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Fishermen, Hornets looking to gain '08 momentum this weekend

Friday, December, 28 By Matt Langone
Sports editor

After an 0-4 start to the season, the Gloucester High School boys basketball team is hoping to break through with a win before the calendar turns to 2008.

Conventional wisdom would tell you that this weekend is as good of a time as any for the Fishermen to grab that elusive first victory and enter the new year with some momentum as they gear up for the meat and potatoes of the hoops season.

The Fishermen will play host to the Gloucester Holiday Basketball Tournament tonight and tomorrow night at Gloucester High School. Cape Ann League schools Amesbury, Hamilton-Wenham and Manchester Essex will round out the wide open tourney field.

The Indians (2-2), Generals (2-2), Hornets (1-3) and Fishermen all come into the event looking for a kickstart to the rest of the season, and the talent appears to be very evenly matched.

"The tourney definitely looks pretty even across the board," said Gloucester head coach Todd Simendinger. "That's how we try to structure it. We like to try to stay away from the usual Northeastern Conference teams that we always see.

"Our kids are psyched for the tourney. We want a win and this is a great opportunity on our home floor."

Manchester Essex will play Amesbury in the evening's first contest (6:30 p.m.), while Gloucester will face Hamilton-Wenham right after (8 p.m.).

With all due respect to Amesbury and H-W, the unspoken goal of the tournament is to have neighboring rivals Gloucester and Manchester Essex meet in tomorrow night's championship game (8 p.m.). Of course, if both teams lose they can also renew their rivalry in the consolation game (tomorrow, 6:30 p.m.).

"It's become a pretty healthy rivalry," said Simendinger in regards to playing against the Hornets. "Our kids play against their kids a lot and they all know each other very well. When Bill Cahill (Manchester Essex head coach) and I draw it up, we're hoping that our teams play for the tourney title."

Cahill's squad comes into the tournament in a similar predicament as the Fishermen. The Hornets are two games below .500 on the young season, but have been very competitive, losing to unbeatens Georgetown and Newburyport by just 11 points combined.

"The field looks wide open," said Cahill echoing the sentiments of Simendinger. "Hopefully the games will be competitive. We've been in this tournament for a while and the goal every year is to win it."

In fact, Cahill has taken his motivation tactics a step further this year.

"I told the kids that these are the biggest games of the year for us," said Cahill. "We need a good, strong start to the new year."

The tournament will also feature an abundance of individual talent. Gloucester senior sharpshooter Brian Levie (13.3 ppg) can stroke it from beyond the arch, as can Manchester Essex senior guard Marty Nally (16.3 ppg).

There will also be a pair of talented freshman on display, in the form of Manchester Essex forward Joe Mussachia (12.8 ppg) and Hamilton-Wenham first-year phenom Mike Carter-Williams, who is averaging a whopping 20.2 ppg. Amesbury will be led by senior Jay Wheeler (10 ppg).