone in the stands and on each team. Let’s fill that place up.”

Looking for tickets for Saturday’s game? Visit this link on GoFan:https://gofan.co/app/school/MA14719