Blue Devils step up on Senior Night

Source: Sentinel and Enterprise
Author: Nick Mallard

LEOMINSTER -- When Rusty Frederick took the reins of the Leominster High girls basketball team in 2019, his first concern wasn't racking up wins. Playing with poise down the stretch wasn't an immediate point of emphasis.

Frederick's first order of business was simply recruiting enough players to not only put together a varsity roster, but to build a solid program from top to bottom.

As the Blue Devils celebrated five players during Friday's Senior Night festivities, that vision seems to have become a reality.

Not only did all five contribute in Friday's 47-42 victory over visiting Shrewsbury, they had become the key cogs in a Blue Devils team that punched its ticket to the postseason with its 10th win of the year.

Seniors Taylor Boulay, Sabina Marwa, Nicole Kelly, Kyra Forsberg and Juliana Pompei were honored with their families prior to the game and then showed the poise and leadership expected of fourth-year players as the Blue Devils (10-7) held off a late Shrewsbury surge.

"I've had these girls since they were freshmen playing varsity basketball. They've come so far," Frederick said. "It's a special group. They come in and keep plugging away. I can't say enough about what they've meant to this program.

"They came out and started and set the tempo. We were down early, but they came back quick. Shrewsbury played a great game, but these girls came through on Senior Night and I'm so proud of them."

Pompei led the Blue Devils with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Mia Keenan, Jayda Caldwell and Frankie Bello each had eight.

Leading by nine entering the final quarter, the Blue Devils saw their guests chip away at the lead, closing to within one when Addison O'Connor (game-high 18 points) sank a pair of free throws with 4:15 left to make it a 40-39 game.

But Leominster responded with a 6-0 run on buckets by Pompei, Caldwell and Kelly to push the lead back to seven.

Still, the Colonials battled back, getting the lead down to 46-42 in the final 30 seconds. The Blue Devils weren't rattled and sealed the win courtesy of a Forsberg steal with five seconds remaining. The senior hit one of the two ensuing free throws to put the game away.

"They stepped up at the end and got a stop when we really needed it," Frederick said. "I think that's the difference of when you've got experienced seniors playing and not underclassmen. Those things used to go the other way for us."

The Blue Devils trailed by as many as six early as the Colonials (9-7) came out of the gates strong. But after withstanding the early push, Leominster responded, taking its first lead at 15-12 on a Keenan 3 with two minutes left in the opening quarter.