STOUGHTON – It’s hard to envision where the state of Massachusetts hoops would be without Wally Seaver.
Seaver passed away in 2013 following a courageous battle with ALS. Since that day, his son Paul, his family, and the state’s basketball community have made it a mission to honor his memory with a tournament, one which has continued to expand in participation with each passing summer. On Sunday, the 14th annual Wally Seaver High School Invitational commenced, with some of the top teams in New England taking part.
“I think we started with 16 teams,” said tournament assistant Greg Lewis. “Today, we had 134. Also this year, Paul added a tournament up north at St. John’s Prep in Danvers. There were 30 teams there, so that brings the total to over 160 teams total that were going to be able to donate some money toward a great cause.”
In addition to the newly-added tournament location at the Catholic Conference institution, the showcase continued to host events at the Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, as well as the Mass Premier Courts in Foxboro.
During the title games, a few familiar schools shined, while some other New England heavyweights had the chance to make a statement. During the girls’ finals in Stoughton, St. Mary’s (Lynn) was able to capture the Purple divisional crown, topping Bishop Fenwick in a contested 55-47 battle.
While the Spartans have lost a lot of key pieces, you can still expect them to compete this winter with incoming freshman Sysy Emmanuel. The point guard remains confident, as a few of her closest classmates will be joining her in the endeavor.
“All of our starters left,” laughed Emmanuel. “(The challenge) feels pretty good. We can (still) win it all this year if we want.”
In the Pink divisional title clash, Bedford (NH) was able to continue its reign, defeating a Massachusetts girls hoops powerhouse in Foxboro with a convincing 54-28 win.
The Bulldogs have won 49 straight games in NHIAA play, with two state championships.
If you’re wondering, you might just see this team again, and real soon.
“We’ve set up another tough schedule this year,” said Bedford coach Kevin Gibbs. “We’re going to play Bishop Feehan and Wachusett as regular season games. We’re playing Medfield in a Christmas tournament. We’re playing Sacred Heart, who won the Class I-AA (title) in Connecticut last year, in a Christmas Tournament. We’re playing Burlington (VT), who won the Vermont Div. 1 (crown) last year. We’re going to play the other (NH) state finalist, Londonderry, twice this year. We’re going to play Pinkerton again, who we played in the previous year’s state final, home-and-home. … My goal is always to make this as challenging of a situation as possible, so that when they play the tougher games in-state, it’s not as big of a deal.”
In the boys’ title games, Abington relied on its primary stars for shooting, with Kingston Maxwell and Tyler Staiti pacing the Green Wave to a 73-57 win over Lowell Catholic in the Navy divisional final.
Meanwhile, senior Justin Grimaldi erupted offensively in the Red Division final, as Oliver Ames returned to the forefront with a dramatic 62-56 win over Exeter (NH).
This year, the Wally Seaver High School Invitational partnered with the Peter Frates ALS Foundation, with tournament proceeds benefiting the cause.
Paul and his wife, Whitney Howe-Seaver, have been looking to create something Wally would be truly proud of every single day. As the continues to gain momentum, one would have to imagine that a few more programs could be joining in short order.
“I think the fact that they can continue to carry on his legacy, even though these high school kids don’t really have any idea who he was, what he did, played against him or played with him, is just a testament to the tournament itself,” Howe-Seaver said afterward. “The prestige that it carries, and the reputation that it carries (is why) it can continue to grow, and even thrive in its 14th year.”
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