Meet the 2022 T&G Hometeam high school boys' basketball Super Team and honorable mentions
The Worcester Telegram is proud to announce the nominees for the Hometeam boys' basketball Player of the Year for the Central Mass High School Sports Awards, presented by DCU — Digital Federal Credit Union, will be held live on Wednesday, June 22, at Hanover Theatre & Conservatory for the Performing Arts, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
During the live show, these nominees will be honored, and the player of the year will be selected. Learn more on the program and see which athletes have already been named nominees on the show’s website. Athletes must register for the event here. Each nominated athlete will receive one free ticket. Additional tickets may be purchased here.
The Central Mass High School Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
Here are the Hometeam boys' basketball Player of the Year nominees:
Adam Bates
Wachusett, Senior, Forward
Another sport, another standout season for Bates. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound forward captained the Mountaineers to the quarterfinals of the Division 1 state tournament after doing the same in football. A maximum-effort, team-first player, Bates averaged 7 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists and provided stout defense as the Mountaineers went 18-5 and won the Mid-Wach Class A Tournament. He considers an upset win on the road over Taunton to be his most memorable moment of the season. Bates, who will study business at the University of Massachusetts, is also captain of the lacrosse team and made the T&G preseason players to watch list. He is the son of Patricia and Michael Bates of Holden.
Cameron Boucher
Northbridge, Senior, Guard
This marks the second consecutive T&G Super Team appearance for Boucher, a three-year captain who started since he was a freshman. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound point guard averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals as the Rams finished 18-5 after advancing to the final of the CMADA Large Schools Tournament and the first round of the Division 4 state tournament. Boucher considers his most memorable moment of the season to be a come-from-behind, overtime victory at Millbury, during which he scored his 1,000th career point. He finished fifth in school history with 1,093 points. Boucher aspires to become a physical therapist. He is the son of Nicole Cusson and Mike Boucher of Whitinsville.
Ryan Brooks
Shepherd Hill, Junior, Forward
Brooks continued to trend upward in his third varsity season while making an impact from baseline to baseline with his interior play, be it shooting, rebounding, passing, or defending. The 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward was a double-double machine, averaging 18 points — up from 3.1 and 11.8 the previous two seasons — and 11.5 rebounds as the Rams captured the CMADA Large Schools Tournament and advanced to the second round of the Division 2 state tourney before finishing 19-4. Brooks considers his most memorable moment of the season to be a first-round state tourney win against East Longmeadow as it was the Rams’ first playoff victory since 2018. He is the son of Janet and William Brooks of Dudley.
Justin Dadah Jr.
Leominster, Junior, Guard
Despite facing all manner of defenses geared to stop him, Dadah consistently found ways to create his own shot and put the ball in the basket. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard averaged 19 points — good for 10th in Central Mass. — along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. With their three-year starter and two-time captain leading the way, the Blue Devils advanced to the Mid-Wach Class A Tournament final and the second round of the Division 2 state tourney before finishing 15-5. Dadah considers his most memorable moment of the season to have come in a win over Nashoba in the Mid-Wach Class A Tournament semifinals, when he scored a career-high 36 points. He is the son of Debra and Justin Dadah of Fitchburg.
Callum Donagher
Grafton, Senior, Guard
Donagher was the engine that powered the Gators’ multi-dimensional offense. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard averaged nearly 21 points to rank fifth in Central Mass. Donagher topped the 20-point mark in 11 games, including a career-high 36 in a win over tournament-bound Hudson. He was effective from the field and efficient from the line, draining an impressive 97 free throws, as the Gators went 13-8 and advanced to the Division 2 state tournament. Donagher, who plans to do a postgrad year at a prep school, didn’t have a specific memorable moment from the season, rather he just enjoyed practicing and playing with his friends and teammates each day. He is the son of Christina and Kevin Donagher of Grafton.
Jaylen Kirkland
Oakmont, Senior, Guard
Victories were in abundance for the Spartans thanks to the presence of Kirkland and his all-around game. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard averaged 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists as the Spartans went 16-6 before seeing their eight-game winning streak come to a close in the second round of the Division 3 state tournament. Kirkland scored 20-plus points in seven games, highlighted by a career-best 28-point night. This third-year varsity player’s most memorable moment of the season came at Worcester State as the Spartans defeated Clinton to win the Mid-Wach Tournament Class B championship. Kirkland is exploring doing a postgrad year at a New England prep school. He is the son of Kristin and Chris Kirkland of Westminster.
Tucker McDonald
Wachusett, Junior, Guard
If the Mountaineers needed McDonald to score, he could do that. If they asked him to focus on facilitating, rebounding or defending, well, he could do that, too. Typically, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound point guard did it all simultaneously while leading the Mountaineers to an 18-5 record, the Mid-Wach Class A Tournament title and the quarterfinals of the Division 1 state tourney. McDonald averaged a team-high 11.6 points, one of six Mountaineers to go for 7-plus a game. A T&G Super Team selection in football, McDonald’s considers his most memorable moment of the season to be the D1 second-round win at higher-seeded Taunton, when he scored a career-high 29 points. He is the son of Kathryn and P.J. McDonald of Holden.
Ethan Minarik
Bartlett, Junior, Guard
Minarik is the latest in a long line of versatile, high-production players to suit up for the Indians. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound point guard filled the box score by tallying 25.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals on a nightly basis. He led Central Mass. with 83 3-pointers and finished second in scoring, highlighted by an explosive, seven-game stretch in which he averaged 33.9 points with a career-high of 41. Minarik considers his most memorable moments of the season to be helping the Indians clinch a berth in the Division 4 state tournament and winning the SWCL free-throw contest after making 58 of 59 shots. He is the son of Pamela and Todd Minarik, a 1992 T&G basketball all-star for Bartlett, of Webster.
Kyle Monahan
Maynard, Senior, Guard
It was a storybook season that capped a storied career for Monahan. The 6-foot, 175-pound guard did it all, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Tigers won the Division 5 state championship while finishing 26-2. That was a program record for wins in a season and the second title in school history. Monahan, a two-time T&G Super Team selection and two-year captain, ranked third in Central Mass. in scoring to finish his four-year varsity career with 1,446 points, good for third on Maynard’s all-time list. He considers celebrating a state championship win over Paulo Freire at the Tsongas Center in Lowell to be his most memorable moment of the season. Monahan will continue his basketball career and study business administration and management at Roger Williams University. He is the son of Lydea and Michael Monahan of Maynard, and the grandson of Jim Monahan, a two-sport Hall of Famer at Assumption.
Joe Okla
North, Sophomore, Forward
Okla, the lone sophomore selected to the T&G Super Team, was simply sensational as the Polar Bears put together one of their most successful seasons in quite some time after enduring a one-year layoff due to the pandemic. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound wing/forward averaged 14 points, was a rugged rebounder and a dominant defender. The Polar Bears reached the final of the Hometeam Worcester City Tournament and advanced to the second round of the Division 1 state tourney before finishing 20-3. Okla considers his most memorable moment of the season to be a first-round tourney win over Evertt, a game in which he had 16 points and 12 rebounds. He is the son of Josyl Core and Jonathan Okla of Worcester.
Oscar Pizarro
North, Senior, Guard
When it came to offense, defense, leadership and poise, Pizarro provided it all and gave it his all while guiding the Polar Bears to a super successful season after being sidelined last year because of the pandemic. The 5-foot-7, 153-pound point guard averaged 14 points as the Polar Bears went 20-3, going undefeated in the Inter-High, reaching the Hometeam Worcester City Tournament final and advancing to the second round of the Division 1 state tourney. In what he considers his most memorable moment of the season, Pizarro amassed 19 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals and a block as the Polar Bears defeated Everett in the first round of the state tourney. He is the son of Merari Vigo of Worcester.
Braeden White
David Prouty, Junior, Guard
It was a season overflowing with memorable moments for White. The most indelible coming after each win, when he and his teammates would begin cheering and celebrating as coach Patrick O’Connor entered the room for his postgame chat. That jubilant occasion occurred 17 times thanks to the all-around play of White. The 5-foot-10, 145-pound point guard averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 steals, powering the Panthers to a 15-game winning streak — the longest by the program since 1982 — and the second round of the Division 5 state tournament. White aspires to study exercise physiology and continue his basketball career in college. He is the son of Larisa Morrison and Daniel White of Spencer.
Honorable Mention
Division 1
Kofi Asare, Doherty
Nick Barnes, St. John's
Noah Basgaard, St. John's
Jake Chiasson, Wachusett
James Clark, Algonquin
Ryan Gentilucci, St. Paul
Sidney Hall, Doherty
Malakhi Knight, St. John's
Dennis McNamara, Shrewsbury
Theo Stangus, Wachusett
Ty Tabales, North
Division 2
Warren Acceus, Leominster
Jacob Belsonti, Nashoba
Nico Caputi, Fitchburg
Jalen Gonzalez, Burncoat
Alex Johnson, South
Jayden Larson, South
Ethan McInerny, Grafton
Alex Moison, Leominster
Tyler Oliveira, Marlborough
Niklas Pavia, Nashoba
Tahlan Pettway, Burncoat
Iverson Ramirez-Ruggles, Shepherd Hill
Tony Santiago, Marlborough
Kevin Viola, Leominster
Division 3
Mateo Arelleno, AMSA
Jake Attaway, Hudson
Anton Farquharson, Worcester Tech
Cole Ford, Worcester Tech
Connor Geary, Quabbin
Ben Gosselin, Monty Tech
Joe Groccia, Tantasqua
Cam Hoekstra, Quabbin
Brandon Hulecki, Oakmont
Ryan Hulecki, Oakmont
James McKinney, Nipmuc
Jackson O'Brien, Hudson
Sreerag Pampati, AMSA
Ethan Saul, AMSA
Andrew Stenstream, Groton-Dunstable
Colin Wilbur, Monty Tech
Division 4
Jahl Ashby, Assabet
Owen Breidel, Clinton
Luke Clay, Leicester
Dylan Cotton, Bay Path
Nic DeNorscia, Whitinsville Christian
Kenny Donnelly, Millbury
Joey Dunton, Blackstone-Millville
Ryan Flauto, Valley Tech
Lucas Friedman, Millbury
Hedra Gabra, Blackstone-Millville
Cam Hafner, Bay Path
Nik Hayes, Northbridge
Nathan Lapham, Whitinsville Christian
Jack Lewis, Clinton
Aidan Losiewicz, Valley Tech
Noah Massotti, Whitinsville Christian
Max Meilleur, Lunenburg
Colin Minarik, Bartlett
Connor Murphy, Littleton
Division 5
Andrew Deppe, Hopedale
Christian Feliciano, Gardner
Adam Fowler, Maynard
Patrick Ginnity, St. Bernard's
Shawn Hebert, Ayer-Shirley
Brian Holmes, Ayer-Shirley
Bryce Kissi, Abby Kelley
Josh Mangus, Parker
Steven Marchionni, Hopedale
Cam Marshall, Ayer-Shirley
Luke McCain, Bromfield
Trevor Oliver, Douglas
Malachi O'Raine, Abby Kelley
Ryan O'Rourke, Sutton
Jackson Rice, Tahanto
Tyler Richards, Narragansett
Nick Russo, Bromfield
Austin Smith, West Boylston
Junaid Taufeeque, Tahanto
Calvin Tenney, Murdock
Byron Tippins, David Prouty
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: The 2022 T&G Hometeam high school boys' basketball Super Team and honorable mentions
