Westford Academy Basketball

Fred Drives to the Hoop

Senior captain Fred Kell drives to the hoop during the recent Lowell Holiday Tournament.

Ghosts Lose Double Overtime Thriller

Lincoln-Sudbury 72 Westford Academy 71 (2OT)

The Grey Ghosts (2-4, 1-2 DCL) erased a 15-point second-half deficit, taking a 9-point lead (52-43) before L-S guards Troy and Chris Johnson began burying 3-pointers in 15-6 run that tied it 58-58 after regulation.

It was 65-65 after a seesaw first overtime, and the Warriors took the lead in the second OT before holding on at the end. Westford had a last-gasp shot at the final buzzer that missed.

Senior guard Fred Kell led four Ghosts into double figures with 23 points, while Pat Mulroy added 16, junior center James Petersen 14 and Tom McArdle 10. Chris Western also netted 8 points.

Petersen and Kell led the rebounding effort with 14 and 8 respectively.

For undefeated L-S, 4-0 overall and 3-0 DCL, Troy Johnson pumped through 38 points and Chris Johnson added 12. The pair also combined for 10 treys.

WA BEATS WESTON

Westford Academy's strong 2nd half gave them a 61-54 victory over the Weston Wildcats. Up 29-28 at half, the Ghosts played solid defense and increased the lead to 14 by the midway point. Weston's comeback failed and the Ghosts hit key Free throws down the stretch for the victory.

Fred Kell and Tom McArdle led all scorers with 17 points each, while adding 6 and 7 Rebounds respectively. Trent Western had 11 points and 6 Rebounds while Steve Burndrett added 5 assists.

"Weston has traditionally been a difficult place for us to play" said Coach Ed Scollan "but tonight our strong 2nd half performance at both ends of the floor allowed us this road victory. It certainly gives us things to build on as we prepare for our next game." Westford now stands at 2-2 DCL and 3-4 overall and hosts Concord at Home on Friday night.

3RD GRADE BOYS CLINIC

The Westford Academy Varsity basketball team is pleased to announce that they will be conducting a clinic for the 3rd Grade Boy's Recreational teams at the Stony Brook School on January 17, 2004. There will be two sessions: 12-1:30 and 1:45-3:15.

Thanks to Mr. Ken Teal for helping organize this special event.

WA DEFEATS CONCORD CARLISLE

Trent Western led the attack with 17 points and 6 Rebounds, as WA defeated CC 52-50. Steve Burndrett added 9 points, including 2 key three-pointers in the second half. The win brings WA to 3-2 (DCL) and 4-4 (Overall).

ACTON DEFEATS WA

Acton defeated Westford 55-44 to increase its overall record to 7-1. Trent Western led all scorers with 22 points, including 4 three pointers while Tom McArdle added 8 points. Westford was down by 12 at half and tried to close the gap midway through the 2nd half. Acton went to the Free-throw line 33 times while the Grey Ghosts only went 5. The loss drops Westford to 3-3 (DCL) and 4-5 (Overall).

WAYLAND GAME POSTPONED

The make-up date for this game will be February 11, 2004 at 4:00/5:30 at Wayland High School.

OVER 100 ATTEND 3RD GRADE CLINIC

The WA Varsity Team conducted a clinic for the Westford 3rd grade recreational teams; with over 100 participants attending. After brief introductions, the team offered five skill stations followed by full court games. The clinic was held in two sessions and the team wants to thank all those who attended. Click on "Photos" for more.

Lions Defeat WA

Despite the strong efforts of Fred Kell (20 points, 10 Rebounds, and 2 Steals) and Trent Western (17 points), WA was defeated by Chelmsford in non-league action. The Lions led by nine at the break (33-24), but a better defensive effort in the 2nd half closed the gap to one. WA could never get over that margin and Chelmsford hit their free-throws down the stretch for the victory.

WA Upsets Bedford

WA defeated Bedford, 64-59, in a DCL upset last night. The Ghosts trailing 37-28 at half, held Bedford to 22 2nd half points. It was Bedford's first DCL loss (6-1 DCL 7-2 Overall).
Junior Center Sean Goodrich had a season game with 19 points, 7 Rebounds, and solid defense throughout. Senior Captain Trent Western matched Goodrich with 19 points and 7 Rebounds. Western also hit 4 Free Throws in a row with less than 30 seconds left to secure the win. Fred Kell's two Free Throws with 5 seconds left were also clutch. "It was nice to see Sean have such a huge game for us" commented Coach Ed Scollan. "It was a big win for us, we had been struggling, and this helps us as we enter the 2nd half of the season". Westford is now 4-3 DCL and 5-6 overall.

WA Over Newton Suth

Westford 57 Newton South 54

Fred Kell hit for 21 points and Westford Academy picked up a Dual County League win on the road to go to 5-3 in the league.

Trent Western added 14 points for Westford, while Pat Mulroy scored 9 points and hauled in 8 rebounds.

The game was tight throughout until a Newton South three-point try at the buzzer to tie just missed.

Latin Wins

In a game that WA never got "on-track", Boston Latin (7-3 DCL 9-5 Overall) defeated the Grey Ghosts 72-61 (5-4 DCL 6-7 Overall). Fred Kell led Westford scorers with 18 points while Sean Goodrich had 13 points and 5 Rebounds, and Trent Western added 10.

Westford closed the gap to 5 with 4:30 left to play, but couldn't convert on the next several trips down the floor. WA also had a season high 30 Turnovers.

Westford is off until next Tuesday (February 3, 2004) when they travel to Lincoln Sudbury.