Middle school basketball took center stage at the regional high school Tuesday evening for the boys and girls basketball championships. The West Tisbury School Hawks won both games, claiming the boys title with a 73-52 win over the Edgartown Eagles and the girls title with a 36-33 win over the Oak Bluffs Blazers.
Parents, siblings and friends crowded the regional high school gymnasium to cheer on their respective teams.
West Tisbury boys coach and town police lieutenant Matt Gebo said he always looks forward to these games.
[They’re] a great group of kids,“ Coach Gebo said. “A great blend of seventh and eighth graders that are really dedicated to basketball.”
With the win, the boys team completed an undefeated season. The Hawks led the whole way but in the third quarter, when the Eagles began pressuring, Coach Gebo urged his team to relax and not let the bigger stage get to them.
“It’s a bigger atmosphere than our West Tisbury gym,” he said.
The girls game was a nail-biter all the way through. West Tisbury girls coach Ena Thulin is also the social studies department chair at the high school. She had one core message of positivity for her team.
“I [kept] telling them that they got it,” Ms. Thulin said. “This is their game. They can do it.”
During the entire fourth quarter, the student sections stayed on their feet, cheering and exchanging chants with their rivals across the hardwood. Parents also stood and cheered as younger kids ran about on the sidelines.
Coach Thulin said she had prepared her team for the noise and chaos.
“Sometimes we practiced free throws while screaming at each other,” she said.
The win was a team effort, she added.
“I’m just so proud of them,” she said. “They play solidly together and they’re such a great team. I’m so happy for them.”
Pat Mercier reffed both games and concluded each quarter with a smile on his face.
“I just love doing it,” he said. “Everybody comes, it’s on a big court that they don’t usually play on and it’s loud and exciting. It’s a great experience for them.”
Everyone agreed that the sense of community outweighed any final result.
“It’s really an all-Island event,” Coach Gebo said. “With the boys and girls coming for basketball, it’s the culmination of the year.”
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